Category: Leaders

** PM Modi inaugurates Pune metro rail project, unveils Shivaji Maharaj statue

The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the project on December 24, 2016.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pune metro rail project and unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the premises of Pune Municipal Corporation.

The inauguration of the 12-km stretch of the total 32.2-km long project took place at the Garware metro station, from where Mr. Modi flagged off the project and proceeded to take the metro ride to the Anandnagar station, located nearly five km away.

** Former Army Chief Gen Rodrigues passes away

He was Army Chief between 1990 and 93

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Sunith Francis Rodrigues passed away in Goa on Friday. He was Army Chief between 1990 and 93.

In addition to over 40 years of service in the Army, he had served two terms on the National Security Advisory Board and was Governor of Punjab between 2004 and 2010.

Goa

** ‘India is natural leader of Quad in Indo-Pacific region,’ says Australian High Commissioner

Australian High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell says defence exercise MILAN demonstrates cooperation across countries in the region

India is clearly the natural leader in the region in terms of the vision the Quad signs up to in the Indo-Pacific region, and the multi-nation defence exercise, MILAN, held in Vishakapatnam demonstrates the cooperation across countries in the Indo-Pacific, Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O’Farrell said.

“The exercise Milan where 14 countries, including Australia, took part, demonstrates the co-operation across countries in the Indo-Pacific to secure a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In terms of the vision the Quad signs up to with relation to the Indo-Pacific, India is clearly the natural leader in the region. The good news is that all four countries [India, Australia, USA and Japan] are working together, whether it is on vaccine rollout, disaster relief and other issues like climate change,” Mr. O’Farrell told The Hindu.

** R. Priya to be first Dalit Mayor of Chennai

R. Priya, a 28-year-old Post Graduate and a Councillor from Mangalapuram is to become the next Mayor of Chennai. She will be the first Dalit Mayor of Chennai corporation after the State government in January 2022 passed an order reserving Chennai Corporation Mayor post to Dalit women.

She is a Post Graduate in Commerce from Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women in George Town, Chennai.

Tamil Nadu

** Virat Kohli’s 100th Test: A look at his journey in whites so far

In the first 10 years of Test cricket, nobody has amassed as many centuries as Kohli did.

Virat Kohli has come a long way as a Test cricketer since his debut in 2011 against West Indies. The Delhi-lad did not have a good run in the first match as he could only score 19 runs. But after a decade-long journey, Kohli is now all set to play his 100th Test match in Mohali on March 4.

Having donned the white jersey in 99 Test matches, Kohli has scored 7962 runs at a stellar average of 50.39. Kohli led the Indian team in 68 Tests and won 40 matches. He has a wholesome win percentage of 58.82%.

Best five-Test records:

1. Kohli’s record of 20 Test centuries as skipper is the second-most for any player. Only Graeme Smith (25) is ahead of him.

2.  The former Indian captain’s 27 centuries since his debut are only equalled by Australia’s Steve Smith and are more than David Warner , Joe Root and Kane Williamson .

3. Kohli-led Indian team have won 24 Test matches at home.

4. Kohli also holds the record for most Test wins as Indian captain. Kohli led India to win 40 out of 68 matches

** The number of India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals increased 11 per cent last year: Study

India reportedly ranked third in billionaire population globally in 2021. The US is number one followed by the Chinese mainland and India.

Nearly 30 per cent wealth of Indian ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) was allocated towards the purchase of principal and second housing properties last year, according to property consultant Knight Frank.

In its attitude survey, part of the Wealth Report 2022, Knight Frank India said that 29 per cent wealth of Indian ultra-wealthy, (those having a net worth of USD 30 million and above), is allocated towards purchase of principal and second homes.

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** West Bengal Minister, nine-time MLA Sadhan Pande passes away

Senior Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Sadhan Pande passed away on February 20. He was 71 and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai.

Mr. Pande was a nine-time MLA from north Kolkata. For the first six terms, he represented Burtola Assembly segment as a Congress representative. Since 2011, he represented Manicktala Assembly segment as a Trinamool Congress MLA.

Mr. Pande was Minister of Consumer Affairs in the West Bengal government.

** Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande is Vice Chief of Army Staff

Army’s Northern and Eastern Commands get new Chiefs

In a series of changes in the top hierarchy of the Army, Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande took over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday from Lt. Gen. C.P. Mohanty who superannuated on January 31.

Prior to this, Lt. Gen. Pande was serving as the Eastern Army Commander. He was commissioned in December 1982 into the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers). Lt. Gen. Pande will be the senior most officer in the Army when current chief Gen. Manoj Naravane completes his tenure in April.

In other key appointments, Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi assumed the appointment of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Udhampur based Northern Command while Lt. Gen. R.P. Kalita assumed charge as GOC-in-Command, Eastern Command at Fort William in Kolkata.

Lt. Gen. G.A.V. Reddy took charge as the new head of the Defence Intelligence Agency following the retirement of the incumbent Lt. Gen. K.J.S. Dhillon. Lt. Gen. Dwivedi was Deputy Chief of the Army Staff prior to assuming the present appointment. He was commissioned into the Jammu And Kashmir Rifles Regiment.

* Ahead of Budget, V Anantha Nageswaran joins as Chief Economic Advisor

The new CEA was a part-time member of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council

The Government has appointed V Anantha Nageswaran as the Chief Economic Advisor, three days before the onset of the Budget session of Parliament.

On Friday, Mr. Nageswaran assumed charge of the position, which had been vacant since early December 2021 after the previous CEA Krishnamurthy Subramanian returned to academia at the end of his three year-stint. The CEA is usually responsible for drafting the Economic Survey presented a day before the Budget.

A part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister between 2019 and 2021, the new CEA holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a doctoral degree in Finance from the University of Massachusetts for his work on the empirical behaviour of exchange rates.

“Prior to this appointment, Dr. Nageswaran has worked as a writer, author, teacher and consultant. He has taught at several business schools and institutes of management in India and in Singapore and has published extensively. He was the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

** India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day

President Ram Nath Kovind honoured the proud winners of the highest gallantry, including the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra

The national flag was unfurled on 73rd Republic Day at Rajpath followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute on Wednesday.

According to the tradition, the 21-gun salute was presented by the ceremonial battery of 871 field regiment.

The ceremonial battery was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jitender Singh Mehta.