Current Affairs in Short: 2 August 2022

Air India allows pilots to fly after retirement

• Air India is bringing a new policy, under which it will provie an extension of service to select pilots on a contract basis for 5 years after retirement. 
• The contract can be extended till the time the pilots attain the age of 65 years. The Air India pilots currently retire at the age of 58 years. 
• Air India has made a policy to extend pilots’ service even after retirement due to increasing number of aircraft in its fleet.

Reliance Jio to roll-out world’s most advanced 5G network in India 

• Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, India’s largest digital services provider, announced on August 1, 2022 that it will launch the world’s most advanced 5G network.
• Reliance Jio was the top bidder in the 5G spectrum auction, acquiring frequency bands of 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz with bids worth Rs 88,078 crore.
• The acquisition of the spectrum bands will enable Reliance Jio to build the world’s most advanced 5G network, which will strengthen India’s global leadership in wireless broadband connectivity.
• India plans to roll out fifth-generation (5G) telecom services by October 2022. 

Sanjay Arora takes charge as new Delhi Police Commissioner

• Sanjay Arora, a 1988-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer, took charge as the new Delhi Police Commissioner on August 1, 2022. 
• Sanjay Arora succeeds Rakesh Asthana as the new Delhi Police Commissioner. Asthana retired from the post on July 31, 2022. 
• Sanjay Arora was earlier serving as the Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

India-Maldives launch Greater Male connectivity projects

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih held high-level talks on August 2, 2022 and launched the Greater Male connectivity projects in the Maldives.
• India will provide a USD 100 million grant and USD 400 million line of Credit for the construction of Greater Male connectivity projects.
• India will also provide a USD 100 million line of credit for other development projects in Maldives.
• The two countries also signed pacts in areas such as disaster management, cyber security and police infrastructure development.

Taliban confirms killing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman-al-Zawahiri

• The Taliban confirmed the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman-al-Zawahiri on August 2, 2022. The Taliban also condemned the US drone strike in Kabul over the weekend.
• Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the US drone strike took place on a residence in Kabul, calling it a violation of “international principles.”
• There was a loud explosion in Kabul on Sunday morning, after a house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor. 
• The Taliban Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Nafi Takor confirmed that there were no casualties as the house was empty.

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