Around 7 crore 32 lakh farmer families received first two instalments of under PMKSNY scheme benefits:

Around seven crore 32 lakh farmer families across the country received the first and second installments of 2 thousand rupees under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The total cost will be around 14 thousand 646 crore rupees. Uttar Pradesh around two crores twenty lakh farmer families topped the list followed by Andhra Pradesh. The farmers who got benefited 72 lakh and Maharastra 50 lakh farmers. 

The scheme approximately covers around 14 crore 50 lakh beneficiaries across the country subject to exclusion criteria.

Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi Scheme:

This scheme is introduced by the Narendra Modi Government.The scheme got effective from 01.12.2018.

Aim of the scheme: To supplement the financial needs of the farmers and plan to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields and plan towards the diet.

Benefits: 

The scheme is expected to cover around 2 crore more farmers

The aim is to increase the coverage of PM-KISAN around 14.5 crore beneficiaries, The estimated expenditure by the Central Government of Rs. 87,217.50 crores for year 2019-20.

The financial benefit provided to all Small and Marginal landholder farmer families with total cultivable holding up to 2 hectares 

The benefit of Rs.6000 per annum per family payable in three equal installments every four months.

Chandrayaan 2 to be launched from Sriharikota at 2:43 pm on July 22:

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)planned to launch India`s second mission Chandrayaan -2 to the Moon at 2.43 pm today on July 22 

About Chandrayaan - 2

Chandrayaan-2 planned to go the Moon`s south polar region. The main aim is to explore its main surface for the signs of water and to find out the new form of energy. The 978-crore cost spent while the launch process 

The second launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh. The countdown announced on Sunday. It is a 20-hour countdown. The launch began at 6.43 pm.

India`s second Moon odyssey launched 11 years after ISRO`s successful first lunar mission Chandrayaan 1

About Pragyan Rover

Chandrayaan 2`s Rover is a 6-wheeled robotic vehicle named Pragyan. The meaning of Pragyan `wisdom` in Sanskrit. They can travel up to 500 m (half-a-km) They leverage solar energy for its functioning. 

Vikram lander

The Lander of Chandrayaan 2 is named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai. It is designed in such a manner to function for one lunar day.It is equivalent to about 14 Earth days. The lander has a capability to communicate with Indian Deep Space Network at Byalalu near Bangalore. The Lander is designed to execute a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Technological challenges of the mission:

The propulsion system consists of throttle engines to ensure landing.

The landing is carried at low touch down the velocity

The Mission management includes propellant management at various stages engine burns orbit and trajectory design

The Lander Development consists of Navigation, guidance, and control, sensors for navigation and hazard avoidance, communication systems and lander leg mechanism for a soft landing. The Roll down mechanism, roving mechanism development and testing of power systems, thermal systems, communication and mobility systems.

Plan of Chandrayaan 2 Launch:

Chandrayaan-2 planned to be launched on the 15th of this month. 

A technical snag detected less than an hour before its scheduled lift-off, forcing the mission. The loss of seven days due to the delay in the launch and the flight duration of Chandrayaan-2 from the earth to the moon has been reduced from 54 days to 48 days by tweaking the flight path. 

Its lander will descend on the moon by September 7.

The scientists perform fifteen crucial maneuvers to navigate the probe from an earth-bound elliptical orbit to the surface of the moon. 

Rajya Sabha passed the triple talaq Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill:

The Rajya Sabha passed the triple talaq Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019. The bill makes the declaration of triple talaq means the police can arrest an accused without a warrant. It is the government`s attempt to protect the rights of married Muslim women.

Provisions of the Bill:

The Bill makes the instant triple talaq a criminal offence. It provides a jail term to a Muslim man for the crime that prohibits divorce by pronouncing talaq thrice in one go.

If the woman misuses the law, the man should have the right to appeal.

ISRO has launched Chandrayaan 2 successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 22 July:

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian Space agency, has launched Chandrayaan-2 successfully into the elliptical Earth orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 22 July. The spacecraft was carried by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV MkIII-M1. It was India’s most challenging and ambitious mission. It is expected that Spacecraft will try to land a rover near the South pole of the Moon on 7 September 2019. 

If the spacecraft lands softly on the Moon, India will be the fourth country to successfully carry out such mission. The three countries that have launched the spacecraft successfully are US, Russia and China. 

Chandrayaan-2:

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft weighs around 3.8 tonnes. The total estimated cost for the mission was Rs.978 crore, that is Rs.603 crore for the space segment and Rs.375 crore for the launch. 

The space segment of Chandrayaan-2 includes

an orbiter,

a lander named Vikram

a rover named Pragyan.

The orbiter is expected to seperate Vikram, the lander, on 7 September. After making a successful touchdown on the lunar surface it will begin its quest for water.

Team led by women scientist:

For the first time ever, an Indian space mission is being led by women scientists. Muthayya Vanitha, as a project director, has led the mission from the start. 

GSLV Mk III:

ISRO`s GSLV Mk III is a three-stage launch vehicle. The vehicle consist of two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. The vehicle was designed, so that it can carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Central Government favors it`s 31.8% contribution to economic growth:

MSME sector contributed significantly to the Indian economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product, exports and employment generation, it’s the contribution of the total Gross Value Added standing at 31.8 percent. 

The share of MSME related products in total exports from India during the year 2018-19 was 48.10 percent.

MSME Sector:

MSME sector is an important pillar of Indian economy 

They contributed greatly to the commercial growth with a vast network of around 30 million units.

MSMEs have created employment of about 70 million, manufacturing more than 6000 products.

They contributed about 45 per cent to manufacturing output and finally about 40% of exports. 

The sector continued to face certain constraints regarding availability of adequate and timely credit, high cost of credit, collateral requirements, access to equity capital and rehabilitation of sick enterprises, and more, despite its significant contribution.

The 73rd round of National Sample Survey (NSS), conducted by the Centre during 2015-16

The estimated number of workers in unincorporated nonagricultural MSMEs in the country to be 11.10 crores.

Acharya Devvrat sworn in as the new governor of Gujarat on 22 July:

Acharya Devvrat, 60, sworn in as the new governor of Gujarat on July 22. Gujarat high court`s acting chief justice Anant S Dave administered the oath of office at the Raj Bhavan on 22 July. Devvrat is the 20th governor of Gujarat. Acharya Devvrat has replaced O P Kohli. He was the governor of Himachal Pradesh.

Acharya Devvrat:

Devvrat promotes education for girls. He was associated with the Arya Samaj as he earlier served as the principal of a gurukul, the traditional school, at Kurukshetra in Haryana. He has over 30 years of experience in academics and administration in various capacities. He works towards spreading the Indian culture and Vedic values across the world.

Larsen and Tourbo Tech Company to partner with UTC for Collins Aerospace:

• L&T Technology Services (LTTS) selected as a strategic partner by United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for Collins Aerospace
• It is a subsidiary of UTC
• Collins Aerospace comprises former UTC Aerospace Systems, Rockwell Collins and BE Aerospace is one of the leading providers of intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defence industries. 

• L&T Technology Services is a long-standing engineering partner for UTC.
• Collins Aerospace comprises of the former UTC Aerospace Systems, Rockwell Collins and BE Aerospace
• It is one of the leading providers of intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industries. LTTS is a long-standing engineering partner for UTC.
• They got `UTC Supplier Gold` since 2015. LTTS recognized as UTAS Supplier of Year in April 2016. It is for its high-quality services and value creation. 

POCSO (Amendment) Bill, 2019 With Provision Of Death Penalty Passed By Rajya Sabha:

Rajya Sabha passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which provides for death penalty to the culprits in the cases of sexual assault and stringent punishments for other crimes against children. It provides for the levy of fines and imprisonment up to 5 years to curb child pornography. In the event of a second or subsequent conviction, the punishment would be up to seven years and fine.

Key Points:

i. Provisions:According to the amendment bill, those committing penetrative sexual assaults on a child below 16 years of age would be punished with imprisonment up to 20 years, which might extend to life imprisonment as well as fine.

In case of aggravated penetrative sexual assault, the bill increases the minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years, and the maximum punishment to death penalty.

The amendment in Section-2, Section-4, Section-5, Section-6, Section-9, Section-14, Section-15, Section-34, Section-42 and Section-45 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)Act, 2012, is made to address the aspects of child sexual abuse in appropriate manner.

ii. Fast track courts: Union government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts for speedy dispensation of pending cases under POCSO and sexual assault. The total expenditure in setting up these courts will be Rs 767 crore out of which Rs 474 crore will be borne by the Centre.

iii. Definition: The Bill defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child including photograph, video, digital or computer generated image indistinguishable from an actual child.

About POCSO Act 2012:

It was established to protect the children against offences like sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography. It was formed to provide a child-friendly system for trial underneath which the perpetrators could be punished. The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age. It also makes provisions for avoiding the re-victimisation of the child at the hands of the judicial system. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 received the President’s assent on June 19, 2012. It was notified in the Gazette of India on June 20, 2012.

Lok Sabha passed the 2019 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill:

Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 on 25 July. The Bill was introduced by the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The bill is for the justice, respect and dignity of women.

Provisions of the Bill:

The Bill criminalises instant triple talaq among Muslims. It also approves a jail term of three years for the husband.

The bill will replace the ordinance passed by the previous government in February. It should be noted that around 20 Muslim countries in the world, including Pakistan and Malaysia, have banned the triple talaq.

Opposition: 

The Bill was opposed by BJP ally Janata Dal (United). The party said that it will create distrust among a particular community.

Triple Talaq Bill known as Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 has been passed in the Rajya Sabha in a landmark vote with 99 votes in favour and 84 against. This is a historic victory for Modi Government. The Triple Talaq bill was tabled in the upper house of the Parliament by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 aims to ban and criminalise the practice of divorce among Muslims by simply stating Talaq three times. 

Govt decides to extend budget session till 7 August:

• The budget session of Parliament extended by eight working days till 7 August.
• The union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi informed the Lok Sabha The decision is expected to draw a sharp protest from the Opposition parties who are against an extension.
• There is a view in the government that after the ongoing session, crucial bills would be pending till the winter session.
• The timing of the winter session, which is expected to start in November is important as key assembly elections are also scheduled around that time.