NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Launches ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ Campaign Against Child Marriage: The Government of India launched the ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign to eradicate the social evil of child marriage.The Campaign will be supervised by the Union Ministry of Child and Women Development. According to the government, it will continue until the social evil of child marriage is eradicated from the country.The ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign was launched by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi in New Delhi. The minister also unveiled the ‘Child Marriage Free Bharat’ portal. The portal will support the campaign’s mission by raising public awareness against child marriage, preventing child marriage, and reporting incidents of child marriage.The campaign will focus on 130 districts of the country where the incidence of child marriage is very high. It will involve the concerned central and state government departments, district Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, civil society members and organisations and the media.
2. Mines Ministry launched India’s first-ever auction of minerals in offshore areas: The Ministry of Mines has launched the first-ever tranche of mineral block auctions in India’s offshore areas.
This landmark initiative signals India’s entry into the exploration and development of undersea mineral resources within its offshore territories. These areas include the country’s territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and other maritime zones.India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), spanning over 2 million square kilometres, is believed to hold significant mineral reserves.In August 2023, the Parliament amended the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, making auctions the mandatory mode for allocating mineral blocks in offshore areas. This amendment enables the government to streamline the granting of production leases and composite licences for resource exploration and extraction.
3. Govt collects Rs 16,398 crore GST on health, life insurance in FY24: FinMin: The revenue collected by the union government through Goods and Services Tax (GST) on healthcare and life insurance services surged by 680 per cent to Rs 16,398 crore in 2023-24 from Rs 2,101 crore in 2019-20, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.However, GST collections in this category dropped marginally in FY24 compared to Rs 16,770 crore collected in FY23.This comes amid demands from stakeholders, including states, to reduce GST rates on health and life insurance premiums.At present, GST on health insurance services is levied at a standard rate of 18 per cent. Specific health insurance schemes catering to the needs of differently abled and economically weaker sections of society, such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Universal Health Insurance Scheme, Jan Arogya Bima Policy, and Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme, are exempt from GST.
4. Amara Raja Infra sets up Green Hydrogen fuelling station for NTPC in Leh: EPC company Amara Raja Infra has completed setting up India’s first green hydrogen fuelling station in Leh, Ladakh for NTPC.The project will enable emission-free transport in and around Leh – making India among the few countries to take the lead in the green mobility space. With the completion, NTPC will operationalise five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region.Union Power Minister and Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal inaugurated the green hydrogen fuelling station. The scope of the project consisted of designing, engineering, supplying, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the hydrogen station. Additionally, it also includes three years of operation and maintenance works of all systems on a turnkey basis.The fuelling station project with a capacity of producing GH2 of 80kg per day was completed in two years, at a height of 3,400 meters above sea level with temperatures varying between minus 25°Celsius to 30° Celsius.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Who is Yamandú Orsi, Uruguay’s New President?: Yamandú Orsi has been elected as Uruguay’s next president, follows a closely contested runoff election, which marks a shift back to centre-left governance after five years of conservative rule. After the dictatorship, Orsi joined the Popular Participation Movement. This movement was led by José Mujica, a former president and guerrilla leader. Mujica has been a key supporter throughout Orsi’s campaign. Orsi served as mayor twice before his presidential run.Orsi embodies a simple lifestyle, reminiscent of Mujica. He enjoys rural life and often drinks mate in public. He has been seen walking his dog and wearing casual attire. Orsi has pledged not to reside in the presidential palace when he takes office in March 2025.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Indian Coast Guard’s SAREX-24 maritime exercise begins: The 11th edition of Indian Coast Guard’s National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24) begins in Kochi, Kerala.Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has inaugurated the event. The exercise is being held alongside the 22nd National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting.The event will feature the largest ever real time simulations aimed at honing the skills for effective Search and Rescue Operations and colloborative efforts among the regional and international maritime stakeholders.Response operations to large-scale contigencies at sea will be the essence of the current edition of SAREX, based on the theme “Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities through Regional Collaboration.”
2. INSV Tarini Begins Historic Journey to New Zealand: On November 24, 2024, the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini departed Fremantle, Australia, which marks the start of the second leg of its global expedition. The crew, led by Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A, received a warm send-off from supporters. The Navika Sagar Parikrama-II expedition commenced on October 2, 2024, which is a historic mission featuring two women officers sailing around the world. The vessel, INSV Tarini, measures 56 feet. This journey is a dual-handed circumnavigation, with both officers navigating together.
SPORTS
1. NADA suspends Bajrang Punia for four years over anti-doping code violation: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) handed a four-year suspension to Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia after he refused to provide a sample for a dope test during the national selection trials on March 10.Initially suspended by NADA on April 23, the Tokyo Games bronze medallist was also suspended by the World Wrestling Federation (UWW) in light of the incident.The Panel holds that the Athlete is liable for sanctions under Article 10.3.1 and liable for ineligibility for a period of 4 years,” the ADDP said in its order.
2. Divith Reddy won Under-8 World Cadets Chess Champion 2024: Eight-year-old Divith Reddy of Hyderabad, Telangana, has won the Under-8 World Cadets Chess Championship in Montesilvano, Italy.Divith secured 9 out of the possible 11 points in the Under-8 World Cadets Chess Championship and was tied with fellow Indian Sattwik Swain and the Chinese Ziming Guo. However, due to a better tie-break score, Divith Reddy was awarded the gold medal, Sattwik Swain the silver medal, and the Chinese Ziming Guo got the bronze medal.Divith, with a FIDE rating of 1784, started the Championships brilliantly by winning the first four of his matches. However, he lost his next two matches but bounced back to win his last five matches and the title.About FIDE World Cadet Championships 2024The world chess governing body FIDE organised the FIDE World Cadet Championships 2024 at Montesilvano, Italy.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. PNB MetLife introduces Smart Communications App to transform Agent-Customer Interactions: PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited has unveiled the Smart Communications App, a cutting-edge digital platform aimed at enhancing interactions between customers, agents, valued partners, and its Proprietary Sales Force (PSF).The app is designed to simplify sales processes and foster meaningful, personalised connections.PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited is a leading life insurance provider in India, combining the global expertise of MetLife, Inc. with the legacy of Punjab National Bank (PNB). Tagline “Milkar Life Aage Badhaein,”.
2. Paytm launches UPI Lite Auto Top-Up for Hassle-Free Recurring Daily Payments: One97 Communications (OCL), the parent company of Paytm, has rolled out a new automatic top-up feature for Paytm UPI Lite, streamlining small-value transactions for users.This feature ensures automatic recharging of the UPI Lite balance when it drops below a preset limit, eliminating the need for a PIN and enabling seamless daily payments.Users can now make payments of up to Rs. 500 per transaction, with a daily cap of Rs. 2,000, making the feature ideal for recurring expenses such as groceries, transportation, subscriptions, and small utility bills. According to Paytm, the UPI Lite system keeps bank statements clutter-free, as transactions are processed via an on-device wallet without direct access, to the main bank account.Additionally, Paytm has introduced a UPI statement download feature, allowing users to view and download detailed transaction records, including those made via UPI Lite. This enhancement promotes effective expense tracking and spending management.
3. Star Health Insurance launches ‘Star Arogya Digi Seva’ with CCDC: Star Health Insurance, a prominent standalone health insurance provider, has unveiled its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ‘Star Arogya Digi Seva’.Developed in partnership with the Center for Chronic Disease and Control (CCDC), the program seeks to bridge healthcare gaps in underserved rural communities by combining cutting-edge telemedicine technology with Mobile Health Units (MHUs).Focusing initially on five aspirational districts in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the initiative will span across 74 villages in 10 districts, delivering essential healthcare services directly to these areas.The program emphasizes the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and hypertension, while also conducting awareness campaigns on preventive health and iron nutrition.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Indian Chemical Council conferred with 2024 OPCW The Hague Award: The Indian Chemical Council, an apex body representing the Indian chemical Industry, was conferred with the 2024 OPCW The Hague Award in a ceremony in the Hague, Netherlands.The Director General of the Indian Chemical Council, D. Sothi Selvam, received the award.The award was conferred on the Indian Chemical Council during the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).The 29th session of the CSP will be held from 25 to 29 November 2024 in the Hague, Netherlands.The Conference of the States Parties (CSP) meets annually at the Hague to oversee the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, promote the Convention’s objectives, and review compliance with the treaty.
2. Angel One gets SEBI nod to enter mutual fund business: Angel One Asset Management Company has received SEBI’s approval to act as the asset management company for Angel One Mutual Fund which will focus exclusively on passive investment solutions.Angel One Mutual Fund’s passive investment products such as index funds and exchange traded funds will be designed to offer clients a low-cost, transparent and accessible pathway to wealth creation.The fund house aims to offer user-friendly, easy to understand wealth creating products to a growing base of retail investors across the country.Chairman and Managing Director of Angel One – Dinesh Thakkar
No comments:
Post a Comment