V. Satish Kumar takes additional charge as IOCL chairman
V. Satish Kumar, director (marketing) of Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL), took additional charge as chairman after Shrikant Madhav Vaidya completed his tenure as chairman of the state-run oil company.
SJVN conferred with Prestigious Navratna Status by Government of India
SJVN has been conferred with prestigious Navratna status by the Department of Public Enterprises, Government of India. This prestigious recognition, making the company the 25th Navratna of India, marks a momentous milestone in SJVN’s 36-year journey. Sh. Sushil Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi in witnessing this historical day. He expressed gratefulness for the continuous guidance and unwavering support of Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and Hon’ble Power Minister Sh. Manohar Lal. Sh. Sharma also extended special thanks to the Government of Himachal Pradesh for always assisting the company as an Equity Partner.
Dr. T. V. Somanathan takes over as the new Cabinet Secretary
Dr. T.V. Somanathan took over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India after the superannuation of Shri Rajiv Gauba. Dr. Somanathan is an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre (1987 batch). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Calcutta University. He has also completed the Executive Development Program of Harvard Business School, and is a fully qualified Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, and Company Secretary. Dr. Somanathan has held important assignments at the Centre as Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. He also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and was deputed as Director of Corporate Affairs at the World Bank in Washington DC. Before his joining as Cabinet Secretary, he was holding the charge of Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Expenditure.
Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) attains Navratna Status
Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been granted the Navratna status on 30th August 2024 by the Ministry of Finance. Completing its 13 years of incorporation, SECI is a leading CPSE dedicated to the development and expansion of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity in India with a cumulative generation awarded capacity of 69.25 GW and an annual power trading volume upwards of 42 Billion Units. SECI is the foremost Renewable Energy Implementing Agency (REIA) of India which is continuously working towards fulfilling climate goals and striving for sustainable development. The company has posted a consolidated annual turnover of Rs. 13,118.68 Crore registering an increase of 20.85% over the previous year and Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 510.92 Crore registering a growth of 34.89% in the Financial Year 2023-24. Classification as a Navratna CPSE enables SECI towards enhanced autonomy in financial and operational matters and will accelerate the company’s growth path through better agility, improved geographical presence, and technology focus. This is yet another marker of the Government’s focus on India’s transition towards sustainable energy.
NHPC Limited accorded with ‘Navratna’ company status
NHPC Limited has been accorded with the prestigious status of ‘Navratna’ company by the Government of India. As per the order issued by the Department of Public Enterprise (Ministry of Finance) on 30.08.2024, NHPC has been declared a ‘Navratna Company, thereby giving it greater operational and financial autonomy. The conferring of Navratna status brings forth key advantages to NHPC. It will enable faster decision-making, increase efficiency, and empower employees. It will support major CAPEX and investment plans, drive growth, expand market reach, and achieve long-term gains. NHPC will have enhanced powers to establish joint ventures and overseas offices, access new markets, and leverage local expertise. Additionally, it will foster innovation by furthering technological alliances and strengthening market positioning. It will also facilitate mergers and acquisitions leading to growth and increased market share.Currently, NHPC's total installed capacity is 7144.20 MW and the company is presently engaged in the construction of projects aggregating to 10442.70 MW. These include the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower project (Assam/ Arunachal Pradesh) and the 2880 MW Dibang Multi-purpose project (Arunachal Pradesh). At present, NHPC is working on more than 50000 MW capacity projects which are under various stages of development. NHPC is steadfastly working towards achieving an installed capacity of 23000 MW by 2032 and 50000 MW by 2047.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Avani Lekhara wins Gold, Mona Agarwal Bronze in 10m Air Rifle Standing
Avani Lekhara clinched the gold medal in a dramatic final to successfully defend her Tokyo title, while Mona Agarwal secured the bronze medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.
Manish Narwal win silver at Paris Paralympics
Manish Narwal earned his silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event, scoring 234.9 points. Despite facing challenges during the match and briefly dropping to sixth place, Narwal maintained his composure and finished strong, claiming the second spot in the final.
Indian economy records 6.7% growth in April-June quarter
The Indian economy expanded by 6.7% in real terms during the April-June quarter of the financial year 2024-25, as the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation reported on Friday. This growth rate is lower than the 7.1% forecast made by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). For the same period last year, India recorded an 8.2% growth rate. In terms of nominal GDP, the growth rate for the April-June quarter of 2024-25 was 9.7%, compared to 8.5% in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year.
Gautam Adani tops Hurun India Rich List with Rs 11.6 lakh crore
The Hurun India Rich List 2024, released, highlights notable shifts in the wealth rankings of India’s top business magnates, with Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani leading the way. Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group, secured the top spot on this year’s list, surpassing Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Adani’s wealth surged to approximately Rs 11.6 lakh crore, marking a 95% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, Ambani and his family hold the second position with a total wealth of Rs 10.1 lakh crore.
Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed BSF Director General
SSB chief Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed BSF Director General.
Rajwinder Singh Bhatti appointed CISF Director General
Rajwinder Singh Bhatti appointed Central Industrial Security Force(CISF) Director General
Jay Shah elected as ICC chairman
Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), set to assume the role on December 1, 2024. This marks a significant milestone for Shah, who has been serving as the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since October 2019 and as the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand’s youngest prime minister
Paetongtarn will become the youngest Thai prime minister and only the second woman to occupy the position, after her aunt Yingluck. She will also seek to beat another recurring theme for the Shinawatra family: The governments led by her father and aunt were toppled by the military in 2006 and 2014, respectively.
Shri Ashok Kumar Singh takes over the charge of Director General, ESIC
Shri Ashok Kumar Singh, IAS took over the charge of Director General of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt. of India at its Headquarters in New Delhi. Shri Ashok Kumar Singh is an IAS Officer of 1999 batch of Kerala cadre. Earlier, he has worked as a Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, Govt. of Kerala. He has got vast experience of governance and management of District and State level organisations.
70th National Film Awards
Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his performance in the blockbuster film ‘Kantara’ at the 70th National Film Awards. Set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, ‘Kantara’ follows Shetty’s character, a Kambala champion, as he clashes with an upright Forest Range officer. The film also won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award. In the Best Actress category, the honor was shared by Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh. Nithya was recognized for her powerful performance in the Tamil film ‘Thiruchitrambalam,’ while Manasi impressed audiences with her role in the Gujarati film ‘Kutch Express.’The Best Feature Film award was bestowed upon the Malayalam film ‘Aattam,’ directed by Anand Ekarshi. The film addresses the theme of sexual violence.
ISRO launches Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08
ISRO’s latest Earth Observation Satellite ‘EOS-08’ launched by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shriharikota. The primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites. Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter. The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.
Govt names Rajesh Kumar Singh as Defence Secy
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet announced a string of secretary-level appointments and named Rajesh Kumar Singh as the new Defence Secretary. Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, is currently Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. He will initially be appointed as Officer on Special Duty, at the Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence, and will take over as Defence Secretary from Aramane Giridhar upon completion of his tenure on October 31. The ACC has also approved an extension in service of Singh as Defence Secretary beyond the age of superannuation, for a period up to October 31, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumes charge as Indian Ambassador to US
Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumed charge as the Ambassador of India to the United States. Kwatra succeeds India’s former envoy to the United States, BJP leader Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Sripriya Ranganathan, Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., welcomed the new Ambassador to the US.
Nandini Sahakar Yojana
Nandini Sahakar Scheme by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is a women-focused framework of financial assistance, project formulation, hand-holding, and capacity development aimed at assisting women cooperatives to take up business model-based activities under the purview of NCDC. There is no minimum or maximum limit on financial assistance to projects by women cooperatives. Nandini Sahakar Scheme was launched to align itself with the principles of Atmanirbhar Bharat outlined by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The scheme is a framework of assistance to improve the socio-economic status of women. It supports the entrepreneurial dynamism of women through women's cooperatives. It converges critical inputs of women’s enterprises, business plan formulation, capacity development, credit and subsidy, and interest subvention of other schemes. NCDC funding is project-based. No Proposal has been received so far from any women cooperative in Bihar under Nandini Sahakar Scheme.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred with Fiji’s highest civilian award
President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with ‘The Order of Fiji’, the country’s highest civilian award, by Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere. The award was presented during President Murmu’s three-day state visit to Fiji, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the South Pacific nation. Upon her arrival in Suva, President Murmu was accorded a Guard of Honor by the Fiji Military Police, followed by a traditional welcome attended by Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. The warm reception extended to the streets, where hundreds of schoolchildren lined up to greet the visiting dignitary. During her visit, President Murmu met with both President Katonivere and Prime Minister Rabuka. The leaders engaged in wide-ranging discussions, reaffirming the mutual trust and strong commitment towards enhancing bilateral relations between India and Fiji. They also viewed a solarization project at the State House, completed by India as part of its development partnership with Fiji.
Govt approves appointment of Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as SBI Chairman
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) announced that it has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services to appoint Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as chairman of State Bank of India on or after August 28, 2024. Setty’s appointment will be for a period of three years. On July 3, The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), an autonomous body under the Centre, has recommended Setty, one of the managing directors of SBI, as the next Chairman of the bank.
India to host first BIMSTEC Business Summit in New Delhi from August 6-8
India is preparing to host the first-ever BIMSTEC Business Summit in New Delhi from August 6-8, marking a significant step towards fostering greater regional collaboration in the Bay of Bengal region. The Ministry of External Affairs, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), will organize this three-day event. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will inaugurate the summit, with Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal and other leaders scheduled to deliver keynote addresses. The event is expected to draw a diverse array of participants, including ministers from BIMSTEC member states responsible for trade, commerce, industry, and energy, along with high-ranking government officials, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and industry associations.
Moon crater named after national luminary Pasang Lhamu Sherpa
Lhamu Pasang Sherpa, the first Nepalese woman to summit Everest, now has a lunar crater named in her honor. Nepal celebrates the naming of a crater at the Moon’s South Pole in honor of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit Mt. Everest. The US Geological Survey, which maps extraterrestrial planets and the Moon, as well as topographic and hydrological features of Earth, has named a crater on the Moon’s South Pole after Sherpa. On April 22, 1993, Pasang Lhamu made mountaineering history by becoming the first Nepalese woman to successfully reach the summit of the world’s highest peak. Unfortunately, during the descent, the climbers encountered severe weather conditions. She died near the south summit of Mt. Everest. The Government of Nepal has honored her memory by declaring Pasang Lhamu a National Luminary. Jasamba Mountain (7,315m) in the Mahalangur Range has been renamed Pasang Lhamu Mountain, and the 117 km-long highway from Trishuli to Dhunche has been designated Pasang Lhamu Highway. Additionally, postage stamps have been issued in her name.
Ashma Kumari KC crowned Miss Nepal World 2024
Ashma Kumari KC was crowned Miss Nepal World 2024, beating out 25 other contestants in the 28th edition beauty pageant at the Godavari Sunrise Convention Center, Lalitpur. Miss Nepal World 2023, Srichchha Pradhan who will compete in Miss World 2024 later this year crowned Ashma Kumari KC who adorned a dazzling mauve-colored gown. Sumana KC and Karuna Rawat won the titles of Miss Nepal Earth and Miss Nepal International, respectively. Miss Nepal World Ashma Kumari KC also bagged other titles like the Face of the Year. Miss Nepal Earth Sumana KC secured the other two titles Beauty with a Purpose and Miss Hygiene. Ashma Kumari KC, aged 26, holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. In the final round of the competition, she gave a winning answer to a question about climate change.
Julien Alfred becomes fastest woman in the world
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred became the fastest woman on earth after winning the 100-meter race at the ongoing Paris Olympics. Alfred stunned pre-race favorite Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States, who claimed the second spot. Alfred clocked 10.72 seconds to claim gold in the rain-drenched race at the Stade de France’s running track. Meanwhile, Richardson had to settle for silver after clocking 10.87 seconds. USA’s Melissa Jefferson claimed bronze with a time of 10.92 seconds.
Novak Djokovic wins elusive Olympic gold
Novak Djokovic emerged victorious in the men’s tennis singles at the Paris Olympics 2024, clinching the gold medal. The 37-year-old Serbian defeated Carlos Alcaraz with scores of 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) in a gripping final at the Philippe-Chatrier court. This win makes Djokovic the oldest Olympic tennis champion, while Alcaraz, who had the chance of becoming the youngest Olympic tennis winner, fell short. With this historic achievement, Novak has become only the third male player, alongside Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi, to complete a Career Golden Slam.
IAF’s Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla picked as ‘Prime Astronaut’ for Indo-US Mission to Space Station
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected as the prime astronaut for the upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced. A joint statement signed between India and the US during the official state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2023 envisioned a joint ISRO-NASA effort to the ISS. Towards the goal of mounting a joint ISRO-NASA effort, the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) of ISRO has entered into a Space Flight Agreement (SFA) with NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc, USA for its upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, the Indian space agency said. A National Mission Assignment Board has recommended two Gaganyatris as prime and backup Mission Pilot for this mission. These include Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (Prime) and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Backup).
PM Modi inaugurates 32nd ICAE
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists(ICAE)and said that India is finding solutions for global food and nutrition security. The triennial conference, organised by the International Association of Agricultural Economists, will be held from August 2 to 7, 2024. The theme for this year’s conference is, “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems.”
It aims to tackle the pressing need for sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs and conflicts. The conference will highlight India’s proactive approach to global agricultural challenges and showcase the nation’s advancements in agricultural research and policy.
The ICAE 2024 will serve as a platform for young researchers and leading professionals to present their work and network with global peers. It aims to strengthen partnerships between research institutes and universities, influence policymaking on both national and global scales, and showcase India’s agricultural progress, including advancements in digital agriculture and sustainable agri-food systems. The conference will witness the participation of around 1,000 delegates from around 75 countries.
Swapnil Kusale wins bronze in men's 50m rifle
Swapnil Kusale won a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final, taking India's medal tally to three. He accumulated a total of 451. 4 points, while China's Yukun Liu, who won gold managed 453.7 when Swapnil was eliminated from the silver and gold medal contention. This is India's third medal in the ongoing edition of Paris Olympics, with all three coming in shooting.
Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair becomes first woman DG Medical Services (Army)
Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair assumed the office of Director General of Medical Services (Army), becoming the first woman to be appointed to this prestigious position. Prior to this, she was the first woman to hold the post of DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on promotion to the rank of Air Marshal. Lt Gen Nair graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune with a distinguished academic record and was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1985. She holds a Post Graduate degree in Family Medicine, Diplomas in Maternal & Child Health and Health Care Management, and has undergone a two-year training programme in Medical Informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi. She was trained in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and in Military Medical Ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez. She is also the first woman Principal Medical Officer of Western Air Command, and Training Command, Indian Air Force (IAF).
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