S. Phangnon Konyak becomes first woman member from Nagaland to Preside over Rajya Sabha
Marking a significant moment in history, the first woman member from Nagaland in the Rajya Sabha, Smt. Phangnon Konyak presided over the House. Earlier she had created history by becoming the first ever women member to be appointed to the panel of Vice- Vice-Chairpersons on July 17, 2023. In a remarkable move to bring about gender equality, the Chairman, of Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar last week nominated four women members (50% of the total number) to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
It is also noteworthy that all women members nominated (Smt. P.T. Usha, Smt. S. Phangnon Konyak, Dr. Fauzia Khan, Smt. Sulata Deo) to the panel are first-term Parliamentarians. The panel reconstituted before the Monsoon Session contains a total of eight names, out of which half are women. This is the first time in the history of the Upper House that equal representation has been given to women members in the panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
New Chief Justice appointed in Andhra Pradesh and Bombay High Court
Vide Notifications of even number dated 24.07.2023, in exercise of power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the following High Court Judges as Chief Justices of High Courts:-
India's First Under Water Metro Train Run in Kolkata
Kolkata MetiVhas achieved a significant milestone as it became the first metro rail in India to complete an under-river journey. The metro rakes passed through an underwater tunnel beneath the Hooghly River, with the general manager, P. Uday Kumar Reddy, traveling from Mahakaran to Howrah Maidan station in rake No. MR-612. Senior officers, including the Addi¬tional General Manager and MD of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.(KMRCL), H. N.Jaiswal, also accompanied him during the historic journey. After reaching the Howrah station, Reddy performed a puja, and rake No MR-613 was also taken to the Howrah Maidan station.
Ms. Nivruti Rai appointed as Managing Director & CEO of Invest India
Ms. Nivruti Rai joined as the Managing Director & CEO of Invest India on July 12, 2023. She has taken over the charge from Ms. Manmeet K Nanda, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), who assumed this additional charge of MD & CEO ad-interim in March 2023. Ms. Rai is the recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar for her remarkable contributions in the field of technology. Ms. Nivruti Rai joins Invest India after an illustrious 29 years at Intel as a global business and technology leader. She led Intel India as Country Head for the past seven years driving growth and investment of Intel in India. During her tenure at Intel India, she contributed significantly towards indigenous technology development, start-up ecosystem, electronics manufacturing ecosystem, and policy formulation, especially in critical and emerging technologies. She has been part of the leadership team in various industrial bodies and government committees and brings a wealth of experience in working closely with industry associations, business leaders, and government leaders.
DG Rakesh Pal appointed as 25th Director General of Indian Coast Guard
DG Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). He is an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy and joined the Indian Coast Guard in January 1989. He has undergone professional specialization in Gunnery & Weapons Systems at Indian Naval School Dronacharya, Kochi, and an Electro-Optics Fire Control Solution course from the United Kingdom. The Officer holds the recognition of being the First Gunner of ICG. In his distinguished career spanning over 34 years, the flag officer has held several key appointments, prominent among them are Commander of Coast Guard Region (North West), Gandhinagar, Deputy Director General (Policy & Plans), and Additional Director General Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi. Besides, he has held various prestigious staff assignments viz. Director (Infra & Works) and Principal Director (Administration) at Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi. He has vast sea experience and commanded all classes of ICG ships namely; ICGS Samarth, ICGS Vijit, ICGS Sucheta Kriplani, ICGS Ahalyabai, and ICGS C-03. The Officer has also Commanded two Coast Guard bases of the forward area in Gujarat - Okha & Vadinar.
PM inaugurates New Integrated Terminal Building of Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the New Integrated Terminal Building of Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair via video conferencing. With a construction cost of around Rs 710 crores, the new terminal building is capable of handling about 50 lakh passengers annually.
3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
The Third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Indian Presidency was held from 17-18 July 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The meeting was jointly chaired by the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, and Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Shri Shaktikanta Das. Over 500 delegates, including Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from G20 member countries, Invitee Countries, and Heads of various International Organisations (IOs) participated in the meeting. The FMCBG meeting was preceded by the Third G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting during 14-15 July 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Under the Indian Presidency’s theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, G20 Ministers and Governors pledged to prioritise the well-being of the people and the planet and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing international economic cooperation, strengthening global development for all and steering the global economy towards strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth (SSBIG). The meeting was organised in five thematic sessions covering Global Economy and Global Health, Sustainable Finance and Infrastructure, International Financial Architecture, International Taxation, and Financial Sector & Financial Inclusion.
NTPC Wins ET HR World Future Skills Awards 2023
NTPC has received the prestigious Economic Times (ET) HR World Future Skills Awards 2023 for “Best use of AI/AR/VR in Learning and Upskilling" and “Best Advance in Creating an Extended Enterprise Learning Programme”. Director (HR), NTPC, Shri Dillip Kumar Patel received the awards on behalf of NTPC at a programme held in Gurugram on 13th July, 2023. These awards bear testimony to NTPC’s focus on the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality (VR) in Learning and Development (L&D). They reflect NTPC’s commitment to develop the competency level of its employees as well as outsourced workers through L&D initiatives such as iGuru which includes training based on Virtual Reality (VR). In addition, NTPC has also introduced several other innovative training initiatives such as GPiLearn, FutureSkills courses, and Samarth modules. NTPC has been adopting and institutionalising progressive and best HR practices, which has been recognised by various prestigious fora at national and international levels.
DAC approves proposals for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft from France
A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on July 13, 2023. The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training, and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French Government based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA). The price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French Government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries. Further, the integration of Indian-designed equipment and establishment of a Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) Hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.
The DAC also granted the AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The procurement of additional submarines, with higher indigenous content, will not only help in maintaining the required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy but also create significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. It will also help the MDL in further enhancing its capability and expertise in submarine construction. In addition, the DAC approved the proposal to lay down guidelines for achieving the desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases. It will help in achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in critical manufacturing technologies and the life-cycle sustenance of defense platforms/equipment through indigenous manufacturing.
Ajit Agarkar appointed chief selector
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Ajit Agarkar as chairman of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee. The other members of the senior selection committee are Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, Sridharan Sharath and Shiv Sundar Das, who filled in as interim chairperson after Sharma stepped down.
Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23)
The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) hosted by the Indian Navy, is being conducted at/ off Visakhapatnam from 05 -10 July 2023. This edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012. Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) units under the command of RAdm Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander Escort Flotilla One, and Indian Naval ships under the command of RAdm Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet are participating in the exercise. JIMEX 23 will witness the participation of INS Delhi, India's first indigenously built Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft. JMSDF will be represented by the guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters. The exercise will be conducted over six days in two phases - a Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam comprising professional, sports, and social interactions, after which, the two navies will jointly hone their warfighting skills at sea and enhance their interoperability through complex multi-discipline operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains.
India lift the SAFF Championship 2023 by defeating Kuwait
India lift the SAFF Championship 2023 by defeating Kuwait which was held at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Indian captain Sunil Chhetri won the Golden Boot award of the SAFF Championship 2023. He scored five goals in the 2023 edition.
Olympian Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League 2023
Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra obtained the top spot in Lausanne Diamond League 2023 with a best throw of 87.66 m. The star Indian player is returning from a muscle injury he sustained during training.
Egypt presents 'Order of Nile Award', its highest state honor, to PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the highest Egyptian state honour 'Order of the Nile' award. The 'Order of the Nile' is conferred upon Heads of State, Crown Princes, and Vice-Presidents who have offered Egypt or humanity invaluable services since 1915. This is the 13th such highest state honour that various countries have conferred upon PM Narendra Modi. The 'Order of the Nile' is composed of a pure gold collar consisting of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols.
UNDP partners with DAY-NULM towards empowering women entrepreneurs
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) entered into a collaborative partnership aimed at empowering women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship. The partnership will provide support for women looking to start and expand their own enterprises, particularly in sectors such as the care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging, and more. Focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project, extendable beyond 2025, will cover eight cities in the initial phase.
Senior IAS officer Amit Agrawal assumes charge as CEO of UIDAI
Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Shri Amit Agrawal assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Monday. He is an officer of the 1993 batch IAS from the Chhattisgarh cadre.
IPS Officer Ravi Sinha appointed as new RAW Chief
Senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha was on Monday appointed the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency RAW. The 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre is currently serving as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Sinha’s appointment as Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for a tenure of two years.
Bhavani Devi scripts history, wins India's first ever medal at Asian Fencing Championships
India's top fencer Bhavani Devi on Monday scripted history as she secured a bronze medal in the women's sabre event at the Asian Fencing Championships. This remarkable achievement marked India's first medal at the continental meet. Bhavani defeated the reigning world champion and world No.1 Misaki Emura of Japan 15-10 in the quarterfinals of the women's sabre event. It was also the Indian's first win over the Japanese in four meetings.
Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 is being conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur.Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India in 1995, on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed, or gender. The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. The past awardees include organizations such as ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India and Sulabh International, New Delhi. It has also been awarded to luminaries like Late Dr. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, Dr. Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka, Dr. Gerhard Fischer, Federal Republic of Germany, Baba Amte, Dr. John Hume, Ireland, Mr. Vaclav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Shri Yohei Sasakawa, Japan. Recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020), Bangladesh.
India Emerges Champion of Intercontinental Cup 2023
India clinched the Intercontinental Cup 2023, a coveted football title, beating Lebanon 2-0 in the final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was India's first win over Lebanon in 47 years. Indian captain Sunil Chhetri gave the hosts 1-0 lead in the first minute of the second half of the summit clash. Indian forward Lallianzuala Chhangte scored in the 66th minute and doubled India's lead.
NTPC climbs up 52 positions to 433rd rank in Forbes’ “The Global 2000” List of top companies
NTPC Limited, India's largest power generation company, has climbed 52 positions to secure the 433rd rank in Forbes' “The Global 2000” List for 2023. Rising from 485th rank in the list in the year 2022, the climb of 52 positions in just one year demonstrates NTPC's emergence as a strong force in the global market. It is evidence of the company's steady expansion, sound financial condition, and persistent dedication to excellence. “The Global 2000” List recognizes the world's largest companies based on four key metrics: sales, profits, assets, and market value. Considering Indian companies, NTPC has climbed up one place to secure the 10th rank among the largest Indian companies in the 2023 List. This ranking further solidifies NTPC's status as a leading player in India's corporate sector.
Successful conclusion of the 1st Meeting of the Joint Committee of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
India and UAE successfully held the 1st Meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) of the India-UAE CEPA. During the JC, both sides, inter-alia, reviewed the bilateral trade under the CEPA, agreed to operationalize the established committees/sub-committees/technical council under the CEPA, agreed on the mutual exchange of preferential trade data on a quarterly basis for effective monitoring of the CEPA, discussed various matters related to the implementation of the Agreement and agreed on addressing any issue that may potentially act as a hindrance to CEPA implementation or its usage by businesses on both sides, agreed on the creation of a new sub-committee on Trade in Services, and also agreed to set-up a UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) as a B2B collaboration mechanism, with a focus on MSMEs and start-ups, for building greater economic linkages and optimizing CEPA benefits. Both sides also exchanged views on WTO matters. The 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO (MC13) is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the week of 26 February 2024. A high-level delegation from the UAE, comprising senior officials of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and representatives from the business community of the UAE, led by H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE, visited India on 11-12 June 2023. The agreed minutes of the 1st Meeting of the Joint Committee of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement were signed between the two sides in the presence of the Ministers.
India Wins Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023
Indian women defeated the Republic of Korea 2-1 in a closely-fought final in Kakamigahara, Japan to clinch its maiden Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023. For India, Annu and Neelam scored goals in the final while Seoyeon Park scored the solitary goal for Korea in the summit clash. India secured a spot in the FIH Women's Junior World Cup 2023 in Chile by reaching the final in Japan. Host Japan beat China 2-1 to become the third team to qualify for the World Cup scheduled this year.
French Open 2023; Djokovic and Iga Swiatek Win Singles Titles
French Open 2023, the second tennis Grand Slam event of the year was organised in May and June this year at Roland-Garros in France. Serbia's Novak Djokovic emerged champion of the French Open 2023 Men's Singles title as he prevailed over Casper Ruud from Norway 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-5 in the final at the iconic Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris.
Top seed Iga Swiatek from Poland clinched the French Open 2023 Women's Singles title, beating Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a thrilling final in Paris. By defending her French Open title this year, Swiatek became the first woman since 2007 to win back-to-back French Open titles. It was her third French Open and fourth Grand Slam overall.
Australia Wins ICC World Test Championship 2023 Title; India Finishes Runner-up for Second Consecutive Time
Australia emerged as champion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 as it trounced India by 209 runs on the fifth day of the final at the Oval in London. Australia scored a mammoth 469 runs in its first innings with great knocks from Travis Head (163 runs) and Steve Smith (121 runs). In reply, India scored only 296 runs and Australia took a strong lead of 173 runs. Australia scored 270 runs at the cost of 8 wickets in its second innings and declared its second innings. Thus Australia set 444 runs target for India to win the Test and the ICC World Test Championship 2023. In reply Indian batting collapsed miserably without showing any resistance on just 234 runs and Australia won the Test and the trophy by 209 runs.
Uruguay Wins FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2023
Uruguay emerged champion of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2023 as it prevailed over Italy 1-0 in the final at the Diego Maradona Stadium in La Plata, Argentina, ending a run of four consecutive title triumphs for European teams in the tournament. Luciano Rodriguez scored the only decisive goal in the final for Uruguay to help the South American team secure its first FIFA Under-20 Football World Cup.
Manchester City Wins UEFA Champions League 2022-23 Title
Manchester City emerged as champion of the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 title, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. With the first UEFA Champions League title victory, Manchester City completed the prestigious treble as it had already won the Premier League and the FA Cup titles This season. Spanish midfielder Rodri's 68th-minute goal helped Manchester City lift the coveted trophy of the European football. In being crowned champions of Europe, the City matched the treble achieved by Manchester United, another British club, in 1999 of lifting the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League crowns in the same season.
Kerala Ranks First in the 5th Food Safety Index Among Larger States; Goa Emerges on Top Among Smaller States
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled the fifth State Food Safety Index 2022-23 on World Food Safety Day on June 7, 2023. Kerala emerged on top of the 5th Food Safety Index 2022-23 among larger states of India, replacing Tamil Nadu which has slipped to third position this year. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the state for the achievement. Mr. Vijayan said that the 'historic achievement' by the state was a result of the various initiatives such as the food safety gram panchayat scheme implemented in 140 panchayats and the Safe and Nutritious Food at School project carried out in 500 schools. The award with a trophy and plaque was presented to Kerala by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya and was accepted on behalf of Kerala by Food Safety Commissioner V.R. Vinod.
Punjab and Tamil Nadu secured second and third positions on the Index in terms of food safety respectively among larger states. Among smaller states, Goa stood first for the fourth time in a row. It was followed by Manipur and Sikkim. In 2022, these three states were in the same position. Among Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and Chandigarh secured first, second, and third ranks. This is the third time, Jammu & Kashmir has secured first position. In 2022 too, the three UTs had secured the same positions
‘Agni Prime’ ballistic missile successfully flight-tested by DRDO off Odisha coast
New Generation Ballistic Missile ‘Agni Prime’ was successfully flight-tested by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. During the flight test, all objectives were successfully demonstrated. This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile, validating the accuracy and reliability of the system. Range Instrumentation like Radar, Telemetry, and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems was deployed at different locations, including two down-range ships, at the terminal point to capture flight data covering the entire trajectory of the vehicle. Senior officials from DRDO and Strategic Forces Command witnessed the successful flight test, which has paved the way for induction of the system into the Armed Forces.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal flags off India’s First International Cruise Vessel from Chennai to Sri Lanka
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the maiden International Cruise Vessel - MV Empress, India’s first international cruise vessel - from Chennai to Sri Lanka in Chennai today. This marks the beginning of the international cruise tourism terminal at Chennai, built at a cost of ?17.21 crores, heralding a new age of cruise tourism & maritime trade in the country. Coinciding on the occasion of Environment Day, the Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal along with the port officials also planted 2500 tree saplings at the port.
Fashion design is a dynamic and creative field that offers innovative career openings for those with a passion for style, creativity, and invention. This composition will explore the colorful job prospects in the fashion design assiduity, the original hires one can anticipate, and punctuate some o →
Foundation Date: December 8, 1991 Headquarters: The Republic of Belarus Executive Secretaries: Sergei Lebedev Member Countries: 12 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was established on December 8, 1991, and the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine signed an a →
In 2009, an unknown programmer by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto put forward a whitepaper that proposed a creation of new form of digital currency - cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency functions the same way as regular currencies do in that its used as a means of exchange, unit of account and a store of va →
Headquarter: New Delhi Function and Objective of the Organization: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries →
If you contribute your content to our site. Please mail us your content to editor@onlinegk.net