NATIONAL NEWS

NTPC Signs Statement of Intent with NITI Aayog

• NTPC Ltd signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with NITI Aayog to develop the Net Zero GHG emissions Roadmap for NTPC.
• The SoI seeks to formalize a framework of cooperation between the parties to facilitate NTPC to strategies on diversification of its generation mix to eventually reduce its carbon footprint and support India's endeavor towards achieving net zero by 2070.
• NTPC would be able to utilize the expertise of NITI Aayog’s energy team for the development of Net Zero GHG emissions Roadmap for NTPC to align with Government of India’s ‘Panchamrit’ goals.

COP 26 President and NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog today launched two significant initiatives — E-AMRIT (Accelerated e-Mobility Revolution for India’s Transportation) mobile application to raise awareness on electric mobility and the Report on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India.

• These are launched by COP 26 President Alok Sharma during his visit to India.
• NITI Aayog has been collaborating with the UK Government in the areas of e-vehicles, charging infrastructure and battery storage.
• India is the fifth largest and fastest growing vehicle market in the world, providing massive potential for electric vehicle uptake.

Scheme for Cashless Medical Benefit

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scheme to provide cashless medical facilities to more than 75 lakh people including 22 lakh state government employees, pensioners and their dependents.

• Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme, eligible people will get cashless medical facilities at government-run institutions, medical colleges and hospitals without any financial limit.

• Cashless medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh will be available at hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
• A state health card will be provided for the state employee and pensioners.

BANKING

Standard Chartered Bank and EaseMyTrip

• Standard Chartered Bank launched a co-branded credit card EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered Credit Card with the online travel tech platform EaseMyTrip.
• It offers 20% instant discount on Domestic and International hotel bookings with EaseMyTrip of up to Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively with no minimum booking amount.
• Reward points earned can be redeemed on the rewards catalog of Standard Chartered Bank, across multiple brands including EaseMyTrip.
• The cardmembers will have access to instant discount benefits on flights and hotels throughout the year on the EaseMyTrip website and mobile application.

SPORTS

Bangladeshi Cricketer Tamim Iqbal Announces Retirement

• Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh ODI captain announced his retirement from T20Is.

• The 33-year-old has participated in 78 T20 Internationals and has scored 1758 runs at a 24.08 average.

• Tamim has scored 5082 runs in tests and 7943 runs in one-day internationals.
• Tamim is the only batter from Bangladesh to have recorded a century in T20Is.

Dream Sports Signs Deal with New Zealand Cricket

• Dream11 parent Dream Sports announced a five -year deal with New Zealand's cricket governing body New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

• The five-year deal will see Dream Sports create fan-focused avenues across non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming and merchandising through its portfolio companies- Rario and FanCode.

• Rario will launch NZC's cricket NFT program and enable cricket fans to engage as a community.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Global Energy Prize 2022

• Kaushik Rajashekara, an Indian-origin professor of engineering at the University of Houston, has won the Global Energy Prize 2022.

• He was awarded for outstanding contributions to transportation electrification and energy efficiency technologies while reducing power generation emissions.

• The award ceremony will be held during Russian Energy Week in Moscow on 12 October to 14 October 2022.

• Only three people in the world were selected this year for the award.

• The 3 winners are Viktor Orlov from Russia along with Mercouri Kanatzidis from Greece and Kaushik Rajashekara.
• Victor Orlov won the award in the Traditional Energy category and Mercouri Kanatzidis won the award in the Unconventioanl Energy category.

Medals in International Olympiads

• Indian students bagged three Gold, sixteen Silver, and five bronze medals in various international Olympiads in Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry.

• The Mathematics Olympiad was held in Norway and

• Biology Olympiad was held in Armenia and the other two hosted by Switzerland and China were held virtually.
• In the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) the Indian team got one gold and five bronze medals. Pranjal Srivastava scored a hat trick with his 3rd consecutive gold medal at the IMO. He is the first Indian to win 3 Gold medals at the IMO.
• Deevyanshu Malu won gold medal. Abhijeet Anand, Anilesh Bansal, Dheeraj Kurukunda, and Harsh Jakhar bagged silver medals in the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
• Mahit Rajesh Gadhiwala, Nivesh Aggarwal, Tanishka Rameshchandra Kabra and Chinmay Khokar bagged a silver medal each in the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
• Mayank Pandhari bagged a gold medal. Amritansh Nigam, Prachi Jindal and Rohit Panda bagged silver medals in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO).

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Whole Time Member of IBBI

• The central Government has appointed Shri Jayanti Prasad as a Whole-time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for five years.

• He belongs to the 1986 batch of Indian Audit and Accounts Service officers, superannuated as Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General.

• He had accomplished 35 years of experience in the civil services, national and international assignments, having held key positions within the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India and in the United Nations (UN).
• He was the Chief Auditor at the UN for six years and also served as the Custodian under the Special Court (TORTS) Act 1992 in the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.

New Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

• Dinesh Gunawardena took oath as new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

• Gunawardena's appointment came a day after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the new President of Sri Lanka.

• He is a leader from the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) or People's United Front.

• Dinesh Gunawardena earlier served as Sri Lanka's foreign minister and education minister.

Prime Minister of Kuwait

• Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Kuwait.
• He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Claremont College in California and a PhD in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.
• Al Sabah served as deputy prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs of Kuwait.
• In 1993, he was appointed ambassador of Kuwait to the US. He was the minister of Finance from January 2003 to July 2003.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book ‘Beyond the Misty Veil, Temple Tales of Uttarakhand’

• Chief minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami released a book titled ‘Beyond the Misty Veil, Temple Tales of Uttarakhand’.
• The book was authored by Aradhana Johri.
• This book will be considered an authentic introduction to Uttarakhand’s sacred temples both domestically and abroad.
• Aradhana Johri is a former IAS official who formerly held the position of Nainital District Magistrate.
• Culture and mythology are explained in the book based on the mythical temples of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Brain Day

• World Brain Day is celebrated every year on 22 July.

• The main aim of the day is to share information about brain health and spark a universal effort that brings awareness to the prevalence of brain disorders

• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘Brain Health for all’.
• WBD 2022 campaign will focus on five key messages globally like Awareness, Prevention, Advocacy, Education and Access.