The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has  appointed its joint secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef-de-Mission for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia. 

The IOA also appointed three team managers to accompany Sisodia and help him in the day-to-day duties during the Games.  

WHO confers the prestigious IhsanDogramaci Family Health Foundation Prize

Dr Vinod Paul, Member, NITI Aayog has been awarded the prestigious IhsanDoramaci Family Health Foundation Prize by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He is the first Indian to receive this global honour, which is conferred in recognition to his services in the field of family health. 

India’s annual economic growth in the fiscal year that ended in March 2017 was unchanged at 7.1 per cent, the central statistics office said. FY16 GDP growth was revised to 8.2 per cent from the earlier projection of 8 per cent.

The core industries growth number for December was also released, which showed the eight core industries growing at 4 per cent as against 7.4 per cent in November. 

The Economic Survey 2017-18 has predicted that the Indian economy will grow by 7-7.5 per cent in 2018-19. 

India has been ranked sixth in the list of wealthiest countries with total wealth of $8,230 billion, while the United States topped the chart, says a report by New World Wealth.

According to the report, the United States is the wealthiest country in the world as the total wealth held in 2017 amounted to $64,584 billion, followed by China at the second place with $24,803 billion and Japan with $19,522 billion at third. 

India and the Manila- based Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $250 million loan to finance the construction of 6,254 km of all-weather rural roads in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the flagship Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Programme (PMGSY). 

The Indian Navy has launched the third Scorpene class submarine Karanj. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba’s wife Reena Lanba launched the submarine, which has been constructed by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited.

A total of six submarines are going to be built at the MDL. The submarines are being built in collaboration with French shipbuilding major Naval Group (formerly DCNS). 

The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $100 million Loan Agreement that is expected to promote rural enterprises, facilitate their access to finance, and create employment opportunities for youth, particularly women, in selected blocks of Tamil Nadu across 26 districts, directly benefitting over 400,000 people.

The Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project will create an enabling environment for producer organizations and enterprises to promote businesses across select value chains. 

Private sector Axis Bank has launched the fourth edition of ‘Evolve’, an annual multi-city knowledge series for Banks SME customers.

The current edition of evolve, titled “Transform your Family Business into your dream company”, will empower the SMEs understand the winning strategies and best practises that have helped some of the leading family businesses in India grow into reputable enterprise. 

Australia is going to host ICC World T20 2020. It was announced that Australia’s largest stadium Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the final of both the men’s and women’s ICC World Twenty20 in 2020. 

Veteran Sharath Kamal beat top-seed Anthony Amalraj 4-1 to win the men’s singles title for the eighth time, equalling the feat of Kamlesh Mehta at the 11Even Sports Senior Table Tennis Nationals. 

Acclaimed Ottanthullal artiste Kalamandalam Geethanandan died during a performance at Avittathur, near Irinjalakuda,  in Kerala. He was 58.