15th July 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

July 16, 2015 Share Like Labels: gr8

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International Affairs

Today (15th July) is World Youth Skills Day.
- This is for the first time the world is celebrating this day.
- To raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to celebrate the first World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) on 15 July 2015.
- This year’s theme : “Youth skills for work and life in the post-2015 agenda”

National Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the Skill India campaign on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day.
- Highlights of this Campaign :
- - To mark the World Youth Skills Day, the government has set a target of skilling 40.2 crore people by 2022, under the new National Policy for Skill Development, in which 54 percent of people will be skilled in agriculture sector.
  - A number of initiatives are aimed at developing skills and promoting entrepreneurship among youth, during the mega-launch of Skill India Mission.
- Initiatives launched for much-ambitious Skill India :
- - Model Skill Loan Scheme
  - Skill Card for persons certified under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
  - National Policy for Skill Development.
- Note : National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will converge, coordinate, implement and monitor skilling activities across India.
Maharashtra legislative assembly has passed the Maharashtra Guarantee of Public Services Bill, 2015 empowering citizens to avail their rights in stipulated time with less efforts and cost.
Social activist Anna Hazare has announced that he is going for indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi from 2nd October over Land Acquisition Bill and One Rank One Pension issues.

Awards & Honors

Modern Indian artist Sayed Haider Raza, has been conferred with the highest French civilian honour, the Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur (the Legion of Honour) for his peerless achievements.
- Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the award is given for outstanding service to France, regardless of recipients’ nationality.
Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh has received the Golden Peacock environment management award for its initiatives and achievements in the field of environment.
- The award was presented by Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar to C Sasidhar, Managing Director (Krishnapatnam Port) at the 17th World Congress on Environment Management held in New Delhi.
- The Golden Peacock awards, instituted by the Institute of Directors, are presented annually under various categories.

Business & Economy

The Defense Acquisition Council has cleared purchases of over Rs 29,000 crore of equipment, including four maritime spy planes from Boeing worth Rs 4,380 crore and hundreds of air defence guns.
- Note : The largest order approved was for 428 L-70 and ZU-23 air defence guns worth around Rs 16,900 crore.
- - Defense Minister : Manohar Parrikar.

New Appointments

Global financial services hub Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) has appointed Ajay Kumar Pandey as its new Managing Director and Group CEO.
- He will replace the current head of GIFT, Ramakant Jha, who has been associated with the project since November 2009. Jha will move to Mumbai as CEO of IL&FS's Smart City initiative.
Madhya Pradesh government has appointed former Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni as the Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA).

Champions League Twenty-20 tournament scrapped.
- The Governing Council of the Champions League Twenty 20, CLT20, has confirmed that the multi nation T-20 competition is discontinued with immediate effect.
- The Governing Council of CLT20, comprising representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Cricket Australia (CA) made the decision unanimously.
- The Council determined that the discontinuation of the league was the most appropriate decision due to the tournament's limited public following.

Daily Current Affairs of July 2015