1) Nelson Mandela International Day 2022 observed on 18 July
•Every year on July 18 the world marks Nelson Mandela International Day. The day is a remembrance of the first democratically elected President of South Africa and his long years of struggle for justice against apartheid. As a human rights lawyer, a political prisoner, a global mediator, and the first democratically elected leader of a free South Africa, he had dedicated his life to serving humanity.
Nelson Mandela International Day 2022: Theme
•The theme for Nelson Mandela International Day 2022 is “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”, according to the United Nations. The theme finds significance given the geopolitical landscape in eastern Europe as well as sporadic conflicts in the Horn of Africa, followed by the crisis in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and various other parts of the world, as the UN chief notes.
2) World Day for International Justice 2022
•World Day for International Justice is observed on July 17 to commemorate the organisations that work to bring justice to the victims of international criminal acts. It also commemorates the establishment of modern court systems in the world. The day focuses on the advocacy of fundamental human rights and the promotion of international criminal justice.
3) West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is NDA’s vice-presidential pick
•The BJP has announced West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar as the NDA’s vice-presidential candidate, with party chief J P Nadda lauding him as a “Kisan Putra (farmer’s son)” who had established himself as “a people’s governor”. With the NDA having a clear majority in the electoral college comprising MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar is expected to win the August 6 election to vice-president. He will succeed M Venkaiah Naidu, whose term ends on August 10.
•Dhankhar entered public life after getting elected as the Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. He also served as a Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990. In 1993, he was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly from the Kishangarh constituency in Ajmer district.
4) Varanasi named 1st cultural and tourism capital of SCO
•The holy city of Varanasi showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages will be declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Varanasi will become the “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.
5) Rajnath Singh launched Project 17A stealth frigate ‘Dunagiri’
•Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the fourth P17A stealth frigate ‘Dunagiri’ into the Hooghly River in Kolkata. The Project 17A frigate is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited. The P-17A class is a follow-on of the P-17 Shivalik Class with improved stealth features & advanced weapons.
6) Kerala becomes first state to have own internet service
•Kerala is now the first and only state in the country to have its own internet service, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who made the announcement. The announcement followed the Department of Telecommunications’ granting of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence to the IT infrastructure project of the Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd (K-Fon), which aims to provide everyone in the state access to the internet.
•The principle behind the establishment of K-Fon is “non -discriminatory” treatment, which means that no service provider or business segment receives preferential treatment, as recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
7) IOA named 322-member Indian contingent for Commonwealth Games
•Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced a 322-member Indian contingent including 215 athletes and 107 officials and support staff to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Games are scheduled to be held in British city from July 28 to August 8, 2022 Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the para-sports category.
•Rajesh Bhandari, vice president of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), is the Chef de Mission of the squad. Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the para-sports category.
•Some big names in the squad include Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal in Tokyo, PV Sindhu, the two-time Olympic medallist, Lovlina Borgohain, Mirabai Chanu, and Bajrang Punia. Defending CWG champions Vinesh Phogat, Manika Batra, and 2018 Asian Games gold medalists Hima Das, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, and Amit Panghal will also be taking part in the championship.
8) Govt establishes commission to build a framework for right to repair
•The Department of Consumer Affairs has formed a committee under the leadership of Additional Secretary Nidhi Khatri in an effort to provide an overall framework for the Right to Repair. Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary DoCA, Justice Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal, G.S. Bajpai, Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Ashok Patil, Chair of Consumer Law and Practice, and members from stakeholders like ICEA, SIAM, consumer activists, and consumer groups make up the committee.
9) Inauguration of Census Data Workstation at IIT Delhi
•A new census workstation has been unveiled by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in the Economics Lab of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Census Data Workstation was officially opened by Dr. Vivek Joshi, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner for India. According to Dr. Joshi, the new workstation aims to make it easier for academics and researchers to access census microdata. Additionally, it will contribute to raising awareness of the enormous amount of data that was gathered during Census activities.
10) Consumer Affairs Department launches Jagriti, its new mascot
•Jagriti is a mascot created by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) with the goal of empowering customers and raising awareness of their rights. Jagriti will be shown as an educated consumer who is advocating for her rights and finding answers to the issues she encounters. The Jagriti mascot will be employed to raise consumer awareness of a variety of Departmental topics, including the provisions of the 2019 Consumer Protection Act, hallmarking, the National Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915, provisions of the Weights and Measures Act, decisions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority, and consumer testimonies regarding grievance redressal.
•Aiming to reinforce a young, empowered, and knowledgeable consumer as a top-of-mind consumer rights awareness recall brand, DoCA is integrating the Jagriti Mascot to its consumer awareness campaign. In all of its media campaigns, the Jagriti mascot and slogan Jago Grahak Jago must be displayed. The two are now synonymous with young consumers who are aware of their rights and are a strong force for consumer rights education and advocacy.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019:
•2019 saw the adoption of the revised Consumer Protection Act by Parliament. The Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was replaced when it went into effect in July 2020. An Act to Provide for the Protection of Consumer Interests and for the Said Purpose, to Establish Authorities for the Timely and Effective Administration and Settlement of Consumer Disputes and for Matters Connected Therewith or Incidental Thereto is a concise summary of the Act. The Consumer Protection Act of 2019‘s primary goal is to safeguard customers’ rights by establishing institutions for the prompt and efficient administration and resolution of consumer disputes.
11) In Dhaka, the 52nd BGB-BSF DG level conference begins
•The Indian delegation, led by DG, BSF Pankaj Singh, arrived in Dhaka early on the first day of the 52nd BGB-BSF Director General level Border conference in Bangladesh. On the first day, a variety of topics including border management, drug trafficking, smuggling of weapons and ammunition, trafficking in women and children, and other development initiatives within 150 yards of the international boundary were discussed.
12) First-Ever ‘Made In India’ surgical robotic system installed at Rajiv Gandhi Institute
•Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi (RGCI) have installed the first-ever Made-in-India Surgical Robotic System, “SSI-Mantra”, devised by the new-age Indian med-tech start-up SS Innovations. The ingenious SSI Mantra, a brainchild of World-renowned robotic cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir P Srivastava, will be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India, making robotic surgery accessible and affordable for the people of our country.
•The ingenious SSI Mantra will be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India, making robotic surgery accessible and affordable for the people of our country. After two pilot projects where Dr Sudhir Rawal and his team from RGCI successfully performed a total of 26 surgeries with SSI Mantra, thereby validating safety, feasibility and effectiveness, the robot is now ready to provide an advanced method of surgery, which will be accessible to the general public at a much lower cost.
13) MoU signed between RBI and Bank Indonesia to further their shared cooperation
•An agreement was reached between the Reserve Bank of India and Bank Indonesia to increase collaboration in payment systems, digital financial innovation, anti-money laundering, and countering the funding of terrorism (AML-CFT). On the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Bali, the two central banks agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further their mutual cooperation.
