U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed "Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Rios" of Argentina as the Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), the office of the U.N. Secretary General has announced.

 

Rear Admiral Rios will follow Major General Jose Eladin Alcain of Uruguay who has nearly completed his tenure. UNMOGIP emerged from U.N. Security Council Resolution 39 of January 1948 that set up the U.N. Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP). The Karachi Agreement of July 1949 firmed up the role of UN-level military observers and permitted supervision of the Cease Fire Line established in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

He replaced Major General José Eladio Alcain of Uruguay, who steps down after the completion of his assignment.

 

He was also served as the Navy Warfare School’s Education Department Chief (2018), Marines Infantry Fleet Commander (Brigade Commander) (2020–2021)..

Source : The Hindu

Veteran stock investor and newly-launched Akasa Air founder "Rakesh Jhunjhunwala" passed away on Sunday(14th Aug 2022) morning in Mumbai following a prolonged illness. He was 62.

 

The promoter of Akasa Air, Jhunjhunwala appeared days ago at its public launch. He is survived by his wife and three children.

 

Known as “India’s Warren Buffet” for his ability to pick up low-priced quality stocks much before they become high performers, Jhunjhunwala was a cult figure in the Indian capital market. Retail investors followed his investment pattern.

 

Also known as the “Big Bull”, he was always bullish about the Indian growth story. His latest investment was in low-cost airline Akasa Air which started flying operations last week.

 

Jhunjhunwala was started his journey in stock markets while still in college with a capital of just 5,000 rupees. Jhunjhunwala’s net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion (approximately ₹46,000 crore) by Forbes. He was India’s 36th wealthiest individual..

Source : The Hindu

Kuwait has appointed an ambassador to Iran, both countries said on Sunday(14th August 2022). It comes after more than six years after Kuwait recalled its top envoy to Tehran in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after it severed ties with the Islamic Republic in 2016. 

 

Ambassador Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh handed his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran on Saturday(13th Aug 2022), Iran's foreign ministry said on its website. Kuwait's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Munaikh was appointed envoy to Iran.

 

Iran already has an ambassador in Kuwait. The move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve its ties with Iran.

 

Riyadh broke off ties with Tehran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Iran after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shi'ite cleric..

Source : News on Air

Bharti Airtel's shareholders have given their approval for the re-appointment of Gopal Vittal as managing director of the company for a period of five years, starting February 1, 2023.

 

Over 97 per cent of total votes polled were in favour of the resolution, and the same "has been passed with requisite majority", the telco said in a regulatory filing on the outcome of its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

 

Shareholders also approved a special resolution related to payment of remuneration to Vittal as managing director and CEO of the company, with 89.57 per cent votes in favour and 10.42 per cent against the proposal.

 

As per the notice of AGM dated July 21, 2022, shareholders' nod was sought for "re-appointment of Gopal Vittal as Managing Director (designated as Managing Director and CEO) for a further period of five (5) years with effect from February 1, 2023, liable to retire by rotation..."

 

Vittal was re-appointed as the managing director and CEO with effect from February 1, 2018 for a period of 5 years, (upto January 31, 2023). His re-appointment was due for another term of five years (that is from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2028)..

Source : Times now News

The World's Highest Railway bridge- Chenab Bridge's Golden Joint was inaugurated on Saturday(13th Aug 2022). The Golden Join is connecting two ends of the deck of the world's highest railway bridge. The Chenab Bridge is now being built, and when it is finished, it will be 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge will prove direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.

 

 

1. The Chenab bridge is 1,315 metre long. The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch from Katra to Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla section of the Kashmir Railway project.

 

2. More than 1,300 workers and 300 engineers have been working round the clock to complete the bridge.

 

3. It will be the highest Railway Bridge in the world being 359m above the river bed level. The Chenab Bridge will be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris (France).

 

4. The construction of the bridge involved the fabrication of 28,660 MT steel, 10 Lakh Cum Earthwork, 66,000 Cum Concrete, and 26 Km motorable roads.

 

5. The arch of the bridge consists of steel boxes. The overall weight of the arch is 10,619 MT.

 

6. The Chenab Bridge is designed to withstand high wind speed up to 266 Km/Hour.

 

7. The Chenab Bridge will remain operational at a restricted speed of 30 Km/Hour

 

8. As per the Centre, the Chenab Bridge is being built at ₹1,486 crore.

 

9. The Design life of the bridge is at least 120 years.

 

10. Approximately 584 Km of welding was done to join the different parts of the structure, which is to the tune of the distance between Jammu Tawi to New Delhi..

Source : Mint

An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed 12th August 2022 between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for providing technical support to Ministry of Ayush for digitalisation of Ayush Sector under the Ayush Grid project for a period of 3 years. This MoU is continuation of the earlier MoU , which was signed in the year 2019. 

 

* Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ayush and Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary MeitY signed MoU on behalf of both the Ministries.  It was decided that both the Ministry’s will continue to work in collaboration and MeitY along with organizations under MeitY will extend all technical support required for the Ayush Grid project including  adoption of emerging technologies. 

 

* Ministry of Ayush has conceptualized ‘Ayush Grid’ Project, as part of the Digital India Program, which leverages ‘Information and Technology’ to transform operational efficiency, improve service delivery and enhance quality of services. 

 

* The Ayush Grid platform is envisaged to be the IT backbone; allowing integration of all stakeholders and functions/ services related to Ayush systems of health care. From a user’s perspective, Ayush Grid is the proposed central IT platform offering multiple IT services for all systems of medicines under Ayush viz. 

 

* Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy across functional areas, namely, healthcare delivery, education, research, capacity building, drug licensing and standardization along with media outreach..

Source : PIB

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has commenced Basmati crop survey to estimate acreage, assess crop health and expected yield of aromatic and long grain rice during 2022-2023 kharif crop season using climate-based yield modelling.

 

* The survey is being executed under the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), which is an arm of APEDA. The final survey report is to be finalized by December this year.

* India has exported Basmati to the tune of close to USD 12 billion in the last three years.

* Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar and Oman have a share of close to 80 per cent in total shipments of aromatic long grained rice from India in 2021-22..

Source : PIB

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah addressed the National Conference of Rural Co-operative Banks in New Delhi.

 

Shri Amit Shah also presented awards to outstanding State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).

The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said there are about 8.5 lakh cooperative societies in the country, out of which there are 1.78 lakh different types of credit societies.

In the field of agricultural credit, there are 34 state cooperative banks with more than 2,000 branches, 351 district cooperative banks with 14,000 branches and about 95,000 PACS.

The British Government said on Friday(12th August 2022) that parts of southern, central and eastern England had officially moved into drought status after a prolonged period of hot and dry weather. 

 

England suffered its driest July since 1935, with only 35% of the average rainfall for the month, and parts of England and Wales are now in the middle of a four-day extreme heat alert.

 

All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, Water Minister Steve Double said in a statement. The companies are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed.

 

Water companies will now begin enacting pre-agreed drought plans to help protect supplies, and the government said members of the public and businesses in drought-affected areas were urged to use water wisely.

 

The last drought in England was in 2018..

Source : News on Air

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar 12th August 2022 launched the 'SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise' initiative in New Delhi.

The Initiative aims to make cities, towns and municipal areas begging-free and make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of begging through the coordinated action of various stakeholders.

 

The Ministry has allocated a total budget of a hundred crore rupees for the project till 2025-26. Through the project, the Ministry envisions developing a support mechanism for holistic rehabilitation of those engaged in the act of begging and building an India where no person is forced to beg in order to survive and fulfill their basic needs.

 

The Ministry highlighted that under the initiative seventy-five Municipal Corporations in collaboration with Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders will cover several comprehensive welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging.

It said that Municipal Corporations will also focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, awareness, education, skill development, economic linkages and convergence with other Government welfare programs..

Source : News on Air