Today's Current Affairs 31st July 2023

NATIONAL

Amazon India announces to open first floating store in Dal lake

• As a part of last point delivery programme ‘I Have Space’, Amazon India has announced to open its first ever floating store in famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. The store should be open in a house boat and will provide deliveries to its customers every day in Srinagar.
• Murtaza Khan Kashi, owner of houseboat Selec Town, will deliver packages every day to customers at the doorstep of their houseboats as part of the onboarding.
• Amazon Logistics, India, Director Karuna Shankar Pande said this will provide faster and reliable deliveries to customers across Srinagar, opportunities for small businesses and strengthen Amazon’s delivery network.
• Launched in 2015, the ‘I Have Space’ programme has 28,000 neighbourhood and kirana partners in about 420 towns and cities in India. It partners with local stores and small businesses for delivering products within a 2-4 kilometres radius.

SPORTS

India bags 14 medals including nine gold at Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships

• Indian contingent finished their Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships with 14 medals including nine gold, four silvers and a bronze. Indian athletes clinched six medals on the final day of the event at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Indian 4x400 meter mixed relay team of Amoj Jacob, Aishwarya Mishra, Muhammed Anas and Himanshi Malik won the first gold medal of the day. The event also featured a second Indian relay team comprising Nihal Joel William, Subha Venkatesan, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Vithya Ramraj, who bagged the silver medal. Amoj Jacob, an Asian Athletics Championships gold medallist, then teamed up with Muhammed Anas, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Ajmal to secure the gold medal in the 4x400 meter men’s relay event.
• In the 4x400 meter women's relay event, the Indian quartet of Sonia Baishya, Aishwarya Mishra, Subha V and Himanshi Malik bagged the gold medal. Interestingly, in the same event, Olympian Jisna Mathew and Vithya Ramraj of India teamed up with Sri Lanka’s WS Himaya Fernando and K Shanika Lakshani to come in third. India's T Santhosh Kumar also finished first in the men's 400 meter hurdles. India’s javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena, who won the gold medal on Friday, was awarded the Best Male Thrower trophy.

India bags six medals including four Golds at World University Games in Chengdu, China

• Indian shooters and archers bagged six medals including four golds at the World University Games in Chengdu, China today. Shooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Divyansh Singh Panwar and Arjun Babuta joined forces to outclass local favourites China to win the 10m air rifle men’s team gold. Aishwary also secured gold in the 10m air rifle men’s individual event.
• Avneet Kaur pipped USA’s Alyssa Grace Sturgill in a thrilling shoot off to clinch the compound women’s individual gold. Sangampreet Bisla and Aman Saini clinched the gold and bronze medals in the men’s individual event. India have won 17 medals, nine gold, three silver and five bronze, and are second in the tournament. Hosts China lead the standings with a haul of 21 medals.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Nisha Biswal becomes Deputy Chief Executive Officer of US finance agency

• Indian-American policy expert Nisha Biswal is confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a US finance agency. Ms. Biswal will serve as the Deputy CEO of the United States International Development Finance Corporation. A White House press release said that US President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Nisha Desai Biswal earlier in March this year for the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation. She has a high-profile career of over 30 years of experience in US foreign policy and international development programmes within the White House; US Congress and the private sector. Ms. Biswal currently holds the position of Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the US-India Business Council and US-Bangladesh Business Council.

Prof Ganesan Kannabiran takes charge as NAAC Director

• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recently announced the appointment of Prof Ganesan Kannabiran as its new director. The appointment took place on July 28, as per the official statement from NAAC. Prof Kannabiran brings with him a rich experience of over 30 years in the education sector, having served as a senior professor of Information Systems at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchirappalli. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership positions, including the Dean of Research and Consultancy, and Director-in-Charge at NIT Trichy and NIT Puducherry
• From 2018 to 2023, Prof Kannabiran served as the founding director of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Andhra Pradesh. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in implementing the National Education Policy at the institute and worked towards fostering community development by promoting engagement with neighboring villages.
• Prof Ganesan Kannabiran holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems and possesses three Master’s degrees in Computer Science and Engineering, Business Administration, and Mathematics, demonstrating his multidisciplinary approach to education and research.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Ranger Day

• World Ranger Day, celebrated on July 31, serves as a special occasion to pay tribute and show gratitude to the courageous men and women who devote their lives to safeguarding wildlife and preserving our precious natural resources. These unsung heroes selflessly work day and night, striving to protect some of the most fragile ecosystems and endangered species on our planet. Their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to the cause of conservation deserve our utmost respect and admiration.
• History - The origins of World Ranger Day can be traced back to the International Ranger Federation (IRF), an organisation established in 1992 to promote and support the work of park rangers worldwide. The day was first observed in 2007 in memory of eight rangers who tragically lost their lives while on duty in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, World Ranger Day has grown to become an internationally recognised occasion to celebrate rangers' contributions and raise awareness about the challenges they face in their line of duty.
• Theme - The theme of World Ranger Day 2023 is “30 by 30,” building on the momentum from the 2022 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). During COP15, world leaders and decision-makers agreed upon a Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the planet’s areas by 2030 (also known as the ’30 by 30′ target). This ambitious goal highlights the urgent need for increased conservation efforts to safeguard ecosystems and protect the planet’s biodiversity.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

FEDA hosts International Education Summit in Dubai with a focus on academic excellence

• The Federation of Economic Development Association (FEDA) hosted the International Education Summit & Conference 2023 at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in Dubai. The event was attended by more than 120 participants from various academic disciplines.
• The summit was aimed at providing a platform for ambitious minds to showcase academic excellence. It featured a conference on the topic of Innovative Research In Economics Management, Information Technology and Legal Studies.
• This international platform provided scholars with an opportunity to present their cutting-edge research and findings, facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge. The event was graced by K. Lakshminarayanan, Minister of PWD Govt of Puducherry as the chief guest and Dr. Fahad Alsaadi, Vice Chancellor for Learners Development at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University as the guest of honor.

Think20 Summit under India’s G20 Presidency to begin in Mysuru, Karnataka

• Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as the Think20 Secretariat under India’s G20 Presidency, will host the Think20 Summit in Mysuru from today till August 2. Think20 is the G20’s official engagement group that serves as an ‘ideas bank’ for the multilateral grouping by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20.
• The three-day conference will be a gathering of distinguished members of the seven Think20 Task Forces and policy experts from around the world. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to collectively showcase ideas and insights on the priorities of India’s G20 Presidency, including issues such as lifestyle for sustainable development, macroeconomics and trade, women-led development, digital transformation, green transition, the global financial order, accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and reforming multilateralism.