DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: May 21, 2024

ITC's Sanjeev Puri takes over as CII chairman for 2024-25

Tags: Person in news

ITC Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Sanjeev Puri has assumed the post of CII Chairman for 2024-25, succeeding R Dinesh, Chairman, TVS Supply Chain Solutions.

An Overview of the News

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held a meeting on May 19, 2024, to elect new office bearers for the year 2024-25.

About Sanjeev Puri:

• Sanjeev Puri holds several key positions within ITC Limited, including Chairman of ITC Infotech India Limited and its subsidiaries in the UK and USA, as well as Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

• Under his leadership, ITC has launched the 'ITC Next' vision, which aims to transform the group into a future-tech, climate-positive, innovative and inclusive enterprise.

• Sanjeev Puri has been honored with several awards, including the 'Best CEO Award' by Business Today in 2024 and the 'Transformational Leader Award 2022-23' by the Asian Center for Corporate Governance and Sustainability.

Rajeev Memani appointed as Chairman Designate of CII

• He serves as Chairman of the India Region of Ernst & Young (EY) and is a member of EY's global management body, leading the Global Emerging Markets Committee.

• Rajeev Memani is recognized as a trusted advisor to large Indian companies, private equity funds and multinational organizations, providing guidance on various aspects such as trust building, mergers and acquisitions, technology and smart capital allocation strategies.

R Mukundan appointed as CII Vice Chairman

• He is the Managing Director and CEO of Tata Chemicals Limited and holds the status of a distinguished alumnus from IIT Roorkee and Harvard Business School.

• With 33 years of experience within the Tata Group, R Mukundan has held various leadership positions in the chemicals, automotive and hospitality sectors, and has made significant contributions to the industry. He actively participates in industry forums and impact organizations.

About CII

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a prominent business lobby group in India, established in 1895 as the Engineering and Iron Trades Association in Bengal.

• It was known as the Confederation of Engineering Industry (CEI) until 1992 when it adopted its current name.

• CII is headquartered in New Delhi and advocates for business-friendly policies by engaging with the government.

• Other key business lobby groups in India include ASSOCHAM, FICCI, and NASSCOM.

• ASSOCHAM's President is Sanjay Nayar, FICCI's President for 2023-2024 is Dr. Anish Shah, and NASSCOM's President since 2018 is Debjani Gosh.

National Anti-Terrorism Day - 21 May

Tags: Important Days

Annually commemorated on May 21, National Anti-Terrorism Day in India serves to heighten awareness regarding the perils posed by terrorism.

An Overview of the News

• Devoted to emphasizing the significance of solidarity in confronting this widespread threat.

• Aimed at fostering a greater understanding of the detrimental effects of terrorism on society and promoting collective action against it.

Background to Anti-Terrorism Day:

• Instituted in India on May 21 to commemorate the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber in 1991.

• This day was established after the 1991 elections by P.V. Narasimha Rao led Congress government.

• Its purpose was to pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi and educate the public about the consequences of terrorist activities.

• National Anti-Terrorism Day was celebrated for the first time on 21 May 1992.

About Rajiv Gandhi:

• Sixth Prime Minister of India (1984-1989), taking office at the age of 40 following the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi.

• Achieved a historic victory in the 1984 elections, with the Congress party securing over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha.

• Pioneered the introduction of computers in Indian schools, laying the groundwork for the country's IT prowess.

India-Sri Lanka Peace Accord:

• Signed in 1987 between Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Jaywardene to address the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

• Aimed to end the civil war between Sri Lanka's Tamil minority and Sinhala majority, with the LTTE seeking an independent Tamil state.

• The agreement required the LTTE to disarm in exchange for substantial autonomy for Tamil regions, overseen by Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

• LTTE's refusal to disarm led to clashes with the IPKF, culminating in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991.

Deepthi Jeevanji Shatters World Record, Secures Gold at World Para Athletics Championships

Tags: Sports

Deepthi Jeevanji, aged 20, clinched her maiden gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan.

An Overview of the News

• She shattered the world record in the women's 400m T20 event with a remarkable time of 55.07 seconds.

• This achievement surpasses the previous record set by American Breanna Clark during last year's championships in Paris.

• The T20 category is designated for athletes with intellectual impairments.

• Deepthi's stellar performance secured India's first gold medal in this edition of the championships.

Other Medalist :

• Turkey's Aysel Onder claimed the silver medal with a time of 55.19 seconds.

• Lizanshela Angulo of Ecuador clinched the bronze with a timing of 56.68 seconds.

Additional Triumphs:

• Yogesh Kathuniya achieved a season's best mark of 41.80 meters, earning silver in the Men’s Discus Throw F56 Final.

• Preethi Pal secured a bronze medal in the Women’s 200m T35 final.

• Nishad Kumar grabbed silver in Men’s High Jump T47 with a season-best jump of 1.99 meters.

World Para Athletics Championship:

• The 11th World Para Athletics Championship is underway in Kobe, Japan, spanning from May 17 to May 25, 2024.

• More than a thousand athletes from over one hundred nations are participating, contesting in 168 medal events, consisting of 92 male, 75 female, and one mixed event.

• The championship is hosted at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium.

• This marks the inaugural occasion of the World Para Athletics Championships taking place in East Asia.

• Notably, this is the third instance of the World Para Athletics Championships occurring in Asia, with previous editions held in Doha, Qatar, in 2015, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2019.

Important Point:At the 10th World Para Athletics Championships in 2023, hosted in Paris, France, India secured an impressive tally of 10 medals, comprising three gold, four silver, and three bronze medals, setting a new record for their achievements.

Nikhat Zareen and Minakshi Secure Gold as India Wraps Up Elorda Cup 2024 with 12 Medals

Tags: Sports

Two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen won gold in the women’s 52kg category at the Elorda Cup 2024 by defeating Zhazira Urakbayeva of Kazakhstan with a unanimous decision (5-0).

An Overview of the News

• India finished the Elorda Cup 2024 campaign with 12 medals in total, held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

• Medals tally: 2 gold, 2 silver,and 8 bronze.

Gold medals:

• Nikhat Zareen (52kg)

• Minakshi (48kg) defeated Uzbekistan’s Rahmonova Saidahon (4-1) to win India’s first gold medal in the women’s 48kg final.

Silver medals:

• Anamika (50kg) lost to China’s Wu Yu (1-4).

• Manisha (60kg) lost to Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeeva (0-5).

Bronze medals (men):

• Yaiphaba Singh Soibam (48kg)

• Abhishek Yadav (67kg)

• Vishal (86kg)

• Gaurav Chauhan (92+kg)

Bronze medals (women):

• Sonu (63kg)

• Manju Bamboriya (66kg)

• Shalakha Singh Sansanwal (70kg)

• Monika (81+kg)

About Elorda Cup

• It is an international boxing tournament organized by the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the city of Astana and the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation.

• The inaugural edition of the Elorda Cup was scheduled to be held in 2022, featuring Uzbekistan, India, Japan, Cubaand Kyrgyzstan.

• The second edition took place in 2023with the participation of Bahrain, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistanand Uzbekistan.

• The third edition of the Elorda Cup took place fromMay 12 to 19, 2024.

• Countries participating in the third edition included Kazakhstan, China, India, Japan, Uzbekistan, Iranand Tajikistan.