1. SPG Chief Arun Kumar Sinha responsible for PM Modi's security passed away
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Arun Kumar Sinha, director of the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for the security of Prime Minister Modi, died at the age of 61 in Gurugram.
An Overview of the News
Arun Kumar Sinha was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1987 Kerala cadre.
He assumed the role of Director of SPG in March 2016 and was initially appointed on a contract basis, with a tenure of up to May 31, 2024, in the rank and compensation of Director General of Police.
His dedication to his responsibilities has resulted in a one-year extension in service till May 31, underlining his commitment to the role.
Arun Kumar Sinha had a varied career, serving in various positions in his home cadre state Kerala, and in the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Centre.
Role of SPG:-
The Special Protection Group (SPG) was established in 1985.
Its primary mission is to protect the Prime Minister of India.
SPG has a strength of around 3,000 personnel.
It remains a central force in ensuring the security of the country's highest office.
2. Hindustani classical singer Malini Rajurkar passed away at the age of 82
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Renowned Hindustani classical singer Malini Rajurkar has passed away at the age of 82.
An Overview of the News
Malini Rajurkar was known for her simplicity and deep artistry in music.
He was a notable presence in India's major music festivals including Gunidas Sammelan (Mumbai), Tansen Samaroh (Gwalior), Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav (Pune) and Shankar Lal Mahotsav (Delhi).
Malini Rajurkar was highly regarded for her expertise in Tappa and Tarana styles of music.
He also ventured into light music and gained popularity for rendering Marathi Natyageet and other compositions.
Born in 1941 in Ajmer, Rajasthan, she received her musical education at Ajmer Sangeet College under the guidance of Govindrao Rajurkar and Vasantrao Rajurkar, who later became her husband.
She was an exponent of the Gwalior Gharana and was known for her mastery of the'Khayal' and 'Tappa' styles in Hindustani classical music.
Differences in Classical Music in India: Hindustani and Carnatic Traditions
In India, there is a historical perspective that music was unified by the 13th century AD.
After this period, it began to split into two distinct forms: Hindustani and Carnatic classical music.
The Government of India officially recognizes these two classical music traditions.
Carnatic classical music is mainly practiced in the southern Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Renowned Carnatic singer M.S. Subbalakshmi comes from this tradition.
In the rest of India, classical music is called Hindustani music.
3. Neeraj Mittal appointed as Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
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Neeraj Mittal was appointed as Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
An Overview of the News
Neeraj Mittal is a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
He is currently serving as the Principal Secretary in the Department of Information Technology, Tamil Nadu.
Prior to this, he worked as Senior Advisor in the World Bank Group and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
He is replacing K Rajaraman, who is now the chairman of the International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA) in Gujarat.
S Krishnan will head the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
S Krishnan, a 1989 batch IAS officer, was appointed as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Krishnan currently holds the post of Industries Secretary in the Tamil Nadu State Government.
His appointment comes after the retirement of the previous secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma on August 31.
Important appointments and changes in the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India
VL Kantha Rao, who was earlier holding the post of Additional Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, has been selected as the Secretary in the Ministry of Mines.
Former Secretary, the Ministry of Mines, Vivek Bhardwaj will now hold the role of Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Umang Narula has been designated Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, bringing his broad administrative experience to this vital portfolio.
Arunish Chawla, a 1992 Bihar cadre IAS officer, is set to take charge as the secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals within the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers from November 1, 2023.
Chanchal Kumar of the 1992 batch and Bihar cadre has been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.
Vumlunmang Vualnam, a 1992 Manipur cadre IAS officer, has been assigned the role of Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He previously served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance.
4. Professor Satyajit Majumdar of TISS receives Dr. VG Patel Memorial Award 2023
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Professor Satyajit Majumdar, serving as the Dean of the School of Management and Labor Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, was awarded the 'Dr V G Patel Memorial Award-2023'.
An Overview of the News
He received this prestigious award in the category of 'Entrepreneurship Coach, Educator, and Mentor' for his outstanding contribution to promoting and strengthening entrepreneurship in India.
Dr. V.G. Patel is widely recognized as a pioneer of the entrepreneurship movement in India, which makes this award particularly significant.
Professor Satyajit Mazumdar was selected for this award from among 400 applicants from 26 different states. The selection was done by a jury appointed by the Indian Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDII) in Ahmedabad.
Over the past two decades, Professor Majumdar, who is 63, has played a key role in pioneering entrepreneurship.
With his dedicated team, he has provided mentorship to over 350 startups, including 40 from the Jammu and Kashmir region, as well as cluster startups in Jhabua, West Bengal.
Since his appointment at TISS in 2010, Professor Majumdar's primary focus has been on establishing a thriving ecosystem for entrepreneurship within the institute.
In 2012, under his leadership, TISS established a dedicated Entrepreneurship Cell, reflecting his commitment to promoting entrepreneurship in the academic context.
5. ISRO condoles the death of Valarmathi, the famous voice behind the Chandrayaan-3 countdown
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Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist N Valarmathi died due to a cardiac arrest.
An Overview of the News
N Valarmathi was known for her key role in providing countdown announcements for rocket launches held in Sriharikota.
Valarmathi's last public announcement was during the countdown to the launch of Chandrayaan-3, a historic mission that successfully landed on the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
Notably, Chandrayaan-3 marked the last countdown announcement given by N Valarmathi before his demise.
The career of N Valarmathi
N Valarmathi had a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
She played a key role as the voice behind the countdown for many of ISRO's launches, including the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission, which successfully made a soft landing on the Moon in July 2023.
Valarmathi's calm and reassuring voice became a familiar and comforting presence to millions of Indians who flocked to watch ISRO launches.
In addition to her role in launch communications, she was noted for her significant contributions to the development of space applications intended to benefit society.
6. Rajesh Nambiar appointed as the new chairperson of NASSCOM
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Cognizant India Chairman and Managing Director Rajesh Nambiar has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Indian IT and technology trade body NASSCOM.
An Overview of the News
Rajesh Nambiar will replace former Microsoft India chairperson Anant Maheshwari in this role.
Before becoming the chairperson, Nambiar served as the Vice Chairperson of NASSCOM.
Nambiar will collaborate with Debjani Ghosh, President, of NASSCOM, and work closely with the NASSCOM Executive Council, industry stakeholders, and the government.
Their collective objective is to strengthen India's position as a global technology hub, even amidst the challenges posed by the current volatile macroeconomic environment.
NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies):
It is the apex body for India's technology industry.
Established in 1988 as a non-profit organization.
Membership exceeds more than 3000 companies, including Indian and multinational companies.
Membership spans the entire industry spectrum.
NASSCOM's mission includes policy advocacy and strategic guidance for the development and progress of the technology sector.
Founder - Nandan Nilekani, Devang Mehta
Headquarters - Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India and New Delhi
7. Praveena Anjana of Udaipur won the title of Miss International India 2023
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Praveena Anjana, 23, from Udaipur, won the Miss International India 2023 title and secured her place to represent India at the Miss International pageant to be held in Japan this October 2023.
An Overview of the News
Praveena Anjana started her modeling career at a young age and recently won the Miss Divine Beauty 2023 pageant in August.
Anjana is a staunch supporter of women's empowerment, who uses her platform to raise awareness on important issues such as gender equality and education.
The Miss International pageant, a prestigious global beauty pageant, is held every year in Japan with the mission of promoting world peace and understanding through beauty.
Miss International (Miss International Beauty or The International Beauty Pageant)
It is a major international beauty pageant.
It is organized by the International Culture Association.
The inauguration ceremony took place on August 12, 1960.
Its headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan.
It is considered to be the fourth largest beauty pageant globally based on the participation of national winners in the international pageant.
Akemi Shimomura serves as the organization's president.
8. Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak passes away at the age of 49
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Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak passed away at the age of 49 due to colon and liver cancer on 3rd September 2023.
An Overview of the News
Heath Streak is known for his skills as a fast bowler.
Zimbabwe's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 216 wickets at an average of 28.14.
Scored 1,990 runs in Test matches at an average of 22.35.
In ODIs, Streak took 239 wickets at 29.82 and scored 2,943 runs at 28.29.
Represented Zimbabwe in 65 Tests and 189 ODIs from 1993 to 2005.
Streak established the Heath Streak Academy in 2014 to support cricket development in Zimbabwe.
About Zimbabwe
It is officially known as the Republic of Zimbabwe, located in Southern Africa.
It is a landlocked country, situated between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers.
Zimbabwe is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east.
Capital and largest city - Harare
President - Emmerson Mnangagwa
Vice-President - Constantino Chiwenga
9. Dr. Vasudha Gupta takes charge as Principal Director General of Akashvani and News Services Division
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Dr. Vasudha Gupta, a senior officer of the Indian Information Service, assumed the post of Principal Director General in the Akashvani and News Services Division.
An Overview of the News
Vasudha Gupta previously worked as Director General in All India Radio.
With over 33 years of service in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including as Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), she brings wide-ranging experience to her new role.
Dr. Vasudha Gupta holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Dr. Gupta's notable achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic was the creation of a feedback dashboard for the Government of India, facilitating citizen engagement and transparency.
About Akashvani (AIR)
Akashvani, also known as All India Radio, is India's national public radio broadcaster, established in 1936.
It is part of Prasar Bharati along with Indian television broadcaster Doordarshan.
It is headquartered at Akashvani Bhawan, New Delhi, which houses various sections such as Drama, FM and National Service as well as Doordarshan Kendra (Delhi).
AIR is the world's largest radio network and one of the largest broadcasting organizations globally, serving a wide variety of languages and cultures.
It operates 420 stations across India, covering approximately 92% of the country's area and reaching 99.19% of the total population.
AIR produces programming in 23 languages and 179 dialects.
10. Uday Kotak resigns as CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank
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Uday Kotak resigned as Managing Director and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank with effect from September 1, 2023.
An Overview of the News
Deepak Gupta, Joint Managing Director of the bank, will temporarily assume the role of Managing Director and CEO.
The change is subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the bank's members.
Leadership legacy of Uday Kotak:
Uday Kotak has been leading Kotak Mahindra Bank since its inception in 1985 and guiding it to become a leading commercial lender.
His departure marks the end of an era in Indian banking, and he will remain as non-executive director till December 31, 2023.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank:
Kotak Mahindra Bank is a major Indian financial institution headquartered in Mumbai.
It offers a wide range of financial services to corporate and retail clients, including personal finance, investment banking, life insurance, and wealth management.
In terms of market capitalization, this bank is the third largest private sector bank in India after HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
Has contributed significantly to the Indian economy and provided more than one lakh direct jobs.
