In a significant development, National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has partnered with over 1000 companies under its Convergence Programme to expedite grievance resolution. These companies span major sectors, including e-commerce, travel and tourism, private education, FMCG, consumer durables, electronic products, retail outlets, automobiles, DTH & cable services, and banking.
Complaints related to these convergence companies are directly transferred to them for online resolution.
The number of convergence partners has steadily increased from 263 companies in 2017 to 1009 companies as of now. This growth highlights the role of these partners in enhancing the helpline's efficiency, enabling quick and effective grievance redressal,
and promoting transparency and accountability. The partnerships ensure that consumer complaints are addressed at the pre-litigation stage, fostering greater consumer trust. However, if a complaint remains unresolved, consumers are encouraged to approach the appropriate Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to do away with the collection of garbage collection tax. To this effect, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana tabled an Amendment Bill to Repeal Garbage Tax in the State Legislative Assembly on November 21. The Assembly approved the same.
The YRSCP government imposed a garbage tax for waste collection. It used service providers to arrange for vehicles and collected taxes in 40 municipalities, and paid somewhere between Rs. 51,641 to Rs. 62,964 per month for garbage collection. A total of Rs. 13.9 crore per month was given to 40 municipalities for garbage collection, which began in November 2021.
The monthly charge was between Rs. 30 to Rs. 120 for households and between Rs. 100 to Rs. 10,000 for commercial complexes. Even properties with a tax of Rs. 50 were charged Rs. 356 annually as garbage tax.
Between November 2021 and July 2022, bills worth Rs. 325 crore were generated, of which Rs. 249 crore was paid, the Minister said.
Start-ups selected for support under the newly established guidelines in Quantum Technologies will be officially unveiled by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Department of Science and Technology (DST) has established detailed guidelines to support and nurture startups in the field of quantum technologies. These comprehensive guidelines provide a structured framework for startups to access essential resources, funding opportunities, mentorship, and infrastructure support, empowering them to accelerate innovation,
A Call for Proposals was launched earlier this year by the I-HUB Quantum Technology Foundation, a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) established at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
The response from start-ups across the nation showcased the increasing interest in quantum technologies and the potential for ground-breaking advancements.
The selected start-ups, representing cutting-edge innovation across diverse domains such as quantum communication, computing, sensing, and materials, were chosen through a rigorous evaluation process.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched e-Sankhyiki portal with objective to establish a comprehensive data management and sharing system for ease of dissemination of official statistics in the country. Further, the Microdata of Surveys and Census is disseminated via a dedicated portal viz. Microdata Portal.
e-Sankhyiki portal has Application Programming Interface (API) which ensures seamless accessibility of data to various portals including National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP).
In addition to above, other Central Ministries/ Departments disseminates data produced by them through their respective portals/ websites and publications.
The Ministry has drawn and circulated a National Metadata Structure (NMDS) through the website of the ministry for uniformity of Data Standards for consistency.
Punjab National Bank (PNB), the country’s second largest public sector bank, has become a signatory to the globally recognised Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF).
This move reinforces PNB’s commitment to transparency and proactive climate action, by adopting internationally benchmarked standards for measuring and disclosing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
associated with its lending and investment activities.
In the financial year 2023-24, PNB disclosed its financed emissions in the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) using the PCAF Standard, a globally accepted methodology.
PNB’s decision to join PCAF aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) draft framework on climate-related financial risk disclosures, which requires banks to begin reporting on governance, strategy, and risk management for climate-related financial risks and opportunities from FY 2025-26 onwards,
and on metrics and targets related to these risks and opportunities from FY 2027-28 onwards.
As a PCAF signatory, PNB joins an international network of financial institutions committed to addressing climate change through robust GHG accounting practices. This association offers PNB access to technical support, industry-leading training, and country-specific emission data,
including insights tailored for India. PNB will actively engage in global working groups to refine GHG accounting standards and benefit from peer-to-peer knowledge sharing through workshops and webinars.
Through this strategic initiative, PNB reaffirms its dedication to aligning with global sustainability practices and contributing meaningfully to climate action.
The COP29 meeting at Baku, Azerbaijan, has ended with an agreement of sorts that speaks of a new climate finance target of $ 300 billion a year to fund climate action projects in the developing countries, to be met by 2035. The target triples the earlier target of $ 100 billion a year, but is less than a quarter of the developing countries’ demand for $ 1.3 trillion.
Called ‘New Collective Quantified Goal’ (NCQG), the target means that the fund flow to developing countries will gradually increase to reach $300 billion a year by 2035. The funds will be mostly loans that the recipient countries will have to repay, though some of the loans could be at concessional interest rates.
The proportion of loans with concessional interest rates, or any grants from rich countries, have not been specified in the agreement.
The next Conference of Parties to UNFCCC, COP30, will be held in Belem, Brazil, in November 2025.
Between now and COP30 several events are expected to happen, but two milestone events are the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), in which countries report their climate action progress in a prescribed format and the next (third) round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The deadline for the (first) BTR is December 31; all countries are expected to submit their committed action plans—NDCs—to UNFCCC by February 2025.
India breaking a 47-year-old record with their 295-run routing of Australia in the opening Test of the five-match series here at Optus Stadium.
India, fresh from their first-ever whitewash in a three-Test home series, were skittled for a mere 150 in the first innings.
India recorded their biggest victory in terms of runs in Australia, surpassing their previous best of 222 runs which they achieved in December 1977.
The crushing defeat was also Australia's second-biggest in terms of runs at home in the past 40 years with their largest loss came in 2012 against South Africa at the WACA, where they fell short by 309 runs.
The defeat also marked Australia’s second-biggest against India in terms of runs in all Tests after 320-run thrashing in the 2008 Mohali Test.
The "GI & Beyond 2024" Summit, organized by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, in collaboration with the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC), successfully concluded on 25.11.2024 at New Delhi.
The event highlighted the exceptional skills of artisans who manufactured India’s Geographical Indication (GI) tagged handloom and handicraft products and their global significance.
The event had representation from 13 countries spread across 4 continents and witnessed around 20 overseas buyers, 50 exporters & MNCs, 70 GI authorised users and 40 officials,
from various departments including state governments. The diverse representation from various stakeholder of the industry fostered meaningful discussions and collaborations to expand the market potential for GI-tagged products.
A special thematic display showcased an array of GI-tagged handloom and handicraft products across India, with participation from GI holders and authorized users. The display highlighted the regional uniqueness and cultural value of these artisanal products, attracting significant interest from attendees.
Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, in New Delhi unveiled the TeacherApp, an innovative digital platform designed to revolutionize education in India by equipping educators with future-ready skills to meet the demands of 21st-century classrooms. The Platform has been developed by Bharti Airtel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises.
Addressing the gathering on the theme of “Elevating Teachers, Elevating India,” Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated that this app will significantly empower teachers through continuous capacity building, leveraging innovative course content, technology, and community-building features.
Based on the on-ground experience and deep understanding of the challenges educators face, The TeacherApp has been conceptualised. This platform will equip them with both time-tested and future-ready skills through innovative digital resources.
The platform offers over 260 hours of high-quality resources, both created and curated including courses, learning bytes, short videos, podcasts, and interactive webinar formats such as thematic fests, webinars, competitions, and quizzes, all designed to foster future readiness, elevate pedagogical practices, and enhance student engagement in classrooms.
Additionally, the app also features live expert sessions that provide practical classroom strategies and aims to build a community of teachers by highlighting their exceptional impact stories. The app combines tech innovation with partnerships across 12 states to transform education.
This platform has a unique section called Teaching Kits comprising content of 900 hours.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Addressing the gathering, Shri Modi welcomed the Prime Minister of Bhutan His Excellency Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji His Excellency Manoa Kamikamica, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah,
Resident Coordinator of UN in India Mr Shombi Sharp, President of the International Cooperative Alliance Mr. Ariel Guarco, dignitaries of various foreign countries and ladies and gentlemen to the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024.
ICA Global Cooperative Conference and ICA General Assembly is being organised in India for the first time in the 130 year long history of International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the premier body for the Global Cooperative movement.
The Global Conference, hosted by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), in collaboration with ICA and Government of India, and Indian Cooperatives AMUL and KRIBHCO will be held from 25th to 30th November.
The theme of the conference, "Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All," aligns with the Indian Government’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”,
(Prosperity through Cooperation).
The Prime Minister launched the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025, which will focus on the theme, “Cooperatives Build a Better World,” underscoring the transformative role cooperatives play in promoting social inclusion, economic empowerment, and sustainable development.
The year 2025 will be a global initiative aimed at showcasing the power of cooperative enterprises in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.
The Prime Minister also launched a commemorative postal stamp, symbolising India’s commitment to the cooperative movement. The stamp showcases a lotus, symbolising peace, strength, resilience,
and growth, reflecting the cooperative values of sustainability and community development. The five petals of the lotus represent the five elements of nature (Panchatatva), highlighting cooperatives' commitment to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
The design also incorporates sectors like agriculture, dairy, fisheries, consumer cooperatives, and housing, with a drone symbolising the role of modern technology in agriculture.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will mark the launch of the UNiTE campaign (Nov 25- Dec 10) — an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December).
It Recognized on 25 November every year.
This 2024 campaign Every 10 Minutes, a woman is killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence against Women will draw attention to the alarming escalation of violence against women to revitalize commitments, call for accountability and action from decision-makers.
The board of directors of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) on Monday gave an in-principle approval to demerge the ice-cream business into an independent listed entity.
Subject to necessary approvals and procedures, shareholders of HUL will receive shares in the new entity in proportion to their shareholding in the company, HUL said in a release.
For the purpose of the proposed demerger, the board has also approved incorporation of a wholly owned subsidiary. The decision to demerge is subject to approval of the board and the shareholders to the scheme of demerger. The scheme would be placed before the board early next year.
The board has authorised HUL’s management to undertake preparatory steps required for the potential demerger of the ice-cream business, including the drawing up of the scheme of arrangement.
Currently, the ice-cream business contributes to around 3 per cent of HUL’s turnover.
