Current Affairs for 15th July to 21st July 2017

Current Affairs for 15^th July to 21^st July 2017

1. India and Israel inked seven agreements on areas including space, tech and agriculture during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Mr. Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Also, the Prime Minister's visit marked the 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel.
    
2. Leaders of the G20 countries agreed for swift action and targeted exchange of information on terrorism and its financing. In a statement released at the end of the first day of the 12th G20 Summit in Hamburg, the member countries decided to take concrete steps to stop funding of the terror activities.
    
3. During the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented 11-point action plan on counter terrorism for the member nations. It proposes exchange of information on designated terrorists between the G-20 nations. The agenda proposed by Mr. Modi also calls for quick adoption of Comprehensive Convention of International Terrorism.
    
4. A global treaty banning nuclear weapons has been adopted at the United Nations despite opposition from the United States, Britain, France and other nuclear powers that boycotted negotiations. The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 in favor with one country the Netherlands voting against while Singapore abstained.
    
5. The United States and Russia have reached an agreement on a cease-fire in southwest Syria as President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. US officials said in Hamburg that the deal marks a new level of involvement for the Trump administration in trying to resolve Syria’s civil war. Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement.
    
6. President Pranab Mukherjee has given the nod to an order pertaining to implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in Jammu and Kashmir. The President cleared the order and sent it to Union Home Ministry for further action. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had passed a resolution in this regard after which the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cleared a draft order for concurrence of the President.
    
7. The new anti-hijacking law, which prescribes capital punishment in the event of the death of any person, has come into force following a government notification. The new law includes several acts within the definition of hijacking including making a threat, attempts or abetment to commit the offence. In the new law, the definition has been expanded to include death of “security personnel on board” or “ground support staff” as well.
    
8. The Supreme Court has stayed the Uttarakhand High Court verdict according the status of living human entities to rivers Ganga and Yamuna, two of India’s major rivers. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud passed the order on Uttarakhand government’s plea against the high court’s judgement.
    
9. The Supreme Court has said, that all issues arising out of Aadhaar should be finally decided by its constitution bench. A three-judge bench, comprising Justices J Chelameswar, A M Khan-wilkar and Navin Sinha, asked the petitioners to urge the Chief Justice to set up a constitution bench to decide the issues relating to Aadhaar.
    
10. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed election commissioner Achal Kumar Joti as the next Chief Election Commissioner. He will be the 21st CEC and will succeed Nasim Zaidi. He will continue as CEC till 17 January 2018.
     
11. Senior IPS officer Sanjay Kumar has been appointed as Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Mr Kumar is a 1985-batch Indian Police Service officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre.
     
12. Centre has launched an app - GST Rates Finder to verify the accurate tax rate on commodity and services under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
     
13. Government has made it mandatory for manufacturing companies to print details like expiry date and net quantity on labels on all pre-packaged food in a bigger font size. Consumer Affairs Ministry has said, these changes have been effected through an amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged commodities) Rules, 2011.
     
14. Total area under kharif sowing has increased in the country by 33 lakh hectares this year. Kharif crops have been sown in 404 lakh hectare to date as against 371 lakh hectare last year. Crop sowing data released by the Agriculture Ministry, reveals that rice has been sown in over 79 lakh hectare which is about four lakh hectare more than the last year.
     
15. Vietnam has granted ONGC Videsh a two-year extension to explore oil block 128 in the South China Sea. The permission was first granted in the year 2006 which is due to expire in mid-June.
     
16. Manpreet Kaur and Govindan Laxman won gold medals on the opening day of Asian Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneshwar. Manpreet Kaur threw 18.28m to win a gold medal in the women's shotput event.
     
17. Four-time FIFA World Cup winner Germany won maiden FIFA Confederation Cup Football title by defeating Copa America Champion Chile by 1-0 goals in the final match held at St Petersburg, Russia.