1. India has slipped down to the 7th place in the global GDP rankings of 2018, reveals data compiled by the World Bank. India recorded a GDP of $2.73 trillion in 2018, which is less than that of the UK ($2.82 trillion) and France ($2.78 trillion).
2. Netherlands has imposed a ban on face-covering clothing, which covers burqa and niqab worn by conservative Muslim women.
3. KABIL, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd, a joint venture company will be set up soon to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market. The company will be set up in joint partnership between three Central Public Sector Enterprises including National Aluminium Company Ltd.(NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd.(HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd (MECL).
4. The Indian Army launched 10 e-cars in its pilot batch for its officials in New Delhi on August 1. The main aim behind the move is ensure minimal emission and to boost efficiency, in an attempt to combat worsening air quality in New Delhi.
5. Ravish Kumar has been named for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award 2019. Ravish Kumar is among the five recipients of the 2019 Magsaysay award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
6. Maharashtra government has decided to use drones for mapping of 40,000 villages in the state. The revenue department of the state government has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Survey of India.
7. The 52th ASEAN Foreign Minister’s meeting is being organized in Bangkok between July 29 and August 3. The ASEAN Group is trying to establish itself as a global entity. This is an inter-governmental organization of 10 Southeast Asian countries. It was established on August 6, 1967. Its headquarters is in Jakarta, Indonesia.
8. Airports Authority of India has appointed board member Anuj Aggarwal as its chairman for next three months. The temporary appointment of Aggarwal is effective from Aug. 1. Mohaptara, an IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, was appointed as the DPIIT secretary recently.