European Union Launches Membership Negotiations with Ukraine
The European Union launched membership talks with Ukraine, a decade after Russian troops seized Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbours on the path to war.
Ukraine's accession negotiations were set in motion at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg.
In opening remarks presented via video-link, Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal described it as "a historic day" that marks "a new chapter" in his country's ties with the bloc. The talks could take years to conclude.
NATO Appoints Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its Next Secretary-general
NATO appointed Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general, putting the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister in charge of the world's biggest security organization at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine.
The outgoing Dutch premier will take over from the current secretary general, Norway's Jens Stoltenberg, on Oct. 1. Stoltenberg spent more than a decade at the helm. His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
RBI Appoints Director on the Board of Bandhan Bank after Drop in Profits
The Reserve Bank of India appointed a director on the board of private sector lender Bandhan Bank, which will soon see a top management transition.
The RBI, under the Banking Regulation Act, can appoint directors to boards in order to oversee bank operations.
In a notification issued by Bandhan Bank, the private lender confirmed that Arun Kumar Singh, a Chief General Manager at the RBI, is the additional director of Bandhan Bank for a year, starting June 24.
Arun Kumar Singh has worked with the RBI for 36 years and managed positions in Non-Banking Supervision & Regulation, Financial Inclusion and Monetary Policy.
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Elevates Anuj Tyagi as MD and CEO
HDFC ERGO General Insurance announced the elevation of Anuj Tyagi as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Tyagi will succeed Ritesh Kumar effective July 1. Tyagi has been with the company since 2008.
Tyagi's appointment follows a decision approved by the board, marking a significant change in the company's leadership. Ritesh Kumar will transition to ERGO International, joining its Board of Management as the new Deputy Chief Operating Officer (COO) from October 4, 2024. Kumar will focus on expanding the company's presence in Asian markets such as China, Thailand, and Singapore, pending administrative approvals and consent from ERGO International's Supervisory Board.
ICICI Bank Unveils 'SmartLock', a New Safety Feature for iMobile Pay
ICICI Bank launched 'SmartLock', a new safety measure that will enable customers to lock/unlock multiple banking services without any help from a customer care executive through phone or e-mail.
The "first-of-its-kind" measure in the country's banking sector will be available of iMobile Pay. It will empower customers to lock/unlock access to internet banking, UPI (including payments from other UPI apps linked to the bank account), credit and debit cards, simply by clicking a button.
The new feature also permits account holders to lock or unlock the entire iMobile Pay.
The feature can be used to deactivate a particular banking service and in case of a possible fraudulent transaction.
China Becomes 1st Country to Bring Soil Samples from Far Side of the Moon
China became the first country to successfully bring rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon as its Chang'e 6 probe returned on Earth. The probe landed in northern China in the Inner Mongolian region.
Chinese scientists hope that the samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material which will help answer questions about geographic differences on the moon's two sides.
The near side of the moon is visible from the Earth and the far side faces outer space. The far side of the moon is known to have mountains and impact craters, contrasting with the relatively flat expanses visible on the near side.
ISRO Arm NSIL Signs $18-million Deal with Australian Govt. for Commercial Satellite Launch
The Australian government signed an $18-million memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO's) commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
Under the partnership Australian firm Space Machines will launch a satellite inspection and observation payload aboard ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in 2026. Rajat Kulshrestha, cofounder of Space Machines, said that the payload will be the biggest Australian satellite launched to date.
BCCI Announces India Squad for Zimbabwe Tour; Shubman Gill Named Captain
The BCCI announced the Indian squad for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The T20I series is starting on July 6.
A Men's Selection Committee selected a 15-player squad for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. India will visit Harare in the first week of July and participate in the T20I series against the hosts.
Shubman Gill will lead a revamped India team for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in early July, following the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
The squad includes only two players from the main T20 World Cup team: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson.
Players such as Gill, Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed, who are reserves in the T20 World Cup touring party, have also been included in the squad.
Delhi Judoka Tulika Secures Paris Quota
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tulika Maan secured a Paris Olympics quota for India in judo, according to the international body's list.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) published a list of judokas who have qualified for the Paris Games and the 25-year-old Tulika's name featured in the +78 kg category.
Tulika was ranked 36th with 1345 points.
The next step will take place on July 2 when the NOCs (National Olympic Committees) will have to nominate which athletes will represent them, knowing that only one judoka per NOC can participate in the Games in each weight category.
Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education Launched
The Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCORE) was inaugurated at the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district. Speaking at the inauguration event, Indian Olympic Association president and legendary sprinter PT Usha said that the centre will serve as a hub of knowledge, innovation and performance in the Indian sports ecosystem.
Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCORE) within Rashtriya Raksha University, India, has attained official recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an academic centre promoting Olympic values.
Ministry of Coal Initiates India's First Ever Pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand
The Ministry of Coal has initiated India's first-ever pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand.
This initiative, under the aegis of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), aims to revolutionise the coal industry by converting coal into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide through in-situ gasification.
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) provides a crucial benefit by unlocking coal deposits that are not economically feasible to extract using conventional mining techniques.
This pilot initiative marks a major milestone for Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, positioning India at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge coal gasification technologies.
Om Birla Elected as Speaker
BJP leader and NDA candidate Om Birla was elected as Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha. Birla was elected against INDIA bloc's candidate K. Suresh during the voice vote held in the House. Om Birla is the only Lok Sabha speaker after Balram Jakhar in 1985 to get two full terms.
Earlier, the motions to elect Speaker of the Lok Sabha were moved by both NDA and INDIA factions. Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha were elected based on consensus between the ruling party and the opposition.
Om Birla is a three-time MP from Kota, Rajasthan. He was the speaker in the previous Lok Sabha (17th) too. K Suresh of the Congress, has served eight terms representing Kerala's Mavelikara constituency. Suresh holds the distinction of being the longest-serving parliamentarian in the 18th Lok Sabha.
INS Shivalik Reaches Singapore for RIMPAC Exercise
Indian warship, INS Shivalik, is taking part in the biennial Rim of the Pacific or RIMPAC exercise.
With the theme, 'Partners: Integrated and Prepared', RIMPAC 2024 is taking place in and around the Hawaiian Islands from June 26 to August 1, 2024.
Forces from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States are participating in this year's (2024) RIMPAC.
The exercise hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, who will also serve as the Combined Task Force commander. For the first time in RIMPAC history, Commodore Alberto Guerrero from the Chilean Navy is serving as deputy commander of the CTF and Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as vice commander.
Defence Ministry signs 350th Contract under iDEX for Miniaturised Satellite
The 350th contract under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence was signed with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd for the design and development of a 'miniaturised satellite capable of carrying electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar, and hyperspectral payloads up to 150 kg.
The contract was exchanged between Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO, Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) Anurag Bajpai and Founder and CEO of SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt. Ltd. SpacePixxel has been actively working to build and launch high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites to provide detailed earth observation data.
Frank Duckworth, Co-inventor of DLS Method, Passes Away at 84
Frank Duckworth, one of the inventors of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, passed away. He was 84.
The Duckworth-Lewis method, devised by Duckworth and fellow statistician Tony Lewis, was introduced to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches. Lewis had passed away aged 78 in 2020.
The method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was formally adopted by the ICC as the standard method for setting revised targets in truncated games in 2001.
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on June 26 every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations observation that takes place internationally. On this day, the agenda is to advocate against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It has been observed annually since 1989. The date June 26 commemorates Lin Zexu's dismantling of the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong. This incident took place on June 25, 1839, just a few days before the First Opium War in China. The United Nations instituted the observation on December 7, 1987.
The theme for International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2024 is 'The evidence is clear: invest in prevention'.
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
The UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed on June 26 to commemorate the day in 1987 when the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force. This convention is a crucial instrument in the global fight against torture.
The Torture Agreement, officially known as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, came into effect on June 26, 1987. This marked an important milestone in recognizing the universal prohibition of torture. A decade later, on June 26, 1997, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated this date as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
Govt Rolls Out a Nationwide Campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI)
Tobacco use is one of the major causes of preventable deaths and diseases in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year in the country. India is also the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco. According to Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, 8.5 percent of school students in the age group of 13 to 15 consume tobacco in different forms across the country.
Easy access to tobacco products in its different forms around our school buildings and campuses believed to be one of the major contributing factors causing the above situation.
As part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, issued the Tobacco Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) Guidelines for safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco use.
Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education has developed a "ToFEI Implementation Manual" for schools and launched it on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) which was observed on 31st May, 2024. The objective is to make educational institutions across the nation comply with the ToFEI guidelines and become #Tobacco Free Area.
Ladakh Achieves Full Functional Literacy
Ladakh achieved a 97% literacy rate following the implementation of the ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram scheme, making it a fully "functionally literate" administrative unit. At a function conducted at Sindhu Sanskritik Kendra (SSK) in Leh, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, B. D. Mishra, stated that Ladakh is the first administrative unit to achieve full functional literacy under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram and the accomplishment is indicative of the administration's dedication to enabling its people via Foundational Literacy & Numeracy (FLN), a term that include fundamental abilities in reading, writing, and maths.
ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, also known as the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), is a centrally sponsored initiative running from 2022 to 2027. Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it aims to empower adults aged 15 and above, regardless of background, who missed out on formal schooling, integrating them into society to enhance national development.
The programme comprises five key components: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, and Continuing Education. ULLAS envisions a literate Bharat - Jan Jan Saakshar, fostering a sense of civic duty and driven by volunteerism.
IIT Madras, University of Leeds Join Hands to Work on Sustainable Development
The University of Leeds, UK and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a Joint Virtual Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Development (VCoE-SD).
The network will develop a step-change in the depth and breadth of current collaboration between the University of Leeds and IIT Madras as well as consolidate existing links between Leeds academics and other India Universities working in the area of sustainable development.
The MoU facilitates the development of collaborative research projects and the organisation of joint academic activities, including courses, conferences, seminars, symposia, and lectures. Additionally, it promotes the exchange of research and teaching personnel, student placements and exchanges, and the sharing of publications and other materials of mutual interest.
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