1. Centre to establish first National Police University
Centre today said it has initiated a proposal to establish the first National Police University in the country. It will be dedicated to imparting education in policing and internal security. In a written reply in Lok Sabha the Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy said the university will conduct undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate academic programmes in specialized subjects.
2. Sex ratio at birth shows improvement at the national level: WCD
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is one the flagship programmes of the Government. It is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development with focus on Awareness and Advocacy Campaign; Multi-sectoral action in select 405 districts (low on CSR) and Alert Media & Advocacy outreach in 235 districts; Effective enforcement of Pre-Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act and Enabling girls' education.
3. 11th edition of Mekong Ganga Cooperation meet 2019 held in New Delhi
The 11th Mekong Ganga Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting (11th MGC SOM) held in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Senior Officials from all 6 MGC Member States. Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs and H.E. Ms. Doan Phuong Lan, Deputy Director General, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It includes all seven areas of cooperation tourism and culture, education, science and technology, traditional medicine and health, agriculture and allied sectors, water resources management, transportation and communication, and small and medium enterprises.
4. KSUM to host Women Startup Summit 2019 on August 1 in Kochi
Kerala has 13 per cent of women participation in the technology startup ecosystem and the state government had taken "proactive steps" for further increasing it. Seeking to promote women entrepreneurship in a big way, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is hosting a women startup summit on August 1, in association with the Indian women network floated by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), at the integrated startup complex, Kochi. The ‘Women Startup Summit 2019’ aims at encouraging aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State.
5. India to host COP-14 of UNCCD from September 2- 13, 2019
The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14) is scheduled to take place from 2-13 September 2019, at the India Expo Center and Mart in New Delhi, India. We will update this page as more information becomes available. The data and information submitted over the last two years by 135 of the 196 countries that are party to the Convention is the most extensive yet reported by governments on the national status of land degradation and the drivers behind it.
6. USISPF 2nd annual leadership summit held in Washington
Reflecting the new Indo-US bonhomie, the White House has lined up its top officials, including the all-powerful Jared Kushner, for a India-centric business conference here this week. The move comes close on the heels of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Japan last month. The event featuring House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democratic leader, would send an unmistakable signal that Indo-US ties enjoys strong bipartisan support on the lines of that of the US-Israel relations.
7. First Global Conference for Media Freedom held in London
The conference will be structured around 4 themes: protection and prosecution, including impunity, national frameworks and legislation, building trust in media and countering disinformation, media sustainability. Global leaders, representatives from the media industry, journalists, civil society and academia will gather to attend interactive panel discussions. The first day will focus on defining the challenges, the second on framing solutions. Commonwealth Foreign Ministers will also meet to discuss media freedom.
8. The US House passed a Bill to remove 7% cap on issuing Green Card
Passed by the US House of Representatives, the Bill, on being signed into law, would considerably reduce the agonising wait for talented professionals from countries like India seeking permanent work and residency permits in the United States. The US lawmakers Wednesday passed a Bill aimed at lifting the current seven per cent country-cap on issuing Green Cards, a development which would benefit thousands of highly-skilled Indian IT professionals. A Green Card allows a person to live and work permanently in the US.
9. Govt infused over Rs.3.15 lakh crore into PSBs in 11 Years between FY09 and FY19
The government has infused over Rs 3.15 lakh crore into Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the 11 years through 2018-19, Parliament was informed on Monday. Replying to a question related to capital shortage in PSBs to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said as per RBI guidelines, banks in India are required to maintain a minimum capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of 9 per cent. “As on March 31, 2019, all 18 PSBs meet this minimum CRAR requirement,” he said in the written reply. PSBs’ source capital through internal capital generation, mobilisation of capital from markets, and infusion by the government. The capital infusion by the government complements PSBs’ internal capital generation and mobilisation of capital from markets.
10. Wilful defaults exceed $21 billion in India for the year 2018-19, SBI holds the highest
India's state-owned banks had classified Rs 1.50 trillion ($21.76 billion) worth of loans as "wilful defaults" in 2018-19, with the biggest lender State Bank of India accounting for nearly a third, the finance minister said in the parliament. Under Indian law, wilful defaulters are classified as firms or individuals who own large businesses and deliberately avoid repayments. According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), gross loans and advances in state-run banks came in at Rs 63820 crore, as of March 31, 2019.
11. SBI waives charges for internet, mobile banking customers
With an aim to boost digital transactions, State Bank of India on Friday said that it has waived Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) charges for its app YONO, internet and mobile banking customers. The waiver is effective from 1 July 2019. SBI will also not levy Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) charges from 1 August, 2019.
12. In 2025, India will overtake Japan to become the World’s 3rd Largest Economy: IHS Markit
India was ranked 77 out of 190 countries that are included on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index for 2019. The role of investment is seen as a critical enabler for innovation, rapid productivity growth and new technology, helping to boost jobs growth. India will this year overtake the UK to become the world's fifth biggest economy, and is poised to surpass Japan to be the third largest in 2025, IHS Markit said in a report Friday.
13. Govt waived off basic customs duty (BCD) on products imported for nuclear plants
GoI has waived off basic customs duty (BCD) on products imported for nuclear plants. “All goods for use in generation of nuclear power” and “all forms of uranium ores and concentrates for generation of nuclear power” will now have to pay no basic customs duty.
14. AGCL, OIL, GGL sign agreement for setting up of the new company for City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in Assam
Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Oil India Limited (OIL) and GAIL Gas Limited (GGL) signed an agreement on Thursday for incorporating a new company for implementation of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in five districts of Assam. The agreement was signed by AGCL's managing director A K Sharma, OIL's executive director (Business Development) S K Singh and GAIL CEO A K Jana in the presence of Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary. The venture is the outcome of the extension of the National Gas Grid Pipeline (Urja Ganga Project) to Assam.
15. TVS Motor launches India’s first Ethanol based motorcycle ‘TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100’
TVS said RTR 200 Fi E100 can take a maximum 20 per cent petrol blended with 80 per cent ethanol, as 100 per cent ethanol is simply not available anywhere in the country. With the government mounting serious pressure on the domestic two-wheeler industry to move away from fossil fuel vehicles and look at alternate energy, country's third largest two-wheeler maker TVS motor company on Friday launched an ethanol-based version of its 200cc sports-bike Apache. At a price of Rs 1.2 lakh, this version costs about Rs 11,000 more than the comparable petrol variant. It is capable of running completely on ethanol and does not need to be blended with petrol at all. The bike will initially be available in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
Centre today said it has initiated a proposal to establish the first National Police University in the country. It will be dedicated to imparting education in policing and internal security. In a written reply in Lok Sabha the Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy said the university will conduct undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate academic programmes in specialized subjects.
2. Sex ratio at birth shows improvement at the national level: WCD
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is one the flagship programmes of the Government. It is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development with focus on Awareness and Advocacy Campaign; Multi-sectoral action in select 405 districts (low on CSR) and Alert Media & Advocacy outreach in 235 districts; Effective enforcement of Pre-Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act and Enabling girls' education.
3. 11th edition of Mekong Ganga Cooperation meet 2019 held in New Delhi
The 11th Mekong Ganga Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting (11th MGC SOM) held in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Senior Officials from all 6 MGC Member States. Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs and H.E. Ms. Doan Phuong Lan, Deputy Director General, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It includes all seven areas of cooperation tourism and culture, education, science and technology, traditional medicine and health, agriculture and allied sectors, water resources management, transportation and communication, and small and medium enterprises.
4. KSUM to host Women Startup Summit 2019 on August 1 in Kochi
Kerala has 13 per cent of women participation in the technology startup ecosystem and the state government had taken "proactive steps" for further increasing it. Seeking to promote women entrepreneurship in a big way, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is hosting a women startup summit on August 1, in association with the Indian women network floated by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), at the integrated startup complex, Kochi. The ‘Women Startup Summit 2019’ aims at encouraging aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State.
5. India to host COP-14 of UNCCD from September 2- 13, 2019
The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14) is scheduled to take place from 2-13 September 2019, at the India Expo Center and Mart in New Delhi, India. We will update this page as more information becomes available. The data and information submitted over the last two years by 135 of the 196 countries that are party to the Convention is the most extensive yet reported by governments on the national status of land degradation and the drivers behind it.
6. USISPF 2nd annual leadership summit held in Washington
Reflecting the new Indo-US bonhomie, the White House has lined up its top officials, including the all-powerful Jared Kushner, for a India-centric business conference here this week. The move comes close on the heels of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Japan last month. The event featuring House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democratic leader, would send an unmistakable signal that Indo-US ties enjoys strong bipartisan support on the lines of that of the US-Israel relations.
7. First Global Conference for Media Freedom held in London
The conference will be structured around 4 themes: protection and prosecution, including impunity, national frameworks and legislation, building trust in media and countering disinformation, media sustainability. Global leaders, representatives from the media industry, journalists, civil society and academia will gather to attend interactive panel discussions. The first day will focus on defining the challenges, the second on framing solutions. Commonwealth Foreign Ministers will also meet to discuss media freedom.
8. The US House passed a Bill to remove 7% cap on issuing Green Card
Passed by the US House of Representatives, the Bill, on being signed into law, would considerably reduce the agonising wait for talented professionals from countries like India seeking permanent work and residency permits in the United States. The US lawmakers Wednesday passed a Bill aimed at lifting the current seven per cent country-cap on issuing Green Cards, a development which would benefit thousands of highly-skilled Indian IT professionals. A Green Card allows a person to live and work permanently in the US.
9. Govt infused over Rs.3.15 lakh crore into PSBs in 11 Years between FY09 and FY19
The government has infused over Rs 3.15 lakh crore into Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the 11 years through 2018-19, Parliament was informed on Monday. Replying to a question related to capital shortage in PSBs to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said as per RBI guidelines, banks in India are required to maintain a minimum capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of 9 per cent. “As on March 31, 2019, all 18 PSBs meet this minimum CRAR requirement,” he said in the written reply. PSBs’ source capital through internal capital generation, mobilisation of capital from markets, and infusion by the government. The capital infusion by the government complements PSBs’ internal capital generation and mobilisation of capital from markets.
10. Wilful defaults exceed $21 billion in India for the year 2018-19, SBI holds the highest
India's state-owned banks had classified Rs 1.50 trillion ($21.76 billion) worth of loans as "wilful defaults" in 2018-19, with the biggest lender State Bank of India accounting for nearly a third, the finance minister said in the parliament. Under Indian law, wilful defaulters are classified as firms or individuals who own large businesses and deliberately avoid repayments. According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), gross loans and advances in state-run banks came in at Rs 63820 crore, as of March 31, 2019.
11. SBI waives charges for internet, mobile banking customers
With an aim to boost digital transactions, State Bank of India on Friday said that it has waived Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) charges for its app YONO, internet and mobile banking customers. The waiver is effective from 1 July 2019. SBI will also not levy Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) charges from 1 August, 2019.
12. In 2025, India will overtake Japan to become the World’s 3rd Largest Economy: IHS Markit
India was ranked 77 out of 190 countries that are included on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index for 2019. The role of investment is seen as a critical enabler for innovation, rapid productivity growth and new technology, helping to boost jobs growth. India will this year overtake the UK to become the world's fifth biggest economy, and is poised to surpass Japan to be the third largest in 2025, IHS Markit said in a report Friday.
13. Govt waived off basic customs duty (BCD) on products imported for nuclear plants
GoI has waived off basic customs duty (BCD) on products imported for nuclear plants. “All goods for use in generation of nuclear power” and “all forms of uranium ores and concentrates for generation of nuclear power” will now have to pay no basic customs duty.
14. AGCL, OIL, GGL sign agreement for setting up of the new company for City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in Assam
Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Oil India Limited (OIL) and GAIL Gas Limited (GGL) signed an agreement on Thursday for incorporating a new company for implementation of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network in five districts of Assam. The agreement was signed by AGCL's managing director A K Sharma, OIL's executive director (Business Development) S K Singh and GAIL CEO A K Jana in the presence of Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary. The venture is the outcome of the extension of the National Gas Grid Pipeline (Urja Ganga Project) to Assam.
15. TVS Motor launches India’s first Ethanol based motorcycle ‘TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100’
TVS said RTR 200 Fi E100 can take a maximum 20 per cent petrol blended with 80 per cent ethanol, as 100 per cent ethanol is simply not available anywhere in the country. With the government mounting serious pressure on the domestic two-wheeler industry to move away from fossil fuel vehicles and look at alternate energy, country's third largest two-wheeler maker TVS motor company on Friday launched an ethanol-based version of its 200cc sports-bike Apache. At a price of Rs 1.2 lakh, this version costs about Rs 11,000 more than the comparable petrol variant. It is capable of running completely on ethanol and does not need to be blended with petrol at all. The bike will initially be available in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
