By: D.K Chaudhary
1. NPCI Appoints Biswamohan Mahapatra as Non-Executive Chairman
i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) appointed Biswamohan Mahapatra as non-executive chairman for two years with immediate effect.
ii. He succeeds B Sambamurthy who was the interim chairman.
- NPCI is an umbrella organisation for retail payment systems in India.
- NPCI’s Registered Office is in Mumbai.
- NPCI had recently appointed Dilip Asbe as its Managing Director and CEO.
2. Winter Olympic Games Starts in Pyeongchang, South Korea
i. The 23rd Olympic Winter Games officially kicked off with a colourful ceremony at Pyeongchang in South Korea.
ii. Ninety-two countries are participating in the event. There will be 102 medals up for grabs in Pyeongchang, covering seven sports and 15 disciplines. The ceremony was directed by Song Seung-whan, a South Korean actor.
- South Korea President- Moon Jae-in, Capital- Seoul.
3. Noted Litterateur Chandrasekhar Rath Passes Away
i. Eminent litterateur Chandrasekhar Rath passed away at the age of 89. He died of old age ailments. He was recently nominated for Padma Shri by the Union government this year for his contribution towards Odia literature.
ii. His three novels, Yantrarudha (The Instrumented) 1967, Asurya Upanivesh (The Sunless Colony) 1974 and Nav Jatak (Regenesis) 1981, have given him a special place in Odia literature. He has also received literary awards like Sahitya Akademi Award and Sarala Award.
