As per data released by WHO, Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016.
The data also showed that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants.
Other Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia.
Former IAS officer Subhash Chandra Khuntia has been appointed as the Chairman of Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for three years. Mr. Khuntia succeeds T S Vijayan, who completed his five-year term in February.
GAIL Signs Loan Agreement with SBI
State-owned gas utility GAIL India has taken a loan of Rs. 2,000 crore from State Bank of India to meet its general capital expenditure requirements. The loan is for a 15-year tenure.
Maruti Posts Best-ever Monthly Sales
Automaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) posted its best-ever monthly wholesale figures in April for the domestic market.
Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors also reported robust double-digit sales growth during the month while Hyundai clocked single-digit growth.
MSI said that its domestic sales stood at 1,64,978 units in April, up 14.2% from 1,44,492 units a year earlier.
Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabbed the number one spot in ISSF world rankings, riding on his silver medal-winning performance in the just-concluded World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Jitu Rai is placed 6th on the chart and Om Prakash Mitharval at the 12th spot.
A group of Indian experts has visited Pakistan to discuss all aspects of bilateral ties and revive the Track II diplomacy process with Islamabad amidst the chill in the relationship after a number of terror attacks in India by Pakistan-based outfits.
The original Track II initiative, Neemrana Dialogue, received a fresh start.
The Indian side was led by former foreign ministry secretary Vivek Katju and included well- known educationist JS Rajput and other experts, while Pakistan side was led by former foreign secretary Inamul Haque.