NATIONAL NEWS

Narendra Modi Takes Oath for Unprecedented Third Term as Prime Minister

• On June 9, 2024, Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in as India's Prime Minister for the third consecutive term by President Droupadi Murmu.

• The oath of office and secrecy was administered to him in a modest ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

• Modi becomes the second person, after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, to assume the office of Prime Minister for three consecutive terms.

• In addition to the Prime Minister, 71 other ministers were sworn in by President Murmu. This group comprised 30 Cabinet Ministers and 41 Ministers of State, five of whom hold independent charge.

• Narendra Modi was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India in 2014 after his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led coalition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19).

• Narendra Modi was again sworn in as Prime Minister a second time when the ruling coalition NDA secured a majority in the 17th Lok Sabha. He was sworn in by the President Ram Nath Kovind.

AWARDS

Vellayan Subbiah has been selected for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024

• Vellayan Subbiah has been named the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024.

• He is the fourth recipient from India in the 24-year history of this prestigious award, making India the only country among EY regions to achieve this honor four times. Previous Indian winners include Narayana Murthy, Uday Kotak, and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

• Subbiah serves as the Executive Vice-Chairman of Tube Investments of India (TII) and the Chairman of Cholamandalam (Chola) Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

• He was selected from nearly 5,000 participants in the program, which included 51 winners from 47 countries and jurisdictions. In 2023, Subbiah was honored with the title of EY Entrepreneur of the Year for India.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

The first Command and Control Compatibility Board meeting for 2024 between India and the US was organized.

• The first Command and Control Compatibility Board (CCCB) meeting of 2024 between India and the United States took place from June 4 to June 7 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.

• This event featured a 29-member U.S. delegation led by Mr. Paul Nicholson, Executive Director of US INDOPACOM, and a 38-member Indian delegation headed by Brigadier Rahul Anand of the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.

• The CCCB, which convenes twice a year, is a Technical Expert Group established under Article XI of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) between India and the United States.

• This seventh meeting aimed to evaluate, strengthen, and advance the bilateral defense partnership, continuing the progress made since the landmark agreement was signed in September 2018.

• Throughout the four-day meeting, subject matter experts from both nations engaged in multiple rounds of comprehensive discussions focused on interoperability scenarios and operational communication requirements.

• The in-depth discussions with the U.S. delegation were instrumental in developing mutually agreed-upon solutions to meet the current communication interoperability needs of India's tri-services.

SPORTS

French Open Tennis Singles title 2024

• Carlos Alcaraz from Spain and Iga Swiatek from Poland emerged as the champions of the 2024 French Open men's and women's singles titles, respectively.

• For Alcaraz, this victory marked his first French Open singles title, while Swiatek claimed her fourth singles title as the world's top-ranked player.

• The 123rd edition of the French Open, also known as Roland Garros, took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from May 26 to June 9, 2024.

• This tournament is the second Grand Slam event of the year, following the Australian Open.

• Stade Roland Garros features numerous courts, with the finals traditionally held on the Philippe Chatrier Court.

• The French Open is renowned for being played on clay courts.

MISCELLANEOUS

Environmentalists Jai Dhar Gupta and Vijay Dhasmana have established India's first biosphere within a tiger reserve

• The Rajaji Raghati Biosphere (RRB), located within Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, encompasses a 35-acre private forest initiative.

• This biosphere is dedicated to identifying and reviving rare and endangered native tree species, transforming formerly barren and degraded land by removing invasive eucalyptus trees and implementing water retention, erosion prevention, and groundwater recharge techniques.

• Environmentalists Jai Dhar Gupta and Vijay Dhasmana have established India's first biosphere within a tiger reserve, the Rajaji Raghati Biosphere (RRB), situated in Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand.

• This initiative aligns with their ongoing mission to protect and restore native ecosystems while addressing threats such as poaching and mining.