Naveen Patnaik sworn in as Odisha chief minister

1.    Naveen Patnaik sworn in as Odisha chief minister

i. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik was on Wednesday sworn in as Odisha chief minister for the fourth straight term.

ii. Governor SC Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 67-year-old leader at a ceremony attended by hundreds of party leaders, workers, officials and journalists at the Raj Bhavan in state capital Bhubaneswar. 

iii. Once considered a political novice and a reluctant inheritor of Biju Patnaik's mantle in 1997, Naveen Patnaik has turned master strategist to become Odisha Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive time. 

2.    Army launches coaching programme for J&K youth to crack IIT-JEE

i. The Army has launched a coaching programme for the students of Chenab Valley belt in Jammu and Kashmir to help them crack the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE).

ii. A senior Army official said that the Centre for Social Responsibility & Leadership (CSRL) in association with Army's Delta Force has launched Chenab Super-30 programme to provide eleven months free residential coaching for clearing the IIT-JEE to the talented youth of Chenab Valley.

iii. The proposal has drawn overwhelming response from students in the three Chenab Valley districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.
iv. The programme got an overwhelming response from the students, especially girls, the army officer said.

3.    China, Russia sign 30-year gas deal

i. A spokesman for Russia’s Gazprom said the company has signed a 30-year contract to supply natural gas to China.

ii. Spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov told The Associated Press the deal was signed on Wednesday but he declined to give any price details.

iii. China and Russia have been negotiating the deal for more than a decade but had been hung up over the gas price.

iv. Chinese and Russian officials had said they expected a deal to be reached in time to be signed during this week’s visit to Shanghai by Russian President Vladimir Putin.