Current Affairs July 08th 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam is to be inaugurated in Varanasi by Prime Minister:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam at Varanasi.
• The Samagam is being organized by the Education Ministry in association with University Grants Commission and Banaras Hindu University.
• The three-day event will bring together over 300 Vice-Chancellors and Directors from public and private universities, educationists, policymakers, as also industry representatives to deliberate on how the implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 can be taken further across the country after the successful implementation of several initiatives in the last two years.

Attendees:

• Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will also attend.

Key Points:

• The summit will provide a platform for leading Indian Higher Educational Institutions to discuss, deliberate, and share insights on strategies, success stories, and best practices in implementing the National Education Policy-2020.
• The key highlight of the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam will be the adoption of the Varanasi Declaration on Higher Education which will showcase India’s extended vision and a renewed commitment to help achieve the goals of the higher education system.

CBSE launches Pariksha Sangam portal to streamline board examination results:

• To consolidate board examination results, sample papers, and other information in a single window, the CBSE Board has created a website named “Pariksha Sangam.”
• The recently developed Pariksha Sangam portal, according to com, “would unify numerous examination-related operations to be carried out by the school’s regional offices and the Headquarters of the CBSE Board.”

About Pariksha Sangam:

• Students may readily view the results of the Class 10th and Class 12th boards on Pariksha Sangam, another portal.
• The Pariksha Sangam is split into three primary sections: the head office (Ganga), regional offices, and schools (Saraswati).
• All of the operations linked to the CBSE Board Result 2022 for classes 10th and 12th will be streamlined through the Pariksha Sangam platform.
• Examples include the CBSE circular, the most recent CBSE news, reference books, sample papers, model papers, the Question Bank, school results, and much more.

Section for Pariksha Sangam Schools (Ganga):

• Students and all other stakeholders will have access to exam study materials, details on pre-exam and exam activities, school DigiLocker, and post-exam activities, as well as communication and an integrated payment system, under this area (IPS).

Regional offices for Pariksha Sangam (Yamuna) section:

• The Historical Information Repository of Schools, RO Dashboards for Command, Control, and E-Sandesh, Integrated Payment Monitoring for Term 1 and Data Management, and other topics are covered in this part for CBSE hopefuls.

Pariksha Sangam’s Saraswati headquarters section:

• Students may learn more about Exam Reference Material, Pre-Exam Dates/MIS, Exam Conduct MIS, Post Exam Data, Centralized LOC Correction, CMTM, and many more topics in this area.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NATO nations sign accession protocols for Sweden, Finland

• The 30 allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland at NATO.
• The signing was held in the presence of Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde.
• The signing of the accession protocols marks the start of the ratification process.
• The signing comes days after the trilateral memorandum between Turkey, Finland, and
• Turkey had initially opposed the Nordic countries’ entry into the group alleging that the two nations are providing shelter to Kurdish separatists.

Key Highlights :

• The move increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 & military struggles there since.
• Despite the agreement in the alliance, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still pose problems for their final inclusion as members.
• Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Ankara could still block the process if the two countries fail to fully meet Turkey’s demand to extradite terror suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of a failed 2016 coup in Turkey

About NATO :

• Established: 4 April 1949
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg
• Membership: 30 States (28 European and two North American)

About Sweden :

• Prime Minister : Magdalena Andersson
• Capital: Stockholm
• Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)

About Finland :

• President : Sauli Niinistö
• PM: Sanna Marin
• Capital: Helsinki
• Currency: Euro

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Rajasthan govt set to introduce India’s first right-to-health Bill in 2022

• The Rajasthan government will introduce the Right to Health Bill, the first of its kind in India in the Rajasthan Assembly.

Aim :

• To provide quality and affordable health care services by government and private healthcare providers.
• In January 2022, the government prepared a draft bill that defines the rights of patients, their attendants, and health care providers, as well as a system for addressing the grievances of the stakeholders.
• Rajasthan has ensured the health and security of every family by providing free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh to the people through Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana.
• Along with this, accident insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh is being given to the families registered in the scheme.
• Recently, the chief minister approved Rs 117 crore for the expansion of the facilities in Mahila Chikitsalaya (women’s hospital) at Sanganeri Gate in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

About Rajasthan :

• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief Minister : Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur

UP becomes 1st state to integrate ODOP mart with ONDC platform

• Uttar Pradesh(UP) has become the first state in the country to connect One District One Product (ODOP) mart with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.

Aim :

• To promote open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
• The pilot phase of integration of ODOP Mart on ONDC was inaugurated by the Additional Chief Secretary, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of Uttar Pradesh Dr. Navneet Sehgal.
• The UP government has actively started working with ONDC to get all the One District One Product (ODOP) products available on the ONDC network.
• The ODOP products will be displayed on all e-commerce portals and apps that are associated with ONDC.
• ONDC collaborates with Uttar Pradesh Handicrafts Development & Marketing Corporation, to make One District One Product.
• ONDC will also provide logistics facilities to its customers.
• A total of seven companies– one buyer side app, five seller side apps, and one logistics service provider app have adopted ONDC protocols and built their ONDC compatible apps.

About UP :

• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Capital: Lucknow

PM Shri Narendra Modi launches 125th birth anniversary celebration of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju in AP

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the year-long 125th birth anniversary celebration of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
• The Prime Minister will also unveil a 30-feet tall bronze statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju.
• The occasion was facilitated by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh Shri Biswabhusan Harichandan, Chief Minister Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy.
• The government has also approved the construction of the Alluri Dhyana Mandir at Mogallu with a statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju in Dhyana Mudra.

About Alluri Sitarama Raju :

• Alluri Sitarama Raju was Born on 4th July 1897, in Andhra Pradesh.
• He is remembered for his fight against the British, to safeguard the interests of the tribal communities in the Eastern Ghats region.
• He became involved in opposing the British in response to the 1882 Madras Forest Act, which effectively restricted the free movement of Adivasis (tribal communities).
• He had led the Rampa rebellion, which was launched in 1922.
• He is referred to as “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Jungles) by the local people.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

South Indian Bank Partners with Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department for digital payment collection

• The South Indian Bank (SIB) has signed an agreement with Kerala’s Forest and Wildlife
• Department to enable digital collection of payments at eco-tourism centers, Vanasree shops, mobile Vanasree units, and eco-shops across Kerala.

About the Partnership :

• Through this partnership, the digital collection system of South Indian Bank will now be available at all 124 tourist spots that fall under the Forest Department.
• The tie-up will commence with the setting up of 124 POS machines under 36 forest department agencies across Kerala.
• The Forest Department has set up Vanasree shops and units with the objective of marketing forest products, conserving and managing biodiversity, protecting the rich and sensitive ecosystem, and uplifting the living standards of the tribals working in the area.

About SIB :

• Founded: 29 January 1929
• Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India
• Chairman : Salim Gangadharan
• MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan

About Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department :

• Established: 1888
• Headquarters: Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
• Minister for Forests and Wildlife, Zoos & Animal Husbandry: A. K. Saseendran

SBI General Insurance launches cyber insurance cover for individuals – Cyber VaultEdge

• SBI General Insurance has launched the Cyber VaultEdge insurance plan, a comprehensive cyber insurance cover for individuals that protects against financial losses arising from cyber risks and attacks.

Aim :

• To secure individuals by minimizing financial losses arising due to internet-based risk / cyber risks through a comprehensive and affordable product.
• To address the risks that individuals face due to cybercrime and instances of reputation damage, fraudulent transactions with credit cards, debit cards, theft of personal information, etc.,

About Cyber VaultEdge :

• SBI General Cyber VaultEdge offers a range of benefits and protects individuals against cyber risks, allowing them to be assured against any such instances while conducting activities on the internet or during digital transactions.
• It covers unauthorized e-transactions, loss of wages resulting from identity theft, and instances impacting online reputation including social media trolling, bullying, and stalking.
• The policy takes care of legal costs and expenses incurred in pursuing or defending legal action against/by a third party.
• The policy reimburses the expenses incurred for the services of an IT specialist or to restore data by availing services of any IT specialist.
• To ensure the mental well-being of individuals, Cyber VaultEdge also covers consultation expenses of psychologists for trauma or stress arising due to such incidents.
• According to CERT-In, cyber security incidents jumped to Rs. 14.02 lakh in 2021 from Rs. 2.08 lakh in 2018, meanwhile, the losses due to cybercrime, ATM/debit card, credit card, and internet banking fraud were estimated at Rs. 63.4 crore in 2020-21, as per data published by private and public banks.

About SBI General Insurance :

• Founded: 2009
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Prakash Chandra Kandpal

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Manappuram Finance re-appoints Mr. V P Nandakumar as MD&CEO

• Manappuram Finance Limited has approved the reappointment of Mr. V P Nandakumar as the managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of the company with effect from 27 July 2022 up to 31 March 2024.

About  Mr V P Nandakumar :

• Mr. V. P. Nandakumar is an Indian businessman hailing from Valapad in Thrissur District of Kerala.
• He is a post-graduate in science with additional qualifications in Banking & Foreign Trade.
• He started his banking career with Nedungadi Bank.
• In 1992, he was promoted to Manappuram Finance and has been a director of the company.
• He is also the chairman of Asirvad Microfinance, the 4th largest MFI in India with over Rs. 5,000 crore AUM (Assets Under Management).
• He is also the International Director of the Lion’s Club International

About Manappuram Finance :

• Founded: 1949
• Headquarters: Valappad, Thrissur, Kerala, India
• Manappuram Finance is one of India’s leading gold loan non-banking financial companies (NBFC).

UN chief Antonio Guterres appoints Lt Gen Mr. Subramanian as Force Commander of UN Mission in South Sudan

• United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has appointed Lieutenant General Mr. Mohan Subramanian of India as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• Lt General Mr. Subramanian succeeds Lt General Mr. Shailesh Tinaikar of India.
• Mr. Tinaikar was appointed by Guterres as the UNMISS Force Commander in May 2019.

About Lt Gen Mr. Mohan Subramanian :

• Lieutenant General Mr. Subramanian has a distinguished military career with the Indian Army spanning over 36 years.
• He served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region (Operational and Logistic Readiness Zone) in central India, contributing to the Army’s operational and logistic preparedness.
• He has served as the Additional Director General for Procurement and Equipment Management at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) (2019-2021).
• He has served as the General Officer Commanding a Strike Infantry Division (2018-2019), Deputy General Officer Commanding of Infantry Division (2015-2016), and Commander of a Mountain Brigade (2013-2014) among other appointments within the Indian Armed Forces.
• He also served as India’s Defence Attaché to Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia (2008-2012) and as a Staff Officer with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in 2000.
• India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping.
• India is the second-highest military troop-contributing country to UNMISS with 2,385 Indian peacekeepers serving with the mission, second only to Rwanda.
• India currently contributes 30 police personnel to UNMISS.

About UNMISS :

• Established: 9 July 2011
• Headquarters: Juba, South Sudan
• Parent Organization: United Nations Security Council
• UNMISS is a United Nations peacekeeping mission for South Sudan.

Garmin India appoints Indian triathlete Kaustubh Radkar as brand ambassador

• Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. has appointed Indian triathlete, Kaustubh Radkar as a brand ambassador of Garmin’s fitness segment.
• He has been involved with Garmin India as a coach.

About Kaustubh Radkar :

• Kaustubh Radkar is an Ironman Certified Coach and is the first and only Indian to complete the Ironman Triathlon on 30 occasions.
• In October 2017 and May 2022, he was the only Indian to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii, and St. George, Utah, United States.
• He was the fastest Indian at the Comrades Ultra Marathon in 2016 and holds the record for the fastest debut for an Indian at Ultraman Florida.
• He was a former Indian national swimming champion from 1995 to 2000.
• He has also been chosen as one of the Fit India ambassadors, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Fit India Movement, which was started in 2019.

Additional Info :

• Recently, Garmin launched two new entrants to their Forerunner series; the Forerunner 955 solar, the world’s first GPS-enabled running smartwatch with solar charging, and Forerunner 255 series.
• Both state-of-the-art devices offer a wide array of features designed to help professional runners and athletes surpass their limits.

About Garmin Ltd :

• Founded: October 1989
• Headquarters: Olathe, Kansas, U.S
• President & CEO: Cliff Pemble
• Chairman: Min Kao

Mr. Suranjan Das was appointed as president of the Association of Indian Universities

• Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Mr. Suranjan Das was appointed as the president of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
• He will take up the issue of executing the new education policy’s (NEP) salient features, raising central funding for state universities involved in important research activities, and work on taking the standards of Indian universities to global levels.

About Mr Suranjan Das :

• Mr. Suranjan Das was a Professor of History at the University of Calcutta and served as the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Calcutta for the period between 2008 and 2015.
• He has been associated with research projects funded by such international bodies as the British Council, Wellcome Trust, Leverhume Foundation, and Frederick Stiftung.
• He has authored 6 monographs, co-authored 4 books, co-edited 6 volumes, edited 2 volumes, and published 34 articles in refereed journals and edited volumes.
• He was a recipient of the USIS International Visitorship Programme.
• He has served in policy formulation bodies concerned with higher education in India like the University Grants Commission, and the Indian Council of Historical Research.

About AIU :

• Founded: 1925
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI approves acquisition of Citrix Systems by Vista & Elliott managed funds

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Citrix Systems Inc (Citrix) by funds managed by Vista Equity Partners Management (Vista) and funds and investment vehicles managed by Elliott Investment Management (Elliott).
• The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of Citrix by funds managed by Vista and funds and investment vehicles managed by Elliot approved by the Commission in its meeting held in June 2022.
• The proposed combination will be implemented under an Agreement and a Plan of Merger entered into among Citrix, Picard Parent, Picard Merger Sub, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Picard Parent), and TIBCO Software Inc (TIBCO).

The names of the parties to the combination are:

• Elliott Alto Aggregator GP LLC (Elliott Aggregator)
• Picard Parent, Inc (Picard Parent)
• Picard HoldCo LLC (Holdco)
• Citrix Systems, Inc. (Citrix).
• Vista and Elliott have been collectively referred to as Acquirers.
• The Acquirers and Citrix are collectively referred to as the Parties.

About Vista :

• Vista is a US-based investment firm focused on empowering and growing enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses.
• It controls some portfolio companies that are active in the provision of IT services such as the provision business software.

About Elliott :

• Elliott is a US-based investment firm whose flagship fund, Elliott Associates, L.P., was founded in 1977.

About Citrix :

• Citrix is a multinational enterprise software company.
• Headquarters: Florida, United States of America
• It is focused on helping organizations deliver a consistent and secure work experience.

About CCI :

• Founded: 14 October 2003
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• First Chairman: Dhanendra Kumar
• Current Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
• Secretary : P K Singh
• CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for enforcing the Competition Act, 2002.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Tata Power and Tamil Nadu ink a pact to establish a solar manufacturing facility:

• The Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power have agreed to spend 3000 crores on the development of a new solar cell and module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli region of the state.
• The agreement states that both sides would work to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and the development of jobs in the state.
• The facility investment must be spread out over a longer time frame—more than 16 months—and it must lead to the development of employment, the majority of which will go to women.

Key Points:

• The effort will result in the creation of more than 2,000 direct and indirect work opportunities, the majority of which will be available to women.
• This would be Tata Power’s second such production plant after the one in Bengaluru.
• The Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power have agreed to spend Rs. 3000 crores on the development of a new solar cell and module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli region of the state.
• According to a corporate statement, the Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power, one of India’s top integrated power companies, have agreed to an about Rs 3,000 crore investment to construct a 4GW solar cell and 4GW solar module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

About Tata Power

• CEO: Praveer Sinha
• Founder: Dorabji Tata
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1911

NTPC signs MoU for 10 GW renewable energy park with Rajasthan govt:

• To achieve the target of 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032, NTPC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Rajasthan for the development of a 10 GW Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Rajasthan.
• The MOU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Rajasthan Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati.
• According to the Ministry of Power, in less than two years since its inception, NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has won 4 GW renewable energy capacity by bidding in various tenders which are under different stages of implementation.
• Additionally, NTPC REL is developing one UMREPP of 4.75 GW capacity in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, and NTPC REL has entered into a joint venture agreement with DVC for developing RE Parks and projects.

Key Points:

• NTPC declared the commercial operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana with effect from July 1.
• With the operationalization of the 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, the total commercial operation of floating solar capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW.
• Earlier, NTPC declared commercial operation of 92 MW Floating Solar at Kayamkulam (Kerala) and 25 MW Floating Solar at Simhadri (Andhra Pradesh).
• With the operationalization of the 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, the total commercial operation of floating solar capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW.

AAI signs agreement with Govt. of Uttar Pradesh for Operation & Management:

• Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an Operation & Management agreement for the operationalization of five airports owned by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for 30 years.
• These five airports are Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Muirpur & Shravasti.
• As per the agreement, AAI will operate and manage the airports and provide all necessary services.
• Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) services will also be provided by AAI, for which State Government will enter into a separate agreement.
• Further, Reserved Services will be provided by the respective GoI for which GoUP shall enter a separate MoU with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), GoI.
• AAI will also be responsible for obtaining and maintaining of aerodrome license for these five airports.

Attendees:

• The agreement was signed by Shri N V Subbarayudu, ED (SIU) on behalf of AAI and Sri Kumar Harsh, Special Secretary, Civil Aviation Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh on behalf of the State Government in presence of Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• The MoU was exchanged by Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman AAI, and Shri SP Goyal Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh.
• Shri D S Mishra, Chief Secretary of UP, and Shri AK Pathak, Member Planning (AAI) were also present.

Key Points:

• As per the agreement, the Government of UP will complete the initial capital works for making airports ready for commercial operation and hand over all moveable and immovable assets along with relevant approvals, and documents to AAI for operation & management.
• The government of Uttar Pradesh will provide dedicated infrastructure for utilities like water, electricity, drainage connection, etc. at the airport (to & within).
• This is the first time AAI is entering into an O&M Agreement with the State Government for the Operationalization of State Government-owned airports.
• AAI is the largest airport operator and sole air navigation service provider committed to providing air connectivity across the country.

IIT Hyderabad and Greenko inks a pact to establish sustainable sci-tech school:

• Greenko, a provider of renewable energy, has teamed with IIT-Hyderabad to build a school where students will receive training in sustainable objectives including energy transition, circular economy, and climate change mitigation, among others.
• According to a statement from the business, the Greenko School of Sustainable Science and Technology (GSSST) will open towards the end of this year.
• By June 2023, the first group of applicants will be accepted for the MTech and Ph.D. programs in sustainable science and technology, followed by the BTech program.

Key Points:

• It will be the first university in the country to educate only environmentally friendly science and technology.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of the union minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
• According to Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, we must innovate and develop our models if we want to attain self-sufficiency and enhance global wellbeing.
• In the twenty-first century, technology is available to make the process simpler.
• IIT Hyderabad will significantly affect the internationalization of the Indian brand as India will lead the fourth industrial revolution.
• Everyone must be aware of the prime minister’s vision for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Boxers Alfiya Pathan and Gitika clinch gold medals: Elorda Cup

• Alfiya Pathan and Gitika, the current Youth World Boxing champions, took home gold in the Elorda Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• Silver medals were won by two more female boxers from India, Kalaivani Srinivasan, and Jamuna Boro.
• Alfiya defeated Lazzat Kungeibayeva, the 2016 world champion and a strong contender for the championship, with a score of 5-0 in the women’s 81-kilogram final.
• In an exciting all-Indian women’s 48-kg final, Gitika defeated Kalaivani by a score of 4-1.
• The last day’s addition of two gold, two silver, and ten bronze medals gave the 33-member Indian delegation a total of 14 medals, bringing their campaign to a successful conclusion.
• Leading athletes from nations including India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the host nation, Cuba, China, and Mongolia competed in the competition.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

A new edition of Viswanathan Anand’s memoir ‘Mind Master’ released soon:

• Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world chess champion, has released an enhanced paperback edition of his critically acclaimed autobiography “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life,” according to Hachette India.
• On July 15, the book—which includes an extra chapter on how to deal with uncertainty and quickly shifting reality in the aftermath of the pandemic—will be available for purchase.
• Anand co-wrote it with journalist-author Susan Ninan.
• In “Mind Master,” Anand takes stock of a lifetime of games played, opponents faced, and problems overcame and extracts useful insights that will aid every reader in overcoming life’s obstacles.
• Anand touches on some pearls throughout the book with his signature humor, unassuming insight, and disarming candour.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Freedom fighter P. Gopinathan Nair passes away

• Freedom fighter, Gandhian Padmanabha Pillai Gopinathan Nair (P.P Gopinathan Nair) Passed away at the age of 100 in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About P. Gopinathan Nair :

• Gopinathan Nair was born on 7 July 1922, in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district of the south Indian state of Kerala.
• He was an Indian social worker, Gandhian, and independence activist.
• He was a former chairman of Kerala Mahatma Gandhi National Memorial Trust, popularly known as Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, a trust managed by the Union government.
• He participated in the Quit India movement of 1942.

Awards & Honors :

• He was a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award
• The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor of the Padma Shri, in 2016, for his contributions to society.

OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo Passes away

• A Nigerian politician and secretary-general of the oil producer group Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammad Barkindo passed away at the age of 63 in Nigeria.

About Mohammad Barkindo :

• Barkindo began his career with the Nigerian Mining Corporation in 1982
• He served as Acting Secretary-General in 2006, represented Nigeria in OPEC’s Economic Commission Board from 1993 to 2008, and led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from 2009 to 2010.
• He headed Nigeria’s technical delegation to UN climate negotiations beginning in 1991.
• Barkindo had headed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2016 and was scheduled to be replaced by Kuwait’s Haitham Al-Ghais.
• He also served as deputy managing director of Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas.
• He was a frequent speaker at the Atlantic Council’s global energy forum.

About OPEC :

• Founded: 14 September 1960
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
• Membership: 13 Member Countries ( Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela)
• OPEC is an intergovernmental organization.

Former Bihar Agriculture Minister and Veteran Socialist Leader Narendra Sing Passes away

• Former Bihar agriculture minister and a veteran socialist leader, Narendra Singh passed away in Patna at the age of 75.

About Narendra Singh :

• Narendra Singh is one of the prominent political personalities to emerge from the state’s “JP movement” in the 1970s.
• He began his political career as an MLA from Chakai in Jamui in the 1980s.
• Singh worked with all three stalwarts of state politics – Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and the late Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
• He was the most famous upper-caste Rajput leader in Jamui and Banka region after former Union Minister Digvijay Singh.
• He served as Bihar agriculture minister in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet till 2014.

Daily CA on July 08 :

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam at Varanasi.
• To consolidate board examination results, sample papers, and other information in a single window, the CBSE Board has created a website named “Pariksha Sangam.”

• The 30 allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland at NATO.
• The Rajasthan government will introduce the Right to Health Bill, the first of its kind in India in the Rajasthan Assembly.
• Uttar Pradesh(UP) has become the first state in the country to connect One District One Product (ODOP) mart with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the year-long 125th birth anniversary celebration of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
• The South Indian Bank (SIB) has signed an agreement with Kerala’s Forest and Wildlife Department to enable digital collection of payments at eco-tourism centers, Vanasree shops, mobile Vanasree units, and eco-shops across Kerala.
• SBI General Insurance has launched the Cyber VaultEdge insurance plan, a comprehensive cyber insurance cover for individuals that protects against financial losses arising from cyber risks and attacks.
• Manappuram Finance Limited has approved the reappointment of Mr. V P Nandakumar as the managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of the company with effect from 27 July 2022 to 31 March 2024.
• United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has appointed Lieutenant General Mr. Mohan Subramanian of India as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. has appointed Indian triathlete, Kaustubh Radkar as a brand ambassador of Garmin’s fitness segment.
• Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Mr. Suranjan Das was appointed as the president of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Citrix Systems Inc (Citrix) by funds managed by Vista Equity Partners Management (Vista) and funds and investment vehicles managed by Elliott Investment Management (Elliott).
• The Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power have agreed to spend Rs. 3000 crores on the development of a new solar cell and module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli region of the state.

• To achieve the target of 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032, NTPC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Rajasthan for the development of a 10 GW Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Rajasthan.
• Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an Operation & Management agreement for the operationalization of five airports owned by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for 30 years.
• Greenko, a provider of renewable energy, has teamed with IIT-Hyderabad to build a school where students will receive training in sustainable objectives including energy transition, circular economy, and climate change mitigation, among others.
• Alfiya Pathan and Gitika, the current Youth World Boxing champions, took home gold in the Elorda Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world chess champion, has released an enhanced paperback edition of his critically acclaimed autobiography “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life,” according to Hachette India.

• Freedom fighter, Gandhian Padmanabha Pillai Gopinathan Nair (P.P Gopinathan Nair) Passed away at the age of 100 in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• A Nigerian politician and secretary-general of the oil producer group Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammad Barkindo passed away at the age of 63 in Nigeria.
• Former Bihar agriculture minister and a veteran socialist leader, Narendra Singh passed away in Patna at the age of 75.