NATIONAL NEWS

NTPC Kanti Started Girl Empowerment Mission 2024

NTPC Kanti was among the first stations to start the GEM program pan NTPC.

The GEM (Girl Empowerment Mission) program aims to empower girls by providing them with the education and skills necessary for their holistic development.

NTPC Kanti inaugurated the Girl Empowerment Campaign

The program was inaugurated by Mr. Manoj Sinha, General Manager (Contracts and Materials and Technical Services).

A total of 40 girls from various villages of Kanti Block are participating in the Girl Empowerment Campaign, representing 8 schools.

This workshop, themed ” Empowered Girls, Empowered Kanti”, will run from April 25 to May 20, providing free education to students in subjects such as Mathematics, Computer, English, Hindi, etc.

Additionally, all participants will also receive nutritious meals.

Extracurricular activities such as yoga, dance, music, painting, etc., will be provided for the holistic development of girls

 

BANKING

Edelweiss Mutual Fund Introduces Nifty Alpha Low Volatility 30 Index Fund

Edelweiss Mutual Fund has launched the Nifty Alpha Low Volatility 30 Index Fund, a multi-factor index fund.

It will consist of 30 stocks selected from a pool of the top 150 listed stocks.

These stocks have recently outperformed the broader market yet are relatively less volatile.

The New Fund Offer (NFO) of the scheme will be from April 26 to May 10, 2024.

The scheme will invest 95-100% in equity and equity-related securities representing the Nifty Alpha Low Volatility 30 Index.

Its scheme will be benchmarked against Nifty Alpha Low Volatility 30-TRI and will be managed by Bhavesh Jain.

The scheme will offer regular and direct plans with growth and Income Distribution cum Capital Withdrawal (IDCW) options.

The minimum investment amount for daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, and quarterly SIP will be Rs 100 and in multiples of Rs 1 thereafter.

The index methodology will be factor-weighted and rebalanced semi-annually in June and December, respectively.

The fund will allocate 0-5% to debt and money market instruments, in a bid to ensure a balanced approach to wealth accumulation.

Government Partners with SBI Cards and Telcos

India's Ministry of Home Affairs, SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited (SBI Card), and telecom operators have joined forces to develop an innovative solution to combat OTP (One-Time Password) frauds, cybercrime, and phishing attacks targeting the banking ecosystem.

The government is testing a solution that allows banks to track the registered address and geolocation of a customer to monitor where an OTP is delivered, providing a way to detect potential fraud.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated an additional factor of authentication for digital payment transactions to combat fraud, with the two-factor authentication system being a key security measure. According to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (i4C), cybercriminals siphoned off Rs 10,319 crore between April 2021 and December 2023.

Most crimes originated from China, Cambodia, and Myanmar, involving non-state actors.

Under the i4C framework, the government established the 'Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System,' which successfully prevented around Rs 1,200 crore in fraudulent transfers from over 470,000 citizen complaints received by February 2024.

AU Small Finance Bank Launches New Rupay Credit Card

AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) has introduced a range of new products, aiming to enhance fee income through innovative credit cards and ATM insurance.

Two new credit cards are among the latest offerings: the AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card and the Secured Credit Card - NOMO (No Missing Out).

The AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card is developed in collaboration with NPCI, while the Secured Credit Card - NOMO is developed with

The NOMO (No Missing Out) Credit Card is AU SFB's first secured credit card, which is backed by a Fixed Deposit (FD).

This marks the bank's entry into the realm of secured credit cards.

AU SFB has launched the AU 0101 Business App, designed to offer customized solutions for proprietorships and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The AU 0101 Version 2.0 is the bank's upgraded mobile banking app, offering customers an enhanced user experience and additional features.

First time in the Indian banking industry, AU SFB has launched ATM Insurance, for the convenience of customers to buy insurance through AU SFB's ATMs with their debit card.

 

ECONOMY

India’s Ecommerce Market will be World’s Third Largest by 2030

Invest India has forecasted a bright future for India's e-commerce industry, predicting a massive surge to $325 billion by 2030.

This growth coincides with a digital economy expected to reach a staggering $800 billion in the same timeframe.

According to Invest India, India has the world's second-largest internet user base, with a whopping 881 million users.

India is in a good position to become the third-largest online retail market by 2030.

The report suggests that this will happen due to the growth of the internet user base and the flourishing digital economy.

According to the report, India is expected to have around 500 million online shoppers by 2030.

Invest India highlights the rising internet penetration, with an expected 87% of Indian households having internet access by 2025. Mobile internet usage is particularly strong, with a significant increase in access duration.

 

SPORTS

Batch Open Squash Title

National men’s Squash champion Velavan Senthilkumar defeated Melvil Scianimanico of France to win the Batch Open Challenger Squash.

This was the eighth PSA (Professional Squash Association) title for the US-based Indian Velavan Senthilkumar.

The Batch Open was organised by the world squash governing body Professional Squash Association with the host French Squash Federation at Jeu de Paume, Paris, France, from 24-28 April 2024.

World No.58 ranked Velavan Senthilkumar defeated Melvil Scianimanico of France in the final straight sets, 11-6,11-9 and 11-9. Earlier in the semifinal, Senthilkumar defeated Hong Kong’s Andes Ling to set the title clash with Melvil Scianimanico.

Historic Gold for the Indian Archery Team at the Archery World Cup Stage-1

The Indian men’s recurve team won a historic gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage-1 by defeating the world-champion South Korean team.

The gold medal ended a 14-year gold medal drought at the men’s recurve team event at the Archery World Cup.

India finished the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai with eight medals - five gold, two silvers and one bronze. This is India's highest medal tally at any single edition of archery World Cup.

India sent a 16-member archery team for the Shanghai event. It consisted of eight men and eight women players.

The Indian men’s recurve team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav defeated the World no.1 ranked South Korean team in the final.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Pt. Lacchu Maharaj Award

Noted Hindi film superstars Hema Malini and Saira Banu as well as other prominent personalities from the fields of art and culture, will be honoured with the prestigious Pandit Lacchu Maharaj Award.

The award will be given on 31 August 2024 at a ceremony in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at Bhatkhande Sanskriti University, Lucknow, presided over by the university vice-chancellor, Prof. Mandavi Singh. The meeting was also attended by the secretary of Pt. Lachhu Maharaj Bellet Foundation and senior disciple of Pandit Lachhu Maharaj, Kumkum Adarsh.

The Lacchu Maharaj Award, Instituted in memory of the famous kathak exponent Lacchu Maharaj, was not given after 2014.

Thus, the Pandit Lacchu Maharaj Ballet Foundation has decided to honour 10 personalities this year. No award has been announced for the year 2020 due to COVID-19.

Alok Shukla get’s 2024 Goldman Prize for his Hasdeo Arand Movement

Chhattisgarh’s environmental activist and convenor of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan Alok Shukla has been selected for the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize.

The Goldman Environmental Prize, also popularly known as the Green Nobel Prize, is awarded annually to grassroots environmental champions worldwide.

Hasdeo Arand forest area of Chhattisgarh is considered to be the lungs of Chhattisgarh.

The area is rich in coal, and in 2010, the government auctioned two coal blocks to private companies for mining.

To save the forest area and its ecosystem, Alok Shukla founded Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Director at Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Sunil Kumar Yadav, an Indian Revenue Services (IRS-IT) officer from the 2010 batch, has been appointed as Director in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Delhi.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Yadav's appointment is for a period of 5 years from the date he assumes charge or until further orders, whichever comes first.

Director in the Department of Land Resources

Sarvadanand Barnwal, an officer from the Indian Statistical Service (ISS), has been selected for appointment as Director in the Department of Land Resources.

The appointment is under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS), which facilitates the recruitment of officers for central government positions from various services.

According to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) order issued Barnwal's appointment is for a period of 5 years from the date he assumes the position or until further orders, whichever comes first.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Dance Day 2024

Every year April 29th is celebrated as International Dance Day also known as World Dance Day.

It was established by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), UNESCO's main partner for the performing arts.

International Dance Day was created to celebrate dance as an art form and to promote its importance worldwide.

The date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer and ballet master often credited as the creator of modern ballet.

The first International Day of Dance was celebrated in 1982.

Since then, it has grown into a global celebration with events organised by dance communities, schools, companies and organisations around the world.