19-20 JULY 2016
Dabur signs MoU with DRDO to promote cultivation of rare medicinal plants
Dabur India in the second week of July 2016 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Defence Research and Development Organization's (DRDO) Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR).
The agreement was signed to promote sustainable cultivation of rare medicinal plants Ladakh, which is one of the most difficult terrains in the world.
Key highlights of the agreement
•Dabur and DIHAR will educate farmers in the Leh-Ladakh about high altitude medicinal plant species.
•This will also help in enhancing the livelihood of villagers in the cold desert area by involving them in cultivation of medicinal plants.
•The farmers will also be provided free saplings of rare medicinal plants and herbs.
•The initiative will focus on development of a self-sustainable system by creation of a value chain for the targeted endangered species.
•It will also focus on sustainable management of bio-resources by implying scientific agronomy practices. It will ensure biodiversity conservation.
Netherlands-UP signs agreement for setting up skill development centre for farmers
The Netherlands and Uttar Pradesh on 14 July 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a skill development centre to help farmers.
The MoU would ensure that farmers get information on food processing as well as along with use of modern techniques to boost production of sugarcane, potato, dairy development and flowers.
Besides, the Dutch government would also help in cleaning the Yamuna in Agra and in sewage treatment. Under this agreement, it would assist the state in solid waste management, urban development and infrastructure. It will also assist the state in water management, water supply, and cleanliness of water resources, sewage treatment, transport management and revival of water bodies.
Other than this, the Netherlands would also help in land reclamation of 1500 acres in the Ganga basin in Kanpur and development of cultural heritage.
As per official release, the MoU will remain operational for the next three years.
Softbank to acquire ARM Holdings for $32 billion
Japan's Softbank on 18 July 2016 agreed to acquire ARM Holdings, the U.K. based semiconductor firm, in a deal worth more than 32 billion US dollar.
As part of its bid to bolster its presence in the growing internet of things (IoT) sector, Softbank will pay about 22.50 US dollar per share for ARM.
The deal is the first major cross-border transaction in Britainsince it voted to exit the European Unionin June 2016.
About Softbank
•SoftBank Group Corporation is a Japanese multinational telecommunications and Internet corporation.
•It was established on 3 September 1981.
•It is headquartered in Tokyo.
•In May 2015, it was ranked in the Forbes Global 2000 list as the 62nd largest public company in the world.
•As of 2015, SoftBank was the 62nd largest company in the world (based on a composite of sales, profit, assets and market value).
About ARM Holdings
•ARM Holdings is a British multinational semiconductor and software design company.
•It is headquartered in Cambridge, England.
•Its primary business is in the design of ARM processors (CPUs). The company also designs software development tools under the DS-5, RealView and Keil brands.
•ARM is considered to be market dominant in the field of processors for mobile phones and tablet computers.
•The company is one of the best-known 'Silicon Fen'companies.
World Bank Group appoints Paul Romer as Chief Economist
World Bank Group on 18 July 2016 appointed Paul Romer as World Bank Chief Economist with effect from September 2016. Romer is a widely respected economist and a successful entrepreneur.
Romer will join the Bank at a critical time when the field of development is transforming under the forces of rapid technological change, globalization, and demography.
As Chief Economist, Romer will support the President and the senior management in leading the institution and inspiring the development profession during this time of transformative change.
About Paul Romer
• Romer is currently a professor at New York University (NYU), Director of NYU’s Marron Institute of Urban Management, and a professor of economics in NYU's Stern School of Business.
• Earlier in his career, his research brought the economics of ideas into the analysis of economic growth.
• His start-up company Aplia, focused on educational technology, signals the breadth of his intellectual and practical interests.
• Before joining NYU, Romer taught at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
• His earlier roles included professorships at the Universities of California Berkeley, Chicago and Rochester.
• He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Legendary singer Mubarak Begum passes away in Mumbai
Legendary singer Mubarak Begum died at her residence in Mumbai on 18 July 2016 after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
She is remembered for singing scores of songs, duets and ghazals for Bollywood, mainly during the 1950s-1970s.
Mubarak Begum
• Born at Sujangarh in Churu district of Rajasthan, Begum started her career with light music recitals in All India Radio.
• Her career as a playback singer began in 1949 with the Indian, Hindi-language film Aaiye. Her first recorded song for the film was Mohe Aane Lagi Angrayi, Aja Aja Balam.
• Mubarak Begum is known for the evergreen song "Kabhi tanhaiyon mein hamari yaad ayegi" from the 1961 movie "Hamari Yaad Aayegi".
• Through the 1950s and 1960s, Begum worked with the best music directors in the film industry, collaborating with S D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and Khayyam for movies that starred screen legends like Sunil Dutt, Nargis and Rajendra Kumar.
• Mubarak Begum has sung a total of 178 songs for Hindi films during her career, and the total number of films where her songs have appeared is 115.
CBDT signs seven Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements with Indian taxpayers
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 18 July 2016 signed seven Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers. Some of the agreements also have a Rollback provision as well.
The 7 APAs pertain to various sectors of economy like banking, Information Technology and Automotives. The international transactions covered in these agreements include software development Services, IT enabled Services, Engineering Design Services & Business Support Services.
About Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) Scheme
• The APA Scheme was introduced in the Income-tax Act in 2012 and the Rollback provisions were introduced in 2014.
• The scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and setting the prices of international transactions in advance.
• Since its inception, the APA scheme has attracted tremendous interest and that has resulted in more than 700 applications (both unilateral and bilateral) having been filed in just four years.
Comment
With this, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 77. This includes 3 bilateral APAs and 74 Unilateral APAs. In the current financial year, a total of 13 Unilateral APAs have been entered into so far.
The progress of the APA Scheme strengthens the Government’s mission of fostering a non-adversarial tax regime.
Abdul Wahid Tanveer wins 2W MRF Rally of Coimbatore
Abdul Wahid Tanveer of Team TVS on 17 July 2016 clinched the 2016 MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Rally Championship for two-wheelers, as he extended his run to the fourth round at the MRF Rally of Coimbatore in the six-round competition.
Bengaluru-based Wahid, riding a TVS RTR 450, clocked 1 hour 02 min, 13 seconds to complete the challenging Special Stages set around the wind farms near the Kethanur (Palladam) area.
The total distance of the route was approximately 145 km and total distance of the special stages was about 70 km.
R Natarajof Team TVS, astride a TVS RTR 450, came overall second with a time of 1 hour 04 minutes and 21 seconds. S D Viswas, a privateer, grabbed third position overall on a Yamaha 250F motorcycle, clocking 1 hour 12 minutes and 01 seconds.
About Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India
•The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) was founded in 1971.
•It is a long-standing member of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA), the world bodies for 2/3 and 4 wheeler motor sport respectively.
•The FMSCI is the only national motor sport federation recognised by the Government of India for the promotion and control of motor sport in India.
•It is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association.
•The FMSCI is affiliated to the Asian Motorcycle Union (UAM), the Continental Asian wing of the FIM.
SC accepts Lodha panel recommendations on structural reforms in BCCI
The Supreme Court on 18 July 2016 accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 years of age from becoming its members.
However, the apex court left it to the Parliament to decide whether it should come under RTI and if betting on the game should be legalised.
The apex court also accepted the recommendationsof the Committee headed by retired Chief Justice of India Justice R M Lodha to have a CAG nominee in BCCI.
On the other hand, the bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice FMI Kalifulla rejected BCCI’s objection against recommendations for one-state-one-vote. While rejecting BCCI’s concern it said that states like Maharashtra and Gujarat having more than one cricket associations will have voting rights on rotational basis.
It accepted the panel's recommendation that there should be a player's association in the BCCI.
The bench also accepted the recommendation that one person should hold one post in cricket administration to avoid any conflict of interest and scrapping of all other administrative committees in the BCCI after CAG nominee comes in.
The court also left it to the Board to decide whether there is need for any changes in the existing agreement relating to broadcasting rights and whether a franchise member should be in the Board to avoid any conflict of interest.
The bench also requested the three-member panel, also comprising former apex court judges Ashok Bhan and R V Raveendran to oversee the transition of administrative structure in BCCI which has to take place within six months.
The apex court-appointed Lodha Committee had on 4 January 2016 recommended sweeping reforms and an administrative shake-up at the troubled BCCI.
Parliament passes Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016
The Rajya Sabha on 18 July 2016 passed the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to establish a Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad, Haryana.
This will be an institution of education, training and research, under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the National Capital Region.
It also confers upon it the status of an institution of national importance.
With this, both the houses of parliament passed the bill. Lok Sabha passed the billon 25 April 2016 after it was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, on 15 March 2016.
Now, the bill will be sent to the President for his assent.
Provisions of the Bill
• Disseminate knowledge by providing teaching and research facilities in biotechnology and related fields
• Create a hub of biotechnology expertise
• Facilitate transfer of technology and knowledge in the SAARC region and generally Asia.
• Promote cooperation at the international level.
• The centre, located in Faridabad in Haryana, will be a state of the art institute and a regional hub for interdisciplinary education, training and research in biotechnology.
Powers granted to the Regional Centre includes
• The Regional centre will provide masters’ and doctoral degrees, and post-graduate diplomas in biotechnology and related subjects (eg. medical, agricultural and engineering sciences)
• It will be responsible for instituting academic positions, like professorships, and appointing persons to such positions
• It will be determining standards of admission to the Regional Centre
• It will be fixing and receiving fees.
Authorities of the Regional Centre
• It will have Board of Governors, Programme Advisory Committee, Executive Committee and Finance Committee etc as authorities responsible for its administration and functioning.
• Programme Advisory Committee: The Programme Advisory Committee will be the principal academic body of the Regional Centre. It will be responsible for
a) Making recommendations on planning education, training and research activities
b) Reviewing annually the programmes of the Regional Centre
c) Publishing reports on scientific and technical issues referred to it by the Board, and more
d) It will comprise 14 members (including nominees of the Board, central government and UNESCO)
Executive and Finance Committees:The Executive Committee will be in charge of implementing policies and decisions of the Board. The Finance Committee will review finances and accounts of the Regional Centre, and make recommendations to the Board. The constitution and powers of these committees will be specified by the Board.
• Review of functioning: The Regional Centre’s functioning will be reviewed once in every four years by persons appointed by the central government.
•Fund: The Regional Centre will maintain a Fund to meet its expenses (including fees and allowances paid to members of the Board and various committees and expenses incurred in carrying out its functions). The Fund will include
a) Money provided by the central government
b) Fees received by the Regional Centre
c) Grants, gifts, donations, etc. received
Board of Governors:The Board will be the apex body of the Regional Centre responsible for
a) Approving the annual plan and budget of the institute
b) Reviewing its policies and programmes
c) Approving organisational structure
d) Carrying out the projects relevant to the institute
e) Expanding fund raising capabilities and more
The Board will have seven members and they include
a) The Secretary with the Department of Biotechnology as Chairperson
b) Three scientists nominated by the central government (not below the rank of Joint Secretary or equivalent rank)
c) Three representatives of UNESCO
The Regional Centre will be responsible for disseminating knowledge by providing teaching and research facilities in biotechnology and related fields. Besides, it will help create a hub of biotechnology expertise and promote co-operation at the international level.
Biotechnology is a new and growing field with immense potential for societal benefit and economic transformation. It is a powerful tool that can revolutionise health care, agriculture, industrial processing and environmental sustainability.
Quarter of a million children severely malnourished in Borno state, Nigeria: UNICEF
UNICEF in its release of 19 July 2016 said that almost a quarter of a million children in parts of Borno state, North-East Nigeria, are suffering from severe malnutrition and risk death. The humanitarian crisis is caused due to Boko Haram that is controlling the state since 2013.
In its report, UNICEF warned that tens of thousands will die if treatment does not reach them soon. In areas where Boko Haram militants had been in control, it found people without water, food or sanitation.
Facts of the Report
Out of the 244000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Borno in 2016, an estimated 49000 children – almost one in five – will die if they are not reached with treatment.
Some 134 children on average will die every day from causes linked to acute malnutrition if the response is not scaled up quickly.
Comment
Borno the state in Nigeria with capital Maiduguri was formed in 1976 is plagued by violence of terrorist group Boko Haram that declared its caliphate in northern Nigeria in 2014. It came to attention across the world after the infamous kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls from a boarding school in Chibok.
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with their partners, they work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
WHO releases report of 2015 Non-communicable Diseases Global Survey
The World Health Organisation on 18 July 2016 released a report of 2015 Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Global Survey.
The report highlights the need to intensify national action to meet the global targets governments have agreed to protect people from heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and lung diseases.
However, the global survey titled Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases shows that some countries are making remarkable progress.
The Sustainable Development Goals agenda includes a target to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 30 per cent by 2030.
Trends in national capacity for NCDs were derived from comparing the results of the 2015 survey with those from the capacity surveys conducted in 2013 and 2010.
Key findings of the survey
•Globally, four NCDs, which are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, represent the largest cause of death in people aged under 70 years.
•In all, 91% of countries (177) responded to the survey.
•Only 23% of countries reported having a dedicated office, department, or administrative division within the ministry of health exclusively dedicated to NCD surveillance.
•In relation to availability of evidence-based guidelines, protocols or standards for disease management, 75% of countries reported guidelines for diabetes, 67% for cardiovascular diseases, 60% for cancer and 55% for chronic respiratory diseases.
•Criteria for chronic respiratory diseases were available in only 57% of countries.
•In general, palliative care for patients with NCDs in the public health system, in primary health care or as community or home-based care, was not widely available.
Key findings of the report in regard to India
• Cancer, diabetes and heart diseases account for 55% of the premature mortality in India in the age group of 30-69 years.
•India is the first country to develop specific national targets and indicators aimed at reducing the number of premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.
Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as Australia’s PM for another term
Malcolm Turnbull on 19 July 2016 was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Australia for another term.
Turnbull was sworn in after a narrow election victory with budget repair and a public vote on same sex marriage among his top priorities.
About 2016 Australian federal election
•The 2016 Australian federal election was a double dissolution election.
•It was held on 2 July 2016 to elect all 226 members of the 45th Parliament of Australia.
•It was the first double dissolution election since the 1987 election.
•In the first week of vote counting after the election, no party had won enough seats in the House of Representatives to form a government.
•On 10 July 2016, Opposition leader Bill Shorten conceded defeat, acknowledging that the incumbent Coalition would certainly be able to form either a majority or minority government. Soon after, Malcolm Turnbull claimed victory.
•The Liberal/National Coalition won a one-seat majority of 76 seats, Labor Party won 69 seats, while on the crossbench the Australian Greens, Nick Xenophon Team, Katter's Australian Party, and independents Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan won one seat each.
About Malcolm Turnbull
•Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is the 29th and current Prime Minister of Australia.
•He is the Leader of the Liberal Party.
•He attended Sydney Grammar School.
•He obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney.
•He then attended Brasenose College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where he attained a Bachelor of Civil Law.
•He had attempted Liberal preselection at a 1981 by-election and later at the 2001 federal election.
•He was first elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of Wentworth in New South Wales at the 2004 federal election.
India's first e-court opened at Hyderabad High Court
India’s first e-court was opened at High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on 17 July 2016. It was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B Lokur who heads the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.
Hyderabad High Court is the common high court for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Highlights of the e-court
• The purpose of e-court is to ensure speedy justice for the litigants.
• The e-Courts will ensure easy and better access to justice for public.
• It will also provide solution for large number of pending cases in the country.
• It will also make the work of judges, advocates and all those related with judiciary a lot more effective.
Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
Besides the launch of e-court, SC judge Justice Madan B Lokur also announced that India’s first Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will be launched in High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad. The system will integrate the courts, police stations, prosecution, forensic science laboratories and jails.
20 July
Coca-Cola appoints Sarvita Sethi as VP (Finance) for India and South West Asia
Beverages company Coca-Cola on 19 July 2016 appointed Sarvita Sethi as the new Vice-President (Finance) for India and South West Asia.
Sethi took the charge from Sanjeev Kumar, who is moving to Lagos as Director-Finance for Coca-Cola West Africa. He will also be heading company’s finance operations for 31 countries.
Sethi will be reporting to Coca-Cola India and South West Asia President Venkatesh Kini.
The India and South West Asia Business Units of The Coca-Cola Company includes India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Before being appointed as the VP (Finance), Sethi served as the Commercial Finance -Director for the Coca-Cola Central and Southern Europe business.
About The Coca-Cola Company
•The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation.
•It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
•The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola.
•The product Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pembertonin Columbus, Georgia.
•The Coca-Cola formula and brand were bought in 1889 by Asa Griggs Candler.
•Candler incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892.
Kerala Assembly passes Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Bill 2016
The Kerala Assembly on 19 July 2016 passed the Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Bill, 2016. The bill will pave way for CPM veteran VS Achutanandan's appointment as the Administrative Reforms Committee Chairman with Cabinet rank.
The Bill was passed with retrospective effect from 1951 even as the Congress led UDF Opposition stayed away from the proceedings registering protest. The opposition said that the appointment would add burden on the state’s Consolidated Fund.
The bill seeks to amend the Section 2 of the 1951 Act by adding sub-section 2 which says that “No person shall be disqualified from being the member of legislative assembly (MLA) on the grounds that he or she holds the office of profit in term of being the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission.”
The section 2 in the 1951 Act was added to give effect to the sub-clause (angel) of clause (1) of Article 191 of the Constitution. The Article says that an MLA shall be disqualified if he or she holds any office of profit under the Union Government or any of the state governments, other than an office declared by law.
Earlier, a draft bill to amend the law related to the commission was approved by the state Cabinet.
Steve Elworthy appointed Managing Director of 2019 World Cup
Steve Elworthy, the former South Africa fast bowler, on 19 July 2016 was appointed the Managing Director (MD) of the 2019 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales.
In his new role, Elworthy will oversee the lead-up and running of the 2019 World Cup as well as the Champions Trophy and Women's World Cup. The Champions Trophy and Women's World Cup will be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2017.
Elworthy has previously been the Tournament Director for the 2007 and 2009 World T20s and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Who is Steve Elworthy?
•Born on 23 February 1965, Steven Elworthy is a former South African cricketer.
•After 10 years of playing first class cricket, he made his One Day International (ODI) debut at age of 32 for South Africa on 3 April 1998 against Pakistan.
•His test debut was on 23 July 1998 against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
•He went on to play a total of four Tests and 39 One Day Internationals for South Africa between 1998 and 2002.
•Since his retirement, he has become a successful cricket administrator as Cricket South Africa's commercial and communications manager.
•In February 2010, he was appointed as Director of Marketing and Communications for the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Rohit Khandelwal becomes first Indian to win Mister World title
India's contestant Rohit Khandelwal won the coveted Mister World 2016 title on 19 July 2016. The grand finale of Mr World 2016 was held at the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre in Southport, U.K.
With this, Khandelwal has become the first Indian and Asian to win the Mr World titleat the competition.
Mr World 2014 Nicklas Pedersen passed on the title to Khandelwal. He also won a cash prize of 50000 US dollar.
Puerto Rico’s Fernando Alberto Alvarez Soto was named the first runner-upand Aldo Esparza Ramirez of Mexico was named the second runner-up.
Who is Rohit Khandelwal?
•Rohit Khandelwal was born on 19 August 1989 in Hyderabad.
•He graduated from Aurora Degree College.
•He served as ground staff for SpiceJet and technical support assistant at the Dell Computers prior to entering the modelling industry.
•He made his television debut by appearing in the Episode 76 of Yeh Hai Aashiqui, an Indian television series.
•He won Mr India 2015 contest held on 23 July 2015 at Club Royalty in Mumbai.
Russian PM suspends Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh named in doping report
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on 18 July 2016 suspended Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh from his office. He was suspended after his name occurred in a report on the doping of Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Earlier on the day, the President Vladimir Putin said that Russian officials named in the World Anti-Doping Agency's report would be temporarily suspended.
As per reports, the suspension will last until the investigation into the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) report on the involvement of Russian state officials in the doping scandal is over.
WADA Report
The report of WADA said Nagornykh was told about every positive drug test across all sports from 2011 onwards, and it was he who decided "who would benefit from a cover-up and who would not be protected.
Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren, the author of the report, said the role Nagornykh played in quashing positive drug tests for selected athletes was "beautiful in its simplicity" and part of an "efficient" state system for covering up doping.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not spell out whether it would heed growing calls for Olympic bans already imposed on Russia's track and field athletes and weightlifters to be extended to all its competitors in Games in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable authored by Amitav Ghosh
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable: Amitav Ghosh
The Book titledThe Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkableauthored by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh was released on 12 July 2016.
The book addresses the challenges of representing the complexity of climate change in literature and the responsibility of writers to document the extreme reality humans are now facing. He examines the inability at the level of literature, history and politics to grasp the scale and violence of climate change.
Ghosh shows that the history of the carbon economy is a tangled global story with many contradictory and counterintuitive elements.
Ghosh ends the book by suggesting that politics, much like literature, has become a matter of personal moral reckoning rather than an arena of collective action. The book serves as a great writer’s summons to confront the most urgent task of our time.
About Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh is an award-winning novelist and essayist whose books include The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, In an Antique Land, Dancing in Cambodia, The Calcutta Chromosome, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and the Ibis Trilogy: Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke and Flood of Fire.
Nigeria's Didi Akinyelure wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award
Nigerian journalist Didi Akinyelure on 19 July 2016 won the BBC World Service News Komla Dumor Award for 2016.
Akinyelure is the second recipient of the award, which was established to honour Ghanaian BBC World News presenter Komla Dumor.
The Award aims to celebrate African journalism and reward exceptional talent.
Ugandan news anchor Nancy Kacungirawas thewinner of the first BBC World News Komla Dumor Award.
Who is Didi Akinyelure?
•Akinyelure is a prime-time news anchor in Nigeria.
•She presents business news for CNBC, which broadcasts across the continent.
•She has been on the CNBC Africa team since 2013.
•Prior to that, she worked in the asset management finance sector in Nigeria and in the UK.
•As part of her award prize, she will start a three-month placement at the BBC in London in September 2016.
Who was Komla Dumor?
•Komla Afeke Dumor was a Ghanaian journalist who worked for BBC World News.
•He was the main presenter of BBC World News’ programme Focus on Africa.
•He started as the morning show host for Joy FM in Accra, Ghana.
•He was the 2003 winner of Journalist of the Yearaward given by the Ghana Journalists Association.
•In 2006, he joined the BBC African Service in London as host of the radio programme Network Africa.
•From 2008 to 2012, he presented The World Todayon the BBC World Service.
•In December 2013, he was named as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2013 by New African magazine.
•At the time of his death, he was the only West African news reader on BBC World News.
•He died on 18 January 2014 in his London home after a cardiac arrest, having been on air the day before.
NITI Aayog, Intel India sign SoI to start Atal Tinkering Lab Initiative for Young Innovators
The NITI Aayog on 19 July 2016 signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Intel India to start the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) initiative as a part of its flagship programme Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
The aim of setting up Atal Tinkering Laboratories is to build relevant skill sets among youngsters and to provide access to technology that will enable solutions.
Highlights of the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) initiative
• These laboratories intend to impact 250000 youth with innovation skills & skills for the future across 500 communities & schools.
• The initiative will enable the creation of millions of child innovators who will bloom into young entrepreneurs, thus enabling India’s unprecedented growth.
• Intel will co-lead the creation and management of ten ATLs as State Hubs.
• Intel will support NITI Aayog in building capacities of mentors and developing linkages with Maker ecosystem for quality improvement of projects made by youth, facilitating ideation, design thinking.
• Intel will co-lead an innovation festival which reaches out to 500000 young innovators.