Russia, facing global condemnation for its invasion of Ukraine, is withdrawing from the Council of Europe (CoE), the country's ministry of foreign affairs announced. "We are launching the procedure to exit the CoE, and have given notification of our departure to Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric".
The Council of Europe was founded in the wake of the Second World War to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the continent. Established in 1949, it operates on an annual budget of around 500 million euros. The CoE is headquartered at the Palace of Europe, in Strasbourg, France.
Nitin Gadkari Launches India's First Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, launched the world's most advanced technology – developed green hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), Toyota Mirai in New Delhi.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd and International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) are conducting a Pilot Project to study and evaluate the world's most advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Toyota Mirai which runs on hydrogen, on Indian roads and climatic conditions.
This is a first of its kind project in India which aims to create a Green Hydrogen based ecosystem in the country by creating awareness about the unique utility of Green Hydrogen and FCEV technology.
Green Hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy and abundantly available biomass. Introduction and adoption of technology to tap into the green hydrogen's potential will play a key role in securing a clean and affordable energy future for India.
Delhi Govt. Launches 'My EV' Portal for Registering and Purchasing E-autos
The Delhi government launched an online 'My EV' (My Electric Vehicle) portal for the purchase and registration of electric autos in Delhi. It is accessible to all users on the website of the transport department of Delhi. Under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, a 5% interest rate subvention will be provided on the purchase of e-autos on loans and become the first state to provide such a facility. The web portal was developed with the collaboration of the Delhi government and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
CESL empanelled six Financial Institutions (FIs) – Mahindra Finance, Akasa Finance, Mannapuram Finance, RevFin, and Prest Loans to provide loans to EVs at attractive terms. The Interest subvention on the purchase of EVs is in addition to the applicable purchase incentive of INR 30,000 and scrapping incentives of up to INR 7,500 under the Delhi EV Policy. The consumer will be able to avail of up to INR 25,000 additional benefits.
Adani Adds $49 bn Wealth in 2021, Higher than Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk
According to the 2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List, Gautam Adani, India's and Asia's second-richest person, added USD 49 billion to his wealth last year - more than the net addition of wealth by the top three global billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault.
Mukesh Ambani, who runs the oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries, continues to be the richest Indian with a wealth of USD 103 billion, a 24 per cent rise year-on-year.
Adani, the head of ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group, is a close second with his wealth surging 153 per cent to USD 81 billion.
Singapore Exchange Selects TCS as Strategic Partner for NSE IFCS-SGX Connect
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced that TCS BaNCS was selected by Singapore Exchange (SGX) to power the NSE IFSC-SGX Connect (Gift Connect), its program to connect to NSE IFSC, a fully owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), for trade execution and clearing of Nifty products on behalf of its members in Singapore and globally.
To enable international access to Indian capital markets and create a larger liquidity pool of international and domestic participants, SGX has set up SGX India Connect IFSC Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (Gift City), a special economic zone in Gandhinagar, India.
Reliance Capital CEO Dhananjay Tiwari Resigns
Reliance Capital Ltd's chief executive officer Dhananjay Tiwari resigned.
The debt-laden company promoted by Anil Ambani is undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) at the Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
The Reserve Bank had in November 2021 superseded the board of Reliance Capital Ltd in view of payment defaults and serious governance issues.
660 Technologies Developed under Cyber Scheme against Target of 6,824
Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha that 660 technologies against the target of 6,824 technologies were developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.
The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems aims to address the technological requirements of the society, taking into account international trends and road maps of leading countries for the next generation technologies.
PM Modi launched the Khel Mahakumbh 2022 at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Khel Mahakumbh is an annual sports competition organized by the Gujarat government.
It was started in 2010 and has revolutionized sports in Gujarat. The first Khel Mahakumbh in 2010 witnessed the participation of 13 lakh players in 16 sports. In 2019's Khel Mahakumbh, the participation increased to 40 lakh players participated in 36 sports and 26 para-sports.
There is no age limit for Khel Mahakumbh. Any person of a minimum of 09 years can register through the online portal to take part in the Khel Mahakumbh 2022. Different games are there for different age groups.
Both traditional and modern sports events are conducted, they include kabaddi, kho-kho, tug of war, yogasana, mallakhambh, tennis, fencing, etc.
India's First 'World Peace Center' Will be Established in Gurugram
Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti organisation established by Ambassador of Peace, Eminent Jainacharya Dr Lokeshji will establish India's first World Peace Center in Gurugram, Haryana. 'World Peace Center' will work for the establishment of peace and harmony in the world.
World Peace Center' will be a major world-class centre for personality building, where various dimensions such as Personality Development of Youth, Empowerment of Women and Sanskar Development in Children through Meditation, Yoga, Indian Culture and Jain lifestyle based scientific programs will also be conducted here.
The voice of this centre of Gurugram will be heard all over the world by its work, including the United Nations and the World Religion Parliament.
Bihar: Sharad Yadav Says His Party to Merge with RJD
Sharad Yadav announced the merger of his party Loktantrik Janata Dal with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal on March 20.
Claiming that the BJP government has been a failure and people are seeking a strong opposition, Sharad Yadav said that this step (merger) was necessitated as an initiative of my regular efforts for bringing together scattered Janata parivar in view of the current political situation in the country.
This merger marks Yadav joining hands with Lalu Prasad after over three decades.
BRO Signs MoU with GRSE for Construction of 70 Modular Bridges in Border Areas
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of 27 carriageway double-lane class 70 modular bridges in border areas.
The MoU includes fabrication, supply, erection, and launching of 27 double-lane bridges of carriageway 7.5 meters of load class 70 along with the Northern and North Eastern border states.
The two-year contract, worth around Rs. 60 crore, was inked by Director General BR Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry and Officiating Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE Commodore P.R. Hari.
Wrestling Fans Shattered as WWE Legend Scott Hall Aka Razor Ramon Dies
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer, Scott Hall passed away, due to heart attack. He was 63. His tenure with World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) began in May 1992. With WWE, he was famously known by his ring name as 'Razor Ramon'. He went on to become a four-time WWE Intercontinental champion.
In 2014, Scott Hall was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual wrestler and then again in 2020 as part of NWO. Scott Hall is a two-time world champ with WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.
The Ordnance Factories' Day is observed on the 18th of March every year. The production of India's oldest Ordnance Factory, which is at Cossipore of Kolkata, was started on the 18th of March, 1802. OFB is the 37th largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd largest in Asia, and the largest in India.
The day is celebrated by displaying the rifles, guns, artillery, ammunition etc in exhibitions all over India. The celebrations start with a parade and the exhibition will also display the photographs of various mountaineering expeditions.
OFB is referred to as the "Fourth Arm of Defence" and the "Force Behind the Armed Forces" of India.
OFB is functioning under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence.
The Indian Ordnance Factories supplies products to all three Indian Armed Forces. ie the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air force.
The Arms and Ammunition, Weapon Spares, Chemicals & Explosives, Parachutes, Leather and Clothing items are being exported to more than 30 countries worldwide.
OFB was founded in 1775 and its Headquarters is in Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata. OFB consists of 41 Ordnance Factories, 9 Training Institutes, 3 Regional Marketing Centres and 5 Regional Controllerates of Safety, which is spread all over India.
Government Clears Bill Allowing Use of Tech to Keep Criminals' Info
The government cleared a Bill to provide legislative backing for the use of latest technology in maintaining records of convicts and of those who are arrested for different types of crimes.
As per reports, a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The draft law "Identification of Prisoners Bill" seeks to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, which would be repealed.
Kerala again emerged on top when it comes to maternal and child health, with the state recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. According to the latest data, India's maternal mortality ratio (MMR) improved to 103 for the period 2017-19.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of Kerala has dropped from 42 to 30. Kerala achieved the UN Sustainable Development Goals of MMR in the year 2020 itself. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is defined as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
Kerala, Telangana, and Maharashtra are included in the top 3 states with the lowest MMR in India.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has worsened in West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh.
The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has drastically improved in UP, Rajasthan, and Bihar.
Italy, Norway, Poland, and Belarus have the lowest MMR in the world.
The first authorised biography of the late iconic industrialist and former chairman of Bajaj Group Rahul Bajaj hit the stands in March.
'Rahul Bajaj: An Extraordinary Life', written by noted business historian Gita Piramal, chronicles the transformation of India through the life story of one of the most successful and visionary business legends in the country.
From Bajaj's mother's incarceration during India's struggle for freedom to his own personal life, his journey in becoming one of the most well-regarded business personalities in the world, this book opens a window to the eventful life of the celebrated business leader and former parliamentarian.
The Padma Bhushan recipient died on February 12, 2022 at the age of 83.
The government in March restored all valid five-year e-tourist visas - suspended since March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic - to nationals of 156 countries with immediate effect. Nationals of these countries will also be eligible for issuance of fresh e-visas for tourists as per existing rules.
The government also said it would similarly restore valid regular (paper) long-duration (10 years) tourist visas for US and Japanese nationals, as well as permit issue of fresh visas to citizens of both countries.
"The government took the step keeping in view the improvement in the Covid-19 situation in the country and considering the need for further relaxation of visa and travel restrictions.
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