NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. NFDC and Netflix Partner to Launch “The Voicebox” – an Upskilling Program for Voice-over Artists in India: National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), a public sector enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), have joined hands with Netflix India to launch an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India called “The Voicebox”. The Voicebox” program will offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training for voice-over artists focusing on English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati languages. As part of the program, structured workshops, which would include training (featuring guest lectures and mentoring sessions), followed by an assessment, will be conducted in seven major cities of India – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi.
2. Drone Destination and NSIC partner to launch advanced drone training programmes: Drone Destination and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a cutting-edge drone training centre at NSIC in New Delhi. This collaborative effort aims to provide comprehensive training in drone technology, encompassing repairs and maintenance, data processing and analysis, remote pilot training, and the emerging sport of drone soccer. The centre will prioritise skill development, employment generation, and the empowerment of the drone ecosystem in India. By focusing on areas such as digital agriculture, survey and mapping, mining, asset inspection, surveillance and monitoring, and disaster management, the partnership is set to address the growing and diversified demands for skilled manpower in the drone sector.
3. 19 July – National Football Day: National Football Day is celebrated every year on July 19. Football is a popular sport in North America. The sport is recognized as ‘football’ in the United States and Canada, but it is also known as ‘gridiron’ or ‘American football’ in other parts of the world. In the late 1800s, rugby and soccer both paved the way for American football. Walter Camp, a Yale graduate, was credited for establishing the line of scrimmage, down-and-distance regulations (such as “first and 10”), and the authorization of blocking. Coaches like Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo Stagg later used the new “ahead pass” play.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Jaishankar inaugurates India’s First Overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has inaugurated India’s first overseas Jan Aushadi Kendra in Mauritius. He was joined by Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth during the inauguration. The India-Mauritius health partnership project will supply cost-effective, made-in-India medicines to augment public healthcare and enhance well-being. Earlier, Dr. Jaishankar inaugurated the Mediclinic project at Grand Bois in Mauritius with Indian grant assistance. The initiative will provide secondary health care for 16,000 people in the Grand Bois area.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. India’s Paris Olympics Contingent Finalized: 117 Athletes, 140 Support Staff Ready: India’s final contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympics has been approved by the sports ministry. The contingent will have 117 athletes accompanied by 140 support staff and officials. The games will begin from 26th July to 11th August. Athletics will make for the biggest group in the contingent with 29 names followed by shooting 21 and hockey 19. Table tennis will be represented by eight players while Badminton will feature seven competitors, including two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu. Wrestling, Archery and Boxing will have six representatives each, followed by Golf four and Tennis three. Two each in Swimming and Sailing and one each for Equestrian, Judo, Rowing and Weightlifting is part of the contingent.
2. ICC honoured Six Nations in Associate Cricket with ICC Development Award for 2023: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has honoured six nations in associate cricket with the ICC Development Award for 2023. Mexico, the South American country known for its excellence in the world of football, has now been honoured for its excellence in Cricket. Oman, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, and Scotland are other emerging countries that got this honour from the ICC for their efforts in the sport during the last calendar year. The ICC Development Award was started in 2002 to recognise the efforts and achievements of ICC associate member nations.
3. CSK to establish Super Kings Academy in Sydney: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have always shared a special bond with Australia and had players like Michael Hussey, Matthew Hayden, Shane Watson and many more. The association is set to take a new dimension with the launch of Super Kings Academy in Sydney. This will be the Super Kings Academy’s third international destination following centres in USA (Dallas) and UK (Reading) apart from India. It will be a state-of-the-art centre with facilities to train outdoors and indoors throughout the year, adding that cricket coaching for boys and girls will begin in September.
4. Kavin Quintal becomes 1st Indian Rider at World Superbike Championships: Rider Kavin Quintal is all set to make a historic debut at the WorldSBK SSP300 competitions and become the first Indian rider to participate in a World Superbike Championship. The 19-year-old Chennai star, Kavin Quintal, will be filling in for the Irish team’s main rider, Spaniard Daniel Mogeda, who suffered an injury after leading the Supersport 300 class, in an unfortunate crash that paved the way for the Irish team to rope in Kavin Quintal. SBK, founded in 1988, is an event for heavily modified production sports motorcycles and consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Arka Fincap signs co-lending partnership with Central Bank of India for MSME loans: Non-bank financial company Arka Fincap, a part of Kirloskar Group, has partnered with Central Bank of India to offer MSME loans. Under the co-lending arrangement, Arka will offer loans to MSMEs at competitive rates and further expand its reach across India. As part of the collaboration, Arka will originate and process loan proposals for the MSME sector as per jointly formulated credit parameters and eligibility criteria. The co-lending partnership with Central Bank of India is a step towards our goal to fill the credit gap of MSMEs, grow our portfolio and be the first-choice NBFC in the business loan segment for the MSME sector.
2. IRDAI imposes penalty of Rs 2 crore on Bajaj Finance, Aegon Life Insurance: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Bajaj Finance and Rs 1 crore on Aegon Life Insurance (now known as Bandhan Life), citing violations of norms. The insurance regulator has fined Bajaj Finance Rs 1 crore concerning the reconciliation of commission and professional fees received and reported to the authority. An additional penalty of Rs 1 crore was imposed concerning the maintenance of records of customer documentation. IRDAI has also issued additional directions to the company and advised it to comply with these directions in a time-bound manner.
3. FICCI projects 7% GDP growth for India in 2024-25: The latest round of FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey projects an annual median GDP growth for 2024–25 at 7.0%, with estimates ranging from 6.6% to 7.5%. Despite ongoing challenges, India’s economic growth remains strong, positioning it among the fastest-growing economies globally. The median growth forecast for agriculture and allied activities is set at 3.7 percent for 2024-25, marking an improvement from the 1.4 percent growth seen in the previous fiscal year. With the withdrawal of the El Niño effect and the IMD’s prediction of a normal southwest monsoon, economists contributing to the FICCI survey expect stable kharif production.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Prahlad Chandra Agrawal honoured with COSPAR Harrie Massey Award 2024: Indian astrophysicist Prahlad Chandra Agrawal has received the prestigious COSPAR Harrie Massey Award 2024 at the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly opening ceremony in Busan, South Korea. He is the first Indian recipient of the award for space research. The award recognises outstanding contributions to the development of space research, in which a leadership role is of particular importance. Along with a medal and citation, the awardee is honoured by the naming of a Minor Planet (20064 Prahladagrawal). Agrawal, 83, was the guiding force and Principal Investigator for the ambitious AstroSat project, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope, launched on September 28, 2015.
2. Madhu Khanna’s ‘Tantra on the Edge’ wins Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize 2024: Art historian Madhu Khanna has won the second edition of the Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize for her book, “Tantra on the Edge”. The award ceremony, hosted by Ambassador of Norway to India and Sri Lanka May-Elin Stener, saw Khanna and book’s publisher DAG being felicitated with the trophy, certificate and one lakh rupees cash prize.
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