State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will soon introduce retail franchisee shops called 'Urja Dakshta Dukan' which will offer affordable energy-efficient products like LED lights, ACs, and fans to consumers. EESL, at present, distributes products through retail tie-ups with power distribution utilities to consumers.
Buyers can also purchase the products online from its web portal EESLMART.in. The first batch of franchisee outlets is expected to open in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana, the official said. The invitation for pan India franchise tie-ups will be available on the EESL website from August.
The EESL’s energy efficiency solutions have saved over 47 billion kWh of energy annually while reducing 36.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Founded in 2009, the EESL is promoted by the Ministry of Power as a joint venture of four public-sector undertakings NTPC Ltd, Power Finance Corporation Ltd, REC Ltd, and POWERGRID Corporation of India Ltd.
Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the National Landslide Forecasting Centre at GSI, Dharitri Campus, Salt Lake City, Kolkata. Minister also launched the Bhusanket Web Portal and Bhooskhalan Mobile App.
The NLFC is a pioneering initiative aimed at landslide hazard mitigation in India. Soon after this inauguration, residents of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri districts will benefit from a live forecasting report to be shared with them since 20th July 2024.
It will in due course issue early warning bulletins for all landslide-prone states, operationalizing the regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) nationwide by 2030. Equipped with advanced technology,the NLFC will provide early information to local administration and communities, update landslide inventories,and integrate real-time rainfall data for enhanced accuracy.
The launch of the Bhusanket Web Portal marks a major step towards disaster risk reduction. This web portal will facilitate the dissemination of relevant data and information on landslide hazards, initiating short-range and medium-range landslide forecasting in the country.
Integrated with the Bhusanket Web Portal, the user-friendly Bhooskhalan Mobile App will enable quick dissemination of daily landslide forecasts and allow stakeholders to share and update spatial and temporal information on landslide occurrences. The app is available on Bhusanket web portal and will soon be available on the Google Play Store.
The inauguration of the NLFC, and the launch of the Bhusanket Web Portal and Bhooskhalan Mobile App, are landmark achievements for the Geological Survey of India(GSI) and a testament to its commitment to advancing disaster preparedness and safety in India.
About Geological Survey of India-
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways. Over the years, GSI has not only grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country but has also attained the status of a geo-scientific organisation of international repute.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired the 7th Apex Level Meeting of Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. On this occasion, the Home Minister launched National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) and virtually inaugurated Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Office at Srinagar.
Shri Amit Shah also released NCB ‘Annual Report 2023’ and Compendium on ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’. MANAS will have a toll-free number 1933, a web portal, a mobile app, and a UMANG app so that citizens of the country can anonymously connect with NCB 24x7 to seek advice on de-addiction and rehabilitation and share information on drug trafficking.
And informed that, for capacity-building, the "Centre of Excellence for Narcotics Control" has been founded and 'Mission Spandhan' has been initiated to create awareness among the public regarding issues relating to drugs. Shah announced the constitution of the Zonal office at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir,
And stated, "It will focus on curbing drug trafficking through the northwestern border of India." NCB now has 30 zonal offices and 7 regional offices. The Annual Report of 2023 of NCB highlights the efforts and accomplishments of NCB and all other agencies in its ongoing war against drug trafficking and drug abuse.
It contains the data for seizures done by all agencies in recent years, the latest trends on drug trafficking, action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS), financial investigation including action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), etc.
Illicit cultivation is one big menace to be tackled, and, NCB along with BISAG-N has developed a web portal and mobile app "MAPDRUGS'' to curb illegal cultivation and provide accurate GIS information so that such illicit cultivation can be destroyed by the concerned agencies. Prime Minister Modi has set a target to make India first in every field by 2047.
The Modi government has tried to fight this battle in last 5 years based on the ‘Whole of Government Approach’ and on the three pillars of Structural, Institutional and Informational Reforms. Earlier, the motto of our agencies was ‘Need to Know’, but now we should move towards ‘Duty to Share’ and this major change will have to be adopted by all agencies.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, for the establishment of the ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ at the latter.
This initiative marks a significant step towards institutionalising BIS's collaboration with leading academic and research establishments across India. The BIS Standardization Chair Professor aims to foster a robust partnership between BIS and IISc, promoting collaborative activities in Standardization and Conformity Assessment on the principles of equality and reciprocity.
This MoU with IISc is part of a larger initiative by BIS to collaborate with premier institutions across India. Similar MoUs have been signed with prominent institutions such as IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, NIT Rourkela, and NIT Trichy.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The World Heritage Committee meets annually and is responsible for managing all matters on World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list.
India is hosting the World Heritage Committee Meeting for the first time. The Prime Minister also took a walkthrough of various exhibitions showcased on the occasion. The World Heritage Committee's program is a proud achievement for India.
The Prime Minister also informed that a historic place in north-east India has been proposed to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Maidam"of North East India is proposed to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This will be India's 43rd World Heritage site and the first heritage site in North East India to receive the status of a cultural world heritage
The Indian team of six high school students has achieved a historic feat at the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) 2024, securing the best performance since India's debut in 1989. Math champs bag 4 Olympiad Gold. Rushil Mathur, Ananda Bhaduri, Adhitya Ganesh, and Kanav Talwar clinched four gold medals for India,
while Arjun Gupta secured a silver medal and Siddharth Choppara received an honourable mention. The team, led by Professor Krishnan Sivasubramanian (IIT-Bombay) and Rijul Saini as the deputy leader, finished fourth among 108 participating countries, with over 609 students in the competition.
This outstanding performance marks India's best result in the India's best result in the Olympiad in terms of medals won and rank attained, surpassing the previous best rankings of 7th in 2001 and 1998.
Star India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been appointed the brand ambassador for MotoGP in India. Dhawan, known for his dynamic presence on the cricket field, will ignite his passion for racing through the latest campaign, 'Face Kar Race Kar', EuroSport said. The 'Face Kar Race Kar' campaign encapsulates the indomitable spirit of MotoGP,celebrating resilience and inspiring fan.
China successfully launched the Gaofen-11 05 Earth observation satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province. The launch took place at 11:03 a.m. Beijing Time utilizing a Long March-4B carrier rocket. According to Xinhua news agency, the satellite achieved its designated orbit as planned.
The Gaofen-11 05 satellite is equipped for a range of applications including land surveys, urban planning, road network design, and agricultural yield estimation. This launch represents the 528th mission for the Long March carrier rocket series and underscores China's ongoing commitment to its High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS) programme.
ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has acquired Norwegian firm Equinor's stake in an Azerbaijan oilfield and an associated pipeline for USD 60 million. OVL currently has a 2.31 per cent stake in the ACG field and 2.36 per cent in the BTC pipeline. The buyout of Equinor will help raise its stake.
OVL "has signed a definitive sale purchase agreement (SPA) for directly acquiring 0.615 per cent participating interest (PI) in offshore Azeri Chirag Gunashli (ACG) oil field in Azerbaijan from Equinor. The agreement also includes acquiring 0.737 per cent shares of the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline company through its wholly-owned subsidiary ONGC BTC Limited.
Anant Raj Cloud Pvt. Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Delhi-based realty developer Anant Raj has entered into agreement with Google LLC, a global technology leader. Under this collaboration, the company will be responsible for providing data center infrastructure, DC-managed services, and cloud platforms to various public and private enterprises.
It will also be developing innovative technological solutions for potential customers. Anant Raj Cloud Pvt. Ltd is developing data centers of 300 MW of IT Load at Manesar, Rai and Panchkula. The initial phase at Manesar is ready. Industry experts are projecting a demand for approximately 20 million square feet of datacenter space across key cities within the next 4–5 years.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched a scheme to provide temporary accommodation to nearly 15,000 construction workers at a nominal rate of Rs 5 per day. For the 'Shramik Basera' scheme, the CM performed the ground-breaking ceremony of 17 dwelling structures to house the labourers in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara and Rajkot cities.
Patel was present at one such site in the Jagatpur area of Ahmedabad to lay its foundation stone. He launched the other such facilities virtually. The CM also launched a portal for the Shramik Basera scheme. In the next three years, more such dwelling centers will be built across Gujarat for the benefit of about 3 lakh construction workers.The project will cost Rs 1,500 cr.
International Chess Day, celebrated annually on 20 July, honours the ancient chess game and its global impact. Recognised by UNESCO since 1966, this day promotes chess as a tool for education, the development of logical thinking, and cultural exchange. This day is a tribute to the game's rich history and its profound impact on cultures worldwide.
The Australian Formula 1 (F1) racer Oscar Piastri secured his first-ever F1 title victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Australian rookie led a strong McLaren one-two finish alongside the British-Belgian racer Lando Norris. The 23-year-old Australian seized the opportunity and never looked back, crossing the finish line two seconds ahead of his teammate.
The Nagaland Madrigal Singers representing India have won two Gold Medals at the World Choir Games, 2024 in New Zealand. The World Choir Games- the Largest Choral Competition was held at Auckland, New Zealand from July 10, where over 11,000 singers from 42 countries participated at the event.
Led by Hito Kiho, the Nagaland Madrigal Singers competed in two prestigious categories namely Contemporary Music Mixed Voices and Mixed Chamber Choir. They won gold medals in both categories. The Nagaland Madrigal Singers was founded by Mr Kiho on September 2023.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has cancelled the licence of Uravakonda Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Uravakonda (Anantapur District), Andhra Pradesh. Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on July 20, 2024. The Reserve Bank cancelled the licence of the bank as: The bank does not have adequate capital and earnings.
The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22(3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors. The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full.
Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, Uravakonda Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Uravakonda, Andhra Pradesh is prohibited from conducting the business of ‘banking’ which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5 (b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect.
On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5,00,000/- from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961. As per the data submitted by the bank, 99.95% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5.00 lakh (Rupees Five lakh only) on The Yashwant Co-operative Bank Limited, Satara, Maharashtra (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of section 26 A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act).
Non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Income Recognition, Asset Classification, Provisioning and Other Related Matters- UCBs’, ‘Exposure Norms and Statutory / Other Restrictions - UCBs’, ‘Know Your Customer (KYC) norms’ and ‘Maintenance of Deposit Accounts –Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks’.
This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organised an event on 18th July 2024, named “Utkrishtata ki Ore Badhte Kadam: Celebrating Achievements, Inspiring Excellence” to felicitate best performers under PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Yojana and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).
The PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbharNidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, launched on June 1, 2020, is a central sector scheme that aims to provide collateral-free working capital loans up to ₹80,000 to urban street vendors incentivising regular repayment with a 7% interest subsidy, rewarding digital transactions with cashback up to ₹1,200 per year.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India on September 24th, 2013, aims to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
DAY-NULM has empowered 98 lakh urban poor households through the creation of self-help groups, created over 38 lakh livelihoods through skill training and entrepreneurship, and built almost 2,000 permanent shelters for the urban homeless.
