Asia's first water transport service, "Uber Shikara", is now available in J&K's picturesque Dal Lake.
Uber rolled out Asia's first water transport service with shikara bookings on its app.
Tourists visiting the Dal Lake will now enjoy a hassle-free travel experience with the launch of Uber's first water transport service 'Uber Shikara'.
This innovative initiative aims to combine technology with tradition allowing travellers to pre-book shikara rides through the popular ride-hailing app.
The service was launched by Uber India and South Asia President Prabhjeet Singh, who booked the inaugural shikara ride via the app.
Uber Shikara marks a significant milestone for the company as it is first water transport offering in Asia after similar services in select European countries like Italy (Venice).
Uber has partnered with seven local shikara owners with plans to expand the fleet based on user demand.
Rides will be available at government-regulated rates, ensuring fair pricing for tourist.
The seven shikaras are stationed at Nehru Park, an island park located in the heart of Dal Lake.
Importantly, Uber will not charge any fees from its shikara partners ensuring that the full fare goes directly to the boat operators.
Uber has previously established its presence in Srinagar with cab services, and now with the introduction of Uber Shikara.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted the restrictions imposed on Sachin Bansal-led Navi Finserv with immediate effect. This move comes just over a month after the central bank barred the non-banking finance company (NBFC), along with three others, from sanctioning and disbursing loans or charging exorbitant interest rates to borrowers, effective from October 21.
In a statement, the RBI said that following the regulatory restrictions imposed on the Bengaluru-based NBFC, it held several rounds of discussions with the company to rectify deficiencies.
The company has worked to address identified deficiencies, and revamp its processes and systems, to the satisfaction of the RBI, Navi Finserv said in a statement, adding that,
the company is now focused on delivering transparent, compliant, and customer-first financial solutions.
The other entities directed by the RBI to cease and desist from sanctioning and disbursing loans included Asirvad Microfinance, Arohan Financial Services, and DMI Finance.
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2024 in New Delhi on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Noting the theme of this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’.
These awards have far-reaching social significance. By emulating them, other individuals and institutions can move toward empowering Persons with Disabilities.
Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Sh. Kirti Vardhan Singh launched 'Nano Bubble Technology' for cleaning and purifying water of National Zoological Park, Delhi to promote the health of aquatic animals.
This technology can clean dirty pond water by removing algae and similar growths.
It is being tested in the zoo for the first time as a 15-day trial. If successful, it will be used in the zoo.
Union Minister of State Shri Singh explained that the goal of this technology is to keep water clean, ensuring the health and well-being of aquatic creatures. Clean water prevents foul smells, algae buildup, and discoloration often caused by dirty pond water.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, informed the Nation about the notification of the Ratapani Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, as the 57th Tiger Reserve of the country.
Ratapani Tiger Reserve has a core area of 763.8 sq km, buffer area of 507.6 sq km and total area of 1271.4 sq km.
It is the 8th tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh.
This conservation initiative will strengthen wildlife management in the forests of Ratapani, Bhopal Sehore area. Standard protection, habitat management, ecotourism, community engagement activities etc shall be adopted which will strengthen Wildlife conservation in the Ratapani Tiger landscape.
SBI Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the SBI Quant Fund, an open-ended equity scheme designed around a quant-based investing approach. The scheme aims to generate long-term capital appreciation through equity and equity-related instruments selected using an in-house quant model.
The SBI Quant Fund will predominantly allocate:
80%-100% to equity and equity-related instruments selected through the quant model.
0%-20% to other equity instruments and debt instruments.
0%-10% to REITs and InvITs, in line with SEBI limits.
Additionally, the scheme may invest up to 20% in mutual fund units and 35% in overseas securities, including ADRs, GDRs, ETFs, and foreign equity.
The fund will be managed by Sukanya Ghosh and Pradeep Kesavan (dedicated fund manager for overseas securities).
The SBI Quant Fund offers a strategic opportunity for investors to diversify their portfolios with a robust rule-based framework, aiming for consistent returns across various market cycles. For more information, refer to the Scheme Information Document.
Indian tech industry body Nasscom has partnered with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to foster cross-border collaborations in fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation. The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to create synergies between India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem and Dubai’s dynamic financial hub.
The MoU will facilitate the exchange of sectoral insights and development strategies, enabling Nasscom’s 3,000-plus member companies to access DIFC’s innovation ecosystem. This partnership is set to unlock opportunities for global collaboration through activities such as webinars, roadshows, roundtables, and workshops.
The Ministry of Coal has achieved a significant milestone in its ambitious coal gasification program by announcing the Selected Applicants under Category-I and III of the Scheme. This development reinforces the government’s commitment to advancing a cleaner, more sustainable coal future for India. The Selected Applicants for the Financial Incentive are as follows:
Category I (Government PSUs / JVs of Government PSUs):
Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited
Coal India Limited (for CIL – GAIL Consortium)
Coal India Limited.
Category III (Demonstration Projects / Small-Scale Product-based Plants):
New Era Cleantech Solution Private Limited.
This announcement marks the successful completion of the process under Categories I & III and demonstrates the growing confidence of the industry in the future of coal gasification in India.
The Ministry of Coal launched Financial Incentive Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 8,500 crore, approved by Cabinet for promotion of Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects,
A crucial step towards India’s target of 100 million tonnes of coal gasification by 2030. The Scheme launched under three Categories, has garnered strong interest from industry players, with five applications received under Categories I and III.
The Coal Gasification Incentive Scheme is expected to drive innovation in clean coal technologies and create thousands of new job,
contributing significantly to India’s transition to a clean energy future.
The Ministry of Coal remains committed to advancing initiatives that promote sustainable energy solutions while reducing the country’s carbon footprint, paving the way for a more environmentally responsible energy landscape in India.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu broke her long title drought by clinching the Syed Modi International women's singles crown with a dominant victory over China's Wu Luo Yu in the final here on Sunday. The 29-year-old former world champion outclassed Wu 21-14 21-16 to lift the title for the third time, having previously won the tournament in 2017 and 2022.
Sindhu's triumph marks her return to the top of the podium after a gap of over two years and four months. Her last title came at the Singapore Open in July 2022. This year, she also reached the finals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 in May.
Earlier, Indian women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand capped a sensational week by clinching their maiden Super 300 title with a commanding 21-18, 21-11 win over China's Bao Li Jing and Li Qian.
This victory holds special significance as Treesa and Gayatri became the first Indian women's doubles team to win the title at this tournament.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a UN day that is celebrated every year on 3 December.
The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
2024 Theme: Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.
The theme chosen for the observance in 2024 aims to underscore the importance of leveraging the leadership of persons with disabilities to ensure disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development for all.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks to take immediate steps to reduce the number of inoperative or frozen accounts and to make the activation process smoother and more hassle-free.
To achieve this, the RBI has advised banks to organize special campaigns focused on activating inoperative or frozen accounts.
Additionally, banks have been encouraged to facilitate Aadhaar updates for customers at branches that provide Aadhaar-related services. This initiative aims to assist account holders, particularly those from underprivileged sections of society, in reactivating their accounts with ease.
It has also given separate instructions to State Level Bankers' Committees (SLBCs) to proactively monitor the situation in their respective regions to minimize customer inconvenience.
Furthermore, the RBI pointed out instances where accounts of beneficiaries under government schemes like Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) or Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) were frozen,
due to pending or periodic KYC updates.
The central bank has instructed banks to segregate these accounts and ensure uninterrupted credit of DBT/EBT funds while addressing KYC-related issues efficiently.
These steps are part of RBI's broader efforts to improve financial inclusion and reduce barriers for marginalized sections of society in accessing banking services.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, by an order dated November 29, 2024, a monetary penalty of Rs. 5.00 lakh (Rupees Five Lakh only) on The Panchkula Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Haryana (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 26A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act).
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, by an order dated November 29, 2024, a monetary penalty of Rs. 5.00 lakh (Rupees Five Lakh only) on The Patiala Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Patiala, Punjab (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 26A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act).
Hyundai Motor Group said it has tied up with three IITs to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification entailing an investment of USD 7 million over five years. The South Korean group, which has presence across multiple segments including mobility, has tied up with IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest around USD 7 million over five years, from 2025 to 2029, to jointly conduct battery and electrification-related research with the IITs.
As part of the collaboration, Hyundai Center of Excellence (CoE), will be set up within IIT Delhi and would operate through sponsorships from Hyundai Motor Group, the group said in a statement.
In a landmark development, National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, has officially recognized Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) as an Awarding Body (Dual).
The agreement, aimed at strengthening the vocational education and training landscape in the space sector, was signed in the presence of Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE and Chairperson, NCVET.
The NCVET, serving as the national regulator for vocational education and training, plays a vital role in setting standards, developing regulations, and,
improving the quality and outcomes of skilling initiatives across the country.
The IN-SPACe operates as an autonomous agency under the Department of Space (DOS), dedicated to promoting and enabling various space activities, including the development of launch vehicles and satellites, and space-based services.
This collaboration will enable the IN-SPACe to deliver cutting-edge training in areas such as Satellite Manufacturing, Space Technology in Agriculture, Mission Design for Launch Vehicles, Orbital Mechanics, and Advances in Space Propulsion Systems.
