Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Rajesh Nambiar, the former Chairman and MD of Cognizant India, has been appointed as the Nasscom President-designate. He will succeed Debjani Ghosh when her term ends in November 2024. Nambiar brings extensive experience from his roles at TCS, IBM, Ciena, and Cognizant, and he also served as Chairperson of Nasscom in 2023. His appointment comes at a critical time for the IT sector, with a focus on navigating the transition to AI and managing global tech spending challenges.

M Suresh has been appointed as the interim Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). He is currently a Member of Air Navigation Services at AAI and will serve as the interim Chairman for three months or until a permanent replacement is found. His appointment comes after the government relieved the previous Chairman, Sanjeev Kumar, marking a transitional period in AAI's leadership.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of S. Sukumaran Nair as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for a period of three years. With over 35 years of experience in banking, Nair brings a wealth of expertise in managing corporate accounts, international banking, and stressed asset resolution, making him a suitable candidate for the position.

The Centre has appointed Punya Salila Srivastava as the new Health Secretary, replacing Apurva Chandra upon his superannuation. In a reshuffle, Rajesh Kumar Singh is set to be the new Defence Secretary, while Katikithala Srinivas takes over as Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary. Deepti Umashankar has been appointed as Secretary to the President, and Vivek Joshi transitions to the Department of Personnel and Training. This appointment comes amidst ongoing discussions on the National Health Mission, including the implementation of a national electronic medical records system.

Nalin Prabhat, a 1992 IPS officer, was appointed as Special Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police and will assume his role as Director General after R R Swain's retirement on September 30. Prabhat, known for his decorated career and extensive service, has previously headed the CRPF's Kashmir region deployment and the Andhra Pradesh anti-Naxal force. His tenure as Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG) was curtailed, and he was ordered to be de-cadred to AGMUT, with an inter-cadre deputation from Andhra Pradesh, before assuming his current position.