Current Affairs 26th July 2017

Current Affairs 26th July 2017 - Important Points

• World’s oldest emoji discovered in - Turkey
• RDEL has launched two NOPVs named - Shachi and Shruti
• Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrated across India on - 26th July 2017
• National Anti-profiteering Authority to be selected by - GST Council
• Madras HC makes Vande Mataram mandatory in schools, private and government offices - 25th July 2017
• Supreme Court on Right to Education is Right to Quality Education on - 25th July 2017
• Zimbabwe's Parliament passes bill on - 25th July 2017

Current Affairs 26th July 2017 - Details

World’s oldest emoji discovered in - Turkey

A group of archaeologists working on a site in southern Turkey in July 2017 discovered a 3700-year-old smiley face drawn on the side of a jug. A Turkish and Italian archaeologists team have been exploring a site on the Turkish-Syrian border, but they never encountered such thing before.
The site depicts the era of the Hittites which is an ancient civilization and empire that is believed to be existed in the north-central Anatolian region. The Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology will be displaying this artifact.

Important highlights

• The unusual pitcher found in a burial chamber was originally off-white in colour and features a short thin neck, wide body and small handle.
• It was used for a sweet sherbet-like drink back in 1700 BC.
• When the pot was taken to a lab for restoration work, Archaeologists realised the smile .

RDEL has launched two NOPVs named - Shachi and Shruti

The Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) launched the first two Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPVs) Shachi and Shruti at their shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat on 25th July 2017. These two vessels are part of a five ship project being constructed for the Indian Navy.

Important Highlights of the Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels

• Their main aim is to undertake surveillance of the country’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Their operational tasks include fleet support operations, anti-piracy patrols, coastal security operations,maritime security of offshore assets, and protection of shipping lanes.
• The NOPVs would be helping in increasing the ocean surveillance and patrolling capabilities of the Indian Navy.
• These NOPVs are armed with 76 mm SRGM (Super Rapid Gun Mount) system and two 30 mm AK-630M guns providing medium range and short range defensive and offensive capabilities.
• The Electronic Fire Control System controls the armament of the ship remotely.
• The ships are equipped with diesel engine driven propulsion systems and which can deliver speed upto 25 knots.
• An Integrated Platform Management System controls all of the Ship operations with its interfaces for all operational activities on-board the ship

Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrated across India on - 26th July 2017

The 18th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated across India on 26th July 2017 to mark the success of Operation Vijay and to remember the supreme sacrifice of the brave Indian soldiers who lost their lives during India-Pakistan Kargil War held in 1999.

 Arun Jaitley, The Defence Minister of India honoured the martyrs with floral tributes at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate in New Delhi along with the three Chiefs of Services. At the India Gate , Kargil Prakram Rally was also organised where the army also paid homage to martyrs.

Army held various events across the seven states under the Central Command of the Indian Army responsibility followed by the felicitation of participants of Kargil War, parents of the martyrs,‘veer naris’, veterans and widows.

 Important Highlights of the War

• 3rd May: Infiltrators from Pakistan entered India under Operation Badr with aiming to sever the link between Kashmir and Ladakh  and make Indian forces to withdraw from the Siachen Glacier.
• 25th May: Indian Air Force launched Operation Safed Sagar with instructions not to cross the LoC (Line of Control).
• 26th May: Launching of Operation Vijay with mobilization of almost 200000 troops.
• 30th May: Indian Navy launched Operation Talwar, sending submarines on patrols close to the Karachi harbor.
• 4th July: Indian forces captured Tiger Hill, Point 4590 (the nearest point with a full view of the Srinagar-Leh highway) and Point 5353 (the highest peak in the Dras Sector).
• 14th July: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared Operation Vijay a success.
• 26th July: Indian Army announced complete eviction of Pakistani intruders but more than 520 soldiers were killed in this entire Kargil war.

National Anti-profiteering Authority to be selected by - GST Council

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council constituted a selection committee to identify members and head of the National Anti-Profiteering Authority in July 2017. The Union Finance Ministry made this announcement on 25th July 2017 where Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha will be chairing the selection committee.
Interesting Highlights

• The National Anti-Profiteering Authority is tasked to ensure that benefits of lower tax rates under GST are passed on to consumers.
• Secretary-level officer of the Government of India will be heading this with four technical members from both the state and central governments.
• According to anti-profiteering rules, complaints received on non transfer of benefits will be examined by a Standing Committee comprising officers from state and central governments and nominated by the GST Council.
• The Standing Committee is empowered to refer cases which need detailed enquiry to the Director General of Safeguards, who will then give his recommendations to the National Anti-profiteering Authority.
• The authority can also seek to recover the profit amount, the undue profit earned from not passing on gains from lower taxes with an 18 percent additional interest.
• If the undue benefit cannot be passed on to the recipient, it can be ordered to deposit in the Consumer Welfare Fund.
• In case of extreme situations a penalty to the defaulting business entities and even order to cancel their registration under GST be done by the National Anti-profiteering Authority .

Madras HC makes Vande Mataram mandatory in schools, private and government offices - 25th July 2017

The Madras High Court ruled on 25th July 2017 that Vande Mataram should be sung in all schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu at least once in a week and also in government and private offices at least once in a month.
Justice MV Muralidharan while issuing order said that to instill a sense of patriotism in every citizen of Tamil Nadu, the national anthem has to be played and sung at the same time in all educational institutions at least once a week, preferably on Mondays and Fridays.”
He also said that the song should be played and sung in all government and private offices or factories and industries at least once a month.
Key Highlights

• Justice Muralidharan said, if in case people feel it difficult to sing it in Sanskrit or Bengali, efforts should be made to translate the anthem in Tamil.
• The court also directed the public information department to upload the translated version of Vande Mataram in Tamil and English, thereby making it available on social media and government websites.
• The court also said that if any person or organization has a problem in singing or playing the national song than he/it won't be forced to sing it,but they should give valid reasons for not doing so.
• While hearing a petition filed by K Veeramani this decision was made, a candidate who failed the Teachers Recruitment Board’s written test for the post of BT Assistant.
• Veeramani claimed in the petition that he missed recruitment to the post by one mark due to “wrong” evaluation of a question on Vande Mataram.

Supreme Court on Right to Education is Right to Quality Education on - 25th July 2017

The Supreme Court quashed the regularity of 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitras as teachers in Uttar Pradesh (UP) for not holding adequate qualifications as fixed under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 on 25th July 2017.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit and AK Goel ruled that their jobs could not be made regular at the cost of fundamental right of children to free quality education by duly qualified teachers. It stated that Right to Education means right to quality education. The court held that appointment of Shiksha Mitras was not as per the qualification prescribed for a teacher job and they could not be regularized as teachers.

It ruled that they should be given opportunity to be considered to recruit as teachers if they have now acquired the requisite qualification. It also allowed the UP government to continue them as Shiksha Mitras on same terms on which they were working. These teachers were appointed for imparting free and compulsory education to all children aged between 6 to 14 years.

Zimbabwe's Parliament passes bill on - 25th July 2017

Zimbabwe's Parliament passed a bill amending the constitution to give the President sweeping powers to appoint the country's top judges without consulting any other institution on 25th July 2017.
If passed into law, the bill will give the country’s President Robert Mugabe the sole responsibility to appoint the chief justice and their deputy.

Important Highlights

• The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), the country’s ruling party, led by President Mugabe enjoys a majority in the 270-seat legislature.
• The voting found a total of 182 lawmakers voting in the favor of the amendment to the Constitution.
• Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who heads Zimbabwe's Parliament, also supported the bill adoption.
• The Constitution was adopted referendum in 2013 once it was put together by the opposition and ruling parties under this power-sharing government.
• The President could only appoint a chief justice from individuals recommended by the judicial services commission and after public interviews of the candidates under it.
• The opposition and civil society had aired their concern that the amendment to the Constitution would weaken and compromise the judiciary.