International Affairs
Indian music composer A.R.Rahman has been shortlisted for the 2017 World Soundtrack Awards
- A.R.Rahman, the Oscar winning Indian music composer, has been shortlisted for the 2017 World Soundtrack Awards – a public choice award for his music in the film “Viceroy’s House”.
India’s ranked 23rd in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI)
India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), which is released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- India is ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the maturing category, which refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cybersecurity and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives.
2017 Malabar Trilateral naval exercise has started between India, United States and Japan Bay of Bengal
The 2017 Malabar trilateral naval exercise has started between India, United States and Japan in the Bay of Bengal from July 7-17, 2017 to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.
- The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. The at-sea portions will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal and are designed to advance participating nations’ military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.
BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting-2017 held on July 5, 2017 at Beijing, China.
The 5th edition of BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting-2017 was held on July 5, 2017 at Beijing, China. The Indian delegation was led by Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD).
- Minister Javadekar specifically spoke about the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), SWAYAM platform which has already hosted over 480 courses online, research initiative IMPRINT and Smart India Hackathon. The delegation of all the five BRICS countries participated in the two-day deliberations.
- BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Originally the first four were grouped as "BRIC", before the induction of South Africa in 2010.
Guruswamy Jayraman an Indian-origin personality has been honoured with the highest civilian award “Order of Australia”
- Guruswamy Jayraman, a 69-year-old Indian-origin Glenwood resident, has been honoured with the highest civilian award “Order of Australia” in Australia for community work, the highest civilian award in Australia.
Saima Wazed Hossain, appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in South-East Asia Region
Saima Wazed Hossain, a globally renowned Bangladeshi champion for the cause of autism spectrum disorder, has been appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in South-East Asia Region for two-years.
- As a WHO Goodwill Ambassador, she will create awareness and generating action to address and elevate sufferings of people affected by autism in the region.
2017 World Petroleum Congress (WPC) International Conference in Istanbul, Turkey
The 22nd World Petroleum Congress (WPC) International Conference will takes place in Istanbul, Turkey from July 10 – 12, 2017. Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, will represent India in the conference. The tri-annual WPC Conference is widely recognized as the `Olympics` of the oil and gas industry.
2017 World Food India (WFI) in New Delhi on November 3-5, 2017
- The global food fair “World Food India 2017” will be organised by the Union Food Processing ministry in New Delhi on November 3-5, 2017 to boost food sector.
12th edition of G-20 Summit 2017 held at Hamburg in Germany
The 12th edition of G20 summit will be held at Hamburg in Germany on July 7, 2017 with theme “Shaping an interconnected world”. In the 2-day summit, from India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Indian Delegation at the G20 meet with a firm message on the global menace of terrorism.
- The G20 countries account for more than four-fifths of Gross world product and three-quarters of global trade.
Pradeep Kumar Rawat, the new Ambassador of India to the Republic of Indonesia
Pradeep Kumar Rawat, the IFS officer of 1990 batch, has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to Indonesia. Presently, he is the joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He will succeed Nengcha Lhouvum Mukhopadhaya.
National Affairs
Ahmedabad, Indian city has been declared as a World Heritage City (WHC) by UNESCO
The historic city Ahmedabad has been declared as a World Heritage City at the 41st session of Unesco's world heritage committee meet in Karkow in Poland on Saturday. This day (July 8, 2017) will be remembered in history as for the first time an Indian city was declared a world heritage property.
Achal Kumar Jyoti, the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India
Achal Kumar Jyoti (64), a retired 1975 IAS Officer batch of Gujarat Cadre, is the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), who took over as the head of the Election Commission in New Delhi on today. He succeeded Dr Nasim Zaidi.
2017 Save Public Sector Banks Day (SPSBD) will be celebrated on July 19 in India
The first-ever Save Public Sector Banks Day (SPSBD) will be celebrated by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on July 19, 2017, the 48th anniversary of nationalization of major banks in India.
Sanjay Kumar appointed as the new chief of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Sanjay Kumar, the 1985-batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Director General (DG) of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). He will succeed R K Pachnanda, who was has taken charge as DG the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
2017 Indo-Thai joint military exercise “Maitree” has started in in Himachal Pradesh
The 15-day long annual joint military training exercise “Ex-Maitree-2017” between the Indian and Thai army has started from July 3, 2017 at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.
- The aim of the joint military exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army-to-Army relations and enhance inter-operability between the two armies.
2017 Dree festival has recently celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh
In Arunachal Pradesh, the most popular Dree festival of Apatani community has celebrated across the State with traditional pomp and gaiety on July 5, 2017.
- Through this festival, the Apatanis pray their traditional Gods to bring in a bountiful harvest season along with defeat of destructive forces in the society.
Sports Affairs
India's Harinder Pal Sandhu won the South Australian Open squash title 2017
Harinder Pal Sandhu from India has won the South Australian Open squash title by defeating Rhys Dowling in the final by 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 at Adelaide, Australia. It is Sandhu’s eighth career title at the PSA level.
Tintu Luka, an Indian athlete was the flag bearer for the Indian contingent in Asian Athletics Championship (AAC)-2017
The 22nd edition of Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) has started at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on July 6, 2017 and will continue till July 9, 2017.
- Athlete Tintu Luka was the flag bearer for the Indian contingent which received a rousing welcome from the crowd. Odia athlete Srabani Nanda had the honour of taking the oath on behalf of athletes at the inaugural ceremony.
22nd Asian Athletics Championships Bhubaneswar, Odisha on July 6, 2017
The host nation India bagged 7 medals including two gold to sit atop the medal tally on the day one of the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on July 6, 2017.
- Long distance runner Govindan Laxman has won gold in men’s 5000m race, while Manpreet Kaur won gold medal with a career second best throw of 18.28m in the women’s shotput event.
- V Neena and Nayan James bagged a silver and bronze in women’s long jump while Vikas Gowda, Sanjivini Yadav, Annu Rani added a bronze each in the men’s discus throw, women’s 5000m race and javelin throw respectively.
- The Asian Championships winner gets automatic berth for the World Championships to be held in London in August 2017.
India’s first university only for Dalit students will come up in Hyderabad
India’s first university only for Dalit students will come up in Hyderabad by 2018 as part of the Telangana government’s policy of free education to students from weaker sections from kindergarten to post-graduation (KG to PG) level.
India won the 2017 Asian Team Snooker Championship
India’s leading cueist Pankaj Advani teamed up with Laxman Rawat to demolish Pakistan in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship by 3-0 in Bishskek, Kyrgyszstan on July 5, 2017.