TODAY’S TOP NEWS: 30 JULY, 2020 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

1. *India’s first five Rafale fighters* – 3 single-seat & 2 twin-seat – finally tore into its skies on Wednesday and *landed at IAF station Ambala* after a 7,000-km flight from France which included an overnight pit stop in UAE and midair refueling.

2. *The Dassault Rafale* literally meaning ” *gust of wind* “, and ” *burst of fire* ” is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation
The Rafales will be able to outgun and outrun Pakistani F-16 anbd JF-17 as well as the Chinese Chengdu J-20 fighters.

3. The Rafales are also armed with ‘Meteor’ air-to-air missiles which have 120-150 km strike range. The Meteor missiles are arguably the best in the world for air combat duels. Each Rafale can carry two fire-and-forget Scalp cruise missiles to hit high-value fortified targets well over 300-km away.

4. *Congress welcomes arrival of Rafale jets* , but questions govt over delay and high cost

5 *Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, after yet another cabinet meeting, proposed convening an assembly session* from Aug 14, from the earlier demand of July 31, in deference to the governor’s 21-day notice period condition for calling such a session.

6. *The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned general permission to withdraw ground water for commercial purposes* without an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment). The permit given should be for a specified quantity of water. The NGT has provided three-month time period to make water management plans for all critical, over exploited and semi-critical areas.

7. *The Defence Research Development Organization launched an innovative contest “Dare to Dream”.* The contest was launched on the death anniversary of of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

8. The *Dare to Dream* is *an open challenge that promotes innovators* and start ups in the country. It is launched to boost emerging technologies. The challenge promotes individuals and start ups for innovation in aerospace technologies. The award money for the winners is up to Rs 10 lakhs. The contest was *launched by Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh.*

9. *The Indian Council of Medical Research has warned that India is likely to miss the national target of ending AIDS in the country by 2030.* According to the council, this is mainly due to the halted progress of several health programmes due to COVID-19.

10. *Rajasthan HC to continue hearing BJP MLA’s plea on Thursday*
The Rajasthan High Court will continue hearing BJP MLA Madan Dilawar’s petition against the merger of six BSP MLAs with Congress party at 2 pm on Thursday.

11. *The Rajasthan political crisis,* sacked PCC chief Sachin Pilot extended his best wishes to his successor Govind Singh Dotasra.

12. Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra returned the state government’s proposal to summon a session of the Assembly for the third time in a row.

13. *Unlock 3 guidelines:* Schools, colleges to be shut till 31 August;Yoga institutes and gymnasiums will be allowed to open from August 5, 2020. Metro services, cinema halls and swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, theatres, auditoriums and other social gathering places will remain closed.

14. *Himachal govt’s Cabinet expansion to take place today.* Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur called on Governor Bandaru Dattatraya, informing him about his plan to fill up the three vacancies in his Cabinet.

15. *J-K extends ban on high-speed internet till August 19:* The ban on high speed internet would complete one year on August 5 as the Centre abrogated J&K’s special constitutional position under Article 370 and downgraded the erstwhile state into two UTs – J&K and Ladakh last year.

16. *The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday sought maximum punishment of 7-year jail term for former Samata Party President Jaya Jaitly* and two others found guilty *of corruption* in a 2000-01 *case* related to a purported defence deal.

17. The *Supreme Court has granted extension of investigation* by six more months to the commission constituted to inquire into the encounter of four men accused of *raping and killing a veterinary surgeon in Hyderabad* on December 6.

18. *Maharashtra* Government on *extended the lockdown* in the state *till August 31* in view of rising coronavirus cases.

19. *Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s dad, KK Singh levelled several allegations against his son’s girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty* including abetment to suicide and theft. He lodged an FIR against Rhea at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna. Reportedly, Rhea Chakraborty has already met with her lawyer Anandini Fernandes and will be applying for interim bail.

20. *No lockdown extension in Bihar* : A notice issued by Bihar home department regarding a 16-day lockdown from August 1 has been withdrawn and a key meeting will now be held in the evening to decide the on the lockdown extension.

21. India’s total *COVID cases stand at 14,49,731* of which 4,96,988 are active while 9,52,743 have recovered.

✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

1. The arrival of five Rafale jets will make the Indian Air Force much stronger to deter any security challenge facing India and those seeking to threaten the country’s territorial integrity should be worried about its new capability, defence minister Rajnath Singh said in a veiled warning to China.

2. *India has asked Nepal to prevent its citizens from “illegally” visiting the Indian territories* of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Gunji, Nepal last month completed the process of redrawing the country’s political map through a Constitutional amendment,

3. *The Indian Navy has deployed a large number of frontline warships* and submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in the wake of the border row in eastern Ladakh to send out a clear message to China.

4. *The government is likely to slash the price of the 5G spectrum* , if they (operators) *choose* *non-Chinese equipment maker.* This means the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) is encouraging all operators not to opt Huawei and ZTE. The development comes after telecom operators have raised questions on the base price of the 5G spectrum.

5. *The first five of a total 36 Rafale fighter jets bought by India from France’s Dassault Aviation have touched down at the Indian Air Force base at Ambala,* 200 kilometers away from its western borders.

WORLD NEWS:

1. *Bangladesh ISIS claims responsibility for attack on Dhaka* police station in which 5 police were injured.

2. *US to reposition over 12,000 troops from Germany; 5,600 to be sent to other NATO countries* : The United States (US) Secretary of Defense Mark T Esper on Wednesday (July 29, 2020) announced to reposition approximately 11,900 military personnel from Germany.

3. *The Trump administration is planning to withdraw some federal security forces from Portland, Oregon* , after weeks of clashes with protesters. Portland has been rocked by 62 consecutive days of demonstrations.

4. *Mexico’s Supreme Court has rejected a landmark injunction on abortion rights across the country.* The case revolved around an injunction granted in the eastern state of Veracruz, which would have effectively decriminalised termination in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. allowed terminations for health reasons, and gotten rid of the time limit on abortions in the case of rape.

*Sports:*

1. The Cricket Committee of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association *(MPCA)* *questioned the appointment of former India stumper Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach* of the state team four months after the decision, saying it was not consulted on the matter. Pandit was appointed as the head coach of the MP Ranji team in March.

2. *Pakistan’s Umar Akmal ban over corruption charges* : Former Pakistan Supreme Court Judge on Wednesday (July 29, 2020) announced to reduce the ban on Pakistan’s cricket player Umar Akmal from three years to one and a half years.

3. The 2020 Western & Southern Open that is scheduled from August 20-28, 2020, has included star Tennis players like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in its player list that was released.

4. *England host Ireland for three ODIs starting Thursday (July 30),* it will mark the start of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The Super League was initially scheduled to start on May 1, 2020, and conclude on March 31 2022. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced some series to be postponed.

*USD 74.73 GBP 96.87*
_In Gandhinagar_(Guj)
*Gold ₹52,920@10 gm 24 (Krt)*
*Silver ₹69,370@ Kg*
⛽ *Petrol ₹ 78.08*
⛽ *Diesel ₹ 79.31*

*Facts about India*

*Shillong* is a hill station in the northeastern part of India and the capital of Meghalaya, which means ” *The Abode of Clouds* “.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:*

Caring for some one is easy, but to make someone care for you is difficult. So never loose those who really cares .

JOKES OF THE DAY:*

*पप्पू (मेहमान से)* : ठंडा लोगे या गर्म?
*मेहमान* : दोनों ले आओ…
*पप्पू* : फेकू.. एक गिलास फ्रीजर से और दूसरा गिलास गीजर से पानी ले आओ..

एक आदमी बहरे व्यक्ति से बातें कर रहा था। इस पर बहरा बोला, ‘‘भाई साहब, आप इतनी देर से मुझसे बातें कर रहे हैं। मैं बहरा हूं।’’ आदमी बोला, ‘‘भाई साहब, मैं आपसे बातें नहीं कर रहा, बल्कि च्युंगम चबा रहा हूं।’’

अध्यापक – ‘भाईचारा’ शब्द का प्रयोग करते हुए कोई
वाक्य बनाओ…!!!

चिंटू – मैंने दूध वाले से पूछा, तुम दूध इतना महंगा
क्यों बेचते हो

तो वह बोला भाई चारा महंगा हो गया है…!!!

Rahul अपनी बिल्ली से तंग आकर उसे दूर छोड़ आए।
घर आया तो बिल्ली वापस आ चुकी थी। दूसरी बार छोड़ कर आया और बिल्ली फिर वापस आ गई। तीसरी बार उसे बहुत दूर जंगल में छोड़कर आया।

वापसी में Sonia से (घर) फोन करके पूछा,  क्या बिल्ली घर आ गई?
जवाब मिला- हां।…

पप्पू- उसको भेजो यहां मैं रास्ता भूल गया हूं।

पति, ‘बड़ी जल्दी बात खत्म कर दी, अभी तो सिर्फ आधा घंटा ही हुआ था?’ पत्नी, ‘कोई रांग नंबर लग गया था। न जान न पहचान, उससे क्या बात करनी?’

छुट्टी के दिन पति सुबह-सुबह फेसबुक खोल कर बैठ गए। उनकी एक महिला मित्र ने सैंडविच का फोटो अपलोड करके लिखा, आओ सब नाश्ता करें।
पति ने कॉमेंट किया- बहुत टेस्टी नाश्ता था, मजा आ गया।
पत्‍‌नी ने यह कमेंट पढ़ लिया।
4 घंटे तक पति को नाश्ता ना देने के बाद पत्‍‌नी- लंच घर पर करोगे या फेसबुक पर?

 

* TELL ME WHY:❓❓❓*

*Does “laughing gas” actually make you laugh?*
Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas. When you inhale the gas, it displaces the air in your lungs and prevents oxygen from getting to your brain and blood. This deprivation is what causes all the giggles. Some people even experience mild hallucinations.

However, nitrous oxide generates a feeling of euphoria which makes a person want to laugh. N2O triggers the release of dopamine molecules in our body, Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. That’s why it’s sometimes called a chemical messenger. Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. Dopamine is particularly known as being the “happy hormone.” It is responsible for our experiencing happiness.

*LEARN SANSKRIT:

*Shakuntala* : Derived from Sanskrit शकुन्त ( shakunta) meaning “bird”.It means” brought up by birds”.

HOW IT WORKS: ⁉

*How Does A QR Code Work?*

A QR Code, or quick response Code, is a Code that is quickly readable by a cell phone (hence the word “quick” in the name). Using a combination of spacing as a type of Matrix Barcode (a 2-D Barcode), when a QR Code is scanned, it conveys a wide multitude of information. A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed in 1994 for the automotive industry in Japan. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached. A QR code consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background, which can be read by an imaging device such as a camera.

QR Codes found their first use in Japan’s Kanban.

‍♂️ GK TODAY:

*Shakuntala Devi* (4 November 1929 – 21 April 2013) was an Indian writer and mental calculator, popularly known as the *”Human Computer”.* Her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of world Records.

VEDIK GYAN:

*In Ramayana*

*Bali* , the king of Kishkindha, was the elder brother of Sugreev. He was a son of Indra who had given him a celestial necklace. It was a necklace with special properties for, after wearing it, if Bali battled with anyone, half the strength of his opponent would be transferred to him.

*Sugreev wife* name was *Ruma or Roma*

*Bali wife* name was *Tara*

*Bali* was invincible during Treta Yuga. Vaali defeated some of the greatest warriors like Ravana. Vaali was blessed with the ability to obtain half the strength of his opponent. Hence, Rama killed Vaali by hiding behind the trees.

After Bali’s death, Sugriva reclaimed the vanara kingdom, took back his wife, *Rumā* and took over Vali’s main wife, *Tara* , who became empress and her son by Vali, Angada, who became crown prince.

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

*Use of Cumin seeds*
*Zeera*

1. The most common traditional use of cumin is for indigestion. Cumin also increases the release of bile from the liver. Bile helps digest fats.

2. Many people around the world don’t get enough iron. Cumin is very dense in iron, providing almost 20% of your daily iron in one teaspoon.

Jeera water is anti-inflammatory and helps in digestive process, minimise gastric problems.

Using cumin as a spice increases antioxidant intake, promotes digestion, provides iron, may improve blood sugar control and may reduce food-borne illnesses.
*PLZ FOLLOW GOVT. NORMS, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE, KEEP YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY SAFE*