Today’s Current Affairs: 20th July 2024 for SSC CGL, State SSC, RRB, Railways, Banking Exam & IBPS, etc
Ivory Coast Joins UN Water Convention as 10th African Nation:
- Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) has recently become the 53rd Party to the 1992 UN Water Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
Vinay Kwatra Appointed as India’s New Ambassador to the U.S:
- Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to the United States, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday.
- Kwatra will assume his new role shortly, filling the position that has been vacant since Taranjit Sandhu’s retirement
PM SVANidhi Scheme : Best Performing State
- Madhya Pradesh has been recognized as the ‘Best Performing State’ under the Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme, which supports urban street vendors with collateral-free loans up to ₹50,000
CBDT Awards Taxnet 2.0 Project to Bharti Airtel:
- The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has awarded the Taxnet 2.0 project to Bharti Airtel Ltd.
- This project aims to provide advanced network connectivity, facility management services, and video conferencing services to the Income Tax Department (ITD).
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024:
- Ram Charan, the superstar known for his stellar performance in the global blockbuster “RRR”, is set to be the guest of honor at the prestigious Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024.
AIFF awards 2024, Chhangte, Indumathi Win Top Male and Female Awards:
- The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently held its annual awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding achievements in Indian football for the 2023-24 season.
- The top honours went to Lallianzuala Chhangte and Indumathi Kathiresan, who were named the male and female Players of the Year respectively.
Prestigious Gandhi Mandela Award 2020:
- Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the renowned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Guatemalan human rights activist, has been honored with the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020.
- This prestigious accolade recognizes her lifelong commitment to advocating for Indigenous rights and promoting peace and social justice.
National Time Release Study (NTRS) 2024:
- Shri Vivek Johri, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), presented a set of Time Release Studies (TRS) conducted by the department.
Review Fee Structure for White-Label ATMs:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has established a committee to review the fee structure of white-label ATMs (WLAs).
- This panel aims to evaluate current policies and recommend a balanced and sustainable model for all stakeholders.
Lok Samvardhan Parv: Kiren Rijiju inaugurates, in New Delhi:
- As part of its 100 days’ programme, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is organising “Lok Samvardhan Parv” to showcase the schemes, programmes and achievements of the Ministry.
Enemy Property In India:
- The Indian government has begun to auction properties classified as ‘enemy properties’.
- Enemy Property are those immovable and moveable assets which were left behind by people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China after leaving India during the partition and post the 1962 and 1965 wars.
Rwanda : Election
- Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has smashed his own record by winning recent elections with more than 99% of the vote.
Phlogacanthus Sudhansusekharii : New Plant Species
- Researchers from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) recently discovered a new plant species named Phlogacanthus sudhansusekharii, from Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.
Gaia Spacecraft:
- Gaia spacecraft has faced and overcome significant challenges in its mission to map over a billion stars in the Milky Way.
Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program:
- The Government’s ambitious Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program is set to get a fresh boost under the leadership of the Union Minister for Youth Affairs.
Foreigners Tribunals:
- The Assam government asked the Border wing of the State’s police not to forward cases of non-Muslims who entered India illegally before 2014 to the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs).
SEBI : Introduction Of a New Asset Class Or Product Category
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed the introduction of a new asset class or product category.
- This move is aimed at providing investors with a regulated investment product that features higher risk-taking capabilities, while also curbing the proliferation of unregistered and unauthorised investment products.
The Voicebox Programme:
- The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has joined hands with Netflix India to launch an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India called “The Voicebox”.
5th Positive Indigenization List And Internal Security Plan:
- The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently notified a fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) comprising defence items, aimed at boosting self-reliance and minimizing imports and encouraging the domestic defence sector.
Grand Slam : Winner
- Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the men’s single tennis Wimbledon final match, winning his 4th Grand Slam title.
