PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Beijing Envoy Vijay Keshav Gokhale is New Secretary (Economic Relations)
Vijay Gokhale, currently Indian Ambassador to China, has been appointed as the Economic Relations Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Vijay Keshav Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Gokhale has served as Ambassador of India to Germany and also in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York. He has also held the posts of Director (China and East Asia) and then Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the ministry.
Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Chief Secretary of UP
Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. His appointment was approved by the Uttar Pradesh Government. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was a Secretary in the Union Shipping Ministry. He is a 1981 batch IAS Officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. Mr. Kumar has replaced Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar. Rahul Bhatnagar was shifted to Greater Noida as chairman, with additional charge of investment commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, in New Delhi.
Union Govt appoints Rajesh Shah as NIFT Chief
The Union Government (Ministry of Textiles) has appointed Shri Rajesh V. Shah as Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). He has replaced Shri Chetan Chauhan as per the provisions of the National Institute of Fashion Technology Act, 2006. Set up in 1986, the institute, which has centres across the country, comes under the Union Ministry of Textiles.
Kaushik Basu takes over as president of IEA
Former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu has taken over as president of the International Economic Association (IEA). Mr. Basu has also served as senior vice-president and chief economist at the World Bank from 2012 to 2016 and as the chief economic adviser to the Government of India from 2009 to 2012. He is currently the C. Marks Professor of International Studies at Cornell. The IEA is a leading organisation for professional economists and it seeks to shape global economic policy and research.
Priyanka Chopra appointed as ambassador for Govt’s Skill India campaign
Actress Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as the ambassador for government’s flagship Skill India campaign, with the National Skill Development Corporation. Priyanka will use her celebrity status to motivate youngsters to hone their abilities through a media campaign. Earlier, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actors Sidharth Malhotra and Shabana Azmi and singer Mohit Chauhan had also become goodwill envoys for Skill India.
Mihai Tudose designated Romania’s new PM
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis appointed Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, candidate proposed by the parliamentary majority, as prime minister and mandated him to form a new government. Mihai Tudose, the outgoing economy minister of Romania, has been appointed as prime minister, days after the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) removed its own government following an internal power row. The 50-year-old Tudose now has 10 days to gain the vote of confidence in his government and his program.
J-K Governor N N Vohra is new president of IIC
Jammu & Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has been appointed the president of the India International Centre (IIC). IIC is one of the premier cultural institutions in the country. The appointment was made after eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee quit the presidential post.
IDFC Bank elevates Sunil Kakar as MD & CEO
IDFC Ltd announced the elevation of its CFO Sunil Kakar as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company for three years. Mr. Kakar has also been appointed as additional director. Both the appointments are subject to shareholders’ approval at the annual general meeting (AGM). Kakar joined IDFC as the Group Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for finance and accounts, business planning and budgeting and investor relations, among others. Besides, the company announced that the Board has approved the resignation of veteran banker Vikram Limaye from the post of MD and CEO who is set to join leading stock exchange NSE as its new Managing Director and CEO.
UN Appoints Vladimir Voronkov as Chief of UN Counter-Terrorism Centre
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Russian diplomat Vladimir Voronkov to head the newly established UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), despite growing tensions between the US and Russia. The office is established under the General Assembly resolution 71/291 on 15 June 2017. The Under-Secretary-General will provide strategic leadership to United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, participate in the decision-making process of the United Nations and ensure that the cross-cutting origins and impact of terrorism are reflected in the work of the United Nations. He had served as Russia’s ambassador to Vienna and has been serving as an ambassador to UN organisations since 2011.
Jeevandas Narayan appointed as MD of Manappuram Home Finance
Manappuram Finance has announced the appointment of Jeevandas Narayan as the Managing Director and Subhash Samant as CEO of its fully-owned home loans subsidiary, Manappuram Home Finance. Prior to this Narayan, who has more than 37 years of experience in the financial services industry, was Managing Director of State Bank of Travancore. The company also announced the appointment of Subhash Samant as CEO of Manappuram Home Finance Pvt. Ltd.
Ayurveda specialist appointed special secretary in Ayush
Ayurveda physician ‘Vaidya’ Rajesh Kotecha has been appointed as special secretary in Ayush Ministry. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Kotecha’s appointment for three years on a contract basis, according to an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Vaidya (physician) Kotecha is the chief consultant of Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic, Jaipur. The appointment is in line with the Centre’s efforts to bring in specialists from the private sector in the government.
UNICEF appoints teenage refugee as its latest Goodwill Ambassador
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the appointment of Muzoon Almellehan, a 19-year-old education activist, and Syrian refugee, as its newest – and youngest – Goodwill Ambassador. The appointment makes Muzoon the first person with official refugee status to become an Ambassador for UNICEF. Muzoon, who received support from UNICEF while living in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, follows in the footsteps of the late Audrey Hepburn, a Goodwill Ambassador who was also supported by UNICEF as a child. She lived as a refugee for three years in Jordan before being resettled in the United Kingdom.
Govt ropes in Amitabh Bachchan to promote GST
The Union government has roped in Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan to promote Goods and Services Tax (GST), ahead of the sweeping tax reform’s implementation scheduled from July 1. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will make the 74-year-old star the brand ambassador of the GST. A 40-second video featuring him had been shot and is being circulated. In the video, Mr. Bachchan explains the GST as an unifying force just like the three colours in the national flag. The megastar has been roped in just as the rollout of the biggest tax overhaul since independence entered its final phase. Ace badminton star PV Sindhu was previously the GST ambassador.
Govt appoints Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Innovation Mission
The government of India has appointed a senior executive of Tata Consultancy Services Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Innovation Mission, its initiative to promote entrepreneurship in the country. Ramanathan Ramanan, senior vice president at TCS, has been appointed as mission director of Atal Innovation Mission, under the government’s premier think tank NITI Aayog, in the rank of additional secretary on secondment basis from the IT bellwether for two years initially. According to the notification, Ramanan’s appointment will be without pay and allowances. The Atal Innovation Mission is the Centre’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Government announces Indian envoys to European Union, Italy, Belgium and Denmark
India has announced a number of new diplomatic appointments in its missions abroad, including envoys to the European Union, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark.
* Gaitri Issar Kumar, joint secretary in the President’s Secretariat, was named as India’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union which has its headquarters in the Belgian
capital of Brussels.
* Reenat Sandhu was named as India’s new Ambassador to Italy. He has replaced Anil Wadhwa.
* Ajit Vinayak Gupte, joint secretary in the external affairs ministry, has been named India’s Ambassador to Denmark. He will take over from Rajeev Shahare.
Indian-origin Leo Varadkar becomes Ireland’s youngest PM
Leo Varadkar, a 38-year-old Indian-origin doctor, scripted history by becoming Ireland’s youngest and the first openly gay Prime Minister of the Catholic-majority country. Varadkar, the country’s first Indian-origin premier, officially took over from Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known, after a parliamentary vote in Dublin confirmed him as the leader by 57 votes to 50, with 47 abstentions.
Lakshmi Vilas Bank appoints B K Manjunath as part-time chairman for 3 years
Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has appointed B K Manjunath as a part-time chairman for three years. Lakshmi Vilas Bank has informed the stock exchange that subsequent to an approval granted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Board of Directors of the bank at their meeting have co-opted B K Manjunath as additional director in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Manjunath is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a practicing charted accountant for the last 25 years.
K G Karmakar, Gauri Shankar appointed directors of IPPB
K G Karmakar and Gauri Shankar were appointed as Independent Directors of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved their appointment to the post on the board of directors of the bank for a period of three years. The IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector bank under the Department of Posts with 100 percent equity of the government of India.
Hoshiar Singh appointed chief of copyrights office
Senior bureaucrat Hoshiar Singh has been appointed as Registrar of Copyrights. The Office of Copyrights, under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, is mandated to protect the music and film industry besides addressing its concerns, among others. The competent authority has approved the appointment of Singh, a 1994 batch officer of the Indian Telecom Service, as Registrar, Copyrights Office, for a period of five years. The Copyright Office is under the immediate control of a Registrar of Copyrights, who acts under the superintendence and directions of the Central Government, according to norms.
Sher Bahadur Deuba elected Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time
Veteran Nepalese politician Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected as Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time. Deuba, 70, was the sole candidate to contest in the Prime Minister election as the main opposition UML or any other party didn’t register their candidacies. He secured 388 votes in his favour and 170 votes against him. A total of 558 were cast during the voting. He needed 297 votes in the 593-strong Parliament to prove his majority. Mr. Deuba served as the prime minister from 1995 to 1997, from 2001 to 2002, and from 2004 to 2005. He was sacked by the then King Gyanendra Shah in 2005 over failure to hold elections and bring Maoist rebels to a round table negotiation.
Leo Varadkar to be next Ireland PM
The son of an Indian immigrant who came out as gay in 2015 will be the next Irish prime minister, after he was voted leader of the country’s main governing party. Leo Varadkar’s victory in the Fine Gael leadership contest on Friday, which took place after outgoing PM Enda Kenny announced his resignation last month, marks another significant step forward for equality in the country, after 2015’s gay marriage referendum. As well as becoming Ireland’s first gay prime minister, Varadkar, 38, will also become the country’s youngest leader, and the first from an ethnic minority background.
UN General Assembly elects Slovakian Miroslav Lajcak as new president
The United Nations General Assembly picked Slovak foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak to be its next president. The 193-member assembly, the U.N.’s most representative body, burst into applause when current President Peter Thomson of Fiji announced that Lajcak had been elected by acclamation to lead its 72nd session beginning in September.
B). RESIGNS
Anil Kumble steps down as Indian cricket team’s Head Coach
Anil Kumble, the former Indian Captain, resigned from the post of Head Coach of the Indian Cricket team. His resignation came before the limited-overs tour of the West Indies team. During this trip to the Caribbean, the team management will be supervised by M V Sridhar, the general manager of cricket operations. The batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar will continue in their roles. Under Kumble, India enjoyed a great record in all formats of the game. In Tests, the Men in Blue attained the No 1 ranking with series victories over West Indies, New Zealand, England and Australia. In ODIs, India edged New Zealand and England on home soil before finishing runners-up in the Champions Trophy, while in the shortest format of the game, Kumble endured his only loss in a bilateral series, when India went down to world champions West Indies in a two-match series, before beating England 2-1 in India.
Ram Nath Kovind resigns as Bihar Governor
Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind has resigned from his gubernatorial post. The resignation follows his nomination as the ruling NDA’s presidential candidate. President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of Kovind as the Governor of Bihar. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi will discharge the functions of the Governor of Bihar, in addition to his own duties. BJP announced the name of 71-year-old Mr. Kovind, a low-profile Dalit leader and a two-term BJP Rajya Sabha member, as its nominee for President.
C). DEATHS
Harry Potter actor Sam Beazley dies at 101
British Actor Sam Beazley, who played Professor Everard in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, has passed away at the age of 101. Beazley passed away in his sleep. Beazley began his professional acting career as a teenager in 1930s and featured in films like Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. He most recently did guest roles on Foyle’s War, Kingdom, and Casualty, all in 2007.
Former CJI PN Bhagwati Passes Away
Former Chief Justice of India PN Bhagwati, considered a pioneer of judicial activism in the country for introducing the concept of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) was passed away in New Delhi after the brief illness. Justice Bhagwati, 95, is survived by his wife Prabhavati Bhagwati and three daughters. The 17th Chief Justice of India, Justice Bhagwati remained on the highest judicial post between July 1985 and December 1986. He was a former Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court and was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in July 1973. As a Supreme Court judge, Bhagwati introduced the concepts of public interest litigation (PIL) and absolute liability to the Indian judicial system.
German reunification architect Helmut Kohl dies at 87
Former German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, the architect of German reunification, died at his house in Ludwigshafen, in the western state of Germany. He was 87. Mr. Kohl, who led the centre-right Christian Democrats, was the longest-serving German chancellor of the 20th Century. As Germany’s leader for 16 years, Kohl was remembered for reuniting the country and for making a huge political and economic contribution to Europe’s integration. Kohl was credited with bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Together with his French ally President Francois Mitterrand, he was responsible for the introduction of the Euro.
Veteran Telugu Poet, Writer C Narayana Reddy Passes Away
Legendary Telugu poet and writer C Narayana Reddy passed away. He was 85. He was honored with Padma Shri in 1977 and Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Government of India. He had received the Jnanpith Award for the year 1988. He was also the president of the Telangana Saraswatha Parishath. He was also a former Rajya Sabha MP.
Adam West, TV’s Batman dies at 88
A well known US actor, Adam West died in Los Angeles. He was suffering to leukaemia for some time. He was 88. Adam West rose to prominence in the 1960s for a TV series Batman. First appearing in season two in 2002, he voiced Quahog’s eccentric Mayor Adam West, described by series creator Seth MacFarlane as an “alternate universe”, satirised version of the actor.
Eminent rights activist Mehrunnisa Dalwai passes away
Mehrunnisa Dalwai, a noted social activist and author, and the wife of one of modern Maharashtra’s most remarkable and formidable social reformers, Hamid Dalwai, passed away. She was 87. Her autobiography, “Mi Bharun Pawle” is considered an inspirational piece for progressive movement.
D). VISITORS
PM Modi’s Three-Day Tour
1. PM Modi in Portugal- The Journey of PM started on 24th June. In the first leg of his tour, he reached Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Over there, India and Portugal have signed eleven MOUs for cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade and investment, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture. 5 of the MoU’s were in the area of science and technology.
2. PM Modi in The USA- In the second day of his three-nation tour PM arrived in US capital Washington D.C. This was the first Meet of Mr. Modi with the newly appointed President of USA Mr. Donald Trump. India and the United States agreed to enhance cooperation in fighting the menace of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation.
3. PM Modi in The Netherlands in his 3rd day- In the final day of his three-nation tour, PM Modi arrived in Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands, after concluding his visit to the US. The Netherlands has backed India’s early entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, NSG, and other multilateral export control regimes. In a joint communique issued after the meeting between PM Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in Hague. The Netherlands also supported the country’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat. India and Netherlands also signed three MOUs on water management, cultural cooperation and on amending social security arrangement.
PM Narendra Modi leaves for Netherlands after concluding US trip
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for the Netherlands in his last leg of the three-nation visit after completing his two-day US tour. The Prime Minister will reach Amsterdam where he will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Mr. Mark Rutte. Both countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations this year.
PM Modi leaves for three-nation tour, Portugal to be first stop
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a three-nation visit. In the first leg of his tour, he will reach Portuguese capital, Lisbon. After Portugal, the Prime Minister will depart for the US capital, Washington DC. During his two-day US visit, the Prime Minister will meet its President, Donald Trump. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. In the last leg of his tour, Mr. Modi will visit The Netherlands for bilateral talks with his counterpart, Mr. Mark Rutte.
Arun Jaitely’s four days visit to South Korea
The Union Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley was on a four-day official visit (from 14th to 17th June) to Republic of Korea (ROK) and participated in the India-Korea Strategic Economic Dialogue and the 2nd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The Key Points of the visit are:
1. China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved USD 150 million equity investment loan to the India Infrastructure Fund. It is the bank’s first such loan to fund private projects.
2. India, South Korea agree to increase investment to push infrastructure, bilateral trade
The two countries have signed agreements to establish 9 billion US dollar in concessional credit and 1 billion dollars in Official Development Assistant, ODA funding for infrastructure development projects in India. With this, Republic of Korea became one of the first non-G-7 countries to become an ODA contributor in India.
3. India-Korea Financial Dialogue in Seoul
Both sides agreed that in the face of uncertainty and the risk of rising protectionism, there was a need for the two countries to increase efforts to stimulate investment flows, support for infrastructure development, and bilateral trade among others. The dialogue was followed by the signing ceremony of Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) agreement between India and South Korea and thereafter, an MOU was signed between EXIM Bank of India and South Korea’s KEXIM Bank.
4. 2nd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of the AIIB
The second annual meeting of the AIIB was held on June 16, 2017, in South Korea’s Jeju Island. The theme of this year’s annual meeting was “Sustainable Infrastructure”. During this second annual meeting of governors, AIIB approved the membership of Argentina, Madagascar, and Tonga.
5. India to host AIIB Annual Meeting 2018
The Board of Governors of the AIIB announced that the Bank’s third Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors will be held in Mumbai, India in June 2018. India is the Bank’s second largest shareholder (China is the 1st) and is becoming an increasingly important geography for AIIB investments.
PM of India leaves for Kazakhstan to attend SCO summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Kazakhstan, where he will attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and meet some foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the summit in Astana, India and Pakistan will become full members of the grouping, which at present comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Ahead of his two-day visit, PM Modi stated that he looked forward to deepening engagement with the SCO countries. At this meeting, on completion of the process, India will become a full member of the SCO upon which the SCO will represent over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 percent of the global GDP. On the evening of June 9, he will also attend the inauguration of the Astana Expo with the theme of “Future Energy”.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
UNESCO declares Sharjah as World Book Capital 2019
Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates was named ‘World Book Capital for the year’ 2019 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee which met at the Headquarters of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) at La Haye. The city was selected because of the very innovative, comprehensive and inclusive nature of the application, with a community-focused activity program containing creative proposals to engage the very large migrant population. The program runs with a slogan ‘Read – you are in Sharjah’. It focuses on six themes: inclusivity, reading, heritage, outreach, publishing, and children. The Sharjah is the first in the GCC and third in the Arab world and Middle East, to have received this recognition. The GCC countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Dangal becomes 1st Indian movie to earn Rs 2,000 at globally
The Aamir Khan starrer Dangal has become the first Indian movie to earn Rs 2,000 crore worldwide. Recently, Dangal also created the record of being the fifth highest-grossing non-English film ever. Based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, the sports drama film is also the highest grossing Indian film in China. According to a report by Forbes, on its 53rd day of release in China, Dangal made Rs 2.5 crore ($390,000) at the China box office taking its worldwide total to Rs 2000 crore. The movie has already beaten movies like ‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘xXx: Return Of Xander Cage’, ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’, ‘Titanic 3D’ and ‘The Jungle Book’. ‘Dangal’ is now behind world’s biggest blockbuster ‘Avatar’ and Chris Pratt’s ‘Jurassic World,’ which are positioned at number 15 and 14, respectively at the China box office.
SpiceJet becomes world’s top airline stock with 124% gain in 2017
Two and a half years after Indian air carrier SpiceJet Ltd was forced to ground its entire fleet on its inability to pay a mere $2.2 million in fuel bills, the budget airline has become the world’s best-performing airline stock – with $26 billion in plane orders to boot. The company’s co-founder and chairman, Ajay Singh, has played the white knight, injecting capital, cutting loss-making routes and aggressively adding capacity in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. SpiceJet shares are the best performers on a Bloomberg Intelligence index of airline stocks this year.
Maharashtra man Gokulnath becomes 1st Indian to finish solo Race Across America
Srinivas Gokulnath from Maharashtra created history by becoming the first Indian to complete the 4,941-km Race Across America (RAAM) in solo category. Srinivas, 37, completed the toughest cycle race in the world in 11 days and 11 hours in the 18-49 age category. The time given was 12 days to complete the race, that is 13 hours earlier than the scheduled time. The race concluded at Odenton. In a feat that marks the Indian arrival on the endurance cycling scene globally, another Maharashtrian, Dr. Amit Samarth followed Gokulnath at the finish line at Annapolis on American east coast. Among the nine men who finished, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth was right on his heels at number 8. The race was won by Christoph Strasser.
Doon girl wins Miss World title in bodybuilding championship
Bhumika Sharma, another Indian has become Miss World in bodybuilding championship. Dehradun’s girl gained maximum points in three categories – individual posing, body posing and fall in that eventually bagged her the Miss World title and the gold medal at the world championship in Venice, Italy. The championship drew 50 competitors from different countries. But bodybuilding wasn’t her original choice. During a shooting event in New Delhi three years ago, a chance meeting with a bodybuilding coach changed the life of the 21-year-old.
Manushi Chhillar from Haryana takes the crown of Miss India 2017
The 54th Femina Miss India World 2017 winner is Manushi Chhillar from Haryana, while the first runner-up is Sana Dua from Jammu and Kashmir and the second runner-up is Priyanka Kumari from Bihar. The event was held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. This is the first time the participants wore an Indian dress at the finale designed by Manish Malhotra. The show was hosted by Karan Johar and Riteish Deshmukh. Besides, Vinali Bhatnagar won the Miss Active crown whereas Vamika Nidhi won the special award of ‘Body Beautiful’. The pageant judged by Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle, along with Bollywood stars like Arjun Rampal, Bipasha Basu, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, Abhishek Kapoor, Vidyut Jammwal, Ileana D’Cruz among others.
Rajiv Gauba is new Home Secretary after Major reshuffle in central bureaucracy
Urban development secretary Rajiv Gauba will be the new home secretary after the completion of the tenure of Rajiv Mehrishi on August 30. The 1982-batch officer of the Jharkhand cadre will join immediately as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the home ministry. The government also has transferred 17 IAS officers. In another significant change, N.K. Sinha has been appointed as Information and Broadcasting Secretary in place of Ajay Mittal who has been sent to the Department of Personnel and Training. Sinha is currently serving as Culture Secretary.
Mumbai The Most Expensive City In India For Expatriates
Mumbai is the most expensive city for expatriates in India and is ranked higher than major global cities such as Paris, Canberra, Seattle and Vienna. According to Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey, Mumbai is placed 57th on the list while New Delhi was placed at 99. Chennai (135), Bangalore (166) and Kolkata (184) were the other Indian cities on the list. Luanda, the capital of Angola, was the costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo at the second and third places, respectively. The improvement of ranking of Indian cities was not just on account of internal factors, but also because some global cities fell in ranking following currency volatility, especially in Egypt, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Mohammed bin Salman named Saudi Arabia’s crown Prince
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Wednesday appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, placing him firmly as first-in-line to the throne and removing the country’s counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to Washington from the royal line of succession. A royal decree removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57- year-old nephew of the king, as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince. The newly-announced crown prince was also named deputy prime minister and maintained his post as defense minister. The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heads an economic council tasked with overhauling the country’s economy
India Re-Nominates Dalveer Bhandari to the ICJ
India has re-nominated Justice Dalveer Bhandari as its candidate for another term as judge at the International Court of Justice or ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Bhandari, 69, was elected in April 2012 during simultaneous balloting in both the General Assembly and the Security Council to a seat on the International Court of Justice, which is also known as the World Court. His current term runs through February 2018. The ICJ elections will be held in November and if elected, he will serve a term of nine years. During his term at the ICJ, Mr Bhandari has been engaged actively in the work of the Court and has delivered individual opinions in eleven cases covering a broad spectrum of subjects such as maritime disputes, whaling in Antarctica, crime of genocide, delimitation of continental shelf, nuclear disarmament, financing of terrorism and violation of sovereign rights.
BankBazaar.com opens its office in Malaysia
Online financial services marketplace BankBazaar has begun its operations in Malaysia to strengthen its presence in South East Asia. Further, to scale and steer its international operations, BankBazaar has appointed former Visa employee Vipin Kalra to lead the business growth internationally. In line with this vision to expand its foothold across south east Asia, last month, BankBazaar announced an investment of Rs. 5 crore in the Malaysian market and an additional Rs. 10 crore in its Singapore business.
ISRO’s Mangalyaan completes 1000 Earth days in its orbit
Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) also called Mangalyaan completes 1000 Earth days in its orbit. The interplanetary mission of ISRO was launched on 5th November, 2013. It was inserted into Martian orbit on 24th September, 2014 in its first attempt. The Mars Orbiter Mission credited with many laurels like cost-effectiveness, short period of realisation, miniaturisation of five heterogeneous science payloads completed 1000 Earth days which corresponds to 973.25 Martian Solar day. Scientific analysis of the data received from the Mars Orbiter spacecraft is in progress. According to ISRO, the satellite is still in good health and continues to work as expected.
Delhi’s Connaught Place 9th costliest office market, Mumbai lags
Connaught Place in the national capital is the most expensive prime office market in India and the ninth most expensive office market in the world, with an occupancy cost of $153.89 per square feet, according to the bi-annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey of US-based CBRE. This makes Connaught Place costlier than Dubai, downtown Boston and Shanghai. According to the survey, Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) moved one place up from nineteen to 20 while the CBD of Nariman Point ranked thirty-third on the list of the top 50 most expensive office markets around the world. Hong Kong (Central) became the world’s highest-priced office market with an occupancy cost of $302.51 per sq ft per annum. Asia continues to dominate the list of the world’s most expensive office locations, accounting for seven of the top ten markets, according to the survey.
Katy Perry Becomes First to Hit 100 Million Twitter Followers
Katy Perry just keeps soaring in popularity. The Witness singer and pop culture lightning rod became the first person to reach 100 million followers on Twitter, making her the most-followed person on the platform, Twitter reports. Perry joined Twitter back in 2009, making her something of an early adopter as a celebrity. Since then, she’s been an active user, sending out over 8,500 tweets in her time on the service; that’s about a thousand each year. She’s also been at the center of many memorable conversations and pop culture moments on the platform, from the 2015 Super Bowl’s viral “Left Shark” debacle during her performance to her participation in the 2016 election.
China’s First X-Ray Space Telescope To Study Black Holes
China successfully launched its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. The 2.5-tonne Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named ‘Insight,’ was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi desert. It was delivered into orbit, 550km (341 miles) above the Earth, by the Long March- 4B rocket. Beijing aims to send a probe to the dark side of the moon by 2018 and to put astronauts on the moon by 2036. The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named Insight, will allow Chinese scientists to observe magnetic fields and the interiors of pulsars and better understand the evolution of black holes.
Neeru Chadha becomes 1st Indian woman as member of ITLOS
Indian nominee Neeru Chadha became the first Indian Woman to be elected as the Member of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). Chadha, the international law expert, got 120 votes with the highest in the Asia-Pacific group. She will have a nine-year term as the Judge at ITLOS from 2017 to 2026. Currently, an eminent jurist from India P Chandrasekhara Rao is a judge at the tribunal. He was elected as the member of the tribunal in 1996 and his term will expire in September 2017. Neeru Chandha is an eminent lawyer and the first Indian woman to become the Chief Legal Adviser in the Union Ministry of External Affairs and has advised the government on diverse issues relating to the law of the sea involving interpretation of various provisions of the UNCLOS. With an extensive international arbitrattion and ligitation experience, she had served as an agent for the Indian government in its maritime delimitation case with Bangladesh.
IDBI Bank only PSB to get ‘high’ rating for code compliance
According to the Code Compliance Rating of banks done by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) 2017, only one (IDBI Bank) out of 26 public sector banks and eight out of 17 private sector banks got ‘high’ rating for their adherence to code compliance. The eight private sector banks that got ‘high’ rating are- Axis Bank, DCB Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank and YES Bank. The three foreign banks are Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, that were surveyed got ‘high’ ranking. The code compliance rating, which is based on five parameters viz. information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer- centricity, and customer feedback may be considered an indicator of the level of implementation of important code provisions at the grassroot level of a bank.
IRDAI takes over management of Sahara Life Insurance
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken over the administration of Sahara India Life Insurance, a first of its kind move in the insurance sector. The administrator will act as per the powers and duties and applicable provisions. R.K. Sharma, general manager, IRDA has been appointed as the administrator with “immediate effect” to manage Sahara India Life Insurance Company. The administrator will act as per the powers and duties and applicable provisions under the Insurance Act, 1938 and manage the business with the greatest economy, compatible with efficiency and regular reporting to the regulator, the order states. The current board of Sahara India Life is headed by Chairman OP Srivastava. Sanjay Agarwal is whole-time director and CEO.
World’s smallest & cheapest private jet ‘Vision Jet’ launched in USA
The World’s smallest and cheapest private jet ‘Vision Jet’ was launched in the USA recently. The Vision Jet can haul five adults up to 1,150 miles at 28,000 feet. It is the first Private Jet with a single engine and can be conveniently operated by a single pilot, thus keeping production and maintenance costs low for the users. The jet can fly at a speed of 345mph and has an operating altitude of 28,000 feet.
Indian American Raja Chari among 12 new astronauts chosen by NASA
NASA has chosen 12 new astronauts, including an Indian American named Raja Chari, from a record number of over 18,000 applicants, who will be trained for missions into Earth orbit and to deep space. The 12 new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a NASA research pilot. Lt. Col. Raja Chari is the first Indian American after Kalpana Chawla to be chosen by NASA for one of its missions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This is the largest group NASA has selected in almost two decades. Lt Col Raja “Grinder” Chari, 39, is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Read more: Current Affairs June 2017 Study Material | FreeJobAlert.com http://currentaffairs.freejobalert.com/june-2017-current-affairs-study-material/23259/#ixzz5TiP0bHar
