The Department of Consumer Affairs is proud to announce the successful nationwide implementation of the E-Daakhil portal, now operational in every state and union territory of India. This milestone is marked by the recent launch of the E-Daakhil portal in Ladakh on 22nd November 2024, making E-Daakhil a truly pan-India initiative.
The e-Daakhil portal was first launched on 7th September 2020 by the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. By the end of 2023, it was launched in 35 States/UTs except Ladakh. Now, as the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.) launched the e-Daakhil Portal in Ladakh Consumer Commission on 22nd November 2024,
the platform is accessible to consumers across all regions of India, from metropolitan cities to remote areas. This comprehensive coverage underscores the government’s commitment to empowering consumers and enhancing the efficiency of the consumer grievance redressal system.
The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, will be launching the first-ever tranche of auction of mineral blocks in the offshore areas of India on 28th November 2024. This landmark initiative marks India’s entry into the exploration and development of undersea mineral resources within its offshore area.
Offshore area of India includes the territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and other maritime zones of India.
India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 2 million sq.km. holds significant mineral resources. Offshore minerals are vital to securing India’s strategic and economic interests.
This first tranche includes 13 carefully selected mineral blocks spanning across the Arabian Sea and Andaman Sea, featuring a mix of construction sand, limemud, and polymetallic nodules. These minerals are critical for infrastructure development, high-tech manufacturing, and the green energy transition.
The 2024 OPCW The Hague Award was conferred upon the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) at a ceremony during the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague on November 25, 2024.
In the presence of delegates from the 193 States Parties and experts from the global chemical industry from around the world. This is the first time that the Award recognises the efforts of a chemical industry body. The Director-General of OPCW, Ambassador Fernando Arias, and the Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague, Mr Jan van Zanen presented the Award.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) came into force in 1997, and presently has 193 States Parties. OPCW, with its Secretariat in The Hague, is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, with a mission to achieve a world free of chemical weapons. India is an original signatory to the Convention.
In 2013, OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. To preserve the legacy of this achievement, the OPCW established the ‘OPCW-The Hague Award’ in collaboration with the Municipality of The Hague in 2014. The Award recognizes individuals and organizations that play a significant role in advancing the goals of the CWC.
The Competition Commission granted approval to Alphabet's arm Shoreline International Holdings LLC to acquire a stake in Walmart group firm Flipkart.
Shoreline International Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Google's parent firm Alphabet Inc. It is a holding company and does not own or operate any Google products or services.
Flipkart is a subsidiary of Walmart Inc and ultimately belongs to the Walmart Group. It is primarily engaged in the business of wholesale cash and carry of goods and providing marketplace-based e-commerce platforms to facilitate trade between customers and sellers in India.
In May this year, Walmart-owned Flipkart has closed a funding round of about $ 1 billion that includes $ 350 million from Alphabet's Google.
Kalyan Krishnamurthy- CEO of Flipkart.
The revenue collected by the union government through Goods and Services Tax (GST) on healthcare and life insurance services surged by 680 percent to Rs 16,398 crore in 2023-24 from Rs 2,101 crore in 2019-20,Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said.
However, GST collections in this category dropped marginally in FY24 compared to Rs 16,770 crore collected in FY23.
This comes amid demands from stakeholders, including states, to reduce GST rates on health and life insurance premiums.
At present, GST on health insurance services is levied at a standard rate of 18 percent. Specific health insurance schemes catering to the needs of differently abled and economically weaker sections of society,
such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Universal Health Insurance Scheme, Jan Arogya Bima Policy, and Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme, are exempt from GST.
Bihar’s deputy chief minister and finance minister, Samrat Choudhary, has been appointed as the convenor of a Group of Ministers (GoM) on health insurance.
The Indian Cast Guard will conduct National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercises & Workshop (SAREX-24) under the aegis of NMSAR Board at Kochi from November 27 to 30.
This workshop will be conducted with imperatives to validate the National M-SAR construct through 'all-inclusive' and 'collaborative' approach.
Response operation to large scale contingencies at sea, termed as 'Mass Rescue Operation' (MRO) will be the essence of 11th edition of SAREX-24.
The theme of the exercise will be "Enhancing Search and Rescue capabilities through Regional collaboration" to signify ICG's commitment and resolute to provide succor during large scale contingencies regardless of location,
Nationality or circumstances in the ISRR and beyond.
The two-day event will be inaugurated by Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS, Defence Secretary in presence of Director General S Paramesh, PTM, TM, Director General, Indian Coast Guard who is also the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority.
Amara Raja Infra, part of the $2 billion Amara Raja Group, has successfully completed setting up India’s first green hydrogen fuelling station in Leh, Ladakh for NTPC Ltd.
The project will enable emission-free transport in and around Leh – making India among the few countries to take a lead in the green mobility space.
The green hydrogen fuelling station was inaugurated by Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Power, Housing and Urban Affairs.
With the completion of the project, NTPC will currently operationalise five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region.
The scope of the project includes designing, engineering, supplying, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the hydrogen station. Additionally, it also includes three years of operation and maintenance works of all systems on turnkey basis.
The fuelling station project with a capacity of producing GH2 of 80kg per day was completed in two years, at extreme conditions at a height of 3,400 meters above sea level with temperatures varying between -25°Celsius to 30°Celsius.
The project would serve as a precursor to large-scale green hydrogen mobility and storage projects that would come up In India as part of the National Hydrogen Energy Mission. Further, it will be useful for studying and deploying multiple hydrogen fuelling stations across the country.
South African writer and poet Breyten Breytenbach, a staunch opponent of the former white-minority government's apartheid policy of racial oppression, has died in Paris, his family announced. He was 85.
Mr. Breytenbach was a celebrated wordsmith, a leading voice in literature in Afrikaans — an offshoot of Dutch that was developed by white settlers,
and a fierce critic of apartheid that was imposed against the country's Black majority between 1948 and 1990.
Mr. Breytenbach is best known for "Confessions of an Albino Terrorist," his account of his imprisonment and the events leading to it.
PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited has unveiled the Smart Communications App, a cutting-edge digital platform aimed at enhancing interactions between customers, agents, valued partners, and its Proprietary Sales Force (PSF).
The app is designed to simplify sales processes and foster meaningful, personalised connections.
Key Features of the Smart Communications App:
Seamless Communication
Personalised Interactions
Paperless Workflow
Agent Dashboard
PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited is a leading life insurance provider in India, combining the global expertise of MetLife, Inc. with the legacy of Punjab National Bank (PNB). Tagline “Milkar Life Aage Badhaein,”.
One97 Communications (OCL), the parent company of Paytm, has rolled out a new automatic top-up feature for Paytm UPI Lite, streamlining small-value transactions for users. This feature ensures automatic recharging of the UPI Lite balance when it drops below a preset limit, eliminating the need for a PIN and enabling seamless daily payments.
Users can now make payments of up to Rs. 500 per transaction, with a daily cap of Rs. 2,000, making the feature ideal for recurring expenses such as groceries, transportation, subscriptions, and small utility bills. According to Paytm, the UPI Lite system keeps bank statements clutter-free, as transactions are processed via an on-device wallet without direct access,
to the main bank account.
Additionally, Paytm has introduced a UPI statement download feature, allowing users to view and download detailed transaction records, including those made via UPI Lite. This enhancement promotes effective expense tracking and spending management.
The auto top-up feature is currently live for select users via Yes Bank and Axis Bank and will soon be expanded to all users across partner banks.
Paytm has partnered with leading banks, including SBI, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and Yes Bank, to enable secure and efficient UPI payments.
The National Anti-Doping Agency suspended Bajrang Punia for four years for his refusal to provide his sample for dope test on March 10 during selection trials for the national team.
NADA had first suspended the Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler on April 23 for the offence following which, the World Governing body UWW had also suspended him.
Punia, 30, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, had been provisionally suspended for refusing to provide a urine sample to national anti-doping agency (NADA) officers in March.
The World Anti-Doping Agency says India recorded the world’s highest number of drug cheats in 2022 – the latest year for which figures are available.
