National
Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
⇒ Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, AVSM, NM assumed charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff on 31 March 2022.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru is an alumni of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 January 1985 and is a Submarine and Navigation Specialist.
Commandant, National Defence Academy
⇒ Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM assumed the appointment of Commandant, National Defence Academy on 01 April 2022 from Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor, AVSM, VM.
Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 July 1988.
Director General of Geological Survey of India
⇒ Dr. S Raju has taken over as the Director General of Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Kolkata on 1 April 2022. He succeeds Shri R. S. Garkhal who superannuated on 31st March 2022.
Prior to assuming the present post Dr. Raju was holding the post of Additional Director General and National Head, Mission-III & IV at GSI HQ.
Mega International Summit on MSMEs
⇒ Ministry of MSME, Government of India and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, organized a ‘Mega International Summit on MSMEs’ on March 29 and 30, 2022, at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
Participants:
Entrepreneurs, academicians, policymakers, industry leaders, thought leaders, business chambers, industry associations, startups, social impact organizations, MSMEs and self-help groups from India and across the world attended in the two-day summit.
During the Summit, national and international experts deliberated on various subjects such as:
Challenges and opportunities in the MSME sector amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, role of incubators/accelerators in MSMEs’ growth, role of conducive policies and non-financial business development services in MSME competitiveness, and how MSMEs can work in consortia to achieve sustainability
» Discussions also covered MSMEs’ competitiveness, internationalization of Indian MSMEs, technology and innovation, digital transformation of MSMEs, entrepreneurship ecosystem and emerging opportunities in the MSME sector, and gender and disadvantaged communities’ entrepreneurship.
International Film Festival of Kerala 2022
⇒ The International Film Festival of Kerala 2022 (IFFK 2022) was held in Thiruvananthapuram from 18 March to 25 March, 2022.
Host:
The film festival was hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala.
- The first IFFK was held in Kozhikode in 1996.
» The awards for the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala has been announced.
Important Winners:
» Suvarna Chakoram for Best Film: Clara Sola by Nathalie Alvarez Mesen
» Rajata Chakoram for Best Director: Ines Maria Barrionuevo for Camila Saldra Esta Noche
» Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director: Nathalie Alvarez Mesen for Clara Sola
» Audience Poll Award: Koozhangal by Vinothraj P S
» FIPRESCI Award for Best International Film: You Resemble Me by Dina Amer
» FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film: Aavasavyuham by Krishand
» NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film: Koozhangal by Vinothraj P S
» NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film: Aavasavyuham by Krishand
» FFSI KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India: Prabhash Chandra for Be Ches Ne Veth
» FFSI KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India: Tara Ramanujan for Nishiddho
International
5th BIMSTEC Summit
⇒ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the 5th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit on 30 March 2022.
Host:
The summit was hosted in virtual mode by Sri Lanka, the current chair of BIMSTEC.
Theme:
The theme of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit was “Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy People”. The theme captures the main current priorities of member states.
Outcome:
The main outcome of the Summit was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter, which formalizes the grouping into an organization made up of members states that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal.
» Prime Minister Modi along with other leaders also witnessed the signing of three BIMSTEC agreements which represent progress being achieved in ongoing cooperation activities:
- BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters;
- BIMSTEC Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Cooperation in the field of Diplomatic Training
- Memorandum of Association on Establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility