India and the United States on Friday their first agreement to prevent illegal trafficking of cultural property and return of antiquarian objects to their place of origin, the Ministry of Culture said.
there are "297 items" that are "lying in the US, ready to be repatriated."
India has repatriated 358 antiquities since 1976, out of these 345 have been retrieved since 2014
The US-India Cultural Property Agreement was negotiated by the State Department under the US law implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
In an important cultural achievement for India “Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty” from Assam has been officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This makes it the 43rd property from India to be included here.
This is the third World Heritage Property from Assam, following Kaziranga National Park and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, both inscribed under the Natural category in 1985. The Moidams of Choraideo, which celebrate and preserve royal lineage through colossal architecture, are comparable to the pyramids of Egyptian pharaohs and royal graves in ancient China.
The purpose of including these heritage sites in UNESCO’s list is to preserve and promote shared heritage based on OUVs (Outstanding Universal Values) found in cultural, natural as well as mixed properties across 195 countries.
India became a member of the World Heritage Committee from 2021-25 and is currently hosting its first ever session since joining UNESCO in 1972.
Moidams, a royal mound burial site created by the Tai-Ahom in northeastern India, is situated in the foothills of the Patkai Ranges in eastern Assam. These burial mounds are considered sacred by the Tai-Ahom and reflect their unique funerary practices.
The Tai-Ahom people arrived in Assam in the 13th century, establishing Charaideo as their first city and the site of the royal necropolis. For 600 years, from the 13th to the 19th century CE, the Tai-Ahom constructed moidams, or "home-for-spirit," using natural elements like hills, forests, and water to create a sacred geography.
The Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) was notified on 01.04.2020 and was open to receive applications upto 31.03.2024. The scheme provides a financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for electronic components, e-waste recycling, mechanics, micro/nano-electronic components, solar photovoltaic (SPV) polysilicon.
As of 30.06.2024, incremental investment of ₹ 8,803.14 crores had been made under the SPECS scheme. This has led to production of ₹ 18,083.55 crores till 30th June,2024
To boost domestic manufacturing and attract investment in mobile phones value chain including electronic components and semiconductor packaging, Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing was notified on 01.04.2020.
The scheme extends an incentive of 3% to 6% on incremental sales (over base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments viz. Mobile Phones and Specified Electronic Components, to eligible companies, for a period of 5 years.
Till 30th June, 2024, incremental investment of ₹ 8,390 Crores had been made under the PLI scheme. This has led to production of ₹ 5,14,960 Crores till 30th June, 2024.
The Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 (EMPS 2024), launched by Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India through gazette notification 1334 (E) dated March 13, 2024, aims to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the country. The EMPS scheme was originally set to run from April 1st , 2024, to July 31st , 2024, with a total outlay of Rs.500 crore.
The scheme has been extended by two more months i.e. upto September 30th, 2024. Additionally, the scheme's outlay has been enhanced to Rs. 778 crore.
It aims to advance the Government of India's green initiatives and foster the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing ecosystem in the country.
On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’, an exhibition titled "Kargil Vijay Diwas: Rajat Jayanti," was inaugurated today at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi. Organized by the Central Bureau of Communication, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the exhibition is being held from July 26, 2024 to July 31, 2024.
Kargil Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year on 26 july , is a significant day in the history of India. It is observed to pay tribute to the bravery of Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country during the Kargil War of 1999.
In a significant move to bolster India's agricultural export and import capabilities, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal approves the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA)'s project of ‘Development of Export-Import cum Domestic Agricultural Commodity-Based Processing & Storage Facility at JNPA on PPP Mode’ worth Rs. 284.19 Crore
JNPA in Maharashtra is the first major port of the country which is 100% Landlord port having all berths being operated on PPP model. JNPA is one of the leading container ports among the top 100 global ports (as per Lloyds List Top 100 Ports Report).
This initiative aligns with the government's vision of empowering farmers and fostering rural development, setting a precedent for future infrastructure projects that aim to support and enhance India's agricultural capabilities.
Mankind Pharma has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV) from private equity firm Advent International for an enterprise value of Rs 13,630 crore.
The company was set up in 1971 with Vinod Daftary opening a blood bank and eventually launching an injectable for expecting mothers.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s 500th Community Radio Station through video conferencing in the presence of Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan and Chief Minister of Mizoram Lalduhoma.
The station, Apna Radio 90.0 FM, is a station run by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Aizawl.
On the occasion, Mr. Vaishnaw announced the winners of the 10th National Community Radio Awards. In the thematic category, the first prize has been given to Radio Mayur of Saran, Bihar, for its programme, Tech Sakhi.
In the Most Innovative Community Engagement Award category, the first prize has been given to Yerlawani Sangli, Maharashtra, for the programme Kahani sunandachi.
Radio Brahmaputra of Dibrugarh, Assam, has got first prize in the Promoting Local Culture category for its programme, Igarekun. In the Sustainability Model Award category, the first prize has been given to Radio Benziger, run by the Bishop Benziger Hospital Society of Kollam, Kerala.
Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, inaugurated the Vriksharopan Abhiyan (VA) 2024 at Bharat Coking Coal Limited (a subsidiary of Coal India Limited) in Dhanbad today (25.07.2024)as part of the visionary campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This event was held simultaneously at about 300 locations across 47 districts in 11 coal/lignite-bearing states through video conferencing.Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy commended the Coal Ministry and Coal/Lignite PSUs for their efforts in planting and distributing approximately 1 million saplings across various coalfields on the day of VA 2024.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) prescribed a Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for relatively weak urban co-operative banks (UCBs), with deposits above ₹100 crore (upper tier category), to nurse them back to health.
As per the framework, a financially unsound and ill-managed UCB can be brought under PCA if it breaches the risk thresholds of identified indicators pertaining to capital and profitability (net profit).
The provisions of the PCA Framework will be effective from April 1, 2025.
Currently, there are around 1,500 UCBs in the country. RBI classifies UCBs as Tier-I (deposits up to ₹100 crore); Tier-2 (more than ₹100 crore and up to ₹1,000 crore); Tier-3 (deposits more than ₹1,000 crore and up to ₹10,000 crore); and Tier-4 (above ₹10,000 crore). Tiers 2 to 4 come under the upper Tier.
Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, known for films such as "Mr India", "Bandit Queen" and "Elizabeth", has been appointed festival director for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Mr. Kapur will head the festival, held annually in Goa, for the 55th and 56th editions, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a notification
World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28 each year to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and its impact on global health. The primary objective is to support those affected by hepatitis and promote hepatitis prevention, testing, and treatment. Hepatitis viral is still a silent killer that kills many people every year.
"It's time to act" is the theme for World Hepatitis Day 2024.
India has taken over as the Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC), an autonomous international organisation for cooperation in and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific region, for 2024-25.
Rajendra Singh, Member & HoD, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has taken over as the Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) from People Republic of China for the year 2024-25 in Bangkok, Thailand.
