Category Archives: Leaders

GLOBAL LEADERS : USA : Indian-American Navy Veteran Shanthi Sethi Appointed as US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s Defence Advisor

In her new role, Ms. Sethi coordinates National Security Advisor documentation across the Office of the Vice President.

Shanti Sethi, a trailblazing Indian-American Navy veteran, has joined US Vice President Kamala Harris’s office as her executive secretary and defence advisor, according to a media report.

Ms. Sethi, the first Indian-American commander of a major US Navy combat ship, recently joined Vice President Harris’ office, Politico news website quoted vice president’s senior advisor Herbie Ziskend as saying.

source/contents: thehindu.com (edited)

INTERNATIONAL RECORDS : SPORTS : India’s 15-Year Old Youngest Grandmaster D. Gukesh Wins Title at 48th International La Roda Open Chess Tournament, Spain

Praggnanandhaa finished third: Raunak fourth

The country’s youngest Grandmaster D. Gukesh, 15, improved upon his two runner-up finishes in March with a resounding title-triumph in the 48th La Roda International Open chess tournament in Castile-La Mancha, in Spain.

In the ninth and final round, joint overnight leader Gukesh stopped Israel’s Victor Mikhalevski in just 26 moves to finish with eight points.

Earlier, aiming for the runner-up spot, R. Praggnanandhaa did Gukesh a favour by holding the other overnight leader Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan in 37 moves. Martisroyan (7.5 points) finished runner-up and Praggnanandhaa topped a five-way tie for third place at seven points. Raunak Sadhwani was part of those at seven points and took the fourth spot.

source/content : thehindu.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS : Dipika Pallikal Wins 2 Gold World Titles , Both Mixed and Women’s Doubles World Title at WSF World Doubles Squash Championships 2022, Glasgow with Her Partners Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghoshal

India has never won a gold medal at the World Doubles Squash Championships.

The 30-year-old picked the doubles crown with long-time friend and peer Joshna Chinappa, and the mixed doubles title with childhood friend, training partner and now brother-in-law, Saurav Ghosal.

For someone who would saunter in at Chennai’s SDAT squash courts as an 11-year-old, go straight to the glass door, shrug off her jacket, tighten her ponytail, lace up and get smacking the rubbery bouncer off the walls, Dipika insists the tournament week and what played out on the courts in Glasgow was the culmination of a well-plotted return.

“For squash players, there’s no Olympics. CWG and Asiad are our biggest events,” says Dipika

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS : BUSINESS & ECONOMY : Record Breaking, India Inc’s Biggest Merger: Merged HDFC Entity to Overtake TCS, Second only to RIL

In the biggest merger in the history of India Inc, mortgage firm HDFC Ltd will merge with HDFC Bank, creating a banking behemoth with a market capitalisation of Rs 14 lakh crore.

After the merger, HDFC Bank will be 100 per cent owned by public shareholders, and existing shareholders of HDFC Ltd will own 41 per cent of HDFC Bank. Shareholders of HDFC Ltd will receive 42 shares of HDFC Bank (face value of Re 1 each) for 25 shares of HDFC Ltd of Rs 2 each — a ratio of 1:1.68.

Following the announcement by HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, HDFC Bank shares shot up by 9.97 per cent to Rs 1,656.45 on the BSE Monday. HDFC Ltd shares rose by 9.30 per cent to close at 2,678.90.

source/contents: indianexpress.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS : SPORTS : 6,000 Km In 110 Days: Delhi Woman Sufiya Khan Breaks World Record For Golden Quadrilateral Run

Sufiya Khan began her run from the national capital on December 16, 2020.

Sufiya began her run from the national capital on December 16, 2020. By April 6, 2021, she has completed the golden quadrilateral circuit. A gruelling journey, to be sure, but the 35-year-old athlete was determined to see it through.

Sufiya was supported on her run by her husband, who drove the support car, took care of her nutrition and physiotherapy and managed her schedule. Besides this, local runners and cyclists joined her at various stretches of her journey.

On Saturday, she was certified as the “fastest female to run along The Indian Golden Quadrilatrel Road.”

source/content: ndtv.com (edited)

WORLD : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY : Dr. Reddy’s Acquiring Novartis Cardiovascular Drug ‘Cidmus’ for $61 m

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has entered into an agreement with pharma giant Novartis AG to acquire cardiovascular brand Cidmus in India for $61 million.

Under the agreement, it will be assigned and transferred the Cidmus trademark in India from Novartis AG. Cidmus sales in the country was around ₹136.4 crore for the most recent 12 months ending in February 2022, Dr. Reddy’s said on April 1, citing IQVIA MAT numbers.

The Cidmus brand will be affixed on the pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of Valsartan and Sacubitril (currently under Novartis patent) which is indicated for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. The tablets were available in three strengths, the company said.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

RECORDS : INTERNATIONAL – ASIA : India to Lead Security Pillar of BIMSTEC

BIMSTEC – The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation.

The seven countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) adopted a charter and connectivity roadmap and entrusted India to be at the helm of its security pillar.

“With the charter, Bimstec now has an international personality, it has an emblem, it has a flag, it has formally listed purpose and principles that it is going to adhere to and an architecture.

So that represents a fairly significant evolution of this grouping process which was happening since 2004, but gained traction after 2014,” said additional secretary Bimstec, Rudrendra Tandon.

It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.

source: newindianexpress.com (edited)

RECORDS : ARTS & CULTURE :Delhi University Professor Arun Kumar Jha Bags ‘World Poetry Award

This award was conferred on him in a high-powered linguistic discourse held on ‘Poetic Skills and Social Impacts of Poetry’ marking the occasion of ‘World Poetry Day ‘,which was held under the auspices of British Lingua, an institute of international repute for English language skills in New Delhi.

Notably, Prof AK Jha is the son of the freedom fighter and former Education Minister of Bihar Late Lokesh Nath Jha.

Prof Jha, who taught English Literature from 1974 to 2019 at the English Department of Sri Aurobindo College under the University of Delhi, is currently a practising advocate at the Supreme Court of India.

To his credit, he has the World Maiden Poetic Treatise on the Indian constitution in English and Hindi namely the ” People, the Constitution and its Pillars,  Reign of the People, and Jangan Samvidhan Ke Stambh in Hindi.

source/content: newindianexpress.com

SOUTH EAST ASIA’S LARGEST : US to Establish SE Asia’s Largest Consulate Campus in Hyderabad

The soon-to-open US Consulate office in Hyderabad will be the largest US consular processing post-South East Asia both in terms of the number of visa windows and in area. The centre being set up in Nanakramguda is likely to be completed by November 2022 and will open shortly thereafter.

Speaking to Express, David Moyer, Public Diplomacy Officer at US Consulate General office in Hyderabad, said that the centre will be unique as it will comprise 54 visa processing windows as well as multiple new features.

source/content: newindianexpress.com

INT’L RECORDS : SPORTS : P V Sindhu Wins Women’s Title at Syed Modi International Badminton, March 2022

P. V. Sindhu won the title with expected ease, by doing just enough to end her title drought.

Excitement was at a premium on the final day of the $150,000 Syed Modi India International badminton that produced one-sided matches.

World No. 7 Sindhu ended the spectacular run of Malvika Bansod 21-13, 21-16 for her first World Tour title since the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals.

source: thehindu.com (edited)