CURRENT GK
1.Raina, Yusuf sign up for TNPL :-
Two of the biggest names in the Indian Premier League, Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan, have signed up for the second edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
Around 80 outstation cricketers sent in their forms to take part in the competition even as the deadline ended on Thursday evening.
All these players had already tied up with the various TNCA clubs — this is mandatory requirement for becoming eligible for the TNPL.
- IRDAI takes over management of Sahara Life Insurance :-
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken over the administration of Sahara India Life Insurance, a first of its kind move in the insurance sector.
It has named RK Sharma, General Manager, IRDAI, as administrator to manage the affairs of the insurer.
The current board of Sahara India Life is headed by Chairman OP Srivastava. Sanjay Agarwal is whole-time director and CEO.
Lucknow-based Sahara India Life Insurance was the first wholly Indian owned life insurance company in the private sector which launched its operations in 2004 with an initial paid-up capital of Rs 157 crore.
3.Hockey World League: India rallies to beat Scotland :-
India conceded an early goal, but made a fine comeback by pumping in four quick goals to defeat Scotland 4-1 in its opening match of the Hockey World League (HWL) Semifinals here on Thursday.
Scotland captain Chris Grassick scored in the sixth minute to stun India, which trailed 1-0 till the end of the first two quarters.
4.Donald Trump to announce plan to stop cash flow to Cuban military :-
Stopping short of a complete turnabout, President Donald Trump is expected Friday to announce a revised Cuba policy aimed at stopping the flow of US cash to the country’s military and security services while maintaining diplomatic relations and allowing U.S. airlines and cruise ships to continue service to the island.
5.U.P. recommends CBI probe into waqf boards :-
Hours after the Uttar Pradesh government ordered dissolution of Shia and Sunni waqf boards, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday night recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities worth several crores committed by the two bodies in the State.
“The Chief Minister recommended a CBI probe into alleged scam worth crores in Shia and Sunni waqf boards,” Minister of State for Waqf Mohsin Raza told PTI here.
- Google ranked as the world’s most valuable brand in 2017 :-
Technology giant Google has topped the 2017 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list, with a brand value of over $245 billion.
Further, US tech giants Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook were also among the five most valuable brands.
Notably, Amazon rose three places after achieving the highest dollar value growth, increasing by $40.3 billion to $139.3 billion.
7.First Panama seizure: Top Delhi jeweller’s deposits :-
Fourteen months after the Panama Papers probe in April 2016, the first case of substantial seizures has been effected by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which issued orders for freezing Rs 7-crore worth of movable assets of Delhi-based jeweller Ashwani Kumar Mehra and members of his family.
- TCS executive Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Mission under NITI Aayog :-
The government has appointed a senior executive of Tata Consultancy Services to head Atal Innovation Mission, its initiative to promote entrepreneurship in the country, in perhaps the first initiative to bring in best of private minds to drive innovation in governance.
Ramanathan Ramanan, senior vice president at TCS, has been appointed as mission director of Atal Innovation Mission, under the government’s premier think tank NITI Aayog, in the rank of additional secretary.
9.ICJ refused India’s plea in Jadhav case: Pakistan :-
Pakistan on Thursday claimed that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav case had refused to allow time to India for filing Memorial (detailed submissions) in the case.
Instead, India has been asked to file its reply by September 13. India had sought time till December this year to file the Memorial.
Attorney-General Ashtar Ausaf told the media that Pakistan had been allowed to file counter-memorial by December 13.
10.Singapore minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs to visit India for bilateral talks in July :-
Singapore’s Senior minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Bin Osman will visit New Delhi to attend the 9th India-ASEAN dialogue early next month, the Indian High Commission here said today. The dialogue, to be held from July 2-4, is an annual international conference of political and economic leaders, and opinion-makers of the ASEAN countries with their Indian counterparts to discuss intensification and broadening of political, strategic, economic and civil society interaction in the region. Maliki will also hold bilateral meetings with his Indian counterparts in external affairs and defence ministry in New Delhi.
11.Telcos urge regulator to fix floor price for data, voice services :-
Telecom service providers on Thursday sought an imposition of a floor price for voice and data services in a meeting with regulator TRAI.
The suggestion assumes significance as it comes at a time when top telcos have been voicing concerns over decline in their revenues as a result of free services offered by Reliance Jio for about seven months post its launch.
- India appoints envoys to Italy, Denmark, Belgium and EU :-
The government has appointed ambassadors to three European countries, Italy, Denmark and Belgium.
Gaitri Issar Kumar, a 1986-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Belgium. She will also be accredited as India’s ambassador to the European Union (EU).
While Reenat Sandhu, a 1989-batch IFS officer, will head India’s diplomatic mission in Italy, Ajit Vinayak Gupte from the 1991 batch, who is presently joint secretary in the ministry, has been appointed as ambassador to Denmark.
13.Former CJI Bhagwati, who regretted verdict during Emergency, no more :-
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati, 95, who introduced the concept of Public Interest Litigations (PILs), passed away in New Delhi on Thursday. He was a member of a five-judge Supreme Court bench, which had ruled in favour of the government’s stand that a person arrested during the Emergency was not entitled to fundamental rights.
14.India decimate Bangladesh to enter final :-
India booked a date with Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy after brushing Bangladesh aside here on Thursday.
The gulf in class was evident at Edgbaston as India achieved a nine-wicket semifinal victory with the minimum of fuss.
Rohit Sharma, who scored his 11th one-day century, and Virat Kohli put on a commanding, unbroken 178-run (153b) partnership, ensuring India cantered to the target of 265 with nearly 10 overs to spare.