Russian President Vladimir Putin to Skip BRICS Summit in South Africa Due to Arrest Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa from August 22 to 24, 2023. Putin will be the only BRICS leader to attend the summit virtually while all other leaders will join the event in person in South Africa.
The move is seen as a major setback for Putin, who has touted his relations with the BRICS countries - India, China, Brazil and South Africa - as evidence that the US and European efforts to isolate him over the war in Ukraine have failed.
The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin in March 2023, linking him to the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children. Putin could be arrested under the warrant if he leaves Russian soil.
South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and is bound by the court's decisions. However, the African country drew international criticism in 2015 when it refused to execute an ICC arrest warrant against then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the African Summit.
SBI Capital Market Ropes in Rajay Kumar Sinha as MD & CEO
Rajay Kumar Sinha was appointed as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS).
Earlier, he was in charge of Treasury operations of SBI, managing investment portfolio, money market, equity, private equity & forex operations of the Bank.
Sinha replaced Amitava Chatterjee who moved to SBI, Corporate Centre as Deputy Managing Director, in charge of Commercial Clients Group.
Sinha brings in global markets expertise that will help strengthen SBICAPS' investment banking business in India and overseas.
Cognizant Appoints Six Women Executives as Senior Vice Presidents
Cognizant appointed six women for senior vice president (SVP) roles, which include a mix of promotions and new hires and marked leadership changes under Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ravi Kumar S.
Cognizant has seen leadership changes since Kumar joined as its CEO in January 2023. One of Kumar's key priorities has been to increase Cognizant's diverse talent, including in leadership positions, in addition to focusing on three key imperatives: make the company an employer of choice in the IT services firm industry, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance operational discipline.
The sixwomen appointed as vice presidents were: Elisa de Rocca-Serra, Thea Hayden, Patricia (Trish) Hunter-Dennehy, Sailaja Josyula, Archana Ramanakumar and Sandra Natardonato.
Japan Second Quad Partner to Sign Semiconductor Pact with India
Japan became the second Quad partner after the United States to sign an agreement with India for the joint development of the semiconductor ecosystem and maintain the resilience of its global supply chain.
The agreement was signed between Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura in the national capital.
The nations will create an implementation organisation that will work on government-to-government and industry-to-industry cooperation.
With around 100 semiconductor manufacturing plants, Japan is among the top five countries to have a semiconductor ecosystem.
Gujarat to Get Country's 1st 'Satellite Network Portal Site'
Gujarat will get the country's first 'Satellite Network Portal Site'. An MoU was signed between OneWeb and the state government in Gandhinagar for the establishment of the satellite network portal site near Mehsana. The satellite network portal will be set up at two places in Jotana taluka of Mehsana district, Gujarat with an estimated cost of over Rs. 100 crore for Phase-1. This project under Digital India, aims to provide affordable, secure and high speed internet access to villages, district panchayats, local administrative bodies, government departments, and other entities throughout the country. It is also expected to create approximately 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities in the state.
Indian Team Wins Bronze Medal at Asian Surfing Championship 2023
The Indian surf team, which participated for the first time, in the Asian championship bagged the bronze medal. The icing on the cake was two Tamil Nadu youths breaking into the top 10 Asian rankings. The Asian Surfing Championship was held at Thulusdhoo Island in Maldives, which saw participation from 18 countries. The Surfing Federation of India had sent four senior surfers in the men's category and two surfers in the under-18 category. Five out of the six surfers were from Tamil Nadu.
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Inaugurates International Symposium
Under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20, Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying inaugurated an International Symposium on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at NDDB, Anand.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt of India; National Dairy Development Board (NDDB); Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations jointly organised the 2-day Symposium under the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20.
The 2-day long symposium was aimed to foster insightful discussions and deliberations on the transformation to more efficient and sustainable agri-food systems, with a particular focus on the livestock sector. Distinguished experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from the G20 who participated in the event exchanged knowledge, shared experiences, and explored innovative approaches to ensure the sustainability of the livestock sector.
The symposium was highlighted as a milestone event, driving transformative change in the livestock sector and fostering collaborations for a sustainable future.
Regional Office of Universal Postal Union Inaugurated in New Delhi
Minister of State for Communication Devusinh Chauhan and Director General, Universal Postal Union (DG UPU) Masahiko Metoki inaugurated the Regional Office of Universal Postal Union (UPU). The Regional Office will undertake UPU's technical assistance activities in South Asia region by entering into a host country agreement by Department of Posts, India.
The Regional Office of UPU in India will serve as a vital platform for exchanging ideas, experiences and expertise, thereby accelerating the modernisation and transformation of the postal sector. It will act as a hub for promoting collaboration among UPU member countries in the Asia Pacific region, encouraging innovation and facilitating knowledge sharing to enhance postal services.
Establishment of the UPU Regional Office in India is a significant step towards India's commitment for South-South cooperation and its active role in global postal development. It will also create opportunities for joint initiatives and capacity building programmes that will enhance the quality of postal services, cross-border e-commerce and contribute to economic development and social well-being.
Opposition Bloc 'INDIA' Gets its Tagline 'Jeetega Bharat'
After the opposition parties announced 'INDIA' as the name for their alliance, they finalised 'Jeetega Bharat' as the 26-member bloc's tagline, setting the tone for their 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
The Hindi tagline means 'India will win' and is likely to be replicated in several regional languages.
During the meeting in Bengaluru, several leaders felt that the word 'Bharat' should feature in the name of the alliance. So, it was decided that it would feature in the tagline.
IAF Maintenance Command Develops Satellite-based Real Time Aircraft Tracking System
The Indian Air Force's Maintenance Command developed a satellite-based real time aircraft tracking system that can get information about the location of an aircraft.
Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer Commanding in Chief (AOC-in-C), Maintenance Command, said that the aircraft tracking system would be implemented once the final trial in the eastern sector gets over. The indigenously developed a real time aircraft tracking system, can get the update on the location of a flying aircraft every 30 seconds.
USS Stethem Conducts Cooperative Deployment with Indian Navy in Goa
The USA's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) conducted a Cooperative Deployment (CODEP) with the Indian Navy following the ship's port visit to Goa.
The US Navy destroyer worked with the Indian Navy frigate INS Tarkash (F-50), and the operations focused on building interoperability and strengthening relationships through manoeuvering and communication exercises.
US Consul General in Mumbai Mike Hankey said that the port visit reinforces President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to an Indo-Pacific region built on shared values and principles "as we strengthen the relationship between our two countries.
Rajasthan Government Tables Bill for Minimum Income, Employment, Pension
The Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government tabled the Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, with an aim to provide entitlement-based social security to support the individuals or households with an additional minimum guaranteed income in the form of a guaranteed wage or social security pension,
The Bill has three broad components - Right to Minimum Guaranteed Income, Right to Guaranteed Employment and Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension, and the government anticipates an additional expenditure of Rs. 2,500 crore per year due to the scheme, which may increase with time.
The Mahatma Gandhi Minimum Guaranteed Income Yojana (MGMGIY), as the scheme brought under this Act will be called, states that the state shall provide to all eligible people a minimum guaranteed income by providing employment in urban areas through the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (IGUEGS), and in rural areas through Chief Minister Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (CMREGS) or by providing pension to an eligible category of old age/specially abled/widow/single woman.
Under the Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension, every eligible person falling in the category of old, specially abled, widow or single woman is entitled to a pension. An important component of the pension would be an automatic increase of 15 per cent annually on the base rate in two instalments, i.e. 5 per cent in July and 10 per cent in January of each financial year, starting from financial year 2024-2025.
London Retains Its Number 1 Position in QS World's Best Cities for Students
The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Rankings for Best Student Cities 2024 released on July 19.
London retains its top spot as the world's best student city for the fifth consecutive time. Tokyo grabbed the second place, followed by Seoul in third. Melbourne was fourth, while Munich fifth.
One area of concern for all Indian cities which remained was the Desirability indicator, where none have made it to the top 100 globally. The Desirability indicator considers metrics related to quality of life, pollution index, safety, and the propensity of prospective students to select a city for their university experience, as per QS ranking.
Navy Signs Agreement to Revive 2,000-Year-Old Shipbuilding Technique
The Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy joined hands to revive and preserve a 2000-year-old technique of shipbuilding.
The technique is known as 'Tankai' method or the 'stitched shipbuilding method'.
Reviving and rejuvenating this fading art is crucial to ensure the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Uma Nanduri, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Priyanka Chandra, Director (AKAM), Ministry of Culture; and Rear Admiral K. S. Srinivas; Commodore Sujeet Bakshi; and Commander Sandeep Roy from the Indian Navy.
The Indian Navy will oversee the implementation and execution of the entire project. As custodians of maritime security and experts in the field, the Indian Navy's involvement ensures seamless project management and adherence to the highest standards of safety and precision.
The stitched ship holds significant cultural value in India, given its historical importance and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship.
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