Ajay Mittal takes charge as I&B Secretary

Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS officer of 1982 batch Ajay Mittal today took charge as the Information and Broadcasting secretary. 

• Mittal, succeeds Sunil Arora, who retired on April 30. 
• Mittal has joined the I&B ministry at a time when it is planning to conduct the next batch of radio auctions, streamlining the film certification processes and also the remaining phases of the digitisation of cable sector drive.
• During a career span of more than 33 years, Mittal has served in various capacities in his cadre state of Himachal Pradesh. 

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India) :

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Ministry of I&B) is a branch of the Government of India is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to information, broadcasting, the press and films in India.
• The Ministry is responsible for the administration of Prasar Bharati-the broadcasting arm of the Indian Government. 

SC sets up RM Lodha Panel to oversee functions of Medical Council of India

 The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member high-powered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

•  Ruling in this regard was given by the SC Bench comprising Justices Anil R Dave, A K Sikri, R K Agrawal, Adarsh K Goel and R Banumathi.

About the Panel :

• Other two members of the panel are Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Dr SK Sareen, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. 
• The committee is tasked to oversee all statutory functions under the Medical Council of India (MCI), Act.
• The committee will function till the Union Government puts in place a new mechanism for regulation by bringing a new legislation or amending the statute. 
• SC Ruling MCI had repeatedly failed in its duties and the quality of medical education in the country was at its lowest ebb. 

Leicester City crowned English Premier League Champion

Leicester City FC was crowned champions of the of English Premier League title for 2015-16 season without playing as nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC.

•  They were crowned after its nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC had 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC.
•  The draw placed Tottenham at second position and was not able to surpass Leicester City FC’s seven point lead at the top of the table. 
• This is the first time in the Leicester City FC’s 132-year history it became the champion of the England. 

Leicester City Football Club :

• It is also known as the Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
• They play in the Premier League, having been promoted as champions of the Football League Championship in 2013–14, signalling a return to the top flight of English football after a decade away.

Former J&K Minister Romesh Sharma passes away

Former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and senior Congress leader Romesh Sharma passed away after a prolonged illness in New Delhi.

•  By profession Mr. Sharma was an Ayurvedic doctor. He was 65.
• He had joined politics in 2000 and won the state Assembly elections in 2002 from Nowshera Constituency.
•  He had served as MoS (Minister of State) Commerce and Industries in late Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed’s led PDP-Congress government in 2002.
•  Later he had served as MoS PHE and Flood Irrigation Control in CM Ghulam Nabi Azad led government till 2008

India’s first Scorpene class submarine INS Kalvari undergoes first sea trial

INS Kalvari, Indian Navy’s first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, has recently launched for the first sea trial in the Mumbai naval dockyard.

•  It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is built under the strategic Project 75 by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French naval defence and energy company DCNS.

 About INS Kalvari :

• INS Kalvari is also known as Tiger Shark (or S50).
•  It is expected to be commissioned into Indian Navy by September 2016.
•  It has superior stealth capability and is designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics.
•  It is built using special steel that can withstand high yield stress that can withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling to dive deeper.
• The submarine, over the next few months, will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc testing her to the extremes of its intended operating envelop.
• She will be later commissioned into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the 'Make In India' initiative of the government.

Union Government launches Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

The Union Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households.

•  It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maldepur Morh, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.
•  The tagline for the scheme is Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan. 

About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana :

•  Under PMUY, each of the beneficiaries will receive monetary support of about 1,600 rupees to get a connection of cooking gas.
•  It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hose The scheme seeks to empower women and protect their health by shifting them from traditional cooking based on unclean cooking fuels or on fossil fuels to clean cooking gas.
•  It is being implemented by Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
•  It is for the first time this ministry is implementing a welfare scheme. 
• The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories.
•  It will be implemented over three years’ time frame namely in the FY 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Nico Rosberg wins 2016 Russian Grand Prix

German Formula One Driver Nico Rosberg from Mercedes team has won 2016 Russian Grand Prix held at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.

•  It was Rosberg’s fourth consecutive win in the 2016 season and overall eighteenth championship title of F1 in his career. 
• Russian Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2016 season of Formula One in which total 11 teams had participated .

Formula One :

• Formula One (also Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). 
• The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the premier form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950, although other Formula One races were regularly held until 1983. 
• The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants' cars must conform.