Current Affairs:
- World Bank has stopped the publication of its “Doing Business” report to probe data collection irregularities in the annual ranking of countries’ business and investment climates.According to World Bank “A number of irregularities have been reported regarding changes to the data in the Doing Business 2018 and Doing Business 2020 reports, published in October 2017 and 2019”.World Bank would conduct a systematic review of data changes in the last five Doing Business reports, and independent auditors will probe data collection and review processes.
- The estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter (April-June) Q1 of 2020-21 has been released by the National Statistical Office(NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.NSSO has released the GDP estimates at both Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices.According to the latest release, the GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 26.90 lakh crore. This value was Rs 35.35 lakh crore in Q1 of 2019-20.Hence, the Indian economy has experienced a contraction of 23.9% as compared to 5.2% growth in Q1 2019-20.While the GDP at Current Prices in the year Q1 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 38.08 lakh crore.This value was Rs 49.18 lakh crore in Q1 2019-20. Hence, it showed a contraction of 22.6% as compared to 8.1% growth in Q1 2019-20.
- Rajiv Kumar has taken the charge as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India.He has joined the Election Commission of India with Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Shri Sushil Chandra.Rajiv Kumar is a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service Officer, with more than 36 years of Government of India service.He has a very rich work experience across various sectors namely Social Sector, Environment & Forests, Human Resources, Finance and Banking Sector.
- Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) has won the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix 2020 at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.This was his 5th win of the season. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came second followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) at third place.
- The former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee passed away at the age of 84.He had tested positive for the coronavirus disease before undergoing successful surgery to remove a brain clot.He was born in the village of Mirati in Birbhum district of West Bengal.He was fondly known as ‘Pranab Da’. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019.He was the fifth president to receive this Bharat Ratna award.He held the important foreign, defence, commerce and finance portfolios as a Union minister across various Congress-led governments in the past. Before becoming finance minister for the first time as part of Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1982, Mukherjee had served as a deputy minister for finance in 1973-74.
- The co-creator of the cartoon series Scooby-Doo, Joe Ruby passed away.Ruby, an American animator, television editor, writer, and producer, created the much-loved characters of beloved kids show Scooby-Doo, along with his creative partner Ken Spear
History on the Date:
(1972) American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer beats Russian champion Boris Spassky 12.5-8.5 in Reykjavik, Iceland; most publicised world title match ever played; Fischer 1st American to win title