SC rejects PIL regarding menstruation leave

The Supreme Court received a Public Interest Lawsuit about menstrual leave. The Supreme Court first agreed to consider the PIL and stated that it would "hear it in a week." Recently, nevertheless, the SC declined to hear the PIL. According to SC, adopting legislation or making judgements about these leaves will discourage women from finding employment. The Supreme Court further noted that the government is in charge of finding a solution. and advised the petitioner to contact the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

India, Russia sign record 28 agreements including 10-year defence cooperation agreement

India and Russia signed record 28 MoUs and agreements on December 6, 2021 across a wide range of sectors including defence, education, culture, trade, energy, and intellectual property accountancy. The agreements included cooperationin in the field of defence for the next 10 years from 2021 to 2031. The agreements were signed during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India for the 21st annual India- Russia summit.Both countries have also started a new 2+2 mechanism to increase cooperation between them.

DRDO signs agreement with Israel for development of dual-use technologies

The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D), Defence Ministry, Israel entered into a Bilateral Innovation Agreement (BIA) on November 9, 2021.

As per the press release by the Ministry of Defence, the agreement was signed between the Chairman of DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy and Head of DDR&D, Israel BG(Retd) Dr Daniel Gold in New Delhi.

Kashmir University, Indian army sign MoU

The University of  Kashmir signed an MoU with the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army on November 9, 2021 to provide various distance education courses to soldiers serving in Kashmir.

India, Gambia sign two agreements for deepening bilateral relations

The Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan visited the Republic of Gambia. The minister held meetings with its President Adam Barrow and other officials and also discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

As per the press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Minister of State was on a visit to the West African country from November 1 to November 3, 2021.

2020 ജൂണിൽ ഊർജ മേഖലയിലെ വികസനം ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി ഇന്ത്യയുമായി ധാരണയിലേർപ്പെട്ട രാജ്യം

ഡെൻമാർക്ക്‌

Covid 19 Testing Kit നിർമ്മാണത്തിനായി Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology(SCTIMST) യുമായി സഹകരിക്കുന്ന കമ്പനി

Tata Sons

RBL Bank inks partnership with Zomato to launch co-branded credit cards

Online food ordering and delivery app Zomato, announced the launch of a co-branded credit card along with RBL, and Master Card, that will help the online food delivery platform further cement its position in India's dining market by offering benefits such as Zomato credits on purchases, and increase the reach of its flagship membership program Zomato Gold.

IIT Mandi signs deal with NABARD for setting up FPOs

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi & Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society has inked a tripartite deal with the National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for setting up three Farmer Producer Organization in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. NABARD has sanctioned an amount of Rs 35 lakhs to EWOK Society and IIT Mandi for 3 FPOs to be established in the next 3 years.

ICAR inks MoU with Patanjali Bio Research Institute

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Patanjali Bio Research Institute, Haridwar. As per the MoU, the specific work plans will be developed to work on the collaborative research programmes in the areas of national interest related to sustainable agriculture development suitable to different agro-ecologies of the country.

The ICAR and PBRI will collaborate in mutually identified areas of training and education where the Post Graduate students of Deemed Universities & Research Institutes of ICAR may undertake internships in various areas of specialization with PBRI. The ICAR will support PBRI in technology demonstration, capacity building, seed production for scaling up of the popular varieties developed by the ICAR and transferring them among the farming community of the country. The MoU aims to foster close interaction in research, capacity building, seed production, entrepreneurship and skill development.

India sign 40 million USD defence deal with Armenia

India bagged a deal to supply 4 indigenously built radars (capable of locating weapons) to Armenia in Europe. The deal was worth 40 million USD. The move by GoI is to boost the defence sector of the country. The deal is a major achievement for the ‘Make in India’ programme in the defence sector.

Under the deal, India will supply 4 SWATHI weapon locating radars. The weapon is to be developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). Armenians had conducted trials of systems offered by Russia and Poland but they approved the Indian system, which was developed by DRDO. India began the supply of the equipment to Armenia.

IAF and Savitribai Phule Pune University to establish ‘Chair of Excellence’

The Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University has signed an MoU to establish a “Chair of Excellence”. The “Chair of Excellence” has been planned to be established at Department of Defence & Strategic Studies under this unique initiative of Indian Air Force. The IAF & Savitribai Phule Pune University has entered into an academic collaboration for the establishment of “Chair of Excellence” which will be named as “Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence“. The name has been chosen to pay tribute to the legend and commemorate the centenary birth year of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh.

AAI & Tripura Govt sign MoU for construction of equipment hiring centers

Airport Authority of India & Tripura State Government has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of 6 equipment hiring centres in Manu Block under the Dhalai District, Tripura.

The project has been taken by the Airport Authority as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme. The equipment hiring centres, equipment related to agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be kept. The types of equipment will be rented out to the needy farmers, Self Help Groups and to any other needy at a minimal cost. The project will be benefited to 6000 families.

HDFC Bank launches co-branded credit card with IndiGo

HDFC Bank joined hands with the country’s largest airline IndiGo to launch a co-branded credit card, which will effectively work like a loyalty programme for the carrier. Its first travel credit card named ‘Ka-ching’- powered by Mastercard.

The credit card customers can get complimentary air tickets on activation worth between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000 as per the variant, 14 travel and lifestyle benefits which include cashback of 5 % or reward points on Indigo bookings, and 3 % on dining, grocery, entertainment. They can also enjoy rich travel experience with varied benefits and unmatched rewards on domestic/international travel.

Xiaomi to bring ISRO’s NavIC technology to smartphones in 2020

Chinese tech major Xiaomi will bring ISRO’s Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, NavIC technology to its smartphones. The capability has been currently enabled by Qualcomm Technologies Inc on several of their Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platforms and will be made available across multiple Xiaomi smartphones in India.

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is the regional geo-positioning system designed in India by ISRO to provide accurate positioning in India and around the Indian mainland. It is considered to be at par with US-based GPS, Russia’s Glonass and Galileo developed by Europe.

The implementation was possible after R&D efforts from Xiaomi for software along with ISRO and Qualcomm’s efforts. NavIC is designed to provide accurate positioning in India and 1,500km around the Indian mainland. The system comprises 7 satellites, 3 of which are in geostationary orbit over the Indian Ocean and 4 in geosynchronous orbit. NavIC is capable of providing location positioning accuracy better than 20 metres.

NTPC signs MoU with CPCB to set up air quality monitoring stations

The NTPC Ltd has signed an agreement with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to an agreement, NTPC Ltd will provide financial support of Rs 80 Crore for installation and commissioning of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). A total of 25 Air Quality Monitoring Stations will be installed across six states and three Union Territories. The states include Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The three Union Territories includes Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Air Quality Index will be evaluated for the respective cities with the help of data collected from these air quality monitoring stations.

NTPC signs MoU with CPCB to set up air quality monitoring stations

The NTPC Ltd has signed an agreement with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to an agreement, NTPC Ltd will provide financial support of Rs 80 Crore for installation and commissioning of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). A total of 25 Air Quality Monitoring Stations will be installed across six states and three Union Territories. The states include Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The three Union Territories includes Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Air Quality Index will be evaluated for the respective cities with the help of data collected from these air quality monitoring stations.

Microsoft & SBI join hands to train differently-abled

Microsoft announced a partnership with State Bank of India to train differently-abled people to find jobs in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector. Over 500 differently-abled youths will be upskilled in the first year of the collaboration. As a part of this partnership, SBI Foundation and Microsoft will develop an artificial intelligence-powered market so that the BFSI industry can connect more easily with differently-abled people for employment opportunities.

There are 26 million differently-abled people in India and it is essential to use newer ways to use technology to enable them to participate in the 21st-century economy.

India & US sign defence deals worth $3 billion

India and the United States finalized defence deals worth 3 billion dollars. India has agreed to purchase USD 3 billion worth advanced American military equipment including Apache and MH-60 Romeo helicopters, which are the finest in the world.

The deals were signed after delegation-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting US President Donald Trump. Under a USD 2.6 billion deal, India will buy 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from Lockheed Martin for the Indian Navy. Another contract to acquire six AH-64E Apache helicopters for USD 800 million from aerospace giant Boeing has also been sealed.

Defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing in the last six years. The bilateral defence trade touched USD 18 billion marks in 2019, reflecting growing defence cooperation between the two sides.

HDFC Bank ties up with Mastercard & SAP concur for spending management services

HDFC Bank, Mastercard and SAP Concur have joined hands for spending management services for the corporate sector. HDFC Bank will offer a corporate credit card for business travellers, providing a one-stop solution for payment and expense management during business trips.

The corporate credit card will enable the seamless integration of all business-related to spend into SAP Concur offerings, enhancing the employee experience, increasing visibility, saving money, and improving corporate efficiency. The card is supported by Mastercard. SAP Concur is a travel, expense, and invoice management solutions provider.

HDFC is headquartered in Mumbai and has more than 100,000 employees. It’s India’s largest private sector lender when viewed by assets, and it’s the largest bank in India by market capitalization.

SBI signs MoU with Govt of Gujarat to facilitate MSME loans

The Gujarat government signed an MoU with State Bank of India (SBI) to facilitate approval of loans to entrepreneurs in the MSME sector with ease and within a short time-frame. Within 15 days of making an application, the bank will provide theoretical approval to the project. Start-ups can submit an application on either the MSME portal or to the local nodal agencies.

The SBI decided to help MSME entrepreneurs in Gujarat looking at their high recovery rate. The Gujarat state announced that MSME units exempted from taking approvals for the first three years can start operations after getting an acknowledgement certificate from the state nodal agency by submitting ‘declaration of intent.

India signs USD 450 million loan agreement with World Bank

The Goverment of India has signed USD 450 million loan agreement with the World Bank.

The loan agreement of USD 450 million aims to support the national programme “Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY): National Groundwater Management Improvement Programme“.

It will help the Union Government to curb the country’s depleting groundwater levels along with strengthening of the groundwater institutions.

Ashok Leyland Ltd, ICICI Bank ink MoU for vehicle fi

IIM Indore inks MoU with Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy

Health ministry signs pact with Gates Foundation for support in innovation