Indian Railway launches digitised online Human Resource Management System (HRMS)

Posted By educratsweb.com ❄ News 🗓 Thursday November 26 2020 👁 13

  Prior Advance Annual Appraisal Chairman Electronic Employee Employees Hon&rsquo Indian Management Master Minister Module Office Orders Performance Railway Railways Record Records Report Resource Service System advance already annual application balance booklet change communication complete completely completely. conferencing. Employee create data. Provident database. details digital digitally digitized digitizes digitizing economy. efficiency eliminate employee employees employees. employees.   empowered enables entire expected facilitates fetched following format functioning gazetted impact improve improved including information interact joining knowledge launched leverage module modules monitoring office online online. online. Settlement peeformance pension pensioners physical process processed processing productivity project promotion railway realizing records regarding replacing retirement retiring satisfaction. savvy. Shri service settlement society status stores storing system thrust timely towards transfer transform updation useful various vision writing

if you have any information regarding Job, Study Material or any other information related to career. you can Post your article on our website. Click here to Register & Share your contents.
For Advertisment or any query email us at educratsweb@gmail.com

1. University of Engineering & Management begins admission for MBA programme
Friday June 26 2020 : University of Engineering & Management begins admission for MBA programme University of Engineering & Management recently announced the commencement of the admission process to the MBA programme which is offered at its campus. The application form for the same is available in online mode and the last date for registering for the exam is July 12. Those who will be applying for the programme must check the eligibility criteria before they register for the programme. Programmes Offered and Fee Candidates who will be pursuing the following courses that are mentioned in the table can check the fees for each of them which is semester wise. Name of the course and fees Course Name Fees Marketing 45000 per Semester Finance Human Resource & Systems   Important Dates Related to Admission to MBA programme at UEM Jaipur The last date for filling the application form for the MBA programme is July 12 and candidates must fill it before the end date so as to avoid any last minute hassle. Mode of application form and Fees for the MBA programme offered at UEM Jaipur Candidates will have to fill the application form for the MBA programme which is being offered at University of Engineering & Management (UEM), Jaipur in online mode and they will have to pay fee of Rs 1000. Admission/Selection Process to the MBA programme offered at UEM Jaipur Candidates will be offered admission based on their performance in the entrance exam IEMJEE 2020. All those who qualify the exam, they will be shortlisted and depending on their score they will have to take part in the counselling process. Contact UEM, Jaipur Campus Sikar Road, Jaipur Rajasthan –303807  

2. Women Officers in Helicopter Stream of Indian Navy
Monday September 21 2020 : In yet another first in the history of Indian naval aviation, two women officers have been selected to join as “Observers” (Airborne Tacticians) in the helicopter stream. They would in effect, be the first set of women airborne combatants who would be operating from warships. Earlier, entry of women was restricted to the fixed wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore. These officers, Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Kumudini Tyagi and SLtRiti Singh, are a part of a group of 17 officers of the Indian Navy, including four women officers and three officers of the Indian Coast Guard (13 officers of Regular batch and 04 woman officers of Short Service Commission batch) who were awarded “Wings” on graduating as  “Observers” at a ceremony held on 21 Sep 20 at INS Garuda, Kochi.  The ceremony was presided by Rear Admiral Antony George NM, VSM, Chief Staff Officer (Training) who presented the awards and coveted wings to the graduating officers. In addition, the Chief guest also awarded the ‘Instructor Badge’ to six other officers, (five from the Indian Navy including a woman and another from Indian Coast Guard) who had successfully graduated as Qualified Navigation Instructors (QNI) on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Rear Admiral Antony George while complementing the graduating officers highlighted the fact that it is a landmark occasion wherein for the first-time women are going to be trained in helicopter operations which would ultimately pave way for the deployment of women in frontline warships of Indian Navy The officers of the 91st Regular course and 22nd SSC Observer course were trained in air navigation, flying procedures, tactics employed in air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and exploitation of airborne avionic systems. These officers would serve on-board Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. From the 91st Regular Observer Course, Lieutenant Hitesh Singh was awarded the Uttar Pradesh Trophy on being adjudged ‘First in the Overall Order of Merit’ while Lt Anuj Kumar was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Trophy for being adjudged ‘Best in Flying’. Lt Hitesh Singh was also awarded Sub Lt RV Kunte memorial Book Prize on being adjudged ‘Best in Ground Subjects’. From 22nd SSC Observer Course SLtKreeshma R was awarded the Book Prize for being adjudged ‘Best in Overall Order of Merit’. Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1657358  

3. NTPC invites online bids for EPC Package of Waste to Energy Facility in Varanasi
Friday July 16 2021 : NTPC invites online bids for EPC Package of Waste to Energy Facility in Varanasi   Mumbai, July 16, 2021: NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited has invited online bids on a “two-stage” bidding basis for the EPC Package of Waste to Energy Facility at Ramna, Varanasi. The bid commenced on 22nd June 2021 and will conclude on 27th July 2021. The Varanasi Waste to Energy (WTE) facility is expected to be commissioned by 30th September, 2022.   A Waste to Energy plant with waste segregation facility of 600 TPD fresh Municipal Solid Waste will be installed under the project. The plan will be designed in a modular fashion for assembly, testing, maintenance and replacement of individual sub-assemblies.   The complete plant will be odourless and compliant to applicable emission norm. The plant will be surrounded by an aesthetic environment with permissible noise limits. Also, it will be undergoing an effluent and leachate treatment system to prevent the discharge of harmful substances. Further, human exposure will be limited with a fair amount of automation processes will be deployed around the plant in its operation and maintenance.   NTPC has installed a demo/pilot torrefaction plant at Dadri Stage -1 which uses agriculture residue / MSW as feedstock. This plant deploys “torrefaction” process where MSW is heated in absence of oxygen. The plant which was commissioned in March 2020 presently produces charcoal has a GCV in the range of 4000-5000 kcal/kg.   To promote the torrefaction technology, a Green Charcoal Hackathon was launched on 1st December 2020 with a vision to create a conducive environment by reducing carbon emissions and nurture technology solutions in India.   Based on the outcome of the Green Charcoal Hackathon, the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) of Varanasi Waste to Energy (WTE) facility has been floated on 22nd June, 2021. The Waste to Energy facility will have a receiving shed/pit, a segregation facility, a sealed reactor and its auxiliaries, an emissions control system, an electrical and C&I system, civil works, a post-torrefaction / char handling facility and O&M of two years.

4. Assets Under Management under Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority cross Rs 6 trillion
Wednesday May 26 2021 : The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) here today announced crossing the milestone of Rs 6 lakh crore (Rs 6 trillion) of Assets Under Management (AUM) under the National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY), after 13 years. The AUM growth of last Rs 1 trillion has been achieved in just 7 months.  PFRDA has witnessed remarkable growth in NPS subscribers over the years with 74.10 lakh government employees in the scheme and 28.37 lakh individuals joining from the non-government sector.  The total subscriber base of PFRDA has increased to 4.28 crore. Shri Supratim Bandyopadhyay, Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), said, “We feel immensely gratified at reaching this milestone of Rs 6 trillion AUM, and in less than seven months as we were at Rs 5 trillion in October 2020. The achievement shows the faith subscribers have in NPS and PFRDA. A growing realisation during this pandemic is the priority accorded by individuals to retirement planning, for preserving their financial well being.” As on 21st May 2021, the total number of subscribers under NPS and Atal Pension Yojana has crossed 4.28 crore and the Asset under Management (AUM) has grown to Rs 603,667.02 crore. About PFRDA   Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the National Pension System (NPS) and pension schemes to which this Act applies. NPS was initially notified for central government employees recruits w.e.f. 1st January 2004 and subsequently adopted by almost all State Governments for its employees. NPS was extended to all Indian citizens (resident/non-resident/overseas) on a voluntary basis and to corporates for its employees. Sources https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1721880

5. OP SAMUDRA SETU PHASE 2 - INS JALASHWA BRINGS HOME 588 INDIANS FROM MALDIVES
Monday May 18 2020 : OP SAMUDRA SETU PHASE 2 - INS JALASHWA BRINGS HOME 588 INDIANS FROM MALDIVES   INS Jalashwa, deployed for Op Samudra Setu, entered Kochi harbour today morning concluding her second voyage to bring back Indians from Male, Maldives. The ship disembarked 588 Indian citizens including 70 women (06 expectant mothers) and 21 children at the Samudrika Cruise Terminal, of Cochin Port Trust. INS Jalashwa berthed alongside at Cochin Port Trust at 11:30 am and was received by the personnel from Indian Navy, State Government, District Administration and Port Trust. Extensive arrangements were also made by the Port authorities for streamlining the process of COVID screening and immigration procedures as also by the civil administration for transportation for the evacuated Indian nationals to respective districts/States for further quarantining. INS Jalashwa had embarked Indian citizens at Male on 15 May 20 as part of the Indian Government's national efforts to facilitate return of Indian citizens from foreign shores. The ship's scheduled departure on 15 May was delayed due to inclement weather, accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds and the ship had departed Male on 16 May 20. 

6. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launches 15 products developed by Defence PSUs and OFB;
Thursday August 13 2020 : Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched here today four products each by OFB and BEML, two by BEL and one each by HAL, BDL, MDL, GRSE and GSL, developed by respective DPSUs/ OFB as part of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ week celebrations which continues till tomorrow, the 14th August 2020. Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary Defence Production Shri Raj Kumar and senior officers from DDP were present. CMDs of DPSUs and Chairman, OFB participated in the event through video conference links. Addressing them, Shri Rajnath Singh said “Self-reliance in defence manufacturing is one of the key objectives of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan’. He expressed confidence that the drive for “ATMA NIRBHAR BHARAT” to realise the goal of self-reliance would give the necessary impetus to India’s defence production. “The concerted efforts being put in by Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, to streamline the procurement procedures, production policies and indigenization initiatives would assuredly lead to the development and manufacture of indigenous defence products bringing down our dependence on imports thereby restricting outflow of Foreign exchange, encourage development of domestic Industry, insulate India from external pressure and ensure lifetime spares and service support to the defence equipment,” he added.           Referring to corporatization of OFB, Shri Rajnath Singh said “if government owned defence industries are to compete at national and international level then the outdated practices will have to be done away with. We need to have modern management techniques, technology infusion and collaborative efforts to help aid the state defence industries serve the country efficiently. With this purpose the government has initiated steps towards Corporatisation of OFB . I am sure this step will not only help remove the constraints of controlled pricing, but will also infuse corporate management practices and efficient systems. I understand that it will be a challenge for OFB to reinvent itself but I hope they will succeed in it.” Among the products launched today included the prototype of Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA) developed by Ordnance Factory Medak in association with DRDL, Hyderabad. NAMICA has the potential for import substitution to the tune of Rs. 260 Cr in the fi

7. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh Launches Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)
Thursday August 13 2020 :   Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) through an online webinar. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries were also present at the event. The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation. Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation and provide apex level directives. A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects. A Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has also been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame. The Draft Defence Acquisition Policy 2020 (DAP 20) envisages Service Headquarters establishing an Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation within existing resources. Indian Navy already has a functional Directorate of Indigenisation (DoI) and the new structures created will build upon the ongoing indigenisation initiatives, as well as focus on innovation. During the launch event, the Indian Navy signed Memorandums Of Understanding (MoUs) with:- Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA); Raksha Shakti University (RSU), Gujarat; Maker Village, Kochi; and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). An online discussion forum for engaging domestic industry and academic institutes has been created in partnership with RSU and was launched during the webinar. A compendium of Indian Navy’s Indigenisation perspective plans titled ‘SWAVLAMBAN’ was also released on the occasion.  https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1645549  

8. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) celebrated Human Rights Day today
Thursday December 10 2020 : Human Rights Day was celebrated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi today. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai was the Chief Guest at the programme. In his address through virtual mode, Shri Rai said human rights have existed in India since the Vedic period. The lines, Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina Sarve Santu Niramaya in the Vedic Mantras, contain the spirit of the whole of humanity. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is always sensitive to mankind and to humanity and service to humanity is his life’s goal. Shri Rai also said that the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah is committed to empower the Human Rights Commission.   Shri Nityanand Rai said that the UnionGovernment has given high priority to the welfare and development of the weaker sections of society. The rights of the weaker sections can be protected, not only whenthey are aware of their rights, but their grievances are also addressed. He said the role of local panchayats is very important in the promotion and protection of Human Rights. Hence efforts have been made to empower them.   The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said that during the Corona pandemic, the government ensured the right to food of every person through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, so that no one would go hungry. Apart from this, wages have been increased under MGNREGA for the empowerment of workers in rural areas.The government directly transferred money to the accounts of migrant labourersaffected by Covid-19, through DBT to ensure the protection of their rights. Appreciating the work done by the National Human Rights Commission for the promotion and protection of Human Rights andreferring to the people’sbelief in the commission, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said that the commission has played its role as a quasi- judicial watchdog without fear and favour. He added that strengthening ofHuman Rights at the grassroots level is the collective responsibility of society.   Shri Nityanand Rai said that security forces have an important role in protecting Human Rights. In addition to discharging their duties with full courage, security forces are also showing utmost sensitivity towards the Rights of citizens. In his address, Member, National Human Rights CommissionJustice P.C. Pant, said that this year has been very tough globally for humanity, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has required a cohesive response from the public healthcare system as well as from the general public. The success of the public healthcare system’s response in dealing with this grave situation, depends on how deep-rooted our fundamentals for respecting Human Rightsare.This is a time to reaffirm our commitment that Human Rights should form the basis of all S

9. Union Power Minister launches pan-India Real Time Market in electricity:
Wednesday June 3 2020 : Union Power Minister launches pan-India Real Time Market in electricity: Shri R. K. Singh, the Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy & Minister of State (Skill Development and Entrepreneurship),  launched pan-India Real Time Market in electricity through video conference in New Delhi, on 03rd June, 2020. This has placed Indian electricity market amongst a league of few electricity markets in the world, which have real time market.       While speaking at the event, the  Powerminister highlighted that real time market is an organized market platform to enable the buyers and sellers pan-India to meet their energy requirement closer to real time of operation. Introduction of real time market will bring required flexibility in the market to provide real time balance while ensuring optimal utilization of the available surplus capacity in the system. It will also help manage diversity in the demand pattern in the country with an organized market at national level.       Real time market would be for every 30 minutes in a day based on double sided closed auction with uniform price. The concept of “Gate Closure” has been introduced for bringing in the desired firmness in schedules during the hours of market operation. Buyers/sellers shall have the option of placing buy/sell bids for each 15-minute time block. The proposed real time market would provide an alternate mechanism for Discoms to access larger market at competitive price. On the other hand, generators would also benefit by participating in the real time market with their un-requisitioned capacity. A mechanism has been provided for generators having long-term contract and participating in this market to share the net gains with the Discoms. National Load Despatch Centre-POSOCO is facilitating necessary automation in coordination with power exchanges to ensure faster transactions and settlements in the real time market framework.   The Government of India’s target of 175 GW RE Capacity by 2022 is driving accelerated renewable penetration pan-India. The real time market would help to mitigate challenges to the grid management due to intermittent and variable nature of renewable energy generation and therefore, help to integrate higher quantum of renewable energy resources into the grid. It is expected that shorter bidding time, faster scheduling, and defined processes (e.g. gate closure) are expected to enable the participants to access resources throughout the all India grid, promoting competition. It would lead to better portfolio management by the utilities with efficient power procurement planning, scheduling, despatch, and imbalance handling. The distribution companies would be able to manage their power purchase portfolio optimally and need not tie up excess c

10. Proactive coordination among States and Railways essential to run more trains for smooth transport of Migrant Workers; District Authorities must give their requirements to Railways
Tuesday May 19 2020 : In a communication to the States, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has noted that fear of COVID-19 infection and apprehension of loss of livelihood are the main driving factors for the movement of stranded workers towards their homes. In order to mitigate the distress of migrant workers, the communication stresses on a number of measures that may be taken by the State governments, pro-actively in coordination with the Centre. These are: Operation of more special trains by pro-active coordination between States and with Ministry of Railways; Increase in number of buses for transporting migrants; allowing entry of buses carrying migrants at inter-state border; More clarity may be given about departure of trains/ buses, as lack of clarity coupled with rumours caused unrest amongst the workers; Arrangement of designated rest places, with adequate facilities for sanitation, food and healthcare, could be made by the States on routes where migrants are known to be already travelling on foot; District Authorities may guide workers moving on foot to designated rest places, nearby bus terminals or railway stations by arranging transportation; Special attention may be given to the specific requirements of women, children and elderly amongst the migrant workers; District Authorities may involve NGO representatives at rest places etc, to alleviate the notion of long quarantine at rest places. Workers may also be encouraged to remain at places where they are; Enlisting the migrants with their addresses and contact numbers. This may be helpful in contact tracing in due course.   The communication reiterates that District Authorities must ensure that no migrant worker has to resort to walking on roads or railway tracks to reach his/her destination. They may request Ministry of Railways for running trains, as per requirement.   Click here to see Official Communication to States

11. Indian Railway rolls out User Depot Module (UDM)
Monday September 28 2020 : User Depot Module (UDM) developed by CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) was rolled out digitally across all User Depots of Western Railway by Sri P. C. Sharma, Member(T&RS) on 28.09.2020. This system will be implemented shortly across all Zones of Indian Railways. Railway’s supply chain up to Stores Depots has already been digitized, however activities at user end are being done manually. Implementation of this system will bring in transformational changes from manual working to digital working with real time transactions and online information exchange among all stakeholders. This will ensure digitization of complete supply chain, including user depots. The system will facilitate economy, efficiency and transparency besides improved asset management. It will ensure improved service level and satisfaction to customers. Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1659790

12. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launches online portal for issue of NOC for power, oil and gas exploration projects
Monday June 29 2020 : Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launches online portal for issue of NOC for power, oil and gas exploration projects Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in the presence of Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Y Naik today launched a new web portal for issue of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for power projects and Research Survey Exploration Exploitation (RSEE) activities in the Indian Territorial Waters (TW) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  Ministry of Defence (MoD) accords security clearances to various private/Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)/Government organisations for power/wind/solar projects in areas nearby defence installations and also RSEE activities in the Indian TW and EEZ for applications received through different Ministries like Ministry of New and renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Shipping, Director General of Hydrocarbons, etc. To ensure ease of business and transparency in issuing NOC for such projects, the Ministry has developed the online application portal with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC). The address for the new online portal is https://ncog.gov.in/modnoc/home.html. The newly developed MoD web portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking MoD Security Clearance for undertaking Power Projects/RSEE activities. The Online System will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals. The Ministry has earlier launched a similar portal for grant of NOC for aerial survey. Chief of Defence Staff & Secretary Department of Military Affairs General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials of MoD were present on the occasion. Senior officials of other concerned Ministries joined the event through video conferencing.  

13. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju virtually launches the Fit India Freedom Run today
Friday August 14 2020 : Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the Fit India Freedom Run through an online programme on Friday. The country-wide run promises to become a fitness phenomenon with a host of government and private organizations joining in to participate in it. In view of the nation-wide Corona  pandemic, the Fit India Freedom Run has been ideated in a unique way. Participants can run at their own place (wherever they are) and at their own pace (at a time convenient to them) between August 15, the 73rd Independence Day and October 2, the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. YAS Armed forces including the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will participate in the largest country-wide run. They will be joined by the Indian Railways, CBSE and ICSE schools. Fitness corporates Procam and Goqii will also join hands. This is besides the participation from the 75-lakh strong volunteer base of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and the National Service Scheme (NSS) of the youth affairs department, and the country-wide presence of trainees of the Sports Authority of India, all of who will run for a fitter India. Lauding the participation of organizations from all across the country, Shri Kiren Rijiju said, “I am delighted to see such enthusiasm to participate in the Fit India Freedom Run. If we can galvanise all employees, their families and the larger community to participate in the run, it will be a fitting tribute to the spirit of Independence.  It is the vision of the Prime Minister that the Fit India Movement should be a people’s movement. It is  clear now that the vision has indeed turned to reality.” “Like the Director General of BSF said, the BSF jawans and the people around the border areas will be running holding up flags in the early morning and there cannot be a better boost to your patriotism and this helps tremendously in the way you think and perform as a citizen of India. The culture in our forces is beautiful. It will be a massive exercise if our CRPF, BSF and ITBP forces lead the freedom run. This Freedom Run will be like a celebration and festival,” Shri Rijiju added. The excitement is the same among the CRPF camp. “Every CRPF jawaan is happy they are getting involved in this run along with their families. The participation is expected to reach over 12 lakh. The jawaans will also promote the run in their nearby community. The CRPF Jawans have set a target of covering at least 1crore km during the Fit India Freedom Run. This is a testament of their courage,” said Shri Anand Parkash Maheshwari, Director General, CRPF. Speaking of importance of the Fit India Freedom Run, Shri Vinod Yadav, Chairman of the Indian Rail Board said, “The Fit India Movement has indeed motivated our employees to take up fitness activities. This run promises to galvanize the entire country.” Students, Parents, Teachers of all CBSE a

14. #HeroesHamesha- Celebrating the Spirit and Feat of Indian MSMEs, This International MSME Day
Friday June 25 2021 : #HeroesHamesha- Celebrating the Spirit and Feat of Indian MSMEs, This International MSME Day  Mumbai, June 25, 2021: Tally Solutions, leading software products company, delivering business management solutions for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) for over three decades launched a digital campaign ‘Heroes Hamesha’, on the occasion of International MSME day.  This campaign has been launched to acknowledge and honour more than 63M MSMEs across India for their relentless efforts, as they grapple to sustain business, amidst the ongoing pandemic. The film through the lens of Tally Solutions, showcases the passion of business owners, who continue to support every household, business, and service while grappling with their own uncertainties. The stories are inspired by real-life heroes the company has come across over the past several months. The entrepreneurs who have innovated their business practice, ideated new ways of working, went beyond the call of duty to support the society, and ensured to spread their positivity and never-say-die attitude along the way. Talking about the newly launched campaign Jayati Singh, Global Head of Marketing at Tally Solutions, said “We have been assisting and getting inspired by MSMEs for over three decades. However, over the last 15 months, we came across several entrepreneurs who have evolved and adapted to the current circumstances, gone out of their way to support their customers, neighbours and society. These are the people who have stood tall in the face of an adversity and lead the way. Through this campaign, we aim to honour and celebrate their sustained efforts, their achievements, the diversity of their contribution and most importantly thank them for being the ray of hope in these times of despair.” #HeroesHamesha garnered a positive traction, across all social media assets of Tally Solutions. The film is the extension of the multiple initiatives the company is taking to celebrate International MSME Day along with honouring the MSMEs across various categories. The campaign has been ideated and executed by DDB Mudra South the integrated creative solutions agency. “The Pandemic has strengthened our belief in humanity, way more t

15. IIT Ropar develops "AmbiTAG"- India's first indigenous temperature data logger for the cold chain management
Monday May 31 2021 : Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first-of-its-kind IoT device – AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood. That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation. This information is particularly critical for vaccines including Covid-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation. Shaped as USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings “from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge. Most of the similar devices available in the international market record data only for duration of 30- 60 days”, said AWaDH Project coordinator, Dr. Suman Kumar. He said it generates an alert when the temperature goes beyond a pre-set limit. The recorded data can be retrieved by connecting the USB with any computer. The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest. AWaDH is a Govt of India project. Prof. Kumar said that the device is certified with ISO 13485:2016, EN 12830:2018, CE & ROHS. Besides perishable items including vegetables, meat and dairy products it can also monitor the temperature of animal semen during transit. “So far, such devices are being imported by India in a massive quantity from other countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, and China," said Amit Bhatti, one of the founders and directors of ScratchNest.   AWaDH Project Director, Professor Pushpendra P. Singh informed that IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Hub is gearing for mass-production of AmbiTag. “The device will be made available to all companies involved in COVID vaccine transportation from production facilities to the last mile vaccination centers in the country at the production cost of Rs. 400. This device is our small contribution to the Nation for coming out of the never-seen-before-pandemic and a push towards the Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, said Prof. Singh. Sources https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1723127

16. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Launches Chunauti- Next Generation Start-up Challenge Contest
Friday August 28 2020 : Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad today launched “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest to further boost startups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns of India. The government has earmarked a budget of Rs. 95.03 Crore over a period of three years for this programme. It aims to identify around 300 startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh and other facilities   Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and IT will invite startups in the following areas of work: Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management Infrastructure & Remote monitoring Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic tools & technologies   The startups selected through Chunauti will be provided various support from the Government through Software Technology Parks of India centers across India. They will get incubation facilities, mentorship, security testing facilities, access to venture capitalist funding, industry connect as well as advisories in legal, Human Resource (HR), IPR and Patent matters. Besides seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh, the startups will also be provided cloud credits from leading cloud service providers. Start-ups who are in the ideation stage may be selected under the pre-incubation programme & mentored for up-to six months to evolve their business plan & solution around the proposed idea. Each intern (start-up under pre-incubation) will be paid Rs. 10,000/- per month upto a period of 6 months.          Startups can apply by visiting the website of STPI or by clicking at the link https://innovate.stpinext.in/   Union Minister also laid foundation stone of the digital training and skilling center of National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. This center will be developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India at a cost of Rs. 9.17 Crore. The government of Bihar has allocated one acre of land for this institution. This center will be equipped with the state of the art training facility with a digital laboratory. Different courses such as O level, CCC, BCC, Programming and multimedia training will be offered from this center. Speaking at a virtual event in presence of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “I urge the young, talented innovators of India to come forward and avail benefits of Chunauti challenge of Government and create new software products and app. This launch is a bold initiative under the clarion call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1649231

17. Public Debt Management report for the quarter of January March 2021
Friday June 25 2021 : Since April-June (Q1) 2010-11, Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC), Budget Division, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, has been bringing out a quarterly report on debt management on a regular basis. The current report pertains to the quarter January - March 2021 (Q4 FY21). During Q4 of FY21, the Central Government issued dated securities worth Rs 3,20,349 crore as against Rs 76,000 crore in Q4 of FY20, while repayment were at Rs 29,145 crore. The weighted average yield of primary issuances increased to 5.80 per cent in Q4 FY21 from 5.68 per cent in Q3 of FY21. The weighted average maturity of new issuances of dated securities was lower at 13.36 years in Q4 of FY21 as compared to 14.96 years in Q3 of FY21. During January - March 2021, the Central Government did not raise any amount through the Cash Management Bills. The Reserve Bank conducted nine special and normal OMOs involving simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities during the quarter. The net daily average liquidity absorption by RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) including Marginal Standing Facility and Special Liquidity Facility was at Rs 3,35,651 crore during the quarter. Total liabilities (including liabilities under the ‘Public Account’) of the Government, as per provisional data, increased to Rs 1,16,21,781 crore at end-March 2021 from Rs 1,09,26,322 crore at  end-December 2020. This represented a quarter-on-quarter increase of 6.36 per cent in Q4 FY21. Public debt accounted for 88.10 per cent of total outstanding liabilities at end-March 2021. Nearly 29.33 per cent of the outstanding dated securities had a residual maturity of less than 5 years. The ownership pattern indicates the share of commercial banks at 37.8 per cent and at 25.3 per cent for insurance companies at end- March 2021. The yields on Government securities hardened in the secondary market due to increase in supply of G-secs during the quarter. Further, hardening of yields was more on the short end of curve due to increase in weekly borrowing and also announcement of resumption of normal liquidity operations by the Reserve Bank. However, the yields were supported by decision of MPC meetings held on 5th February, 2021, wherein MPC kept the Policy repo rate unchanged at 4 percent and reiterated to continue with accommodative stance, at least during the current financial year and into the next financial year – to revive growth on a durable basis and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target going forward. CLICK HERE to access the report

18. Mphasis, Government of Alberta and University of Calgary partner to accelerate the development of Quantum Computing ecosystem in Calgary
Friday June 4 2021 : Mphasis, Government of Alberta and University of Calgary partner to accelerate the development of Quantum Computing ecosystem in Calgary Together they launch ‘Quantum City COE’ to within ‘Sparkle Calgary’ to build solutions for the commercial application of quantum computing for AI and machine learning   Mumbai, 03 June 2021, Mphasis (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS), an information technology solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, Government of Alberta and the University of Calgary (UCalgary) together announced a strategic partnership to:   ·         Spur economic growth and high-quality job creation within the technology sector in Alberta; will create 500 - 1000 technology jobs ·         ‘Sparkle Calgary’ by introducing experiential learning programs with Mphasis proprietary platform ·         Establish Quantum City Centre of Excellence (CoE) to strengthen the UCalgary innovation ecosystem by creating a hub for companies focused on the commercial development of Quantum technologies.   “Alberta's government is obsessed with creating the best environment for job creation in Canada. We are thrilled to welcome Mphasis to Alberta! A global tech leader, Mphasis will build their Canadian headquarters and 500-1000 jobs over the next 24 months. Our re-focused post secondary strategy and jobs-training programs are growing Alberta’s capacity to provide more highly-qualified workers to fill these and other positions as our economy recovers and our tech sector grows. Mphasis will bring world-leading technology and investment. We’re proud to welcome them.” Premier Jason Kenney, Alberta, Canada   “The Quantum Computing lab at UCalgary aligns with Mphasis’ expertise and partnerships in Alberta’s Research and Innovation Framework (ARIF) which covers diverse industries such as Financial Services, Logistics, Energy, Space, Clean Tech, Climate and Environment, Biotech amongst many others. We are delighted that this collaboration will elevate Mphasis’ expansion of its operations in Canada, while promoting the Province’s position as a global hub for next generation technolog

19. IIM Udaipur Becomes the National Finalist in Global Management Challenge (GMC) India 2020
Thursday December 24 2020 : IIM Udaipur Becomes the National Finalist in Global Management Challenge (GMC) India 2020IIM Udaipur Becomes the National Finalist in Global Management Challenge (GMC) India 2020 Team IIMU GSCM from IIM Udaipur became the National Finalists   Editor’s Synopsis: Seven teams from IIM Udaipur reached the national qualifiers round out of 54 teams. In total, eight teams became the National Finalists for GMC India 2020. ·         The competition was attended by corporates and top B-Schools including IIMA, IIMB, IIMC, XLRI, IIMK, ISB, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bombay.   24th December 2020; Jaipur: In one of the world’s largest strategy and management competition, Global Management Challenge (GMC) organized by SDG- Simuladores e Modelos de Gestão, IIM Udaipur became the National Finalists for GMC India 2020.  GMC consists of a management simulation where corporates and B-schools participate as teams and manage a virtual company for over five weeks. Their target is to achieve the highest investment performance for the company’s shareholders. In this year’s management competition where all top B-schools of India, including IIMs, participated, seven teams from IIM Udaipur reached the National qualification round, out of the 54 selected. Further, eight teams were declared as the National finalists, out of which IIMU GSCM (Global Supply Chain Management) was one of them.   Prof. Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur added,“It is heartening to see our efforts towards developing the entrepreneurial capabilities of our students translating into such wonderful results. We are committed to developing managers and entrepreneurs who will be tomorrow’s leaders. This prestigious accomplishment is important for the Institute as we work towards our 2030 Vision of being a Global Management School.”   With 40 editions of GMC, there are about 30,000 participants globally from over 35 countries that take part in the competition every year.GMC India 2020 is a 10-week long competition that commenced on 18th September 2020. The competition featured 3516 students and corporate managers and 768 teams from the field of Academia and Corporates.   IIMs around the nation have a proud record of quality and accomplishment. Well-poised to carry forward this illustrious legacy, IIM Udaipur is breaking new ground by focusing on world-class research, transforming the learning experience for students who will be managers and leaders of tomorrow. IIM Udaipur arrived on the global education stage by getting milestone accreditation from the

20. Defence Secretary Launches DGNCC Digital Forum
Thursday December 24 2020 : The Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar launched the DGNCC Digital Forum, here today. This Digital Forum hosted on the DGNCC website, will provide a platform to National Cadet Corps cadets all over the country to share their experiences of various NCC activities.           Speaking at this event, Defence Secretary said that this forum will help NCC cadets to share their experiences, opinions and suggestions on NCC training, Social Service and Community Development and Sports & Adventure activities and host of other issues related to National Security, National Integration and National Building. Dr Ajay Kumar also praised the contribution of more than one lakh NCC Cadets as the frontline Corona Warriors by executing various tasks in the fight against the pandemic during Exercise Yogdan. He further added that NCC imbibes the cadets with self-discipline, secular ideas, camaraderie and selfless service which motivate the cadets to excel in all spheres of life. This NCC Digital Forum is a positive step towards digitization of NCC, in line with Digital India vision of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and will go a long way in providing a digital platform to the NCC cadets to share and disseminate their experiences and suggestions to other cadets and general public. Director General NCC Lt General Rajeev Chopra and other senior civil and military officials of the HQ DGNCC were also present on the occasion. Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1683305

21. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launches AI-based ASEEM digital platform to bridge demand-supply gap of skilled workforce across sectors
Friday July 10 2020 : In an endeavour to improve the information flow and bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities. Apart from recruiting a skilled workforce that spurs business competitiveness and economic growth, the Artificial Intelligence-based platform has been envisioned to strengthen their career pathways by handholding them through their journeys to attain industry-relevant skills and explore emerging job opportunities especially in the post COVID era. Envisaging the rapidly changing nature of work and how it impacts the workforce is crucial in restructuring the skilling ecosystem with the new normal settling post-pandemic. Besides identifying major skills gap in the sectors ​and providing review of global best practices, ASEEM will  provide employers a platform to assess the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans. Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM) refers to all the data, trends and analytics which describe the workforce market and map demand of skilled workforce to supply. It will provide real-time granular information by identifying relevant skilling requirements and employment prospects. Announcing the launch of the ASEEM portal, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said “Driven by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatamanirbhar Bharat’ and his assertion of ‘India as a talent powerhouse’ at the India Global Week 2020 Summit,, the ASEEM portal has been envisioned to give a huge impetus to our persistent efforts to bridge the demand-supply gap for skilled workforce across sectors, bringing limitless and infinite opportunities for the nation’s youth. The initiative aims to accelerate India’s journey towards recovery by mapping skilled workforce and connecting them with relevant livelihood opportunities in their local communities especially in the post COVID era. With the increasing use of technology and e-management systems which assist in bringing in processes and intelligent tools to drive demand driven and outcome-based skill development programs, this platform will ensure we bring in close convergence and coordination across various schemes and programs operating in the skill ecosystem. This will also ensure that we monitor any sort of duplication of data and further re-engineer the vocational training landscape in the country ensuring a skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling in a more organised set up.” Highlighting how ASEEM will bridge the demand supply gap in the skilled workforce market, Shri AM Naik, Chairman, NSDC and Group Chairman, Larsen & Toubro L

22. Shri Mansukh Mandaviya launches diamond jubilee celebrations of Shipping Corporation of India
Friday October 2 2020 : Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya today virtually launched diamond jubilee celebration of Shipping Corporation of India, on the occasion of its foundation day.     Shri Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled the logo of diamond jubilee celebrations of Shipping Corporation of India(SCI), which has been created by a SCI employee. The minister also awarded the winners of various competitions, organized as the part of the celebration.   Speakingon the occasion, Shri Mandaviya congratulated SCI for completing its 59 glorious years and entering into 60th year. The minister also praised the financial performance of the company and said that SCI grows means India grows. Shri Mandaviya said as the company’s foundation day coincides with the Gandhi Jayanti, the company must move towards becoming Aatmanirbhar as Gandhiji always emphasized on. The minister also wished the company and its employees to achieve higher goals in the coming years.   Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Mrs. H.K. Joshi, CMD, SCI, senior officials from Ministry of Shipping, current and retired employees of SCI along with their family members were present on the occasion.   About SCI   Starting out as a marginal Liner shipping Company with just 19 vessels, the SCI has today evolved into the largest Indian shipping Company. The SCI also has substantial interests in various segments of the shipping trade. SCI’s owned fleet includes Bulk carriers, Crude oil tankers, Product tankers, Container vessels, Passenger-cum-Cargo vessels, Phosphoric Acid/Chemical carriers, LPG/Ammonia carriers and Offshore Supply Vessels. Sailing through for nearly six decades, the SCI today has a significant presence on the global maritime map.As the country’s premier shipping line, the SCI owns and operates around one-third of the Indian tonnage, and has operating interests in practically all areas of the shipping business, servicing both national and international trades. Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1661063

23. In a first, Ministry of Railways organizes Virtual Retirement Function for 2320 superannuating officials connecting all Zones/Divisions/Production Units on virtual platform
Sunday August 2 2020 : In a first event of its kind, Ministry of Railways organized a virtual retirement function for the Indian Railways officers/staff superannuated on 31st July, 2020. This was an event where all the Zones/Divisions/Production Units were connected on a single platform along with the officers and staff.  In the history of Indian Railways, it was the first time that Minister of Railways interacted with all the 2320 officers/staff superannuated on 31st July, 2020. The event was attended by Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry, Shri PiyushGoyal, Minister of State of Railways, Shri Suresh C Angadi, Secretary, Railway Board, Shri Sushant Kumar Mishra and senior officers of Railways. Speaking on the occasion, Shri PiyushGoyal said, “It is a day of Happiness and Sadness. It is a happy occasion because the employees have served long period in different areas, capacities, responsibilities. Your contribution for Railways to make it a better Railways and the role you have played in making Railways for future ready shall be remembered. In past few years, Railways have shown improvement in their style of working. In COVID phase, freight trains, parcel trains, Shramik Special trains were moved. Railways have put in best efforts to serve the nation during the pandemic. Railway employees are no less than Corona warriors. I would like to compliment the staff for putting best efforts during the fight against COVID.” Shri Goyal added that this retirement is an intermediate station in one’s life journey, the later half of the journey can be interesting if one decides to do something better for the country and be the leader of transformation. If we spare some time from our life and utilize our experiences from our life in the service of the nation, our country’s future can become bright. We may encourage the next generation in a better way and leave a better country for them. He referred to cleanliness, a small act which resulted in a transformational change. He urged the retirees to continue to perform small acts which can bring discernible changes in society like rain water harvesting, production of manure from wet waste, thinking of innovative ways to increase production of farmers’ harvest.   He also suggested that all the officers/staff who retired from Railways have the vast experience of working in Government sector. They may further inform and educate the common people about Government of India’s policies and programmes so a common man may benefit and become self sufficient. It may be one of the big contributions for making their life better. Shri Goyal complimented the retirees on 31st July, 2020 for their valuable contribution and wished them a good life ahead. Addressing retirees, Shri Suresh C. Angadi said, “It is a great pleasure to be with you all. Railways and the country can never forget the services which Railway staff has rendered tirelessly. Your advise/suggestion is always welcome to motivate the young staff. I

24. NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL App Development Module for school students nationwide
Sunday July 12 2020 : In a major step towards revving up the Indian Mobile App Development innovation ecosystem,in line with the clarion call for Aatmanirbhar initiatives of the Hon Prime Minister  Shri  Narendra Modi, NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) today launched the ‘ATL App Development Module’ for school children all across the country. The ATL App Development modules have been launched in collaboration with Indian homegrown startup Plezmo with an aim to hone the skills of school students and transforming them from App users to App makers in the times to come under AIM’s flagship Atal Tinkering Labs initiative. Expressing his views on the said module, CEO NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant said that Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a big disruption, which is being tackled through the use of technology to aid for everyday lives. “Our honorable Prime Minister has been encouraging the citizens to use technology and innovate for an #AatmaNirbhar Bharat. It is crucial for the young Indians to learn skills at a young age and to enable them to become the next generation of technology leaders. And under the Atal Tinkering Lab initiative, AIM, NITI Aayog is proud to launch the ATL App Development module for our India’s young minds – our dear children,” he said. The ATL App Development module is an online course is completely Free. Through 6 project-based learning modules and online mentoring sessions, young innovators can learn to build mobile Apps in various Indian languages and showcase their talent. Additionally, to build capacities and acumen for App Development within school teachers, periodic Teacher Training sessions will be conducted on the AIM App Development course. Speaking on the virtual launch of the module, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog R Ramanan said “we need world class technology solutions and apps from India leveraging the tremendous demographic dividend of our country. The launch of AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge  has been inspiring to the young students uniformly at school, university and industry level. AIM, NITI Aayog is now bringing the skills of App Development to the young tinkerers of Atal Tinkering Labs across the country so that they can integrate their Tinkering Lab innovations with mobile apps enhancing the usability and reach of their innovations. This would be one of the largest App learning and development initiatives at a school level in any country. “To foster learning and creativity within young minds, as part of the ATL #TinkerfromHome campaign, AIM, NITI Aayog has created a growing state of the art platform for the students and teachers across the country to learn and apply the latest of technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Game Design and Development, 3D Design, Astronomy, Digital Creativity Skills, etc. from the comfort and safety of their homes,” he said. He further add

25. Ministries/Departments/PSUs/PSBs and all other organs of the government to adopt innovative means to use digital or online methods
Wednesday September 2 2020 : Given the prevailing circumstances in which the world is increasingly moving towards adopting digital force-multipliers for productivity, the Government of India has decided to follow this best practice. There is to be no activity towards printing wall calendars, desktop calendars, diaries and other such material for use in the coming year by any Ministries/Departments/PSUs/PSBs and all other organs of the government.   All such activity shall go digital and online.   There is to be a concerted effort towards incorporating innovative methods in such matters. Using technological innovations for planning, scheduling and forecasting is well known to be economical, efficient and effective.   Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his governance model have always seen technology as an enabler. Integrating technology into our work is in line with his vision.   Therefore all calendars, diaries, schedulers and similar other materials, which were earlier printed in physical format, will now be done digitally. Publication of Coffee Table books will also be stopped and appropriate use of E-Books is encouraged. All Ministries/Departments/PSUs/PSBs and all other organs of the government are to adopt innovative means to use digital or online methods for the same. Innovative digital and online solutions which will achieve the same result as physical calendars or diaries are to be prioritized and to be put into practice.   Necessary order has been issued to all concerned.( Please See)

26. 10 additional NDRF teams deployed in West Bengal for post cyclone Amphan management
Saturday May 23 2020 : On receipt of written request from Principal Secretary Disaster Management and Civil Defence , Government of West Bengal for deployment of additional teams,  ten additional NDRF teams have been mobilized and are being rushed at the earliest from NDRF locations outside West Bengal. Teams are likely to reach Kolkata by late night today. Presently 26 NDRF teams are deployed in cyclone affected areas of West Bengal for restoration work. The additional deployment of 10 teams will bring the total deployment to 36 teams of NDRF across the 6 districts of West Bengal affected by Cyclone Amphan.

27. Shramik Trains: Indian Railways deny charging any fare from workers
Wednesday May 6 2020 : On the issue of charging of train fare, the Health Ministry official said that permission has been given to run special trains for movement of stranded people, based on request of State governments. He said the Central Government has not ever talked of charging train fare for workers. He said, 85 per cent  of fare is  borne by Indian Railways and 15 per cent by  the respective State government. The Railways is not selling any tickets to migrants and is only boarding passengers based on lists provided by States," said sources from the Ministry of Railways. The Railways is running Shramik special trains keeping berths empty in each coach to maintain social distancing, the trains are returning empty from destinations under lock and key. Free food and bottled water is also being provided to the migrants by railways. The special trains are being run to transport migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places in the country due to lockdown. The countrywide COVID-19 lockdown, which was scheduled to end on May 3, has been extended by another two weeks till May 17. The Ministry of Railways had said in a statement that in continuation of the measures taken in the wake of COVID-19, it has been decided that the cancellation of all passenger train services on Indian Railways shall be extended till May 17.

28. Union HRD Minister lays the Foundation Stone of Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh)
Tuesday August 4 2020 : Union Education Minister Shri  Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ along with Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Jai Ram Thakur;Minister of State for Finance Shri Anurag Singh Thakur and Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre  laid the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh through online mode. Speaking on the occasion, the Education Minister said that Union Government under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji had taken decision in 2014 to establish seven new IIMs  including IIM Sirmaur to fill the gap between demand and supply of corporate leaders created by the then existing IIMs. He added that on 15th August 2014 it was announced that the IIM for Himachal Pradesh would be set up at Dhaulakuan in the Sirmaur district. On 12th March 2015, the State Govt. allotted a 210 – acres land at Dhaulakuan for development of the permanent Campus of the Institute. The Minister informed that IIM Sirmaur was operationalized by IIM Lucknow in August as the mentor Institution with the commencement of the first batch of PGP of 20 students, from its temporary Campus at Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. And since then the Institution is progressing well and is scaling new heights academically and infrastructurally. He further informed that the current academic activity is operationalised from temporary campus which is fully residential for students with all modern facilities. The students are not only pursuing academics but also engaged in various cultural, sporting and CSR and community outreach activities. The complete full-fledged permanent campus at Dhaulakuan has been envisaged for the student strength of 1170 in 210 acres of land. The Minister highlighted that the Union Government has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 531.75 crore out of which Rs.392.51 Crores is for construction works covering the area of 60384 square meters in the first phase which caters to 600 students.     Shri Pokhriyal

29. Indian Railways on MISSION MODE of becoming a Green Railway by 2030 ( Net Zero Carbon Emission)
Monday July 13 2020 : Ministry of Railways, with a goal of transforming Indian Railways into Green Railways by 2030 has taken a number of major initiatives towards mitigation of global warming and combating climate change. Railway Electrification, improving energy efficiency of locomotives & trains and fixed installations, green certification for installations/stations, fitting bio toilets in coaches and switching to renewable sources of energy are parts of its strategy of achieving net zero carbon emission. Indian Railways has completed electrification of more than 40,000 Route km (RKM) (63% of BG routes) in which 18,605 km electrification work has been done during 2014-20. Previously, only 3,835 km electrification work was completed during the period 2009-14. Indian Railways has fixed a target of electrification of 7000 RKM for the year 2020-21. All routes on BG network have been planned to be electrified by December 2023. Indian Railways is focusing on electrification of last mile connectivity & missing links. With this in mind 365 km major connectivity work has been commissioned during COVID period. Major connectivity commissioned during COVID  period like Katni-Satna section (99 RKM) of Mumbai-Howrah via Allahabad route has been commissioned providing an alternate route to Howrah. Likewise, Pachore-Maksi (88 RKM) section on Indore - Guna-Bina route has also been commissioned providing an alternate route to Maksi-Bhopal-Bina. On Howrah/Sealdah-SVD Katra via Patna route, Bhagalpur-Shivnarayanpur (45 RKM) section has been commissioned.  On the route connecting Kariakal port to coal, fertilizer & steel plants of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh, Thiruvarur - Karaikal port (46 RKM) section has been commissioned providing port connectivity to Erode, Coimbatore & Palghat. Indian Railways has also taken a number of initiatives to promote solar energy. Indian Railways is working to harness the potential of 500 Mega Watt (MW) energy through roof top Solar panels (Developer model). Till date, 100 Mega Watt (MW) of solar plants have been commissioned on roof-tops of various buildings including 900 stations. Solar plants with a combined capacity of 400 MW are under different stages of execution. Tenders are already awarded for 245 MW and target for completion of these plants is December 2022.  Besides this, Indian Railways is trying to produce power from land Based Solar installations for running trains. Indian Railway has 51,000 hectare of land potential of installing 20 GW land based solar plants. The Solar power so generated will be fed to Central / State Grid or directly to 25 kV AC traction system.  Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), a Joint Venture Company of Indian Railways (49 % Equity) and RITES Limited (51 % Equity), has been mandated for proliferation of taking up land based project. One project of 1.7 MW at Bina (Madhya Pradesh) in collaboration with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has already been installed and is presently under extensive testing. This is First of its kind of solar project in the world. Initially for the Land Based Solar

30. Railways to operationalise 2,600 more Shramik Special Trains in next ten days across the country. This initiative is expected to benefit 36 lakh stranded passengers.
Monday May 25 2020 : Railways to operationalise 2,600 more Shramik Special Trains in next ten days across the country. This initiative is expected to benefit 36 lakh stranded passengers.    Addressing media in a press briefing in New Delhi, Railway Board Chairman, V K Yadav, informed that over 45 lakh people have returned to their native places since 1st of May, through the Shramik Special Trains.  Railways started running Shramik Special trains to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lockdown. Shramik special trains are being run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments.  The Railways and State Governments have appointed senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these Shramik Specials.  Yadav also informed that the Railways will further make arrangements for more of such trains as and when requests are received from the State and district authorities.

31. Indian Railways operationalises 3060 “Shramik Special” trains till 25th May, 2020 (till 10:00 hrs) across the countryand transports more than 40 lacs passengers to their home states through “Shramik Special” trains in 25 days.
Monday May 25 2020 : Indian Railways operationalises 3060 “Shramik Special” trains till 25th May, 2020 (till 10:00 hrs) across the countryand transports more than 40 lacs passengers to their home states through “Shramik Special” trains in 25 days. Subsequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs order regarding movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places by special trains, Indian Railways had decided to operate “Shramik Special” trains form 1st May 2020. As on 25th May 2020 (till 10:00 hrs), a total of 3060 “Shramik Special” trains have been operationalized from various states across the country. More than 40 lacs passengers have reached their destinations by these “Shramik Special” trains. Out of 3060 Shramik Special Trains, 2608 trains have been terminated, 453 trains are on run. On 24.05.2020,237Shramik Specials were run moving 3.1 lakh passengers. These 3060 trains were originated from various states. The top five States/UTs from where maximum trains originated are Gujarat(853 Trains), Maharashtra(550 Trains), Punjab(333 Trains), Uttar Pradesh (221 Trains), Delhi (181 Trains). Also, these Shramik Special Trains were terminated in various States across the country. The top five states where maximum trains terminated are Uttar Pradesh(1245 Trains), Bihar(846 Trains), Jharkhand(123 Trains), Madhya Pradesh(112 Trains), Odisha(73 Trains). The rail route congestion which  was being witnessed on 23rd/24th May, 2020, is over. The congestion had occurred due to convergence of more than two third rail traffic on routes to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and late clearance of the terminals due to health  protocolsetc that needed to be completed by State Authorities. The matter has resolved through active consultation with State Governments and also finding other feasible routes for the journey. In addition to Shramik specials Railways are running 15 pairs of special trains connecting New Delhi and plans to start 200 more time tables trains on 1st June.  

32. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah conveyed his best wishes to Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of 71RR (Regular Recruit, 2018 batch) on their Dikshant Parade
Friday September 4 2020 : The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiinteracted with the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of 71RR (Regular Recruit, 2018 batch) on their Dikshant Parade at the iconic Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad via video conferencing today.Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah also participated in the Parade via video conferencing. Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister for gracing the occasion, Shri Amit Shah said, “His inspiring speech will surely boost the morale of our young officers & guide them on how to strengthen the police-public relations.” Conveying his best wishes to the young IPS officers on their Dikshant Parade, Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah said in his tweet, “May they serve the nation with utmost dedication while ensuring its security & integrity. I am confident that their commitment towards service will inspire our youngsters to join the Indian Police Service. Besides the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishen Reddy and Union Home Secretary, Shri Ajay Bhalla also separately attended today’s Dikshant Parade via video conferencing. Last year, on 7th October, the Union Home Minister had addressed probationers of this batch during a formal interaction in New Delhi. On the occasion, Shri Amit Shah had encouraged the young IPS probationers to be proud to be part of a service that is continuously working to ensure safety and security of the people. The Home Minister had underlined that there is a need for bringing a positive change in the public perception about police. 131 IPS probationers including 28 Lady Probationers completed 42 weeks of their Basic Course Phase-I training at the Academy.They joined the Academy on December 17, 2018 after completing their Foundation Course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBS NAA), Mussoorie and at Dr Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute of Telangana, Hyderabad with other services like IAS, IFS etc. During the Basic Course Training at SVP NPA, probationers are imparted training in various indoor & outdoor subjects like law, investigation, forensics, leadership & management, criminology, public order & internal security, ethics & human rights, modern Indian policing, field craft & tactics, weapon training & firing.   https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1651264

33. First ever online patriotic film festival kicks off on 7th August
Thursday August 6 2020 : National Film Development Corporation is organizing a first of its kind, online patriotic film festival. The festival, a part of Independence Day Celebrations 2020 by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, begins on 7th August, 2020 and runs till 21st August. The festival will showcase Indian history that marks the bravery of our freedom fighters and aims to create a festive and patriotic mood among Indians across the globe. The festival will showcase high quality Independence Day themed patriotic films daily at the website www.cinemasofindia.com free of cost.     Critically acclaimed films from various Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati and Malayalam will showcased in the festival. The selection showcases a consolidated collection of films from National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Children's Film Society India (CFSI) and Films Division. Moreover, for the first time ever, the film Gandhi (1982) by Sir Richard Attenborough will be made accessible and can be enjoyed by people with vision and hearing impairment. The link will be hosted on the website of MIB (mib.gov.in), and the social media handles of Press Information Bureau and MyGov. Additionally, the same link will be shared with the Ministry of External Affairs for sharing it further with the Indian missions abroad. The films which will be showcased are: Independence Day Film Festival 2020 - Film List Sl.No. Name of the Film Language Year Director 1 Gandhi (Accessible) Hindi 1982 Sir Richard Attenborough 2 Gandhi Hindi 1982 Sir Richard Attenborough 3 Chittagong H

34. Launch of online filing of application for Authorised Economic Operators (AEO T2 and AEO T3)
Wednesday July 7 2021 : Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) Chairman Shri M. Ajit Kumar here today inaugurated the online filing of Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) T2 and T3 applications. The AEO web application is accessible at URL www.aeoindia.gov.in. The new version (V 2.0) of the web application is designed to ensure continuous real-time and digital monitoring of physically filed AEO T2 and AEO T3 applications for timely intervention and expedience. The AEO application processing for AEO T1 on the web-based portal www.aeoindia.gov.in has been functional since December 2018. To take this endeavour for digitisation forward, in line with the government’s Digital India initiative, the CBIC Board has launched a new version (V2.0) for on-boarding of AEO T2 and AEO T3 applicants for online filing, real-time monitoring, and digital certification. For further details, refer to CBIC Circular No. 13/2021-Customs dated 01.07.2021.

35. Indian Railways distributes more than 85 lakh free meals and about 1.25 crore free water bottles to nearly 50 lakh migrants travelling in Shramik Special Trains
Thursday May 28 2020 : Indian Railways distributes more than 85 lakh free meals and about 1.25 crore free water bottles to nearly 50 lakh migrants travelling in Shramik Special Trains Indian Railways has distributed more than 85 lakh free meals and about 1.25 crore free water bottles to migrants travelling in Shramik Special Trains since 1st May 2020. This includes meals being prepared by Indian Railways’ PSU IRCTC and distributed by Zonal Railways. Food and water bottles are being provided to travelling migrants inall Shramik Special Trains. IRCTC is providing puri vegetable pickle, roti vegetable pickle, banana, biscuits, cake, biscuit namkeen, cake namkeen, veg pulao, pao bhaji, lemon rice pickle, upma, poha pickle etc. kind of meals to travelling migrants along with Rail Neer water bottles. Subsequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs order regarding movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places by special trains, Indian Railways has been operating “Shramik Special” trains form 1st May 2020.As on 28th May 2020, 3736 “Shramik Special” trains have been operationalized from various states across the country while about 67 are in the pipeline. On 27.05.2020, 172 Shramik Specials were originated. Till now, around 50lakh migrants have been transported through Shramik Special Trains in 27 days. It may be noted that trains running today are not facing any congestion. These 3736 trains were originated from various states. The top five States/UTs from where maximum trains originated are Gujarat(979 Trains), Maharashtra(695 Trains), Punjab(397 Trains), Uttar Pradesh (263 Trains) and Bihar (263 Trains). These “Shramik Special” Trains were terminated in various States across the country. The top five states where maximum trains terminated are Uttar Pradesh(1520 Trains), Bihar(1296 Trains), Jharkhand(167 Trains), Madhya Pradesh(121 Trains), Odisha (139 Trains). In addition to Shramik specials, Railways are running 15 pairs of special trains connecting New Delhi and plans to start 200 more time tabled trains on 1st June. Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1627493

36. Indian Railways creates POST COVID COACH to ensure safer journey
Wednesday July 15 2020 : Indian Railways has taken numerous  steps and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus infection. Sustaining the ruthless fight against COVID-19, Indian Railways’ production unit, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, has developed a Post Covid Coach to fight Covid 19. This Post Covid Coach has design improvements in the coach like handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification and titanium di-oxide coating for Covid free passenger journey. Following are the salient features of the Post Covid Coach:             1.  Handsfree amenities: Post Covid Coach is having handsfree amenities like foot operated water tap & soap dispenser, foot operated lavatory door (outside), foot operated flush valve, foot operated latches in lavatory door, outside washbasin with foot operated water tap and soap dispenser and forearm operated handle on compartment door.             2. Copper-coated handrails & latches: Post Covid Coach equipped with copper-coated handrails & latches because copper degrades the virus landed on it within few hours. Copper has anti microbial properties. When virus lands on copper, Ion blasts pathogen and destroy the DNA and RNA inside the virus.             3. Plasma air purification:  Post Covid Coach is having provision of plasma air equipment in AC duct. This plasma air equipment will sterilize the air and surfaces inside the AC coach using ionised air to make the coach Covid-19 and particulate matter resistant.  This provision will also improve the  ion concentration from 100 ions/cm3 to more than 6000 ions/cm.             4. Titanium Di-oxide coating:  Post Covid Coach is having Titanium Di-oxide coating in the coach. Nano structured Titanium Dioxide Coating functions as photoactive material. This is aeco-friendly water-based coating that kills viruses, bacteria, mould, and fungal growth and most importantly enhances indoor air quality. It is non-toxic and approved by food testing laboratory of the United

37. FYERS launches IPO portal to simplify IPO application process
Tuesday March 9 2021 : FYERS launches IPO portal to simplify IPO application process  Bengaluru, March 09, 2021: With the aim to offer a unified trading experience, one of the fastest growing investment & trading platformFYERSannounced the launch of its IPO portal. FYERS customer can now apply for all the upcoming IPOs directly through FYERS IPO Portal. This feature was launched to help the clients capitalize on the opportunities instantaneously, and hassle-free. According to reports around 30 IPOs worth over ₹30,000 crore are lined up for the year 2021.  FYERS with their new feature allows customers toapply for Initial Public Offers (IPOs) & FPOs in companies that are listed on NSE & BSE using their UPI id. Customers with UPI id can place a bid, enter the lot size and submit the applications on the portal. Also, clients can apply for any IPO through FYERS whereas, in Netbanking ASBA, clients have to apply through SCSBs only.This easy to use features ensures that the entire bidding process is seamless and quick,hence empowering customers to take advantage of opportunities, immediately. Commenting on the launch, Tejas Khoday, CEO and Co-Founder, FYERS, said, “We’ve simplified investingin IPOs to enable young investors to participate easily and without hassles.”  About FYERS: FYERS, a technology focused stock broking firm, is the pioneer of leading trading platforms in India. With a strong community of traders and investors, FYERS is currently powering more than 70,000 customers to trade seamlessly, across all major Indian exchanges including - NSE, BSE & MCX. In a span of 6 years, FYERS has emerged as a leading tech enabled trading platform in India by developing unique trading opportunities such as FYERS Free Investment Zone, FYERS 30 day challenge, FYERS Web and thematic investment  

38. Bangladesh to take legal action against online portals spreading rumours, fake news- Information Minister
Thursday November 26 2020 : Bangladesh to take legal action against online portals spreading rumours, fake news- Information Minister   Government of Bangladesh will soon start taking legal action against the online portals and websites which are used to spread rumour and create instability in society. Speaking at a function in Dhaka on Thursday, Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said that in 2009 there were very few online media portals but now there are so many such websites. He said that the online registration process for news portals is likely to be completed within this year. Action will be taken against those websites which are not providing news but being used to serve personal interest.  He said fake journalists bring disrepute to the entire journalistic community and hence journalists should take initiative in tackling this situation. He called upon journalists organisations to provide training to journalists along with the government organisation.  The government of Bangladesh started the process for the registration of online news portals in December last year. Government has announced that action will be taken against the news portals which don’t register with the authorities. More than 3500 news portals had applied for registration to the government till August. The government published a partial list of ‘verified’ news portals early in August this year. NEWS SOURCES http://www.ddinews.gov.in/international/bangladesh-take-legal-action-against-online-portals-spreading-rumours-fake-news

39. National Gallery of Modern Art launches Audio-Visual Guide App on the occasion of International Museum Day
Tuesday May 18 2021 : The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, announced  the launch of the NGMA’s Audio-Visual Guide App on the occasion of International Museum Day. It will be possible for museum viewers to listen to anecdotes and stories related to the treasured Indian modern art exhibited at the Gallery, on smart phone, anywhere, anytime. The app is an audio-visual guide for exploring the modern art treasures on display across galleries of the Museum. The app is available on both the Google Playstore and the Apple Appstore. To listen to the narrations, users need to download the app and navigate the content using the numbers mentioned. The same numbers will be on display next to the art work at the Museum. A web version of the app is also available for those not keen to download the app and can be accessed by just scanning the QR code at location. The NGMA app and tours are free for all users. The museum tours are a rich mix of images, videos and voice. They aim to enhance the viewing experience of the visitors at the museum and also enable one to ‘visit’ the art works virtually. The text is written in an interesting storytelling format with details about the artist, the thought behind the art work and the techniques used in creating the piece. Speaking about the launch, DG NGMA Shri AdwaitaGadanayak said, ‘The launch of NGMA’s Audio-Visual Guide App is a major landmark. It will help people connect with art in an intimate way. I especially hope that our children and youth will use the app prolifically, experiencing art as a vital expression of the human spirit.’  The museum has launched the app today (18/05/2021) on the occasion of the International Museums Day 2021. About National Gallery of Modern Art  Founded in 1954, as the premier museum of modern art of a newly independent nation, the National Gallery Modern Art, New Delhi, houses and showcases masterpieces of the changing art forms of modern India spanning more than one hundred and fifty years. The museum continues to reaffirm its role as a repository of modern and contemporary visual, plastic and new media arts. The museum has a seminal collection of more than 2000 artists. The line-up includes artists of the of stature of Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, Thomas Daniell, and a few leading international artists. Some of the oldest works preserved at NGMA date back to 1857. With 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, it is one of the world's largest modern art museums. For further updates, please visit: NGMA WEBSITE:http://ngmaindia.gov.in/   SOHAM:https://so-ham.in NGMA, FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/ngmadelhi NGMA TWITTER:https://tw

40. Union Labour Secretary Shri Apurva launches facility for bulk transfer for exempted establishments of EPFO
Saturday October 10 2020 : Sh. Apurva Chandra, IAS, Secretary (Labour & Employment) launched a new facility of bulk transfer of funds and data from exempted trusts to EPFO through a single payment, during his first visit to EPFO headquarters, on 7th October, 2020. This will enhance ease of doing business by increasing the speed of funds transfer for exempted establishments. EPFO has now released the functionality for bulk transfer of funds from exempted establishments to EPFO through a single payment. Exempted establishments are those establishments which have been granted exemption under Section 17 of EPF & MP Act, 1952 and manage the provident fund of members themselves under over all supervision of EPFO. On change of employment for a member from exempted to unexempted establishment, his past accumulations are transferred to EPFO. Till now exempted establishments had to approve and transfer the funds one-by-one for each member. Larger establishments requiring to transfer the funds of many employees each day, found the process very cumbersome and time taking. Under the new facility, exempted establishments can bulk upload data and transfer the funds for large number of members, through a single payment. This initiative is expected to benefit around 1500 exempted establishments of EPFO. All transaction between EPFO and exempted establishments have already been made electronic, thereby eliminating issues regarding delay and reconciliation of funds transferred. In case of member shifting job from unexempted to exempted establishment, EPFO electronically transfer the funds in the bank account of the exempted establishment and the details of the transaction is made available in the login of the establishment. This has enabled faster crediting of funds in the account of the member maintained by exempted establishment. Further, exempted establishments have already been provided the facility to file their monthly returns and Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECRs) for remittance of Pension Fund contribution electronically, thereby facilitating compliance in a hassle free manner. Another initiative launched by Secretary (Labour & Employment) during his visit to EPFO headquater, will enabled its members to apply for obtaining Scheme Certificate under Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 through Umang App. Scheme Certificate is issued to members who withdraw their EPF contributions but wish to retain their membership with EPFO, to avail pension benefits on attainment of retirement age. The ease of applying for Scheme Certificate through UMANG App will now help members to avoid unnecessary hardship of physically applying for it, especially during COVID-19 pandemic times.  The facility shall benefit over 5.89 crore subscribers. Sh. Apurva Chandra has joined as Secretary to the Ministry of Labour & Employment on 1st October, 2020. On his visit to EPFO, he was greeted by Sh. Sunil Barthwal,IAS, Central Provident Fund Commissioner and other senior officers of EPFO. Secretary (Labour &

41. Appeal from Ministry of Railways to passengers
Friday May 29 2020 : Appeal from Ministry of Railways to passengers Indian Railways has been running Shramik special Trains on a daily basis throughout the country to ensure that migrants can travel back to their homes. It has been observed that some people who are availing this service have pre-existing medical conditions which aggravates the risk they face during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few unfortunate cases of deaths related to pre-existing medical conditions while travelling have happened. ​In order to protect the vulnerable persons from COVID-19, in line with Ministry of Home Affairs, Order No 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 17.05.2020, Ministry of Railways makes an appeal that persons with co-morbidities (for example - hypertension, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, immune deficiency conditions), pregnant women, children below the age of 10 years and persons above 65 years of age may avoid travel by rail, except when it is essential. ​Indian Railway parivaar is working 24X7 to ensure that rail services are provided to all the citizens of the country needing to travel. But safety of our passengers is our biggest concern. So, we seek the cooperation of all citizens in this matter. In case of any distress or emergency please do not hesitate to reach out to your railway parivaar and we will help you as always (Helpline number - 139 & 138) Sources https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1627561

42. PPP Initiatives in Indian Railway to boost Infrastructure
Wednesday September 23 2020 : It is estimated that Indian Railways would need Capital investment of around ₹50 lakh crore upto 2030 for network expansion and capacity augmentation, rolling stock induction and other modernization works to enable better delivery of passenger and freight services and to improve its modal share in transport. To bridge the gap in capital funding and to induct modern technologies and improve efficiencies, it is being planned to use Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for few initiatives. One of the PPP initiatives is to invite partners to invest and induct modern rakes over select routes to provide world class services to the passengers. As part of this initiative, Ministry of Railways (MoR) has invited applications for investment and induction of modern rakes over select routes through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to provide world class services to the passengers. Accordingly, MOR has issued 12 Requests for Qualification (RFQs) on 1st July, 2020 for operation of passenger trains over approximately 109 origin-destination pairs (divided into 12 clusters) through PPP on Design, Build, Finance and Operate (“DBFO”) basis. The routes are spread across various states covering the entire Indian Railway network straddling across the boundaries of the States and the list is available in the public domain namely,  http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/IndicativeRoutesfor12clusters.pdf. However, the responsibility of train operations and safety certification rests with Indian Railways in all such cases. Besides, it has been decided that the Crew (Drivers and Guards) required for operation of trains through PPP mode shall be provided by Indian Railways. This information was given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

43. Monster Employment Index: 56% of industries exceed online hiring demand in May 2021
Tuesday June 15 2021 : Monster Employment Index: 56% of industries exceed online hiring demand in May 2021 ·         Online hiring demand has improved year-on-year in 15 of the 27 Industries monitored by the Index ·         IT - Hardware, Software hiring witnessed a year-on-year growth in the tech hubs led by Bangalore (67%) and Hyderabad (49%) ·         Job postings for Top Management level professionals, with 16 or more years of experience, witnessed a significant growth of 66% year-on-year Mumbai, 15 June 2021: Monster Employment Index, the most reliable and comprehensive job analysis report by Monster.com, a Quess Company, has published its findings for May 2021, providing insights into the job market across industries, cities, and functions.   May has been promising showing growth despite the second wave and lockdowns. Compared to April 2021, May showed a growth of 1%, whereas May 2021 grew 4% compared to May 2020. Overall job postings have also increased by 4% year-on-year (May 2021 vs. May 2020). When it comes to hiring for the Top Management level professionals, with 16 or more years of work experience, witnessed a growth of 66% year-on-year (May 2021 vs. May 2020).  While April 2021 witnessed a dip in job postings given the onset of the second wave of the pandemic, May 2021 showed green shoots of recovery. IT - Hardware, Software hiring witnessed a year-on-year growth of 67% in Bangalore and 49% in Hyderabad. Industries that indicate the highest year-on-year growth in hiring across the key cities are Banking/ Financial Services, Insurance and IT - Hardware, Software.  Among the functions, Software, Hardware, Telecom indicate growth across all the key cities such as Bangalore (79%), Hyderabad (62%), and Chennai (50%). Overall recruitment activities showed a phenomenal uptrend in most of the cities year-on-year.   Job postings across industries indicate promising uptick year-on-year 45% of the industries indicate positive month-on-month (May 2021 vs. April 2021) growth in job postings, with Retail (24%), Home Appliances (13%), and Telecom/ISP (10%) industries showing the highest growth. Other industries that are doing well compared to the previous month include IT - Hardware, Software, Banking/ Financial Services, Insurance, Office Equipment/Automation, and Healthcare, Bio Technology & Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals. Indicating a downward trend, the Travel and Tourism (-13%), Import/ Export (-11%), and Printing/ Packaging (-8%) continue to face the challenges of the pandemic with a decline in job postings.  A year-on-year (May 2021 vs. May 2020) comparison shows hiring in 56% of the industries fared better as compared to the same time last year. It indicates that companies and employers are now better equipped to face the pandemic, despite the effect of the second wave. IT

44. Railways enhances Rail Infrastructure and Urban Decongestion in areas near Delhi
Friday August 21 2020 : In order to enhance Railway infrastructure and assist in urban decongestion, Indian Railways is taking series of steps all across the country.  As a part of those activities, Northern Railways has converted the existing Rohtak-Gohana Railway line into a 4.8 km long elevated track. The work on the line is almost complete and it will be commissioned in the next three months.  The said Railway line  was going through the heart of the city. There are four level crossings on this line within the town limits. This resulted in heavy traffic congestions as the level crossing gates would often be closed. It also jeopardized movement of rail traffic, compromising safety and speed of trains and inconvenienced the road users. Now the track has been elevated this has eliminated the level crossings which will be a big relief to the people of Rohtak. With the commissioning of the line, Railways will be able to smoothly operate trains on this important route.  Speed of trains in this section will also be increased.  The Railways and the Government of Haryana together working on the project, have spent Rs. 315 Crore in total, with the state contributing Rs. 225 Crore. With this a long standing demand of the people of Rohtak has been fulfilled by the Railways. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1647704

45. Induction of Rafale in Indian Air Force
Monday July 20 2020 : The first batch of five Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale is likely to arrive in India by end July 2020. The aircraft will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on 29 July subject to weather. No media coverage is planned on arrival. The final induction ceremony will take place in second half of August 20 wherein full media coverage would be planned. IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Post arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1640014

46. 6037 Indians return from abroad in 31 flights under Vande Bharat Mission since 7th May 2020
Tuesday May 12 2020 : 6037 Indians have been flown back to India in 31 inbound flights operated by Air India and Air India Express under Vande Bharat Mission in 5 days beginning from 7th May 2020.   Government of India started Vande Bharat Mission - one of the largest initiatives to repatriate nationals back to India, on 7th May 2020. Under this mission, Ministry of Civil Aviation is coordinating with Ministry of External Affairs and state Governments for bringing Indians back to their homeland.   Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express are operating a total of 64 flights (42 by Air India & 24 by AI Express) to 12 countries viz. USA, UK Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Philippines, UAE and Malaysia to repatriate 14,800 Indians back in the first phase. Each and every function in this massive air evacuation mission strictly adheres to the safety and hygiene protocol laid down by the Government and DGCA. MoCA, AAI and Air India leave no stone unturned to prioritize the safety of passengers, the crew and ground handling staff in these sensitive medical evacuation missions. Extensive and meticulous safety arrangements are made in accordance to government guidelines. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1623233

47. Unlocking Online Dispute Resolution to Enhance the Ease of Doing Business
Saturday August 8 2020 : Exploring the massive potential of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) to enhance the Ease of Doing Business in India, NITI Aayog in association with Agami and Omidyar Network India held a conversation—co-hosted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)—with heads of legal firms and industry representatives on 8 August. ‘We are witnessing a visionary period in the history of India’s court system. In today’s age of data-driven solutions and machine learning, ODR provides the potential to resolve a substantial percentage of disputes at the site of their occurrence without burdening the courts. Progressive and disruptive changes in justice delivery are critical components that can alter the course of access to justice in an unprecedented way,’ said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. Emphasizing that ODR can act as a complement to the court system, former Supreme Court Justice, B.N. Srikrishna said, ‘It will be an auxiliary of the court system, in the sense that it will prevent a large number of litigations that clutter the courts. A litigant does not need to travel from Kerala to Delhi to solve his dispute, he/she can resolve it through the electronic platform. Online Dispute Resolution can help deliver justice to the doorstep of the litigant.’ ODR is the resolution of disputes, particularly small- and medium-value cases, using digital technology and techniques of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. ‘We must use this opportunity to actually reimagine dispute resolution and conflict resolution for the future, for the 21st century, and post the Covid-19 pandemic,’ stressed Cyril Shroff, Managing Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. He went on to say that the opportunity here was not just to use technology to optimize the old way of doing things, but also to use our imagination and create the right alliances, to bring in transformation. Ease of Doing business has been a priority area of the government for combating deceleration in the growth of GDP and investment. ‘As a part of this, we need to focus on improving the enforcing contracts mechanism in India through innovative methods like Online Dispute Resolution. It has extensive application and can be used to resolve a wide variety of commercial disputes’, said Sanjiv Bajaj, Vice President, CII, and Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finance. He added, ‘Recognising the essence of ODR, CII has been undertaking a plethora of initiatives such as setting up a CII Centre for Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR).’ Through this Centre, CII plans to impart training and undertake analysis through research papers, seminars and conferences, and interact with various national and international arbitration forums and other stakeholders in promoting arbitration, thereby reducing time and cost to litigation, and advocating harmony in the legislature, executive and the judiciary. The esteemed panellists agreed to adopt and institutionalize ODR, and to ensure efforts are taken to scale online dispute resolution in India

48. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches submarine cable connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands (CANI)
Monday August 10 2020 : Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today launched and dedicated to the nation, the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands to the mainland  through video conferencing. The foundation stone for this project was laid by the PM on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said the connectivity would now enable endless opportunities in the islands. He said the laying of the 2300 Kms submarine cable and completing it before the set target is very praise worthy. The Prime Minister said that the service had begun today on a major chunk of the islands  from Chennai to Port Blair, Port Blair to Little Andaman and Port Blair to Swaraj Island. The Prime Minister admired the laying of cables for about 2300 kilometers under the sea as surveying in the deep sea, maintaining the quality of the cable and  laying of the cable with specialised vessels is not an easy task. The project also had to overcome challenges such as high waves, storms and monsoons and the tough times owing to Corona Pandemic. The Prime Minister said the Andaman & Nicobar Islands felt the need for years but no steps were taken to fulfil it. Shri Modi expressed his happiness for being able to deliver the project notwithstanding such major challenges. The Prime Minister said providing better and cheap connectivity to the people of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is the responsibility of the country. He congratulated all those who were associated with the project. Shri Modi said the Submarine Cable is one such effort to prove that A & N Islands are not far away from Delhi and from the Hearts of the Mainland. Ease of Living to every Citizen Shri Modi said that the Government is committed to provide modern facilities to every citizen and every sector so that there can be a better ease of living. He said this Optical Fibre Project which links A&N Islands with the rest of the country is an example of the commitment of the Gov

49. Indian Railways to give full refund for all tickets booked on or prior to 14th April 2020 for regular time tabled trains
Tuesday June 23 2020 : Indian Railways to give full refund for all tickets booked on or prior to 14th April 2020 for regular time tabled trains Ministry of Railways has decided that all train tickets booked on or prior to 14th April 2020 for the regular time-tabled trains should be cancelled and full refund generated as per provisions contained in the letters issued earlier.   https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1633704

50. Purchasing Power Parities and the size of Indian Economy: Results from the 2017 International Comparison Program
Tuesday June 23 2020 : Purchasing Power Parities and the size of Indian Economy: Results from the 2017 International Comparison Program The World Bank has released new Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) for reference year 2017, under International Comparison Program (ICP), that adjust for differences in the cost of living across economies of the World. Globally 176 economies participated in 2017 cycle of ICP. 2.         The International Comparison Program (ICP) is the largest worldwide data-collection initiative, under the guidance of UN Statistical Commission (UNSC), with the goal of producing Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) which are vital for converting measures of economic activities to be comparable across economies. Along with the PPPs, the ICP also produces Price Level Indices (PLI) and other regionally comparable aggregates of GDP expenditure. 3.         India has participated in almost all ICP rounds since its inception in 1970. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is National Implementing Agency (NIA) for India, which has the responsibility of planning, coordinating and implementing national ICP activities. India is also proud to have been a co-Chair of the ICP Governing Board along with Statistics Austria for the ICP 2017 cycle.   WORLDWIDE STATUS   4.         The Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) of Indian Rupee per US$ at Gross Domestic Product (GDP) level is now 20.65 in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011. The Exchange Rate of US Dollar to Indian Rupee is now 65.12 from 46.67 during same period. The Price Level Index (PLI)—the ratio of a PPP to its corresponding market exchange rate—is used to compare the price levels of economies, of India is 47.55 in 2017 from 42.99 in 2011. 5.         In 2017, India retained and consolidated its global position, as the third largest economy, accounted for 6.7 percent ($8,051 billion out of World total of $119,547 billion) of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of PPPs as against China (16.4%) and United States (16.3%), respectively. India is also third largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in global Actual Individual Consumption and Global Gross Capital Formation.   REGIONAL STATUS: ASIA-PACIFIC REGION   6.         In 2017, India retained its regional position, as the second largest economy, accounted for 20.83 % (HK$ 48,395 billion out of Asia-Pacific total of HK$ 232,344 billion) of Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of PPPs where China was at 50.76% (first) and Indonesia at 7.49% (third). India is also second largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in regional Actual Individual Consumption and regional Gross Capital Formation. 7.