Current Affairs 31st July 2016

National News:

• The Strategic Forces Command, which forms part of the National Command Authority (NCA), has been added to the Second Schedule of the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, which exempts security and intelligence establishments from its purview.
• Haryana Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister, Mr O P Dhankar launched Pashudhan Bima Yojana at a function organized at Government Polytechnic Institute in Jhajjar
• Centre sanctions nearly Rs 620 crore to UP as drought assistance
• The establishment of the first hydro engineering college in Himachal Pradesh will boost regional development and provide more job opportunities, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said
• The West Bengal Tourism department has launched a mobile App based on its theme of ‘Experience Bengal’. Alongside information on places of tourist interest, the App would be loaded with other facilities like maps and directions

International News:

• India will host a crucial global summit in Nov to eliminate the illicit trade of tobacco products.The summit is scheduled from Nov 7-12 in Noida will aim “to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products
• The Indo-Thailand Military Exercise Maitree concluded on 29 July 2016 at Krabi, Thailand

New Appointments :

• JN Singh appointed new Chief Secretary of Gujarat
• Intex appoints Madhuri Dixit as brand ambassador for consumer durable products
• Justice D B Bhosale takes oath as chief justice of Allahabad high Court
• Shambhu Singh Yadav appointed as Deputy Lokayukta of UP

Banking :

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to relax guidelines for listing of start-ups

Business & Economy:

• BPCL buys 21% stake in PE-backed FINO PayTech for $37.6 mn
• The first-ever meeting of BRICS Employment Working Group (BEWG) to shape the agenda for labour and employment track in the five-nation grouping will be held in Hyderabad from July 27

Sports:

• Russia’s weightlifting team has been banned from competing at the Rio Olympics because of doping offences

Obituary :

• Rajjat Barjatya, MD and CEO of RajshriMedia, passed away on Friday (July 29) at a hospital in Mumbai