GK and Current Affairs Updates

Rajamahendravaram will be the new name of Rajahmundry, the historic and cultural city of Andhra Pradesh, as announced by state Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The name “Rajamahendravaram” is derived from a Chalukya dynasty ruler of the 11th century who ruled over the city. Rajahmundary is famous for Tobacco Research Institute of India.

Britain's Cyclist Chris Froome became the first Briton to win the prestigious cycling championship of Tour de France twice when he safely reached the finish line in Paris at the end of the race. The 2013 champion finished alongside his team-mates on the final stage, behind a sprint won by Andre Greipel. Froome, 30, beat Colombia's Nairo Quintana to the yellow jersey by 72 seconds with Spain's Alejandro Valverde.

The 14th edition of Special Olympics Games is being held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles (United States) from 25 July to 2 August 2015. . The games were the brainchild of President John Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports activity for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Sampaio of Portugal were awarded the first-ever Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize by the United Nations (UN) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Ndume, a female ophthalmologist, was awarded for treating blindness and eye-related illnesses in Namibia and throughout the developing world. While Jorge Sampaio, was awarded for his contribution to his country for his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Portugal.

Germany's Sebastian Vettel won Hungarian Grand Prix 2015 for Ferrari. Vettel dedicated his win to Bianchi the Marussia driver who died in the hospital nine months after suffering severe head injuries at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Mr Bijoy Krishna Handique, a former union minister and a Congress leader from Assam, died. 
Handique served the nation with distinction in different capacities during his public life. He was Member of Parliament from the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency for six consecutive terms from 1991 to 2014, He also served as Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from 1980 to 1986.

Veteran mountaineer Nalini Sengupta is set to become the first Puneite to have a Himalyan peak christened in her honour. Sexagenarian Sengupta, who has scaled several summits till now, was bestowed with his honour recently after trekkers of Giripremi, a noted mountaineering institute in the city, conquered peak 5260 in the Hamta pass region in Himalayas and decided to name it as “Mount Nalini”, to salute her persistent efforts to inculcate mountaineering in youngsters since 1970.

India’s ODI cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named the ninth most marketable sportsperson in the world ahead of the likes of football superstar Lionel Messi in a list prepared by London School of Marketing. Dhoni also pipped football star Cristiano Ronaldo and Andy Murray in the list of the world’s 20 most marketable sportspersons.

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, widely acclaimed as the “people’s President”, passed away after collapsing during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong.
Mr. Kalam (83), who was President between 2002 and 2007, took the lead in the conduct of India’s nuclear tests in May 1998 and was later fielded as the National Democratic Alliance candidate by then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee.

10 year old Indian Golfer Shubham Jaglan scripted history as he lifted his second Junior Golf Title in a span of 2 weeks. In the World Stars Junior Golf Tournament played at Las Vegas, Nevada this morning, Shubham finished top in his category age 9 to 10.