NATIONAL NEWS
Odisha Govt ties up with Syntizen for life certificates to pensioners via video KYCThe Odisha government has partnered with Syntizen, a Digital Identity Solutions provider, to provide life certificates to pensioners in the state via video KYC.
- Odisha has become the first state in India to provide life certificates to pensioners via video KYC. The move will benefit around five lakh pensioners.
- The procedure takes 5–10 minutes and a life certificate is generated instantly.
Puducherry has been handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to host the 25th National Youth Festival, organised as part of the Azadi ki Amrit Mahotsav marking the 75th year of Independence, said Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.
- He was participating in a function in which Puducherry Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan unveiled the logo, mascot and theme of the NYF in the presence of Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Speaker R Selvam and Minister for Education A Namassivayam in Puducherry.
- The 25th National Youth Festival is going to be held in Puducherry from 12th to 16th January 2022.
The Kerala High Court is all set to become India's first paperless court. Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud inaugurated the smart courtrooms.
- In the 1st phase six courtrooms, including the Chief Justice's room, will be converted into smart courts.
- Also, case files will be made available to the lawyers on the computer screen.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
BANKING & FINANCE
SBI General Insurance launches awareness campaign on tax savingSBI General Insurance has announced the launch of a campaign to increase awareness of Indians around the need to buy health insurance to save tax.
- The campaign #BahaneChhodoTaxBachao will also underline other benefits of opting for health insurance.
- The campaign consists of videos in a Vox Pop format featuring anchor Rudraksh Singh. Singh travels across major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Kolkata asking people about the lamest excuse they have for not opting for a health insurance and then making them aware of the tax benefits that they can obtain from it.
Airtel Payments Bank announced a collaboration with Park+ to offer FASTag-based smart parking solutions to marquee commercial and residential properties across the country.
- The partnership aims to leverage the distribution reach and digital payments stack of Airtel Payments Bank to digitise the parking ecosystem using FASTag associated with the vehicle.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Google Cloud partners with CryptoWire to develop blockchain, crypto ecosystemTickerPlant, a subsidiary of 63 Moons technologies limited, announced its collaboration with Google Cloud for the development of the CryptoWire eco-system, catering to all stakeholders of crypto and the blockchain industry on a common platform.
- CryptoWire aims to simplify the digital asset class, blockchain technology, its industrial application and empower enthusiasts and professionals to make informed business decisions by offering deep insight and leading-edge knowledge.
- CryptoWire’s state-of-the-art knowledge portals, CryptoTV and Crypto University will provide technology and knowledge intensive global intervention in crypto asset and blockchain ecosystem to enable seamless operations and convergence of all applications for participants to take informed investment decisions and enable industry usage of the blockchain.
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) launched its mega bond sale as the company sought to raise $3-5 billion from offshore investors.
- This will be the largest-ever bond sale by an Indian company tapping overseas money and the year's first fundraising from the country.
- The proceeds will be used primarily to refinance existing debt with a likely funding cost benefit. Parts of it can also be used for financing capital expenditure or general corporate purposes.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Google buys Israeli security startup Siemplify for $500 millionAlphabet Inc-owned Google said its cloud division had acquired Israeli cybersecurity startup Siemplify, as the U.S. tech giant expands its security offerings amid rising cyber attacks.
- Financial details of the deal were not disclosed by the companies, but a source familiar with the matter said Google paid $500 million in cash for Siemplify.
- The deal came after Google made a pledge to U.S. President Joe Biden last August to invest $10 billion in cybersecurity over the next five years, amid a significant rise in cyber attacks and data breaches.
APPOINTMENTS
Indias TS Tirumurti assumes new chair of UN Counter-Terrorism CommitteeTS Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the United Nations was named the new Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).
- Prior to taking up his current position as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, in May 2020, Tirumurti served as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, handling the Economic Relations portfolio (which included, inter alia, the Gulf and the Arab World, Africa, and India's Development Partnership.
Pakistan has elevated Justice Ayesha A Malik to the country’s Supreme Court, making her the first woman judge in the country’s history to hold a top judicial position.
- The 55-year-old currently serves as a judge in the Lahore High Court, where she reportedly ranks as the fourth-most senior judge.
State-owned Bank of Baroda said it has signed cricketer Shafali Verma as its brand endorser.
- The Bank continuously supports the youth of the country through its various banking and non-banking initiatives and this announcement reflects the bank’s ethos of adding value to its customer experience by choosing youth-icons like Shafali to inspire them.
G Asok Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken over as new Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Kumar belongs to the 1991 batch of Indian Administrative Service.He had earlier served in senior poisitions in Civil Aviation and Power ministries and was Executive Director Projects in National Mission for Clean Ganga.
The US Chamber of Commerce said ambassador Atul Keshap was being appointed as president of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) effective from January 5.
- Keshap most recently served in New Delhi as United States Chargé d’Affaires to India, leading the US Embassy team.
- Nisha Biswal, a former US assistant secretary of state for South Asia, and Keshap’s predecessor as USIBC head, will remain deeply involved with the organisation as the US Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president of International Strategy and Global Initiatives and South Asia.
The Centre has again appointed Vijay Paul Sharma as the chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) after he relinquished the post in May last year following completion of the five-year tenure.
- The role of CACP chairman will be crucial in the proposed committee on the minimum support price (MSP) and other reforms.
- Sharma, a professor at the Centre for Management in Agriculture in Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad was first appointed as CACP Chairman in June 2016.
AWARDS
South Indian Bank wins UiPath Automation Excellence awards 2021The Kerala-based lender South Indian Bank has won the UiPath Automation Excellence Awards 2021 for Best Automation under Crisis for Business Continuity.
- The award was bestowed upon the Bank for its exceptional use of Robotic Process Automation capabilities under difficult times for solving severe operational constraints, thereby ensuring business continuity.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indian Navy Commences Boeing P-8I Aircraft Operations From INS HansaThe Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I aircraft commenced operations from INS Hansa, Goa.
- The Navy has inducted two more Poseidon 8I maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, in a boost to its surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean in the face of China's increasing forays into the region.
- The existing fleet of P-8Is is extensively deployed to keep track of the movement of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region. The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial aeroplanes, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the US Navy.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
“Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India” book by Dhirendra JhaThe book titled “Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India” written by Dhirendra Jha has been released recently.
- In his new book, Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and his Idea of India, Dhirendra K. Jha throws light on a pretrial statement Godse made, which refutes the self-portrait he offered in the courtroom “and the myths which pro-RSS writers created to suppress the real life that the assassin had lived and influences that had worked on him and led him to murder Gandhi.
No comments:
Post a Comment