DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Aug. 7, 2024

Dinesh Karthik Appointed SA20 League Ambassador

Tags: Person in news Sports News

Dinesh Karthik, an Indian commentator and former wicketkeeper, has been appointed as the league ambassador of South Africa's premier T20 cricket tournament, SA20 League, ahead of the 2025 edition.

An Overview of the News

• Karthik becomes the first Indian player to be associated with the SA20 League. 

• He has signed with Paarl Royals as an overseas player for the 2025 season.

Career and Retirement

• Retirement from Cricket: Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in June 2024.

• International Career: Karthik represented India in 26 Tests, 94 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 60 T20Is. He was also part of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Connection with Former Teammates

• Joining AB de Villiers: Karthik will join his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Daredevils teammate AB de Villiers as one of the league's ambassadors.

SA20 League Overview

• Tournament Background: The SA20 League, also known as Betway SA20 for sponsorship reasons, is organized by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and was first contested in 2023. The 3rd season is scheduled from 9th January to 8th February 2025.

• Franchise Teams: The tournament features six franchises: MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings (JSK), Durban SuperGiants (DSG), Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC). These teams are owned by the same entities that own Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.

Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera Assumes Charge as DG of Assam Rifles

Tags: Person in news

Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera assumed charge as the Director General (DG) of Assam Rifles on 1 August.

An Overview of the News

• Vikas will replace Lt Gen PC Nair, who retired after four decades of service.

Background of Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera:

• Commissioned into the 4 SIKH LI of the Indian Army on June 9, 1990.

• Extensive experience serving in the northeastern region.

• Educational Qualifications:

  • Postgraduate from Defence Service Staff College, Wellington.

  • Alumnus of the Higher Defence Management Course from the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad.

  • Completed the National Defence Course from the Royal College of Defence Studies, London.

  • Holds an MSc from Madras University, an MA from King's College, London, and a Masters in Management Studies from Osmania University.

• Previous Roles and Experience:

  • Held various command and staff appointments throughout his career.

  • Served as the Additional Director General Military Operations handling Information Warfare before taking over as DG of Assam Rifles.

  • Extensive experience in planning and executing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern region.

• Honors and Awards:

  • Recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

  • Awarded the Sena Medal.

  • Honored with the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card.

  • Received two Army Commander Commendation Cards.

About the Assam Rifles:

• Established in 1835 as "Cachar Levy"

• Known as "Friends of the North East People"

• Director-General: Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera

• Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya

Challa Sreenivasulu Setty Appointed Chairman of SBI

Tags: Person in news

Challa Sreenivasulu Setty has been appointed as Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI) for a three-year term.

An Overview of the News

• The term will start on or after August 28, 2024, and will last for three years or until further orders.

• Previous Role: Setty was previously the Managing Director at SBI, overseeing Global Markets & Technology.

• Recommendation: His appointment follows the recommendation by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) in June 2024.

Background:

• Setty holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB). 

• He joined SBI in 1988 as a Probationary Officer and has extensive experience in various banking sectors.

Current Chairman’s Retirement

• Incumbent Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara, the current Chairman of SBI, will retire on August 28, 2024, upon turning 63, which is the upper age limit for the position.

Appointment of Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh as SBI Managing Director

• New Managing Director: Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh has been appointed as Managing Director of SBI.

• Current Role: Singh is currently the Deputy Managing Director.

• Term Details: He will hold the post of Managing Director till June 30, 2027 or until further orders.

About State Bank of India:

• Origin: Began as the Bank of Calcutta in 1806, renamed Bank of Bengal in 1809. Followed by the Bank of Bombay (1840) and the Bank of Madras (1843).

• 1921: Merged to form the Imperial Bank of India.

• 1955: Nationalized and renamed State Bank of India (SBI) following the Gorwala Committee's recommendation.

• Current Status: SBI is the largest commercial bank in India.

  • Chairman: Challa Sreenivasulu Setty

  • Managing Director:  Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh

  • Headquarters: Mumbai

  • Tagline: "The Banker To Every Indian"

K. Kailashnathan Sworn in as 25th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry

Tags: Person in news State News

K. Kailashnathan took the oath as the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on August 7, 2024.

An Overview of the News

• The oath was administered by the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, D. Krishnakumar.

• Kailashnathan, a retired Gujarat cadre IAS officer, is the first full-time Lt. Governor of Puducherry since Kiran Bedi left in 2021.

• The event was held at Raj Nivas and was attended by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Speaker of the territorial assembly R. Selvam, and other officials.

• Kailashnathan was felicitated by the Acting Chief Justice, Chief Minister Rangasamy, and Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan.

About Puducherry

• Formation: July 1, 1963

• Capital: Pondicherry

• Chief Minister: N. Rangasamy

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav Announces New Peacock Sanctuaries in Kerala and Karnataka

Tags: State News

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), has declared Choolannuar in Kerala and Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka as Peacock Sanctuaries.

An Overview of the News

• Since 1963, the MoEF&CC has established breeding and conservation centers to safeguard peafowl, the National Bird of India.

Choolannuar Peacock Sanctuary(Kerala)

• Establishment: Established on March 14, 1996, as "Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary."

• Location: Located about 30 km from Palakkad town in Kerala, spreading over 500 hectares in Peringottukurisi Panchayat, Palakkad district, and Malesamangalam in Thrissur district.

• Renaming: Renamed in 2008 to honor K.K. Neelakantan, an Indian ornithologist.

• Local Name: Known locally as Mayiladumpara.

About Kerala

• Capital - Thiruvananthapuram

• Chief minister - Pinarayi Vijayan

• Governor- Arif Mohammed Khan

• Districts - 14

• Rajya Sabha    - 9 seats

• Lok Sabha - 20 seats

• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary

Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary (Karnataka)

• Establishment: Founded in 1981, catering to a large population of peafowl.

• Location: Situated in Mandya district's Nagamangala Taluk, Karnataka, about 115 km west of Bengaluru.

• Area: Covers approximately 88.4 hectares and is popular for trekking and mountain climbing.

• Proximity: Close to Chunchanagiri Temple, a renowned pilgrimage site.

About Karnataka

• Capital:- Bengaluru (Executive Branch)

• Chief minister:- Siddaramaiah

• Governor:- Thawar Chand Gehlot

• Bird:- Indian roller

• India's largest and third leopard safari has been launched at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), located 25 kilometers south of Bengaluru.

National Handloom Day - 7th August 2024

Tags: Important Days

The 10th National Handloom Day was celebrated on Wednesday, 7th August 2024.

An Overview of the News

• The event took place at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Hon’ble Vice President of India was the Chief Guest.

• Union Textiles Minister, Giriraj Singh, and Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, attended.

• Attendees included MPs, eminent personalities, designers, industry representatives, exporters, senior government officers, and over 1000 weavers from across the country.

Awards and Releases

• Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards were conferred to handloom weavers for their outstanding contributions to the handloom sector.

• The Award Catalogue was released by the Hon’ble Vice President of India.

• A Coffee Table Book titled “Parampara- Sustainability in Handloom Traditions of India” was also released by the Hon’ble Vice President of India.

Historical Significance

• Inception: National Handloom Day was first celebrated on 7th August 2015.

• Commemoration: The date marks the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7th August 1905, promoting indigenous industries, particularly handloom weavers.

Objectives

• Honouring Weavers: To recognize and motivate handloom weavers, fostering a sense of pride in the industry.

• Cultural and Economic Impact: To appreciate the contribution of the handloom sector to India's cultural, traditional, and economic landscape.

• Awareness Generation: To highlight the importance of the handloom sector in socio-economic development.

Nationwide Activities

• Social Media Campaign: Through My Gov portal with activities like pledge-taking, selfies, designing a souvenir, and a quiz contest.

• Exhibitions:

  • "Virasat" at Handloom Haat, New Delhi (3rd to 16th August) with thematic displays and live demonstrations.

  • Exclusive exhibition at Delhi Haat INA (1st to 15th August).

• Special Sourcing Show: (B2B) at Varanasi organized by Handloom Export Promotion Council (7th to 9th August).

• Educational Awareness:

  • "Know Your Weaves" event at Crafts Museum (1st to 14th August) with participation from approx. 10,000 students from schools across Delhi.

  • Handloom expos and awareness activities in colleges organized by Weaver Service Centres.

  • Thematic displays, weaving demonstrations, panel discussions, quizzes on handlooms, and fashion presentations by NIFT and IIHTs.

Some of the well known handlooms

• Tamil Nadu’s famous Kanchipuram sarees

• Paithani weaves of Maharashtra

• Muga Silk of Assam

• Mysore Silk of Karnataka