1 Manoj Ahuja became the Chief Secretary of Odisha
On June 28, the Odisha government appointed Manoj Ahuja as the new Chief Secretary . He replaced Pradeep Kumar Jena, whose term ends on June 30. Manoj Ahuja was holding the post of Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of the Central Government from April 1, 2022. Earlier, he has also been a Special Officer in the same department. He was also the Special Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. Manoj Ahuja has worked as Secretary in many departments including Cooperation, Steel and Mines, Sports and Youth Affairs.
2 INS Shivalik is participating in the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise
The Indian Navy’s indigenously built INS Shivalik , deployed in the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean , is participating in the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise , the world’s largest international maritime exercise , being held in Hawaii . According to the US Navy, about 29 countries, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and over 25,000 personnel will train and operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise. The theme of the maritime exercise, which will run till August 1, is INTEGRATED: UNITED AND READY. Hosted by the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, participating forces will integrate and practice a wide range of capabilities from disaster relief to maritime security operations and from sea control to complex warfighting. Apart from India, the participating countries include Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom and the United States. Earlier this month, INS Shivalik participated in the eighth edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2024 (JIMEX 24) held at Yokosuka, Japan.
3 A MoU was signed between the National University of Criminology and the Government of Haryana at Panchkula, Haryana
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Criminology University and the Haryana Government in Panchkula , Haryana . The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah , Union Urban Development, Housing and Power Minister Manohar Lal , State Chief Minister Naib Singh and State Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta . The MoU is regarding the development of a Centre of Excellence for matters related to identified crime trials . This centre will be developed in Haryana in collaboration with the university on fifty acres of land. It will be the only centre of its kind in the country. At present, four criminology laboratories are functioning in the state. Mr. Shah said that this centre will provide scientific help in implementing three new criminal laws.
4 Karnataka: Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited gets order from Norwegian company to design and build eight cargo ships
Karnataka -based Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited has received an order of Rs 1100 crore from a Norwegian company to design and build eight cargo ships. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Limited . Each ship will be 100 meters long and weigh 6 thousand 300 metric tons. It will be an environmentally friendly diesel-electric ship and will be used for cargo transportation in the seas of Europe. According to the agreement, the ships should be delivered within September 2028.
5 Indian Navy bids farewell to UH-3H helicopters
Indian Navy bid farewell to UH-3H helicopters after 17 years of glorious service during a de-induction ceremony held at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam on 28 Jun 24. The event was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command . Veteran officers and sailors of the UH-3H squadrons along with their families attended the event and recalled the glorious service of the helicopter. The UH-3H helicopters will be replaced by Sea King 42C helicopters in INAS 350 to continue and provide operational power and capability. The UH-3H helicopters which were brought to Indian shores in 2007 with INH Jalashwa were inducted into INAS 350 on 24 Mar 2009 at INH Dega, Visakhapatnam under the name ‘Saras’.
6 GRSE wins Sustainable Governance Champion Award
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited has been awarded the “ Sustainable Governance Champion Award ” at the Outlook Planet Sustainability Summit & Awards 2024. The honour highlights GRSE’s unwavering commitment to sustainable practices and governance excellence. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) is one of India’s premier shipyards, located in Kolkata.
7 Sanjana Thakur’s short story ‘Aishwarya Rai’ won the Commonwealth Award
Sanjana Thakur , a 26-year-old writer from Mumbai, beat 7,359 competitors from across the world to be declared the winner of the GBP 5,000 Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2024 held in London on June 27. Sanjana’s story titled ‘ Aishwarya Rai ‘, after Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, reinvents the traditional adoption story.
8 Bioplastic park to be set up in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh
The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to set up a bioplastic park in the state to tackle the problem of environmental pollution caused by petroleum derivative based plastic products in the state . The Chief Minister has directed that the project be completed as soon as possible. The bioplastic park to be developed on 1000 hectares of land will be constructed at Kumbhi village in Gola Gokarnath tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri district . The project will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 2000 crore. The state-based Balrampur Sugar Mill will construct the proposed bioplastic park. The state government has made Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) the nodal agency for the development of the bioplastic park.
9 Antonio Costa of Portugal elected President of the European Council
Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has been elected as the new President of the European Council of the European Union . Antonio Costa will replace Charles Michel of Belgium and will take office on 1 October 2024. The European Council also elected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The President of the European Council is elected for a term of 2.5 years and can be re-elected once. Thus, a person can hold the presidency of the European Council for a maximum of five years.
10 South Korea, US and Japan begin first trilateral multi-domain exercise
Japan, South Korea and the United States inaugurated a trilateral multi-domain exercise “ Freedom Edge ” on June 27. The three-day exercise was held on South Korea’s southern island of Jeju. The exercise came amid efforts to deepen security cooperation against threats from North Korea fueled by its deepening ties with Russia.
11 Tata Sons will build a ‘museum of temples’ in Ayodhya for Rs 650 crore, Yogi cabinet approves
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved Tata Sons ‘ proposal to build a ‘ Museum of Temples ‘ in Ayodhya , a project worth Rs 650 crore and will be funded through Tata’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund . Additionally, the state cabinet has also approved Rs 100 crore for further development work in Ayodhya and the introduction of helicopter services to Lucknow, Prayagraj and Kapilavastu. The museum project, which has been under consideration since last year, aims to showcase the history and architecture of famous temples in India and may also have a light-and-sound show. The tourism department will provide the land for the museum on a 90-year lease at a nominal amount of Rs 1 as a symbolic fee.
12 Central Electronics Limited (CEL) gets Mini Ratna Status (Category-1)
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the conferment of “ Mini Ratna ” ( Category-I ) status to Central Electronics Limited (CEL) at its Golden Jubilee Celebrations held at Ghaziabad Campus . The recognition underlines CEL’s transformation from a loss-making PSU to a profitable entity, achieving a net profit of about Rs 58 crore and paying dividend to the government for three consecutive years.
13 Aksh Mohit Kamboj appointed as Vice President of India Bullion Jewellers Association
Mrs. Aksha Mohit Kamboj has been appointed as the Vice President of the India Bullion Jewelers Association (IBJA), effective June 22, 2024. This landmark appointment marks her as the first woman to hold this prestigious position in the gold and jewellery sector. Mrs. Kamboj, best known for her leadership as the Executive Chairperson of Aspect Global Ventures Pvt Ltd and as co-owner of the Tigers of Kolkata cricket team , brings extensive experience and a commitment to industry excellence.
14 Indian economy will grow at a rate of more than seven percent in the current financial year: NCAER
The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) estimates that India’s GDP could surpass 7% and possibly reach 7.5% in FY2024-25 , taking into account strong domestic economic indicators and favourable global conditions. High-frequency data indicate robust economic activity, leading to upward revisions by all major agencies. Factors supporting this outlook include expectations of a normal monsoon and a policy stance focused on investment and stability.
15 SBI raised Rs 10,000 crore by issuing 15-year infrastructure bonds
State Bank of India (SBI) successfully raised Rs 10,000 crore through its fifth infrastructure bond issue . The bonds with a tenure of 15 years and a coupon rate of 7.36% payable annually received significant investor interest. The bank initially had a target of raising Rs 5,000 crore, but the bonds received such a good response that it raised nearly four times more, i.e. Rs 10,000 crore. The bank received a total of 143 applications, indicating wide participation from different types of investors. These investors included provident funds, pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds and corporate companies, etc.
16 India created history, won the T20 Cricket World Cup title for the second time
India has won the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup-2024 title. This is India’s second T20 World Cup title after 17 years. Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India defeated South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final match played at Kingston Oval in Barbados . Batting first, India scored 176 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs with the help of Virat Kohli ‘s 76 runs off 59 balls and Axar Patel ‘s 47 runs off 31 balls. This is the highest score of any team in the final of the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. Virat Kohli was awarded the Player of the Match award for his brilliant innings . While fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the Player of the Tournament for taking 15 wickets in eight matches . After receiving the award, senior team player Virat Kohli retired from T20 international cricket . In the press conference held after the match, captain Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from T20 international cricket .
17 18th “Statistics Day”
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Professor (late) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, in honour of his significant contribution in the field of Statistics and Economic Planning , the Government of India has designated 29th June every year as “ Statistics Day ” in the category of special days to be observed at the national level. The main objective of celebrating Statistics Day is to create awareness about the role and importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy making for the development of the country, especially among the younger generation. Since the year 2007, Statistics Day is celebrated with a sense of contemporary national importance. The theme of Statistics Day, year 2024 is ” Using Data for Decision Making “.
18 National Insurance Awareness Day 2024
National Insurance Awareness Day is celebrated every year on June 28, 2024. This annual observance is a day to promote the importance of insurance and to reflect on our financial security and take proactive steps towards a more protected future. The main objective of this day is to make people aware of the many benefits of investing in an insurance plan or policy.
19 Senior Congress leader D Srinivas passes away
On June 29, former president of Congress ‘ Andhra Pradesh (undivided) unit Dharmapuri Srinivas died of a heart attack. He was 76 years old. Srinivas was ill for the last few days. He was also a minister in the cabinet of former Chief Minister YS Rajashekhar Reddy . Srinivas left the Congress in 2016 and joined the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party, although he later returned to the Congress. He has also been a Rajya Sabha member from 2016 to 2022. D Srinivas’ son Arvind Srinivas is the current MP from Nizamabad. D Srinivas was born on 27 September 1948 in Velpur, Telangana.