1. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s tenure extended by another year
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The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 6 August extended the tenure of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba for a period of one year beyond August 30, 2022.
Important facts
Gauba, a 1982-batch Jharkhand cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was first appointed cabinet secretary in 2019 for a period of two years.
He got an extension in service in 2021.
His predecessor PK Sinha, a 1977-batch IAS officer who had got thrice extension, was one of the longest-serving cabinet secretaries.
Sinha replaced Ajit Kumar Seth in June 2015. Ajit Kumar Seth, appointed in 2011 during the Congress-led UPA government regime, completed his tenure in 2013 but was given a year’s extension.
After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, Seth was given two extensions.
Gauba had served as the Union Home Secretary before being appointed as the Cabinet Secretary in 2019.
He has also served as Secretary in the Union Ministry of Urban Development and as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He served as the Chief Secretary in Jharkhand for 15 months before joining the Central Government in 2016.
About Cabinet Secretary
The Cabinet Secretary is the highest executive officer and senior most civil servant of the Government of India.
He is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, the IAS and all civil services under the rules of the government.
He is directly in charge under the Prime Minister and appointed for a fixed term of two years.
Function of Cabinet Secretary
One of the main functions of the Cabinet Secretary is to preside over the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries on Administrative Affairs.
He also presides over the Conference of Chief Secretaries.
Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating the activities of various ministries in such situations is also included in the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.
2. Suresh N. Patel sworn in as Central Vigilance Commissioner
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Suresh N. Patel took oath as the Central Vigilance Commissioner in the presence of President Draupadi Murmu at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Important facts
He replaces former Central Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
Suresh N Patel was appointed Vigilance Commissioner in April 2020.
The Central Vigilance Commission is headed by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and may consist of two Vigilance Commissioners.
About Central Vigilance Commission
CVC is an apex vigilance institution, which is free from any executive authority.
It is an independent body whose accountability is only to the Parliament.
It was established in February 1964 on the basis of the recommendations of the Anti-Corruption Committee constituted under the chairmanship of K. Santhanam.
The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 (CVC Act) has been enacted by the Parliament conferring statutory status on CVC.
It submits its report to the President of India.
Appointment of commissioners
The Central Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairman), the Home Minister (Member) and the Leader of the Opposition (Member) in the Lok Sabha.
Tenure
Their tenure is for 4 years or 65 years (whichever is earlier).
3. ITBP DG Sanjay Arora appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner
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The central government on 31 July appointed Sanjay Arora, a 1988-batch Tamil Nadu cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, as the new Commissioner of the Delhi Police.
Important facts
Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal SL Thosen took over the additional charge of Indo-Tibetan Border Police from his batchmate Sanjay Arora on 1 August.
Sanjay Arora will replace Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner. Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 batch IPS officer, was appointed in July 2021.
Sanjay Arora was the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Special Task Force, where he achieved significant success against the Veerappan gang, for which he was awarded the Chief Minister's Gallantry Medal for this gallant action.
After being trained by the NSG in 1991, Arora was instrumental in forming a special security group to provide security to the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu during the days of LTTE activity.
Arora, who holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur, served ITBP on deputation as Commandant from 1997 to 2002.
He commanded a battalion of ITBP in Matli, Uttarakhand from 1997 to 2000.
He has been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2004, President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014, Police Special Duty Medal, Antrik Suraksha Padak and UN Peacekeeping Medal.
The Delhi Police works under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
4. Ex- Philippines President Fidel Ramos dies at 94
Tags: Person in news International News
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos died on 31 July at the age of 94 due to complications of COVID-19.
Important facts
Ramos, the 12th President of the Republic of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, was said to be the driving force behind investor confidence in the country.
It was during his time that the Philippines was recognized as an emerging economy.
It was during his time that the Philippines was identified as a booming "tiger economy", The Manila Times reported.
Prior to becoming president, Fidel Ramos also served as Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the government of then-President Corazon Aquino.
Apart from this, he was also the Defence Secretary.
Ramos, a former military general, trained in the US, also participated in the Korea and Vietnam Wars.
Ramos led a national police force and was instrumental in bringing down the notorious Marcos regime.
About Philippines
The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia.
It got complete independence on 4 July 1946 after the Second World War.
It is the country with the fifth longest coastline in the world.
The Philippines is the second largest producer of geothermal energy in the world, after the United States.
Capital - Manila
Currency - peso
5. PV Sindhu named India's flagbearer for Commonwealth Games 2022 Opening Ceremony
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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.
6. 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.
7. 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
8. Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah Becomes New Kuwait PM
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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.
9. 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.
10. 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
