The 7th India-Japan Medical Product Regulatory Symposium, organised by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, was successfully held at the FICCI Convention Hall. For Enhanced collaboration under the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in medical product regulations.
Delegates from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, and the Ministry of Health, Law and Welfare, Japan and 80 drug regulators & 120 industry representatives from India and Japan participate.
The MoC, originally signed in December 2015 between CDSCO and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) of Japan, underscores cooperation in medical products regulations until December 2025. These Regulatory Symposiums are held alternatively in both nations, serving as crucial platforms for exchange practices.
Kerala has become the first state in the country to prepare Peoples Biodiversity Registers (PBR) for each local self-government (LSG) body with the help of the local people.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given a deadline of January 31, 2020 to prepare PBR in all states. Kerala has achieved it in the first week of December much before the date.
PBR records information availability and knowledge of local biological resources and traditional knowledge associated with them.
According to the Kerala State Biodiversity Board website, except three LSGs, all the other 1040 LSGs have prepared PBR. The register will have details on wild, aquatic, urban, and agro biodiversity.
Kerala was also the first state to establish biodiversity management committees (BMCs) at all levels in the state which were required to prepare PBR. BMC is responsible for monitoring PBR preparation at Panchayat level. There will also be Panchayat coordinators and ward level volunteers to collect data.
Govt. sanctioned an expenditure of Rs.1,25,000 for grama panchayats, Rs. 2,50,000 for municipalities and Rs. 5,00,000 for corporations from the general sector development fund of the annual plan or own general purpose fund for PBR preparation," the board report says. In total, Kerala spent Rs 13.97 crore for PBR preparation.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of eight Executive Directors in Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PGICs).
Rashmi Bajpai, currently General Manager (GM) in Oriental Insurance Company Ltd (OICL), has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) in the same Company.
Amit Mishra, currently GM of New India Assurance Company Ltd (NIACL), has been appointed as ED in OICL. Hitesh Ramesh Chandra Joshi, currently GM in GIC Re, has been appointed as ED in the same Company.
Prasad C.G., currently GM in NIACL, has been appointed as ED in NICL. Sunita Gupta, currently GM in Oriental Insurance Company Ltd (OICL), has been appointed as ED in UIICL.
Radhika C.S., currently GM in United India Insurance Company Ltd (UIICL), has been appointed as ED in GIC Re. T. Babu Paul, currently GM in National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL), has been appointed as ED in the same Company.
Dasarathi Singh, currently GM in Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd, has been appointed as ED in the same company.
The aforementioned top executives have tenors ranging from less than a year to four years.
India’s first deepwater transshipment port, the Vizhinjam international seaport near Thiruvananthapuram, received its first mothership.
The MV San Fernando, carrying 2,000 containers, was given a grand welcome at the port. The berthing of the ship was part of a trial run at the port before it is slated to open for commercial operations.
Before the 300-metre-long Marshall Island-flagged container ship berthed at the port, tug boats gave it a water salute. The ship, operated by Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, Singapore, was hired by Maersk (AP Moller Group). It arrived from the Xiamen port in China.
The state government will hold an official reception for the ship, which will leave for Colombo after unloading around 1,900 containers. The Rs 7,600-crore transshipment deepwater multipurpose seaport project in Vizhinjam is being executed by Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model.
Vizhinjam is the first international deepwater transhipment port in the Indian subcontinent, with a natural depth of more than 18 metres, scalable up to 20 metres, which is crucial to allow entry of large vessels and motherships.
The Adi-Nadir Godrej family has acquired a 12.65 percent stake worth Rs 3,803 crore from RKN Enterprises in Godrej Industries, the flagship of the group. RKN Industries is owned by Rishad K Naoroji, a cousin of Adi Godrej, and others.
Nadir Godrej acquired a 7.57 per cent stake worth Rs 2,277 crore at a price of Rs 893 a share, according to exchange data. The three children of group patriarch Adi Godrej acquired a 1.69 per cent stake worth Rs 509 crore each in the company. It has a market capitalisation of Rs 30,298 crore. Promoters held 67.16 percent stake in the company as of March 2024.
Godrej Industries Group (GIG), which includes the listed companies, Godrej Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Godrej Agrovet and Astec Lifesciences will have Nadir Godrej as Chairperson and will be controlled by Adi Godrej, Nadir Godrej, and their immediate families. Pirojsha Godrej will succeed Nadir Godrej as the Chairperson in August 2026.
A delegation from the Royal Government of Bhutan, headed by Mr Gem Tshering, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Bhutan met Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and discussed issues related to air quality, climate change, forests, natural resources, wildlife and renewable energy.
Mr. Tshering informed about successfully hosting the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscape Conference in April 2024 in Paro. He stated that Bhutan is already a carbon-negative country and obtains its major share of energy from hydropower.
Both sides agreed to work together in the areas of climate change, air quality, forest, wildlife management, and capacity building in the field of environment and climate change. India suggested to hold the Joint Working Group Meeting.
The Reserve Bank of India approved the conversion of Jio Financial Services from a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to a Core Investment Company (CIC), the company said in a filing. Jio Financial Services is the demerged entity of energy-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
One of the conditions stipulated by RBI is that the CIC holds not less than 90 percent of its net assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares, bonds, debentures, debt or loans in group companies.
As a Core Investment Company, Jio Financial Services will primarily focus on investments in and the management of its subsidiaries companies.
Unlike typical NBFCs, CICs are non-deposit taking financial companies that have their assets predominantly invested in the equity shares, preference shares, or debt instruments of their group companies.
As a CIC, the company gains greater operational flexibility. It can now focus on core investment activities without engaging in other financial services.
Indians visiting Qatar will soon benefit from the convenience of making payments via UPI, thanks to an agreement signed between NPCI International Payments (NIPL) and QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, headquartered in Qatar.
This initiative aims to simplify transactions for a large number of Indian tourists in Qatar by allowing them to scan a QR code and use UPI for payments. With millions of Indian tourists expected to visit GCC countries like Qatar in 2024, this move is set to enhance payment options and improve overall transaction experiences.
State-owned Punjab National Bank has signed a pact with Steel Authority of India to provide home loan, car loan, and education loans to the latter's employees at concessional rates. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the financial well-being of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) employees while expanding PNB's customer base within the steel sector.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by PNB General Manager - Business Acquisition and Relationship Management Division Sudhir Dalal, SAIL General Manager - Finance Lavika Jain and SAIL General Manager - HR Bikram Uppal.
Tata Power-led power distribution companies (Discoms) have invested Rs 4,245 crore in infrastructure expansion and network upgrade in Odisha over the past 3-4 years, the company said. The company operates four Discoms in joint ventures with the government of Odisha.
These are TP Central Odisha Distribution (TPCODL), TP Western Odisha Distribution (TPWODL),TP Southern Odisha Distribution (TPSODL), and TP Northern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL), collectively serving a customer base of over 9 million.The investment includes Rs 1,232 crore through government-backed schemes, including laying 33 KV lines and adding 30,230 distribution.
Canara Robeco Mutual Fund has launched the Canara Robeco Balanced Advantage Fund, an open-ended dynamic asset allocation.
In a press release, Rajnish Narula, CEO Canara Robeco MF said, “The fund may be suitable for mutual fund investors seeking a method for dynamically altering their exposure to equity.
The NFO offers 2 features - auto switch and smart STP. While auto switch is simply parking lumpsum contribution in debt schemes like liquid and overnight funds during the NFO period, smart STP is dividing lumpsum investment in 4 parts – the first part will be deployed during the NFO period while the remaining 3 will be deployed in subsequent months.
The fund is an asset allocation product, will dynamically allocate equity based on in-house model to eliminate investor biases.The proprietary model uses trailing price-to-book ratio (P/B),equity risk premium and forward price to earnings ratio (P/E) to arrive at asset allocation. Shridatta Bhandwaldar, Ennette Fernandes, Suman Prasad and Amit Kadam will co-manage the fund.
Quant Mutual Fund, under SEBI lens in a front-running case, has appointed Shashi Kataria as Chief Financial Officer. He has taken charge from July 1. Kataria has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, Operations Head and Executive Director of Quant Money Managers in place of Harshal Patel, who has resigned due to personal reasons.
He has previously worked with PPFAS AMC as CFO, COO and Director. He was also associated with DSP Blackrock Investment Managers as Manager Finance.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has inked an MoU with a Gujarat-based NGO to advance training programs on accessibility in an effort to create more inclusive spaces for those suffering from disabilities. The MoU between the department and the NGO EnableMe Access Association (EMA) was signed on July 9.
A copy of the MoU, shared with PTI, outlines two initial training programs: "Advanced Training in Accessibility" for empanelled accessibility auditors and Central Public Works Department engineers. Training will be conducted in offline, online, and hybrid formats, featuring instructors with disabilities to offer firsthand insights and foster empathy.
These programs aim to educate participants on Indian accessibility standards, universal design perspectives, and the National Building Code and Harmonized Guidelines and Space Standards (HGSS). To support these training initiatives, DEPwD and EMA will develop and maintain software tools for accessibility education.
These tools will play a critical role in capacity building across multiple stakeholders, integrating seamlessly with the Accessible India Campaign 2.0 and enhancing the functionality of the Sugamya Bharat Application.
The EMA will also lend its expertise to bolster the Accessible India Campaign 2.0.
DEPwD will provide logistical support for the training programs, including accessible venues, internet connectivity, and other necessary facilities.
The EMA will cover the costs of training facilitation and expert feedback, funded through corporate social responsibility initiatives, individual donations, or collaboration.
National Fish Farmer’s Day is celebrated on 10th July every year to recognize and appreciate the invaluable contributions of fish farmers, aquaculture industry professionals, and other stakeholders toward ensuring a sustainable and thriving fisheries sector.
National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) Logistics Data Services Limited (NLDS) and Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to digitize the logistics landscape in Gujarat by leveraging the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).
The MoU was signed by CEO & MD, NICDC, and Chairman, NLDS, Shri Rajat Kumar Saini, and CEO, GIDB, Shri Banchha Nidhi Pani. This collaboration is expected to bring visibility to streamline logistics operations, foster greater coordination among state departments, and enhance decision-making processes through real-time data insights.
Central to this partnership is the development of the Gujarat ULIP Dashboard by NLDS. Designed to operate on a Hub-spoke model, the dashboard will seamlessly integrate with various state departments, ensuring a continuous flow of information. It will provide real-time visibility into key logistics parameters such as shipment tracking, vehicle utilization, etc.
The comprehensive tool will empower stakeholders across the government and private sectors to efficiently monitor and manage logistics operations throughout the state. ULIP is a digital gateway that allows industry players to access logistics-related datasets from various Government systems through API-based integration.
The Central government has decided to observe June 25,the day the Emergency was declared in 1975,as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced.The Government of India has decided to observe 25 June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’, to remind us of the immense contribution of all those people who suffered the inhuman pain of the Emergency of 1975
Recognizing that sand and dust storms and their negative impacts at different scales are issues of international concern, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms. At least 25 % of global dust emissions originate from human activities, and in some areas, desert dust has doubled in the 20th century.
