• Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari has stepped down from his position and  will leave the firm to pursue other interests. Maheshwari's exit coincides with a reshuffle among the software company's top executives.  Meanwhile, Irina Ghose, the company's chief operating officer, has been appointed as managing director of India, and Sashi Sreedharan, the MD, has been promoted to a more senior position.
• Reportedly, the former AWS India head Puneet Chandok is likely to be headed to Microsoft India. Navtej Bal, earlier the director of the public sector at Microsoft India, has also been promoted as the chief operating officer, while Venkat Krishnan, who was heading partnerships, has been elevated as executive director of public sector business.

• India’s aviation education landscape has witnessed a significant boost with the recent approval of the first Flying Training Organisation (FTO) in Tamil Nadu by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). EKVI Air Training Organization Pvt Ltd has been granted permission to operate from Salem Airport, marking a significant milestone for aspiring pilots in the region.
• The approval of EKVI Air Training Organization Pvt Ltd brings new hope and opportunities for aspiring pilots in Tamil Nadu. With access to professional training programs, students can now embark on a journey towards fulfilling their dreams of becoming skilled aviators.

• Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate the Swasthya Chintan Shivir at Dehradun in Uttarakhand. The two-day Chintan Shivir will be organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare. The Health Ministers of various States and Union Territories are expected to join the event.
• The two-day event will begin with the tabling of the Action Taken Report of the 14th Convention of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare. It will be followed by sessions focusing on various facets of healthcare in the country. The sessions will highlight four aspects of Ayushman Bharat, including Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Health and Wellness Centres as well as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission(PM-ABHIM).

• The International Temples Convention and Expo will be held at the Rudraksha Convention Centre in Varanasi from July 22 to 24. Developed by Temple Connect (India), it is the world's first event solely dedicated to the management of temples across the globe and will focus on nurturing and empowering the administration, management and operations of temple ecosystems. It is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, under the “Incredible India” initiative.

• The Uttar Pradesh government approved 800 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power projects in Sonbhadra district in partnership with NTPC.  Each thermal power project will have a capacity of 800 MW, resulting in an increase in the combined capacity of Uttar Pradesh by 1,600 MW. The "Obra D" thermal power projects will use ultra-supercritical technology, operating at high temperature and pressure, to achieve high efficiency and reduce coal consumption for power generation.
• These projects are expected to contribute about 25% of Uttar Pradesh's current thermal power generation capacity, which is around 7,000MW. The construction of the first unit is estimated to take 50 months, while the second unit is expected to be completed in 56 months.

• Max Life Insurance Company announces a partnership with DCB Bank to provide a range of life insurance products, including term, savings, and retirement plans, to the Bank’s customers. Max Life Insurance has partnered with DCB Bank to provide a variety of life insurance products to the latter’s customers.
• Max Life Insurance and DCB Bank join hands to offer a comprehensive range of life insurance solutions to customers. The partnership aims to leverage DCB Bank’s extensive reach and customer-centric approach, along with Max Life’s expertise in protection and long-term savings solutions. By combining their strengths, the two organizations aim to deliver superior customer experience, digital servicing, and an omni-channel approach.

• International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA) and IIML-EIC, have signed a MoU at IIM (Indian Institute of Management) Lucknow EIC, Noida campus in Uttar Pradesh.
• This MoU aims to put in place a framework for cooperation and understanding between IFSCA and IIML-EIC to collaborate in supporting and facilitating FinTech and TechFin entities. The IFSCA is responsible for the development and regulation of international financial services, including that of the insurance sector, in the IFSC, which is treated as a separate international financial jurisdiction, distinct from the rest of India.

• Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur renowned for his ventures in electric cars, space exploration, and social media, has unveiled his highly anticipated artificial intelligence startup, xAI. The company aims to challenge the dominance of major technology firms in the AI field, specifically targeting the development of an alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
• Musk has been an outspoken advocate for caution and regulation in the development of AI. He has repeatedly expressed concerns about the potential "civilizational destruction" that could arise from the uncontrolled advancement of AI technology. In an effort to address these concerns, xAI will take a unique approach to ensure the safety of its AI systems.

• Luis Suarez Miramontes, the so-called “Golden Galician” who is the only Spanish man to win soccer’s most prestigious individual award, the Ballon d’Or, has passed away at the age of 88 in Milan, Italy.
• Luis Suarez Miramontes was born on 2 May 1935, in Spain. He began his career at Deportivo La Coruna, before moving to Barcelona in 1954. Throughout seven seasons, he played a total amount of 253 matches for Barcelona, scoring 141 goals. He also won 32 caps for Spain and was part of the squad which won the European Championship in 1964, making 32 appearances for the national team. He won two La Liga trophies (1958-59 & 1959-60) with the Catalan giants.
• In 1960 Suarez became the first and only male Spanish-born player to win the Ballon d’Or. The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956.

• India’s Nishad Kumar has clinched a silver medal in the ongoing Para Athletics World Championships 2023. Paris will host the Paa Athletics World Championships from 8 to 17 July at the Charlety Stadium. Over 1200 athletes from 107 nations are set to take part in this year’s competition.
• Nishad bagged this medal in the High Jump T47 Event. With this win, Nishad has become the second athlete at this event to grab a medal. The top-four ranked athletes at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in each of the individual medal events qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games, also to be held in Paris.

Download Daily GK PDF of 13 July 2023