1. Anshuman Jhingran: Youngest person to cross the North Channel
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Anshuman Jhingran, an 18-year-old open water swimmer from Navi Mumbai, achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the youngest person to cross the North Channel.
An Overview of the News
The North Channel is a challenging strait located between the northeast coast of Northern Ireland and the southwest coast of Scotland, which serves as the end of the Irish Sea and flows northwest into the Atlantic Ocean.
Anshuman accomplished this incredible feat in just 125 days, earning him a place in the prestigious Guinness World Records.
His successful crossing was the 114th of its kind since 1947, showing the difficulty of swimming the North Channel.
First Indian to swim across the English Channel: Mihir Sen
Mihir Sen has the distinction of being the first Indian to successfully swim across the English Channel, completing the challenging Dover to Calais route.
He achieved this impressive feat in a remarkable time of 14 hours and 45 minutes, earning him the fourth best time for this gruelling endeavour.
Additionally, Mihir Sen holds the unique and extraordinary record of being the only person to swim across the oceans of all five continents within a single year, which shows his unparalleled dedication to open water swimming.
First Indian to cross the North Channel: Elvis Ali Hazarika
Prior to Anshuman Jhingran's achievement, Elvis Ali Hazarika was the first Indian to successfully cross the North Channel, adding to India's legacy in the world of open water swimming.
Origin of the Ocean Seven Challenge
The Ocean Seven Challenge was devised in 2008 and has since become one of the ultimate tests for open water swimmers looking to push their physical and mental limits.
List of Ocean Seven Swims
North Channel
Cook Strait
Kaiwi Channel
English Channel
Catalina Channel
Tsugaru Strait
Strait of Gibraltar
2. Rakesh Pal became the 25th Director General of the ICG
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Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). He has the distinction of being the first gunner of ICG.
An Overview of the news:
- Shri Pal is an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy and had joined the Indian Coast Guard in January 1989.
- Mr. Pal has done Electro-Optics Fire Control Solution courses from the United Kingdom.
- Rakesh Pal has served the nation in various capacities in his illustrious career spanning over 34 years. Prominent among them are the post of Commander Coast Guard Region (North West), Gandhinagar, Deputy Director General (Policy and Plans), and Additional Director General, Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi.
- Shri Pal was awarded the Tatrakshak Medal in 2013 and President Tatrakshak Medal in 2018 for his distinguished service.
3. Nivriti Rai appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Invest India
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Renowned global business and technology expert Nivriti Rai has been appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Invest India.
An Overview of the news:
- Ms Rai takes over from Manmeet K Nanda, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), who assumed the additional charge of MD & CEO in the interim in March 2023.
Career of Nivriti Rai:
- Ms. Rai joins Invest India after an illustrious 29 years of service as a global business and technology veteran at Intel.
- She was leading Intel India as Country Head for the last 07 years and spearheaded Intel's growth and investments in the country.
Promotion of indigenous technology:
- During his tenure at Intel India, he made significant contributions in the areas of indigenous technology development, start-up ecosystem, electronics manufacturing ecosystem and policy making, especially in the areas of critical and emerging technologies.
Awards and Honors:
- Ms. Rai was also conferred with the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar for her outstanding contribution in the field of technology.
Invest India:
- India's National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency.
- Established: 2009 (Carried out as a non-profit enterprise under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry).
- Invest India focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and developing new partnerships to enable sustainable investment in India.
- It leverages private sector experts to meet the government's vision, which includes high standards of transparency, ethics and corporate governance.
- Chairman of the Board of Invest India Secretary of DPIIT: Rajesh Kumar Singh.
4. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy Creates Guinness World Record With Fastest Badminton Hit
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Indian badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy created a new Guinness World Record for the fastest hit in badminton during the Korea Open 2023.
An Overview of the News
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's smash reached an incredible speed of 565 km/h, breaking a decade-old record previously held by Malaysian player Tan Boon Heong, who clocked 493 km/h.
The record-breaking event took place at the Yonex factory gym in Soka, Saitama, Japan, and was officially verified by Guinness World Records under controlled conditions.
Satwik's smash also surpassed the top speed of 372.6 km/h achieved by a Formula 1 car.
In the women's section, Malaysia's Tan Perli set the Guinness World Record for the fastest women's badminton hit with a remarkable speed of 438 km/h.
In Korea Open 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and his doubles partner Chirag Shetty defeated Thailand's Supak Jomkoh and Kittinpong Kedren with a score of 21-16, 21-14 to enter the pre-quarterfinals.
Among all the Indian participants in the Korea Open 2023, Satwik and Chirag were the only players to enter the pre-quarterfinals.
Korea Open 2023 is scheduled to take place from 18 July 2023 to 23 July 2023. The host city of Korea Open 2023 is Yeosu, South Korea.
About South Korea
Capital - Seoul
Prime Minister - Han Duck-soo
President - Yoon Suk Yeol
Official languages - Korean, Korean Sign Language
5. Harshvardhan Bansal appointed President of NAREDCO Delhi Chapter
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According to an announcement made by the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), Unity Group Director Harshvardhan Bansal has been appointed as the President of NAREDCO Delhi Chapter.
An Overview of the News
NAREDCO, a premier national organization representing the real estate sector, functions under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The establishment of NAREDCO Delhi Chapter has been announced recently, which will further expand the reach of the organization.
Presently, NAREDCO already has state branches in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan.
The successful launch of the Delhi Chapter reflects NAREDCO's commitment to be actively involved in real estate development in the capital city.
Additionally, NAREDCO is in the process of setting up a chapter in Uttarakhand, indicating its plans for further expansion.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, headed by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, oversees the functioning of NAREDCO.
About NAREDCO
It was established in 1998 with the support of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
It is the leading industry association in the real estate sector in India.
Its primary objective is to provide a valid platform to the government, real estate industry and general public to address concerns and find solutions to challenges in the real estate sector.
It has a membership base of over 5000 members across India, including its State NAREDCO chapters.
Headquarters - New Delhi
Appointments and Objectives of the Delhi Chapter of NAREDCO
PK Gupta, the present CMD of NBCC, has been appointed as the chairman of the Delhi chapter of NAREDCO.
Vineet Kanwar, group executive director of DLF, was appointed as the vice-chairman.
Gaurav Jain, CEO of India Infracorp Bahrain, was elected as the President-elect.
NAREDCO Delhi Chapter aims to promote sustainable development and encourage investment in the industry.
6. Appointment of Chief Justice of Telangana and Kerala to the Supreme Court
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Telangana Chief Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan and Kerala Chief Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti were appointed as Supreme Court judges based on the recommendation of their names by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
An Overview of the News
With the appointments of Justice Bhuiyan and Justice Bhatti, the total strength of judges in the Supreme Court has gone up to 33, with only one vacancy remaining.
Background of Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan:
Justice Bhuiyan was appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011.
From June 28, 2022, he is serving as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
His appointment to the Supreme Court comes after his tenure and experience as the Chief Justice of Telangana.
Background of Justice S. Venkatanarayana Bhatti:
Justice Bhatti was appointed as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013.
In March 2019, he was transferred to the Kerala High Court, where he serves as the Chief Justice from June 1, 2023.
The appointment of Justice Bhatti to the Supreme Court also addresses the absence of representation from the High Court of Andhra Pradesh from August 2022.
Reason for the selection of Justice Bhatti:
The Supreme Court Collegium noted that Justice Bhatti's judgments cover a wide variety of legal issues and reflect his legal acumen and competence.
The appointment recognizes his experience and addresses the lack of representation from the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the Supreme Court.
7. Visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim, Secretary General of the Muslim World League to India
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Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, has arrived in India on 10 July 2023 on a five-day visit. Dr. Al-Issa is known as a well-known expert on moderate Islam.
An Overview of the news:
- Dr. Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the League, jointly addressed other religious leaders and academics at an event organized at the India Islamic Cultural Center on 11 July.
- In his address, he said that the Muslim community living in India is proud of their nationality that they are Indian citizens. They also feel proud of their constitution. India can send a message of peace to the world.
- Indian communities with their diversity are a great model of coexistence not only in words but also at the ground level.
- India is home to the second largest Muslim population in the world. In 2011, the population of Muslims in India was 172.2 million.
- The Indian Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of more than 33 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Muslim World League:
- The Muslim World League was established on 18 May 1962 by a resolution adopted during a meeting of the General Islamic Conference held in Mecca. It has had eight general secretaries since its inception.
- The purpose of the Muslim World League is to promote Islam and the moderate values presented in the Quran and Sunnah.
8. Neeraj Prabhakar became the chairman of the research advisory committee of ICAR
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In July 2023 B. Neeraj Prabhakar has been appointed as the chairman of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
An Overview of the news:
- Ms. Prabhakar, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) for ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) at Pedavegi, Andhra Pradesh.
- The appointment of Ms. Prabhakar as RAC Chairperson is deemed to be effective from June 13. Ms. Prabhakar will head the ten-member committee in this position for three years.
- In addition, Ms. Prabhakar has also served as a member of the Telangana Oil Palm Advisory Committee, which advises the state government on various issues for the cultivation and promotion of oil palm.
- Telangana boasts of the highest oil extraction from oil palm kernels produced among all states in India.
- The ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) at Pedavegi (Andhra Pradesh) is the only dedicated institute in India dedicated to research on oil palm and developing technologies applicable to all oil palm growing states.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR):
- Established: 16 July 1929
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Director General: Himanshu Pathak
9. Google appoints Srinivasa Reddy as new India policy head
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Google has appointed Srinivasa Reddy as India Policy Head. In this new role, Reddy has been tasked with ensuring fair and secure Internet access for users across the Indian subcontinent.
An Overview of the news:
- This will lead to greater dedication of Google's products and services for Indian users and to use them in a fair and reliable manner.
- Srinivasa Reddy has been appointed in place of Archana Gulati who exits Google in September 2022 after her five-month tenure.
Reddy has also contributed to Apple in the past:
- Reddy served as Apple's head of regulatory affairs in India between 2018 and 2021, in a policy and regulatory role.
- Prior to that he served for five years at Ericsson as Vice President and Head of Government and Industry Relations. He has also worked with Aircel, Marconi and Blue Star.
- Reddy will help Google deal with several policy and regulatory challenges in the country.
- In October last year, India's antitrust body fined Google $275 million in two cases for abusing its dominant position in the Android market and forcing developers to use in-app payment systems.
10. FPSB India appoints Krishna Mishra as CEO
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The Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) of India appointed Krishna Mishra as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from 1 August 2023.
An Overview of the News
FPSB India is the Indian subsidiary of FPSB, a global standard-setting organization for the financial planning profession.
Krishna Mishra will lead the strategy and operations of FPSB India as CEO.
His primary focus will be on advancing the financial planning profession in India.
Krishna Mishra brings over 20 years of experience to his new role.
His previous leadership positions include Country Head-International Business (India and South Asia) at Becker Professional Education, Head of North and East India at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and Regional Head (East) and Business Head-Channel Business at HCL Infosystems.
Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB)
It is a global non-profit organisation that sets and supports standards for the financial planning profession.
Its primary mission is to benefit the global public by establishing, promoting and implementing professional standards for financial planning.
The FPSB develops and maintains the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification program, which is recognized as the global standard for financial planning excellence.
The FPSB aims to increase consumer confidence in the financial planning profession by establishing and maintaining global standards.
It aims to protect the public interest and promote professionalism, integrity and competence among financial planners globally.
