24 June 2015 Current Affairs
Steffi Graf Appointed Kerala’s Brand Ambassador For Ayurveda
Kerala government has appointed Tennis Icon Steffanie Graf as Ayurveda brand ambassador. As an Ayurveda brand ambassador she will promote Ayurveda tourism of state in North America and Europe with theme Visit Kerala Destination. In 1988, she became the first and only tennis player (male or female) to achieve the Calendar Year Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. She retired from professional tennis in 1999, and married to former World No. 1 men’s tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001.
Noted Journalist and Activist Praful Bidwai Died
Veteran journalist, author and anti-nuclear activist Praful Bidwai has died in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was 64. Bidwai had written number of books including the ‘1999 New Nukes: India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament’, The Politics of Climate Change and the Global Crisis: Mortgaging Our Future (2012). His latest book on the crisis in the Indian Left was due to be released later in 2015. He had worked as a senior editor for the Times of India. Bidwai had served as a Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Social Development in New Delhi, and also as a Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. He also had served as a member of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE), and National Book Trust (NBT). He is recipent of the Sean MacBride International Peace Prize (2000) given by Geneva and London based International Peace Bureau, one of the world’s oldest peace organisations.
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi Launches First Modernised Anganwadi Centre In Sonepat
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on 24 June launched the country’s first modernised anganwadi centre at Hasanpur village of Sonepat in Haryana.The centre has been set up as part of Nand-Ghar Yojana of Union Government which aims at transforming the anganwadi centres. The Sonepat facility, built in partnership with private mining firm Vedanta at a cost of Rs. 12 lakh, is part of Central government’s Nand-Ghar Yojna that aims at transforming the anganwadis centers, which accommodate around 50 children in daytime every day, by making them equipped with latest facilities.
India and Japan To Sign Agreement on Increasing Industrial Property Cooperation
The Union government on 24 June approved the signing of an agreement with Japan to increase cooperation in the field of industrial property (IP). The decision regarding this was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Memorandum of Cooperation will be signed between the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO). The pact also aims at increasing efforts to support innovation in both the countries.