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By admin: July 25, 2022

China launches 2nd space station module

Tags: Science and Technology International News

China launched the second of three modules needed to complete its new space station on July 24 as part of the latest step in the ambitious space program.

Important facts

• According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the giant Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket, Wentian, was successfully launched from the Wenchang spacecraft launch site off the coast of the southern island province of Hainan.

• The new module will serve as a backup to the core module, Tianhe, and as a powerful scientific experiment platform in the space station currently being built by China.

• In the coming weeks, the Wentian will be transformed by a robotic device from a forward docking port to a lateral port, where it will remain and be ready for long-term operation.

• The construction of China's Tiangong space station is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

• This will complete the construction of Tiangong, the space station taking shape in China's space.

• With the establishment of this space station, China will be the third country in the world to have its own space station.

Tianhe module

• It was launched in April 2021, and the Mengtian module is set to be launched in October this year.

• About 18 meters (60 ft) long and weighing 22 tons (48,500 lb), the new module has three sleeping areas and space for scientific experiments.

• It will combine with Tiangong's already dispatched modules to shape the space station.

Tiangong Space Station

• This is a Chinese space station being built in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 kilometres above the earth.

• It is part of China's manned space program and is the country's first long-term space station.

163rd anniversary of Income Tax Day observed by CBDT

Tags: Economics/Business Important Days

The 163rd anniversary of Income Tax Day was celebrated across India on 24 July by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and all its regional offices.

Important facts 

• Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the reforms introduced by the government in recent years have ensured a trust-based tax system.

• Taxpayers have also reaffirmed the faith-based approach, as evidenced by the trend towards better tax collection and increase in the number of income tax returns filed.

• Sitharaman lauded the Income Tax Department for successfully implementing the policy reforms.

• He lauded the Income Tax Department for achieving the highest ever revenue collection of over Rs 14 lakh crore in the last financial year.

• On this occasion the field formations held a number of events and activities.

 About Income Tax Day

• This day has been celebrated in India since 2010.

• In 2010, the Income Tax Department decided to observe 24 July as an annual festival day, marking 150 years of Income Tax.

• Income tax was first levied as a tax on July 24, 1860.

• Therefore, July 24 holds a lot of importance for the Income Tax Department.

• It was introduced by Sir James Wilson in 1857 to compensate for the loss suffered by the British Government during the First War of Independence.

Significance of the day

• It is celebrated to appreciate the Income Tax Department for its immense service to the nation.

• The agency administers direct taxes and serves as a source of revenue for the government.

• It is also an effective tool for achieving socio-economic objectives.

• The Income Tax Department adapts to sudden changes in the economy and enjoys a healthy growth in tax collection.

About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

• CBDT i.e. Central Board of Direct Taxes is a part of the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance.

• CBDT is empowered by the Board of Revenue Act 1963.

• CBDT provides necessary inputs for direct tax policies and schemes in India. Also it is responsible for the administration of direct tax laws through the Income Tax Department.

• All matters relating to direct taxes in India were entrusted to the Central Board of Direct Taxes with effect from 1 January 1964.

• The CBDT is headed by the Chairman and can have six members, who are of the rank of Special Secretary.

• It is the administrative body for the Income Tax Department.

Anurag Thakur releases three books chronicling Presidents of India

Tags: National News

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on 24 July released three books published by the Directorate of Publications Division. 

Important facts

• On the occasion of the launch, the Minister presented the first copy of the books in the presence of President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, President Elected Smt. Draupadi Murmu.

• Some rare photographs of President Ram Nath Kovind and former Presidents of the country have been given in these books.

• Kovind, who was sworn in as the 14th President of India on July 25, 2017, completes his five-year term on 24 July. 

• Draupadi Murmu took oath as the 15th President of the Republic on 25 July.

• These three volumes have been published by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Name of the books

1. Moods, Moments and Memories - Former Presidents of India (1950-2017) A Visual History

2. First Citizen - Pictorial Record of President Ram Nath Kovind's Term

3. Interpreting Geometries - Flooring of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Neeraj Chopra wins silver at World Athletics Championships

Tags: Sports News

India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has won a silver medal in the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, USA.

Important facts 

• He has become the first Indian male athlete to win a medal in the history of this tournament. He is also the first Indian to win a silver medal in this competition.

• Prior to this, veteran athlete Anju Bobby George had won a historic bronze medal in 2003.

• Anju Bobby George won the bronze medal in the long jump.

• Neeraj won the silver in the fourth round by throwing a javelin 88.13 metres away.

• Grenada legend Anderson Peters retained his gold medal with a throw of 90.46m in his second attempt.

• Yakub Valdesh of Czech Republic has received the bronze medal.

About Neeraj Chopra

• Neeraj Chopra is a track and field athlete competing in javelin thrower.

• Neeraj created history by winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2021 by throwing the 87.58m javelin.

• He is the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to win a gold medal in athletics at a World Championship level.

• Neeraj Chopra was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in March 2022.

Major medals won by Neeraj Chopra 

• 2022 Kuortane Games (Gold Medal)

• 2021 Tokyo Olympics (Gold Medal)

• 2018 Commonwealth Games (Gold Medal)

• 2017 Asian Athletics Championships (Gold Medal)

Wasifa Nazreen becomes first Bangladeshi to scale world’s second highest peak K2

Tags: International News

Wasfia Nazreen has become the first Bangladeshi to scale Pakistan's K2, which is the second highest mountain in the world.

Important facts 

• She climbed the 8611 metres or 28,251 feet high K2 mountain peak and returned to the base camp on 22 July. 

• A summit is technically complete when the climber returns from the summit to the base camp.

• After completing this historic task, 39-year-old mountaineer Wasifa paid tribute to all known and unknown martyrs of Bangladesh from language movement to liberation struggle.

• On 26 May 2012, she became the second woman from Bangladesh to scale Mount Everest.

• She has previously conquered Aconcagua in South America and Kilimanjaro in Africa.

About K2 mountain

• K2 or Mount Godwin Austen with an elevation of 8,611 metres is the second highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest above sea level.

• It is located on the Sino-Pakistan border between Baltistan and Dafdar Township of Xinjiang, China, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan.

• It is the highest point of the Karakoram mountain range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang.

Major Mountain peaks in Indian subcontinent

• Kangchenjunga

Length - 8586 metres

The third highest summit in the World

It is also known as the ‘five treasures of snow

it lies in Himalayan Mountain Range

• Nanda Devi

Length - 7816 metres

Ranked the 23rd highest peak in the world

It is a part of Himalayan mountain ranges (Garhwal)

Nanda Devi National Park situated around the peak has the best high altitude flora and fauna.

• Kamet Mountain

Length - 7756 metres

Location - near the Tibetan Plateau

It is located in the Garhwal region

• SaltoroKangri

Length - 7742 metres

Location - near the Siachen Region

It is ranked the 31st highest independent peak in the world

It lies in Saltoro range (which is a part of Karakoram Mountain range)

Cochin Shipyard, IIM-Kozhikode Sign Agreement To Boost Start-Ups In Maritime Sector

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has signed an agreement with IIM, Kozhikode (IIM-K), business incubator of the Laboratory for Innovation Ventures and Entrepreneurship (LIVE) to support start-ups in the maritime sector.

Important facts

• The idea of such a framework is to develop an ecosystem in India for start-ups in the maritime sector from a technical, regulatory, financial and marketing perspective.

• IIM-K Executive Director Rajesh Upadhyay and CSL General Manager Dipu Surendran signed the agreement in the presence of IIM-K Director Debashish Chatterjee and CSL Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S Nair.

• Under this initiative, start-ups can get Rs 50 lakh as initial grant, Rs 1 crore as prototype grant and equity funding for start-ups at scale up stage.

• IIM-K will act as the implementation partner of the initiative and provide incubation, mentorship and training to the start-ups selected under the programme. 

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode 

• Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode or IIMK) is an autonomous public business school located in Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala.

• It was established in 1996 by the Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Kerala State.

• It was the fifth IIM to be established in India.

• Director - Debashish Chatterjee

WHO declares monkeypox a global emergency

Tags: International News

The World Health Organisation has declared the global monkeypox outbreak a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' (PHEIC), one step below the 'pandemic'.

Important facts

• According to WHO, PHEIC constitutes an exceptional event, which constitutes a public health risk to other countries through international spread, and which potentially requires a coordinated international response.

• On January 30, 2020, WHO had categorised COVID-19 as a PHEIC, when about 7,500 cases of novel coronavirus were reported. 

• On 11 March that year, the WHO declared it a 'pandemic'.

• At present, more than 16 thousand cases of monkeypox have been registered in 75 countries and five deaths have been confirmed.

• The WHO estimates that the risk of monkeypox is moderate in the world and in all regions, but the risk is highest in Europe.

• According to the WHO, 99 percent of monkeypox cases found outside Africa are related to men, in which 98 percent of the patients are men who are gay.

Criteria on the basis of which WHO declares PHEIC

• It is declared in the event of certain "serious public health events" that could endanger international public health.

• The responsibility of declaring an event as an emergency rests with the Director-General of the WHO and requires the convening of a committee of members.

• Declaring a PHEIC may result in restrictions on travel and trade.

What Is Monkeypox?

• It is a viral zoonotic disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. 

• Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus similar to smallpox.

• It has been identified as a smallpox-like disease in monkeys, hence it is called monkeypox.

• It was first observed in 1958, in monkeys in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and in humans in 1970.

• The disease outbreak in Nigeria in 2017 was the largest ever.

• The monkeypox virus mutates at a high rate but is treatable once symptoms appear.

Symptom of disease

• Fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash or lesions.

• Infected people develop a rash resembling smallpox.

• In the early stages of the disease, monkeypox and smallpox can be differentiated because the monkeypox lymph gland enlarges.

Transmission of disease

• It spreads through close face to face, skin to skin and direct contact.

• The disease can be spread through contact with bodily fluids, sores on the skin or internal mucous surfaces, such as the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.

• Treatment and Vaccine

• There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for monkeypox infection.

• The anti-smallpox vaccine has been shown to be 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.

• A newer vaccine MVA-BN, developed for Smallpox was approved in 2019 for use in preventing Monkeypox but is not yet widely available.

Assam Government Approves Creation Of 2nd Wildlife Sanctuary In Barak Valley

Tags: State News

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi has approved the proposal for creation of Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary.

Important facts

• "In exercise of the power conferred by section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Governor of Assam has declared to constitute the area mentioned in the Schedule as Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary.

• The Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary in the Barak Valley of Assam will be spread over an area of 320 sq km between the Barak River and the Sonai River.

• Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary will be home to slow loris, rhesus macaque, pig-tailed macaque, stump-tailed macaque, Assamese macaque, capped langur, faire leaf monkey and hoolock gibbon.

• This will be the second wildlife sanctuary in the Barak Valley of Assam after the Borel Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Assam State 

• Chief Minister - Himanta Biswa Sarma

• Governor - Jagdish Mukhi

• Number of Districts - 33

• Lok Sabha seats - 14

• Rajya Sabha seats - 7

• State Animal - Indian Rhinoceros

• State Bird - White Winged Duck

• National Parks – Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park

Centre amends flag code to allow people to display tricolor 24X7

Tags: National News

With the Centre launching the "Har Ghar Tiranga" (Flag hoisting at every house in the country) campaign, it has also amended the Flag Code of India 2002 to allow the Tricolor to be hoisted both day and night by the public.

Important facts

• The display, hoisting and use of the Indian National Flag is controlled by the Flag Code of India, 2002 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act, 1971. 

• The central government will launch the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign from August 13 to 15, 2022 under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' program.

What is the amendment?

• The Flag Code of India, 2002 has been further amended through an order dated 20 July 2022.

• Clause (xi) of paragraph 2.2 of Part-II of the Flag Code of India, 2002 shall now read as follows:- (xi) “Where the flag is displayed in the open or is displayed at the residence of a member of the public, It can be hoisted day and night."

• Earlier, the tricolor was allowed to be hoisted from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the season.

• Earlier the government had amended the provision for the material used for manufacturing the Indian flag by adding machine-made and polyester flags as well.

• The amendment made in December 2021 states, “The national flag shall be made of cotton/polyester/wool/silk khadi bunting, whether hand-woven  or machine-made.”

• Earlier machine-made and polyester flags were not allowed to be used in the country.

South Indian actor Kamal Haasan awarded Golden Visa

Tags: Person in news

The United Arab Emirates has conferred its coveted "Golden Visa" on Kamal Haasan, one of the top stars of the Tamil film industry.

Important facts

• Shah Rukh Khan was the first Indian celebrity to be granted the coveted visa.

• Apart from this, people like Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Sania Mirza, etc. have also received Golden Visas.

About UAE Golden Visa

• The UAE launched the Golden Visa for the first time on 21 May 2019.

• The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence visa system with a duration of five to 10 years.

• After that the visa gets renewed automatically. It is given to achievers, professionals, investors and people with promising abilities from various fields. Since Kamal Haasan is a well-known star of the film industry, he keeps visiting Dubai many times.

What is the eligibility criteria for a Golden Visa?

• Investors applying for a 10-year visa must have a public investment of at least 200 million as capital in a UAE firm.

• On the other hand, for investors seeking a five-year visa, the minimum investment amount is Rs 10 crore.

• Meanwhile, people with talent in arts and culture are approved by authorities such as the Emirates Scientific Council or the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

1st Khelo India Fencing Women’s League started at Talkatora Indoor Stadium

Tags: Sports News

The first Khelo India Fencing Women's League was started on 25 July 2022 at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

Important facts

• The first of its kind national fencing competition for women will be held in three phases till July 29.

• Phases 1 and 2 are scheduled in New Delhi, while the final phase will be held in Patiala.

• More than 300 women cadets from 20 states will participate in the competition in junior (under-17), junior (under-20) and senior categories.

• The Khelo India Women's Fencing League is an open national level ranking tournament for women.

• Fencers registered with the Fencing Association of India (FAI) portal and nominated by their respective State Associations are also participating.

• A total of Rs 1.54 crore has been sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India for this event. The prize money for each phase has been fixed at Rs 17.10 lakh.

• Tokyo Olympian and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) athlete Bhavani Devi will be the league's participant in the senior category event.

• Bhavani Devi will represent Tamil Nadu.

• Also other TOPS athletes participating in the league are Shreya Gupta (J&K), Vedika Khushi (Chhattisgarh), Tanishaa Khatri (Haryana) AP and Sheetal Dalal (Haryana).