Bandhan Bank Authorized by RBI for Civil Pension Disbursement
Bandhan Bank was appointed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an authorised pension disbursement bank on behalf of the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO), Ministry of Finance, for civil pensioners. The Bank will soon be integrating with the office of the CPAO to operationalise the disbursement process.
This authorisation entitles the Bank to disburse pensions to the Central Government employees in Civil Ministries and Departments (other than Railways, Posts, and Defence), the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Union Territory Administrations without legislatures, retired Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court, and All India Service Officers.
This Scheme also covers the payment of pensions to former Members of Parliament and the payment of pensions and other amenities to former Presidents and Vice Presidents of India.
UAE's G42 Launches Jais, An Open-source Arabic Language AI Model
A group of engineers, researchers and a Silicon Valley-based chip company have collaborated to release advanced Arabic language software that can power generative AI applications.
The new large language model called 'Jais' contains 13 billion parameters made from a big batch of data combining Arabic and English, a portion of which is from computer code. The group, which included academics and engineers embarked, on the project in part because they said there are few large language models that are bilingual.
The new language model was created with the help of supercomputers produced by the Silicon Valley-based Cerebras Systems, which designs dinner plate-sized chips that compete with Nvidia's powerful AI hardware. Nvidia's chips are in short supply, which has driven companies around the world to seek alternatives.
Named after the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates, Jais is a collaboration between Cerebras, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi-based tech conglomerate G42 called Inception, which focuses on AI.
Viacom 18 Bags India's Home Series Broadcast Rights
Viacom 18 created a near monopoly in Indian cricket broadcasting sphere by bagging both TV and digital rights of the national team's home series for the next five years with a cumulative bid of approximately Rs. 6000 crore, beating Star India and Sony in a three-way battle.
The BCCI had invited separate e-bids for both linear (TV) and digital for best price discovery.
Govt. Appoints Jaya Verma Sinha as first woman CEO, Chairperson of Railway Board
The Centre appointed Jaya Verma Sinha as the first woman chairperson and CEO of the Railway Board.
Sinha has served at least 35 years at the Indian Railways.
She will be incharge of the top post of the Railways till 31 December, 2024.
An Alumnus of the Allahabad University, Sinha joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in 1988 and worked in Northern Railway, South-East Railway and Eastern Railway.
Ex-President Ram Nath Kovind-headed Committee to Explore Possibility of 'One-nation, One-election'
The government constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of 'one nation, one election'.
The move came a day after the government called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, the agenda for which is under wraps.
Over the years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed strongly for the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, and the decision to task Kovind to look into it underscores the government's seriousness as a host of elections approach.
Assembly polls are due in five states in November-December and they will be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June next year.
Centre Launches 'Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers' Initiative
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda, inaugurated the 'Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers' initiative to educate grassroots workers and enable them to raise awareness about sickle cell anaemia, particularly in tribal regions. Announced in the 2023-24 budget, the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission targets the eradication of the disease by 2047.
The comprehensive strategy involves public awareness campaigns, the screening of seven crore individuals aged 0-40 in affected tribal areas, and counselling. This collaborative effort will unite central ministries and state governments.
India-made Mahendragiri Warship Launched in Mumbai
India's defence sector achieved a significant milestone as the country's latest warship, Mahendragiri, was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai. The launch of Mahendragiri, the seventh and final stealth frigate of Project 17A, symbolized the remarkable progress India has made in constructing a self-sufficient naval force.
Indian Oil Ropes in Sanjeev Kapoor as its Brand Ambassador
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. announced its collaboration with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor as the brand ambassador for its Indane XTRATEJ LPG brand.
In an event held in Bengaluru, V. Satish Kumar, Marketing Director at Indian Oil, unveiled a brand-new video commercial that highlights the Indane XTRATEJ LPG Brand. This new offering aims to provide a cost-efficient solution that not only meets the requirements of various segments such as hotels and hospitality but also addresses the growing expectations of customers in an era of rapid change.
Rajasthan's Priyan Sain Crowned Miss Earth India 2023
Priyan Sain clinched the title of Miss Earth India 2023 during the Miss Divine Beauty 2023 national final held in New Delhi. Priyan, dancer, and taekwondo player from Jaipur, Rajasthan succeeded last year's (2022) winner Vanshika Parmar, and will now prepare to represent India at the Miss Earth 2023 pageant in Vietnam this December. She received her crown from reigning Miss Earth from Korea Mina Sue Choi who was invited as a special guest along with Miss Earth Air from Australia Sheridan Mortlock.
National Nutrition Week (NNW) is observed annually in India from September 1 to 7. This dedicated week aims to raise awareness among people about the vital role of nutrition and the significance of cultivating healthy eating habits.
Throughout National Nutrition Week, several seminars, workshops, educational programmes, conferences, and public awareness campaigns are organised across the country.
Back in 1975, the American Dietetic Association — now called the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — started National Nutrition Week.
In India, National Nutrition Week was first celebrated in 1982. The government launched various initiatives to encourage, inform and teach people about healthy eating and how it's connected to staying healthy and living longer.
T. V. Narendran is New Chairperson for IIT Kharagpur Board of Governors
The CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel Limited, T. V. Narendran was appointed as the new chairperson of Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.
Narendran has over 34 years of experience in the field of mining and metals industry. He is a mechanical engineer from NIT Trichy and MBA from IIM Calcutta.
Pradhan Launches Comic Book Developed by NCERT and UNESCO 'Let's Move Forward'
The Ministry of Education and UNESCO launched an innovative comic book aimed at enhancing health and well-being of school going children across the nation. The comic book, titled 'Let's move forward' was officially released by Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, in a special ceremony held at Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi.
The event was graced by senior government officials, policy makers, institutions under the Ministry of Education, UN Agencies, and other partners.
The comic book has been designed to be an interactive and educational tool to compliment the implementation of the School Health and Wellness Programme under Ayushman Bharat.
Kerala High Court Appoints Separate Lawyer for Child in Custody Matter
Kerala High Court, for the first time, took an unprecedented step by assigning a dedicated lawyer to represent a minor in a child custody lawsuit.
The decision was prompted by the Court's recognition that amid a custody tug-of-war between the parents, there existed no advocate solely focused on safeguarding the child's welfare.
Telangana HC Introduces Hybrid Mode of Hearing
In a forward step towards achieving paperless courts and to provide speedy justice, the Telangana High Court made the hybrid mode of hearing (both physical and virtual modes) as a permanent feature from September 1.
The administrative wing of TSHC said that all advocates, government pleaders, standing counsel, parties-in-person and stakeholders can be accessed through the web link and meeting ID of their respective courts.
Earlier, the virtual mode of hearing was conducted exclusively to meet the extraordinary Covid circumstances. However, senior advocates appearing from Delhi, Bombay and from other places had requested that they be allowed to put forward their submissions through virtual mode. Considering that the virtual mode of hearing may save time and expenses, the High Court allowed virtual meetings, albeit at a special session.
Capitalising on the technological advancements, the High Court opted for digitalization, which now comes in the form of hybrid mode of hearings.
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