13 & 14th July 2015 Current Affairs Daily Updates

1) Isro's Gagan Satellite-Based Navigation System Launched:

--> Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 13 July 2015 launched the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system, which will offer seamless navigation to the aviation industry.

--> The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) developed the system, at a cost of Rs. 774 crore, over 15 years.

--> India is the fourth country to offer space-based satellite navigation services to the aviation sector.

--> GAGAN will provide augmentation service for the GPS over the country, the Bay of Bengal, South East Asia and Middle East and up to Africa. 

2) Flipkart offers Rs 50000 allowance to employees for adoption:

--> After relaxing maternity and paternity policies, e-commerce major Flipkart is now offering an allowance of Rs 50,000 to employees looking to adopt children.

--> The "adoption allowance", effective July 10, can be used towards legal, agency, regulatory costs or any other expenses that may arise during the adoption process, a Flipkart spokesperson told.

3) Legendary music composer MS Viswanathan passed away:

--> Famous music composer of South India Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

--> The veteran musician had composed music for over a thousand films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam and was fondly called as the King of Light Music (Mellisai Mannar in Tamil).

4) Lt Gen Man Mohan Singh Rai to be next Vice-Chief of Army:

--> Lt Gen Man Mohan Singh Rai has been appointed as the next Vice-Chief of the Indian Army.

--> Rai, at present the Eastern Army Commander, will replace Lt Gen Philip Campose, who superannuates on July 31.

--> Incidentally, Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag too was the Eastern Army Commander before taking over the top post.

5) CSK, Rajasthan Royals suspended for two years from IPL:

--> Two major Indian Premier League teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the cricket league for two years.

--> Decision in this regard was taken by a Supreme Court-appointed three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha.

--> Both of the teams were banned in regards to betting activities of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra during the 6th edition.

6) Indigenously developed Nag anti-tank missile tested helicopter:

--> India has test-fired its indigenously developed Nag anti-tank guided missile, which can hit a target upto seven km, from a helicopter at a firing range in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

--> Three-round trial of helicopter-launched Nag (HeliNa) missile were conducted at the Chandhan firing range.

7) Rakesh Sahni appointed chairman of NVDA:

--> Madhya Pradesh government has appointed former Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni as the Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA).

8) 27 dead in stampede at Godavari Maha Pushkaram:

--> At least 27 persons, mostly women, have died and 25 injured, including two who are critical, in a stampede on the opening day of the 12 day Godavari Maha Pushkaram at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh.

9) NASA space probe New Horizons reached Pluto:

--> History was made on 14 July 2015 as the NASA spacecraft 'New Horizons' hurtles past the dwarf planet Pluto, some 4.8 billion kilometers from earth.

--> New Horizons, the NASA space probe to study the dwarf planet Pluto, was launched from Cape Canaveral on 19 January 2006.

10) Sinhastha Kumbh Mela begins in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik:

--> World’s largest religious congregation Sinhastha Kumbh Mela has begun at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik district of Maharashtra.