BCCI appoints Saba Karim as General Manager

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has appointed as General Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. Karim will assume office from 01st January and he will report to CEO Rahul Johri. He will assist Johri in meeting the Board’s vision and strategy. The General Manager’s post has been lying vacant since the resignation of MV Sridhar in September over the issue of conflict of interest. Sridhar passed away on October 30th, 2017.

Mumbai, Gurugram girls win Mrs India contest

Mayanka Patel from Mumbai and Poonam Gaur from Gurugram were crowned Mrs India-Pride of Nation in two different categories at the grand finale. Mayanka was announced winner in Group A category that had participation of girls in the age bracket of 21 years to 34 years while Group B (34-45 years) saw Poonam taking the crown at the event.

BND-4201: India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard launched

India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard – the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) – was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold. Gold reference standard is indispensable in gold and jewellery hall marking. This will also be useful for Collection and Purity Testing Centres to certify the purity of gold deposits under the gold monetisation scheme.

China launches land exploration satellite

China has launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit for remote sensing operations. The satellite launch was conducted from the Jiluquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, northwest China’s Gansu Province during early morning hours. The satellite will be mainly used for remote sensing exploration of land resources. It was carried by a long march-2D rocket.

UN appoints Henrietta Fore as UNICEF head

United Nations (UN) has appointed former senior US government official Henrietta H Fore as the new executive director of UNICEF. She will succeed William Anthony Kirsopp Lake who assumed office in 2010.

Vijender Singh retains WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles

Indian star Vijender Singh defeated Zulpikar Maimaitiali of China, to retain his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title and take over his opponent’s WBO Oreintal Super Middleweight crown. Both boxers were slightly tentative in an evenly matched opening round. Zulpikar tried to go on the offensive at the start of the second round but Vijender did well to negate his attacks. It was the 32-year-old Beijing Olympic bronze medallist’s ninth successive win in his professional career.

US President Signs $1.5 Trillion Tax Overhaul Law

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory. Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as Congress passed the 1.5 trillion dollars overhaul, set to impact every corner of the economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals.

IOC bans 11 Russians for life over alleged Sochi Games doping violations

The Olympic governing body announced on Friday it had banned the athletes based on findings from the Oswald Commission, which is looking into alleged doping violations at the 2014 Winter Games held in Russia. The International Olympic Committee has banned 11 Russian athletes for life over alleged doping viloations at the Sochi Games in 2014. The results of the athletes will be annulled, and those who won medals will have them stripped.

Jairam Thakur will be Himachal Pradesh’s new CM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur has been announced as the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He will succeed Virbhadra Singh, who is serving as the Chief Minister of Himachal since 2012. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Five-time legislator Jairam Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, will be the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

WHO to add ‘gaming disorder’ as a mental condition in 2018

For the first time, WHO will add gaming disorder to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD).  The ICD – a diagnostic manual that’s published by the WHO – was last updated 27 years ago, in 1990. The 11th edition of the manual is due in 2018, and will include gaming disorder as a serious health condition to be monitored.

Sushil becomes PWL’s Most Expensive Wrestler at Rs.55 lakh

Sushil Kumar was wanted by all the teams ahead of the new season of Pro Wrestling League (PWL) and the bidding war created history in New Delhi. Sold to Delhi Sultans for a whopping amount of Rs 55 lakh, Sushil is now the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. PWL 3 is slated to begin from January 9, 2018 and the auction in underway as teams fight to pick the best players and set up a strong team. Sakshi Malik, India’s 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was bought by the Mumbai Maharathi side for Rs.39 lakh. World Championship gold medalist Helen Maroulis was bought for Rs.44 lakh by Haryana Hammers.

Banwari Lal Joshi passes away

Former UP Governor Banwari Lal Joshi passed away at AIIMS due to septic shock after an infection on the valves. Joshi was 82 years old. He has served as governor of many states. He has served as lieutenant governor of Delhi, governor of Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand CM launches his biography

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched a biography based on chronicles of his early struggle and lesser known aspects of his life. Titled ‘Trivendra Ek Zindaginama – Khairasain ka Sooraj’, the book is written by a doctor named Nandan Singh Bisht.

Mystic Kalinga poetry fest takes off

Mystic Kalinga, the international festival of poetry and performances, kicked off in Bhubaneswar. The central theme for this year’s festival is: “Aseema” – Transcending Boundaries. Mystic Kalinga is an extension of Kalinga Literary Festival. The Kalinga Literary Festival is organized every year in the month of June by Odisha Media info Service Private Ltd and Odisha Diary Foundation.

Dhirendra Pal appointed as UGC chairman

Professor Dhirendra Pal Singh, director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council was appointed the chairperson of UGC. He has been serving as director of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) since August 2015. He has 34 years of professional experience in various fields of education. He has served as vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.