Current Context : India’s first integrated agri-export facility, set to be established at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, is a significant development for the country’s agricultural export sector.

• It will boost India’s agricultural export and import capabilities,
• The facility will cater to exports of prominent items like non-basmati rice, maize, spices, onion, and wheat.

ABOUT JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU PORT

• It is the largest container port in India and a crucial hub for international trade.
• It also known as Nhava Sheva Port.
• Location : Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra,
• It handles a significant portion of the country’s container cargo.

IMPORTANCE :

• Strategic Location: Situated on the Arabian Sea coast, JNP benefits from its proximity to major global shipping routes, making it a vital link in international trade.
• Capacity and Infrastructure: The port has extensive infrastructure, including multiple container terminals, cargo handling facilities, and warehousing.
• Economic Impact: It supports numerous industries by ensuring the efficient movement of goods.
• Integrated Facilities: The planned integrated agri-export facility at JNP reflects the port’s role in enhancing India’s export capabilities and supporting specific sectors like agriculture.

Current Context : Bathinda police started an initiative of ‘Nigraani’ (keeping a watch) by reconnecting village chowkidars (watchmen) with local police stations in Punjab.

• ‘Mission Nigraani’ is started on a pilot project basis in around 70 villages which are affected by drug-related issues.
• Additionaly, ‘Mission Nishchay’ was launched by Fazilka police in collaboration with the BSF and the village-level defence committees, reaching out to residents of villages along the India-Pakistan border to gather actionable intelligence about the demand and supply of drugs.

Observed annually on 30^th July

• Aim : to raise awareness about human trafficking and promoting efforts to combat this serious issue.
• Theme : “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking”.
• The day highlights the plight of victims, the need for effective responses, and the importance of global cooperation in tackling trafficking.

Celebrated on 1 August

• Theme : Close the Care Gap: Everyone Deserves Access to Cancer Care.
• It serves as a reminder of the ongoing battle against one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer.
• Aim : to educate, support, and inspire action in the fight against lung cancer, which continues to be a significant global health challenge.
• It was established on August 1, 2012, as a unified effort to raise awareness about lung cancer and its impact on global health.

Current Context : Education Ministry launched week-long ‘Shiksha Saptah’ campaign to celebrate 4 years of NEP 2020.

• On the 7^th day of Shiksha Saptah campaign, schools nationwide are emphasising community involvement in education through the Vidyanjali and Tithi Bhojan initiatives.

ABOUT VIDYANJALI :

• It is a school volunteer management programme run by the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education.
• Launched on September 7, 2021.
• Aim: to strengthen schools and improve the quality of education through community, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and private sector involvement across the country.

ABOUT TITHI BHOJAN

• It is a community participation programme was originally initiated by the State Government of Gujarat under the erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
• It was relying on the Indian traditional practice of providing food to large number of people on special occasions such as festivals, anniversaries.
• It is voluntarily served by the community/family among school children in several forms such as sweets and savoury snacks, along with regular MDM, full meals, supplementary nutritive items.

Current Context : The Supreme Court commenced its week-long special Lok Adalat drive to amicably settle long-pending disputes as a part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.

• Lok Adalats began hearing cases from 2 p.m. after the judges finished their day’s list cases on the regular Benches.
• The Lok Adalat drive would continue from July 29 to August 3.
• It involves seven benches of the Supreme Court, each comprising two Supreme Court judges, a senior advocate, and an Advocate-on-Record.
• To facilitate participation, the Registry has created dedicated video conference links for each court.

ABOUT LOK ADALAT

• Lok Adalats are alternative dispute resolution mechanisms designed to resolve disputes amicably and include both cases pending in court and those at the pre-litigation stage.
• Established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Lok Adalats are a crucial part of the judicial system, aimed at expediting and encouraging amicable settlements.

Current Context : Two women in Brazil became world’s first humans to die due to outbreak of Oropouche virus.

ABOUT

• Oropouche virus disease is an arboviral disease caused by the Oropouche virus (OROV), a segmented single-stranded RNA virus that is part of the genus Orthobunyavirus of the Peribunyaviridae family.
• Transmission : by bites of midges, a kind of small flies, though it can also be spread via mosquitoes.
• It cannot be spread from person to person.
• Symptoms are similar to dengue, includes fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, joint pain.
• There is no cure for Oropouche so far with no specific antiviral drugs or vaccines available for the disease.
• It was first detected in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, with the initial epidemic occurring in Belem, Brazil, in 1961

Current Context : Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, has been appointed festival director for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

ABOUT SHEKHAR KAPUR

• Kapur, 78, is an influential name in Indian cinema and one of the earliest directors to establish a name for himself in Hollywood with his film “Elizabeth” and its sequel “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.
• He is known for films such as “Mr India”, “Bandit Queen” and “Elizabeth”.
• Most recently, he directed the British comedy “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”.
• Kapur served as the head of the chairperson of the International competition Jury at the 54th IFFI.

He also served as chairperson of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India from 2020-2023.

Current Context :  Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Lokmanya Tilak on his birth anniversary on 23 July.

ABOUT BAL GANGADHAR TILAK

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a freedom fighter, social thinker, philosopher, and educator known for playing an instrumental role in India’s Independence effort.
• He was born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak on July 23, 1856 in Mahrashtra’s Ratnagiri.
• Tilak was called ‘Lokmanya,’ which means ‘accepted as the people’s leader.’
• He graduated from Government Law College with an LLB in 1879.
• He established the Deccan Education Society in 1884 with a vision to impart nationalist principles to young people.
• Tilak popularised the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi and Shivaji Jayanti to unite people and inculcate a sense of pride in Indian culture and history.
• He was often referred to as the “Father of Indian Unrest” by the British colonial authorities.
• His famous declaration, “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it,” became a rallying cry for the Indian independence movement.
• He started two newspapers, ‘Kesari’ in Marathi and ‘The Mahratta’ in English.

He supported widow remarriage, opposed child marriage, and advocated for women’s education, understanding the importance of social progress alongside political freedom.

Current Context : Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiled a special commemorative stamp set showcasing Ram Lalla’s idol from Ayodhya during visit in Laos.

• It is the first postage stamp in the world to be dedicated to Lord Ram’s Ayodhya idol.
• The set which comprises two stamps has Lord Ram’s Ayodhya idol’s image on one and on the other stamp, Lord Buddha is depicted.

ABOUT POSTAGE STAMP

• Postage stamps are pieces of paper which signal that payment has been made for the item to be mailed.
• On 1 May 1840, the Penny Black, the first adhesive postage stamp, was issued in the United Kingdom.
• In India : Lord Dalhousie started the postage stamps in India in 1854 which gave Indians a new way to communicate through postcards.
• The First Stamp of Independent India was issued on 21 November 1947. It depicts the Indian Flag with the patriots’ slogan, Jai Hind (Long Live India).