Daily Current Affairs- 19 July 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 19th July 2024

INTERNATIONAL

EAM Jaishankar Inaugurates India’s First Overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra in Mauritius

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar inaugurated India’s first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius, marking a significant step in strengthening ties between the two nations. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth was also present at the event. 

Belarus Introduces 90-Day Visa-Free Regime for 35 European Countries

• Belarus has announced a new visa-free regime allowing citizens from 35 European countries to stay in the country for up to 90 days per year, this policy will be effective from July 19, 2024. The visa-free entry can be utilized multiple times within a year but does not apply to holders of special passports such as diplomatic or official passports. 

NATIONAL

Virat Kohli Tops Celebrity Brand Valuation In 2023

• Cricketer Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot to become India's most valued celebrity, boasting a brand value of $227.9 million in 2023. However, this value still falls short of his peak brand value of $237.7 million in 2020, as reported by Kroll's Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023. 

NFDC and Netflix India Collaborate To Train Voice-Over Artists

• National Film Development Corp and Netflix India joined hands to create avenues to provide training for voice-over to artists, particularly women, to hone their skills and seek better opportunities in the ever growing media and entertainment sector. 

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Second Phase of KIRTI Initiative in New Delhi

• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today inaugurated the second phase of Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) initiative in New Delhi. The KIRTI has been envisioned to develop an integrated talent identification architecture based on modern ICT tools and global best practices. It is aimed at streamlining the process of grassroots talent identification on a single platform. 

SPORTS

J&K Fencers Shine at Commonwealth Championship in New Zealand

• Fencers from Jammu and Kashmir have brought pride to India by winning one silver and three bronze medals at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship in New Zealand.
• Harshit Kohli earned a silver medal in the Sabre team event. Shreya Gupta secured a bronze in the Sabre individual event. Chhavi Sharma won a bronze in the Sabre team event, and Sufyan Waheed Sohil also won a bronze in the Epee team event. 

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Von der Leyen Re-elected as EU Commission President

• With 401 votes in favour, the European Parliament elected Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission in a secret ballot on 18 July, 2024, this will be Ursula von der Leyen’s second term as Commission President. She was first elected by MEPs in July 2019.
• Parliament is currently composed of 719 MEPs, so the necessary majority was 360 votes. The vote was held by secret paper ballot. 401 MEPs voted in favour, 284 against, and 22 cast blank or invalid votes. 

Steel Ministry appoints Vinod Kumar Tripathy as govt Director on MOIL board, amd more

• Vinod Kumar Tripathy, a joint secretary in the Ministry of Steel, has been appointed as a government Director on the board of MOIL, Accordingly, Sanjay Roy has ceased to be the government nominee director on the board of the company. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Sobha Group's Sri Kurumba Trust Wins Global CSR ESG Award 2024

• Sobha Group’s CSR wing, Sri Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust, has been honoured with the “Best Child and Women Development Initiatives of the Year 2024.” This esteemed accolade was presented at the Global CSR, Sustainability, and ESG Awards 2024, at the Hyatt Regency, Gurgaon. The event was organised by Marketing and Brand Honchos and brought together industry leaders and champions of social responsibility. 

BOOKS & AUTHOR

The Book ‘Wings to Our Hopes, Volume I, Released In New Delhi

• The book ‘Wings to Our Hopes, Volume I,’ which compiles 75 significant speeches from the first year of President Droupadi Murmu’s tenure, got released in New Delhi. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the e-book in the presence of Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Publication Division has published this book. The book will be released in Hindi and English.