1. PV Sindhu named India's flagbearer for Commonwealth Games 2022 Opening Ceremony
Tags: Person in news Sports News
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu as the flag-bearer of Team India at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Important facts
Manpreet Singh, the captain of the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal in Tokyo 2020, has also been chosen as the flag bearer of India along with PV Sindhu.
This is the second time that PV Sindhu will be India's flag-bearer at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony; she also held the Indian flag at the Gold Coast 2018 edition.
Manpreet Singh was one of the two flag bearers of India at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.
Olympic medalists Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain were the other two candidates being considered for the flag bearer.
Commonwealth Games 2022
Organising - Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, England
Motto- Games for Everyone
Mascot - 'Perry the Bull'
Nations participating- 72 Commonwealth nations
Events- 280 in 20 sports
Athletes participating- 5,054
Women's cricket as well as T20 cricket have been included in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
For the first time in a major sporting event, there are more medal events for women than for men.
215 athletes will participate in the Commonwealth Games 2022 from India, these athletes will participate in 141 events of 19 sports.
History of commonwealth games
This is the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games.
The first Commonwealth Games were held in the Canadian city of Hamilton in 1930.
It has been organised every four years since 1930.
The Commonwealth Games in 1942 and 1946 could not be held due to World War II.
India is becoming a part of these games for the 18th time.
India has so far won 181 gold, 173 silver and 149 bronze medals in these games.
India has been among the top five countries in terms of medals in each consecutive Commonwealth Games since the 2002 Manchester Games.
From 1930 to 1950 these games were called the British Empire Games.
In 1978 these games were named Commonwealth Games.
2. Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's 7th Death Anniversary
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July 27, 2022 is the seventh death anniversary of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who was the 11th President of India.
Important facts
He was born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
He graduated in Science from St Joseph's College, Trichy in 1954 and specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
He is known as the "Missile Man of India" for his contribution to the country's space programme.
He played a key role in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests of 1998.
Dr Kalam had received seven honorary doctorates from 40 universities.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his significant work with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
He was awarded the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1997.
He made a significant contribution as the Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into Near-Earth Orbit in July 1980.
He took the responsibility of developing indigenous guided missiles at DRDO.
He was the chief executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
He was sworn in as the 11th President of India in 2002 and completed his term in 2007.
He died of cardiac arrest on July 27, 2015, while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong.
3. India's Indermit Gill appointed Chief Economist of World Bank
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The World Bank has appointed Indian citizen Indermit Gill as its Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Development Economics.
Important facts
Gill will replace American economist Carmen Reinhart and his appointment will be effective from September 1, 2022.
Gill is currently Vice President of Equitable Development, Finance and Institutions, where he led work on macroeconomics, credit, trade, poverty and governance.
Gill will be the second Indian to serve as the Chief Economist at the World Bank. Kaushik Basu was the first Indian to hold the position from 2012-2016.
Raghuram Rajan and Gita Gopinath have served as chief economists at the International Monetary Fund, a subsidiary of the World Bank.
Between 2016 and 2021, Gill was Professor of Public Policy at Duke University and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution.
Gill has also taught at Georgetown University and the University of Chicago.
Gill holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Gill holds an MA from Delhi School of Economics and a BA (Hons) in Economics from St Stephen's College, University of Delhi.
About World Bank
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund were established together in 1944 during the Bretton Woods Conference in New Hampshire, USA.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is also called the World Bank.
At present, 189 countries are members of the World Bank.
Its headquarter is in Washington DC, the capital of America.
The World Bank Group is a group of the following five international organisations that provide economic-financial assistance and financial advice to member countries-
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
International Finance Corporation
international development association
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
President- David Malpass
CEO- Anshula Kant
4. Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah Becomes New Kuwait PM
Tags: Person in news International News
Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Kuwait on 25 July.
Important facts
He replaced Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid, who stepped down in April 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his congratulations and best wishes on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Kuwait.
In April 2022, Kuwait's government resigned just months after its formation, creating new uncertainty as it grappled with a worsening political crisis and stalled important economic and social reforms.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, former Prime Minister of Kuwait, submitted the resignation of the cabinet to the Crown Prince ahead of a no-confidence motion in parliament.
India-Kuwait Relations
India and Kuwait have traditionally enjoyed friendly relations that have stood the test of time.
India has consistently been one of Kuwait's top trading partners. Kuwait has been a reliable supplier of crude oil to India.
India is the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer.
Major items exported by India to Kuwait include food items, textiles, electrical and engineering equipment, ceramics, automobiles, chemicals, jewellery, metal products etc.
Kuwait is one of the top sources of remittances for India.
The Indian community in Kuwait has been growing at 5-6% per annum.
Indians are the largest expatriate community in Kuwait while Egypt ranks second.
5. South Indian actor Kamal Haasan awarded Golden Visa
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The United Arab Emirates has conferred its coveted "Golden Visa" on Kamal Haasan, one of the top stars of the Tamil film industry.
Important facts
Shah Rukh Khan was the first Indian celebrity to be granted the coveted visa.
Apart from this, people like Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Sania Mirza, etc. have also received Golden Visas.
About UAE Golden Visa
The UAE launched the Golden Visa for the first time on 21 May 2019.
The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence visa system with a duration of five to 10 years.
After that the visa gets renewed automatically. It is given to achievers, professionals, investors and people with promising abilities from various fields. Since Kamal Haasan is a well-known star of the film industry, he keeps visiting Dubai many times.
What is the eligibility criteria for a Golden Visa?
Investors applying for a 10-year visa must have a public investment of at least 200 million as capital in a UAE firm.
On the other hand, for investors seeking a five-year visa, the minimum investment amount is Rs 10 crore.
Meanwhile, people with talent in arts and culture are approved by authorities such as the Emirates Scientific Council or the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
6. Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Tags: Person in news International News
Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the 15th prime minister of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 July along with 17 other cabinet ministers.
Important facts
Gunawardena is parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.
Gunawardene was appointed Home Minister by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April.
Gunawardena, 73, earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister for the nation.
The Sri Lankan economic and political crisis, resulted in economic mismanagement and conflict in Ukraine, sparked months of mass protests and eventually forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
Wickremesinghe was elected as the new president of Srilanka on 20 July and was sworn in as Sri Lankan president on 21 July.
Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency, demanding a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
About Sri Lanka
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Munnar and the Palk Strait.
Capitals: Colombo (Executive and Judicial) and Sri Jayawardenepura (Legislative).
Official Languages: Sinhala and Tamil
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee
7. Droupadi Murmu elected as the 15th President of India
Tags: Person in news National News
Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India, becoming the first tribal woman to hold the top constitutional post in the world's largest democracy.
Important facts
She will take oath as the 15th President of India on July 25, after the term of her predecessor Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24.
Murmu, 64, is the first tribal community woman to become president and the second woman after Pratibha Patil to be appointed to the country's top constitutional post.
She is the youngest President of India as well.
Ms Murmu got 64 per cent of the vote and opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha got 36 per cent of the vote.
She got 6,76,803 votes in comparison to his rival Yashwant Sinha's 3,80,177 votes.
Who is Droupadi Murmu?
Early life
She was born in 1958 in Pahardpur village of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
She was born in the Santhal community.
She was educated at Unit II High School and Rama Devi College (now University) in Bhubaneswar.
She served as a Junior Assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983.
Then she worked as a teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur till 1997.
Political Life
In 1997, she was elected to Rairangpur Corporation and became the Vice-Chairman of the civic body.
In the year 2000, Ms. Murmu won her first assembly election.
She first time became Minister for Transport and Commerce and then for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry.
In 2015, Ms Murmu was appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand.
When there was a BJP government in Jharkhand, the Raghubar Das-led government brought in two Bills to amend the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949.
These amendments, allowing the transition of land use from agricultural to commercial purposes in tribal areas, created a major ruckus among tribal groups and civil society.
These Acts were brought for land rights for tribal communities and rights over natural resources.
When the government changed in Jharkhand in 2019, Soren and Ms. Murmu formed a good working relationship.
About Santhal community
The Santhal community is one of the most politically active and prominent tribal communities.
The Santhals are among the major tribes including the Gonds, Mundas, Hos, Oraons, Bhils, Meenas, Khonds and Nagas, who also dominate the tribal landscape in the country.
In the Santhal Rebellion of 1857, under the leadership of the Kanhu Murmu brothers, the Santhals were at the forefront of providing leadership to the Jharkhand movement against colonial rule.
Notable among the Santhals in political life is Shibu Soren, father of the current Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren.
Kindly see 23 June 2022 post also
8. Rajarshi Gupta takes over as Managing Director of ONGC Videsh
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Rajarshi Gupta has taken over as the managing director of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), the foreign investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
Important facts
He will succeed Alok Gupta who retired last month.
Prior to this, he was the Executive Director - Head of Corporate Strategy and Planning at ONGC.
He has over 33 years of experience in supervisory, managerial and strategic planning capabilities in domestic and international operations of ONGC and ONGC Videsh.
A Mechanical Engineer from NIT Rourkela, Gupta is also a Gold Medalist in MBA (International Business) from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
He has also worked for management and networking with key stakeholders like the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Department of Public Enterprises, NITI Aayog.
He led the rollout and implementation of 15 transformational initiatives designed under ONGC Energy Strategy 2040.
As Country Manager and President of the US subsidiary of ONGC Videsh, he established the Geological and Geophysical Centre of Excellence in Houston.
About ONGC Videsh
ONGC Videsh Limited is a Miniratna Schedule "A" Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
ONGC Videsh Limited's primary business is to explore possibilities for oil and gas production outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas.
9. BSE CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan to head NSE for 5 years
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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the appointment of Ashish Kumar Chauhan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) for a period of five years.
Important facts
Chouhan is currently the CEO of BSE and his term ends in November.
If his appointment is approved by the shareholders, he will be the fourth person to head India's largest stock exchange.
His name was cleared after Vikram Limaye resigned as MD and CEO of NSE.
Four-member internal panel
NSE has constituted a four-member internal panel to look after the responsibilities of MD and CEO till the induction of Ashish Kumar Chauhan.the members are-
Chief Financial Officer of NSE Yatrik Vin
Chief Regulatory Officer Priya Subbaraman
Chief Technology and Operations Officer Shiv Kumar Bhasin
Chief Enterprise Risk Officer K S Somasundaram
National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE)
It is India's largest financial market.
It was incorporated in 1992.
Its headquarters is in Mumbai.
NSE has developed into a sophisticated, electronic market and it ranked fourth in the world by equity trading volume.
It was the first exchange in India to provide modern, fully automated electronic trading.
Nifty 50 is the main index of NSE.
10. Singer Bhupinder Singh passes away at 82 in Mumbai
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Noted ghazal singer Bhupinder Singh, known for songs like "Naam Gum Jayega '' and "Dil Dhundta Hai '', passed away on 18 July in Mumbai due to complications related to colon cancer and COVID-19.
Important facts
During his decades-long journey in the film industry, he is known for songs like "Do Deewane Shahar Mein", "Ek Akela Shaher Mein", "Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasman", "Duniya Choote Yaar Na Choote".
He was admitted to the hospital after a urinary infection, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Born in Amritsar, he is survived by his Indo-Bangladeshi wife and a son.
In his five decade long singing career, Bhupinder Singh worked with the big names of the music industry, from Mohammad Rafi, RD Burman, Madan Mohan, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Gulzar to Bappi Lahiri.
Bhupinder Singh started his career working as a singer and composer at All India Radio, Delhi.
His Bollywood singing debut was with the 1964 Chetan Anand directorial "Haqeeqat", where he sang the Mohan-composed song "Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usne Bulaya Hoga" with Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mehmood and Manna Dey.
He got his first solo track two years later in the feature film "Aakhri Khat" composed by Khayyam with "Rut Jawan Jawan Raat Meherbaan".
He moved away from active playback singing in the 1980 after marrying singer Mithali.
