India's Ranks 42 in the Global Intellectual Property Index 2024
The US Chamber of Commerce unveiled the 12th edition of its International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the IP landscape across the globe. This year's (2024) index ranked 55 economies, assessing their IP frameworks' effectiveness in fostering innovation and creative industries. The United States retained its position at the pinnacle, followed closely by the United Kingdom and France, highlighting the critical role of robust IP systems in economic development.
India secured the 42nd position out of the 55 countries evaluated, with an overall score of 38.64 per cent. This placement underscores the ongoing challenges and opportunities for India in strengthening its IP framework to bolster innovation and economic growth. Despite the static position, the inclusion of India in the analysis signifies its importance in the global IP discourse.
Top 10 Economies for IP Rights are United States (95.48%), United Kingdom (94.12%), France (93.12%), Germany (92.46%), Sweden (92.12%), Japan (91.26%), Netherlands (91.24%), Ireland (89.38%), Spain (86.44%) and Switzerland (85.98%).
World Gold Council Appoints De Beers' Sachin Jain as Chief Executive Officer
The World Gold Council (WGC), representing global gold miners, named Sachin Jain as its new CEO for India. Jain's extensive experience, particularly in the jewellery market and strategic leadership, positions him well for this crucial role.
Jain joined WGC India from De Beers, where he served in various senior capacities over the past 13 years. Notably, as Managing Director of De Beers India, he spearheaded the De Beers Forevermark business in India and West Asia. His tenure at De Beers equipped him with a deep understanding of the Indian consumer psyche and jewelry market dynamics.
Prior to his stint at De Beers, Jain held significant roles at renowned companies such as Lladro, Swatch Group, and Benetton. His diverse experience spans over two decades, reflecting his versatile skill set and strategic acumen.
Amazon Pay Gets Final Approval from RBI to Operate as Payment Aggregator
Amazon Pay, the fintech arm of e-commerce major Amazon India, received a payment aggregator licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The fintech firm joined a list of companies that the central bank has granted authorisation to operate as payment aggregators (PA).
This month (February 2024,two fintech start-ups, Decentro and Juspay, and enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm Zoho received final authorisation from the RBI for payment aggregator (PA) licences.
SpiceJet settled a Rs. 250 crore dispute with Celestial Aviation, a subsidiary of one of the largest aircraft lessor groups, through negotiations and avoided the litigation route.
In October 2023, SpiceJet had informed the National Company Law Tribunal that it was looking for a possible settlement with Celestial Aviation. In December 2023, SpiceJet told the tribunal that they had made some payments to the aircraft lessor. Celestial's counsel, Nitin Sarin, admitted to receiving the payment, though the airline missed some deadlines.
Neil Wagner Announces Retirement from International Cricket
Veteran fast bowler Neil Wagner called time on his international cricketing career, bringing an end to a distinguished 12-year Test match journey with the Black Caps.
Wagner represented New Zealand in 64 Tests, claiming a total of 260 wickets, placing him fifth on the nation's all-time wicket-takers list. He was renowned for his relentless bowling, often operating long and impactful spells, particularly on unresponsive surfaces. His signature short-ball deliveries proved effective, famously unsettling even the likes of Steve Smith, widely regarded as one of the best Test batsmen of the current era.
Wagner was an integral part of the New Zealand team that clinched the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
BCCI Central Contracts
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled its centrally-contracted players for this year (2024).
Skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli retained their place in the top bracket but the out-of-favour duo of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded after ignoring the directive to play Ranji Trophy.
Rohit, Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja figured in the A plus category, the highest bracket of the BCCI's central contracts list.
The BCCI had recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team.
Six cricketers feature in the A category, including R. Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.
Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal got B category contracts.
As many as 15 were handed C category contracts including Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, K. S. Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Launches 'Investor Information and Analytics Platform' Developed by IIT Madras
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched 'Investor Information and Analytics Platform' developed by IIT Madras. This platform acts as a one-stop shop for start-ups to seamlessly access Venture Capitalists (VCs) and investors' networks, Govt schemes and several other components of the start-up landscape for all stakeholders.
By integrating information at different levels, the platform is also a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs to search for information on government agencies, incubators, investors, VCs and banks that invest in start-ups.
This platform has been developed by the Researchers at the Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) of IIT Madras. It will significantly help start-up founders, entrepreneurs and Young Indians who intend to build their own devices, services and platforms for India and for the world.
PM Modi Unveils Deendayal Upadhyaya Statue in Maharashtra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed over one lakh members of women's self-help groups at a rally in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district and also disbursed Rs. 825 crore funds for the self-help groups in Maharashtra.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the co-founder of BJP's predecessor, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in Yavatmal.
He also launched the Modi Awaas Gharkul Yojana for OBC category beneficiaries in Maharashtra and transferred the first instalment of Rs. 375 crore to 2.5 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme.
India, US Sign Memorandum on Law Enforcement Training
India and the US signed a memorandum of cooperation on law enforcement training between the US Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre and India's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. This is a step to bolster bilateral efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, drug trafficking, organised crime and ensure transportation security. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the vibrant people-to-people ties between the two countries by taking steps to enable safe and legal migration, counter illegal migration, human trafficking, money laundering, cyber-crimes and misuse of the cyber domain for illegal activities, including terror-financing.
India, Germany set to Carry Out Joint Military Exercise in Indo-Pacific
India and Germany resolved to closely collaborate on high-technology for military use in line with a broader aim to develop defence cooperation as a key pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership. Ways to further bolster strategic cooperation figured prominently at a meeting of the India-Germany high defence committee that was held in Berlin.
Following the talks, officials said that India and Germany are set to carry out joint military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, in reflection of their growing defence ties.
The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane while the German side was led by State Secretary at German defence ministry Benedikt Zimmer.
Miss India Tripura 2017 Rinky Chakma has died at the age of 28. The former Miss India Tripura winner was battling cancer for the last two years.
Rinky Chakma won the Miss India Tripura crown in 2017. As a Miss India finalist, Rinky won two sub-titles, Miss Congeniality and Beauty with a Purpose. Manushi Chhillar won the Miss World pageant and the Miss India World pageant in the same year.
Rare Disease Day is observed on the last day of February every year to spread awareness about rare diseases among the people and provide a platform to talk about their impact globally. With 2024 being a leap year, the day was observed on February 29 this time (2024).
The day was set up by the EURORDIS (the European Organization for Rare Diseases) in 2008. EURORDIS is a non-profit alliance of more than 1,000 rare disease patient organisations across 74 countries in the world. It works towards improving the lives of more than 300 million people living with a rare disease around the world.
C-DOT Wins 3 Awards for Telecom Innovations at 14th Aegis Graham Bell
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Government of India, achieved a remarkable feat by clinching the top position in three categories at the esteemed 14th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards. The event was held at the NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi.
The first award, jointly shared with Google India, was conferred upon C-DOT for its pioneering ASTR Project under the category 'Innovation in AI'.
C-DOT secured the second award in the category 'Innovation in Social Good' for its groundbreaking CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) solution.
The third accolade was bestowed upon C-DOT in the category 'Innovation in Telecom' for its Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) product.
Sunil Bharti Mittal receives Honorary Knighthood from King Charles III
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairperson of Bharti Enterprises, was conferred an Honorary knighthood by King Charles III of the United Kingdom. Mittal became the first Indian to receive the Knighthood from King Charles.
He was made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The Knighthood is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the British sovereign. Foreign nationals receive it as an honorary award.
Knighthood, the Knight Commander (KBE), is bestowed for a preeminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at the national level) or in a capacity regarded by peer groups as inspirational and influential nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment.
The KBE is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals. While the Knighthood conferred on UK nationals gives them the title of Sir or Dame, non-UK nationals conferred with the Honour, add KBE (or DBE for women) after their name instead of using titles such as Sir or Dame. Ratan Tata (2009), Ravi Shankar (2001), and Jamshed Irani (1997) are among the previous Honorary KBE recipients.
KPDCL Extends Amnesty Scheme for Domestic Consumers in Jammu & Kashmir
KPDCL (Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited) extended its amnesty scheme for domestic consumers in Jammu & Kashmir. The scheme allows consumers to clear outstanding electricity dues in easy instalments without late payment surcharges. Disconnected connections can be restored by paying only the principal amount.
KPDCL instructed its staff to finalise the list of eligible domestic consumers who can avail benefits under the extended amnesty scheme.
This ensures transparency and facilitates smooth implementation of the scheme.
The Managing Director of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL), Shiv Anant Tayal, introduced the Power Amnesty Scheme in 2022.
The scheme aimed to waive 100 per cent interest surcharge accumulated on outstanding bills until March 2022 for domestic consumers.
It provided an opportunity for consumers to clear their dues in instalments by September 2023, thus avoiding penalties, legal actions, and power disconnections.
Reliance Launches 'Vantara', a National Initiative for Animal Welfare
Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation launched a bold initiative, Vantara (Star of the Forest), dedicated to the rescue, treatment, care, and rehabilitation of animals in need. This ambitious program, spearheaded by Anant Ambani, aims to create a national and international impact on animal welfare.
Spread over 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Reliance's Jamnagar Refinery Complex, Vantara aims to be one of the leading contributors to conservation efforts globally.
Vantara transcends geographical boundaries by collaborating with renowned international organizations, including: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), Venezuelan National Foundation of Zoos, Smithsonian Institution and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Vantara prioritises collaboration with national institutions like: National Zoological Park, Delhi, Assam State Zoo, Nagaland Zoological Park and Sardar Patel Zoological Park, Ahmedabad.
Walmart Launches Centre for Tech Excellence at IIT Madras for AI Adoption
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) collaborated with Walmart Global Tech (WGT) to establish the Walmart Centre for Tech Excellence to help local entrepreneurs with the tools needed for sustained growth in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.
The idea is to leverage cutting-edge solutions in artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation to enhance operational efficiency and profitability for businesses.
The Walmart Centre for Tech Excellence plans to build an open-sourced, domain-agnostic platform for engineering analytics solutions, making them accessible to a wide range of businesses. The centre will also create a repository of case studies, accelerating AI adoption in manufacturing and retail while offering skilling programs focused on the fundamentals of AI.
Dharmendra Pradhan Launches 'SWAYAM Plus' Platform, IIT Madras to Operate It
The Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the 'SWAYAM Plus' platform for courses developed collaboratively with the industry. These employability and professional development‐focused programmes have been developed with industry players including L&T, Microsoft and CISCO.
The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras) is the operator of the 'SWAYAM Plus' Platform.
The establishment of SWAYAM Plus enhances the employability of both college students and lifelong learners. The Industry-academia partnership would combine the academic rigour of SWAYAM's educational platform with the real-world expertise and relevance offered by industry partners.
SWAYAM Plus platform will offer programmes in sectors including manufacturing, energy, computer science and engineering, IT or ITES, management studies, healthcare, hospitality and tourism besides Indian knowledge systems.
Chief Minister Manik Saha Inaugurates 2nd State Level Shehri Samridhi Utsav
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated the 2nd State Level Shehri Samridhi Utsav organised by Tripura Urban Livelihood Mission at Children's Park, Agartala. The event aimed at fostering urban livelihood opportunities and empowering women in the region.
In his address during the inaugural ceremony, Chief Minister Manik Saha reiterated the government's commitment to empowering women.
He highlighted the efforts of the Prime Minister in placing women at the forefront of national development. The state government is aligned with this vision and has implemented various schemes to foster women's self-reliance.
A book written by Goa Governor P. S. Sreedharan Pillai was released by Archbishop of Changanacherry, Kerala, H. G. Mar Joseph Perumthottam.
This book titled 'Basic Structure and Republic' was released in Panaji.
The book, symbolises the unity of religious and state leadership in recognising intellectual achievements. The first copy was presented to Shri. Subhash Shirodkar, embodying the collaborative spirit between the governance and the intellectual discourse. Smt. Rita Shreedharan Pillai, the First Lady of Goa, also graced the event, adding to its prestige.
PM Modi Launches 1st Made in India Green H2 Fuel Cell Inland Waterway Vessel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated various other projects aimed at making the V. O. Chidambaranar Port as the first Green Hydrogen Hub Port of the country. These projects include desalination plant, hydrogen production and bunkering facility etc.
The Prime Minister also launched India's first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel under Harit Nauka initiative.
The hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels project is part of India's transformative efforts on the innovative and new technology front on green energy and sustainable cost-effective alternate fuel front. Hydrogen fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power applications.
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