SAKTHI BOOKS CURRENT EVENTS

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Transformation Series Challenge by YES Bank

YES Bank, through partnerships with tech giants such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM and Adobe has unveiled the 7th edition of ‘Transformation Series Challenge’. The Theme of the event is ‘tech for urban development’. The issues identified include over-utilisation of plastic and declining air quality in cities. Rana Kapoor is Managing Director and Chief Executive of YES Bank.

T.C.A. Raghavan appointed as DG of ICWA

Dr. TCA Raghavan was appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). He had served as India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad (Pakistan) and Singapore and has served in missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait. ICWA was established as a non-official, non-political and non-profit organization under the Registration of Societies Act 1860.

2nd National Tourism Conclave in Rajasthan

The 2nd National Tourism Conclave was organised in Jaipur on 13th July 2018. The conclave was headed by Managing Director of Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Haulianlal Guite. Steps such as improving intra-air connectivity to increase domestic and international tourist footfall in the state were discussed. Also, more projects such as “Night Tourism” were also encouraged.

T.K Chand gets knowledge excellence award

Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand received the Knowledge Excellence Award from Secretary, Mines, Govt. of India for Outstanding Contribution in Aluminium Knowledge domain. Chand is an Indian mining veteran and is the Chairman cum Managing Director of National Aluminium Company (NALCO). NALCO is the largest integrated aluminium unit in Asia and is also one of the largest aluminium complexes of the world.

SAIL appointed new CMD

Saraswati Prasad has been appointed as the new CMD of the Steel Authority of India. Saraswati Prasad has also taken over the additional charge of the post of managing director and chairman of SAIL on July 1, 2018. The appointment was made after the retirement of former CMD P.K. Singh.

NRL to introduce online legal compliance

Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Assam has become the first oil PSU to adopt an online legal compliance system by introducing ‘Legatrix’. The cloud-based compliance management system was inaugurated by Managing Director S K Barua. This initiative will boost up NRL’s contribution towards the Digital India Mission and induce a greater transparency in its operations.

2021 census data to be stored electronically

The data collected in the 2021 Census will be stored electronically, the first time since the first decennial exercise in 1951 after independence. The schedules and other connected papers shall be disposed of totally or in part by the Director of Census Operations, after creating an electronic record of such documents. The spokesperson said enumerators would start “house listing” in 2020.

Do not appoint police officer as acting DGP

The Supreme Court restricted the choice of State governments to appoint their Directors General of Police. Instead, State governments should henceforth send their proposals for DGPs to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) three months before the incumbent is due to retire. The UPSC will prepare a panel of officers fit to be DGP in the State concerned and send them back.

Vitorino to be the head of UN migration agency

Portugal’s Antonio Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino has been elected as the new head of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Vitorino succeeds William Lacy Swing, who is leaving the IOM after serving two five-year terms as director general. Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration.

Recommendations for the post of MD in PSB

Bank Boards Bureau has recommended names of 15 officials for the posts of MD and CEO in several public sector banks. The bureau has recommended Anshula Kant, the current deputy managing director of SBI for the post of MD in the bank. The post was vacant following the resignation of B. Sriram as the MD of the bank. The other 14 names recommended include 6 current DMDs of SBI.

B.Sriram resigns as SBI MD

SBI managing director B. Sriram has resigned from his post after being appointed as the chief executive of IDBI Bank. The news assumes significance amid reports that Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is weighing acquiring a majority stake in the debt-ridden IDBI Bank. Sriram is the longest-serving public sector bank MD and has wide experience, including in stressed assets management.

Haryana makes LED bulbs mandatory in offices

The use of LED bulbs and tube lights has been made mandatory in all offices of Haryana. In this direction, Head of Departments and Managing Directors of Boards, Corporations, and Public Undertakings have been directed to replace lighting with LED lamps or tube lights by August 15. These halogen & sodium bulbs will be replaced with energy-efficient LED bulbs and tube lights.

Arjit Basu: New MD of State Bank of India

23 : The appointments committee of the cabinet has appointed Arijit Basu as the new Managing Director of State Bank of India till October 31, 2020. Prior to this, Basu was heading the corporate accounts group as the Deputy MD. SBI’s Managing Director B. Sriram will take charge as the MD and CEO of IDBI Bank after existing Chief MK Jain got recently appointed as the RBI Deputy Governor.

19th All India Conference of Finger Print

19th All India Conference of Directors of Finger Print Bureaux was held in Hyderabad. The prominent recommendations concerning issue to modernize Finger Print Bureaux, creation of database for suspects, amendment of identification of prisoners act. It was recommended to change the name of the conference to All India Conference of Fingerprint science.

M. Scorsese to receive Lifetime Achievement

Veteran director Martin Scorsese will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Festival 2018. Martin Scorsese is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film historian. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinematic history. The 13th edition of the famed Rome film festival will run from October 18-28, 2018.

BBB recommends for promotion of 22 PSB GMs

The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recommended 22 general managers to be elevated as executive directors at various public sector banks. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by PM will take the final decision in this regard. BBB was set up in February 2016 as an autonomous body– based on the recommendations of the RBI-appointed Nayak Committee. It was the part of Indradhanush Plan.

BBB recommends elevation of 22 GMs at PSBs

Banks Board Bureau (BBB), the advisory body formed by the government for selection of candidates for top level board appointment, has recommended 22 general managers to be elevated as executive directors at the various public sector banks. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet will take the final decision in this regard. This is the first major exercise undertaken by the BBB.

India to host European Union Film Festival

The European Union Film Festival will premiere in New Delhi on 18th June, 2018. With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years’ film festival will bring some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts. The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and EU.

Facial recognition system: Varanasi airport

Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport will become India’s first airport to have an automated smart facial recognition system at its entry, security and boarding points. The initiative, which is part of the DigiYatra scheme, will ensure quicker entry into airports by facilitating automated check-ins. It will be functional within the next 4 months as per Airport Director AK Rai.

Mahesh Kumar appointed as Dy Governor of RBI

Mahesh Kumar Jain has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a term of three years. Presently, he is the Managing Director and CEO of IDBI Bank. Before his role in IDBI, Jain was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank. As per the RBI Act, the central bank should have four deputy governors.

New Northern Army Commander

Lt Gen Ranbir Singh has been appointed as the new Northern Army commander. Lt Gen Singh succeeds Lt Gen Anbu who has been appointed as the Vice-Chief of the Indian Army. Lt Gen Ranbir Singh was the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) when India carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

MD Mallya appointed as independent director

ICICI Bank has appointed MD Mallya as an additional independent director on the board. Mallya in the past has served as the managing director & chairman of Bank of Baroda. Mallya’s tenure is for a period of 5 years, it is subjected to the approval of shareholders. Mallya was also engaged extensively with the government as Indian Banks’ Association chairman.

SEBI to implement system-driven disclosures

Markets regulator SEBI will soon put in place system-driven disclosures for non-promoters, directors and certain class of employees of listed companies. The system-driven disclosures in securities market was introduced in December 2015 and is being implemented in a phased manner. It has already been put in place with respect to disclosures of promoter/ promoter group.

Defence Secretary to be the DRDO chief

The government has asked Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra to hold additional charge of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This comes after Eminent scientist S Christopher completed his term as the Chief of DRDO. Christopher was appointed as the Director General of the DRDO for a two-year term in May 2015 and was given a one-year extension in May 2017.

Manipur gets first solar toilet

Manipur has become the 1st state in Northeast & the 3rd state in India to have solar toilets. It was inaugurated at Ibudhou Marjing hill Heingang by Tourism Director, Waikhom Ibohal. The solar panel, connected to the toilets, absorb heat to generate power & are efficient to transform waste material. Besides Manipur, these toilets have been installed in Tamil Nadu & Andhra-Pradesh.

Panel for health sector

The 15th Finance Commission has constituted a high level group to explore and give recommendations for a balanced expansion of the health sector. The group will be headed by AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria. It will suggest ways to optimize the use of existing financial resources & to incentivise state governments’ efforts towards fulfillment of well-defined health parameters in the country.

New Vice Chief of Army Staff

Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He is presently GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding-in-Chief) Northern Command. He will replace Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand who retires on May 31. Lt. Gen. Anbu is expected to be replaced by Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh who was the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at the time of surgical strikes.

Pravin Agrawal appointed BHEL director

Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has appointed Pravin L Agrawal as the part-time official director on its board. An Indian Forest Service officer, Agrawal is presently joint secretary in the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Established in 1964, BHEL is India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer.

Pawel Pawlikowski won the best director award

Poland’s Pawel Pawlikowski won the best director award at the 2018 Cannes film festival for his love story “Cold War”. Cold War is the 1st Polish film to compete for the Palme d’Or award since Roman Polanski’s ‘The Pianist’ scooped up the major award in 2002. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950’s in Poland, the film depicts an impossible love story in impossible times.

World Bank extends $300 million credit

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $220 million loan and an $80 million (Rs 544 crore) guarantee for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program. The Program will be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). This will help scale up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity.

CIA’s first female director

US Senate has approved Veteran spy Gina Haspel as CIA’s first female director.She replaces former CIA chief Mike Pompeo who was recently made Secretary of State. Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian foreign intelligence service of US federal government that analyses national security information from around the world.

Ambika Sharma to head USIBC India office

The US-India Business Council (USIBC), a premier business advocacy organisation, named Ambika Sharma as its India head. Ms. Sharma was Director General for International at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Formed in 1975, USIBC is the premier business advocacy organization, comprised of top-tier US and Indian companies advancing US-India commercial ties.

Lt Gen Sukhdeep takes over as DGAR

Lieutenant General Sukhdeep Sangwan has taken over the charge as the Director General of Assam Rifles. Lt Gen Sanwagn has taken over as the 20th Director General of the Force which is popularly called as Sentinels of the North East. Lt Gen Sangwan has also participated in Operation Blue Star, Operation Vijay and Operation Parakram.

SEBI asks listed firms to split CMD post

SEBI has asked listed companies to split the post of Chairman and Managing Director by April 2020. SEBI has also made it compulsory for them to have six independent directors on board, including a women director. The changes, which were first recommended by Kotak Bank chief Uday Kotak-led committee on corporate governance in 2017, have now been accepted and notified by SEBI.

Eminent Odia lyricist passes away

Eminent Odia lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami passed away in Odisha. Goswami was associated with the Odia music industry for over six decades. He was a scriptwriter, a lyricist and a music director. Goswami had received the Best Lyricist award in 1996, Bhakta Kabi Salabeg award and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi (OSNA) Award in the year 2000.

ICICI Bank named Nair as Independent Director

Former IRDAI member Radhakrishnan Nair has been appointed to ICICI Bank’s board as an Additional (Independent) Director. His appointment will be for a period of five years and is subject to shareholders’ approval. He is already an independent director of 3 subsidiaries of ICICI Bank — ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, ICICI Prudential Trust and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.

Uday Kotak redesignated as MD & CEO

The board of directors of Kotak Mahindra Bank has redesignated Uday Kotak as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 May, 2018. Mr. Kotak was earlier executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director. Mr. Kotak was the only official among private banks to have a Vice Chairman designation.

WhatsApp boss and co-founder Jan Koum to quit

The chief executive and co-founder of WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging app, is leaving the company over disagreements about privacy and encryption. Jan Koum will also step down from Facebook’s board of directors. WhatsApp, with 1.5 billion monthly users, is the largest messaging service in the world.

Saudi Aramco appoints the first woman to the board

Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s top oil company has appointed its first female board member among five new members to its board of directors.Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, the former chairwoman, president and CEO of U.S. oil refiner Sunoco is the first female board member of Aramco. Elsenhans was named by Forbes as one of the world’s most powerful women in 2008.

Pompeo sworn in as new US secretary of state

Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the 70th US secretary of state after the Senate voted to confirm him, 57-42.Mike Pompeo replaces President Donald Trump’s first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.His confirmation creates a vacancy atop the CIA that will be filled, at least for now, by Gina Haspel, the intelligence agency’s No. 2 official.

Rahul Bhatia as interim CEO of Indigo

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.’s director Rahul Bhatia has taken over as the interim chief executive officer after its president and director Aditya Ghosh unexpectedly resigned.Indigo is jointly owned by Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal. Indigo is the biggest airline in India and the biggest budget airline in Asia by market valuation.

Spielberg becomes 1st director to gross $10b

Three-time Oscar winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg has become the first director to gross more than $10 billion at the box office.Spielberg’s latest film ‘Ready Player One’ has helped him achieve this milestone. Spielberg is unlikely to lose the top spot any time soon as his closest rivals – Peter Jackson, Michael Bay and James Cameron all are currently around the $6 billion figure.

Tata Sons appoints new Group Chief HR Officer

Tata Sons has appointed long-time group employee Nupur Mallick as its new Group Chief Human Resource Officer.Currently, Mallick is director, Human Resources for Tata Consultancy Services in the UK and Ireland. She will take over from S. Padmanabhan who will continue to be executive chairman of Tata Business Excellence Group and head, Sustainability Group.

Dilip Chenoy new Secretary General of FICCI

Director General of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Dilip Chenoy, has been appointed as the Secretary General of the industry body.The decision came after incumbent Secretary General, Sanjaya Baru decided to step down from his position. A media advisor to former PM Manmohan Singh, Baru was appointed as the Secretary General of FICCI in September last year.

Karan Johar to get a statue at Madame Tussauds

Karan Johar has become the first Indian filmmaker to have his wax statue at the Madame Tussauds museum in London.His wax figure will not just be launched in one city but will simultaneously head out on tour across Asia. Since his debut as a director in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, Karan has managed a career that goes well beyond just filmmaking.

Lt Gen PP Malhotra takes over as DG NCC

Lieutenant General PP Malhotra has assumed the charge as Director General of National Cadet Corps (NCC), the largest uniformed youth organization in the world.Prior to assuming his present appointment, he was the Chief Engineer of the Army’s premier Northern Command. Lt Gen Malhotra’s distinguished professional career includes various regimental, staff and command appointments.

Rajesh Ranjan appointed DG CISF

Rajesh Ranjan, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).He is at present Special Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). The CISF provides security to various government installations including the airports of the country.

Debjani Ghosh is the new Nasscom President

Debjani Ghosh, former managing director of Intel South Asia, is the new president of Nasscom. She replaced R.Chandrashekhar whose term has completed. Ms.Ghosh was the first woman to lead Intel India and Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology. NASSCOM is a trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry.

New head of BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit

BCCI has appointed former Rajasthan Director General of Police Ajit Singh as the head of its Anti-Corruption Unit.He will replace former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar. He will take charge of the office ahead of IPL and will be based out of BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. He has served Indian Police Service for 36 years & has headed the anti-corruption bureau of Rajasthan for 4 years.

Veteran director CV Rajendran passed away

Veteran director CV Rajendran passed away in Chennai after a prolonged illness.Rajendran had worked with some of the big names in the industry that included Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. He has also made films in other languages like Dulhan (Hindi), Thrimurthy (Kannada), and Chiranjeevi (Telugu). He brought together Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa and introduced Prabhu.

Vineet Joshi appointed as DG of NTA

Vineet Joshi was appointed the first Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) on 30th March. NTA is an independent body dedicated to conducting entrance tests for higher education in India. NTA, which was approved by the Union cabinet last October, will conduct entrance tests entrusted to it by any department or ministry.

JS Rajput nominated as India?s Representative

The Government of India nominated Professor JS Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India‘s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. Professor J S Rajput is an eminent educationist with rich experience in various fields including UNESCO. The EXB is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference. The EXB examines the work of the organization.

DiCarlo becomes 1st female UN political chief

American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo become the first woman to head UN political affairs. DiCarlo will replace Jeffrey Feltman, who held the post of Under-Secretary-General for political affairs since 2012. DiCarlo also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and director for United Nations.

J.C. Daniel Award for Sreekumaran Thampi

Sreekumaran Thampi has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award, the Kerala government‘s highest honour for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema. Thampi is a lyricist, director and scriptwriter who has written over 1,000 melodies since 1966. Thampi had won the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi award for lifetime contribution to light music and drama songs in 2015.

Promila Gupta to take over as DGHS

Dr Promila Gupta will take over as the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Health Ministry from April 2. She will succeed Dr B D Athani, currently in charge of the DGHS office. Dr Promila Gupta is now currently the Additional Director of Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Shekhar to head National Film Awards jury

Veteran director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed the chairman of the central panel of the 65th National Film Awards. The central panel comprises a chairperson and 10 other members, including five regional chairpersons who head the respective regional panels. The 11-member committee reportedly includes lyricist Mehboob, actress Gautami Tadimalla and director Rahul Rawail.

Indu Bhushan is the CEO of Ayushman Bharat

Indu Bhushan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Centres ambitious Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission (ABNHPM). He is the Director General of East Asia Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines. The ABNHPM has the benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year.

JS Rajput nominated as India?s Representative

The Government of India nominated Professor JS Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India‘s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. Professor J S Rajput is an eminent educationist with rich experience in various fields including UNESCO. The EXB is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference. The EXB examines the work of the organization.

Jio, Saavn to create digital music platform

Reliance Jio Director Akash Ambani, has signed an agreement for merging the digital music service Saavn with JioMusic to create a digital media platform with global reach. The total value of the deal will be over $1 billion. As part of the deal, additionally, Reliance will be acquiring a partial stake from the existing shareholders of Saavn for $104 million

Kerala to get tribal instructors for literacy

In a first, Kerala government will rope in qualified tribal instructors to impart literacy in their respective settlements in a bid to improve literacy rates among tribal populations. The instructors will teach people who are above 15 years of age, Director of Kerala literacy mission PS Sreekala said. Around 370 instructors for 100 villages have been appointed for the initiative.

Sony India appoints Sunil Nayyar as MD

Sony India on 19th March announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its Managing Director (MD) in place of Kenichiro Hibi. Hibi, who was MD of Sony India from 2012 till 2018, has now been appointed as President of Sony Brazil. Nayyar is the first Indian to be appointed as Managing Director for Sony India.

Sitanshu Kar became new PIB chief

All India Radio‘s News Services Division (NSD) director general Sitanshu Kar will be the next head of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). Kar, a senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer, will take charge as PIB head on May 1. Doordarshan News DG, Ira Joshi will hold additional charge of DG of AIR‘s NSD with immediate effect.

Ivory became oldest person to win an Oscar

James Ivory became the oldest person to win an Oscar with his award win for best adapted screenplay for the film ‘Call Me By Your Name’ at the 90th Academy Awards. The 89-year-old director and screenwriter had previously been nominated thrice in the best director category for ‘A Room with a View’, ‘Howards End’ and ‘The Remains of the Day’.

Guillermo won best director award: Oscars

‘Guillermo del Toro won Oscars in the Best Director category. He got the award for ‘The Shape Of Water’. The movie also won two other Oscars for Best Production Design and Best Score. Meanwhile, ‘A Fantastic Woman’ won Best Foreign Language Film at the award show.

Corporation Bank reports fraud of 6.77 cr

The CBI has booked an auto dealer in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand for allegedly siphoning off the loan amount and causing a loss of Rs.6.77 crore to Corporation Bank. The agency has booked Ramnandi Estate and its directors along with the bank‘s valuer, Sanjay Kumar. Corporation Bank alleged that Kumar filed enhanced valuation reports based on which the loan was sanctioned.

Telangana, Taiwan Sign MoU

The Telangana Government signed an MOU with Taoyuan City of Taiwan for better technology partnership in the state.The agreement was signed after the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2018 in Hyderabad. IT Minister K T Rama Rao and principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan signed the agreement with Robert Huang, Director of the Board of Taiwan company at World IT Congress 2018.

Kakkar takes charge as ONGC Offshore Director

Rajesh Kakkar has taken over charge of Director (Offshore) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.He will look after oil & gas production from ONGC’s offshore fields that contribute 70% & 78% of ONGC’s domestic crude oil & gas production respectively. Kakkar has more than 3 and a half decades of experience in the various aspects of operations and management in both offshore and onshore fields.

Paytm appoints Pallavi Shroff as board member

Paytm has appointed Pallavi Shroff, managing partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas law firm to its board of directors.Her appointment will drive the growth of financial services business such as lending, insurance & wealth management. She joins as an independent director & is the 7th appointee to Paytm’s board. Shroff is presently on the board of firms like Maruti Suzuki & Apollo Tyres.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017

Sanjiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Finserv, has been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017.Bajaj Finserv has emerged as the country’s leading name in financial services with solutions across lending, life and general insurance and wealth advisory. Bajaj will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from June 13-17, 2018.

12th International Conference On CSR Held

The Institute Of Directors organised it’s 12th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bengaluru, Karnataka.In the conference, the Prestigious Golden Peacock Award 2017 were presented. The leadership award for philanthropy and social change was presented to Mr. Vineet Nayar, Founder Chairman, Sampark Foundation.

Cryptocurrency regulation is inevitable

13 : International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde has stated that regulatory action on cryptocurrencies is “inevitable”.“It’s clearly a domain where we need international regulation and proper supervision,” she said. She added that the IMF is actively trying to prevent digital currencies from being used to launder money or finance terrorism.

Direct Tax Collection Rise 19.3% In April-Jan

Direct tax collections grew by nearly 20% between April and January this year with strong growth in both corporate and personal income tax receipts.According to official data released, net direct tax collections grew by 19.3% up to January 2018 to Rs 6.95-lakh crore. While net corporate income tax grew by 19.2%, personal income tax receipts rose by 18.6 per cent in January this year.

Indra Nooyi Becomes ICC’s 1st Female Director

PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has been appointed as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) first-ever independent female director.Nooyi will join the cricket body in June 2018 for a 2-year term.The introduction of an Independent Director, who must be female, was approved by the ICC in June 2017, aimed at improving the global governance of the sport.

The Shape of Water won award: Guild Awards

Guillermo del Toro, director of ‘The Shape of Water’, won the prize for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film at the Directors Guild of America Awards.Movie has received 13 nominations at Oscars 2018.Reed Morano was named best director in Dramatic Series for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ while Jordan Peele was awarded best First-Time Feature Film Director for ‘Get Out’.

Neelam Kapur Appointed DG Of SAI

Senior-most Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Neelam Kapur was appointed Director-General of Sports Authority of India (SAI).She is at present the Principal Director General of the Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP).It is for the first time that an IIS officer has been appointed as SAI chief. The post is usually held by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

Narayanan takes over as LPSC Director

Senior ISRO scientist Dr V Narayanan has assumed charge as Director of the space agency’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), at nearby Valiamala.He succeeds S Somanath who has been appointed Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Narayanan, who is a rocket propulsion expert, joined ISRO in 1984 and functioned in various capacities, a press release said.

FICCI Appoints Dilip Chenoy as DG

Industry Chamber Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has appointed Dilip Chenoy as its Director General.Prior to this, he was Chairman of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology and Member, Board of Advisors, IILM. He was awarded the Game Changer Award in 2015 and the Rashtriya Media Ratan Award in 2013.

O.P Singh to Take Over As UP DGP

The Centre relieved CISF chief O P Singh for his cadre Uttar Pradesh, where he is expected to take over as the new Director General of Police (DGP).Singh (59) is expected to take over as the Uttar Pradesh DGP. The post has been lying vacant for over a fortnight after Sulkhan Singh retired on December 31.

Sarabhai Space Centre’s new director

ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somnath has taken charge as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.He says the focus is on two upcoming launches next month. Somnath told that his priorities will be on technology upgradation of launch vehicle design and to focus on immediate launches including GSLV-Mark (MK) II and PSLV-C41 in Feb.

S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL

The government appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL).Selvakumar has replaced Anurag Agarwal. The state-owned SPMCIL produces banknotes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

Dr Sivan K Appointed New ISRO Chairman

The government appointed renowned scientist Sivan K as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation.Sivan, at present Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, will succeed Kumar, who was appointed on January 12, 2015. He was graduated from Madras Institute of Technology in Aeronautical Engineering in 1980. ISRO was established in 1969.

SP Mardi new Himachal DGP

BJP government appointed S P Mari, a 1986-batch IPS as New Director General of police in Himachal Pradesh.Incumbent DGP Somesh Goyal, who is a 1984-batch IPS officer and was holding additional charge of the Prisons and Correctional services, will retain his charge of Prisons. He earlier had held the posts of Additional DGP (CID).

Peter Sutherland passes away

Peter Sutherland, first WTO Director-General, passes away in Dublin.He was 71. Mr. Sutherland took the helm of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1993 at a time when the outcome of the broad and complex Uruguay Round of global trade talks was very much in question. He left the WTO in 1995.

Menon Named Best Central Bank Governor

The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ravi Menon, has been named the best central bank governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018 by UK-based magazine, The Banker.Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was also given this award in 2011 when he was then MAS’s managing director. Over the last three years, the award went to the central bankers of Vietnam, India and Bangladesh.

Salman appointed as ambassador of Emami

Emami Group said it has roped in Bollywood star Salman Khan as the brand ambassador for its edible oil business, which is a part of Emami Agrotech Ltd.Emami brands are endorsed by celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor and Sania Mirza, among others.Emami Group’s Director is Manish Goenka.

Pankaj Jain becomes IIFCL MD

Pankaj Jain, Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS), has assumed charge as the Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL).He will be holding additional charge of IIFCL along with his present position as Joint Secretary at DFS.IIFCL is a state-owned company focused on infrastructure financing and development.

Om Prakash appointed as UP’s new DGP

Om Prakash Singh will be the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh.Om Prakash Singh will succeed incumbent Sulkhan Singh.Till the new appointee takes charge, Anand Kumar, additional director general (Law and Order) will look after the day-to-day affairs.

Saurabh Chawla appointed DLF Group CFO

DLF has announced the appointment of Saurabh Chawla as the Key Managerial Personnel & Group Chief Financial Officer.The appointment follows the elevation of former Group CFO Ashok Kumar Tyagi as the whole-time director of the company.He currently spearheads the Investor Relations function at the Group level and is also responsible for Private Equity, M&A transactions within the DLF Group.

Abhay Appointed Director General of NCB

Senior IPS officer Abhay was appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).He is at present working in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post till November 18, 2019.The post was lying vacant after R R Bhatnagar took over as DG of CRPF in April 2017.

Henrietta Fore appointed to head UNICEF

UN has appointed Henrietta Fore, a former head of the USAID as the new Executive Director of United Nations Childrens’ Fund. Henrietta Fore was the first woman to be appointed Administrator of the US Agency for International Development. UNICEF is a program headquartered in New York City that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.

Airtel Payments Bank CEO resigns

Airtel Payments Bank Managing Director and CEO Shashi Arora has resigned from his position.His resignation comes after Bharti Airtel’s eKYC licence suspension by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).The “Aadhaar linked e-KYC” service of UIDAI provides an instant, electronic, non-repudiable proof of identity.

Lt Gen B S Sahrawat becomes DG, NCC

Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat became Director General of National Cadet Corps.He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.He was commissioned in December 1980 in 13th Battalion (Rezang La), the Kumaon Regiment.He has been awarded the Sena Medal during the floods of Kosi River in Bihar in 2008.

Apple appoints Michel as India head

Apple has named Michel Coulomb as the head of sales for its operations in India, a key market for the iconic iPhone maker.He succeeds Sanjay Kaul, who has stepped down from the post. Most recently, he was the Managing Director (South Asia). He also has the experience of handling the Middle East, Turkey and Africa sales team. Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple.

Smita Nagaraj takes over as UPSC member

Senior IAS officer Smita Nagaraj took over as the member of Union Public Service Commission.Nagaraj was appointed to the post with effect from Dec 1 for a period of 6 years or until she attains the age of 65 years.With her appointment, strength of UPSC has gone up to 8.Nagaraj is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, her last posting was Director General in the Defence Ministry.

Hemalatha Takes Charge as Director, NIN

R Hemalatha has been appointed as the new Director of the country’s premier National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. Hemalatha is a medical graduate of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. Hemalatha has served as secretary of the Nutrition Society of India, is a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and a fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences.

Neeraj Vora passes away

Daud writer, Director & popular comic actor Neeraj Vora passed away at the age of 54 in Mumbai.Vora wrote the screenplay for many films like Rangeela, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Hera Pheri.Vora, who was set to direct the third installment in the hit Hera Pheri franchise, began his film journey as an actor in 1984.

Shankar appointed RBI Executive Director

Uma Shankar, chief general manager (CGM) in charge of RBI’s financial inclusion and development department has taken over as executive director.Shankar has been elevated after Meena Hemchandra the executive director in charge of the central bank’s supervision department retired at the end of November.Shankar is most likely to take charge of the supervision department of the central bank

Corp Bank launches RuPay Credit Cards

Corporation Bank has launched its RuPay Select and RuPay Platinum credit cards.Jai Kumar Garg, Managing Director and CEO of Corporation Bank, unveiled the cards in Mangaluru. Gopal Murli Bhagat, Executive Director of the bank, was present during the launch.Quoting Garg, the release said that these cards will boost digital payment and will be beneficial in creating a ‘less cash society’.

D K Sarraf appointed as PNGRB Chairman

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of D K Sarraf, as the new Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.An official statement said, that former Director (Operations), Oil India Ltd, S Rath, has also been appointed as a Member of the board, after replacing K K Jha.Sarraf earlier worked in ONGC.

SEBI enhanced governance for MF

In a bid to strengthen the governance structure for mutual funds, SEBI has introduced a framework for the tenure of independent trustees as well as directors.An independent trustee and independent director of MF (mutual fund), AMC will hold office for a maximum of two terms.Existing independent trustees and independent directors have been permitted to hold office for a maximum of 10 years.

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