Army Commanders Conference held on 27 May
Army Commanders’ Conference has been scheduled to be held in two phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase of the conference will be held from 27 to 29 May 2020 and the second phase will be held in the last week of June 2020. The conference was scheduled for April 2020 and postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aspiring Chartered Accountants Launch India’s First Chat-Based ‘JJ Tax App’
Aspiring chartered accountants Mehak Malik and Leesha Arya teamed up to launch JJ Tax App – a chat-based tax app. This app offers a wide range of solutions in taxation and allied services to customers, offering real-time solutions by tax experts. With the motto of ‘Done Fast Done Right’, this team is all set to simplify taxation for new-age millennials, who prefer online communication rather than face-to-face meetings with tax experts.
Bengaluru-based startup launches collection VoiceBot for BFSI customers
ai, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup announced the launch of “Gnani Collection VoiceBot”, a multilingual conversational voice bot. The Gnani Collection VoiceBot enables an intelligent dialogue between customers and the financial institution using voice assistants on telephony lines, as per the company’s official release. Gnani stated that the collection VoiceBot is built with an aim to leverage the latest AI technologies to help BFSI customers digitise manual collection processes. This can be done by using bots to automate customer support calls, manage outbound call campaigns, and push the payments online modes, away from manual payment collection.
SAI announced Rs.30,000 each for 2,749 Khelo India athletes
ports Authority of India (SAI) has deposited Rs.30,000 each to 2,749 Khelo India athletes as out of pocket allowance (OPA) amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The total sum of the amount is Rs.8.25 crore in all. The announcement regarding disbursement of the Khelo India allowances was made by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju. SAI announced that a total of 2893 athletes will be given the OPA for the period.
BSE launches eKYC services on StAR MF platform
BSE StAR MF has launched BSE eKYC services based on Aadhaar and Video KYC. Open for onboarding mutual fund investors initially, it will be opened to stock brokers and other approved intermediaries. It will soon issue APIs for stock brokers and other intermediaries to connect their IT systems to BSE’s eKYC system, it stated. The user-friendly web and mobile interface for different participants of MF industry provides digital verification of KYC documents, integration with KRA systems and real-time approval in case of successful verification of all IDs and documents.
EU proposes 750 billion-euro coronavirus recovery fund
The European Union (EU) Commission has proposed a 750 billion-euro ($825 billion) recovery fund “European breakthrough” to help the bloc’s economy through the deep recession induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced by the commissioner Paolo Gentiloni. The aim is to tackle an unprecedented crisis. The move comes as the EU plans to enter its deepest-ever recession as the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic ravages economies.
Researchers discovered a new possibility to improve rice productivity
Researchers have identified a region in the genome of a rice, which seems to have the potential for improving productivity. The study was conducted jointly by the Department of Biotechnology’s National Institute of Plant Genome Research (DBT-NIPGR), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (ICAR-NRRI), Cuttack and University of Delhi South Campus (UDSC).
Scientists identify 2 bacterial secreted proteins effective in inactivating coronavirus
Researchers from Tsinghua University, China and the University of Connecticut in the US have jointly discovered two bacterial secreted proteins that can effectively inactivate a series of viruses, including the novel coronavirus, dengue, and the HIV. Initially, the researchers identified a soil bacterium from the gut of Aedes aegymosquitoes. The whole bacterial genome was sequenced to characterize the bacterium and the scientists identified two proteins that can effectively impair a series of viruses, including dengue virus, HIV, and the novel coronavirus.
P Kumaran appointed India’s High Commissioner to Singapore
Periasamy Kumaran was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Singapore. He will replace Jawed Ashraf, who took over as High Commissioner of India to Singapore in November 2016. He is at present Ambassador of India to Qatar and has been serving the post since October, 2016.
Prem K Nair appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Niger
Prem K Nair, at present Consul General of India to Hambantota, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Niger.
Sandip Mukund Pradhan gets two-year extension as DG, SAI
Sandip Mukund Pradhan, the Director-General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been given an extension for his central deputation tenure. The extension has been given for a period of two years and it will come into effect from June 6, 2020. The proposal was put forward by the Sports Ministry of India to extend the tenure of Pradhan and it was then that the Cabinet approved it.
Indian start-up makes world’s rst contactless visitor management software
A Mumbai based start-up VAMS Global has come up with world’s first contactless Visitor Management Software with temperature scanner and mask detection. VAMS SafeGuard scans body temperature, read faces with a mask on while monitoring social distancing on the premise. The software uses ‘AI’ to allow entry of visitors, only who are only complying to all COVID protection measures.
IIT Delhi researchers develop lighter, breathable PPE to ght Covid-19
Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has developed a breathable and light-weighted PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to fight COVID-19. We have covered all the basic aspects and it meets the criteria specified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is free of bacteria or virus penetration. Our PPE is equipped to cover 99.8 per cent bacteria, stated Dr Ishtiaque. He further stated that they consulted more than 150 doctors and the most pressing issue was that it was uncomfortable to wear
Maruti Suzuki partners ICICI Bank to offer retail nancing schemes to customers
The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has joined hands with ICICI Bank to offer retail financing schemes to its customers. ICICI Bank is offering flexi EMI scheme which enables customers to pay low EMI initially, in order to help them overcome the liquidity stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EMI amount starts from Rs 899 on a loan of Rs 1 lakh for first three months. The bank is also offering similar other EMI plans for MSI customers.
Airtel Payments Bank (APBL) ties up with Mastercard to develop products for farmers, SMEs
Airtel Payments Bank (APBL) has partnered with Mastercard to develop customized products catering to customers across the underbanked spectrum including farmers, small and medium enterprises, and retail customers. The collaboration aims at building a digital platform which provides farmers with knowledge about advanced farming techniques and connection to marketplaces, while simultaneously enabling them to receive payments directly in their Airtel Payments Bank account. Finally, Airtel Payments Bank and Mastercard will work together to create differentiated card solutions, including solutions for contactless payments via NFC (Near Field Communication) for customers and merchants.
