News in Short

• The serological survey conducted in Delhi has shown that 23.48 percent of the people surveyed had developed IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies, indicating they had been exposed to the coronavirus.
• The study also indicates that a large number of infected persons remain asymptomatic. Nearly six months into the epidemic, only 23.48 percent of the people are affected in Delhi, which has several pockets of dense population.
• This can be attributed to the proactive efforts taken by the government to prevent the spread of infection including prompt lockdown, effective containment and surveillance measures, including contact tracing and tracking, as well as citizen’s compliance to Covid appropriate behaviours.

• South Korea's first-ever military communications satellite has been successfully launched by private operator SpaceX.
• The ANASIS-II is intended to enhance the South's ability to defend itself against the nuclear-armed North, which invaded in 1950.
• A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
• The launch made South Korea the 10th country in the world to own a military-only communications satellite, which will provide permanent and secured military communications.

• Researchers have identified three dozen features on Venus, which they state could have been created by volcanism. If this is true then it will potentially reshape our understanding about the planet and its evolution.
• The study was made possible by the help of computer simulations to model the formation and evolution of Venus’ ring-shaped volcanic structures, called coronae.
• Venus’ coronae are formed by plumes of molten rock rising from the mantle up through the crust. This process is similar to how Earth’s volcanos function.

• Business tycoon Rahul Bajaj will step down as chairman of Bajaj Finance Ltd on 31 July after 33 years at the helm as part of succession planning at the non-banking financial company.
• In his place, the board approved the appointment of Sanjiv Bajaj, vice chairman of the company, as a non-executive chairman with effect from 1 August.
• Sanjiv Bajaj chairs the board of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. He is also the managing director of Bajaj Holdings and Investment.

• The annual Amarnath Yatra has now been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic that has already affected and is still affecting a large number of people.
• The yatra goes through Jammu and Kashmir, a state where about 14650 people have been affected by the virus, with about 254 deaths.
• The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, headed by Girish Chandra Murmu, Lieutenant-Governor of J&K, took this decision through a video conference at the meeting of the board.