Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore gets independent charge of I&B Ministry
In a Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned the Information and Broadcasting portfolio to Col Rajyavardhan Rathore in place of Smriti Irani. He has been given the independent charge of the Ministry. Earlier, Mr. Rathore was Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. Mrs. Irani will now only hold the portfolio of Minister of Textiles. A communique from the office of President Ram Nath Kovind Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has been given an additional charge of Ministry of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs till Arun Jaitley, who underwent a kidney surgery yesterday, recovers from treatment. Alphons Kannanthanam, Minister of State be relieved of the charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. While S S Ahluwalia, Minister of State be relieved of the charge of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and assigned the portfolio of Ministry of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
ICBC Launches China’s 1st India-Dedicated Investment Fund
A state-run Chinese bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) launched the country’s first India-dedicated publicly offered investment fund, saying the Indian market offers the best opportunity for Chinese investors due to the prospects of double-digit growth. The fund, named the ICBC Credit Suisse India Market Fund, will invest in exchange-traded funds listed on more than 20 exchanges in Europe and the US that are based on the Indian market. It is China’s first publicly offered fund for investing in India. The fund will invest in the future of the Indian economy and track the distribution of the industrial structure across the Indian market.
Lata Mangeshkar Conferred With Swara Mauli Award
Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar was honored with the Swara Mauli title by spiritual guru Vidya Narasimha Bharati Swami. Mangeshkar, 88, was conferred with the award at her residence in Mumbai. Her sisters Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar and brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar were also present.
UNDP To Set Up Skill Development Centre In Hyderabad
Aimed at empowering vulnerable and marginalized women by imparting skills training, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced to set up a skill development center at ‘Bharosa,’ an integrated support center for distressed women and children in Hyderabad. ‘Bharosa,’ an initiative of Hyderabad City Police, is a state-of-the-art center to support women and children who are victims of violence.
Fino Payments Bank Launched Digital Suite
Fino Payments Bank launched a suite of digital products that can be accessed online and through mobile phones with the focus to build the transaction platform. Fino had launched its mobile banking app BPay in 2017. The latest initiatives include Unified Payments Interface (UPI), BHIM app – using which customers can access UPI and make P2P payments, net banking, digi savings account which can be opened with only Aadhaar number and PAN card and FasTag for making digital payments at toll plazas on national highways.
Par Panel To Look Into Black Money Recovery, Performance Of PSBs
A parliamentary panel headed by veteran BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi decided to study the recovery of black money and performance of public sector banks (PSBs) among a host of subjects. The 30-member Estimates Committee, in a meeting, decided to study a host of subjects related to various ministries in the year 2018-19. As per the memorandum of the committee, the panel will look into the import of uranium for nuclear plants, mining activities and environment, upgrading of India Post offices and the drought situation in the country among other matters.
Dharmendra Pradhan, UAE Minister Flag Off 1st Consignment Of ADNOC Crude For India
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UAE Minister of State & Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Group CEO Dr. Sultan Al Jaber flagged off the first consignment of 2 million barrels of ADNOC crude for Mangalore Cavern. During the day, Mr. Pradhan also held the bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Jaber. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister also had an interactive session with over 250 Indian professionals, business leaders and community representatives working in the UAE. The event was organized by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi.
Noted Lyricist, Poet, Politician Balkavi Bairagi Passes Away
Noted Hindi film lyricist, Nandram Das Bairagi, popularly known as Balkavi Bairagi, passed away in his sleep. Bairagi, a Lok Sabha member between 1984 and 1989 and also a former Rajya Sabha MP. He was 87. He wrote several Hindi poems, among which, “Jhar gaye paat, bisar gayi tehni” is considered a gem by many Hindi poets.
Indian Army Finalises Rs 15,000 Crore Ammunition Production Project
Indian Army finalized a mega 15,000 crore rupees project under which a range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously. Around 11 private firms would be involved in the ambitious project. The immediate aim of the project is to create an inventory of all major weapons to enable the forces to fight a 30-day war while the long-term objective is to cut dependence on imports. The army has set a specific target for the next 10 years in terms of the volume of ammunition to be produced.
India is the Largest Remittance-Receiving Country In World
India becomes the largest remittance-receiving country in the world, with migrant workers from the country sending home 69 billion US dollars in 2017. According to the report ‘RemitSCOPE – Remittance markets and opportunities – Asia and the Pacific’, remittances to the Asia-Pacific region amounted to 256 billion dollars in 2017. India with 69 billion Dollars, China with 64 billion Dollars and the Philippines with 33 billion Dollars are the three largest remittance-receiving countries in the world in 2017. Worldwide, an estimated 40% of the total value of remittances goes to rural areas. According to the report, cash-to-cash transactions remain by far the most common form of transfer.
Fitch Predicts 7.3% Growth Rate Of India In 2018-19
Credit rating agency Fitch stated that India’s economic growth will accelerate to 7.3% in the current financial year (2018-19) and 7.5% in the next fiscal (2019-20). In its second-quarter Sovereign Credit Overview for Asia Pacific region, Fitch stated the growth rate will accelerate as money supply recovered to its pre-demonetisation level and disruptions related to the rollout of GST have diminished.
President Ram Nath Kovind to leave for Ajmer from Jaipur
President Ram Nath Kovind will leave for Ajmer this morning from Jaipur. He will visit Pushkar Sarovar and Brahma Temple at Pushkar and Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer. Elaborate security arrangements are made for the visit of the president. AIR correspondent reports that The President will leave for Ajmer at 9.30 this morning and will reach Ghoora Helipad. He will directly go to Pushkar Sarovar where he will offer prayers. From there he will go to Brahma Temple and remain there for over half an hour. From Pushkar, Mr. Kovind moves for Dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer. He will be welcomed on Nizam Gate and Anjuman Committee of Khadims will welcome him at Buland Darwaja. The President will remain in Dargah for about 50 minutes and then go to circuit house. Both Brahma Temple and Dargah will be vacated today for security measures.
