Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first Indian premier to have been conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France's highest civilian and military honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Modi received the honour at the Elysee Palace and joined the ranks of other prominent world leaders such as the former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, King Charles - the then Prince of Wales, former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations, among others.

Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, The Legion of Honour is divided into five classes (lower to higher).

Although the membership to the award is restricted to French nationals, foreign nationals who serve France or uphold its ideals may also be given a distinction of the Legion.

Earlier, the French president and First Lady Brigitte Macron hosted a private dinner for Modi at the Elysee Palace.

On  Jul 13  evening, Modi addressed the Indian diaspora  and announced an agreement for the use of UPI in France, opening a huge new market for Indian innovation in cashless instant payment.

Modi announced the opening of a new Indian consulate in Marseille in France and told the cheerful audience that Indian students doing masters in the European country will now get five-year-long post-study work visas.

Vipul Chaudhary, a former Gujarat minister, and former chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the Amul brand, and the ex-chairman of Dudhsagar Dairy was found guilty of defrauding the dairy and incurring a loss of Rs 22.5 crore in 2014 by supplying cattle feed to Maharashtra without following the correct processes.

He was given a seven-year prison sentence by a court in Mehsana. Y R Agrawal, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Mehsana, convicted Chaudhary and 14 others of cheating under the IPC Section 420 and sentenced them to seven years in prison.

In 1996, Chaudhary, a key figure in Gujarat’s cooperative sector, served as a minister of state for Home in the Shankarsinh Vaghela cabinet.

The anti-naxal unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) would soon be deployed to combat militants in militancy-hit Kashmir.

A  contingent of Cobra commandos arrived in Srinagar a few months back and they are presently undergoing training in a CRPF training centre in the outskirts of Srinagar

The Cobra commandos , besides being trained in urban and rural warfare, are also being trained how to operate in rural and urban areas and how to consider local social and cultural factors while operating on the ground.

The conditioning camp is also being held for Cobra commandos to acclimatize them to the weather conditions of Kashmir, where temperature drops below freezing point during the winters.

The Cobra commandos would also be taught the basic (Kashmiri) dialect so that they can understand the local language. The CRPF personnel to be deployed in Valley are being trained in the knowhow of the Kashmiri language for more interface with the locals

India has voiced its displeasure at the European Parliament resolution on Manipur, saying it is unacceptable and reflective of a colonial mindset.

In addition, India has reaffirmed that all levels including the judiciary are seized of the situation in Manipur and are taking steps to maintain peace, harmony, law and order.

Earlier, the European Parliament based in Strasbourg passed a resolution on Manipur and called on the Indian government to act promptly to halt the violence and protect religious minorities. The resolution was passed by a show of hands on  Jul 13  after a debate on the issue on  Jul  12 evening.

The resolution has asked the Indian government to pre-empt any further escalation. It also calls on authorities to grant unhindered access to the area by journalists and international observers and to end the internet shutdown.

Furthermore, the resolution also asked the government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in line with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review.

Through the resolution, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the EU to make human rights prominent in its dialogue and relationship with India — a point that was repeatedly raised during the pre-vote debate. The process brought together an unlikely mix of left and right parties which also approved two other resolutions on rights in Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan.

Italian authorities have ordered the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship to remain in a port near Rome after it failed an inspection, the charity that owns it said.

The ship underwent a seven-hour inspection  on Jul 11  by the coast guard in the port of Civitavecchia, north of the Italian capital, after disembarking 57 migrants it had rescued in the Mediterranean.

It was then placed under administrative detention for "an indefinite period" after "a few small technical and administrative problems" were discovered.

SOS Mediterranee press officer Francesco Creazzo said the problem raised by the Italian coast guard related to the number of lifeboats and specialised operators on board.

The Ocean Viking has undergone seven inspections by the coast guard in the past three years.

Italy's hard-right government, which came to power in October 2022, has taken numerous measures to restrict the activities of ships operated by non-governmental organisations that rescue migrants in trouble on the crossing from North Africa.

In February, parliament approved a government decree that limited charity ships to one sea rescue at a time, requiring them to dock at a port assigned by authorities following each rescue.

Edtech company Byju’s on Jul 13  announced that former SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar and former CFO of Infosys TV Mohandas Pai will join the company’s newly constituted Advisory Council. The council will play a pivotal role in advising and mentoring Byju’s Board and its CEO, Byju Raveendran, on crucial matters that will shape the company’s future.

The appointment of these two leaders in finance and governance to Advisory Council underscores Byju’s commitment to enhance its financial governance mechanisms and leverage expert advice to drive sustainable growth and strategic decision-making.

The firm has hired upGrad’s former CEO Arjun Mohan as the CEO of its international business. Mohan had left upGrad in December last year. He was previously working with Byju’s as its chief business officer.

Federal Bank, on Jul 13 , announced a 42% rise in net profit at Rs 854 crore for the first quarter of the current fiscal, driven by a healthy rise in interest income. Net interest income jumped 20% to Rs 1,919 crore during the quarter, while other income rose 62% to Rs 732 crore.

The bank’s gross non-performing asset (GNPA) improved to 2.38% during the quarter from 2.69% last year whereas net NPA stood at 0.69%, which improved from 0.94% in the corresponding quarter last year. Shyam Srinivasan, chief executive officer and managing director, Federal Bank, said in a virtual press conference that the bank has board approval to raise up to Rs 4,000 crore in the current fiscal.

Tech company HCLTech to acquire ASAP Group, an automotive engineering services provider, for about Rs 2,300 crore. Headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, ASAP Group was founded in 2010 and has over 1,550 employees. ASAP’s turnover for the year ending December 31, 2022, stood at 154.3 million Euro.

In a BSE filing, HCLTech said it sees high potential in areas such as autonomous driving, e-mobility and connectivity. ASAP’s services portfolio comprises Electrics/Electronics, Software Development, Consulting Services, TestingValidation, and Vehicle Development.

ASAP serves the top auto original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers in Europe. The acquisition will boost the company’s global leadership in engineering services by strengthening its advanced technology capabilities in the fast-growing automotive engineering services segment in Europe and other key global markets.