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By admin: July 15, 2024

Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Gold Medal at International Sand Sculpture Championship

Tags: Sports Awards

Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won the Golden Sand Master Award and a gold medal at the International Sand Sculpture Championship/Festival.

An Overview of the News

• The championship was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, from July 4 to July 12.

• Twenty-one master sand sculptors from around the world participated in the event.

• The theme for the championship was “History, Mythology, and Fairy Tales.”

• Sudarsan Pattnaik was the only participant from India.

Winning Sculpture

• Pattnaik created a 12-foot-high sand sculpture of Mahaprabhu Jagannath's chariot, accompanied by his devotee and poet Balaram Das.

• Balaram Das, the author of Dandi Ramayan and a great devotee of Lord Jagannath in the 14th century, was known for his devotion.

Historical and Cultural Significance

• According to legend, Balaram Das once tried to climb the chariot of Lord Jagannath during the Ratha Yatra but was not allowed by the priests.

• In response, he carved statues of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra on the beach and worshiped them.

• The devotion of Balaram Das was so profound that the original statues vanished from the chariot and appeared at the place where he was worshiping.

Recognition and Past Achievements

• Sudarsan Pattnaik was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 2014 for his contribution to sand art.

• He received the People’s Choice Award at the Sand Sculpting World Cup 2014 in Atlantic City, US.

• In 2019, he became the first Indian to win the Italian Sand Art Award at the International Scorrano Sand Nativity event held in Lecce, Italy from November 13 to 17.

India Clinches World Championship of Legends Title

Tags: Sports

India won the World Championship of Legends by defeating Pakistan.

An Overview of the News

• Pakistan scored 156 runs for 6 wickets in their innings.

• India successfully chased the target of 157 runs with 5 balls remaining.

• Ambati Rayudu top-scored for India with 50 runs.

• Yusuf Pathan contributed 30 runs to India's successful chase.

World Championship of Legends

• The World Championship of Legends is a Twenty20 cricket tournament.

• It is also known as the EaseMyTrip World Championship of Legends due to sponsorship reasons.

• The tournament features retired international cricketers from various nations.

• It was approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

• The first edition of the tournament will be held in 2024.

Vikram Misri Appointed India's Foreign Secretary

Tags: Person in news

Vikram Misri assumed charge as India's new Foreign Secretary, succeeding Vinay Kwatra.

An Overview of the News

• Misri is a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer with extensive diplomatic experience.

• Misri previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor and played a crucial role in India-China relations post the Galwan Valley clashes.

• He served as India's ambassador to China from 2019 to 2021, navigating challenging bilateral relations.

• Misri has also held ambassadorial positions in Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018).

• His diplomatic career includes assignments in Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka.

Notable Roles and Achievements:

• Misri has the rare distinction of having served as private secretary to three Indian Prime Ministers.

• He is regarded as an expert on China, contributing significantly to India's diplomatic strategies.

• Misri's tenure as ambassador to China was marked by efforts to manage and improve bilateral ties amidst tensions.

• He has navigated diverse foreign policy challenges in various diplomatic postings across the globe.

• Known for his diplomatic acumen and strategic insights, Misri brings a wealth of experience to his new role as Foreign Secretary.

Argentina Claims Second Consecutive Copa America Championship

Tags: Sports

Argentina clinched their second consecutive Copa America Championship with a 1-0 victory over Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

An Overview of the News

• Lautaro Martínez scored the decisive goal in the second half of extra time, assisted by Giovani Lo Celso.

• This win secured Argentina's record 16th Copa America title and ended Colombia's 28-game unbeaten streak dating back to February 2022.

Copa America Championship

• Name: CONMEBOL Copa América, formerly known as the South American Football Championship.

• Founded: 1916.

• Purpose: Top men's football tournament among South American national teams.

• Champions: Argentina (16 titles, most successful team).

• Invitations: Since the 1990s, teams from North America and Asia also participated.

Spain Clinches Record 4th Euro Championship Title

Tags: Sports

Spain won its record fourth European soccer championship by defeating England 2-1 in the finals of Euro 2024 in Berlin.

An Overview of the News

• Nico Williams scored the first goal for Spain less than two minutes into the second half after a scoreless opening.

• England's Cole Palmer tied the game in the 73rd minute.

• Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winning goal for Spain in the 86th minute.

• This marks England’s second consecutive runner-up finish, having lost to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

• England has never won a European championship, with its last major international tournament win being the 1966 World Cup.

UEFA European Football Championship

• The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship, known as the Euros, is organized by UEFA.

• It features senior men's national teams from UEFA member countries.

• Held every four years since 1960 (except for 2020, postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19).

• Second most-watched football tournament globally after the FIFA World Cup.

• Originally named the European Nations' Cup, it rebranded to UEFA Euro in 1968.

• Spain holds the record with 4 titles, making them the most successful team.

About Spain

• King - Felipe VI of Spain

• Prime Minister - Pedro Sánchez

• Capital - Madrid

• Official language - Spanish

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz Triumphs in Wimbledon Men's Singles Final

Tags: Sports

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the Men’s Singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.

An Overview of the News

• Alcaraz dominated the first two sets with scores of 6-2 each, while Djokovic made a comeback in the third set.

• Despite Djokovic's efforts, Alcaraz secured the third set and the championship.

• This was Alcaraz’s second appearance in a Wimbledon final, while Djokovic is a seven-time champion of the tournament.

About Carlos Alcaraz's Achievements:

• Made ATP main-draw debut at 16 at the 2020 Rio Open.

• Became youngest man in professional era to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals in 2021.

• First teenager to beat Nadal and Djokovic consecutively, winning 2022 Madrid Open.

• Won first major title at 2022 U.S. Open, youngest champion at Flushing Meadows since 1990.

• Became youngest world number one in ATP rankings history at 19 years, four months, and six days.

• Won nine titles as a teenager, behind only Borg, Nadal, Wilander, Becker, and Agassi.

• Defeated Djokovic to win 2023 Wimbledon, first man outside 'Big Four' to win since 2002.

• Won 2024 French Open, becoming youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on hard, grass, and clay.

• Beat Djokovic again at 2024 Wimbledon, with a Grand Slam final win-loss record of 4-0.

• Became sixth man in professional era to win French Open-Wimbledon double in the same year.

Mixed Doubles final

• In the Mixed Doubles final, theseventh-seeded pair Jan Zieliński from Poland and Hsieh Su-Wei from Taiwan won their second Grand Slam title of the season.

• They defeated the Mexican duo Giuliana Olmos and Santiago Gonzalez in straight sets, with a score of 6-4, 6-2.

About Wimbledon

• The Wimbledon Championships, commonly called Wimbledon, is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

• Held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877.

• Played on outdoor grass courts with retractable roofs over the two main courts since 2019.

• The 2024 edition marks the 137th tournament.

Wimbledon Championships 

Amit Shah Inaugurates Prime Minister College of Excellence in MP

Tags: State News

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Prime Minister College of Excellence in all 55 districts of Madhya Pradesh. The inauguration took place from Indore on 14 July.

An Overview of the News

• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav participated in the program.

• The initiative aims to provide excellent and high-quality education to students across MadhyaPradesh.

Highlights from Amit Shah's Speech

• Emphasis on the new education policy equipping Indian students to compete globally for the next 25 years.

• Reconnection of students with India's rich cultural heritage and languages.

Implementation and Impact

• Madhya Pradesh is the first state to implement the new education policy.

• Initiation of medical and engineering studies in Hindi to benefit economically disadvantaged children.

About Madhya Pradesh

• In terms of area, it is the second largest state of India after Rajasthan.

• According to the Indian Forest Status Report-2021, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover in the country in terms of area.

• 25.14% of its area is covered by forests.

• National Parks - Panna National Park, Pench National Park

• Wildlife Sanctuaries - Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary, Ghatigaon wildlife sanctuary

  • Chief Minister - Dr. Mohan Yadav

  • Governor - Mangubhai C. Patel

  • Capital - Bhopal

KP Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal PM

Tags: Person in news International News

KP Sharma Oli took oath as Nepal PM on 14 July.

An Overview of the News

• The swearing-in ceremony took place at Shital Niwas, the main building of Rashtrapati Bhavan in Kathmandu at 10:45 am IST.

• A group of ministers were also inducted into the Cabinet along with Oli.

• Oli was appointed PM for the third time to lead the new coalition government.

• He will replace Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, who lost the trust vote in the House of Representatives on 12 July.

• Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel appointed Oli from the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML)-Nepali Congress (NC) alliance as the new PM.

• Oli presented the signatures of 165 members of the House of Representatives - 77 of which were from his party and 88 from the NC.

About Nepal

• The kingdom of Nepal was established by the Shah dynasty.

• It is a landlocked country in South Asia.

• President - Ram Chandra Paudel

• Capital - Kathmandu

• Currency - Nepalese Rupee