Transforming Paradigms

The HSBC has appointed Rajnish Kumar, who was the former SBI (State Bank of India) Chairman, as an independent non-executive director. Russia has warned of a possible increase in West Nile virus infections. Sumit Antil, Indian para javelin thrower, had clinched India's second gold in Tokyo Paralympics by winning the men's javelin f64 event with a world record of 68.55 m The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is developing an innovative model called 'e-Source' to tackle electronic waste (e-waste) by linking stakeholders in the formal and informal economy. Bank of Baroda has announced that Shanti Lal Jain would be stepping down from the post of its executive director. CJI NN V Ramana will administer oath of office to nine new judges on 31st August, 2021. Discus Thrower, Vinod Kumar, has been found ineligible in disability classification assessment and therefore, will have to give up his bronze medal that he clinched in the men's F52 discus throw event. The central...

S.P Sethuraman, the Indian Grandmaster, has won the Barcelona Open chess tournament title, in August 2021. Odisha government has approved a new policy on electric vehicles. In Jammu and Kashmir, Kathua District administration renamed government higher secondary school, Chandwan as Shaheed Sepoy Bua Dutta Singh Government Higher Secondary School. The Assam government is to construct 1000 model Anganwadi Centres throughout the entire state. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has dedicated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation, on 28th August, 2021. India administered more than one crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine of 27th August, 2021.  Ram Nath Kovind, the president of India, had laid the foundation stone of UP's first AYUSH University in Gorakhpur, on 28th August, 2021. The Union Government has provided over 60 crores 25 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to the States and Union Territories by August end. In Tripura, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Mi...

The Maharashtra government has decided to train 2000 OBC students for the MPSC (Maharashtra Public Services Commission exams and 1000 for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exams. Amazon has announced the launch of a new specialized FC (Fulfilment Centre) in Telangana. The Women and Child Ministry have informed that Rekha Sharma has been nominated as chairperson of the NCW (National Commission for Women) for another term of three years. Johnson and Johnson's single dose COVID-19 vaccine became the fifth vaccine to be approved by government of India. The first NHFB (National Heart Failure Biobank) of the country had been inaugurated at the SCTIMST (Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology).  SSFB (Suryoday Small Finance Bank) has launched a 'Suryoday Health and Wellness Savings Account.' the 2nd IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Conference on Range Technology (ICORT-2021) was held virtually. The government...

 DBS has been honored as the global winner for 'Most Innovative in Digital Banking' by Financial Times publication, The Banker, in its 2021 Innovation in Digital Banking Awards. Bharat Biotech has announced that the WHO has awarded prequalification to Rotavac 5D, its rotavirus vaccine. Australia has appointed its former PM Tony Abbott as Prime Minister Scott Morison's special Trade Envoy for India to deepen trade and investment links that will help drive post COVID recovery. Digital lender Fincare Small Finance Bank has received SEBI's approval to raise Rs 1330 crores through an initial share sale. Sweden's Ericsson has won a 3% share in a joint 5G radio contract from China Telecom and China Unicom. Manpreet Vohra has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to Nauru, with residence in Canberra. A team of Delhi University researchers has discovered a new frog species - Minervarya Pentali. Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, ...

Prevails Electric Mobility, an arm of French lubricants major FRVelion, will set up an additional manufacturing unit in India. The central government's fiscal deficit stood at Rs 2.74 lakh crore or 18.2% of the full year's budget estimate at the end of June 2021. The Haryana government has announced a reduction in power tariff by 37 paise per unit for  consumers in the state. Gujarat has bagged the top position in the country in terms of vaccinations per million people. Centenarian sprinter Man Kaur passed away in July 2021. The first goods train carrying stone chips to Bangladesh through the revived Haldibari- Chilahati rail link left from Damdim station of Alipurduar division. Muslim Women Rights Day was observed across the country to celebrate the enactment of the law against Triple Talaq. PM Modi will launch e-RUPI, a person and purpose specific digital payment solution. The owners of Rajasthan Royals have acquired a majority stake in CPL (Caribbean Premier League) team Bar...

Khushi Arun Kumar, a Chennai student from Stella Marris college had won the best poster prize in the event 2020 'Together against Corruption', International Youth Contest for Social Anti Corruption Advertising. The Rajasthan government has recently decided that there should be an increase in the minimum wages in the state. Science and Technology Minister has recently released a set of guidelines to facilitate sharing of biological information and data generated by research groups in the country. MSIP (Meghalaya State Investment Promotion Society (MSIP) signed an MoU with Invest India of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to boost trade and industry in the state. Joe Biden, the US President, has recently nominated Indian-American attorney Rashad Hussain as the Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom. 10 crore families have been covered in India, under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Ultrahuman has recently tied up with Visa to make good health accessible to its ca...

Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari has announced construction work of four and six-lane Greenfield Ludhiana - Rupnagar National Highway (NH-205K). The health ministry has announced 27% reservation for the OBCs and 10% quota for the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) in the AIQ (All India Quota) scheme for UG (Undergraduate) and postgraduate (PG) medical/ dental courses (MBBS/MD/MS/Diploma/BDS/MDS) from 2021-22 onwards. JSW future Energy Ltd has entered into a framework agreement with Australian Fortescue Future Industries Pty Ltd. The RBI has accorded its approval to the government of Ladakh to acquire 8.23 percent of the paid up equity capital of Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd as on the date of enforcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Panatone Finvest Limited, a Tata Sons' subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement to pick a 43.3% stake in Tejas Networks, for Rs 1850 cr. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had laid the foundation stone of a bamboo ind...

The Union Cabinet has cleared the amendment to the DICGC (Deposit Insurance Credit Guarantee Corporation) Bill 2021. The United States has announced USD 25 million assistance to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts across India. The 2300 year old archaeological ruin Chankillo, which is the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, has been awarded UNESCO world heritage status. The 15th Finance Commission, in its report submitted to the government, has recommended a performance based challenge fund of Rs 8000 crores to states for incubation of new cities. Rajasthan government's Industries Department and the apex industrial development body, RIICO (Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation, had recently launched a campaign. The parliament had recently passed the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill of 2021. The first rapid electronic COVID-19 RNA Test Kit called 'COVIHOME' has been developed by a research group at IIT ...

Dholavira, a Harappan era's metropolis, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Team GB will launch an NFT storefront to showcase the achievement of British Olympic Athletes. The sport of Sqay Martial Arts, which is currently part of the Fit India Movement, will soon be part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021. The leaders of North and South Korea have agreed to resume suspended communication lines and enhance ties. Sri Lanka has proposed holding the BIMSTEC summit in the beginning of December 2021.  Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, India's chief hydrographer, received the Alexander Dalrymple award in recognition of his leadership in the disciplines of hydrography and nautical cartography. China has outlined plans to build the first 'clean' commercial nuclear reactor using liquid thorium and molten salt. The Gujarat Government will provide a monthly financial aid of Rs 2000 to children who have lost a parent to COVID-19. Axis Bank has bought 5.55% stake in financia...

 AIFF (All India Football Federation) has nominated Gokulam Kerala FC to represent India in the AFC Club Championship 2020-21. A tri-nation tabletop anti-narcotics and maritime search and rescue exercise, 'Exercise Shield', was held between Indian and Sri Lankan Navies and Maldives National Defence Force through virtual mode. Maruti Suzuki has now decided to set up a new plant in Haryana. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 7.5-10 lakh units. Italy has banned cruise ships from Venice lagoon. Jeff Bezos will donate $200 billion to Smithsonian. RBL Bank has tied up with card network visa worldwide to issue fresh credit cards after the RBL had barred Mastercard Asia/Pacific from issuing new cards in India. The Andhra Pradesh Government has released the Retail Parks Policy 2021-2026. Haryana government has set up 'Grain ATM as a pilot project in Gurugram. This is the first in India. The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 was tabled in the Assam Legislative As...

Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, had addressed a webinar on the 40th foundation day of the NABARD (National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, on 12 July 2021. Ethiopia's governing Prosperity Party has won the most seats in the country's parliamentary election. The  CCI (Competition Commission of India) has given its nod for a proposed deal involving SoftBank Group investment in food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy. Cristiano Ronaldo claimed its first European Championship Golden Boot as EURO 2020 concluded on 11 July, 2021. A Lemru Elephant Reserve had been proposed in Chhattisgarh. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the CM of Assam, has rolled out a shceme to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs. 2.5 lakhs each to all widows, whose husbands died due to COVID-19 NASSCOM CoE (Centre of Excellence) has launched HIC (Healthcare Innovation Challenge) 2.0 NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation's Simhadri Super Thermal Powe...

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution extending the delivery of humanitarian aid for a year from Turkey to northwest Syria.  Joe Biden, the President of USA, has nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garccetti, to be Ambassador of India. The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has released the first draft of the bill aimed at population control. Dr. S. Jaishankar, the minister of External Affairs, will attend the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Dushanbe on 13th and 14th July, 2021. Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister of India, had participated virtually in the G20 High-Level Tax Symposium on Tax Policy and Climate Change, on 9th July 2021. The National Green Tribunal has slapped a penalty of Rs 10 crores on a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. All BRICS countries have agreed to the BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) proposed by India during the 12th meeting of the BRICS S&T Steering Committee. PM Modi received the first copy of the boo...

Kerala reports the first case of Zika virus. Scientists show that the spent catalysts from the energy industry work as an efficient bifunctional oxygen electro-catalyst and can catalyze the core reactions that facilitate the operation of metal-air batteries. The Indian Army has inaugurated a war memorial in memory of Captain Gulmarg near the LOC (Line of Control). Indian economist Kaushik Basu has been awarded the Humboldt Research Award for economics. Actress Vidya Balan has achieved another feat as a military firing range in Gulmarg, Kashmir, has been named after the actress Geographical Indications certified Madurai jasmine and another traditional flowers were exported to the US and the UAE from Tamil Nadu on 08 July, 2021. India may see only modest improvement in economic activity in the September quarter of FY22 after a second wave of the pandemic held back the country's economic rebound in June quarter. The Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry has released the...

OneWeb, a Britain based tech company, had sent 36 satellites into orbit on 01 July, 2021. The UN WMO (World Meterological Organisation) has confirmed a new maximum temperature record for the Antartic of 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). A mouse, whose species was believed to have been extinct more than 150 years ago, has been rediscovered in islands of Western Australia. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the CM of Andhra Pradesh, has launched the 'YSR Bima' scheme with new guidelines. Sun Pharmaceuticals has launched an initiative 'Sunkalp' for the welfare of doctors, their families and the community. The Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar virtually launched six technology innovation platforms, on 02 July, 2021. Indian Economic Trade Organization signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Libyan African Business council in Tunisia during the FITA 2021 (Financial Investment Trade Africa) India has j...

Bharti Group would invest $500 million to become the largest shareholder in the satellite communications company OneWeb. Scientists have discovered new species of spiders in Maharashtra. The central government has extended for another one year the tenure of Amitabh Kant, the CEO of NITI Aayog (National Institution for transforming India) till June 2022. The US has announced an additional USD 41 million assistance to help India respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen the country's preparedness for future health emergencies. The US has appointed Indian-American career diplomat, Atul Keshap, as country's Charge d'Affaires in Delhi. Aditi Ashok has become the first female Indian golfer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) has entered into a strategic partnership with RIL (Reliance Industries Limited) to join a new world-scale chlor-alkali, ethylene dichloride, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production facility at TA'ZIZ in Ruwa...

Researchers at IIT Madras have developed algorithms for drone to help study how fire behaves in space stations, shuttles and satellites. The Assam Police has rolled out 3 initiatives that will strengthen its capabilities in handling cybercrime and ensuring speedy delivery of services to the people. A former judge of the Allahabad High Court Justice Shambhu Nath Srivastava has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations. The Delhi Metro has bagged an award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for its "high-quality" infrastructure development projects under phases I-III. Odisha government has decided to set up district-level Industry and Investment promotion agencies in different districts. Whatsapp has appointed former Amazon executive Manesh Mahatme as a Director to lead growth of its payments business in India. An Indian Navy warship carried out a military exercise with a South Korean vessel in East China Sea on 28th June, 2021. The N...

 PM Narendra Modi had visited Gujarat on 27th June, to inaugurate a Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy at AMA (Ahmedabad Management Association). Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, the governor of Andhra Pradesh, had inaugurated the two-day International Education e-Conference on 26th June, 2021. M K Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has announced a prize money of Rs 3 crores for sports persons from the state who win medals in Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj Chopra, a Javelin thrower, had clinched the bronze medal at the Kuortance Games in Finland on 26th June, 2021. Sajan Prakash has become the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Gurvinder Singh from Punjab, has won the men's 100 metres dash with a meet record of 10.27 seconds at the National Inter-State Athletic Championships in Patiala.  Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria had arrived in Dhaka on 26th June, on a three day visit to Bangladesh. Indian Naval Ship Tabar commenced her prolonged deployme...

Sivan, a National award-winning cinematographer and director, passed away in June 2021. The Central government has declared Smart City awards 2020. The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed every year on June 26. The two-day Station Commanders' Conference of Western Air Command was held on 24 and 25 June 2021, in New Delhi. Nine Indian cities have taken significant measures to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis and inculcated a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning. Panasonic Corp has sold its stake in electric car maker Tesla Inc for about 400 billion yen in the year ended March 2021. Large packaged consumer goods companies including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Hamdard Laboratories have announced the formation of the IHA (Indian Honey Alliance). The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of the ZACL (Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited) by PPL (Pradeep Phosphates Limited). The J&K administration has initia...

Guenter Butschek, the Managing Director and CEO of Tata Motors, will step down from his role from June 30, 2021, but will continue to serve as a consultant to the company till the end of FY22. The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved a proposal to allow AAHL (Adani Airport Holdings Limited) to operate the Navi Mumbai International Airport that is coming up in Panvel. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organized an online event on 25th June 2021 to commemorate 6 years of the launch of three transformative urban missions. International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials has developed a cost effective electrocatalyst by anchoring transition metal ions into the sulfur doped carbon framework. Union Minister of State of Port, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Manaviya chaired the 18th meeting of the Maritime state development council on 24 June 2021. NITI Aayog convened the National Convention on 'Prevention of Maternal, adoloscent, and childhood obesity...

WWF India has inducted the director of Apollo Hospitals, Upasana Kamineni, as "Ambassador of Forest Frontline Heroes". Author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has announced her fifth book '7 Sins of Being A Mother'.  International Widows Day is observed on June 23 every year to draw attention to the voices of widows and highlight their problems. The Book ' Habba Khatoon' has been released by Sanjana Prakashan, in New Delhi. Beijing, Shanghai, Bengaluru, Shenzhen and Singapore currently rank as the top five technology centres in the Asia Pacific. Will Smith, an Actor, rapper, and film producer, has announced his autobiography. The center is offering HBA (House Building Advance) to all CGS (Central Government Servants). The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has imposed a total penalty of Rs 8 lakhs on three Maharashtra based co-operative banks. Cipla will be working with IRM Indi Affiliate (Institute of Risk Management, India Affiliate), in order to strengthen the risk ecosyst...