30th July 2014 - Daily Current Affairs Updates

30th July 2014 - Daily Current Affairs Updates

National Affairs

• The government has proposed to formulate a new education policy to meet challenges posed by lack of quality, research and innovation in Indian educational institutions, Human resource development minister Smriti Irani said in the Rajya Sabha. This policy provides for national system of education, which envisages a common educational structure of 10+2+3, implying that up to a given level, all students, irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex, have access to education of a comparable quality.
• Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today directed the Health department to take all possible measures to check the spread of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE), which have jointly claimed 305 lives in Assam this year. 

International Affairs

• The US and European Union have slapped tougher and "wide-ranging" sanctions on Russia, targeting its energy, finance and defence sectors for its continued support of separatists in Ukraine.
• Australia's priority was gaining access to the crash site of downed Flight MH17 in Ukraine, not imposing sanctions on Russia, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said today.

Visitors to India

• US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived lands in India today for a three-day official trip for the annual Indo-US Strategic dialogue and is also expected to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-awaited September visit to the US. 

Awards & Honors

• NDTV Science Editor Pallava Bagla received the 'ICAR Chaudhary Charan Singh Award 2013' from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for excellence in agriculture reporting.

Deaths

• Theodore Van Kirk, the last surviving crew member of the US B-29 bomber that dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima has died at the age of 93.

Sports

• The 38-year-old South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis announced his retirement from all international cricket.
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports today denied that it recommended the name of Indian hockey legend, Late Major Dhyan Chand for conferring of Bharat Bharat Ratna award in 2013-14. 

Commonwealth Games 2014

1. Indian wrestler Amit Kumar wins Gold Medal in 57 kg weight category.
2. 19-year-old, Indian wrestler Vinesh wins Gold Medal in women's 48 kg weight category.
3. Sushil Kumar wins Gold In 74 kg wrestling event defeating Q Abbas of Pakistan
4. India's Chandrakant Mali wins bronze medal in men's 94kg weightlifting
5. Boxer Mandeep Jangra wins bronze after getting a walkover against Daniel Lewis in 69 kg weight category.
6. India got one more medal in women's 53kg weightlifting after Swati Singh was handed the bronze while Matsha Santoshi was upgraded to silver after 16-year-old Nigerian gold winner Chika Amalaha tested positive for a banned substance.