State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed Debasish Mishra as the Chief General Manager of its New Delhi Circle, effective November 1, 2024. Mishra has experience across Credit, Operations, Forex, IT, HR, and MSME sectors, both in India and overseas.
SBI currently has 17 local head offices, which are headed by Chief General Managers, overseeing its network of 22,600-odd branches across the country.
The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, launched Phase – II of the retail sale of Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice by flagging off mobile vans of NCCF, NAFED, and Kendriya Bhandar here.
Bharat Atta at MRP of Rs.30 per kg and Bharat Rice at MRP of Rs.34 per kg is being made available to consumers during Phase-II.
In the initial stage of Phase - II, 3.69 LMT of Wheat and 2.91 LMT of Rice are made available for retail sale. During Phase – I, around 15.20 LMT of Bharat Atta and 14.58 LMT Bharat Rice was made available to general consumers at subsidized rates.
Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice will be available at stores and mobile vans of Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED and NCCF and e-commerce /big chain retailers. During the Phase-II. ‘Bharat’ brand Atta and Rice will be sold in 5 Kg and 10 Kg bags.
The seventh session of the ISA Assembly in progress in New Delhi selected Mr Ashish Khanna from the Republic of India as its third Director General. The other office candidates included Mr Wisdom Ahiataku—Togobo from Ghana and Mr Gosaye Mengistie Abayneh from Ethiopia.
The Director General of ISA plays a crucial role in supporting the Assembly in advancing the International Solar Alliance mandate. This includes supporting to Member Countries in addressing common challenges and engaging in coordinated action to scale up the deployment of solar energy globally.
Dr Ajay Mathur, who has led the Alliance since 2021, will conclude his tenure on 14 March 2025. Under his leadership, the Alliance has achieved significant milestones, including a monumental rise in Member & Signatory Countries tallying at 103 and 17, respectively.
The International Solar Alliance is an international organisation with 120 Member and Signatory countries. It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future. ISA’s mission is to unlock US$1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology.
The fifth edition of Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX) 2024 started at Ambala, Haryana. VINBAX-2024 aims to enhance the joint military capability of both countries.
This edition marks a significant increase in the scope with Bi-Service level participation for the first time by personnel of the Army and Air Force from both countries.
The Indian Army contingent comprises 47 personnel, represented by a Regiment of the Corps of Engineers along with personnel from other arms and services. VINBAX-2024 will conclude on the 23rd November.
Singapore has been named the world’s most powerful passport again, offering its citizens visa-free access to 195 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released in October 2024.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain shared the second place, granting their citizens visa-free access to 192 countries, as per the latest rankings.
The United States ranked 8th, giving its citizens visa-free entry to 186 countries.
Meanwhile, India ranked 83rd, providing its citizens with visa-free access to 58 countries.
Asian countries have consistently led the Henley Passport Index for several years.
Nations such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea frequently occupy the top positions among the world’s most powerful passports, granting their citizens visa-free access to numerous countries.
Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and India’s neighbor Pakistan are the least powerful indexes in the world, as per the rankings.
India’s new consulate in the Australian city of Brisbane was inaugurated by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who said ties between the two countries have been transformed in recent years by developments such as a trade deal that opened numerous opportunities.
Queensland is home to almost 100,000 out of the nearly one million people of Indian-origin living in Australia, and India is the state’s second-largest export market. Besides Brisbane, India has consulates in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
The consulate in Brisbane will be headed by consul general Neetu Bhagotia.
As of July 2024, Queensland’s exports to India touched $4.5 billion while its imports were worth $375 million, with a significant surplus in favour of the Australian state. However, India accounted only for 3.95% of Queensland’s total global exports, which were worth $113.8 billion.
Leading public sector undertakings (PSUs) NTPC Limited and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) announced the formation of a 50:50 joint venture company (JVC) to further promote their interests in the renewable and new energy arena.
The JVC between the country’s largest power generating company and largest oil and gas producer has been formed through their green energy subsidiaries – NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL) and ONGC Green Energy Ltd.
The new company will venture into various renewable energy and new energy opportunities including solar and wind energy,both onshore and offshore, and green molecule.
such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and green methanol.
It will also focus on new and emerging technologies in the field such as energy storage including both pump and battery storage, e-mobility, carbon credits and green credits.
Cairn Oil & Gas, part of Vedanta Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme's flagship methane reporting and mitigation initiative - Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0, making it the first oil and gas producer in India to commit to the effective reduction of methane emissions.
OGMP 2.0 established a comprehensive framework that includes best practices for emissions management and a robust reporting system. It emphasises accurate measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of methane emissions to drive reductions effectively.
OGMP 2.0 covers over 40 per cent of global oil and gas production empowering companies to improve the quality and accuracy of emissions data for effective methane reduction.
Earlier this year, Cairn had announced the fast-tracking of its net zero commitments to 2030.
OMGP 2.0 provides companies with credible means and science-backed framework to establish that they are progressing towards methane reduction targets, supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Global Methane Pledge - a commitment by over 150 countries to reduce global methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
India wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The stumper, who turned 40 last month, has represented India in 40 Tests and 9 ODIs. He was India's first-choice keeper-batter in red-ball cricket for quite some time after MS Dhoni's retirement.
The right-hander sits in the second spot of keepers with the most centuries in Test cricket for India only behind Dhoni and Pant (joint first). Saha, regarded as one of the best glovemen in world cricket, scored 1353 Test runs with hit three centuries in his career.
Saha made his last Test appearance three years ago, in 2021, against New Zealand.
Thanks to the robust collection through new fund offers and steady market rally, the average asset under management of the country’s largest fund house, SBI Mutual Fund, jumped 11 percent in the September quarter to ₹10.99 lakh crore, up from ₹9.88 lakh crore in the June quarter.
In fact, SBI MF is the only fund house to have crossed the Rs. 10 lakh crore AUM mark, and its assets were 30 percent and 45 percent higher than those of second and third-placed ICICI MF and HDFC MF at Rs. 8.41 lakh crore (Rs. 7.47 lakh crore) and Rs. 7.59 lakh crore (Rs. 6.71 lakh crore), respectively.
The SBI Innovative Opportunities Fund, launched in August, currently has an AUM of ₹8,174 crore. The benchmark Sensex has rallied 7 percent to 84,300 points in September against 79,033 points in June.
The industry’s AUM jumped 12 per cent to ₹66.22 lakh crore in the September quarter, against ₹58.96 lakh crore logged in the June quarter.
Two fund houses -- Franklin Templeton MF and Canara Robeco MF – have crossed the ₹1 lakh crore AUM-mark. Of the 40 fund houses in operation, 16 had AUM of over ₹1 lakh crore as of September end and they command a cumulative AUM of ₹59.51 lakh crore, accounting for 90 per cent of the industry’s AUM.
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) announced that it has come up with the official NSE mobile app, NSEIndia, and expanded its website to include content in 12 languages, broadening its reach to millions of investors who prefer information in their regional language.
The updated website has added support for Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. These languages join the previously available English, Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati, making NSE's online content accessible in a total of 12 languages.
Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), is hosting the First Asian Buddhist Summit (ABS) on November 5-6, 2024, in New Delhi. The summit, themed "Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia," will feature esteemed Sangha leaders, scholars, and practitioners from across the continent.
The journey of Buddha Dhamma began in the 6th century BCE when Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and began sharing his profound insights. Following the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his teachings were preserved and disseminated by his followers, leading to the emergence of the three major Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
The Asian Buddhist Summit 2024 emphasizes the profound interconnection among Buddha Dhamma, India, and Asia, showcasing their complementary relationship. The Honorable President of India is anticipated to attend as the Chief Guest, underscoring the event's significance.
An MoU has been signed between Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad for academic collaboration on 04th November 2024 at the company’s Corporate Office in New Delhi.
This MoU would facilitate the conduct of customized Management Development Programmes for the newly promoted executives of SAIL, among others.
Collaboration with reputed institutions is part of the overall Learning & Development (L&D) strategy of SAIL to provide further academic exposure to the company’s executives facilitating them to grow in their leadership positions.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri KK Singh, Director (Personnel), SAIL and Dr Nirmalya Bagchi, Director, ASCI, Hyderabad.
In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day, calling on countries, international bodies, and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.
World Tsunami Awareness Day was the brainchild of Japan, which due to its repeated, bitter experience has over the years built up major expertise in areas such as tsunami early warning, public action, and building back better after a disaster to reduce future impacts.
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has unveiled an online Re-KYC service to simplify the Know Your Customer (KYC) update process for its customers. This digital initiative allows clients to update their KYC information without visiting a branch, enhancing convenience and accessibility.
Through this new online Re-KYC facility, customers who have already provided valid KYC documents can update their details via three options:
Customers can visit the IOB website, navigate to the Self-Service Digital Hub on the homepage, and select “Re-KYC” to complete the process.
Customers can send an SMS in the format “REKYC CIF ID” to 9643-01-9643 from their registered mobile number.
The customer can also send an email to [email protected] with the subject “REKYC CIF ID” from the registered email address.
Ajay Kumar Srivastava- MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank.
