General Manoj Mukund Naravane takes charge as 28th Army Chief

General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff as General Bipin Rawat retired after serving three years as the Army Chief. Before taking over as Chief of Army Staff, General Mukund Naravane was appointed as Vice-Chief of Army Staff on September 1. Prior to this, he was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.

Malayalam poet Akkitham wins 55th Jnanpith Award

Eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham has been chosen for the 55th Jnanpith Award, according to an announcement by the Jnanpith Selection Board. Born in 1926, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham is one of the most revered names in Malayalam poetry. Apart from poetry, his literary excellence has footprints in genre like drama, reminiscence, critical essays, children literature, short stories and translations. Some of his celebrated creations include Veeravadam, Balidarsanam, Nimisha Kshethram, Amrita Khatika, Akkitham Kavithaka, Epic of Twentieth Century and Antimahakalam

#Akkitham, #Jnanpith_Award

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly took over as the new president of BCCI

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly took over as the new president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the apex body's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai. Ganguly is likely to serve only 9 months as BCCI president as the "Cooling Off" period clause in the new BCCI constitution makes it mandatory for board officials to step down after 6 years in office. Ganguly, who played 113 Tests and 311 one-day internationals and led India to 21 Test wins, has already been an administrator for his home state association, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

India ranks 63 in World Bank’s ease Doing Business Report

The World Bank released its latest Doing Business Report(DBR, 2020) on 24th October 2019. India has recorded a jump of 14 positions against its rank of 77 in 2019 to be placed now at 63rd rank among 190 countries assessed by the World Bank. India's leap of 14 ranks in the Ease of Doing Business ranking is significant considering that there has been continuous improvement since 2015 and for the third consecutive year India is amongst the top 10 improvers. As a result of continued efforts by the Government, India has improved its rank by 79 positions in last five years.

Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo create history by jointly winning the Booker Prize

The prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction jointly goes to Canadian author Margaret Atwood for 'The Testaments' and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo for 'Girl, Woman, Other'. Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice.

Global Hunger Index India slips to 102nd

India trails at a miserable 102nd among 117 countries in the 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) released on October 15. The rank is significant because the country seems to have regressed from its 95th rank in 2010 and stands way below its neighbours and BRICS' peers. Alarmingly, India was the worst performer when it came to child wasting (age appropriate weight), clocking a dismal 20.8 percent. Among infants aged 6-23 months, merely 9.6 percent received the 'minimum acceptable diet'. The child stunting rate at 37.9 percent, was also termed 'very high'.

Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke award 2018

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has been named for the prestigious Dada Sahab Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry. The award is conferred by the Government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh rupees. The 76-year-old screen icon, who rose to stardom with his 'Angry Young Man' persona capturing the anger of the young generation in the 1970s with films such as "Zanjeer", "Deewar" and "Sholay", continues to be a force to reckon with in Indian cinema.