Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi Appointed As Next Chief Of Naval Staff

• Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has been appointed as the next Chief of the Indian Navy.
• He will succeed Admiral R Hari Kumar who is retiring on 30th of this month.
• Prior to taking over as Vice Chief of the Na val Staff, Mr Tripathi has served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Na val Command.
• A Communication and Electronic Warfare specialist, he has served on frontline warships of the Navy as Signal Communication Officer and Electronic Warfare Officer, and later as the Executive Officer and Principal Warfare Officer of Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mumbai.
• He commanded the Indian naval ships Vinash, Kirch and Trishul.
• Vice Admiral Tripathi is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the N ausena Medal for devotion to duty.

BLR Airport Named 'Best Regional Airport In India And South Asia

• Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR Airport) has soared to new heights, clinching the prestigious title of ”Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia” at the esteemed 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
• This recognition, based on extensive passenger satisfaction surveys, solidifies BLR Airport’s dedication to exceptional customer service.
• Moreover, BLR Airport’s Terminal 2 achieved the second position as the ”World’s Best New Airport Terminal” among terminals inaugurated within the 18 months preceding the 2024 World Airport Awards.
• Since its inauguration in 2023, Terminal 2 has garnered additional acclaim, including the UNESCO Prix Versailles World’s Most Beautiful Airport distinction, along with a Special Prize for its interior design, LEED platinum certification, and more.
• The Skytrax awards ceremony took place at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Frankfurt, Germany.

Sri Lanka Launches New Online Visa Applications System

• The Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration has implemented a new visa methodology and new online methodology.
• Arrangements have been made together with GBS Technology Service & IVS Global Institute to implement the E-Visa system – the online methodology to be introduced in lieu of the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) methodology implemented at present.
• By making such a replacement, the country wants to make travel to Sri Lanka more convenient for travelers from all over the world.

Standard Touri Visa Fee:

• In line with the newly updated fees, nationals of countries that are not part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will now have to pay $75 for a standard tourist visa, representing a 50 percent increase in the fee.

Former England Test Batsman Raman Subba Row Passes Away At 92

• Raman Subba Row, former England opener passed away at the age of 92.
• At the time of his death, he was England’s oldest living men’s Test cricketer.
• Subba Row played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and then joined the powerful Surrey side of the 1950s that won seven successive County Championships.
• Unable to secure a permanent first-team place at The Oval, he moved to Northamptonshire, where he was appointed captain in 1958.
• That year also saw Subba Row win the first of his 13 England caps and in 1961 he scored a century in both his first and last Tests against Australia. In all, he scored 984 Test runs at an average of over 46.
• After retiring to pursue a business career, he was the manager of England’s tour of India and Sri Lanka in 1981.
• Subba Row also served five years as chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board, the forerunner of the ECB, from 1985-90.
• He later became one of the International Cricket Council’s first match referees, overseeing 160 fixtures.

Kenya's military chief passes away

• Kenya’s military chief Gen. Francis Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country.
• The helicopter was carrying 11 people, including Gen. Ogolla, when it crashed and caught fire in a remote area near the border with Uganda, killing nine people onboard.
• Ogolla, 61, was on a tour of the country’s troubled western region that has seen frequent attacks by local bandits.
• He was appointed Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces in April last year after Gen. Robert Kibochi retired.
• Ogolla joined the Kenya Defence Forces in 1984, where he trained as a fighter pilot with United States Air Force and as an instructor pilot at the Kenya Air Force (KAF), according to a Defence Ministry profile.

RBI imposes Rs 60.3 lakh penalty on 5 co­operative banks for flouting norms

• The Reserve Bank has imposed penalties totalling Rs 60.3 lakh on five co-operative banks for contravention of various regulatory norms.
• A penalty of Rs 43.30 lakh has been imposed on Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank for non-compliance with RBI directions on ‘ban on loans and advances to directors and their relatives, and frrms/concems in which they are interested’, ‘prohibition on opening of saving bank accounts in the names of certain bodies/organizations’ and ‘maintenance of deposit accounts’.
• The central bank has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on The Kangra Co-operative Bank (New Delhi), Rajdhani Nagar Sahkari Bank (Lucknow), and Zila Sahakari Bank, Garhwal (Kotdwar, Uttarakhand).
• Besides, a penalty of Rs 2 has been imposed on District Co-operative Bank (Dehradun).
• In each case, the RBI said the penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and are not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction of agreement entered into by the banks with their respective customers.

Infosys to acquire German firm in-tech

• IT major Infosys announced its acquisition of in­tech, a prominent engineering R&D services provider specialising in the German automotive industry.
• This 450 million euro acquisition will help the IT company expand its footprint in Europe.
• The acquisition is expected to be wrapped up in the first half of financial year 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
• Infosys has already received approvals from regulatory authorities in Germany, Romania, Austria, India and “such other regulatory approvals as may be required”.
• Headquartered in Germany, in-tech is one of the fastest-growing engineering R&D services providers, playing a pivotal role in driving digitisation across the automotive, rail transport, and smart industry sectors. The company focuses on areas such as e-mobility, connected and autonomous driving, electric vehicles (EV s ), off­road vehicles, and railroad solutions.

Intel announces Santosh Viswanathan as India region head

• Computer chip maker Intel announced Santosh Viswanathan will head the India region business as its Managing Director (MD). Viswanathan has been with Intel for about 21 years.
• In March this year, Intel announced India as a separate region within its SMG (Sales, Marketing and Communications Group) organisation, to capitalise on the country’s rapid growth and business opportunities.
• Viswanathan took charge as Vice President and Managing Director for the Indian market in July 2022. Now Intel has carved out India as a separate region.
• The company also announced the appointment of Hans Chuang as General Manager (GM) of SMG Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ).

Intel :

• Founded: July 18, 1968
• Headquarters: California, U.S.
• Chairman: Frank D. Yeary
• CEO: Pat Gelsinger

Happiest Minds Technologies to acquire Macmillan Learning India

• Happiest Minds Technologies has executed share purchas agreement to acquire 100% equity interest in Macmilla Leaming India.
• Macmillan Leaming India will become a wholly owne subsidiary of the company. The cost of acquisition is R 4.5 crore.
• Macmillan Leaming India is a wholly owned subsidiary o the Macmillan group, USA.
• The subsidiary provides software development services t the Macmillan group and has been working as a “Offshore Development Centre.
• Happiest Minds enables digital transformation for enterprises and technology providers by delivering “seamless customer experiences, business efficiency and actionable insights.”
• It is headquartered in Bengaluru, with operations in th US, the UK, Canada, Australia and the Middle East.

CAG of India Signs Pact with SAi Bulgaria to Boost Audit Expertise

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bulgarian National Audit Office (SAi Bulgaria) to enhance international cooperation in the field of auditing.
• The agreement, aims to foster collaboration and the exchange of expertise between the two nations.
• The MoU will establish a platform for knowledge and experience sharing among auditing professionals and technical teams.
• This collaboration includes joint training programs and mutual assistance in conducting audits, strengthening the professional capacity and audit methodologies of both institutions.
• The Mo U would provide opportunities for greater exchange of knowledge and experience between members of both SAis, fostering the spirit of cooperation and friendship between the two institutions.