1. Bhullar becomes first Indian-origin player to join NBA
i. Sim Bhullar has become the first player of Indian origin to be a part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) after he signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings, a professional basketball team in the US.
ii. 21-year-old Bhullar, who is 7.5 feet tall and weighs 360 pounds, is a centre from New Mexico State University.
iii. Originally from Canada, Bhullar's parents hail from Punjab. His height is in his genes with his father 6.5 feet tall and his being mother's height 5.10 feet.
iv. Bhullar's younger brother Tanveer, who is 7.2 feet, also plays college basketball at New Mexico State.
v. Bhullar's name was not originally drafted in last month's NBA Draft, and that might deter him from playing for the Kings when the 2014-2015 season begins later this year.
2. KN Tripathy sworn in as Govenor of West Bengal
i. Former Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mr. Keshari Nath Tripathy was sworn in as the Govenor of West Bengal on Thursday.
ii. The Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Mr. Asim Kumar Banerjee administered the oath of office to Mr. Tripathy at a function in Raj Bhavan in Kolkata Thursday afternoon.
iii. The State Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee, her Cabinet colleagues, members of the diplomatic corps and other distinguished guests were present at the swearing-in-ceremony.
3. Kumar Iyer appointed UKTI India head
i. The British government Thursday appointed Kumar Iyer, an Indian origin official, as director general for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in India.
ii. This is a new top level post and has been created to reflect the increasing importance of business ties between the two countries. As UKTI director general, India, Iyer will have overall responsibility for the bilateral commercial and trade relationship.
iii. Iyer will also be British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. He will take up both positions, based in Mumbai, Aug 5.
iv. Iyer has an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University where he was a Bank of England scholar and an undergraduate tutor in Microeconomics.
V. He was also a Kennedy Scholar and Teaching Fellow in International Capital Markets at Harvard University.
vi. Since 2008, Iyer has been a high-ranking official at the British Treasury and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit.
4. Ratan Thiyam Appointed Chairperson of National School of Drama
i. Shri Ratan Thiyam has been appointed as the Chairperson of the NationalSchool of Drama Society.
ii. The President of India has appointed Shri Thiyam for a period of four years as per the relevant Rules and Regulations of the Society.
iii. Also known as Thiyam Nemai, Ratan Thiyam is known for writing and staging plays that use ancient Indian theater traditions and forms in a contemporary context
iv. He is also the founder-director of ‘Chorus Repertory Theatre’, formed on the outskirts of Imphal, Manipur in 1976.
v. He was awarded the 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in the performing arts conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’sNational Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.
vi. He served as the director of NSD in 1987-88.
i. Sim Bhullar has become the first player of Indian origin to be a part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) after he signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings, a professional basketball team in the US.
ii. 21-year-old Bhullar, who is 7.5 feet tall and weighs 360 pounds, is a centre from New Mexico State University.
iii. Originally from Canada, Bhullar's parents hail from Punjab. His height is in his genes with his father 6.5 feet tall and his being mother's height 5.10 feet.
iv. Bhullar's younger brother Tanveer, who is 7.2 feet, also plays college basketball at New Mexico State.
v. Bhullar's name was not originally drafted in last month's NBA Draft, and that might deter him from playing for the Kings when the 2014-2015 season begins later this year.
2. KN Tripathy sworn in as Govenor of West Bengal
i. Former Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mr. Keshari Nath Tripathy was sworn in as the Govenor of West Bengal on Thursday.
ii. The Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Mr. Asim Kumar Banerjee administered the oath of office to Mr. Tripathy at a function in Raj Bhavan in Kolkata Thursday afternoon.
iii. The State Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee, her Cabinet colleagues, members of the diplomatic corps and other distinguished guests were present at the swearing-in-ceremony.
3. Kumar Iyer appointed UKTI India head
i. The British government Thursday appointed Kumar Iyer, an Indian origin official, as director general for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in India.
ii. This is a new top level post and has been created to reflect the increasing importance of business ties between the two countries. As UKTI director general, India, Iyer will have overall responsibility for the bilateral commercial and trade relationship.
iii. Iyer will also be British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. He will take up both positions, based in Mumbai, Aug 5.
iv. Iyer has an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University where he was a Bank of England scholar and an undergraduate tutor in Microeconomics.
V. He was also a Kennedy Scholar and Teaching Fellow in International Capital Markets at Harvard University.
vi. Since 2008, Iyer has been a high-ranking official at the British Treasury and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit.
4. Ratan Thiyam Appointed Chairperson of National School of Drama
i. Shri Ratan Thiyam has been appointed as the Chairperson of the NationalSchool of Drama Society.
ii. The President of India has appointed Shri Thiyam for a period of four years as per the relevant Rules and Regulations of the Society.
iii. Also known as Thiyam Nemai, Ratan Thiyam is known for writing and staging plays that use ancient Indian theater traditions and forms in a contemporary context
iv. He is also the founder-director of ‘Chorus Repertory Theatre’, formed on the outskirts of Imphal, Manipur in 1976.
v. He was awarded the 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in the performing arts conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’sNational Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.
vi. He served as the director of NSD in 1987-88.
