National
Fit India Quiz State-level winners
⇒ Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur felicitated Fit India Quiz state-level winners at a ceremony organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in Mumbai on 21 July 2022.
- Cash prize amounting to Rs 99 Lakhs was awarded to 72 students and 36 schools from across the country.
- 360 schools competed in the State Rounds which took place during the months of February and March, 2022.
- Out of this, 360 selected schools competed in the State Rounds. After a series of quarter-final and semi-final rounds, the finalists from 36 States/UTs have been identified for participating in the National Finals.
» From Maharashtra, Tanay Gautam Sheth and Aakash Viswanath from P. G. Garodia School (ICSE), Mumbai bagged the State Level Champion award of the Fit India Quiz.
- 36 teams (two students in each team) of the state rounds and their school representatives have been awarded prize money, with the School being awarded Rs 2,50,000/- and two students being rewarded Rs 12,500/- each.
Official link of List of Winners
National Rounds:
- For the National Rounds of the Fit India Quiz, the prize money is Rs 25 lakh for the champion school, Rs 2.5 lakh for students (Rs 1.25 lakh each).
- The first runner-up will get Rs 15 lakh (school) and Rs 1.5 lakh (Rs 75,000 for each student), and the 2nd runner-up will get Rs 10 lakhs (school) and Rs 1 lakh (Rs 50,000 for each student).
About the Fit India Quiz:
Launched with the aim to create awareness among students about India’s rich sporting history, the Fit India Quiz saw participation of 36,299 students in the preliminary rounds where 13,500 schools competed online on a platform hosted by National Testing Agency (NTA).
NITI Aayog launched two significant initiatives
⇒ During the visit of COP 26 President Mr Alok Sharma to India on 21-22 July 2022, NITI Aayog launched two significant initiatives —
E-AMRIT (Accelerated e-Mobility Revolution for India’s Transportation) mobile application to raise awareness on electric mobility
The e-AMRIT app offers users key information like engagement tools that enable them to assess benefits of electric vehicles, determine savings and get all the information on developments in the Indian electric vehicle market and industry at their fingertips.
2. Report on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India
- The report on “Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India” is supported by the UK’s Green Growth Fund Technical Cooperation Facility.
- It is aimed at promoting battery recycling of current and evolving battery technologies, and the battery supply chain as uptake of electric vehicles increase in India.
- The report highlights the crucial role of energy storage in accomplishing India’s COP26 goals.
Three major initiatives of Sports Ministry
⇒ Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launched three major initiatives of his department on 08 July 2022-
- Online portal for schemes of department of sports
- National sports development fund (NSDF) website
- Revised scheme of cash award, national welfare and pension to sportspersons
Deserving athletes and former sportspersons will now not be required to run after national federations and government offices to get their rewards and dues as the Sports Ministry has made the processes online.
Key Points:
- Pension scheme or Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Scheme for Sportspersons has also made online so that athletes’ time doesn’t get wasted on this.
- Active athletes who seek recognition and rewards from the government can now apply online on the portal of department of sports, corporates, PSUs and individuals can contribute to NSDF fund on its newly-built website.
- NSDF is a big initiative in creating funds for TOPS, other benefits for athletes and developing infrastructure. All contributions to NSDF will get exemptions from income tax.
MD & CEO of SBI General Insurance
⇒ Private non-life insurer SBI General Insurance has appointed Paritosh Tripathi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 5, 2022.
He succeeds P C Kandpal, who has been posted as Deputy Managing Director (DMD)-(P&RE) at the Corporate Center, State Bank of India (SBI).
Career of Paritosh Tripathi:
- Tripathi has over 32-years banking experience and has worked in various departments including MSME, mid-corporate segment, international banking and bancassurance.
- Before joining SBI General Insurance, he was general manager operations, internal banking group with SBI and was also on the board of Sterling Bank, Nigeria and SBI Canada. From 2017 to 2020, he was head – bancassurance, firstly with SBI Mutual Fund and then with SBI General Insurance. He was the CEO of SBI DIFC branch in Dubai.
15th President of India
⇒ Shrimati Droupadi Murmu became the 15th President of the Republic of India.
Shrimati Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of India on 25 July 2022. She was sworn in by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at Central Hall of the Parliament.
Read More About Presidential Election of India 2022
International
New Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)
⇒ Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian of the Indian Army has been appointed as his new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian of India as his new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on 06 July 2022.
- Lieutenant General Subramanian succeeds Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India.
Lieutenant General Subramanian has a distinguished military career with the Indian Army spanning over 36 years. Most recently, he served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region (Operational and Logistic Readiness Zone) in central India, contributing to the Army’s operational and logistic preparedness.
Other Points:
- India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping.
- The UN mission in South Sudan, a country born in July 2011, has 17,982 personnel deployed with it as of November 2021.
- India is the second-highest military troop-contributing country to UNMISS with 2,385 Indian peacekeepers serving with the mission, second only to Rwanda.
- In addition, India currently contributes 30 police personnel to UNMISS.
