Daily Current Affairs 18th July 2023: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation
Dear Readers,
This post contains important current affairs of 18th July 2023. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 18th July 2023. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 18th July 2023 Current affairs test.
National Updates
1. Port Blair’s Terminal Building Unveiled by PM Modi
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the newly constructed integrated terminal at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair remotely on July 18, at 10:30 am via a virtual event.
- Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of State for Road, Transport, Highways, and Civil Aviation, General (Retd.) V K Singh, and other senior officials will attend the event in person.
Global Developments
2. India-US Collaboration on MDBs, Climate Measures, and Inclusivity
- India and the USA are deepening their partnership in various sectors, including strengthening multilateral development banks, advocating climate initiatives, and aiding in the transition to cleaner energy.
- Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, conversed with the US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, during a G20 meeting about mutual interests and the potential for green energy investments.
- The nations are collaborating on economic, business, and tech fronts, emphasizing strengthening the supply chain and promoting a transition to cleaner energy.
3. Typhoon Talim Hits Hong Kong
- Typhoon Talim struck Zhanjiang, a city in Guangdong province.
- The storm, originating from the South China Sea, led Hong Kong, Vietnam, and parts of southern China to activate disaster preparedness measures.
- Hong Kong issued its Tropical Cyclone Warning to Signal No 8 for the first time this year, the third-highest level.
4. China’s Maiden Methane-powered Space Rocket Launch
- A Chinese private company launched the world’s first methane-fueled space rocket, “Zhuque-2”, into orbit.
- Zhuque-2 marks the first successful orbital mission using methane propulsion.
- This development signals a significant move towards more eco-friendly, secure, and reusable space exploration techniques.
State Highlights
5. Unveiling of PM MITRA Park in Maharashtra’s Amravati
- The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) collaborated with the state government and the Indian Ministry of Textiles to establish the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park (PM MITRA Park) in Amravati.
- The PM MITRA textile hub was inaugurated with the goal of attracting an investment of ₹10,000 crore and generating 300,000 job opportunities.
Defence Brief
6. J&K’s Operation Trinetra II Targets Hidden Militants
- Jammu-Kashmir launched Operation Trinetra-II on July 17 in the areas of Sindarah and Maidana within the Surankote tehsil to tackle militants in hiding.
- Joint army and police operation, dubbed Operation Trinetra II, was initiated to find and eliminate militants concealed near the district boundary of Poonch in Jammu-Kashmir.
Financial Insights
7. India’s Path to Developed Status Requires 7.6% Annual GDP Growth by 2047: Central Bank’s Statement
- The Reserve Bank of India’s latest bulletin outlines the growth milestones that India needs to achieve in the next 25 years to become a developed country with a robust per capita income.
- With the current estimate standing at $2,500, India’s per capita income should reach or surpass $21,664 by 2047, in line with World Bank standards, to attain the status of a high-income country.
- To achieve this target, India must maintain a compounded annual growth rate of 7.6% in its real GDP from 2023-24 to 2047-48.
Significant Days
8. World Chess Day Celebrated on 20 July 2023
- July 20 is annually observed as World Chess Day, commemorating the foundation of Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or the World Chess Federation in 1924.
- Also known as International Chess Day, it is celebrated by over 600 million regular enthusiasts worldwide. The age-old game of Chess, believed to be about 1,500 years old, is thought to have originated in India and was called ‘Chaturanga’.
9. Celebrating International Moon Day 2023
- Internationally recognized, Moon Day is an annual event celebrating Earth’s only natural satellite.
- Every year, this day is marked on July 20, in remembrance of the iconic moment when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969.
- This lunar landing is one of humanity’s proudest achievements, making International Moon Day a day of celebration for the Apollo 11 mission and an educational day about lunar science and astronomy.
Appointments
10. Finance Ministry Appoints Pramod Rao to IFSCA Board
- The Finance Department nominated Pramod Rao, SEBI’s Executive Director, as a board member of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA).
- Pramod Rao replaces Sujit Prasad, another Executive Director at SEBI, who was appointed as an IFSCA board member (representing SEBI) in July 2020.
Treaties & Agreements
11. RBI and UAE’s Central Bank Sign Twin MoUs for Trade in Domestic Currencies
- On July 15, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE) inked two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to bolster economic ties between the two nations.
- The objective of these MoUs is to promote the use of domestic currencies in international transactions and to merge their respective payment systems, integrating India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with UAE’s Instant Payment Platform (IPP).
Awards & Recognitions
12. Honorary Doctorate Awarded to Veteran Communist Leader N. Sankaraiah
- Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M K Stalin, announced that revered communist leader N. Sankaraiah will be conferred an honorary doctorate by Madurai Kamaraj University.
- Born on July 15, 1921, Sankaraiah, a member of the Indian Communist Party and a participant in the freedom struggle, celebrated his 102nd birthday on July 15, 2023.
Entertainment & Culture
13. 75th Cannes Film Festival Wraps Up
- The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival concluded with “Lumière’s Echo”, directed by Paul Castellaneta, taking home the prestigious Palme d’Or award.
- Indian film “Suryasta” directed by Ananya Joshi garnered attention and received a standing ovation, winning the Best Screenplay Award.
- This year’s festival saw a strong push for diversity with many films from Asia, Africa, and Latin America being showcased.
Health & Science
14. Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s Research
- Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a potential new treatment strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease.
- The study reveals a novel molecular pathway that plays a critical role in the development of Alzheimer’s.
- This discovery could pave the way for targeted therapies and potential future clinical trials.
Sports
15. India’s Victory in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup
- The Indian Women’s Cricket team clinched the ICC Women’s World Cup title by defeating Australia in a thrilling final.
- Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur’s outstanding performances were pivotal in securing the championship for India.
- This marks India’s second ICC Women’s World Cup win, the previous being in 2005.
Technology & Innovation
16. Quantum Computing Milestone Achieved by Indian Scientists
- Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, announced a significant breakthrough in quantum computing.
- The team successfully developed a 32-qubit quantum processor, pushing India to the forefront of quantum technology research globally.
- This achievement could have substantial implications for cryptography, artificial intelligence, and complex simulations in various fields.
