PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Om Prakash Rawat appointed as New Election Commissioner:
Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Om Prakash Rawat was appointed as new election commissioner on13th August. In the three member election commission board, Naseem Zaidi is the Chief Election Commissioner, Achal Kumar Joti is the one of the election commissioners and the vacant third place has been filled up with Om Prakash Rawat who belongs to 1977 IAS batch worked as Secretary at the centre and retired from his service in December, 2014. Om Prakash Rawat will be as election commis-sioner till December, 2018.
Sudhakar Shetty elected as President of Gymnastics Federation of India
Sudhakar Shetty of Maharashtra was elected as the president of the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) on 12 August 2015. He succeeds Jaspal Singh Kandhari.Elections for the four year term were attended by 35 members from 18 States and Units.
Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as new Governor of Bihar
Former Rajya Sabha member and a dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as new governor of Bihar on 15 August 2015. Acting chief justice of Patna high court Iqbal Ahmad Ansari administered oath to Kovind as the 36th governor of Bihar at a function at Raj Bhawan. Kovind, two term Rajya Sabha member and chief of BJP SC&ST wing earlier from Uttar Pradesh.
B). RESIGNS
Greek Prime Minister Tsipras resigned
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has submitted his resignation to the President on 20 August and has called an early elections. Tsipras resigned his post as his leftwing Syriza Party was split over the terms of a 95 billion dollar bailout deal with it’s European creditors on 20 August. The election will be expected to be on 20 September.
Libyan PM Abdullah al-Thani resigned hours after peace talks restarted
On 12 August 2015 Prime Minister of Libya Abdullah al-Thani announced his resignation during a live telecast. He announced his resignation hours after fraught peace talks between the country’s rival factions restarted. During the talk show Prime Minister Al-Thani faced a barrage of angry questions from citizens who blamed his government for the lack of basic services such as electricity and poor security in areas it controls. UN-sponsored round of peace talks between Libya’s warring factions that started on 12 August 2015 in Switzerland’s Geneva aimed at creating a unity government, with representatives of the powerful Tripoli parliament joining the negotiations, ended without any resolution.
C). DEATHS
Colonel Harwant Singh (Retd), World War-II hero passes away
Retired Colonel Harwant Singh,a World War-II veteran and hero passed away in Patiala, Punjab on 4 August 2015. He was 95. He was commissioned in 2nd battalion of the Sikh Regiment of then British Army in September 1941. During the World War (WW)-II he had served in Palestine, North Africa, Iraq, Cyprus and Italy for the British Army. In 1944, he was awarded with the Military Cross (highest award of the British Army) for gallantry during an offensive against the German forces on the Gothic Line in Italy. During the first Independence Day celebration of 1947, he was officer in charge of the flag-hoisting ceremony held at Princess Park on August 15 and Red Fort on August 16.
Hero Cycles founder O.P. Munjal died
Om Prakah Munjal (87), the founder of Hero cycles died in Ludhiana on 13th August. O.P. Munjal started a bicycle spare parts business in Amristar in 1944. In 1956, he started India’s first bicycle manufacturing company ‘Hero’. With the production of highest number of bicycles in the world, Hero company was in Guinness Book of World Records in 1986. O.P. Munjal was the first person to start the electric bicycles in India in 1990. O.P. Munjal was also elected as president for All India Cycle Manufacturer’s Association (AICMA).
D). VISITORS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited UAE:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited United States of Arab Emirates (UAE) for a two days visit on 15th August, 2015. On his visit Modi visited the Sheikh Sayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Modi focus on trade and counter terror measures in his official engagements. India and UAE elevated their relationship and agree to fight against terrorism and misuse of religion after bilateral talks between Modi and UAE Prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zyed Al Nahayan in Abu Dhabi on 17th August. The UAE agreed to increase investments in India to 75 million dollars (about Rs. 5 Lakh crore), while the two nations will raise trade to nearly 100 billion dollars in the next five years.
Five agreements signed between India and Seychells
The Seychells president James Michel visited India on 26 August 2015 for three day visit in the country. Five agreements including an information exchange agreement with respect to taxes memorandum of understanding for the supply of Dornier air craft a protocol on framework of cooperation in the field of blue economy and other agreements have been signed between the two countries.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Indian-American Atul Keshap confirmed Ambassador to Sri Lanka
Indian-American Atul Keshap has been confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, becoming the second Indian-origin diplomat to be posted to the region after Richard Rahul Verma.Mr. Keshap (44), a former official at the US Embassy in India, was on 5 August 2015 confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the country’s envoy which would be his first Ambassadorial posting.
PM Narendra Modi as one of the ‘Most Viewed CEO’ on LinkedIn:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with over one million followers, created a record as ‘the most viewed CEO in India’. Modi stood at first place in the list of most viewed CEOs on professional site LinkedIn. Modi is the third- most followed world leader on Twitter with 14.4 million followers.
‘Yasutaro Koide’ of Japan in Guinness Records as World’s Oldest Person
‘Yasutaro Koide’ of Japan is in Guinness Records as world’s oldest person on 21 August, 2015. Koide of 112 years belongs to the city of Nagoya of Japan. He was born on March 13, 1903.