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in

GOVT APPOINTMENTS
Sanjay Malhotra will be the new RBI
1. Sanjay Malhotra as new RBI Governor Governor for a three-year term
2. T Rabi Sankar as RBI Deputy Governor
3. Preeti Sudan as UPSC chairperson
4. New Governors In Multiple States
5. Dr. Arvind Panagariya as Chairman of Sixteenth
Finance Commission
6. New Election Commissioners
7. Kishor Makwana Chairman of National Commission
for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
8. Justice AM Khanwilkar new Lokpal
9. Bhushan Gagrani new BMC Commissioner
10. Kota Ravi now Assam Chief Secretary
11. Navneet Kumar Sehgal New Prasar Bharati
Chairman
12. Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale sworn in as
Judge of Supreme Court
13. Justice Dinesh Kumar appointed Chief Justice of
Karnataka High Court
14. Justice Ritu Bahri the first women Chief Justice of • Revenue Secretary Mr. Malhotra will be the 26th
RBI Governor.
Uttarakhand High Court
• Mr. Malhotra was the Revenue Secretary to the
15. Justice S. Vaidyanathan sworn in as Chief Justice of
Government of India.
Meghalaya HC
• Mr. Malhotra was a 1990 Batch Rajasthan Cadre
16. Kapil Sibal as President Supreme Court Bar IAS Officer,
Association • Mr. Malhotra will replace Shaktikanta Das whose
17. Om Birla (BJP) as Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha tenure ends on December 10
18. Surama Padhy Elected as Odisha Assembly Speaker • Shaktikanta Das was appointed as the 25th
19. PV Sindhu Brand Ambassador For Tobacco Control Governor of the RBI on December 12, 2018, after
20. Dr B N Gangadhar As Chairperson Of National the abrupt exit of Urjit Patel.
Medical Commission
21. Rahul Navin as Director of Enforcement Directorate About Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
22. Manu Bhaker as Brand Ambassador for Ports • The Reserve Bank of India is India's central bank
Ministry and regulatory body responsible for regulation of
the Indian banking system.
23. Randhir Singh first Indian to be elected as OCA
• It is responsible for the control, issue and
President
maintaining supply of the Indian rupee.
24. Justice Sanjiv Khanna 51st Chief Justice of India
• Commenced operations on 1st April, 1935
25. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar as NCW Chairperson • The bank was set up based on the
26. Harsha Vardhan FICCI President recommendations of the 1926 Royal Commission
27. Dr. Jaiteerth Raghavendra Joshi Chief of BrahMos on Indian Currency and Finance, also known as
Aerospace the Hilton Young Commission.
28. K. Sanjay Murthy as Comptroller and Auditor • Though privately owned initially, it
General (CAG) of India. was nationalized on 1st Jan 1949 and since then
fully owned by the Ministry of Finance
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Composition of the RBI
• The overall direction of the RBI lies with the 21-member central board of directors, composed of:
➢ One Governor;
➢ Four Deputy Governors;
➢ Two Finance Ministry Representatives (usually the Economic Affairs Secretary and the Financial Services
Secretary);
➢ Ten government-nominated Directors; and
➢ Four Directors who represent local boards for Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi.
➢ The first Governor of the RBI was the Australian Sir Osborne Arkell Smith. Sir C D Deshmukh was the first
Indian to become Governor.

RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar Gets Former Union Health Secretary Preeti
One Year Tenure Extension Sudan to Head UPSC from August 1

• from May 3rd this year.

• He was appointed as RBI Deputy Governor in May
2021 for three years.
• Besides the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, the
central bank has four Deputy Governors— M.D.
Patra; M Rajeshwar Rao; J Swaminathan and T • Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan will
Rabi Sankar. take charge as the Chairperson of the Union Public
• In January this year, the Centre had extended the Service Commission (UPSC) on August 1 under
tenure of RBI Deputy Governor Michael Patra by Article 316 A of the Constitution.
another year (with effect from January 15). • Ms. Sudan is currently a member of the
Commission. She will have a tenure till April 2025,
Manoj Soni, UPSC Chairman Confirms when she turns 65.
• She will take over from Manoj Soni who resigned a
Resignation few days ago due to “personal reasons”.
• Mr. Soni resigned almost five years before his
tenure ended in 2029. He was sworn-in as the
Chairperson on May 16, 2023.
• Article 316 A - A member of a Public Service
Commission shall hold office for a term of six years
from the date on which he enters upon his office
or until he attains, in the case of the Union
Commission, the age of sixty-five years, and in the
• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) case of a State Commission or a Joint Commission,
Chairperson Dr Manoj Soni has resigned from the the age of sixty-two years, whichever is earlier
top post five years before his tenure that would
end in 2029, citing “personal reasons”. The UPSC is a constitutional body as mandated under
• His resignation comes at a time when the Article 315-323 Part XIV Chapter II of the Constitution
commission has booked a criminal case against of India.
probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar for faking • Appointment of Members: The Chairman and
her identity to fraudulently avail attempts in the other members of the UPSC are appointed by the
civil services examination President of India.

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• Term of Office: Any member of the UPSC shall Hansha Mishra Appointed as Director in
hold office for a term of six years or till the age of
UPSC
65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Hansha Mishra has been appointed as Director in
• Reappointment: Any person who has once held
the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC),
the office as a member of a Public Service
Delhi.
Commission is ineligible for reappointment to that
• Her tenure as Director in the UPSC will be for a
office.
period of five years or until further orders,
• Resignation: A member of the Union Public
whichever is earlier.
Service Commission may resign from his/her office
by submitting the written resignation to the
Union Public Service Commission
President of India.
• India’s premier central recruiting body, which
• Removal/Suspension of Members: The Chairman
through the UPSC Exam, conducts the recruitment
or any other member of UPSC shall only be
and examinations for All India services (Group A &
removed from his/her office by order of the
Group B), such as the IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, IFoS, etc.
President of India.
• UPSC is an independent constitutional body in
India. The Indian Constitution's Part XIV, Articles
Sheel Vardhan Singh appointed as UPSC 315–323, covers the UPSC's composition, powers,
member functions, and the appointment and removal of its
members
• The President of India appoints the Chairman &
members of UPSC
• Ross Barker was the first chairman of UPSC
• Dr. Manoj Soni is the present UPSC Chairman.

President Droupadi Murmu Appoints

• Sheel Vardhan Singh, the former Director General New Governors In Multiple States
of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), has • Rajasthan – Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde
been appointed as a member of the Union Public • Telangana – Jishnu Dev Verma
Service Commission (UPSC). • Sikkim – Om Prakash Mathur
• The commission can have a maximum of 10 • Jharkhand – Santosh Kumar Gangwar
members, each appointed for a term of six years • Chhattisgarh – Ramen Deka
or until they attain the age of 65. • Meghalaya – C H Vijaya Shankar
• Maharashtra – C.P. Radhakrishnan
• Punjab – Gulab Chand Kataria
Sanjay Verma takes the oath as a
• Assam and Manipur (additional charge) –
Member of UPSC Lakshman Prasad Acharya
• Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry - K.
Kailashnathan

Governor of States (Article 153-162) - Part VI of the

Indian constitution
• Article 153 – There shall be a Governor for each
state.
• The oath was administered by the UPSC Chairman • Article 154 – Executive power of State
Dr Manoj Soni. • Article 155 – The Governor of a State shall be
• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has a appointed by the President
chairman and ten members. • Article 156 – Governor shall hold office for a term
• The President of India appoints the Chairman and of five years. The Governor shall hold office during
other members of the Union Public Service the pleasure of the President.
Commission (UPSC). • Article 157 – Qualification for appointment as
• Each member serves for six years or until they Governor
reach the age of 65.
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(a citizen of India and has completed the age of 35 and the States and amongst the States
years). themselves.

Government of India constitutes Shri. Ajay Narayan Jha Full time Member
Smt. Annie George Mathew Full time Member
Sixteenth Finance Commission with Dr.
Dr. Niranjan Rajadhyaksha Full time Member
Arvind Panagariya as its Chairman Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh Part time Member

Govt appoints Manoj Panda as 16th

Finance Commission member
• The 16th Finance
Commission, chaired by
Arvind Panagariya, has
four members.
• Government of India, with the approval of the
• The appointment of
President of India, has constituted the Sixteenth
Panda came after
Finance Commission, in pursuance to Article
Niranjan Rajadhyaksha
280(1) of the Constitution.
expressed his inability to join the Commission.
• Dr Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman, NITI
Shri. Ajay Narayan Jha Full time Member
Aayog, will be the Chairman.
• Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey has Smt. Annie George Mathew Full time Member
been appointed as Secretary to Shri. Manoj Panda Full time Member
the Commission. Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh Part time Member
• The commission will
recommend the tax revenue Finance commission
sharing formula between the • The Sixteenth Finance Commission was
Centre and the States for the constituted on 31st December, 2023 with Shri
five-year period beginning Arvind Panagariya as its Chairman.
April 2026. • The Sixteenth Finance Commission has been
• October 2025 is the deadline set for the requested to make its recommendations available
Commission to submit its recommendations, so by October, 31, 2025.
that they can be incorporated in the Budget • Covering an award period of 5 years commencing
exercise for 2026-27. 1st April, 2026.
• The Finance Commission usually takes about two • The Finance Commission is constituted by the
years to consult stakeholders in the States and President under article 280 of the Constitution,
Centre and arrive at their conclusions. mainly to give its recommendations on
distribution of tax revenues between the Union
and the States and amongst the States
Government appoints Members of the
themselves.
Sixteenth Finance Commission • The 15 Finance Commission was constituted by
• The Sixteenth Finance Commission was the President of India in November 2017, under
constituted on 31.12.2023 with Shri Arvind the chairmanship of NK Singh.
Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog as • Its recommendations will cover a period of five
its Chairman. years from the year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The Sixteenth Finance Commission has been
requested to make its recommendations available
Rajiv Gauba to head central government
by October, 31, 2025.
• Covering an award period of 5 years commencing committee on LGBTQ+ community
1st April, 2026. • The government of India has set up a committee
• The Finance Commission is constituted by the on LGBTQ+ communities' welfare headed by
President under article 280 of the Constitution, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
mainly to give its recommendations on • The committee has been set up by the
distribution of tax revenues between the Union government on the suggestion of the Supreme

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Court in the Supriyo • With his resignation, the Election Commission has
Chakraborty vs Union been rendered with just one member — Chief
Of India Case. Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
• In the Supriyo • Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey
Chakraborty vs. Union retired in February.
Of India Case 2023, ➢ The Election Commission was established in
the Special Marriage Act of 1954 was challenged accordance with the Constitution on 25th
because it did not permit same-sex marriage. January 1950.
• The plaintiffs argued that this was against Article ➢ It consists of Chief Election Commissioner and
14 of the fundamental rights, which provides for two Election Commissioners.
equal protection of law.
Sukhbir Sandhu & Gyanesh Kumar
Members of the Committee
appointed Election Commissioners
• The six-member committee will be headed by
• Sukhbir Singh Sandhu
Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and include
from Punjab and
secretaries of important ministries.
Gyanesh Kumar from
• It includes Social Justice and Empowerment
Kerala have been
Secretary Saurabh Garg as convenor and Secretary
named as the new
from the Home Affairs, Women and Child
Election
Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Law
Commissioners by a
and Justice ministries.
panel chaired by
• The committee's mandate includes recommending
Prime Minister Modi,
measures to eliminate discrimination against
committee member
LGBTQ+ individuals in accessing goods and
and Congress leader
services, ensuring their safety, preventing
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
involuntary medical treatments or surgeries, and
• The vacancies had come up after the retirement of
addressing discrimination in social welfare
Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14 and the
entitlements.
sudden resignation of Arun Goel.
• The committee may also address any other issues
deemed necessary for the protection and well-
Election Commission of India
being of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Established in accordance with the Constitution
• LGBTQ+ is a collective term which represents a
on 25th January 1950 (celebrated as National
personal sexual orientation or identity. The term
voters' day).
include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,
• Constitutional Provisions: Part XV (Article 324-
intersex, asexual and other identities. They are
329) of the Indian Constitution
also sometimes called as Queer.
• Originally the commission had only one election
commissioner but after the Election Commissioner
Arun Goel quits as Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it was made a multi-
ahead of polls member body.
• The Election Commission shall consist of the Chief
Election Commissioner (CEC) and such number of
other election commissioners, if any, as the
President may from time-to-time fix.
• Presently, it consists of the CEC and two Election
Commissioners

Appointment of CEC & EC

• According to a notification by the Law Ministry, his • It is governed by the CEC and Other ECs
resignation has been accepted by President (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of
Droupadi Murmu. Office) Act, 2023
• Mr. Goel’s tenure was till 2027. He joined the EC • The act replaced the Election Commission
on November 21, 2022. (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners
and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.
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• The CEC and ECs will be appointed by Sachidananda Mohanty appointed as
the President upon the recommendation of
Member, UGC
a Selection Committee.
• The Selection Committee will consist of the Prime
Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader
of Opposition/leader of the largest opposition
party in Lok Sabha.

Kishor Makwana assumes charge of

Chairman National Commission for
Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Brajesh Mehrotra appointed as new Chief
Secretary of Bihar

• The Bihar government appointed senior IAS officer

• Makwana was a joint spokesperson of the Gujarat Brajesh Mehrotra as the new chief secretary
unit of the BJP. • He succeeds Amir Subhani
• In re-constituted National Commission for • Bihar Capital: Patna;
Scheduled Castes, govt. ensures a place for • Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar;
Madiga member • Governor - Rajendra Arlekar
• Madiga community is one of the most populous • Bihar Bird: House sparrow;
Scheduled Caste communities in Telangana and • Bihar Flower: Marigold;
Andhra Pradesh. • Bihar Formation: 22 March 1912.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Government Appoints A S Rajeev, as

• Article 338 of the Indian Constitution deals with Vigilance Commissioner
NCSC. • President Droupadi
• The first Commission for Scheduled Castes and
Murmu has appointed A S
Scheduled Tribes was set up in August 1978. Rajeev as Vigilance
• The Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003,
Commissioner in the
the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled
Central Vigilance
Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been replaced by Commission (CVC).
• National Commission for Scheduled Castes and
• Prior to this appointment,
• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. A S Rajeev was Managing Director & CEO of Bank
• The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, a of Maharashtra, a public sector bank.
Vice-Chairperson, and three other Members.
• The CVC was set up through the Resolution of the
• appointed by the President Government of India
• On the recommendations of the Committee on
Functions of the Commission
Prevention of Corruption formed under the
• Enquiring into complaints relating to the Chairmanship of Shri K. Santhanam in 1964.
deprivation of the rights and safeguards of the • It was given statutory status through CVC Act
SCs.
2003.(Independence and autonomy in its
• Taking part in and advising the central or state functions.)
governments with respect to the planning of
• The CVC is not controlled by any
socio-economic development of the SCs. Ministry/Department. It is responsible to
the Parliament.

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• The Central Vigilance Commission became a Justice Satyendra Kumar Singh Sworn in
three-member body, with the Central Vigilance
as New Lokayukta of Madhya Pradesh
Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners.
• Praveen Kumar Srivastava has been Central
Vigilance Commissioner since May 2023, Arvinda
Kumar has been a Vigilance Commissioner since
August 2022.

Justice AM Khanwilkar to be new Lokpal

of country • Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath
of office to the new Lokayukta at Raj Bhavan.

President of India nominates Shri Satnam

Singh Sandhu to Rajya Sabha
• Satnam Singh Sandhu is an
educationist and
philanthropist. He is the
• Former Supreme Court judge, Justice A.M. founder and chancellor of
Khanwilkar, has been appointed as the Lokpal Chandigarh University
chairperson by President Droupadi Murmu • The institute found a place
• The Lokpal has been working without its regular in QS World Rankings
chief after Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose 2023, first among private
completed his term on May 27, 2022. universities in Asia.
• Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty is currently the • As per article 80 of the
acting chairperson. Indian Constitution, 12 members are nominated
to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India for a
LOKPAL six-year term for their contributions to arts,
• The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 provided for literature, education and social service.
the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and
Lokayukta for States.
• These institutions are statutory bodies without
Prez Murmu nominates philanthropist
any constitutional status. Sudha Murty to Rajya Sabha
• They perform the function of an "ombudsman”
and inquire into allegations of corruption against
certain public functionaries and for related
matters.
• The term Lokpal and Lokayukta were coined by Dr.
L. M. Singhvi.
• Lokpal is a multi-member body, that consists of
one chairperson and a maximum of 8 members.
• The term of office for Lokpal Chairman and • President Droupadi Murmu has nominated
Members is 5 years or till the age of 70 years. educator, author, and philanthropist Sudha Murty
• The members are appointed by the president on to the Rajya Sabha.
the recommendation of a Selection Committee.
• The selection committee is composed of the Prime Rajya Sabha
Minister who is the Chairperson, Speaker of Lok • Article 80 of the Constitution have provisions for
Sabha, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Chief members of the Rajya Sabha.
Justice of India or a Judge nominated by him/her • Rajya Sabha should consist of not more than 250
and One eminent jurist. members - 238 elected and 12 nominated by the
President.
• Minimum age to be a member – 30 years
• Each member is elected for a term of 6 years.

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• One third of the members retire every second Pashupati Kumar Paras Resigns From
year and are replaced by newly elected members.
Union Cabinet
• Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman
of Rajya Sabha.

Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit

resigns

• Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party President, Pashupati

Kumar Paras has resigned as the union cabinet
minister.
• Kiren Rijiju given the additional charge of the
Ministry of Food Processing Industries
• Banwarilal Purohit cited personal reasons behind
his resignation. ICAI elected Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as
• Also stepping down as the administrator of the
Union territory (UT) of Chandigarh, the joint
their new President
• ICAI - Institute of
capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Chartered Accountants of
• Purohit took charge as the Punjab Governor in
India (ICAI)
September 2021, after serving as the Tamil Nadu
• Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal
governor for 4 years.
replaced Aniket S. Talati
• He has assumed charge
Telangana Governor Tamilisai as the 72nd President of
Soundararajan Resigned ICAI

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)

• A statutory body established by an Act of
Parliament, viz. The Chartered Accountants Act,
1949.
• Established in: 1949.
• Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned as the Governor • Formulation of Accounting Standards; and
of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Standard Auditing Procedures.
Puducherry. • under the administrative control of the Ministry of
• Soundararajan was appointed as the Governor of Corporate Affairs.
Telangana in September 2019
• In February 2021, she was given the additional ECI orders appointment of Bhushan
charge of L-G of Puducherry, after incumbent Gagrani as new BMC Commissioner
Kiran Bedi resigned.

Jharkhand Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan

given additional responsibilities of
Telangana, Puducherry

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) directed

the Maharashtra government to appoint Bhushan
Gagrani as the new Commissioner of the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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• He is currently serving as the Additional Chief New Standing Committee for Inter-State
Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office
Council Names Amit Shah as Chairman
• Mr. Gagrani took over from Iqbal Singh Chahal.
What is the Inter-State
• BMC, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai,
Council?
is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital
• The ISC was
city of Maharashtra. The BMC is India's richest
constituted
municipal corporation.
to facilitate Centre-
State and Inter-State
Appointments Committee Approves Key cooperation in India.
Appointments in Ministries • It was established under Article 263 of the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has Constitution, which empowers the President of
approved following appointments: India to establish an ISC for better coordination
• Apurva Chandra appointed the Health Secretary between States.
• Sanjay Jaju has been appointed as the new • The Sarkaria Commission (1988) recommended
Information and Broadcasting Secretary in place of making the ISC a permanent body, leading to its
Mr. Chandra. formal establishment in 1990 through a
• Ashish Kumar Bhutani - will be Secretary, Ministry Presidential Order.
of Cooperation.
• Anil Malik - will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Composition of the Council:
Women and Child Development • The PM serves as the Chairperson.
• Sumita Dawra - will take over as Secretary, • Members include Chief Ministers(CMs) of all
Ministry of Labour and Employment States, CMs of Union Territories having a
• Vijay Kumar – named Chairman, Inland Waterways Legislative Assembly and Administrators of UTs
Authority of India. not having a Legislative Assembly, and 6 Union
• P Daniel – will be Secretary, Central Vigilance Ministers of Cabinet rank, nominated by the
Commission Prime Minister, are also part of the ISC.
• Rashmi Chowdhary – will be Secretary, Central • In 1996, the Council decided to set up a Standing
Information Commission Committee for continuous consultation and
processing of matters for consideration of the
Other important Secretaries Council.
• Cabinet Secretary – Rajib Gauba • Accordingly, a Standing Committee was set up
• Principal Secretary to the PM – Pramod Kumar under the Chairmanship of the Home
Mishra Minister and has been reconstituted from time to
• Secretary to the President – Rajesh Verma time with the approval of the Chairman of the
Council.
CSIR DG N Kalaiselvi gets two-year
extension Sheyphali Sharan takes
• Nallathamby Kalaiselvi, the charge as Principal
first woman Director Director General, Press
General of the Council of
Information Bureau
Scientific and Industrial
Sheyphali B. Sharan has assumed
Research (CSIR)
charge upon superannuation of
• CSIR was established -
Manish Desai.
September 1942

Kota Ravi now Assam Rahul Singh Appointed New CBSE Chief
Chief Secretary • Rahul Singh has been appointed Chairperson of
the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
• He will succeed Nidhi Chhibber, who has been
named Advisor in the Niti Aayog.

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Other Appointment • At present Justice Kumar is the acting Chief Justice
• Rajeev Kumar Mital, has been appointed as of the HC after Justice P.B. Varale was elevated as
Director General, National Mission for Clean a judge of the Supreme Court.
Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. • Justice Kumar will have a tenure of less than a
month as he retires on February 24
Former IAS Officer Navneet Kumar Sehgal
Takes Charge As New Prasar Bharati Justice Anjaria takes oath as 34th Chief
Chairman Justice of Karnataka High Court

• Justice Nilay Vipinchandra Anjaria, 58, took oath

• The post is being filled after a gap of 4 years. as 34th Chief Justice of the High Court of
• A Surya Prakash completed his term as Karnataka.
Chairman in 2020. • Governor Thaarwar Chand Gehlot administered
oath to him at Raj Bhavan.
Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale • Born on March 23, 1965 at Ahmedabad in Gujarat,
sworn in as Judge of Supreme Court • Justice Anjaria was serving as the senior most
judge of the High Court of Gujarat.

Justice Ritu Bahri takes oath as the first

women Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High
Court

• Justice Varale was the Chief Justice of the

Karnataka High Court before his elevation to the
Supreme Court
• There are currently 34 judges (including the Chief
Justice). The maximum possible strength is 34. Justice Ritu Bahri becomes first women
• The Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court
by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of • The oath was administered by Uttarakhand
the Constitution Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh
• According to the Constitution of India, the judges (Retd).
of the Supreme Court must retire at the age of 65. • Previously, she served as a senior judge in the
Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Justice Dinesh Kumar appointed Chief
Justice of Karnataka High Court Rajendra Prasad Gupta Appointed as
Rajasthan’s New Advocate General

• Advocate General of State acts as the highest law

officer in the State.
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• He is responsible for advising the State • Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh appointed as the
Government on legal matters referred to him by Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.
the Governor. • Justice Arun Bhansali appointed as Chief Justice of
• This is a Constitutional post and authority duly the Allahabad High Court
appointed under Article 165 of the Constitution of • Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava appointed as
India. Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court
• Under this article, the Governor of each
State shall appoint a person who is qualified to Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi sworn in as
be appointed as a Judge of a High Court to be
judicial member, Lokpal of India
Advocate General for the State.
• Rajasthan Governor - Kalraj Mishra.
• On India level - highest law officer is the Attorney
General

Justice Vijay Bishnoi sworn in as Chief

Justice of Gauhati High Court

• Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Tirkey also took oath of

office as member, Lokpal.
• The oath was administered by Justice Ajay
Manikrao Khanwilkar, Chairperson, Lokpal of
India.
• Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, before joining as Judicial
Member, Lokpal of India, was serving as the
Chairperson of 22nd Law Commission of India.
Before that, he was Chief Justice of Karnataka High
Court.
• Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria
• A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or body of
administered the oath of office to the new Chief
ombudsman who represents the public interest in
Justice.
the Republic of India.
• Article 217 - The Chief Justice of High Court is
• The Lokpal consists of a Chairperson and 8
appointed by the President after Consultation
Members out of whom 50% are Judicial Members.
with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of
The Chairperson and the Members are appointed
the State Concerned.
by the President of India
• Retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra
Justice S. Vaidyanathan Ghose was the first Lokpal of India
sworn in as Chief Justice
of Meghalaya HC Justice Aniruddha Bose Retires from
• He succeeds Chief Justice Supreme Court, Appointed Director of
Sanjib Banerjee who
National Judicial Academy, Bhopal
superannuated in
November last year.
• Governor Phagu Chauhan
administered the oath

Other recently appointed Chief Justices to the High

Courts
• Justice Ritu Bahri took oath as the first women
Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court
• Justice Vijay Bishnoi - new Chief Justice of the
Gauhati High Court.

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Former Judge Najmi Waziri to Head • Appointed by President Droupadi Murmu

• Justice Mahadevan will take charge as the Acting
Committee for Delhi Forest Protection
Chief Justice from 24th May, upon the retirement
of the current Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala.

Kapil Sibal elected Supreme Court Bar

Association President

• The Delhi High Court recently appointed its former

judge, Justice Najmi Waziri as the head of the
internal departmental committee tasked with
protection of forests in the national capital
• Justice Waziri is known as the "Green Judge"
because of orders passed by him to increase the
green cover in the city.
• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal was elected President
Static Info of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). He
• As per latest India State of Forest Report ISFR would be serving the SCBA for the 4th time as its
2021, the total forest cover of the country is President.
7,13,789 square kilometer which is 21.71% of the
geographical area of the country. Justice P S Dinesh Kumar takes charge as
• Largest forest cover in India: Madhya Pradesh >
Arunachal Pradesh > Chhattisgarh > Odisha > the SAT Presiding officer
Maharashtra
• The states from the North eastern region of the
country have the highest percentage of forest
cover w.r.t. total geographical area of the state:
Mizoram (84.53%) > Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%)
> Meghalaya (76.00%) > Manipur (74.34%)
> Nagaland (73.90%).
• The Finance Ministry has appointed P S Dinesh
Ajay Seth gets additional charge of Kumar, a retired judge, as the presiding officer of
Revenue Secretary the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) for four
• Economic Affairs years.
Secretary Ajay Seth. • Kumar is a former chief justice of the Karnataka
• Outgoing revenue High Court.
secretary Sanjay • SAT hears and disposes of appeals against the
Malhotra as the next orders of the Securities and Exchange Board of
Reserve Bank of India India, the Insurance Regulatory Development
governor. Authority of India , and the Pension Fund
Regulatory and Development Authority along with
appeals against the stock exchanges and
Justice R. Mahadevan to be Acting Chief
depositories.
Justice of Madras High Court
Jethabhai Bharwad elected NAFED
Chairman unopposed
• Jethabhai Bharwad, who is the Deputy Speaker of
the Gujarat Assembly has been elected Chairman
of major agri cooperative National Agricultural

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Cooperative Marketing Federation of India • The establishment of the CBI was recommended
(NAFED). by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of
Corruption (1962–1964).

DRDO chief Samir V Kamat gets one-year

extension

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing

Federation of India (NAFED)
• An apex organization of marketing cooperatives
for agricultural produce in India.
• It was founded on 2 October 1958 to promote the • from June 1, 2024, till May 31, 2025, or until
trade of agricultural produce and forest resources further orders.
across the nation. • DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi
• With its headquarters in New Delhi, NAFED has • Formed: 1958
four regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai
and Kolkata Sanjaya Kumar Mishra Takes Oath as 1st
President Of GST Appellate Tribunal
Senior IPS Officers A.Y.V. Krishna & N.
Venu Gopal Appointed As Additional
Directors In CBI
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• Mr. Krishna been inducted as the additional
director of CBI for a tenure up to August 6, 2028.
• Mr. Venu Gopal has been appointed as additional
director, CBI for a tenure up to May 24, 2027

CBI
• It is India's premier • Former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High
investigative agency, Court Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra has been
responsible for appointed as the first President of the Goods and
addressing serious Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), New
crimes and ensuring Delhi.
national security. • Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
• It operates under Ministry of Personnel, Public administered the oath of office to Justice Mishra.
Grievances and Pensions. The CBI was formally • The GSTAT is the Appellate Authority established
established in 1963 under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act,
• However, its origins trace back to the Special 2017
Police Establishment (SPE) formed in 1941 to • GSTAT is set up as a crucial body for resolving GST-
investigate cases of bribery and corruption in related disputes. It will ensure swift, fair, judicious
transactions with the War & Supply Department and effective resolution to GST disputes, besides
of India during World War II. significantly reducing the burden on higher courts.
• The CBI is not a statutory body but derives its
power to investigate from the Delhi Special Tribunals
Police Establishment Act, 1946. • It is a quasi-judicial institution that deals with the
resolution of disputes pertaining to
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administration, taxation, environment, securities, Facts about the Lok Sabha Speaker
etc. • Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar was the first Speaker
• A quasi-judicial body is a non-judicial body which of the Lok Sabha.
can interpret law. It serve as an alternative to the • Five persons have been the Lok Sabha Speaker
traditional court system. twice: Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Gurdial Singh
• It is comprised of members who have specialized Dhillon, Balram Jakhar, G.M.C Balayogi, and Om
expertise in the subject matter over which they Birla.
have jurisdiction. • Dr Neelam Sanjiva Reddy is the only Lok Sabha
• The original Constitution did not contain Speaker to be elected as the President of India.
provisions with respect to tribunals. • Meira Kumar of the Congress (Indira) party is
The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a the first woman to be the Speaker of the Lok
new Part XIV-A to the Constitution. This part is Sabha.
titled ‘Tribunals’ and consists of only two Articles– • Longest tenure as a Speaker: Balram Jakhar over 9
• Article 323A dealing with administrative tribunals years
and Article 323B dealing with tribunals for other
matters. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Resigns
Following Defeat Of His Party In Assembly
Om Birla (BJP) elected as Speaker of 18th
Elections
Lok Sabha

• In Odisha, the victory of BJP in the state Assembly

elections where the party won 78 of the 147
seats.
Election for Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha
• Following his party’s defeat, BJD Chief and Odisha
• By convention, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik submitted his
the Lok Sabha are chosen by consensus between
resignation to Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj
the ruling and opposition parties. However, this
Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
time, the ruling NDA and the Congress Party-led
• Mr Patnaik is the longest serving chief minister of
INDIA block failed to reach a consensus.
Odisha who served for five consecutive terms
• The Opposition candidate was K. Suresh of the
spreading over 24 years and three months.
Congress Party.
• He first took the oath of chief minister of Odisha
• Also - Rahul Gandhi appointed as Leader Of
on 5th of March in 2000.
Opposition in the Lok Sabha

About Om Birla Mohan Charan Majhi Sworn In As First

• A three-time member of Lok Sabha, Om Birla was BJP Chief Minister Of Odisha
elected from the Kota constituency of Rajasthan in
the 2014,2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
• He became the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha in
2019 and has been re-elected for the second time
as the speaker of the Lok Sabha
• He is the fifth person to hold the office of Lok
Sabha speaker twice.
• According to Article 93 of the constitution,
members of the Lok Sabha are to elect a Speaker • BJP MLA from Keonjhar Mohan Charan Majhi,
and a Deputy Speaker from among the members who belongs to the tribal Santhal community, took
of the House. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker oath as Odisha’s Chief Minister
are elected by a simple majority.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• The party has picked two Deputy CMs, — K V • Tesam Pongte was unanimously elected as the
Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, who will become Speaker of the 8th Arunachal Pradesh Assembly
the first woman Deputy CM of the state. elected from the Changlang North Assembly
• Governor, Odisha - Shri Raghubar Das segment
• CM - Pema Khandu
Surama Padhy Elected as Odisha • GOVERNOR : Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik
Assembly Speaker
N Chandrababu Naidu took Oath Of
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister For Fourth
Time

• Senior BJP leader Surama Padhy was elected

unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha • Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Telugu Desam Party
Assembly. supremo, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of
• Ms. Padhy is the second woman to become Andhra Pradesh for the fourth term
Speaker of the Odisha Assembly after Pramila • Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan was sworn in
Mallick of BJD. as the deputy Chief minister.
• Chief Minister : Mohan Charan Majhi • Andhra governor : S Abdul Nazeer
• Deputy Chief Ministers : K.V. Singh Deo, Pravati
Parida MLA C. Ayyanna Patrudu Elected Speaker
of Andhra Assembly
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha leader Prem • Telugu Desam Party’s
Singh Tamang was sworn in as Chief Narsipatnam MLA C. Ayyanna
Minister of Sikkim for the second time Patrudu was elected
unanimously as the Speaker of
the 16th Andhra Pradesh
Legislative Assembly
• Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh: N. Chandrababu Naidu
• Governor of Andhra Pradesh: S. Abdul Nazeer
• Oath administered by Governor - Lakshman
Prasad Acharya Govt approves re-appointment of NSA
Ajit Doval, PM’s Principal Secy P K Mishra
Tesam Pongte Elected as the New Speaker
of Arunachal Pradesh Assembly

• Re-appointment of P K Mishra as the Principal

Secretary to Prime Minister
• Ajit Doval as the National Security Advisor (NSA).

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Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Kumar • The agency is chaired by an eminent educationist
appointed by the education ministry, currently
Deka & NHRC Secretary General Bharat
chaired by Pradeep Kumar Joshi, a former
Lal Receive One-Year Extensions chairman of UPSC.

PV Sindhu Appointed Brand Ambassador

For Tobacco Control

Intelligence Bureau
• Administrative control - Ministry of Home Affairs.
• An internal intelligence agency of India that is
used to gather information from within India.
• the IB is particularly tasked with intelligence
collection in border areas, following the 1951
recommendations of the Himmatsinhji Committee
(also known as the North and North-East Border
Committee). • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
Government of India, hosted an event to
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2024.
• A standalone entity of the Government of India • This year's topic is "Protecting Children from
with the mission of promoting and protecting Tobacco Industry Interference".
human rights. • Apurva Chandra - The Union Health Secretary
• Established on 12th October 1993, under the
Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993. IAS officer Sujata Saunik becomes
• Chairperson - Arun Kumar Mishra
Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary
Pradeep Singh Kharola Takes Additional
Charge Of NTA’s DG
• National Testing
Agency (NTA).
• Subodh Kumar Singh,
the previous NTA DG,
has been removed
• The "top leadership"
of NTA is under
scrutiny for alleged
irregularities in the NEET and NET exams.
• Since 2022 he is serving as the Chairman of India Maushumi Chakravarty Assumes Charge
Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)
Of Director General Of Akashvani News
What is National Testing Agency NTA? • Ms. Chakravarty
• Established in November 2017 under the Indian assumed the charge
Societies Registration Act, 1860. after superannuation
• An autonomous body tasked with conducting of Ms. Vasudha Gupta
various entrance examinations for admissions to as Principal DG.
higher educational institutions.
• NTA conducts exams such as NEET, JEE, CTET,
GATE, GPAT, GMAT, CAT, UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC
NET.

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Dhirendra Ojha Justice N Kotiswar Singh becomes first

Appointed As Supreme Court Judge from Manipur
Director General
Of PIB
• Mr Ojha will
replace Sheyphali
Sharan

• Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court,

Judge Of Madhya Pradesh High Court Justice N Kotiswar Singh took oath of office and
Sheel Nagu Appointed As Chief Justice Of became the first judge to have been elevated to
the Supreme Court from Manipur.
Punjab & Haryana High Court • Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court R
Mahadevan was also sworn in as judge of the apex
court.
• Supreme court has attained its full strength of 34
judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
• Every judge of the Supreme Court is appointed
by the President of India after consulting the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Articles 124 to 147 in Part V of the Constitution
deal with the organisation, independence,
jurisdiction, powers and procedures of the
Supreme Court

Number of Judges:
• The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a
Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne
Judges, leaving it to Parliament to increase this
Justice A. Muhamed Mustaq number.
appointed Acting Chief • Considering the increase in workload, Parliament
Justice of the Kerala High increased the number of Judges from 8 in 1950 to
11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31
Court
in 2009, and 34 in 2019 (current strength).
• With effect from July 5 in view of
the retirement of Chief Justice
A.J. Desai on July 4. Dr B N Gangadhar Appointed As
Chairperson Of National Medical
Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi takes oath Commission
as 15th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High
Court

• Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan administered the

oath of office to Justice Sarangi at the Raj Bhavan
in Ranchi.

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Professor Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak Elected New

appointed as the Principal Advisor at the President of ICMAI
Union Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare for the National Tuberculosis
Elimination Programme

• for the 2024-25 period.

• Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI)
• He will succeed Ashwin Dalwadi, who was the
president for the 2023-24 period.
• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India comes
under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren resigns

from his post; JMM President Hemant
• Swaminathan is a former Chief Scientist of the
World Health Organization and has also served as
Soren becomes CM
the Director General of the Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR) previously.

Ex R&AW chief Rajinder Khanna

appointed new additional NSA

• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive

president Hemant Soren return as CM of
Jharkhand.
• Governor - C. P. Radhakrishnan
• Rajinder Khanna has been promoted to additional
National Security Adviser.
Gaurav Gogoi re-appointed Congress's
• T V Ravichandran and Pavan Kapoor have been
appointed as new Deputy NSAs. Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha
• Ajit Doval - NSA

Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak elected as the

President of ICMAI
• CMA Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak, a Fellow Member of
ICMAI with over 30 years of professional
experience, has been elected as the 67th
President of ICMAI for 2024-2025.
• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India is a
professional accountancy body in India under the • Gaurav Gogoi continues as Congress's Deputy
ownership of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, GoI. Leader in Lok Sabha; Kodikkunnil Suresh remains
Chief Whip.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Chief Whip - Parties appoint a senior member to Other important Secretary positions
issue whips (written order that party members be • Cabinet Secretary - Rajiv Gauba (to be replaced by
present for an important vote) T. V. Somanathan on August 30)
• Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha – Rahul Gandhi • Home Secretary - Ajay Bhalla (to be replaced by
• Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha - Mallikarjun Govind Mohan on August 22)
Kharge • Foreign Secretary - Vikram Misri

Types of whips: Deepti Gaur Mukherjee assumes charge

• One-line whip: A one-line whip, underlined once,
as Secretary to Ministry of Corporate
is usually issued to inform party members of a
vote, and allows them to abstain in case they Affairs (MCA)
decide not to follow the party line.
• Two-line whip: A two-line whip directs them to be
present during the vote.
• Three-line whip: A three-line whip is the
strongest, employed on important occasions such
as the second reading of a Bill or a no-confidence
motion, and places an obligation on members to
toe the party line.

Senior IAS Officer T.V Somanathan

Appointed Cabinet Secretary
• She has succeeded Manoj Govil
• Prior to this appointment, Mukherjee was the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National
Health Authority.

Senior IAS officer Govind Mohan

appointed New Union Home Secretary
• The Appointments Committee
of the Cabinet approved the
appointment of Culture
• The central government has appointed senior IAS Ministry Secretary Govind
officer TV Somanathan (1987-batch IAS Mohan as the next Union
officer,Tamil Nadu Cadre), current Finance Home Secretary.
Secretary, as the new Cabinet Secretary for a two- • He will take over as Home
year term. Secretary on the completion of the tenure of Ajay
• He will take over India’s top bureaucratic position Kumar Bhalla on August 22.
from August 30 when incumbent Rajiv Gauba’s • Mr. Bhalla was appointed the Union Home
extended tenure ends. Secretary in August 2019. He has had the longest
tenure in the crucial post considered next to the
country's top bureaucrat — the Cabinet Secretary.
IAS Officer Rajesh Kumar appointed next
Defence Secretary
Rahul Navin has been appointed as
• Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs- Deepti
Gaur Mukherjee Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED)
• Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs- • Acting Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Rahul
Katikithala Srinivas Navin was appointed as the full-time director of
• Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs- Chandra the federal Anti-Money laundering agency.
Sekhar Kumar • for a period of two years
• Secretary to the President - Deepti Umashankar • His predecessor Sanjay Kumar Mishra.
(after Rajesh Verma’s superannuation on August
31)
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About Enforcement Directorate Chandra Lal Das appointed Secretary of
Steel Ministry

• Secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small, and

• It is a domestic law enforcement agency and Medium Enterprises Chandra Lal Das has been
economic intelligence agency responsible for given additional charge of the Secretary of the
enforcing economic laws and fighting economic Steel Ministry.
crimes in India. • The additional charge was given following the
• The origin of the ED goes back to May 1956, when superannuation of Steel Ministry secretary
an "enforcement unit" was formed, for handling Nagendra Nath Sinha.
Exchange Control Laws violations under
the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. IAS officer Amrit Lal Meena appointed as
• In 1957, the unit was renamed as the Enforcement
new Chief Secretary of Bihar
Directorate.
• Nodal Ministry: Department of Revenue, Ministry
of Finance

Objectives of the ED
• The prime objective of the Enforcement
Directorate is the enforcement of three key Acts of
the Government of India namely:
• Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA),
• Prevention of Money Laundering Act,
2002 (PMLA), and
• Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA).
• He has succeeded outgoing Chief Secretary Brijesh
Manu Bhaker Appointed Brand Mehrotra.
Ambassador for Ports Ministry
Dr. Grinson George Appointed Director of
ICAR-CMFRI

• India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

(MoPSW) appointed Manu Bhaker, the double • Grinson George, former head of the Marine
Olympic medal winner in shooting, as a brand Biodiversity and Environment Management
ambassador. Division at the Central Marine Fisheries Research
• Bhaker is the daughter of a Marine Engineer. Institute (CMFRI) has assumed charge as Director
of the CMFRI.
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Satish Kumar named new Chairman and Senior IAS officer Manish Kumar Gupta
CEO of Railway Board has been appointed as the new chief
secretary of Arunachal Pradesh

• replacing incumbent chief secretary Dharmendra,

• Mr. Kumar will replace Jaya Verma Sinha, is the who has been transferred to the national capital.
first lady Chairperson of the Railway Board, will
retire on August 31. Jarken Gamlin sworn in as Arunachal
• Mr. Kumar will assume charge from September 1,
Pradesh’s new Chief Information
till the date of his super annuation and his re-
employment on contract basis, from January 1 till Commissioner
August 31, 2025.

Justice D. Krishnakumar appointed Chief

Justice of Manipur High Court

• Major General Jarken Gamlin (Retd) has been

sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Information
• The incumbent Chief Justice of the High Court,
Commissioner (SCIC).
Justice Siddharth Mridul, demits office on 21st
• He was administered the ‘Oath of Affirmation’ by
november upon attaining the age of 62.
Governor Lt. General K.T. Parnaik (Retd) in
• Justice D. Krishnakumar presently serving as a
Itanagar.
judge of the Madras High Court
• CIC is a statutory body constituted under section
12 of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Tuhin Kanta Pandey appointed Finance • Similar to CIC, SIC is also a statutory body
Secretary constituted under section 15 of the Right to
• He is currently serving Information Act, 2005.
in the Finance • The main objectives of CIC and SIC are to receive
Ministry as the and inquire into complaints from any citizen
Secretary in charge of (Section 18 of the RTI Act, 2005).
two key domains —
the Departments of Tripura Guv Indra Sena Reddy Nallu
Public Enterprises sworn in as Acting Governor of Mizoram
(DPE), and Investment
• Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Governor of Tripura was
and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
sworn in to take additional charge as the Governor
of Mizoram
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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Tashi Rabstan - J&K and Ladakh HC Chief Justice
• Shriram Kalpathi Rajendran - Madras HC Chief
Justice
• M S Ramachandra Rao - Jharkhand HC Chief
Justice

Atishi named new Chief Minister of Delhi;

Kejriwal resigned
• Gauhati High Court judge Justice Nelson Sailo
administered the oath
• incumbent Mizoram governor Hari Babu
Kambhampati, on leave due to health issues.

Kalikesh Singh Deo Elected National Rifle

Association of India president
• Kalikesh, a former MP
• Aam Aadmi Party legislators in New Delhi have
from Odisha, was taking
elected State Minister Atishi Marlena Singh as the
care of NRAI as senior
new Chief Minister-designate in place of Arvind
vice-president after the
Kejriwal, who gave his resignation to Lieutenant-
resignation of Raninder
Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena
Singh last year
• She was elected from Kalkaji constituency
• Last year, the Sports
• She will be the third woman Chief Minister of the
Ministry had issued a directive that heads of
Union Territory after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila
national sports federations (NSFs) cannot hold
Dikshit.
office for more than 12 years
• National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was
founded in 1951 with a view to promote and Amit Shah Re-Elected as Chairperson of
popularize the shooting sports in India. Parliamentary Committee on Official
• 1st President of National Rifle Association of India Language
– G V Mavlankar
• 1st Secretary General of National Rifle Association
of India – K G Prabhu

The Centre notified the appointment of

Chief Justices in 8 High Courts

• Mr. Shah served as the Chairperson of the

committee from 2019 to 2024.
• In the past 10 years, the committee had tried to
ensure that Hindi became a friend of all local
languages and did not compete with any
• Manmohan - Delhi HC Chief Justice language.
• Rajiv Shakdher - Himachal Pradesh HC Chief • In 1976, the Parliamentary Committee on Official
Justice Language was constituted under the provisions of
• Suresh Kumar Kait – Madhya Pradesh HC Chief Section 4 of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
Justice • The committee comprises 30 members of
• Indra Prasanna Mukerji - Meghalaya HC Chief Parliament, of which 20 are from the Lok Sabha
Justice and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
• Nitin Madhukar Jamdar - Kerala HC Chief Justice
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Mallika Srinivasan, Chairperson of PESB, Jitendra J Jadhav Appointed as Director

granted one-year extension beyond General of Aeronautical Development
retirement age of 65 Agency
• Jitendra J. Jadhav, the man
who steered the Initial
Operational Clearance (IOC)
for the Tejas fighter aircraft,
has taken over as the
Director General of
• Srinivasan is the first private sector specialist, Aeronautical Development
who has been appointed as the head of the Public Agency (ADA)
Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) • ADA is a department of the
• Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of Defence Research and Development Organisation
Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) Limited (DRDO) of India's Ministry of Defence.
• PESB is a non-statutory body that advises the • The ADA was established in 1984 in Bangalore to
government on appointments to the highest posts oversee the development of the country's Light
in Central Public Sector Enterprises. Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.

Randhir Singh becomes first Indian to be CJI Chandrachud names Justice Sanjiv
elected as OCA President Khanna as successor
• Veteran sports • Justice Khanna
administrator Randhir Singh will be the 51st
became the first Indian to Chief Justice of
be elected as the president India and will
of the Olympic Council of have a tenure of
Asia (OCA). 6 months in
• tenure will run from 2024 office before
till 2028, retiring on May 13, 2025.
• Mr. Singh has been the OCA acting president since • With CJI Chandrachud set to retire on November
2021 10
• was also a member of the IOC between 2001 and • Justice Khanna had enrolled as an advocate with
2014 the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983.
• He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court
on January 18, 2019.
Rajesh Verma assume charge as CAQM • He is presently the Executive Chairman of National
chairperson Legal Services Authority
• Justice Khanna been part of Constitution Bench
rulings, like the one upholding the abrogation of
Article 370 of the Constitution, and that striking
down the 2018 electoral bonds scheme.

Vipin Kumar Assumes Role as Chairman

of Airports Authority of India

• Rajesh Verma took charge as chairperson of the

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
in NCR and adjoining areas.
• He had served as Secretary of President Murmu
prior to his superannuation of 31st August, 2024
• He succeeds Dr M M Kutty.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Previously serving as Additional Secretary in the
Ministry of Education
• Airports Authority of India is a statutory body
under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation,
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
• It was constituted by an Act of Parliament and
came into being on 1st April, 1995, by merging the
erstwhile National Airports Authority and the IAS Rajesh Kumar Singh appointed as
International Airports Authority of India.
Defence Secretary
Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar appointed 9th
NCW Chairperson

• Before being named for this post, Mr. Singh was

holding the charge of Secretary, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry
of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023 to
August 20, 2024.
• Assumed the charge of the Officer on Special Duty
• National Commission for Women (NCW). (Defence Secretary-designate) on August 20.
• During her tenure as Chairperson of the
Maharashtra State Commission for Women (2016- Deepak Agarwal Appointed as Managing
2021), she spearheaded initiatives like
Director of NAFED
“Sakshama” (support for acid attack survivors),
“Prajwala” (linking self-help groups to central
government schemes), and “Suhita” (24x7
helpline service for women).

National Commission for Women

• The National Commission for Women (NCW) is an
autonomous and statutory body established
under the National Commission for Women Act, • for a period of five years.
1990, to protect and promote women's rights in • National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
India. Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) was established
• The First Commission was constituted on January on the Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 1958.
31, 1992, with Ms. Jayanti Patnaik as the
Chairperson. SC allows Justice Jayant Nath to continue
• NCW has a chairperson, five members, and a as DERC chairperson beyond retirement
member-secretary
age
• Term: three years.

Vikram Dev Dutt assumes charge as

Secretary of the Ministry of Coal
• Shri Dutt previously served as the Director General
of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation • former Delhi High Court judge, Justice Jayant
(DGCA). Nath, to continue as Chairperson of the Delhi
• He succeeds Shri VL Kantha Rao, who currently Electricity Regulatory (DERC) Commission
serves as the Secretary of the Ministry of Mines
and holds additional charge of the Ministry of
Coal.
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Justice BR Gavai appointed Executive Harsha Vardhan Agarwal to Take Over as

Chairman of NALSA FICCI President from Nov 21
• Supreme Court judge
B R Gavai has been
nominated as the
executive chairman of
the National Legal
Services Authority
(NALSA).
• The chief justice of
India is the patron-in-
chief of NALSA, the • Emami Limited Vice Chairman and Managing
seniormost judge after the CJI is its executive Director Harsha Vardhan Agarwal has been
chair. elected as the Ficci president for 2024-25.
• Justice Sanjiv Khanna - patron-in-chief • Agarwal is currently serving as the Senior Vice
President of FICCI.
What is the National Legal Services Authority • He will succeed Mahindra & Mahindra's Group
(NALSA)? CEO and Managing Director Anish Shah on
• NALSA has been constituted under the Legal November 21.
Services Authorities Act, 1987, to provide free
legal services to the weaker sections of Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjiv
society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable
settlement of disputes.
Khanna sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice
• The prime objective of NALSA is the speedy of India
disposal of cases and reducing the burden on the
judiciary.

Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 39A provides for free legal aid to the poor
and weaker sections of society and ensures justice
for all.
• Articles 14 and 22(1) of the Constitution also make
it obligatory for the State to ensure equality
before the law and a legal system that promotes
• succeeding Justice D Y Chandrachud.
justice on the basis of equal opportunity for all.
• President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath
of office to Justice Khanna
Mara Kocho Set to be Next Managing • Elevated as a Supreme Court judge on January 18,
Director of NEHHDC 2019, Justice Khanna will superannuate on May
• Mara Kocho is set to 13, 2025, after a tenure of a little over six months.
be next Managing • He is among the few judges who were elevated to
Director (MD) the Supreme Court even before becoming the
of North Eastern Chief Justice of any high court.
Handicrafts & • Justice Sanjiv Khanna held the post of chairman of
Handlooms the Supreme Court Legal Service Committee from
Development June 17 to December 25, 2023 and is currently the
Corporation Limited executive chairman of the National Legal Services
(NEHHDC), a PSU Authority.
under the Ministry of
Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
• Presently, he is serving as Chief Engineer (Elect.) in
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

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Constitutional Provisions for Judicial Appointments Dr. Jaiteerth Raghavendra Joshi
Articles Constitutional Provisions
Appointed Chief of BrahMos Aerospace
• Dr. Jaiteerth Raghavendra
Article 124 Supreme Court judges should be
Joshi has been appointed
appointed by the President after
as the new Chief of
consultation with such judges of the
BrahMos Aerospace,
High Courts and the Supreme Court
effective December 1,
as the President may deem necessary.
2024.
The CJI is to be consulted in all
• He succeeds Atul Dinkar
appointments except his or her own.
Rane, who has held the position since 2021.
Article 217 High Court judges should be
• BrahMos Aerospace, headquartered in New Delhi,
appointed by the President after
was established as a joint venture between India's
consultation with the CJI and
Defence Research and Development Organisation
the Governor of the state. The Chief
(DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
Justice of the High Court concerned
• The name "BrahMos" is derived from the
too should be consulted.
Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River
in Russia, symbolizing the collaboration between
Qualifications of Supreme Court judge:
the two nations.
• should be a citizen of India.
• The BrahMos missile, an Indo-Russian joint
• He/She should: Have been for at least five years a
venture, has a range of 290 km (The BrahMos
Judge of a High Court or of two or more such
missile's range has been extended over time)
Courts in succession or
• and is the fastest cruise missile in the world with a
• Have been for at least ten years an advocate of a
top speed of Mach 2.8 (nearly three times the
High Court or of two or more such Courts in
speed of sound).
succession,
• It is a two-stage (solid propellant engine in the
• or be, in the opinion of the President, a
first stage and liquid ramjet in second) missile.
distinguished jurist.
• It is a multiplatform missile i.e., it can be launched
from land, air, and sea and multi capability
About Chief Justice of India (CJI)
missile with pinpoint accuracy that works in both
• The CJI and the Judges of the Supreme Court (SC)
day and night irrespective of the weather
are appointed by the President under clause (2) of
conditions
Article 124 of the Constitution.
• Appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of
India should be of the seniormost Judge of the Justice Manmohan Recommended for
Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office. Supreme Court Judge Appointment
• The Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company
Affairs would seek the recommendation of the
outgoing Chief Justice of India for the
appointment of the next Chief Justice of India –
• He then will put up the recommendation to the
Prime Minister who will advise the President in
the matter of appointment.
• A judge of the Supreme Court serves until they
reach the age of 65 years • The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief
Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna recommended
Removal: Justice Manmohan, the Chief Justice of the Delhi
• He/She can be removed by an order of the High Court, for appointment as apex court judge
President only after an address by Parliament has • would fill one of the two pending vacancies in the
been presented to President. Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned judicial
• This should be supported by a special majority of strength of 34.
each House of Parliament • The two vacancies arose with the retirements of
Grounds of Removal: Proved misbehavior or Chief Justice Khanna’s predecessor, Justice D.Y.
Incapacity (Article 124(4) Chandrachud, and Justice Hima Kohli.

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The Election Commission of India Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• Under Article 148, The Constitution of India
approved the
provides for an independent office of the
appointment of senior IAS Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
officer R Alice Vaz as the • CAG is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts
chief electoral officer Department.
• He is the guardian of the public purse and controls
(CEO) of Delhi, ahead of the entire financial system of the country at both
the assembly elections the levels–the Centre and the state.
Articles Description
Supreme Court appoints Amici Curiae to Article 148 Appointment: There shall be a
examine carbon emission rules Comptroller and Auditor General
• The Supreme Court has appointed two lawyers as (CAG) of India who shall be appointed
Amici Curiae to assist it in examining the legal by the President
regime that regulates carbon emissions. Article 149 Duties and powers to be determined
• a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj by Parliament: The CAG shall perform
Misra said such duties and exercise such powers
• Amicus curiae is a Latin term that means "friend as may be prescribed by or under any
of the court". It refers to an individual or law made by Parliament.
organization that is not a party to a legal case but Article 150 Form of accounts of union and
can assist the court by providing information, states: The accounts of the union and
expertise, or insight that is relevant to the case. of the states shall be kept in such form
as the President may, on the advice
Ashwini Bhide Appointed As Principal of the CAG, prescribe.
Article 151 Reports of CAG: The reports of the
Secretary To Maharashtra CM Fadnavis CAG relating to the accounts of the
• Chief Minister
union shall be submitted to the
Devendra Fadnavis
President, who shall cause them to be
appointed Mumbai
laid before each House of Parliament.
Metro Rail
Certification of net
Corporation (MMRC)
Article 279 proceeds: He ascertains and certifies
chief Ashwini Bhide as
the net proceeds of any tax or duty.
principal secretary in
His certificate is final. The ‘net
the CM secretariat.
proceeds’ means the proceeds of a
tax or a duty minus the cost of
K. Sanjay Murthy has been appointed as collection.
the next Comptroller and Auditor General Comptroller Tenure: He holds office for a period of
(CAG) of India. and Auditor six years or up to the age of 65 years,
General of whichever is earlier.
India Resignation: He can resign any time
(Duties, from his office by addressing the
Powers, resignation letter to the President.
and Removal: He can be removed by the
Conditions President on the same grounds and in
of Service) the same manner as a judge of
Act, 1971 the Supreme Court.
• President Droupadi Murmu appointed K. Sanjay
Condition of service: His salary and
Murthy as the new Comptroller and Auditor
service conditions are determined by
General of India (CAG).
Parliament and can’t be varied to his
• Will replace Girish Chandra Murmu’s tenure.
disadvantage after his appointment
• Mr. Murmu was appointed CAG in August 2020.
He completes his term on November 20, 2024.

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K. Vijayanand is new Chief Secretary of • President Murmu also appointed Priyank

Kanoongo and Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi
Andhra Pradesh
(Retd.) as Members of the NHRC.

• The post of the NHRC Chairperson has been lying

Dr. Sandip Shah Appointed A Chairperson vacant since the completion of the term of the
8th Chairperson of NHRC, Justice (retd) Arun
of NABL Kumar Mishra on 1 June 2024.
• Justice (retd) V Balasubramanian will
succeed Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, who was
performing the duty of acting chairperson of the
NHRC.
• NHRC is an independent statutory body,
established on October 12, 1993, under
Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• National Accreditation Board for Testing and • Every state government has also set up the State
Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is a constituent Human Rights Commission under the provisions
board of the Quality Council of India (QCI). of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993.
• NABL works to improve the quality of testing and
calibration services, ensuring trust in the products NHRC Composition
and services used by consumers, businesses, and It consists of a chairperson and five members. The
regulators. composition is as follows:
• The Quality Council of India (QCI) is a premier • The chairperson should be either a retired Chief
autonomous body set up by the Government of Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court.
India. • Members include:
• QCI has launched a marquee campaign–Gunvatta ➢ Judge of the Supreme Court- serving or
Se Atmanirbharta: India’s quality movement. retired;
➢ Chief Justice of a High Court- serving or
IAS officer Arunish Chawla appointed as retired;
➢ three individuals (with at least one being a
Revenue Secretary in Ministry of Finance woman) who possess knowledge or
practical experience in human rights.
In addition to these full-time members, the
commission includes seven ex-officio members :
1. The National Commission for Minorities
2. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes
(SCs)
• Chawla previously served as secretary of the 3. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry (STs)
of Chemicals and Fertilizers. 4. The National Commission for Women
5. The National Commission for Backward Classes
Former SC judge V. Ramasubramanian (BCs)
appointed as 9th NHRC Chairperson 6. The National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights
• President Murmu appointed retired Supreme
7. The Chief Commissioner for Persons with
Court Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the
Disabilities.
Chairperson of National Human Rights
Commission.
• Retired from Supreme Court on June 29, 2023
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NHRC Appointment
• The appointment of the chairperson and
members is carried out by the President of
India based on the recommendations of a six-
member Selection Committee.
Selection Committee
• The Prime Minister heads the Selection
Committee.
• Members are; the Union Home Minister;
the Speaker of the Lok Sabha; the Deputy
Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; the Leader of the Imp. Constitutional Provisions Related to the
Opposition of Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Governor
Terms of the NHRC Chairperson and Members • Article 153: There shall be a Governor for each
• Three years or seventy years whichever is earlier. state.
• eligible for reappointment (if not attained seventy • A single person can be appointed as the Governor
years of age). for two or more states (recommended by
• They can resign by addressing a letter to the the Sarkaria Commission).
President. • Article 155. Appointment of Governor by the
President
Himachal, Uttarakhand High Courts get • Article 156. Term of Office of Governor - five
new Chief Justices years
• Article 157. Qualifications for appointment as
Governor - citizen of India and has completed the
age of thirty-five years.
• Article 158. Conditions of Governor's office -
Governor shall not be a member of either House
of Parliament or of a House of the Legislature of
any State
• Article 163: There is a Council of Ministers with
the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise
• Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia appointed as the Governor
the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High
Court Suman Berry Appointed Chairman of EAC-
• Justice Narender G. was appointed as the head of PM with Additional Charge
the Uttarakhand High Court
• Justice Sandhawalia is at present a judge of the
Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Narendar
G. is a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
• The Chief Justice and Judges of the High Courts
are to be appointed by the President under clause
(1) of Article 217 of the Constitution
• NITI Aayog vice chairman Suman Bery has been
5 Indian states got new Governors given additional charge as the chairman of the
• Mizoram Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati as Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
Governor of Odisha (Raghubar Das resigned) (EAC-PM)
• Union Minister General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd.) • He replaced Bibek Debroy, who died on
- new Governor of Mizoram November 1.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan - now • EAC-PM is an independent body constituted to
Governor of Bihar. give advice on economic and related issues to the
• Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as Government of India, specifically to the prime
Governor of Kerala. minister.
• Former Home secretary Ajay Bhalla - new
Governor of Manipur
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PSU APPOINTMENTS
1. Amit Garg Becomes HPCL CMD
Amit Garg Likely to Become HPCL CMD
2. Manoj Kumar Dubey CMD of IRFC
Limited.
3. Sushil Kumar as Chairperson of Deendayal
Port Authority
4. Sushil Sharma as CMD of SJVN Limited
5. Sanjay Nayar New ASSOCHAM President
6. Raj Kumar Chaudhary CMD of NHPC Ltd
7.
• HPCL's Director (Marketing) Amit Garg is set to be the new Chairman & Managing Director of Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
• Maharatna PSU under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG).
• incorporated on 5 July 1952 , with the name Standard Vacuum Refining Company
• Renamed to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd in the year 1974.
• HPCL is an amalgamation of the erstwhile foreign oil companies ESSO and Caltex, which were taken over by the
Government of India in 1974 and 1976 respectively.

Indian Oil Welcomes Arvindar Singh A K Saxena Assumes Additional Charge as

Sahney as New Chairman CMD in RINL
• Shri AK Saxena, CMD, MOIL assumed additional
charge of the post of CMD at Rashtriya Ispat
Nigam Ltd (RINL), the corporate entity of
Visakhapatnam steel plant.
• a Navaratna PSE under the Ministry of Steel.
• Visakhapatnam Steel Plant fondly called Vizag
Steel.
• Indian Oil Corporation, the nation's largest oil
• RINL was established in 1982
firm.
• Sahney, is currently Executive Director (Business
Development - Petrochemicals), Indian Oil Brijendra Pratap Singh Appointed CMD of
Corporation Ltd (IOC). NALCO.
• Currently, Satish Kumar Vaduguri (Director, • Brijendra Pratap Singh
Marketing, IOC), is holding the additional charge is set to be the next
of chairman Chairman & Managing
Director of National
Manoj Kumar Dubey Appointed CMD of Aluminium
Corporation, a PSU under the Ministry of Mines.
IRFC Limited.
• NALCO, a 'Navratna' company, was founded on 7th
January, 1981
• Headquartered in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

V Satish Kumar,
• Public Sector Undertaking Indian Railways director (marketing) at
Financial Corporation appointed Manoj Kumar
Dubey as the CEO, Chairman, and Managing IOC, given additional
Director of the company for five years . charge as Chairman of
• IRFC is a Schedule ‘A’/Miniratna Public Sector Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Enterprise
• was set up in December 1986

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Satish Jha Appointed Next CMD of

Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

• Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) is a subsidiary of

Coal India Limited (CIL)
• ECL is the largest coal producer in West Bengal
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has
Raj Kumar Chaudhary appointed as CMD appointed Manoj Jain as the new
of NHPC Ltd Chairman and Managing Director
• Raj Kumar Chaudhary has
• Bharat Electronics Limited
been appointed as the new
(BEL) is a Navratna PSU under
Chairman & Managing
the Ministry of Defence,
Director of NHPC Limited.
Government of India.
• Prior to his current
• It manufactures electronic
appointment, Chaudhary held the critical position
products and systems for the
of Director (Technical) at NHPC.
Army, Navy and the Air Force.
• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation
• Established in 1954
• Founded- 7 November 1975
• Headquarter - Bangalore
• Headquarters- Faridabad
• Owner- Government of India (70.95%)
Atul Kumar Chaudhary Appointed
Sushil Kumar appointed as Chairperson of Secretary of TRAI
• succeeding V Raghunandan
Deendayal Port Authority
• Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI)
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• TRAI Chairperson: Anil
Kumar Lahoti
• Founded: 20 February 1997

• Singh has been appointed in place of SK Mehta

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jain Assumes the
Deendayal Port charge of CMD in IRCTC
• Deendayal Port (previously called Kandla port) is Indian Railway
situated in the Kandla Creek and is 90 kms from Catering and
the mouth of the Gulf of Kachch in Gujarat. Tourism
• It is a protected natural harbour. Corporation Ltd.
• It is recognized as one of the major ports in India. (IRCTC):
• It was constructed in the 1950s as the chief • It is a Mini
seaport serving western India, after the partition Ratna Category-I (conferred in 2008)
of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in • Central Public Sector Enterprise that is wholly-
Pakistan. owned by and controlled by Ministry of Railways.
• Deendayal Port is hub for major imports like • Incorporated - 1999
petroleum, chemicals and iron also export grains,
salt and textiles.

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ISMA Appoints Deepak Ballani as New Government of India and the Government of
Himachal Pradesh.
Director General
• Recently SJVN Limited has won two prestigious
awards at the 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Awards
2024, instituted by the Construction Industry
Development Council.

• Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Joyshree Das Verma Becomes New
Association (ISMA) President of FICCI Ladies Organisation
• ISMA HQ: New Delhi • FICCI Ladies Organisation
• ISMA Established: 1932 (FLO) was established in
1983, as a division of the
Rajendra Prasad Goyal Assumes Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce
Additional Charge As Chairman And MD
and Industry (FICCI) which
Of NHPC Limited is the apex body of industry
and commerce in India
• FLO is the oldest women-
led and women-centric business chamber of
South East Asia.

• Rajendra Prasad Goyal, Director (Finance), NHPC

Sanjay Nayar Appointed as New
has taken over the additional charge of the post of
Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC Limited ASSOCHAM President
on 1st March 2024.

About NHPC Limited

• NHPC Limited (formerly known as National
Hydroelectric Power Corp.) is a Government of
India Mini Ratna Category-I Public Sector
Enterprise under the Ministry of Power.
• He has replaced Ajay Singh, Co-Founder of low-
• It was incorporated in the year 1975 under the
cost airline SpiceJet
Companies Act, 1956,
• with the objective of developing hydroelectric • Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of
India (ASSOCHAM) is the country's oldest apex
power in the country.
chamber.
• Headquartered - Faridabad, Haryana
• ASSOCHAM works as a conduit between the
industry and the Government, representing the
Sushil Sharma Appointed CMD of SJVN interests of trade and commerce
Limited
Meenesh Shah Elected as Chairman of
About
SJVN
NCDFI

• Miniratna Company
• Formerly Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN Limited)
• It is an Indian public sector undertaking involved
in hydroelectric power generation and
transmission.
• It was incorporated in 1988 as Nathpa Jhakri
Power Corporation, a joint venture between the
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• National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India FICCI appoints Jyoti Vij as new director
Ltd. (NCDFI)
general
• NCDFI is a national-level apex dairy cooperative
• The Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI )
Santhosh Kumar Jha to be new CMD of announced the appointment of
Konkan Railway Corporation Jyoti Vij as its director general.
• FICCI President: Anish Shah
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Government appoints Robert J Ravi as

CMD, BSNL
• Robert Jerard
Ravi new
• It is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry Chairman and
of Railways Managing
• Headquartered at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai Director of
Bharat Sanchar
Nidhi S Jain (IA&AS) is appointed as CVO Nigam Limited
(BSNL)
of Cotton Corporation of India • He replaced P K Purwar
• She has been appointed CVO
(Central Vigilance Officer) for an
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
initial period of 3 years
• Central public sector undertaking under the
• Cotton Corporation of India -
ownership of Department of Telecommunications,
Headquarters: Mumbai
which is part of the Ministry of Communications
• Founded: 1970
• Headquartered in New Delhi.
• It was incorporated on 15 September 2000

SECURITY & DEFENSE

1. Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi as Chief Of
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi To
Army Staff
2. Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani next Vice Chief of Army Be Next Chief Of Army Staff
Staff
3. Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh as Chief of Air Staff
4. DG Paramesh Sivamani new Director General of
Indian Coast Guard
5. B Srinivasan as the Director General (DG) of the
National Security Guard (NSG)
6. Preeti Rajak Indian Army’s First Female Subedar
7. Suman Kumari BSF's ‘first woman sniper • The Centre appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt
8. Capt. Supreetha first woman officer to be deployed Gen Upendra Dwivedi as the next Army Chief.
at Siachen Glacier • Lt Gen Dwivedi will now take over the new
9. DGP Rajwinder Singh Bhatti appointed CISF Chief appointment from the afternoon of June 30,
2024.
10. Rashmi Shukla Maharashtra’s first woman Director
• Lt Gen Dwivedi served as Director General
General of Police
Infantry and General Officer Commanding in
11. Alok Ranjan as the head of National Crime Records
Chief (Headquarter Northern Command) from
Bureau (NCRB) 2022-2024, before getting appointed as the Vice
12. Arti Sarin becomes 1st woman DGAFMS Chief of the Army Staff.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• The government extended the tenure of current Army chief General Manoj Pande who was to retire on May 31,
by a month.
• The Army chief retires on completion of three years in the appointment or on attaining the age of 62, whichever
is earlier.

Indian Navy Chief & Vice Chief:

• Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi; Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan

Indian Air Force Chief & Vice Chief :

• Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari; Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani to be next Vice Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh appointed
Chief of Army Staff as next Chief of Air Staff
• Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani,
currently heading the
Army's Central Command,
has been appointed as the
next Vice Chief of Army
Staff
• succeeding Lt Gen Upendra
Dwivedi who will become
Chief of the Army Staff
• He is currently the Vice Chief of the Indian Air
upon Gen Manoj Pande's
Force (IAF)
retirement.
• He will take over the top post on September 30
• Gen Manoj Pande retires on June 30.
when Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari retires on
superannuation.
Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi Takes • Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh had served as the
Over As Chief Of Naval Staff Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Central Air
Command before taking over as the Vice Chief on
February 1, 2023.
Position Person
Chief of Defence General Anil Chauhan
Chief of the Army General Upendra Dwivedi
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi

Air Marshal SP Dharkar Steps into Vice

Chief of Air Staff Position

• Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi has taken over as

the Chief of the Naval Staff.
• He has succeeded Admiral R Hari Kumar.
• Mr Tripathi has served as the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. • He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh
• He commanded the Indian naval ships Vinash, who became the Chief of Air Staff on September
Kirch and Trishul.
30.
• Admiral Tripathi is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht • Air Marshal Dharkar has served as the first
Seva Medal and the Nausena Medal for devotion Director General of the Defence Space Agency.
to duty.
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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in

DG Paramesh Sivamani takes over as 26th

Director General of Indian Coast Guard

• DG Paramesh Sivamani was elevated to the rank

of Additional Director General in September 2022,
and was subsequently posted at the Coast Guard
Headquarters in the national capital.
• He was given the additional charge of Director
About SSB:
General Coast Guard in August 2024, after the
• The SSB was established in 1963 as the Special
untimely death of then Director General Rakesh
Services Bureau, in the aftermath of the Chinese
Pal due to heart attack
aggression in 1962.
• It came under the aegis of the Ministry of Home
About Indian Coast Guard:
Affairs in January 2001.
• History: it was formally established in 1978 by the
• In June 2001, the SSB was declared a Lead
Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed
Intelligence Agency for Indo Nepal and assigned
force of India.
the Indo Nepal border.
• Parent ministry: It operates under the Ministry of
• Later, SSB was also assigned Indo Bhutan border
Defence.
(March 2004).
• HQ: Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) is located
at New Delhi.
Senior IPS officer B Srinivasan was
Amrit Mohan Prasad Appointed Director appointed as the Director General (DG) of
General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) the National Security Guard (NSG)
• Previous SSB chief • Till August 31, 2027
Daljit Singh • B Srinivasan will
Chaudhary was replace Anish Dayal
appointed as the DG Singh (CRPF
of Border Security Director General),
Force (BSF) who was given the
• Other 6 CAPF additional charge of the DG of National Security
(paramilitary): Guard (NSG)
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), • The then NSG Director General Nalin Prabhat was
• Border Security Force (BSF), appointment as a special DGP of the Jammu and
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Kashmir Police.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), • B Srinivasan is currently the Director of Bihar
• Assam Rifles (AR), Police Academy, Rajgir, Bihar.
• National Security Guard (NSG)
About NSG:
• The National Security Act was enacted in 1986
and the National Security Guard (elite counter
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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
terrorism force) came into existence on 22 Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh Assumes
September 1986.
Command as Flag Officer of Western
• One of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of
the government of India. Naval Command
• Under Union Ministry of Home Affairs. • Vice Admiral Sanjay
• Motto: Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha Jasjit Singh, AVSM, NM
took charge as the Flag
Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera assumes charge as Officer Commanding-
in-Chief of the Western
DG of Assam Rifles Naval Command
(WNC).
• He succeeded Vice
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
• Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh was earlier the
Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

Navy has three Commands, each under the control of

a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

• Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera, AVSM, SM, has

officially assumed the role of the 22nd director
general of the Assam Rifles – the oldest
paramilitary force in India, often referred to as the
“Sentinels of the Northeast”.
• Founded: 1835
• Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya

Sanjeev Raina Appointed ITBP Additional

Director General

• Vice Admiral V Srinivas - Southern Naval

Command in Kochi
• Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar – Eastern Naval
Command in Vishkhapatnam

Vice Admiral AN Pramod Appointed

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
• Only the second time when a non-IPS officer has
Director General Naval Operations
been elevated to this post in the force.
• The first time was in 2020. MS Rawat was the first
officer
• Sanjeev Raina has been with the ITBP for more
than 30 years. He is serving as an Inspector
General (IG) at the ITBP's central sector
headquartered in Bhopal
• Now posted as the ADG (western command) of
the ITBP, which is headquartered in Chandigarh
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), established
in 1962
• It is one of India’s Central Armed Police Forces.
• Its main job is to secure the Indo-Tibetan border,
which stretches for 3,488 km.
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Vice Admiral V Srinivas Takes Charge of • Recently completed 8-week sniper course at
Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) in
Southern Naval Command in Kochi
Indore and achieved 'instructor grade’.
• The course is considered to be among the
toughest trainings of the force, after the
commando training.

Border Security Force

• Raised on 1st December 1965, after the India-
Pakistan war.
• K F Rustamji was the founding father and the first
chief of BSF.
• BSF is one of India's four border patrol forces and
one of seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)
• He succeeded Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi as the
• Border patrol forces - Assam Rifles (which guards
30th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOCINC) of
the Indo-Myanmar border), Border Security Force
the Southern Naval Command.
(BSF, which guards the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-
Bangladesh borders), Indo-Tibetan Border Police
Preeti Rajak Becomes Indian Army’s First (ITBP, which guards the Indo-China border), and
Female Subedar the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB, which guards the
Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal borders).
• The Force Headquarters is in New Delhi.
• It works under the administrative control of
Ministry of Home Affairs.

Indian Navy gets its first woman

helicopter pilot

• She is also the 1st Meritorious Sportswoman in

Shooting discipline enrolled in the Indian Army as
a Havildar.
• She joined the Indian Army in the Corps of Military
Police on December 22, 2022, based on her
proven performance in Trap Shooting.
• At the 19th Asian Games 2022 held at Hangzhou
in China, from 21st Sept to 1st October,2023,
Rajak won the silver medal in the trap women
team event.
• She was promoted to the rank of Subedar.
• Sub Lieutenant Anamika B. Rajeev became the
Suman Kumari becomes BSF's ‘first Indian Navy’s first woman helicopter pilot during a
woman sniper’ passing out parade held in the naval air station INS
Rajali at Arakkonam in Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu
• A total of 21 officers were awarded the prestigious
‘Golden Wings’ by Vice Admiral Rajesh
Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief,
Eastern Naval Command.
• Lt Jamyang Tsewang, the first Commissioned Naval
• Sub-inspector Suman Kumari has become the first Officer from Ladakh also successfully graduated as
woman sniper of the Border Security Force. a qualified helicopter pilot.

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Abhijit Kishore Appointed Chairperson of Indian Armed Forces Gets The First
COAI Woman Director General Of Medical
• COAI - Cellular Operators Association of India Service (ARMY)
• Telecom industry association COAI named
Vodafone Idea's COO Abhijit Kishore as its
chairperson, effective June 2024.

Maj Gen Jagdeep Singh Cheema takes

over as ADG NCC Directorate

• Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair assumed

the office of the Director General of Medical
Services (Army) on 1 August 2024.
• She is the first woman to hold this prestigious post
• Major General Jagdeep Singh Cheema assumed in the Indian Army’s Medical Services.
charge as 13th Additional Director General (ADG) • Director General Armed Forces Medical Services:
of National Cadet Corps (NCC) Lt Gen Daljit Singh
• will oversee the NCC Directorate PHHP&C, which
comprises eight Group HQ located in Punjab, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Takes Over As
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of
Central Air
Vice Admiral CR Praveen Nair took over
Command
as Commandant, Indian Naval Academy • on 1st September
2024.
• He is succeeding Air
Marshal RGK Kapoor.

• He succeeds Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty.

Mysuru’s Capt. Supreetha becomes first

woman officer to be deployed at Siachen
Glacier
• Captain Supreetha C.T.,
who hails from
Mysuru, has become
the first woman officer
from the Corps of
Army Air Defence, to
be operationally
deployed at Siachen
Glacier.
• Joined the Indian Army
as a Lieutenant in
2021
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Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai, Sm, • Rajwinder Bhatti has been appointed as the
Director General of the Central Industrial Security
Vsm Assumes Charge As Director General
Force till his superannuation on September 30,
Medical Services (Navy) 2025
• She is the first • Daljit Chaudhary, who is currently the chief of the
woman to be Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), will lead BSF till his
elected as superannuation on November 30, 2025
Colonel
Commandant of Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh Takes
the Army
Medical Corps. Command Of NDA
• Lieutenant • Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh assumed the
General Sadhna appointment of Commandant, National Defence
Saxena Nair is Academy from Vice Admiral Ajay Kocchar in Pune.
the first woman • NDA is a prestigious military academy that trains
to be appointed as the Director General Medical officers for the Indian Armed Forces, including the
Services (Army) in India Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin became the first • Location: Khadakwasla, near Pune, Maharashtra.
woman to serve as the Director General of the • Motto : Seva Paramo Dharma (Service Before Self)
Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS)
Air Commodore Vikassheel Singh Saini
DG SSB Daljit Singh Chawdhary takes over assumes command of Air Force Station,
additional charge of Director General, BSF Hakimpet

• Daljit Singh Chawdhary, the Director General of

Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB), took over the additional • succeeding Air Commodore Pankaj Jain.
charge of Director General Border Security Force. • Recognised for his exemplary service, Air
• Previous BSF Director General Nitin Agarwal was Commodore Saini was awarded the Vayu Sena
sent on premature repatriation to his parent Medal by the President of India on 26 January
Kerala cadre with immediate effect. 2018.
• He assumed the charge of DG SSB on January 23,
2024
Kailash Makwana to be new DGP of
Bihar DGP Rajwinder Singh Bhatti Madhya Pradesh
appointed CISF Chief, Daljit Singh
Chaudhary new BSF DG

• He will replace incumbent DGP Sudhir Saxena,

who is set to retire on November 30.
• currently chairman of the MP Police Housing
Corporation.
• He will take over as the new DGP of the state on
December 1.

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Meghalaya gets first woman DGP Maharashtra govt reinstates Rashmi

Shukla as Director General of Police

• The Maharashtra government has reinstated IPS

officer Rashmi Shukla as Director General of Police
• Idashisha Nongrang has been appointed the first (DGP) after the conclusion of the assembly polls.
woman Director General of Police (DGP) of • Sanjay Kumar Verma had taken over as the state's
Meghalaya, a hill State dominated by three top police officer earlier after Shukla was removed
matrilineal ethnic communities. from the DGP's post on the Election Commission
• She's the first woman to ever become the DGP in of India's directive ahead of the elections.
any of the state police forces in the Northeast.
• Ms. Nongrang belongs to the Khasi community
IPS officer Anurag Agarwal appointed
and is currently the Director General of Meghalaya
Civil Defence. head of Parliament security
• The Khasis are a matrilineal community. The other
two matrilineal communities of the State are
Garos and Jaintias.

IPS Officer ‘Love Kumar’ Appointed as IG

in Special Protection Group
• It is an elite force,
specifically raised for the He is currently an inspector general in CRPF and has
protection of the country’s been appointed on deputation basis as Joint Secretary
Prime Minister, former PMs (security) for 3 years.
(1 year) and their
immediate family.
Surendra Singh Yadav is new Chandigarh
• It was started in 1985 in the
wake of the killing of PM DGP
Indira Gandhi in 1984.
• The SPG Act 1988 provides for the constitution
and regulation of the SPG

Rashmi Shukla becomes Maharashtra’s

first woman Director General of Police

• The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA)

appointed IPS officer Surendra Singh Yadav as the
Chandigarh director general of police (DGP).
• Yadav will replace Praveer Ranjan
• Ranjan has been appointed as additional director
general in the Central Industrial Security Force
• Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Shukla was (CISF).
heading the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) – the • He is yet to be relieved from Chandigarh.
border guarding force and served as the
Additional Director-General of the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF).
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Senior IPS Officer Sadanand Vasant Date Lt Gen Devendra Sharma takes over as
Appointed As Director General Of NIA new GoC-in-C, ARTRAC, Shimla

• NIA - National Investigation Agency.

Other Appointments
• Rajeev Kumar Sharma
appointed as Director
General of Bureau of
Police Research and
Development (BPR&D). • Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma took over as
the 25th General officer commanding-in-chief
• Piyush Anand has been (GoC-in-C) of the Army Training Command
appointed as Director (ARTRAC) in Shimla
General of National
Disaster Response Force HS Dhaliwal appointed as new DGP of
(NDRF). Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Senior IPS Officer Anurag Kumar
Appointed as Joint Director of CBI
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• He is presently posted as IG in the Bureau of
Police Research & Development
• Director of CBI – Praveen Sood
• succeeding Devesh Chandra Srivastva.

Government terminates CRPF DIG Khajan

Shalini Singh takes charge as DGP of
Singh
Puducherry following the retirement of
• Deputy Inspector
General (DIG) and DGP B. Srinivas from service.
former sports
officer of the
Central Reserve
Police Force
(CRPF) Khajan
Singh Tokas, an
Arjuna Awardee
and former Olympian swimmer, was dismissed
from his role as CRPF DIG, following sexual MHA appoints DGP R R Swain as full-time
misconduct charges substantiated by an internal DGP of Jammu and Kashmir
CRPF probe.
• Khajan Singh, an Arjuna Awardee, won a silver
medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games in the 200-
metre butterfly event

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed the

Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain, who
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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
was holding additional charge of DGP J&K as the • an Indian government
full-time DGP of the Union Territory of Jammu and agency responsible for
Kashmir. collecting and analyzing
crime data as defined by
IPS Officer Anurag Garg takes over as New the Indian Penal Code and
Special and Local Laws.
NCB Director General
• It was established in 1986
• under the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA)

Amit Garg appointed the head of

Hyderabad-based Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA)

• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

• He was previously working as an Additional DG in
the Border Security Force (BSF)
• appointment on deputation until May 23, 2026, or • for a term up to his retirement on October 31,
until further orders. 2027
• The post of NCB head was being held in an • SVPNPA -The institute trains Indian Police Service
additional capacity by CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh officers before they are sent to their respective
following the retirement of incumbent S N state cadres to carry out their duties. The
Pradhan in August. academy is in Shivrampalli, Hyderabad, Telangana

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

• nodal drug law enforcement
SDGP Nalin Prabhat to take additional
and intelligence charge as DGP of J&K Police from Oct 1st
agency under the Ministry of
Home Affairs.
• It was constituted on 14th
November, 1985, under the provisions of the
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,
1985 (NDPS Act).
• It has its headquarters located in Delhi.

Senior IPS officer Alok Ranjan appointed • on August 15, 2024, was appointed as Special
as the head of National Crime Records Director General Police (SDGP) of the Jammu &
Kashmir Police.
Bureau (NCRB)
• He will succeed R.R. Swain (IPS), who will retire
• for a tenure up to his superannuation on June 30,
upon attaining superannuation on September 30
2026.
• He succeeds his service, batchmate Vivek Gogia

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

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Arti Sarin becomes 1st woman DGAFMS Vitul Kumar Appointed as Acting Director
General of CRPF

• Vice Admiral Arti Sarin was appointed as the

Director General of Armed Forces Medical
Services (DGAFMS).
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director
• She is the first woman officer to take over as the
General Anish Dayal Singh retired on December
head of the Tri-service Armed Forces Medical
31, 2024 from his position, passing the leadership
Services.
to senior IPS officer Vitul Kumar who will serve as
• The DGAFMS is directly responsible to the
the acting chief until a permanent appointment
Ministry of Defence for overall medical policy
is made.
matters which relate to the Armed Forces.
• He is currently posted as the special director
general of CRPF.
Ajay Singh appointed new DGP of • CRPF is a central armed police force in India that is
Jharkhand after Election Commission responsible for maintaining internal security and
orders removal of Acting DGP Anurag law and order
• It functions under the authority of the Ministry of
Gupta
Home Affairs (MHA)
• Originally constituted as the Crown
Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the
oldest Central para military forces (now termed as
Central Armed Police Force).
• It became the Central Reserve Police Force on
enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December
1949.

INDIAN AMBASSADOR
Ajit Vinayak Gupte appointed as India's
1. Ajit Vinayak Gupte as India's next Ambassador to next Ambassador to Germany
Germany
2. Dr. Neena Malhotra Ambassador to Sweden
3. Senthil Pandian India’s next ambassador to WTO
4. Abhay Thakur India's next ambassador to Myanmar
5. Subhash Prasad Gupta ambassador to Suriname
6. Dinesh Bhatia as Brazil Ambassador
7. R. Ravindra as Ambassador To Iceland

• He is currently India's envoy in Egypt.

• Capital: Berlin
• Currency: Euro (€) (EUR)

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• Germany is bounded at its extreme north by Denmark.
• East and west of the peninsula, the Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts, respectively, complete
the northern border.
• To the west, Germany borders The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg; to the
southwest it borders France.
• shares its entire southern boundary with Switzerland and Austria.

Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed Sweden

• Capital: Stockholm
as India’s next Ambassador to France
• Currency: Swedish krona
• Current Role: Ambassador of India to
• Sweden lies to the southwest of Finland.
Israel
• A long coastline forms the country’s eastern
• Capital: Paris
border, extending along the Gulf of Bothnia and
• Currency: Euro (€)
the Baltic Sea
• CFP franc (XPF)
• bordered on the northeast by Belgium
and Luxembourg

Aishath Azeema Appointed as Maldives

• on the east by Germany, Switzerland, and Italy Envoy to India
• on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, • Aishath Azeema is set to
and Andorra replace Ibrahim Shaheeb as
• on the west by the Bay of Biscay Maldives’ top envoy to India.
• on the northwest by the English Channel • served as the Maldivian
• To the north, France faces southeastern England ambassador to China from
across the narrow Strait of Dover June 2019 to September
• one of the five permanent members of the United 2023.
Nations Security Council • Capital: Malé
• Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
Dr. Neena Malhotra Appointed
Ruchira Kamboj, India’s first woman
Ambassador to Sweden
• Dr. Neena Permanent Representative to UN, retires
Malhotra (IFS: • Ruchira Kamboj retired after 35 years of service,
1992), presently during which she served as Indian envoy in
Officer on Bhutan, South Africa and the UNESCO.
Special Duty in • Ruchira Kamboj became Permanent
the Ministry, has Representative/Ambassador of India to New York,
been appointed on August 2, 2022.
as the next Ambassador of India • From 2011-14, she was India’s Chief of Protocol,
to the Kingdom of Sweden. the first and the only woman so far in Government
to have held this position.

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Senthil Pandian C to be India’s next

ambassador to WTO
• World Trade Organisation
(WTO) in Geneva
• Brajendra Navnit’s tenure as
India’s ambassador to WTO
ends on March 31, 2024.

World Trade Organisation

• World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global
international organization dealing with the rules of
trade between nations
• The goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly,
Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey Assumes
predictably and freely as possible.
Role as Secretary General of BIMSTEC • Established: 1 January 1995
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• 164 members representing 98% of world trade
• Head: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Director-General)

Soumendu Bagchi, Abhilasha Joshi

Appointed India’s Next Envoys To Iraq,
Chile Respectively
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• Succeeded Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan
• Ambassador Pandey is the 4th Secretary General of
BIMSTEC

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral

Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC)
• Soumendu Bagchi has been appointed as India’s
next ambassador to Iraq by Ministry of external
Affairs
• Bagchi is currently the Deputy Director General, of
the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
• Abhilasha Joshi has been appointed as the next
envoy of India to Chile.

Abhay Thakur appointed as India's next

ambassador to Myanmar

• Headquarters : Dhaka, Bangladesh

• Established : 6 June, 1997, in Bangkok.
• Members : 7
countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
• Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

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IFS Officer Vikram Misri Named Next Subhash Prasad Gupta appointed as
Foreign Secretary India's next ambassador to Suriname
• Vikram Misri will be
appointed as India’s
new Foreign Secretary
with effect from July 15
• succeeding the
incumbent Vinay
Kwatra.
• Misri served as India’s
ambassador to China
from 2019-2021.
(during the Galwan Valley clashes).
• India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and
Myanmar (2016-2018)
• Served as private secretary to three Prime
Ministers: Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh
and Narendra Modi.

Govt extends tenure of Foreign Secretary

Vikram Misri till 14th of July, 2026

• Capital : Paramaribo
• Currency : Surinamese dollar

Vinay Mohan Kwatra Appoints As Next

Ambassador Of India To US
• Misri assumed charge as India's Foreign
Secretary on July 15, 2024.
• extension of Misri as Foreign Secretary beyond the
date of his superannuation on November 30, 2024

A former journalist from Gaza becomes

the new chargé d’affaires of the Palestine • Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has
Embassy in India been appointed as the next Ambassador of India
to the United States of America.
• The post was vacant after the retirement of the
then Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Suhel Ajaz Khan concurrently appointed

as ambassador to Yemen

• Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, the chargé d’affaires of

the Palestine Embassy in India.
• Mr. Abu Jazer took over after the previous
Palestinian Ambassador, Adnan Abu Al Haija,
retired

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Suhel Ajaz Khan, Indian Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia, has been concurrently accredited as the
Ambassador to Yemen, based in Riyadh.
• Yemen, is a sovereign state in West Asia.
• Located in the southern Arabian Peninsula, it
borders Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the
northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the south.

• Croatia Capital: Zagreb

• Currency: Euro (€)

Swati Vijay Kulkarni appointed as India’s

next Ambassador to Algeria

• Capital: Sana'a
• Currency: Yemeni Rial
• Official language: Arabic

P Harish named India’s representative to

UN in New York
• The Ministry of External
• She is presently serving as Additional Secretary in
Affairs appointed CCas
the Ministry of External Affairs
India's next Permanent
Person Recently Appointed
Representative to the
Arun Goel Ambassador to Croatia
United Nations in New
R. Ravindra Ambassador To Iceland
York.
• He is presently serving
as India's ambassador to Germany.
• The position of India’s ambassador or permanent
representative to the UN has been lying vacant
since Ruchira Kamboj retired in June.

Arun Goel appointed India's next

ambassador to Croatia
• The Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) appointed
former Election
Commissioner Arun Goel
as India’s Ambassador to
Croatia, 6 months after he
abruptly resigned from
the Election Commission. • Capital – Algiers
• Currency – Algerian dinar

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Kumar Tuhin Appointed Ambassador of India Appoints Dinesh Bhatia as Brazil

India to Netherlands Ambassador

• Shri Kumar Tuhin , presently Director General,

Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been • Bhatia is currently serving as the Ambassador of
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the India to Argentina, a position he assumed on
Kingdom of the Netherlands. August 21, 2019.
• The Netherlands has become India’s 3rd largest • His accreditation also extended to Uruguay and
export destination in the world in 2023-24, after Paraguay until February 2022.
the US and UAE. • He has authored Devi Purana—A Rendition of
• Main exports to the Netherlands are petroleum Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, published by
products, electrical goods, and pharmaceuticals Bloomsbury in 2023

G. Balasubramanian
Appointed as High
Commissioner to
Maldives
• Shri G. Balasubramanian
(IFS:1998), presently High
Commissioner of India to
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria

R. Ravindra appointed as Ambassador To

Iceland
• Capital: Amsterdam (official), The Hague (seat of
government).
• Currency: Euro (€) (EUR)
• Bordering Countries: North Sea to the north and
west, Germany to the east, and Belgium to the
south.
• Major Rivers: Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt.
• R. Ravindra, currently Deputy Permanent
Representative of India to the UN in New York, has
been named the next Indian Ambassador to
Iceland.
• Capital: Reykjavík
• Currency: Icelandic króna

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B Vanlalvawna Appointed as Indian

Ambassador to Cambodia.

Shankar Sharma Reappointed as Nepal's

Ambassador to India

• Presently the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of

External Affairs (MEA). • Nepal’s President, Ramchandra Paudel, has
• Prime Minister of Cambodia: Hun Manet reappointed Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma as the
• President: Hun Sen Resident Ambassador of Nepal to India.
• Capital: Phnom Penh • His previous term was from March 2022 to July
• Currency: Cambodian riel 2024.

PVT. ORGANIZATIONS
1. Bharath Sesha as New MD for Philips India TV Narendran appointed as Chairman of
2. Subhasri as MD of Shriram Capital worldsteel; becomes second Indian to
3. Rajesh Varrier as head of global ops of Cognizant
lead the global organization
4. Srini Pallia as CEO & MD of WIPRO
5. Jagrut Kotecha as new CEO of PepsiCo India
6. Sanjiv Puri becomes CII President
7. Noel Tata as Chairman of Tata Trusts
8. Pranav Chawda as New CEO of JP Morgan Chase
India
• 9.Global body World Steel Association (worldsteel) elected Tata Steel MD and CEO Thachat Viswanath Narendran
as its chairman.
• He is the second Indian to be elected to the post after JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal, who was elected as
worldsteel Chairman in 2021.

Philips Appoints Bharath Sesha as New

Managing Director for India, He succeeds
Daniel Mazon

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DBS Appoints Tan Su Shan As First Female Laurent Freixe has been appointed as the
CEO new Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé.

• Singapore's DBS Group has appointed Tan Su

Shan, currently its institutional banking group
Cognizant appoints Rajesh Varrier as head
head, as CEO, replacing Piyush Gupta, who has led of global ops, CMD India
Southeast Asia's biggest bank for 14 years.
• She will be the bank's first female chief executive
and also the first to be appointed from within the
ranks of the bank.

IT industry body NASSCOM appoints

Sindhu Gangadharan, MD, SAP Labs India
as its Chairperson

• NASSCOM - National Association of Software and

Service Companies • Cognizant (August 21, 2024) announced the
• She will succeed Rajesh Nambiar appointment of Rajesh Varrier as Global Head of
Operations, effective September 2, 2024.
ICC to get new female director as Indra • Additionally, he will be appointed as Chairman &
Nooyi's six-year term ends Managing Director, India, assuming the role
October 1, 2024,
• As Rajesh Nambiar leaves Cognizant to become
president of Nasscom.

Wipro Appoints Vinay Firake as CEO of

• Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of APMEA Strategic Market Unit
PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.

Shriram Capital Private Ltd. announced

the appointment of Subhasri as its
Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, effective September 1.

• Wipro, a leading IT major, has announced the

appointment of Vinay Firake as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of its Asia Pacific, India, Middle East,
and Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit (SMU)

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Wipro appoints Srini Pallia as CEO & MD P&G India names Kumar
Venkatasubramanian as new CEO

• P&G India has announced the appointment of

Kumar Venkatasubramanian as CEO effective May
1, 2024.

• Wipro announced the appointment of Srini Pallia

Appointment of Salil Parekh to the
as the next chief executive officer (CEO) & MD of USISPF Board of Directors
the company.

Pragya Misra, appointed as OpenAI’s first

employee in India

• Salil Parekh, CEO and managing director at Infosys,

has joined the US-India Strategic and Partnership
Forum as a member of its board of directors.
• career spanning nearly three decades in the IT
• OpenAI, the organization behind the development services industry
of ChatGPT, has hired its first official in India, • The USISPF plays a pivotal role in fostering
Pragya Misra, to facilitate government relations as strategic and business alliances between India and
it moves forward with its generative AI products the United States.

Pavan Davuluri, IIT Madras graduate, is Srini Chandupatla Named President of TiE
new Microsoft Windows Head Hyderabad for 2024
• Satya Nadella is • Entrepreneur Srini Chandupatla is the Co-founder
Chairman and Chief of Manjeera Digital
Executive Officer of Systems
Microsoft. • He replaced Rashida
• It is an American Adenwala
multinational • The Indus Entrepreneurs
corporation and (TiE) Hyderabad is the
technology company global entrepreneurial
headquartered in network
Redmond, • TiE, founded in 1992 in
Washington. Silicon Valley, is a global
non-profit organisation

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PepsiCo India Appoints Marketing Chief • It is the world’s largest and

modern centre for
Jagrut Kotecha as new CEO
international diamond and
jewellery business
• India's first Special
Notified Zone (SNZ) for
diamond trading was set
up at Bharat Diamond
Bourse in Mumbai in 2015.

Santosh Viswanathan
Appointed India Region
World Gold Council India appoints De Head of Intel
Beers’ Sachin Jain as Chief Executive • Computer chip maker Intel
announced Santhosh
Officer
Viswanathan will head the
India region business as its
Managing Director (MD).

BARC India Appoints Dr. Bikramjit

Chaudhuri as New Chief of Measurement
Science & Analytics

• Jain, will take up the new role next month

PayU names Renu Sud Karnad as

Chairperson and independent director

• BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India

is an industry body set up to design, commission,
supervise and own an accurate, reliable and
timely television audience measurement system
for India.
• PayU Payments Private Ltd (PayU) has appointed • Chairman BARC India –
Renu Sud Karnad, a director at HDFC Bank, as • Shashidhar Sinha
Chairperson and independent Director of the
company
ITC's Sanjiv Puri becomes CII President for
• Karnad was managing director of India’s largest
mortgage lender HDFC till July 2023 before it got 2024-25
merged with HDFC Bank.

Govind Dholakia Appointed New

Chairman of Surat Diamond Bourse
• Dholakia was also recently nominated by the BJP
as a Rajya Sabha MP from the state.
• Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) is India’s second
diamond trading hub that was inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and MD of ITC, has taken • As the world’s fourth biggest wind market, with 46
over as Confederation of Indian Industry President GW of onshore wind and one of the world’s most
for the 2024-25 term, prominent wind energy manufacturing hubs,
• He is succeeding R Dinesh of TVS Supply Chain Tanti’s leadership at GWEC and GWEC India shall
Solutions. help further catalyse momentum.
• The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC)
Confederation of Indian Industries was established in 2005 to provide a credible and
• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry- representative forum for the entire wind energy
led and industry-managed organization. sector at an international level.
• It works to create and sustain an environment
conducive to the development of India, partnering Boeing has announced
industry, Government and civil society, through
the appointment of Kelly
advisory and consultative processes.
• Founded in 1895, it is headquartered in New Ortberg as its new
delhi. President and CEO
• He will succeed Dave
L&T Elevates R Shankar Raman as Calhoun, who has served as
President CEO since January 2020

Noel Tata succeeds Ratan as Chairman of

Tata Trusts

• Engineering and construction conglomerate

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced the elevation of • Noel Tata was appointed as chairman of the Tata
R Shankar Raman as the President of the group’s philanthropic arm Tata Trusts
company. • He will be succeeding his half brother Ratan Naval
• Following this promotion, Raman will continue to Tata
hold his existing roles as the Whole-time Director • Noel is currently the chairman of Trent, Voltas,
and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Tata Investment Corporation and Tata
International.
Global Wind Energy Council India • He is also the Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and
Appoints Girish Tanti from Suzlon Group Titan.
• Meanwhile, the day-to-day running of the
As New Chairman
business house is under Tata Sons chairperson
Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

Zomato Co-Founder and Chief People

Officer Akriti Chopra Steps Down from
Her Position
About Zomato :
• Founded : July
2008
• Headquarters :
• Suzlon Vice Chairman Girish Tanti has been Gurgaon, Haryana
elected as the Chair of Global Wind Energy Council • CEO : Deepinder
India (GWEC India). Goyal
• He also serves as Vice-Chair of GWEC

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Ravi Ahuja to be the new Sony Pictures JP Morgan Chase India Appoints Pranav
CEO Chawda as New CEO

• Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra

will step down from his role
• will be succeeded by COO Ravi Ahuja effective Disney names Morgan Stanley's James
Jan. 2, 2025 Gorman as next board chairman

Acko Appoints Sandip Goenka as CEO of

ACKO Life

• James Gorman, currently an executive at Morgan

Stanley, has been appointed as the new chairman
of The Walt Disney Company, effective January 2,
Manish Tiwary to take 2025.
over as Managing • Disney plans to announce the successor to current
Director of Nestle India, CEO Bob Iger in early 2026
Suresh Narayanan to
The Walt Disney Company :
retire in 2025 • Founded : October 16, 1923
• effective from August 1, • Headquarters : California, United States
2025 after the incumbent, • CEO : Bob Iger
Suresh Narayanan, retires in
July next year.
Punit Goenka resigns as Managing
Director of ZEE, to be appointed as CEO
Air India appoints Jayaraj Shanmugam as
Global Airport Operations Head

• The move has been initiated so that Goenka can

focus entirely on operational responsibilities
assigned to him by the board of the company.

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MISCELLANEOUS
• Duvvuri Seshagiri takes charge as NPOL Director
Duvvuri Seshagiri takes charge as NPOL
• Rashmika Mandanna as national ambassador to
promote cyber safety Director
• Jackie Shroff Appointed Brand Ambassador of ALT Duvvuri Seshagiri has taken over
as Director of the Naval Physical
EFF.
and Oceanographic Laboratory
• Ajay Jadeja Declared Heir to Jamnagar Royal
(NPOL), the only Defence
Throne
Research and Development
• Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador of Chennai Super Organisation (DRDO) laboratory in
Kings Kerala.
• Simon Mak as the VC of India's First AI University
• Neeraj Chopra as Eveready’s New Brand Nandan Kumar Jha Elected President of
Ambassador
IMSA
• MS Dhoni As Brand Ambassador of Citroen India
• Kareena Kapoor Khan as National Ambassador for
UNICEF India
• Pankaj Tripathi as the face of Madhya Pradesh
Tourism
• Shekhar Kapur as IFFI festival director
• Shreyams Kumar is new INS president • India's Nandan Kumar Jha has been elected as
• Sharath Kamal as the ambassador of ITTF the president of the International Mind Sports
• Pankaj Tripathi as Ambassador of Arunachal Rang Association (IMSA), a global body for the
Mahotsav 2024 governance and promotion of mind sports.
• Preeti Lobana as the new Google India country • Sports federations affiliated to the IMSA
manager represent nine sports including chess, esports,
poker, bridge
• IMSA headquarter Lausanne, Switzerland.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rashmika Mandanna appointed national

former acting Attorney General Matthew ambassador to promote cyber safety
Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)

• Actor Rashmika Mandanna has been appointed as

the national brand ambassador of the Indian Cyber
Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative of the
Ministry of Home Affairs, to combat cybercrimes.
• Last year, Rashmika Mandanna was a victim of a
deepfake video posted online on the Internet,
sparking discussions about digital safety.

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JNU Professor Mazhar Asif Appointed Dia Mirza appointed as jury for ALT
Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Environmental Film Festival 2024
• All Living Things
Environmental Film
Festival (ALT EFF).
• The festival from
November 22 to
December 8,
• will showcase 72 films,
including 38 India
premieres, highlighting
• President Droupadi Murmu appointed Mazhar Asif,
critical environmental issues such as climate
a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),
change and wildlife conservation.
as the 16th vice chancellor (VC) of Jamia Millia
• Festival Director : Kunal Khanna
Islamia (JMI) university.
• The post had been lying vacant since November
last year.
Eurogrip Tyres Appoints M.S. Dhoni as
Brand Ambassador
BCCI Appointment of New Anti-Corruption
Unit Chief

Adhish R. Wali, first

Indian member of
• Retired IPS officer Sharad Kumar, who headed anti-
terror organisation NIA (National Investigation
London Youth
Agency ) for four years, has been appointed as the Council
new chief of the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit • Adhish R. Wali is from
• for a three-year term. Karnataka

Jackie Shroff Appointed Brand

Ambassador of ALT EFF.

Ajay Jadeja Declared Heir to Jamnagar

Royal Throne

• All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT

EFF), set from November 22 to December 8 in
Mumbai.
• The festival aims to raise climate awareness
through cinema

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• The maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Ranveer Singh invests in Aman Gupta's
Jamnagar and former cricketer Shatrushalyasinh
boAt, appointed as brand ambassador
Jadeja declared his nephew and former cricketer
Ajay Jadeja as his heir to the throne
• Ajay Jadeja was appointed mentor to the
Afghanistan cricket team last year.
• Jadeja is the son of Daulatsinhji who was a three-
time member of parliament from the Jamnagar Lok
Sabha seat.

Shubha Tole Elected President-Elect of

IBRO
RuPay Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has
appointing Bollywood actor Hrithik
Roshan as the brand ambassador

• A leading Indian woman scientist, Shubha Tole has

been appointed as the president-elect of the
International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO).
• She is the first scientist from a developing country
to be appointed to the top position.
• The International Brain Research Organization
(IBRO) is the global association of neuroscience Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam Elected As
societies established in 1961 ICJ’s New President
• It aims to promote and support neuroscience
• Judge Nawaf Salam of
around the world through training, education,
Lebanon is the President
research, outreach and engagement activities
of the International
• Ms. Tole, currently serves as the dean of graduate
Court of Justice (ICJ).
studies at Mumbai’s premier scientific research
• Judge Julia Sebutinde of
institute – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Uganda was elected as
Vice-President
Katrina Kaif appointed brand ambassador • The ICJ is located at the
of Chennai Super Kings Peace Palace in The
Hague, Netherlands.
• The court's jurisdiction includes deciding legal
disputes submitted by states and providing
advisory opinions on legal questions.
• The International Court of Justice is composed
of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by
the United Nations General Assembly and the
Security Council.
• Chennai Super Kings have appointed Katrina Kaif as
• To ensure continuity, one-third of the court is
their brand ambassador for the Indian Premier
elected every three years. Judges are eligible for
League (IPL) 2024.
re-election.
• The five-time champions have also changed their
• Its official languages are English and French
jersey logo before the new season.
• Dalveer Bhandari is an Indian judge on the
• Katrina Kaif is also the brand ambassador of Etihad
International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Airways (official sponsor of CSK).

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Narendra Kumar Yadav, IRS first civil India's First AI University Appoints Simon
servant Appointed as Brand Ambassador Mak as the VC
for Fit India Movement • Universal AI University
• The Fit India movement is a (UAIU), in Mumbai
nation-wide initiative India's pioneering
launched by the institution dedicated to
Government of India Artificial Intelligence,
• with the aim of has named Simon Mak,
encouraging Indians to an international
incorporate physical activity strategist and award-
and sports into their daily winning professor, as its vice chancellor
lives. • Tarun Anand, Chancellor, Universal Ai University

Para Archer and Arjuna Awardee, Ms. BPCL Teams Up With Neeraj Chopra As
Sheetal Devi, will be ECI National PwD Brand Ambassador For ‘Speed’ Petrol
Icon
• Ms. Sheetal Devi, a
distinguished Para-archer, and
Arjuna Awardee, was
announced as the National
Icon in the Persons with
Disabilities (PwD) category.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), one of
• The Commission launched a
India’s leading petroleum companies, has recently
dedicated Voter’s Guide for
announced its partnership with Olympic and World
PwDs and Senior Citizen
Javelin Champion Neeraj Chopra.
Electors.
• Neeraj Chopra will serve as the brand ambassador
for BPCL’s premium petrol variant, ‘Speed.’
S. Tripathy appointed as the first director • The Company was incorporated on 3rd November,
of UVCE 1952 under the name Burmahshell Refineries
Limited (BSR).
• Companies name changed to BPCL on 1st August
1977.
• 2017 - Bharat Petroleum
Corporation conferred with
Maharatna Status.
• The State government has appointed S. Tripathy, as • Headquarter - Mumbai
the first director of the University of Visvesvaraya • Chairman & Managing
College of Engineering (UVCE) Director - G.
• University of Vishveshvarayya College of KRISHNAKUMAR
Engineering was established in 1917, under the
name Government Engineering College, by Bharat Neeraj Chopra Named Eveready’s New
Ratna Sir M. Vishveshvarayya. Brand Ambassador
• It is the 5th engineering college to be established
in the country and 1st in Karnataka.
• In 1847, India's the first engineering
college Thomason College of Civil Engineering (now
called IIT Roorkee) was established at Roorkee in
present-day Uttarakhand state for the training of
Civil Engineers.

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Election Commission Ropes in Ayushmann Naima Khatoon, Aligarh Muslim

Khurrana to Urge Youth to Vote University’s 1st woman vice chancellor

Krishna Ella takes over Presidency of the • Appointed for five (5) years. She has been serving
as principal of AMU’s women’s college since 2016.
Indian Vaccine Manufacturers Association
• The Indian Vaccine Kamal Kishore Appointed Special
Manufacturers Association
Representative Of UN Disaster Risk
(IVMA) has announced that
Krishna Ella, co-founder Reduction
and executive chairman of • United Nations
Bharat Biotech, will be the Secretary-General
association’s new president António Guterres
for 2 years from April 2024. appointed Kamal
• Mr. Ella is taking over the presidency from Adar C. Kishore of India as
Poonawala (CEO of the Serum Institute of India), Assistant Secretary-
who held the post from 2019 to March 2024. General and Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction,
India's nominee Jagjit Pavadia re-elected United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNDRR).
to International Narcotics Control Board • Currently Mr. Kishore is Head of Department of the
• India’s nominee Ms. Jagjit National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Pavadia was elected by the UN in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India
Economic and Social Council (since 2015)
(ECOSOC) as a member of the • India’s Group of 20 (G20) Presidency, he led the
International Narcotics Control G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Board (INCB) for the third term
from 2025-2030.
Citroen India Ropes In MS Dhoni As Brand
• In the process, Ms. Pavadia
received the highest number of votes among all Ambassador
the candidates for this position.

Former Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj to

Head US-India Tax Forum
• Appointed by the US-India
Strategic and Partnership
Forum (USISPF)
• French automaker Citroen has engaged cricketing
US-India Tax Forum: legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand
• officially launched on ambassador.
February 25, 2020, • The company is a relatively new entrant in the
• to provide member companies with a platform competitive Indian passenger vehicle market.
to engage with relevant government officials
on tax issues as they conduct business in the
US-India corridor

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in

SPACE India appointed Sanjana Sanghi as • Melinda French Gates will step down as co-chair of
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the nonprofit
its Brand Ambassador
she and her ex-husband Bill Gates founded and
• Space Technology and
built into one of the world's largest philanthropic
Education Pvt. Ltd.,
organizations over the past 20 years.
also recognized
as SPACE India was
founded in 2001 NASA Appoints New Chief for Artificial
• SPACE India is a Intelligence
pioneering institution • NASA appointed David
promoting Astronomy, Space Science & STEM Salvagnini as the
Education. agency’s first chief
• It is a registered Space Tutor of the Indian Space artificial intelligence
Research Organization (ISRO) (AI) officer, in an
extension of his
Kareena Kapoor Khan appointed as current role as the
chief data officer.
National Ambassador for UNICEF India
Pankaj Tripathi appointed as the face of
Madhya Pradesh Tourism

About
UNICEF
• Created in 1946 as International Children’s
Emergency Fund (ICEF) by UN relief Rehabilitation
Administration to help children affected by World
War II.
• UNICEF became a permanent part of the United World Economic Forum founder Klaus
Nations in 1953. Schwab to step back from executive role
• The name was shortened to United Nations
Children Fund but it is still referred to as UNICEF.
• Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965 for
“promotion of brotherhood among the nations”.
• Headquarters: New York City.

Melinda French Gates resigns as Gates

Foundation co-chair

• Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of

the World Economic Forum (WEF), will step back
from his current role and become Chairman of the
board of trustees by next January
• The World Economic Forum, established by Klaus
Schwab in 1971, is known for its annual gathering
of political and business leaders in Davos,
Switzerland.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Theme of 54th Annual Meeting of the World Sumant Sinha Named Co-Chair of CEO
Economic Forum from 15–19 January 2024 at
Climate Leaders Alliance
Davos-klosters, Switzerland was "Rebuilding Trust"
• It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Major Reports by WEF:
• Global Competitiveness Report
• Global Gender Gap Report
• Energy Transition Index
• Global Risk Report
• Global Travel and Tourism Report.

Actor Theo James named UNHCR global

goodwill ambassador

• Mr. Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO of ReNew,

has been named Co-Chair of the Alliance of CEO
Climate Leaders, the largest CEO-led climate
alliance in the world, and a flagship initiative of
the World Economic Forum.
• It includes 130 CEOs from 12 industries,
representing $4 trillion in revenues and 5.2
gigatonnes of carbon emissions.
• The United Nations refugee agency named British • ReNew has successfully mitigated over 21 million
actor Theo James as a global goodwill ambassador. tons of carbon emissions in 2 years.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sanya Malhotra becomes HMD Global’s
(UNHCR) brand ambassador ahead
• It was established by the General Assembly of the
of its first-ever
United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the
Second World War to help the millions of people smartphone launch in
who had lost their homes. India
• It was awarded Nobel Peace Prizes in 1954 and • The Finnish company is
1981. going to launch its first
• It started the Nansen Refugee Award in 1954 for smartphone series on July
recognition of outstanding service to the cause of 25 in India.
refugees, displaced or stateless people.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur appointed IFFI
festival director
Sony Pictures Networks India appoints
Gaurav Banerjee as new MD & CEO

• He will succeed N. P. Singh

• Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, known for films
such as "Mr India", "Bandit Queen" and
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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
"Elizabeth", has been appointed festival director Harish Dudani Appointed As Member
for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
CERC
• The Festival Director for the 55th and 56th editions
of the International Film Festival of India, Goa

Puma India, Roped Riyan Parag and Nitish

Kumar Reddy as ambassadors

• The Power Ministry, announced the appointment

of Harish Dudani as Member of Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission.
• CERC was initially constituted on 24 July 1998
under the Ministry of Power.
Sania Mirza, Mary Kom And Rannvijay • Regulate the tariff of power generating companies
Singha Join Play Sports As Brand
Ambassadors USIBC appoints former journalist, public
relations executive as India managing
director
• The U.S.–India
Business Council
(USIBC) has
appointed Rahul
Sharma, a former
journalist and public
relations executive, as
Play Sport’s objective is to create a sustainable sports its India-based
eco system in India by working with schools, Managing Director
developing sports, managing sports infrastructure, • USIBC, a part of the US Chamber of Commerce,
running academies and scouting talent from America’s largest industry association; has over 200
grassroots. firms who have interests in between the US and
India, and will mark its 50 year anniversary in 2025.
India TV's Rajat Sharma elected as NBDA • succeeds Alexander Slater in the MD role

President
Senior information service officer Dhiraj
Singh was appointed as the director of the
Film and Television Institute of India, Pune

• The News Broadcasters & Digital Association

(NBDA) has unanimously elected India TV chairman
Rajat Sharma as its president.
• He replaces Avinash Pandey, the former CEO of
ABP Network. • Currently the additional director general in the
Press Information Bureau in-charge of media and
communications of the Prime Minister’s Office.
• Singh succeeds Sandeep Shahare to the post.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• Singh is also the author of the book ‘Modern Chairman of Mahindra Group Anand
Masters of Cinema: A Personal Pantheon’,
Mahindra was appointed as the chairman
Bob Rae elected as President of UN’s of the newly-established Young India Skills
ECOSOC University in Telangana

• Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, elected Shreyams Kumar is new INS president
as ECOSOC President for a 1-year term, enhancing
Canada’s bilateral engagements.
• The United Nations Economic and Social Council is
one of the six principal organs of the United
Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic
and social fields.
• Paula Narváez, Representative of Chile, will retire
prior to Bob Rae's appointment to the post.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan was re- • M V Shreyams Kumar of Mathrubhumi was elected
elected as the national president of Lok President of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS),
an apex body of publishers of newspapers,
Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) for the next
magazines and periodicals in the country.
five years • He will succeed Rakesh Sharma of Aaj Samaj.

CAG of India, Murmu Elected as ASOSAI

2024-2027 Chairman

Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor

General (CAG) of India, has been appointed as the chair
of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions
(ASOSAI) for the 2024-2027 term.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in

Suresh Prabhu Nominated to World • The board of The Fund for Responding to Loss and
Damage named Senegalese finance specialist
Agriculture Forum Board.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong as its first director
• Former Union
• LDF was established at the 2022 UN Framework
Minister Suresh
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Prabhu has been
Conference (COP27) in Egypt.
nominated to the
• Purpose: To provide financial support to regions
World Agriculture
suffering both economic and non-economic losses
Forum (WAF)
caused by climate change.
Board.
• Rudy Rabbinge,
Chairman of the Sharath Kamal was announced as the first
WAF Board, Indian ambassador of the International
highlighted Prabhu's expertise as crucial for Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) foundation
shaping the future of the agriculture sector.

Ashutosh Gowariker Appointed Honorary

Chairman for Ajanta-Ellora FF.

Leading French cosmetic maker L'Oreal

Paris has roped in Bollywood actress Alia
Bhatt as its new global brand ambassador.

• Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker has come on board

as the honorary chairman for the 10th Ajanta-
Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF).
• The festival is scheduled to take place from January
15 to 19, 2025, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
(previously Aurangabad).
Former wrestler Vinesh Phogat resigns
• The festival aims to showcase the best of film from Indian Railways
produced recently and, in the past, in India and
other parts of the world

New Global Climate ‘Loss and Damage’

Fund Names First Director - Ibrahima
Cheikh Diong

• Former India wrestler Vinesh Phogat resigned from

the Indian Railways citing personal reasons.

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• She officially joined the Congress after meeting Ashish Khanna Selected as ISA’s 3rd
party chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Bajrang
Director General
Punia.

Anant Nath re-elected as president of

Editors Guild of India

• Ashish Khanna from India was named ISA’s third

Director General at the 7th ISA Assembly in New
Delhi, succeeding Dr. Ajay Mathur.
• Editors Guild of India (EGI) is a non-profit • The ISA, with 120 members, aims to scale solar
organisation of journalists, particularly the Editors, deployment and unlock $1 trillion in investments
based in India. by 2030, enhancing global energy access and
• Anant Nath, editor of The Caravan, was declared as sustainability.
president of the Editors Guild of India for a second • Formation - 30 November 2015
consecutive term. • Founded - Paris, France
• Headquarters - Gurugram, Haryana, India
Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil Elected New
Secretary General of Interpol Famous actor Sonu Sood appointed brand
• Urquiza has succeeded Germany's Jurgen Stock ambassador and advisor for Thailand
• Marking the first time a Tourism.
Brazilian and
representative from the
global south has led the
world's largest
international policing
body.
• INTERPOL
headquartered in Lyon, France.
• It is ‘not’ a unit or part of a united nation system.
It is an independent international organization.

Dr. Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes Appointed

as Secretary General of the World
Agriculture Forum Pankaj Tripathi Appointed Festival
Ambassador for Arunachal Rang
Mahotsav 2024

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• This prestigious international theatre festival, the Ex-SC judge Sanjay Kaul appointed
largest of its kind in Northeast India
member of Bahrain International
• will run from 22nd November to 5th December
2024, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and Commercial Court
creative talent of Arunachal Pradesh • Retired Supreme Court
judge Sanjay Kishan
Kaul has been
Amul Extends Jayen Mehta’s MD Tenure
appointed a member of
by 5 Years the Bahrain
International
Commercial Court by
King Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa.
• He is among the nine
members appointed to the newly established
BICC.
• Jayen Mehta has been appointed as the Managing
Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation Ltd. (Amul) for a 5-year period till
2029-30
• GCMMF (Amul) is India's largest Fast-Moving
Consumer Goods (FMCG) enterprise, with an
annual brand sales turnover of Rs 80,000 crores.

Google appoints Preeti Lobana as the new

India country manager

• Google has appointed Preeti Lobana as the new

country manager and vice president for Indian
operations.

Telugu producer Dil Raju has appointed as

the Chairman of the Telangana Film
Development Corporation (TFDC) by the
Government of Telangana.

• Capital: Manama
• Currency: Bahraini dinar (BHD)

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UNION TERRITORIES
Jammu & Kashmir
31 October ‘Union Territory Foundation Day’
1. Union Territory Foundation Day • On 6th februrary 1954, the J&K constituent assembly
2. first UT to implement PM Vishwakarma Yojana ratified the accession of the state to the Union of India.
3. Mega North India StartUp Expo • The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir came into
4. 72nd ‘All India Police Hockey Championship existence on 31-10-2019 in terms of Jammu and
5. Sound-Based Anti-Drone System Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019.
6. Tawi Festival • CM : Omar Abdullah
7. India’s First Battery Storage Gigafactory • Lieutenant Governor : Shri. Manoj Sinha
8. Operation Kamdhenu • State Animal of Jammu And Kashmir – Kashmir Stag
9. Kashmir Marathon Initiatives (Hangul)
• State Bird of Jammu And Kashmir – Kalij Pheasant
10. Haar Choudhah Festival
• State Fish of Jammu And Kashmir – Golden Mahseer
11. Z-Morh project
• State Butterfly of Jammu And Kashmir – Blue Pansy
12. Omar Abdullah as new CM
• State Tree of Jammu And Kashmir – Chinar
13. Authenticity Seal for Jammu & Kashmir Crafts • State Flower of Jammu And Kashmir – lotus

National Parks
• Dachigam National Park – Srinagar – is best known as the home of the hangul, or Kashmir stag (state Animal).
• Dachigam National Park (Srinagar)
• Kishtwar National Park (Kishtwar)
• Salim Ali National Park (Srinagar)
• Kazinag National Park (Baramula)

Passes Ramsar Wetlands

• Zoji La Pass • Surinsar-Mansar Lakes
• Changla Pass • Hokersar
• Khardung La Pass • Wular Lake
• Shingo La • Tsomorir
• Banihal Pass

J&K becomes first UT to implement PM VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurates Mega

Vishwakarma Yojana North India StartUp Expo at Kathua, J&K
• PM Vishwakarma, a Central Sector Scheme • Theme “Emerging StartUp Trends in North India”
• launched on 17th September 2023 • Total of 25 startups from North India (Jammu and
• to provide end-to-end support to artisans and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi),
craftspeople who work with their hands and tools. showcased their innovations and products in the
• The scheme includes training, a stipend of ₹500 Mega Expo
per day, and a free modern toolkit worth ₹15,000
for trained Vishwakarmas. J&K Police organizing 72nd ‘All India Police
• Additionally, the yojana offers linkage with credit-
Hockey Championship’ in Jammu
based soft loans and marketing support to expand
• from January 29 to February 8, 2024.
their businesses

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under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
• PM dedicates to nation campuses of several
important education institutes like IIT Bhilai, IIT
Tirupati, IIITDM Kurnool, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM
Jammu, IIM Visakhapatnam and Indian Institute of
Skills (IIS) Kanpur
• He laid the foundation stone for a new terminal
building at Jammu Airport
• participation from 34 police teams from different • Country’s longest transportation tunnel namely
States/UTs of the country besides Central ‘T-50’ on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link
paramilitary forces. (USBRL) was dedicated by Prime Minister Narendra
• The President of Hockey India, former captain of Modi when he flagged off the first electrified
Indian Hockey Team, Padma Shri Awardee, trains of the Kashmir valley.
Olympian & Arjuna Awardee, Dilip Tirkey was the • The tunnel, which is 12.77 km long and known as T-
Chief Guest in the opening ceremony 50, falls between the Khari-Sumber section of
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link.
IIT Jammu Professor Develops Sound-
Based Anti-Drone System Tawi Festival to Celebrate Jammu’s Culture
• Dr. Karan Nathwani, a professor of IIT Jammu, has and Heritage
developed an anti-drone system that works mainly
on sound technology.
• With the help of this system, this device will be
able to easily detect drones, aircraft, multiple
drones or birds flying up to 300 meters by their
sound.
• The cost of this system is about 4 lakh rupees.

PM inaugurates, lays foundation stone for

development projects worth over Rs
• Jammu & Kashmir is set to host the annual ‘Tawi
32,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir Festival’ from March 1st to 4th, 2024.
• Centered on the banks of the river Tawi flowing
through Jammu city, the event will showcase the
region’s vibrant cultural legacy through arts,
cuisine, literature and folk traditions.

“Pink Patrol” flagged off from Women’s

Police Station Gandhinagar Jammu

• The Prime Minister inaugurated All India Institute • Patrols will be deployed on various vital & crowded
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vijaypur (Samba), locations within Jammu city for safety & security
Jammu. of the women folk & girls
• The institute’s foundational stone was laid by PM • 24X7 women helpline number 9906310101 of
Modi in February 2019. It is being established Jammu Police for women in distress also launched.

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India’s First Battery Storage Gigafactory to • Jaipur, Malappuram and Mysore are the other
Indian cities that have previously been recognised
Start Operations in J&K
as a Craft Cities.
• The recognition would boost the handloom and
handicraft sector, which will benefit tourism and
infrastructure development
• As of now, at least 10 different forms of
craftsmanship survive in Srinagar and its suburbs,
including papier-mâché, walnut wood carving,
carpets, Sozni embroidery and Pashmina and Kani
shawls.
• World Crafts Council – Started in 1964. Main office
• GoodEnough Energy will set up a Battery Energy
- Belgium
Storage Systems (BESS) gigafactory in Jammu and
Kashmir with an initial capacity of 7 gigawatt hour
(GWh). Enemy Agents Ordinance (Jammu &
• At full scale, the factory will have 20 GWh capacity Kashmir)
by 2026. • Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police
• The facility will help industry in cutting more than (DGP) R R Swain said those found assisting
5 million tons of carbon emissions in a year. militants in J&K should be tried by investigating
• India has set a 2070 goal for becoming net zero. agencies under the Enemy Agents Ordinance,
• Indian government is offering $452 million in 2005.
incentives to companies under a programme to • The J&K Enemy Agents Ordinance was first issued
promote battery storage projects. in 1917 by the then Dogra Maharaja of J&K.
• It is referred to as an ‘ordinance’ since laws made
J&K Police Launches “Operation during the Dogra rule were called ordinances.
Kamdhenu” to Combat Cattle Smuggling • After Partition in 1947, the ordinance was
incorporated as a law in the erstwhile state and
• To curb the rampant issue of cattle smuggling in
was also amended.
the Jammu, Samba, and Kathua (JSK) police ranges.
• The Law has been used only occasionally so far.
Penalty is either death, life imprisonment or 10
Srinagar – ‘World Craft City’ by World years of rigorous imprisonment & a fine.
Crafts Council • It is for those who are an enemy agent or, aid the
enemy, or to impede the military or air operations
of Indian forces or to endanger life or is guilty of
promoting civil violence
• The trial under the Enemy Agents Ordinance is
conducted by a special judge who is appointed by
the “government in consultation with the High
Court” Under the ordinance, the accused cannot
engage a lawyer to defend herself unless
permitted by the court.
• There is no provision for appeal against the
verdict, and the decision of the special judge can
only be reviewed “by a person chosen by the
Government from the judges of the High Court and
the decision of that person shall be final”.
• The ordinance also bars any disclosure or
• Srinagar has become the fourth Indian city to be publication of the case tried under it.
recognised as a ‘World Craft City’ by the World
Craft Council (WCC), three years after it was
designated as part of the UNESCO Creative City
Network (UCCN) for crafts and folk arts.

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Centre Gives More Power To Lieutenant Religious Fervour Marks Annual ‘Haar
Governor Of J&K on matters related to Choudhah’ Festival At Mata Jwala Ji Shrine
police, all-India service officers In Khrew, Pulwama

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,
amended the ‘Transaction of Business Rules’,
annual festival at the shrine of Goddess Mata Jwala
enhancing the powers of the Lieutenant Governor
ji in south Kashmir’s Khrew in Pampore area of
of Jammu and Kashmir in matters related to the
Pulwama district locally known as auspicious
police, public order, All India Services, and
“Haar Choudhah” was celebrated on Ashaad
transfers and postings.
Chaturdashi mainly Kashmiri Pandits.
• According to the notification, these rules may be
called the Transaction of Business of Government
of UT of Jammu and Kashmir (second J&K Govt appoints Justice (Retd.) Janak
amendment) rules, 2024, and they shall come into Raj Kotwal as head of panel for
force on the date of their publication in the official Reservation of OBCs in Urban Local Bodies
gazette. • The Government appointed Justice Janak Raj
• In the past, proposals concerning police, public Kotwal as head of a panel set-up last month for
order, all-India services and the Anti-Corruption recommending percentage of reservation to Other
Bureau required approval from the finance backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies (Urban &
department of Jammu and Kashmir before Rural) of Jammu and Kashmir.
reaching the Lieutenant Governor. • In 2023, the Parliament made amendments in
• Under the revised rules, such proposals must now J&K’s reservation law to rechristen “Weak and
be presented directly to the Lieutenant Governor Under-privileged Classes (Social Castes)” as
through the chief secretary of the Union territory. “Other Backward Classes”.
• Later, in February 2024, the Parliament amended
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha the J&K’s municipal and Panchayat laws to
Launches Kashmir Marathon Initiatives facilitate reservation of OBCs in local bodies of
• J&K L-G Manoj Sinha released the logo and the Union Territory.
website of the marathon at the Kashmir
International Convention Centre in Srinagar. ‘Chinar Book Festival’ Kicks Off in Srinagar
• The marathon was aimed at multiplying tourism to Promote Reading Among Youth
potential in Kashmir.
• The Kashmir marathon will have two events — a 42
km full marathon, and a 21 km half marathon.
• The Kashmir Marathon will integrate cultural
events, performances, and exhibitions to showcase
Kashmir’s rich heritage, enhance the experience for
all participants.

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• The aim of inculcating a habit of book reading connectivity from Srinagar to Ladakh throughout
among the youth, a week-long national event the year.
titled ‘Chinar Book Festival’ commenced at Sher-i- • the construction of the 14.15-kilometer-long Zojilla
Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) tunnel at an altitude of approximately 12,000 feet
in Srinagar. connecting Sonamarg in Kashmir valley to Drass in
• This festival organised by National Book Trust Ladakh is under way and is expected to be
(NBT) completed by December 2026, the opening of the
• The festival, first of its kind in Kashmir Z-Morh tunnel is essential for its all-weather
connectivity.
What is the Z-Morh project in Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir Election Results 2024

NEWS: Seven people were killed in Jammu and • J&K National Conference emerged victorious with
Kashmir , when suspected militants targeted the 42 seats out of 90. Will be able to make
workers of infrastructure company APCO Infratech, government with Indi Alliance.
which is constructing the Z-Morh tunnel on the
Srinagar-Sonamarg highway. Omar Abdullah sworn in as new CM
• This is the first militant attack on a key
infrastructure project in Jammu and Kashmir.
• In the past, militants have not targeted such
infrastructure projects in the region.

What is the Z-Morh tunnel?

• The Z-Morh tunnel is a 6.4-kilometer tunnel
connecting the Sonamarg health resort with
Kangan town in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal
district.
• The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity • National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar
to Sonamarg, a famous tourist destination on the Abdullah was sworn in as J&K’s new Chief Minister
Srinagar-Leh highway. and Surinder Kumar Choudhary as Deputy Chief
• The tunnel has acquired its name for the Z-shaped Minister (DCM)
road stretch at the place where the tunnel is being • Oath administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj
constructed. Sinha in Srinagar.
• Need for the tunnel - This road to Sonamarg is • It’s the second term of Mr. Abdullah as Chief
situated at an altitude of over 8,500 feet - prone to Minister after 2009.
snow avalanches in the winter and as such • This comes a day after the Centre revoked
remains closed for most part of the winter. President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The tunnel project was originally conceived by the • The erstwhile State was split into two Union
Border Roads Organisation in 2012. Territories (UT) of J&K and Ladakh in 2019, and its
• However, the project was later taken over by the 72 years of special constitutional status under
National Highways & Infrastructure Development Article 370 and 35A was scrapped.
Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). • The President’s Rule (Article 356), also known as
• The Z-Morh tunnel is part of the Zojila tunnel the Governor’s Rule, refers to a period when
project that aims to provide all weather the constitutional machinery in a State has

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failed, and the State government is unable to Veteran NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather
function in accordance with the provisions of the
elected Speaker of J&K Legislative
Constitution.
• The President’s Rule is also known Assembly
as ‘Constitutional Emergency’ or ‘State
Emergency’.
• However, the Indian Constitution does not use the
word “Emergency” for this situation.
• Article 355 to Article 357 in Part XVIII and Article
365 in Part XIX of the Indian Constitution are
related to the President’s Rule

• Veteran National Conference leader and seven-

time MLA from Charar-e-Sharief Abdul Rahim
Rather was elected as the first Speaker of the
legislative assembly of the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir
• Leader of Opposition, BJP’s Sunil Sharma.
• Leader of the House Omar Abdullah.

Jammu and Kashmir Celebrates First

Constitution Day Since 1950

Summary/Static Details
Date November 26, 2024
Leading Lt Governor Manoj Sinha
Articles Subject – Matter Authority
Article 355 Duty of the Union to protect States Main Venue Sher-e-Kashmir International
against external aggression and Convention Centre (SKICC),
internal disturbance Srinagar
Article 356 Provisions in case of failure of Theme “Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara
Constitutional Machinery in States Swabhimaan” (Our Constitution,
Article 357 Exercise of legislative powers under Our Pride)
proclamation issued under Article Significance Marks 75 years of Constitution
356 adoption; celebrates
Article 365 Effect of failure to comply with, or constitutional values
to give effect to, directions given by Judiciary’s Role High Court and district courts
the Union. organized Preamble readings

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Yearbook 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
• WCC’s 60th anniversary celebrations in Srinagar
Participation Government offices, PSUs, • The WCC is considering the establishment of a
educational institutions, and rural ‘World Craft Hub’ and International Crafts
areas Museum in Srinagar with the help of the
Aim To reiterate constitutional values government.
and motivate citizen participation • Recently, Srinagar has become the fourth Indian
city to be recognised as a ‘World Crafts City’ by the
World Craft Council (WCC).
World Craft Council Launches Authenticity
• Jaipur, Malappuram and Mysore are the other
Seal for Jammu & Kashmir Crafts three Indian cities that have earlier been
recognised as World Craft Cities.

Uber has launched its first water transport

service in India, the Uber Shikara, on Dal
Lake in Srinagar

• World Crafts Council (WCC), an international

advocacy body, announced the ‘Seal of
Authenticity of the Craft’ will certify handmade
crafts produced with centuries-old processes in
J&K.
• It’s a significant step towards encouraging quality
and ownership. This will start with the textile
industry.

Ladakh
1. Foundation Day 31 October Ladakh Foundation Day
2. Ladakh Achieves Full Functional Literacy • Ladakh Foundation Day is celebrated on October 31st
3. Srub-La Festival every year. This is the day when Ladakh was reconstituted
4. GI Certificate for Pashmina Wool as a union territory separate from Jammu and Kashmir in
5. India’s First Green Hydrogen Fuelling 2019.
• State Animal of Ladakh – Snow Leopard
Station in Leh
• State Bird of Ladakh – Black-Necked Crane
• State Tree of Ladakh – Juniper Tree
• State Flower of Ladakh – Himalayan Blue Poppy
• Lieutenant Governor - B. D. Mishra

Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park of Ladakh Ramsar Sites of UT of Ladakh (2)
• Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary • Tso Kar (IBA)
• Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary • Tsomoriri
• Hemis National Park.

Ladakh: Celebration Of Hemis Tseschu

Begins
• The Hemis Gompa (monastery) celebrated the
Hemis Tsechu Festival this year, on the 16th - 17th
of June.
• Celebrated on the 10th day of the Lunar Tibetan
calendar.

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• This two-day grand cultural festival is celebrated The Annual Srub-La Festival, celebrating
on the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava, also
Ladakh's harvest season and cultural
referred to as Guru Rinpoche.
• The legend of Guru Padmasambhava dates back to richness
the late 8th century. He introduced tantric
Buddhism (Vajrayana) in the Himalayan kingdom.
• Celebrated at Hemis Gompa, the biggest
monastery in Ladakh
• It is celebrating ever since founded in 17th century
by Galras Rinpoche, the son of King of Ladakh,
Deskong Namgyal
• The Hemis Festival is the biggest cultural
celebration of the Buddhist and Tibetan
communities.
• The Chaam dance stands out to be a major part of
the festival where the lamas and monks perform • The village of Bodhkharboo was transformed as
the dance. the annual Srub-La Festival, a celebration
• For this sacred dance, they are masked in Guru honouring Kargil’s dedicated farmers and their
Padmasambhava’s eight different avatars. bountiful harvest season, took center stage.

Ladakh Achieves Full Functional Literacy Union Minister Giriraj Singh Presents GI
Certificate to Ladakh LG for Pashmina
Wool

• Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Dr. B.D. Mishra,

declared Ladakh as the administrative unit to
achieve Full Functional Literacy under the ULLAS – • Union Minister for Textiles, Giriraj Singh handed
Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, after having over the certificate of Geographical indication (GI)
achieved more than 97% literacy. registration of Pashmina wool (also known as Soft
• ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or New Gold) to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh
India Literacy Programme (NILP) is a centrally Brigadier Dr. B. D. Mishra
sponsored scheme implemented from 2022-2027 • Aims to reach a target of 5,00,000 Pashmina goats
• aligns with the recommendations of the National and 1 million Merino sheep in the Union Territory
Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by 2030.
• Aims to empower those adults aged 15 years and • The word "Pashmina" is derived from the Persian
above from all backgrounds who could not get due word "Pashm," which means "soft gold" or "soft
schooling and mainstream them with society to be wool."
able to contribute more to the growth story of the • A cashmere/ pashmina wool is obtained from the
country. undercoat of the Changthangi goat (Capra
• The scheme consists of five components – aegagrus hircus), also known as the Pashmina goat
1. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, - native to the high altitudes of the Himalayas in
2. Critical Life Skills, regions like Ladakh in India, Nepal, and Tibet.
3. Basic Education,
4. Vocational Skills,
5. Continuing Education.
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Ladakh: BRO’s Project Vijayak Showcases Ladakh demands for statehood

Young Talent in Kargil Art Exhibition

• Project Vijayak, of the Border Roads Organisation,

supported a vibrant art exhibition in Kargil to
spotlight the talents of young artists from the
region.

Amara Raja Infra Sets Up India’s First

Green Hydrogen Fuelling Station in Leh

• Innovator and Ladakhi Magsaysay Award recipient

(2018) Sonam Wangchuk, who is on hunger strike
to demand special status and statehood for Ladakh
• The Ladakh Union Territory demands for statehood
and Constitutional protection under the Sixth
• EPC company Amara Raja Infra has successfully
Schedule.
completed setting up India’s first green hydrogen
• Wangchuk has been seeking special status for the
fuelling station in Leh, Ladakh for NTPC.
region to safeguard its fragile environs and
• The project will enable emission-free transport in
glaciers.
and around Leh
• Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic
• Union Power Minister and Minister for Housing
Alliance (KDA), the two socio-political
and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal inaugurated the
organizations spearheading the movement
green hydrogen fuelling station.
• The sixth schedule provides for the administration
• The fuelling station project with a capacity of
of certain tribal areas as autonomous entities. It
producing GH2 of 80kg per day was completed in
allows creation of autonomous district councils and
two years, at a height of 3,400 meters above sea
regional councils endowed with certain legislative,
level with temperatures varying between minus
executive, judicial and financial powers.
25°Celsius to 30° Celsius.
• Ladakh, once a part of the erstwhile state of
Jammu and Kashmir, became a Union Territory -
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC
abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of
Ltd.)
the state into two separate Union Territories in
• NTPC Ltd. is a central Public Sector
August 2019.
Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
• It is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots
Their primary demands include:
planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power
• Statehood for Ladakh: Seeking to elevate Ladakh
development in India.
from its current Union Territory status to a full-
• Aim: To provide reliable power and related
fledged state
solutions in an economical, efficient and
• Safeguards under the 6th Schedule: the 6th
environmentally friendly manner, driven by
Schedule to protect the cultural, linguistic, and
innovation and agility.
land rights of the indigenous population
• It became a Maharatna company in May 2010.
• Reservation of Jobs: Calling for reservations in
• It is located in New Delhi.
employment opportunities for the youth of Ladakh

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• Creation of Separate Parliamentary
Constituencies: the establishment of distinct
Parliamentary constituencies for Leh and Kargil

• State animal - Snow Leopard

• State bird - Black-Necked Crane,
• State Flower- Himalayan Blue Poppy
• LG/ Governor - Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.)

Centre decides to create five new districts

in Union Territory of Ladakh
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the
creation of five new districts in the Union Territory
(UT) of Ladakh.
• 5 new districts - Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and
Changthang.
• At present, Ladakh has two districts; Leh and Kargil. • Article 370, which gave special status to the
• Ladakh was made a UT after the erstwhile state of erstwhile state, was also abrogated. After the
Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two UTs removal of Article 370 in 2019, Ladakh got the
on August 5, 2019. The other UT is Jammu and status of UT and it comes under the direct
Kashmir. administrative control of the Union Home ministry

Chandigarh
November 1 Chandigarh Foundation Day
1. Foundation Day
• November 1, 1966, is the date when Chandigarh was
2. 11th International Puppet Festival legally/constitutionally born as Union Territory
3. India’s first medical institutional • State Animal of Chandigarh – Indian Grey Mongoose
museum’ • State Bird of Chandigarh – Indian Grey Hornbill
• State Tree of Chandigarh – Mango Tree
• State Flower of Chandigarh – Dhak Flower
• State Fruit of Chandigarh – Mango
• Shri Gulab Chand Kataria (Administrator)

11th International Puppet Festival held in

Chandigarh
• The 11th International Puppet Festival was held at
the Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh.
• Punjab Governor and Administrator of Union
Territory Chandigarh, Banwarilal Purohit
inaugurated the show.

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