CURRENT AFFAIRS 1st JULY to 7th JULY 2023
NATIONAL
- Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on June 30, 2022.
- The Government of India has announced the Single-use plastic ban from July 1, 2023.
- Indian Air Force (IAF) to host 'Tarang Shakti' - 1st multi-national air exercise in Oct-Nov. Participating nations: US, UK, France, Australia. Aims to strengthen military cooperation, build strategic alliances. Largest exercise by India, showcasing IAF's global engagement.
- Union Minister of Mines, Pralhad Joshi, has unveiled India's first-ever report on Critical Minerals for India.
- Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has undertaken the development of a National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal, Gujarat.₹4,500 crore project aims to showcase India's maritime heritage from ancient to modern times.
- German luxury carmaker Audi AG appoints Gernot Dollner as new CEO.
- The Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) has discovered India’s biggest “Natural Arch” located in the Kanika range of Sundargarh forest division.
- Indian government extends Brajendra Navnit's tenure as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to WTO by nine months.
- Tushar Mehta, the incumbent Solicitor General of India, has been reappointed for a three-year term by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
- Government of India reduces GST rate on electronics item. GST rate reduced to 18% from 31.3% for refrigerators, washing machines, fans, coolers, geysers, and similar products.
- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
- Tamil Nadu reclaims top position in electronic exports in India.
- Rajindar Singh Dhatt honored with Points of Light award for uniting British Indian war veterans.
- Renowned children’s writer and performance poet, Michael Rosen, aged 77, has been honored with the esteemed PEN Pinter Prize 2023.
- Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, released the Report on Panchayat Development Index (PDI).
- Lt Gen M U Nair appointed as new National Cybersecurity Coordinator(NCSC).
- Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh launched the ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’ scheme. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to approximately 42 lakh mothers, offering them an annual gift of ₹15,000 for sending their children to school.
- India’s first indigenously developed 700 MW nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat starts commercial operations.
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment introduces Swarnima Scheme to provide financial assistance to women entrepreneurs from backward classes. The scheme facilitates access to loans of up to ₹2,00,000/- at an interest rate of 5% per annum.
- King Charles III & Queen Camilla present Elephant Family environmental award to Indian conservationists: filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and Real Elephant Collective (TREC),a group of 70 Adivasi artists.
- NMDC (National Mineral Development Corporation) wins ASSOCHAM Awards for Mineral Development and Employer Brand.
- SBI appoints Kameswar Rao Kodavanti as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
- The Board of Control of Cricket (BCCI) has appointed Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the Senior Men’s Cricket Selection Committee.
- India’s first ‘Police Drone Unit’ launched in Chennai.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.
- India launches Bharat 6G Alliance. The alliance, consisting of industry, academia, and the central government, aims to spearhead all 6G-related initiatives in a systematic and methodical manner.
- eSARAS mobile App introduced under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) which will add to eCommerce initiatives for products made by the SHGs.
- Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) held its 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
- PM Modi inaugurated National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission in Shahdol, MP, and distributed sickle cell genetic status cards to the beneficiaries.
- International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) commenced in New Delhi with the aim to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced the “Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States” with a significant allocation of Rs. 5,000 Crore.
- Bihar Surpasses Tamil Nadu as State with Highest Microlending Borrowings as of March 2023.
- Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 approved by the Cabinet. This bill empowers the Data Protection Board (DPB) to levy a penalty of up to Rs.250 crore on the organizations found to be in breach.
- Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urges banks to ensure affordable credit to MSMEs to achieve the target of one trillion dollar merchandise exports by 2030.
- The Startup20 Shikhar Summit, organized by the Startup20 Engagement Group under the India G20 Presidency, concluded successfully in Gurugram and India handed over torch of Startup 20 to Brazil.
- Amit Shah lays foundation stone of the first cooperative-run Sainik School in Boriyavi village of Mehsana,Gujarat.
- 67th Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Convention will commence in Colombo.
- Mumbai host the G-20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Summit and Research Ministers’ Meeting from 4th to 5th July 2023.
- Seven-km underwater tunnel planned for bullet train project in Maharashtra to protect mangrove forests.
- Dalai Lama celebrates 88th birthday at Dharamsala headquarters, India.
- Bengaluru's Elena Geo Systems unveils India's first hand-held NavIC-based navigation device for infrastructure projects such as such as railway, land survey, telecoms, and hydrocarbon exploration.
- India and Singapore extend MoU on cooperation for 5 years. The MoU encompasses various areas of cooperation aimed at promoting administrative reforms, public sector transformation, and capacity building.
- Indian Navy and US Navy Conduct Seventh Edition of Salvage and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise, SALVEX, in Kochi.
- India and UAE aim to increase non-oil trade to $100 billion by 2030, doubling from the current $48 billion.
- India virtually hosted the 23rd Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
- ISRO intends to keep the names of the Chandrayaan-2 lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) for their Chandrayaan-3 equivalents as well.
- Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is preparing to launch a Twitter competitor called Threads.
INTERNATIONAL
- In the European Council’s summit held on 30th June 2023, EU leaders recommit to reducing dependence on China, seek balance between cooperation and "de-risking" in various domains, considering climate change concerns.
- The 43rd session of conference of United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held at FAO’s headquarter. In this conference of FAO Qu-Dongyu was re-elected as a Director General of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- The United States celebrated its 247th Independence Day this year on 4th July.
- New Zealand becomes first country to ban plastic produce bags.
- Iran has officially become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping.
- UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2023: FDI inflows to developing Asia remains stable at $662 billion in 2022. Five economies (India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE) account for nearly 80% of total investment.
- For the first time, the 26th World Mining Congress (WMC) 2023 was held in Brisbane, Australia.
- The 17th edition of the annual Global Peace Index (GPI) : Iceland Tops as Most Peaceful Country
- King Charles III of the United Kingdom was presented with the Scottish Crown Jewels, solidifying his authority in Scotland.
- After a 5-years, the USA has reentered UNESCO, the UN cultural and scientific agency.
- New Zealand has become the first country to ban the thin plastic bags that supermarket customers use to collect their fruit and vegetables.
- Canada introduces "digital nomad strategy," providing temporary arrangements for foreigners looking for jobs.
BANKING & FINANCE
- Government authorizes all Public Sector Banks and eligible Private Sector Banks to implement and operationalize the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023.
- Govt raises Interest Rates on Select Savings Schemes for July-September Quarter. The highest increase of 0.3 percent has been implemented for the five-year recurring deposit (RD).
- Visa, the world’s largest payments processor, acquires Brazilian fintech Pismo for $1 billion in cash.
- RBI Grants Non-Banking Institution License to Mahalaxmi Cooperative Bank, Cancels Banking Permit.
- India's external debt rises to USD 624.7 billion as of March 2023: Reserve Bank data.
- Central government's fiscal deficit for FY 2023-24 stood at at Rs 2.1 lakh crore (11.8% of budget estimates) as of May 2023: CGA data.
- Gross GST Collection in June Reaches ₹1.61 Trillion. This is the fourth time GST collection crosses ₹1.60 trillion mark since GST introduction.
- Indian government advances India's first carbon market with draft framework for Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023.
- . IDFC First Bank to Merge with IDFC Ltd.
- State Bank of India Appoints Kameshwar Rao Kodavanti as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
- SBI marks 68th foundation day with the inauguration of 34 Transaction Banking Hubs in 21 district centers.
- State Bank of India celebrated its 68th Bank Day on 01st July 2023.
- According to a recent report by the World Bank and World Trade Organization (WTO), India has doubled its share of global commercial services exports from 2% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2022.
- Sirisha Voruganti appointed MD & CEO of Lloyds Banking Group’s Technology Centre in India.
- Piramal Finance, a leading housing finance company,opens first all-women branch in Kochi.
- RBI Launches Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) for Enhanced Data Management.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed P. Vasudevan as executive director.
- The Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) of India has appointed Krishan Mishra as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
- Punjab National Bank (PNB) Launches Virtual Branch in the Metaverse with Immersive 3D Experience.
- The Ministry of External Affairs announces that India and Malaysia can now trade using Indian Rupee (INR) for settlement, along with other currencies.
SPORTS
- Dream11 takes over as main jersey sponsor for Indian cricket team from July 2023 to March 2026, replacing Byju's.
- Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League 2023 with a best throw of 87.66 m.
- India beat Iran 42-32 in the final to win the title of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 in Busan, South Korea.
- Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix 2023.
- Young spin bowler Shreyanka Patil becomes first Indian cricketer to be part of Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).
- . Indian men's football team wins SAFF Championship 2023 title in thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout against Kuwait at Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
- Indian football team midfielder Lallianzuala Chhangte was named the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year for 2022-23 while Manisha Kalyan won her second consecutive Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
- Aadhav Arjuna, the president of the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA), was elected as president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
- 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be held in India from October 5 - November 19 with 10 teams.
- Netherlands men team wins second FIH Hockey Pro League title 2022/23 season.
- Bangladesh one-day captain Tamim Iqbal announced his shock retirement from international cricket.
- Mary Kom, India's first-ever women's boxing Olympic medalist, receives Global Indian Icon of the Year award at UK-India Awards in Windsor, England.
- India's Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Sandhu won the gold medal at the Asian Mixed Doubles Squash Tournament in Hangzhou.
- Sakshi Kochhar has become the youngest commercial pilot in India at the age of 18.
IMPORTANT DAYS
- On July 1st, India observes National Doctor's Day to honor doctors.
- The Chartered Accountants’ Day or CA Day is held on 01 July every year in India. It is also known as ICAI Foundation Day
- July 1 - National Postal Worker Day is observed to show gratitude to postal workers.
- The International Day of Cooperatives is commemorated on July 1st and is celebrated on the first Saturday of July.
- July 2nd is marked as World UFO Day to raise awareness about UFOs and alien life forms.
- World Sports Journalists Day is celebrated globally on July 2nd to appreciate the work of sports journalists.
- International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed on July 3rd every year to promote the avoidance of single-use plastic and combat plastic pollution.
- July 6th is World Zoonoses Day, commemorating the first-ever vaccine for a zoonotic disease given in 1885.
World Zoonoses Day is observed annually on July 6th to honor the achievements of Louis Pasteur, a renowned French biologist. - Dharma Chakra Divas (3rd July) is celebrated to commemorate Buddha’s first teaching.
- 7th of July: World Chocolate Day.
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) celebrated the World Kiswahili Language Day on 7th July.