India is ranked 39th among 119 countries, according to the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 report published by the World Economic Forum.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha today, Minister of Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said that as per the UNWTO barometer for May 2024, there were 975 million international tourist arrivals around the world in 2022, wherein India recorded 14.3 million international tourist arrivals that represented 1.47 per cent of the international inbound tourism market share. The share of India’s international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific will be 15.66 per cent in 2022. He said that India’s scores have improved in three areas: prioritisation of travel and tourism, safety and security, and health and hygiene.

Beyond the attention-grabbing performances of Indian shooters lie another feat that has gone unnoticed so far. Lieutenant Colonel Kabilan Sai Ashok, a serving Indian Army Officer, has become India’s youngest referee to officiate the boxing events at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

Lt Col Ashok, 32, is only the fourth Indian since 1904 to officiate at the Olympics and the first to have represented the country as a player and an official at a world championship event, said Army officials.

He is also the first Indian to become the president of World Military Boxing Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex in New Delhi on August 3rd.

Organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists, the triennial conference will run until August 7th. This marks the first time in 65 years that the ICAE is being held in India.

The theme of this year’s conference, “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems,” addresses the urgent need for sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs, and conflicts. The event will highlight India’s proactive approach to global agricultural issues and showcase the nation’s advancements in agricultural research and policy.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the creation of the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT), modelled after the NITI Aayog, to serve as a public policy think-tank for the state. Speaking at the NITI Aayog governing council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by various state chief ministers, Patel emphasised Gujarat's dedication to the vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.

Patel unveiled the 'Gujarat@2047 Dynamic Document-Roadmap' focused on the pillars of 'Earning Well' and 'Living Well,' aimed at enhancing quality of life and economic prosperity in the state.

In a significant move towards sustainable energy and to boost solar energy adoption in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the 'Goem Vinamulya Vij Yevjan,' an initiative aligned with the Prime Minister's Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

This new scheme is designed to enhance solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households in Goa to generate their own electricity.

CM Sawant stated that the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana aims to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their electricity. He additionally informed that the scheme has an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore and is to be implemented till FY 2026-27.

Finance ministers from leading rich and developing nations agreed Friday to strive toward effectively taxing the super-rich, a joint ministerial declaration said.

With full respect to tax sovereignty, we will seek to engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed, the declaration said after the two-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil has made a proposal to impose a 2 per cent minimum tax on billionaires a top priority of its presidency of the Group of 20, ahead of the Nov. 18-19 summit in Rio.

While the final declaration stops short of agreeing on a specific global tax, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad nevertheless called it a significant step forward.

The Jharkhand Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to impose cess on mined minerals to boost the state's revenue. This move follows the Supreme Court's July 25 ruling, which affirmed that the legislative power to tax mineral rights rests with the states.

Mining Minister in-charge Mithilesh Thakur introduced the 'Jharkhand Mineral-Bearing Land Cess Bill 2024', which was approved by voice vote.

The Bill proposes varying tax rates for different minerals on a per-metric-tonne basis: Rs 100 for coal and iron ore, Rs 70 for bauxite, and Rs 50 for manganese ore and other minerals.

In a major boost to the domestic aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry and to the aviation sector, the Union government has announced that a uniform rate of 5% IGST will apply to imports of parts components, testing equipment, tools and tool-kits of aircraft, irrespective of their HSN classification subject to specified conditions. This policy change is a crucial step towards enhancing the competitiveness of the Indian MRO sector, fostering innovation and efficiency and creating a robust and efficient aviation sector, according to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.

IIT-Kharagpur recently awarded Sundar Pichai, the CEO ofAlphabet, an honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)degree. The ceremony took place in San Francisco, marking a significant moment for both Pichai and the prestigious institute. Alongside Pichai, his wife, Anjali Pichai, was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, further highlighting the couple's impressive achievements.

It was a homecoming filled with emotion and gratitude as Google CEO Sundar Pichai received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from his alma mater, IIT Kharagpur. The ceremony, held in San Francisco, also recognised Pichai's wife, Anjali Pichai, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Reflecting on the honour in an Instagram post, Pichai shared, "Last week I was grateful to receive an honorary doctorate from my alma mater IIT Kharagpur. My parents always hoped I would get my doctorate, I think an honorary one still counts:)"

Former India cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad passed away on Wednesday at the age of 71. As per PTI report, he died after fighting a long battle with cancer.

Gaekwad, who previously served as an India coach and national selector, had been receiving treatment for blood cancer at King's College Hospital in London. He returned to the country last month. Earlier in June, the BCCI had contributed ₹1 crore towards Gaekwad's medical expenses, additionally, the members of the 1983 World Cup-winning team also pitched in to support him.