Dronacharya Award 2022

Shri. Dinesh Jawahar Lad is a Cricket coach. He has trained many outstanding Cricket players who have won medals in National/ International competitions. Prominent among them are Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Harmeet Singh Badhan and Siddhesh Lad. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award (Life Time) for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Dinesh Jawahar Lad.

Shri. Bimal Prafulla Ghosh is a Football coach. He has trained many outstanding Football players who have won medals in National/lnternational competitions. Prominent among them are Khalid Jameel, Steven Dias, Bikash Jairu, Raju Gaikwad, and Bungo Thomchok Singh. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award(Life Time) for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Bimal Prafulla Ghosh.

Shri. Raj Singh is a Wrestling Coach. He has trained many outstanding Wrestling players who have participated and won in National/lnternational competitions. Prominent among them are Ashok Kumar, Ombir, Yogeshwar Dutt, Sanjay, Dinesh, Gyanender, Narender, Parveen, Yudhvir, Suresh, Monu, Amit, Pawan, and Pardeep. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award (Life Time) for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Raj Singh.

Shri. Jiwanjot Singh Teja is an Archery coach. He has trained many outstanding Archery players who have won medals in National/lnternational competitions. Prominent among them are Harvinder Singh, V. Jyothi Surekha, Raj Kaur, Rajat Chouhan, Aman Saini, Abhishek Verma, Madhumita Kumari, and Muskan Kirar. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Jiwanjot Singh Teja.

Shri. Mohammad Ali Qamar is a National Boxing Coach. He has trained many outstanding Boxing players who have participated and won in National/lnternational competitions. Prominent among them are Lovlina Borgohain, Manju, Jamuna Boro, Sonia, Simranjit Kaur Baatth, and Pooja Rani. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Mohammad Ali Qamar.

Ms. Suma Siddharth Shirur is a Para Shooting Coach. She has trained many outstanding Shooting players who have participated and won in National/lnternational competitions. Prominent among them are Avani Lekhara, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Shahu Tushar Mane, Ashi Chouksey, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kiran Ankush Jadhav, Prasiddhi Mahant, Abhinav Shaw, Zeena Kittha, Atmika Gupta and Aakriti Dahiya. In recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Ms. Suma Siddharth Shirur.

Shri. Sujeet Maan is a Wrestling Coach. He has trained many outstanding Wrestling players who have participated and won in National/international competitions. Prominent among them is Bajrang Punia. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of coaching, the Dronacharya Award for the year 2022 is being conferred upon Shri. Sujeet Maan.

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022

Shri. Sharath Kamal Achanta is one of the most outstanding Table Tennis players of the country. His achievements are:

• .Three Gold Medals (individual, Mix Doubles & Team) and one Silver Medal (Mix Doubles) in Commonwealth Games, 2022
• Two Bronze Medals (Mix Doubles & Team) in Asian Games, 2018.
• One Gold Medal (Team), one Silver medal (Mix Doubles) and one Bronze Medal (individual) in Commonwealth Games, 2018.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the sport of Table Tennis, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for the year 2022 is conferred upon Shri. Sharath Kamal Achanta.

Indian Earth Observation Satellite-6 (EOS-6) was launched

The third generation Indian satellite for monitoring the oceans, formally named Earth Observation Satellite-6 (EOS-6) was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in partnership with the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) among others, from its First Launch Pad (FLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The ocean observing mission is a follow-up to OceanSat-1 or IRS-P4 and OceanSat-2 launched in 1999 and 2009, respectively. The satellite was launched aboard the proven launch vehicle PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) on its 56th flight (24th flight of the PSLV-XL version).

The Oceansat-3 was placed in the polar orbit at a height of about 740 kilometers above sea level. While at 1100 kilograms, it is only slightly heavier than Oceansat-1, for the first time in this series it houses three ocean observing sensors viz Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3), Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), and Ku-Band scatterometer (SCAT-3). There is also an ARGOS payload. All these sensors have their own importance for India’s blue economy aspirations.

The advance 13-channel OCM with 360 m spatial resolution and 1400 km swath will observe the day side of the earth every day and will provide crucial data on the distribution of ocean algae which is the base of the food chain within the marine ecosystem. The OCM-3 with a high signal-to-noise ratio is expected to provide improved accuracy in daily monitoring of phytoplankton having a wide range of operational and research applications including fishery resource management, ocean carbon uptake, harmful algal bloom alerts, and climate studies.

India's Sargam Koushal wins Mrs World 2022

Sargam Koushal was named Mrs. World 2022, besting contestants from 63 countries to bring the title back to India after 21 years. Mrs. World 2021 Shaylyn Ford of the US presented the crown to Mumbai-based Koushal at a ceremony held at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Saturday evening. Mrs. Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs. Canada as the second runner-up.

India wins the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Vice Presidency and Strategic Management Board (SMB) Chair for the 2023-25 term

India wins the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Vice Presidency and Strategic Management Board (SMB) Chair for the 2023-25 term. By securing over 90% of the votes cast by full members of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) during its General Meeting held recently in San Francisco, USA, India’s representative, a member of the Indian National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and various technical committees of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS-India), was elected.

Representation of BIS (India) in policy and governance bodies of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and IEC ensures that Indian viewpoints on the important strategic and policy matters are put forth and it also provides opportunities to align the national standardization priorities with International best practices. BIS is continually expanding its international footprints by working on the growth mantra provided by the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumers Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal. Currently, BIS (India) is represented in various policy and governing bodies of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and IEC such as the ISO Council, ISO Technical Management Board (TMB), IEC SMB, IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB), IEC Business Advisory Committee (BAC), etc.

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is an international standard-setting body that publishes international Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. Standardization Management Board (SMB) is an apex governance body of the IEC responsible for technical policy matters. Shri Vimal Mahendru will be the IEC Vice President representing India.

India jumps 2 spots higher, and now ranks 8th as per Climate Change Performance Index

India has been ranked among the top 5 countries in the world, and the best among the G20 countries, based on its Climate Change performance. India jumps 2 spots higher, and is now ranked 8th as per Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI, 2023) published by German Watch, New Climate Institute, and Climate Action Network International based in Germany. The latest report of CCPI, released at COP 27 in November 2022, shows Denmark, Sweden, Chile, and Morocco as the only four small countries that were ranked above India as 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively. The first, second, and third ranks were not awarded to any country. In effect, therefore, India’s rank is the best among all large economies.

The CCPI aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries. Published annually since 2005, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 59 countries and the EU. Every year, the CCPI sets off important public and political debates within the countries assessed. The climate protection performance of these 59 countries, which together account for 92% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is assessed in four categories: GHG Emissions (40% of overall score),  Renewable Energy  (20% of overall score),  Energy Use  (20% of overall score) and  Climate Policy (20% of overall score).

India earned a high rating in the GHG Emissions  and Energy Use categories, while a medium for Climate Policy and Renewable Energy. The aggressive policies of India towards rapid deployment of renewables and robust framework for energy efficiency programs have shown considerable impact. As per the CCPI report, India is on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets (compatible with a well-below-2°C scenario).

The ranking given by CCPI places India as the only G-20 country in the top 10 ranks. It may be mentioned here that India will now be assuming G-20 Presidency and it will be an opportune time to show the World, its climate mitigation policies such as the deployment of renewable sources of energy and other energy transition programmes.

Film Personality of the Year Award goes to Megastar Chiranjeevi

The IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award for 2022 goes to megastar and actor-producer Chiranjeevi Konidela. The announcement has been made by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, at the grand opening of the 53rd edition of IFFI, the International Film Festival of India, in Goa. In an illustrious film career spanning more than four decades, Chiranjeevi starred in more than 150 feature films in Telugu, as well as some films in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in Telugu cinema.

He captured the imagination of the masses with his performance in Initlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya in 1982. He is admired for his zestful dance performances and fight sequences brimming with power. His influence has claimed him the title of a Megastar. In 2006, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema.

Spanish film Director Carlos Saura has been honoured with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award

Celebrated Spanish film Director Carlos Saura has been honoured with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award at the gala opening ceremony of the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The Spanish Director is being honoured with the award as a befitting accolade for his immense contribution to international cinema. His daughter Anna Saura accepted the award on behalf of the eminent filmmaker at the opening ceremony of IFFI 53.

53rd International Film Festival of India held in Goa

 The world’s finest films and its stellar creators under one umbrella, the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, in Panaji, Goa. Conducted jointly by the National Film Development Corporation and Entertainment Society of Goa, this edition of the film fiesta is showcasing a collection of 280 films from 79 countries. 25 features and 20 non-feature films will be showcased in the Indian Panorama section from a broad spectrum of entries.

India climbs up six slots and now placed at 61st rank as per Network Readiness Index 2022

India has improved its position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022) report released recently. In its latest version of 2022, the NRI Report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 131 economies based on their performances in four different pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact covering a total of 58 variables. The report has been prepared by the Portulans Institute, an independent non-profit, nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Washington DC.

India has not only improved its ranking, but also improved its score from 49.74 in 2021 to 51.19 in 2022.  It is noteworthy that India leads in several indicators. The report states that India secured 1st rank in “AI talent concentration”, 2nd rank in “Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country” and “International Internet bandwidth”, 3rd rank in “Annual investment in telecommunication services” and “Domestic market size”, 4th rank in “ICT Services exports”, 5th rank in “FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions” and “AI scientific publications”.

NRI-2022 report states that India has a greater network readiness than would be expected given its income level.  India is ranked 3rd out of 36 in the group of lower-middle-income countries after Ukraine (50) and Indonesia (59).  India has a score higher than the income group average in all pillars and sub-pillars.

ISRO makes history by successfully launching India’s maiden private Vikram-suborbital (VKS) rocket

 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made history today by launching successfully India’s maiden private Vikram-suborbital (VKS) rocket. ISRO says, "Mission Prarambh is successfully accomplished", while Skyroot Aerospace said, "Vikram-S makes history as the first private rocket of India to grace the skies". Skyroot was the first StartUp to sign an MoU with ISRO for launching its rockets. It was the nation's first private launch, it is also the maiden mission of Skyroot Aerospace, named "Prarambh".

NTPC team wins GOLD award in 47th ICQCC-2022

 NTPC’s QC Team from Unchahar ABHYUDAYA has won the "GOLD" award in the 47th International Convention on Quality Control Circle (ICQCC-2022). The convention is being held from 15th-18th November in Jakarta. The theme for ICQCC-2022 was “Built Back Better through Quality Efforts”.

NTPC QC Team presented on "Frequent Choking of Collecting tanks of AHP-IV". The QC team members - Shri Reyaz Ahamad (Facilitator), Shri Mahesh Chandra, Shri Virendra Kumar Yadav and Shri Laxmi Kant worked relentlessly towards providing unique, pragmatic, and quality solutions to the problem at hand.

In March 2022, NTPC had been declared the “Dream Employer of the Year” at the 30th Session of the World HRD Congress. NTPC’s efforts to create a future-ready workforce were recognized when NTPC was selected as a 2022 ATD BEST award winner by The Association for Talent Development (ATD), USA. The awards and recognitions are a testimony that people practices at NTPC are at par with the best companies in the world.

Shri Gaurav Dwivedi appointed Prasar Bharati CEO

 The President of India has today appointed, after due recommendation by the Selection Committee, Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, as Executive Member (Chief Executive Officer) in Prasar Bharati for a period of five years from his assumption of charge. Shri Dwivedi is an Officer of the Indian Administrative Service, Batch of 1995, of the Chattisgarh cadre.  

Shri R.K Singh inaugurates the 5th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance

The Fifth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was inaugurated today by Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, India in his capacity as the President, the International Solar Alliance. The Republic of India holds the office of the President of the ISA Assembly, with the Government of France as Co-President. Ministers from 20 countries and delegates from across 110 Member and Signatory countries and 18 prospective countries joined the inaugural ceremony of the 5th ISA Assembly.

Best Sellers in Grocery & Gourmet Foods

Ms Bharati Das took charge as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

Ms Bharati Das took charge as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA). Ms Das is the 27th Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Ms Bharati Das, a 1988-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, is appointed by the Government of India as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, with effect from October 18, 2021. Prior to that, Ms Das has served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts (Pr. CCA) Central Board of Direct Taxes, Pr. CCA Ministry of External Affairs, Pr. CCA Ministry of Home Affairs and CCA, Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Director, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Port, Shipping & Waterways. The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) is ‘the Principal Advisor’ on Accounting matters to the Union Government. CGA is responsible for establishing and managing a technically sound Management Accounting System and preparation & submission of the accounts of the Union Government. CGA is also responsible for exchequer control and internal audits for the central Government. 

Global Hunger Report 2022

A consistent effort is yet again visible to taint India’s image as a Nation that does not fulfill the food security and nutritional requirements of its population. Misinformation seems to be the hallmark of the annually released Global Hunger Index. The Global Hunger Report 2022 released by Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe, Non-Government Organisations from Ireland and Germany respectively, has ranked India at 107 among 121 countries. The index is an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues. Three out of the four indicators used for the calculation of the index are related to the health of Children and cannot be representative of the entire population. The fourth and most important indicator estimate of the Proportion of the Undernourished (PoU) population is based on an opinion poll conducted on a very small sample size of 3000.

90th INTERPOL General Assembly

90th INTERPOL General Assembly held in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this assembly in presence of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Interpol President Shri Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, Interpol Secretary General Shri Jurgen Stock, Director of CBI Shri S.K. Jaiswal, Distinguished Delegates, and Participants.

PM launches 5G Services

Ushering in a new technological era, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched 5G services in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi today. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the sixth edition of the India Mobile Congress and also witnessed the IMC Exhibition that was put on the occasion.

India climbs to the 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index of WIPO

The Global Innovation Index 2022 captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends. Switzerland – for the 12th year in a row – ranks first in the GII 2022. The United States climbs to 2nd position. Then comes Sweden, which is followed, in turn, by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Korea. China moves up to 11th place, overtaking France; for now, it firmly remains the only middle-income economy within the GII top 30. No change to China’s exceptional position among middle-income economies is currently in sight unless Türkiye further progresses fast. Canada is back among the top 15 global innovators, climbing to 15th place. South East Asia, East Asia, and Oceania (SEAO) is the only region closing the gap between Northern America and Europe. Two SEAO economies are among the top 10 global innovators: the Republic of Korea (6th) and Singapore (rising to rank 7th place). Türkiye (37th) and India (40th) enter the top 40 for the first time.

Click to read the complete winner list

Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences 2022

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022 to Ben S. Bernanke (The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA), Douglas W. Diamond (University of Chicago, IL, USA), and Philip H. Dybvig (Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA) "for research on banks and financial crises".

Modern banking research clarifies why we have banks, how to make them less vulnerable in crises and how bank collapses exacerbate financial crises. The foundations of this research were laid by Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig in the early 1980s. Their analyses have been of great practical importance in regulating financial markets and dealing with financial crises.

Click here to read full winner List

Government appoints Lt General Anil Chauhan as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

 The Government has decided to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders. In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan had held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East India.

In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations. Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. The officer superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021. Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters. For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

36th National Games open in Ahmedabad

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi declared the 36th National Games open at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During the event, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the world-class “Swarnim Gujarat Sports University” in Desar. The Prime Minister also addressed the athletes from across the country who are taking part in the National Games.

National Games are being held in the state of Gujarat for the very first time. It will be organised from 29th September to 12th October 2022. Nearly 15,000 sportspersons, coaches, and officials from across the country will be participating in 36 sports disciplines, making it the biggest National Games ever. The sporting events will be organised in six cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. Under the leadership of the then Chief Minister and the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat embarked on the journey to create a robust sports infrastructure of international standards, which helped the state to prepare for the games in a very short span of time.

Madhabi Puri Buch takes over as Sebi chief

 Madhabi Puri Buch took over as the Chairperson of capital markets regulator Sebi, succeeding Ajay Tyagi who completed his five-year term. Buch, the first woman to head the important financial regulator and also the first non-bureaucrat to lead it in many years, was appointed by the government for a three-year term.

Professor Neena Gupta receives Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians

The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians was awarded to Professor Neena Gupta, a mathematician of the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, in a virtual ceremony on 22nd February 2022. She received the award for the year 2021 for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. The prize is awarded annually to a researcher from a developing country funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India in association with ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU). It is given to young mathematicians less than 45 years of age who have conducted outstanding research in a developing country. It is supported by DST in the memory of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a genius in pure mathematics who was essentially self-taught and made spectacular contributions to elliptic functions, continued fractions, infinite series, and analytical theory of numbers. Professor Gupta's solution for solving the Zariski cancellation problem, a fundamental problem in Algebraic Geometry, earned her the 2014 Young Scientists Award of the Indian National Science Academy (NSA). The NSA described her solution as ‘one of the best works in algebraic geometry in recent years done anywhere’. The problem was posed by one of the most eminent founders of modern Algebraic Geometry, Oscar Zariski, in 1949.