11-12 JULY 2016
Legendary football coach Amal Dutta passes away
Amal Dutta, former India player and first professional full-time football coach of the country, died on 10 July 2016 following old age complications. He was 86.
As a coach, Dutta had introduced new formations including the diamond system the 1990s.
About Amal Dutta
•Amal Dutta played in midfield for East Bengal in the 1950s.
•He also represented India in the 1954 Asian Games at Manila.
•After retirement as a player, his first major assignment was to coach Railways in 1960 for the Santosh trophy.
•In the early 1960s, he retired from the Indian Railways to become a full-time coach, the first-ever in India.
•In his long coaching career, he was associated with premier football clubs of India, and also became coach of India.
Andy Murray won men’s singles title of 2016 Wimbledon
Britain's Andy Murray clinched a second Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam crown on 10 July 2016. In the final clash, he defeated Milos Raonic of Canada 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).
With this win, the world number two added the 2016 trophy to his 2013 triumph at the All England Club and his 2012 US Open title.
Murray, 29, became the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1935.
Wimbledon was held from 27 June to 10 July 2016.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is widely considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877.
It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the others being the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. Since the Australian Open shifted to hard court in 1988, Wimbledon is the only major still played on grass.
The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled always for the second Saturday and Sunday of July respectively.
Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 British Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on 10 July 2016 claimed the 2016 British Grand Prix title of Formula One at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, United Kingdom.
It is Hamilton’s overall fourth British Grand Prix title after winning it in 2008, 2014 and 2015. He also became the first driver to win the British Grand Prix three times in a row.
Red Bull-TAG Heuer’s Max Verstappen occupied the second placein the race. Nico Rosberg from Germany stood thirdin the race.
Earlier on 3 July 2016, Hamilton had emerged victorious in the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix.
About British Grand Prix
•The British Grand Prix is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire in England.
•The British and Italian Grands Prix are the oldest continuously staged Formula One World Championship Grands Prix.
•It was designated the European Grand Prix five times between 1950 and 1977. This title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe.
Portugal wins Euro 2016 football championship; defeated France 1-0
Portugal on 10 July 2016 lifted the Euro 2016 football championship. In the final clash palyed at Saint-Denis in Paris, Portugal defeated France 1-0.
Substitute Eder scored in extra-time to give Portugal a win at their first major international title despite losing captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to injury.
Eder scored the goal with 11 minutes of extra time left to stun France after the host team had dominated the match.
Ronaldo, Portugal's all-time leading scorer went down after a heavy tackle from Dimitri Payet in the eighth minute but played on before being replaced in the 25th minute.
This was France's first tournament defeat on home soil in 19 games, since 1960 third-place play-off.
Man of the Match: Pepe (Portugal)
2016 Wimbledon concluded
Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the 2016 tennis season concluded on 10 June 2016.
It was held for two weeks beginning on 27 June 2016 at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London.
Winners of Wimbledon
|
Category |
Winner |
Runner-up |
|
Men’s Singles |
Andy Murray (Great Britain) |
Milos Raonic (Canada) |
|
Women's Singles |
Serena Williams (United States) |
Angelique Kerber (Germany) |
|
Men's Doubles |
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut (France) |
Julien Benneteauand Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France) |
|
Women's Doubles |
Serena Williams and Venus Williams |
Timea Babos (Hungary) and Yaroslava Shvedova (Russia) |
|
Mixed doubles |
Heather Watson (Britain) and Henri Kontinen (Finland) |
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) and Roberto Farah (Colombia) |
Key highlight of 2016 Wimbledon
• Serena equalled Steffi Graf's open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles
• For William sisters, Serna and Venus, it was the sixth title at Wimbledon, and 14 in Grand Slams.
Radhika Menon becomes first woman to bag IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea
Captain Radhika Menon on 7 July 2016 was selected for the 2016 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
Menon has been selected for the prestigious award for her role in the rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal in June 2015.
Captain Menon will also be the first female to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
The award will be presented to Menon on 21 November 2016 at IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom.
Who is Radhika Menon?
•Menon is the Master of the oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajya.
•She is the first woman captain in the Indian Merchant Navy.
•She was nominated for the award by the Government of India for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma.
About IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea
•The annual bravery Award was established by IMO.
•It was established to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.
•The recipient of the Award is invited to a special ceremony at IMO to receive a medal and a certificate citing the act of exceptional bravery performed.
•In 2015, the Award was given to United States’ Christopher Leon.
Tathagata Roy sworn-in as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
Tathagata Roy, the governor of Tripura, was sworn-in as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Itanagar on 10 June 2016.
His oath of office and secrecy was administered by the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Ajit Singh. He is the 18th Governor to be sworn in as Governor of this Himalayan State.
With this, Roy will discharge the function of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh during the absence on leave of Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa.
Besides Roy, Dr. Joram Begi was also sworn-in as the Chief Information Officer of Arunachal Pradesh. The oath to the Chief Information Officer was administered by Tathagata Roy.
Dr Begi, former State Director of Higher and Technical Education, comes in place of YD Thongchi, whose tenure ended in 2015.
India, Tanzania signed five agreements
India and Tanzania on 10 July 2016 inked five agreements to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
These agreements were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tanzania from 9 July to 10 July 2016.
List of MOUs/Agreements
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of water resource management and development between the two countries.
• MoU on Visa waiver agreement for Diplomatic/Official passport holders between the two countries.
• Agreement on Joint Action Plan (JAP) between National Small Industries Corporation of India (NSIC) and Small Industries Development Organization Tanzania (SIDO).
• MoU for Establishment of Vocational Training Centre at Zanzibar.
• LOC of 92 million US dollar for rehabilitation and improvement of water supply system in Zanzibar.
During the visit to Tanzania, Modi met Tanzania’s President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. During the meet, the two leaders agreed to work closely, bilaterally, regionally and globally to combat the twin threats of terrorism and climate change.
Shinzo Abe's party attains majority in Upper House of National Diet
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its allies on 11 July 2016 claimed victory in an election for the upper house of parliament National Diet.
He said the result is a vote of confidence in his economic policies known as Abenomics.
Voting took place on 10 July 2016 for 121 seats of upper house.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition already enjoys a two-thirds majority in the lower house and they needed a super majority in the House of Councilors to start a parliamentary motion for changing the constitution.
This win in the upper house will allow Abe to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution that bars its military from participating in joint military endeavors abroad.
Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan outlaws war as a means to settle international disputes involving the state.
Sushila Karki confirmed as Nepal's first woman Chief Justice
Nepal’s Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) on 10 July 2016 unanimously endorsed Sushila Karki as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
With this, Karki has become the first woman to lead Nepal’s judiciary. She will be appointed to the post by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
About Sushila Karki
•Sushila Karki obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar in 1972.
•In 1975, she completed her Masters Degree in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
•She received her Bachelor’s degree in Law from Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1978.
•She worked as an assistant teacher in Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan in 1985.
•She jumped into legal profession in 1979.
•She was appointed the Ad-Hoc Justice at the Supreme Court on 22 January 2009.
•She was promoted to the Permanent Justice on 18 November 2010.
•The Judicial Council on 10 April 2016 had recommended her for the top judicial post. However, her appointment was pending owing to delay in formation of the PHSC.
•She has been taking charge of the Supreme Court as the Acting Chief Justice since her predecessor Kalyan Shrestha retired on 14 April 2016.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant attains criticality
The second reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) attained criticality at 8.56 PM on 10 July 2016.
On commencing the First Approach to Criticality (FAC) on 8 July 2016 by withdrawing the control rods from the reactor, boron dilution started a few hours later to allow neutron concentration to go up, which eventually led to the criticality of the reactor.
The KKNPP had submitted its reports to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and received the nod for criticality after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change experts inspected the second unit. They submitted their report to the Supreme Court.
At present, India operates 21 reactors that can generate 5780 MW of electricitybesides giving the country its atomic weapons.
Key highlights related to the criticality of the reactor
•Once the reactor starts generating 400 MWe of power, it is likely to be connected to the grid possibly within 45 days from the date of criticality.
•Generation of power will be raised to 500 MWe, 750 MWe, 900 MWe and 1000 MWe in stages.
•At every stage, various tests will be conducted and the technical parameters verified as mandated by the AERB.
•The atomic reactor will provide electricity to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu is expected to get a minimum of 462.50 MWe from the second unit.
What is criticality?
•Criticality is a nuclear term that refers to the balance of neutrons in the system.
•When the neutron population remains constant, this means there is a perfect balance between production rate and loss rate. Therefore, the nuclear system is said to be critical.
•The criticality of a system can be calculated by comparing the rate at which neutrons are produced to the rate at which they are lost through absorption and leakage out of the reactor core.
•A nuclear reactor is a system that controls this criticality or balance of neutrons.
About Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
•Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power station in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
•The first unit of the plant had attained criticality on 13 July 2013.
•Unit 1 of the plant was synchronised with the southern power grid on 22 October 2013.
IUCN declares Bornean Orangutan as critically endangered
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the first week of July 2016 declared Bornean orangutan as a Critically Endangered animal.
As per the IUCN’s findings, the combined impacts of habitat loss, habitat degradation and illegal hunting equate to an 86% population reduction between 1973 and 2025. This finding qualifies the species for listing as Critically Endangered.
In addition to loss of habitat, the survey also disclosed that 2000 to 3000 orangutans have been killed by hunters or villagers each year over the past four decades.
In addition, the IUCN also put the whale shark, the largest fish in the world, on the Endangered list.
About Bornean orangutan
•The Bornean orangutan is a species of orangutan native to the island of Borneo.
•The species, along with the Sumatran orangutan, belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia.
•Like the other great apes, orangutans are highly intelligent and display advanced tool use and distinct cultural patterns in the wild.
•Orangutans share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans.
•The Bornean orangutan is the third-heaviest living primate after the two species of gorilla.
•They are also the largest truly tree-dwelling animal alive today.
World Population Day 2016 observed with theme Investing in teenage girls
11 July: World Population Day
World Population Day was observed on 11 July 2016 with theme Investing in teenage girls.
The theme focuses on the empowerment of teenage girls.
Challenges faced by teenage girls
•Many teenage girls around the globe are considered by their communities or parents to be ready for marriage and motherhood.
•Among girls who stay in school, they lack access to basic information about their health, human rights and reproductive rights. It leaves them vulnerable to illness, injury and exploitation.
•These challenges are exacerbated among marginalized girls, such as members of ethnic minorities or those living in poverty or remote areas.
About World Population Day
• World Population Day is an annual event observed on 11 July every year.
•The day seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.
•The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.
•The day aims at increasing people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
•The world population as of 1 January 2014 is estimated to be 7137661030.
•The theme of the 2015 World Population Day was Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies.
12 July
President confers 51st Jnanpith Award on Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari
President Pranab Mukherjee on 11 July 2016 conferred the 51st Jnanpith Award on renowned Gujarati writer Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari at Parliament Library Building, New Delhi. He was awarded with the India's highest literary honour for the year 2015.
He was given a cash prize, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati.
With this, he also became the fourth Gujarati literary artist to receive the prestigious award. The other Gujarati recipients of the award are poet Umashankar Joshi (1967), novelist Pannalal Patel (1985) and poet Rajendra Shah (2001).
Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari
• Born in 1938, the Gujarati writer is a Gandhian and his works are largely influenced by literary figures like Kaka Kalelkar.
• Chaudhari’s most significant contributions have been in Gujarati language but he has also written Hindi articles.
• His most noted works include novels Amruta, Venu Vatsala and Uparvas.
• He had also received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, for his novel trilogy Uparvas.
• He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998 as a professor and the head of Department of Hindi.
• Raghuveer Chaudhari started his career writing novels and poetry, and later ventured into other forms of literature.
• He authored more than 80 books and received numerous literary awards.
• He also served for many literary organisations.
• He was one of the many participants of the Navnirman Movement and voiced openly against Emergency in the 1970s.
• At present, he is a trustee of the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, a noted literary institution in the state, of which he was elected the president 2001.
• He served for the executive council of Sahitya Akademi from 1998 to 2002.
• He was a member of the Press Council of India from 2002 to 2004 and was also appointed as a jury member of the 25th Indian Film Festival.
• Between 1965 and 1970, he won numerous prizes awarded annually by the Gujarat government.
• Some of awards conferred on him include
a) Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1975
b) Munshi Award in 1997
c) Sauhard Samman from Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthaan in 1990
d) Narmad Award in 2010
e) Uma-Snehrashmi Prize in 1975
f) Ranjitram Gold Medal in 1975
About Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award is one of the prestigious literary awards in India. The name of award is taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat. It was instituted in 1961 and is presented by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family.
The award is given to any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India. Prior to 1982, the award was only given for a single work by a writer. But since 1982, the award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian literature. The award includes cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.
The 50th Jnanpith award was given to Marathi writer Bhalchandra Vanaji Nemade, renowned for his books Hindu and Kosala.
Sanjay Gupta appointed as CMD of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
Sanjay Gupta on 8 July 2016 was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).
Prior to Gupta’s elevation, he had been working as Director (Operating & Commercial) of Konkan Railway since 30 September 2013. He had also been officiating as the CMD since 24 November 2015 after the retirement of B P Tayal.
Who is Sanjay Gupta?
•Sanjay Gupta has worked on several prestigious and coveted posts as well as on various assignments over the Railways.
•He holds a rich experience of more than 30 years as a Mechanical Officer of Indian Railways.
•Prior to his posting as Director (Operations & Commercial) of Konkan Railway, he worked as Chief Mechanical Engineer on Konkan Railway.
•He is the Youngest Ever Officer to be appointed as CMD of KRCL.
About Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
•Konkan Railway Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways.
•It operates the Konkan Railways, a subsidiary zone of the Indian Railways.
•It is headquartered at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai.
•The company started its full operations of trains on 26 January 1998.
•The first passenger train ran on Konkan railway tracks on 20 March 1993 between Udupi and Mangalore.
•The anti-collision devices, the Sky Bus and RORO are a few of the innovations from Konkan Railways.