Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal has been appointed the first director of the directorate of religious affairs, headquartered in Varanasi. The state cabinet in December 2020 approved the proposal to set up the Directorate of Religious Affairs (DRA) [Dharmarth Karya Vibhag] to ease administrative functioning in promoting religious sites as tourism hubs.
Kerala government launched the Knowledge Economy Mission to bring the ongoing efforts to provide employment to the educated and support ‘knowledge workers’ under a single program.
A plan would be drawn up to provide basic facilities and a social security system for knowledge workers, working close to their homes and interacting with employers.
The project is being spearheaded by Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council.
RBI decided to open a separate liquidity window of Rs 15,000 crore with tenors of up to three years at the repo rate till March 31, 2022, for contact-intensive sectors.
Under this, banks are expected to create a separate COVID loan book.
By way of an incentive, such banks will be eligible to park their surplus liquidity up to the size of the COVID loan book created.
It includes sectors like hotels, tourism, spas, beauty clinic, event organizers, etc.,
The government has constituted an expert group led by Prof Ajit Mishra, Director, Institute of Economic Growth, that will give recommendations on fixation of minimum wages & national floor minimum wage.
National floor refers to the minimum level of wage that is applicable to all categories of workers across the country.
Minimum wage is different for different categories of workers.
The Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition announced its winners that span across 9 themes.
Photographer Thomas Vijayan was crowned the winner of the “Animal Behavior” category as well as the overall winner of the competition. He received the “Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021” title for his portrait of an orangutan climbing a tree upside down.
Nature TTL: An online photography tutorial
Founder: Will Nicholls
A group of the world's richest nations reached a landmark deal on Saturday to close cross-border tax loopholes used by some of the world's biggest companies.
The Group of Seven said it would back a minimum global corporation tax rate of at least 15%, and put in place measures to ensure taxes were paid in the countries where businesses operate.
G7 was founded in 1975.
Haryana government launched Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme 2021. This Life Air God Pension scheme aims to ensure an adequate supply of natural oxygen in the state.
Trees which are of the age of 75 years and above will be identified throughout the state and these will be looked after by involving local people in this scheme.
For maintenance of trees older than 75 years, pension amount of ₹2500/year to be provided
Former Infosys CEO S D Shibu Lal appointed chairperson of a three-member task force formed to help the government in bringing major bureaucratic reforms through its ambitious "Mission Karmayogi".
To effectively roll out this competency-driven mission, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely Karmayogi Bharat, to be set up as a not-for-profit company.
Shibu Lal is also the founder of ShikshaLokam.
The Delhi government appointed former Olympic medalist weightlifter Karnam Malleswari as the first Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Sports University.
Malleswari is the first Indian woman weightlifter to bring home an Olympic medal. She created history at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by lifting 110 kilograms and 130 kilograms in the 'snatch' and 'clean and jerk' categories.
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM approved the merger of Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd with its holding enterprise Central Warehousing Corporation.
The merger will facilitate the setting up of at least 50 more railside warehouses near goods-shed locations, which is likely to generate employment opportunities.
The merger is expected to be completed within 8 months.
Microsoft reached a new milestone as the company’s market capitalization hit $2 trillion for the first time.
Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach the $2 trillion mark in August.
Amazon, valued at $1.77 trillion, is also approaching the $2 trillion club.
Microsoft:
HQ: Washington, USA
Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
Companies that have a market capitalization of more than ₹1 lakh crore at the time of listing can now sell just 5% of their shares, with the latest amendment in rules, a move that will be beneficial for the government during the proposed IPO of LIC.
Such entities have to increase their public shareholding to 10% in 2 years and raise the same to at least 25% within 5 years.
Dept of Economic Affairs under finance ministry amended the Securities Contracts Rules.
Paisabazaar.com, India’s largest lending marketplace & Credit Score platform and SBM Bank India, the youngest universal Bank announced the launch of Step Up Credit Card – a credit-builder product designed for consumers with limited access to formal credit, due to ineligible credit score.
It is the first product to be launched under Paisabazaar’s neo-lending strategy.
CEO & Co-founder, Paisabazaar.com - Naveen Kukreja.
RBI was second only to Turkey in terms of reserves transferred to the government as a percentage of GDP for the FY 2020 - 21.
RBI recently transferred a ₹ 99,122-crore surplus to the government - 73% higher than the Rs 57,128 crore paid out in 2019-20.
RBI transferred 0.44% of GDP to the government in FY21.
RBI reported India as the 5th largest reserve holding country in the world.
PhonePe has launched Wallet Auto Top-Up feature using UPI e-mandates for its customers. This feature allows PhonePe customers to set up a UPI e-mandate once, after which PhonePe will automatically top up their wallet balance when it falls below a minimum level.
This means customers can make multiple payments using their Wallet, without having to top up their wallet balance.
PhonePe CEO: Sameer Nigam
HQ: Bengaluru
Moody's Investors Service slashed India's growth projection to 9.6% for 2021 calendar year, from its earlier estimate of 13.9%.
In its report titled 'Macroeconomics India: Economic shocks from second COVID wave will not be as severe as last year's', Moody's said high-frequency economic indicators show that the second wave hit India's economy in April & May.
Indian economy contracted by 7.3% in fiscal 2020-21 as the country battled the first wave
HDFC Bank's Board approved to buy more than 3.55 crore shares in group firm HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company for over Rs 1,906 crore from the parent company Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).
HDFC is the promoter and related party of the bank.
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company CEO: Ritesh Kumar
HQ: Mumbai
Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown breaks the 100-meter backstroke world record at the South Australian Aquatic Centre with a time of 57.45 seconds from the previous mark of 57.57 seconds set by American Regan Smith in 2019.
Emily Seebohm finished second in 58.59 to qualify for her fourth Olympics.
Indian American author Dr. Vipin Gupta has written 2 books under Project VIPIN (Vastly Integrated Processes Inside Nature). His 5th and 6th books are titled, 'What is Consciousness and 'What is Para Consciousness, respectively.
His other books include: 'What is Present Reality', 'What is Divine Energy', 'Is Present Reality' and 'Is Divine Energy'.
Indian British author Ruskin Bond authored a new book titled 'It's a Wonderful Life' is published by Aleph Book Company.
The book is written in a perceptive, uplifting, deeply moving, and in non-fictional way.
Bond's First Novel - 'The Room on the Roof'.
Bond is a recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
John David McAfee, the founder of the antivirus software maker bearing his name, died in a prison in Spain after a Spanish court said that he could be extradited to the United States on tax-evasion charges.
McAfee Corp. is an American global computer security software company.
McAfee CEO: Peter A. Leav.
