TODAY’S TOP NEWS: 17 JULY, 2020 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

1. The Maharashtra SSC result 2020 will be declared by the end of July.

2. Mumbai records its second-highest 24-hour rainfall since 2015. The Santacruz weather observatory, which represents Mumbai and its suburbs, recorded 191.2 mm of rain between 8:30 am on Wednesday and 8:30 pm on Thursday.

3. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is all set to visit Ladakh and Srinagar to take stock of the situations in both Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LOC). The Defence Minister will be accompanied by Army Chief General MM Naravane.

4. In view of the border row with China in eastern Ladakh, the defence ministry granted special powers to the three services for individual capital procurement programme worth Rs 300 crore to meet emergent operational requirements

5. Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident leaders on Thursday moved the high court, challenging the notices from the Rajasthan Speaker over a Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly

6. 15 of 50 priests of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam were found COVID-19 infected while results of remaining 25 are awaited. The TTD will conduct an emergency meeting in light of the latest development.

7. Rhea Chakraborty Girlfriend of actor took to social media to request Home Minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case.

8. As Punjab govt had asked schools not to charge parents during the lockdown period, High Court will be hearing the case on fees on July 31.

9. Maharashtra bans release of controversial film ‘Muhammad, the messenger of God’ citing religious sentiments. The movie was scheduled for online release on July 21 and is directed by Majid Majidi.

10. The Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court that it is also actively considering converting “Veda Nilayam”, the residence of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa at upscale Poes Garden, into the official residence of the Chief Minister

11. The Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) chargesheet in the Palghar lynching case in which two monks and their driver were beaten to death by a mob three months ago, says that the incident was a fallout of rumours that child-lifting gangs were operating in the area whose members posed as seers or uniformed personnel like policemen

12. Govt. to allow Invalid Pension to Armed Forces Personnel with less than 10 years of qualifying service

13. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development launched projects worth of Rs 44 lakhs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

14. Punjab minister Tript Bajwa’s wife and son also test Covid positive

15. The former IAS officer and the first woman election commissioner of Maharashtra Smt Neela Satyanarayan passed away. The 1972 batch officer was admitted at the Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

16. Former principal secy to Kerala CM M Sivasankar suspended in connection with gold smuggling case

17. The 80-year-old activist and Telugu poetVaravara Rao tests COVID-19 positive; arrested under UAPA, has been in jail for the past two years in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. Rao had been in Navi Mumbai’s Taloja prison where his health had been deteriorating since the end of May. He was moved to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital on Monday evening after he complained of giddiness..

18. COVID Cases in India
CONFIRMED 9,68,876
DEATHS 24,915

✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

1.The process of complete disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh is ‘intricate’ and requires constant verification, the Indian Army said on Thursday after the fourth round of marathon military talks between India and China.

2. India Gets Second Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav the Indian national sentenced to death by Pakistan military court on charges of espionage. The Indian diplomats have been provided two-hour window with Mr Jadhav. The is the second consular access; the first access was given in September 2019.

3. In July last year, the International Court of Justice had asked Pakistan to review the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, and suspended his death sentence meanwhile. The court also agreed with India’s stand that Pakistan had violated the Vienna convention by denying consular access to him after his conviction in a “farcical” closed trial.

4. Deepak Paliwal, a UK citizen of Indian-origin has volunteered for the second phase of human trial for coronavirus vaccine led by the Oxford University.

5. A Delhi court on Thursday (July 16) sentenced as many as 284 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members from 21 countries to stand till rise of the court. The Saket court, where the charge sheet in the case was filed on July 6, also slapped these Jamaat members with a fine of 5 to 10 thousand rupees.

6. Interim international flights to the United States of America and France will begin from Friday while flights to Germany and the United Kingdom will operate shortly following necessary permissions and clearances. Union minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said

India inks bilateral air bubbles with France, US; talks on with Germany: The government on said that international flights are set to resume under “bilateral air bubbles” with countries in the world, as Air France will be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris from 18 July to 1 August while the United Airlines of the US will be flying 18 flights between July 17 and 31.

7. On July 16, 2020, India and Bhutan opened a new trade route between Jaigon in West Bengal and Pasakha in Bhutan. The land route will help to move industrial raw materials and goods destined for Pasakha Industrial Estate.

WORLD NEWS:

1. London-born Islamic State (ISIS) recruit Shamima Begum has won the right to return to the UK and carry on her legal fight against the UK government’s revocation of her British citizenship on security grounds.
Begum, now 20, was one of three schoolgirls who fled London to join ISIS in Syria in 2015. Senior UK judges have ruled this week that she must be allowed to re-enter and fight her case.

2. US President Donald Trump urged to ban TikTok, other Chinese apps with immediate effect.

3. US calls for more transparency in South China Sea dispute
The United States has called for China and ASEAN member states to be more transparent in their ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea, following the US’ latest declaration that China’s activities in the disputed waters are “completely unlawful”.

4. China refuses to back off from Finger 4 area in Ladakh, India increases deployment of tanks near LAC .The simmering tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh could increase in the coming days as China has reportedly refused to back off from Finger 4 area in Pangong Tso. Indian Army is on high alert and has increased the deployment of tanks along East Ladakh border to ward off any threat from the China’s People’s Liberation Army.

5. WORLD COVID CASES
CONFIRMED 1,33,82,020
DEATHSN5,80,038

SPORTS:

1. Team India fielding coach R. Sridhar turned 50 on Thursday and skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shatri extended warm birthday greetings to the former on his special occassion

2. The Federation Internationale de Football Association announced that the 2022 World Cup is to be held in Qatar. The governing body also released schedule of matches.

3. THE WISDEN TROPHY, 2020, 2ND TEST: Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes take England to 207/3 against West Indies at stumps

*USD 75.16 GBP 94.61*
_In Kolkata_
*Gold ₹50,060 @10 gm 24 (Krt)*
*Silver ₹52,800@ Kg*
⛽ Petrol *₹82.10* ,
⛽ Diesel *₹76.33*

FACTS ABOUT INDIA

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an Indian scientist who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India’s civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

If you can change your mind, you can change your life

JOKES OF THE DAY:

Absent Minded:

एक भाई ने अपनी पत्नी को सुबह 9 बजे से बैंक की
लाइन में खड़ा करवा दिया और खुद office चला गया!

शाम को जब वापस आया तो पत्नी बोली:-
धूप में खड़े-खड़े दो बजे बैंक के दरवाजे में
घुसी और तीन बजे कैशियर के सामने पहुँची,
मुझे खड़ा कर वो चाय पीने चला गया..!

आधे घण्टे बाद आया और कम्प्यूटर पर बैठ कर बोला:-

“सॉरी मैम पैसे नहीं हैं…!!”

आपकी कसम मुँह मिर्ची खाये जैसा हो गया,
मेरे तो तन-बदन में आग सी लग गई,घर का सारा काम छोड़ कर भूखी-प्यासी इतनी देर
खड़ी-खड़ी पाँव तोड़े और आखिर मैं यह जवाब…??
पैसे नहीं है…!!

पति गुस्सा करता हुआ बोला:-
और तुम पागलों जैसी यूँ ही आ गईं?
उनका कुछ नहीं कर पाईं?
मुझ पर तो आज तक 15 बेलन तोड़ चुकी हो कम से कम
एक बेलन उनपर तोड़ आती उनको भी तो कुछ मालूम पड़ता!

पत्नी बहुत ही धीरज से बोली:-
“बेलन तो आज एक और टूटेगा!

पैसा बैंक में नहीं.. तुम्हारे खाते में नहीं था..!!

Teacher: 2+3=5 aur 5+2=7, ab tum bataao 70+5=? kitna hua?

*Pappu* : Kya sir? aasaan sawaalo ka jaavaab aap de diye aur mushkil savaal mujhse kar rahe ho

दीवार पर लिखा था
“यहां कुत्ते सुसु करते हैं!”
संता ने वहां सुसु किया और
फिर हंस कर बोला:
इसे कहते हैं दिमाग..
सुसु मैंने किया और नाम कुत्ते का आएगा!!

Yamraj : Hello friend,mai aa gaya hun !
Husband : Par mai toh fit hun ekdam.
Yamraj : Tu mobile bina lock kiye ghar pe bhul aaya hai
aur teri biwi tere messages padh rahi hai.
Husband : Chalo zaldi nikalte hai fir !!Mujhe biwi se bachao

TELL ME WHY❓❓❓

*Scientific reason for applying sindoor by Indian Women*

Indian wedding rituals have logical reason behind them.

Sindoor contains turmeric, lime, and a minute level of metal mercury. When sindoor is applied on the bride’s hair partition, the mercury cools down the body and makes her feel relaxed. It also triggers a sexual drive among them. And this is the reason why, widows or unmarried women are not allowed to wear it.

LEARN SANSKRIT:

Tushar *तुषार* : Chilly, cold or frost. Tushar also refers to rain, ice or winter season.

HOW IT WORKS ⁉:

LPG – Liquid Petroleum Gas – is stored under pressure, as a liquid, in a gas bottle. It turns back into gas vapour when you release some of the pressure in the gas bottle by turning on your gas appliance. LPG is made during natural gas processing and oil refining. … LPG is extracted from heated crude oil using a distillation tower. This LPG can be used as is or separated into LPG products three primary parts: propane, butane and isobutane. It is stored pressurised, as a liquid, in cylinders or tanks. LPG, which is heavier than air due to its high density, is a hydrocarbon-based combustible gas. LPG is the generic name of the butane and propane gases and their mixtures in different proportions.

LPG inside the cylinder weighs 19kg . The internal volume of the cylinder is 44.5 litres . The LPG is a mixture of propane gas (60%) and butane (40%) .

‍♂️ GK TODAY:

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), charged with ensuring international peace and security. It was formed in 1945. the Security Council was created after World War II to address the failings of the League of Nations in maintaining world peace.

The Security Council consists of fifteen members, of which five are permanent: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

VEDIK GYAN:

*Brahma not Worshipped in temples?*

When Brahma was creating the universe, He made a female deity known as *Shatarupa* (one with a hundred beautiful forms). Brahma became immediately infatuated with Her. Shatarupa moved in various directions to avoid the gaze of Brahmā. But wherever She went, Brahma developed a head. Thus, Brahma developed five heads, one on each side and one above the others. In order to control Brahma, Shiva cut off one of the heads. Also, Shiva felt that Shatarupa was Brahmā’s daughter, having been created by Him. Therefore, Shiva determined, it was wrong for Brahmā to become obsessed with Her. He directed that there be no proper worship on earth for the “unholy” Brahmā.

According to another legend, Brahma is not worshiped because of a curse by the great sage Brahmarishi Bhrigu. Once a great fire-sacrifice (yajna) was being organised on Earth with Bhrigu being the high priest. It was decided that the greatest among all Gods would be made the presiding deity. Bhrigu then set off to find the greatest among the Trimurti. When he went to Brahma, he was so immersed in the music played by Saraswati that he could hardly hear Bhrigu’s calls. The enraged Bhrigu then cursed Brahma that no person on Earth would ever invoke him or worship him again.

There are very few temples dedicated to Brahma alone : Pushkar temple in Rajasthan

HEALTH CARE: HOME REMEDIES:
( *Note* : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not)

*Tamarind* is considered good for constipation due to its laxative property. It helps to boost immunity as it is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making it useful in managing common cold. Tamarind powder might also help to manage blood sugar as well as insulin levels and is thus considered good for diabetic patients. It might also be beneficial for people trying to manage weight as it helps decrease food cravings thereby preventing overeating.
Also, eating Tamarind pulp helps to eliminate worms from the stomach due to its anthelmintic property.
Applying a paste of Tamarind seed powder along with honey on the skin helps in faster wound healing and also prevents skin infections due to its antimicrobial activity. Tamarind paste should always be used in combination with rose water, milk or honey as it may cause hypersensitivity in some people if used alone.

Tamarind is loaded with vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining your eye health and further lowers the risk of macular degeneration and age-related cataracts. It has compounds that protect your eye against dry eyes. Drinking a decoction made by boiling tamarind in water may prevent you from eye inflammation.

PLZ FOLLOW GOVT. NORMS, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE, KEEP YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY SAFEENDS