KATHUA, DECEMBER 02: Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rakesh Minhas today chaired a meeting to review the implementation and progress achieved under the Rural Development sector schemes in the District. The meeting was attended by the ADDC,…
MUMBAI: Only over Rs 9,760 crore worth of the Rs 2,000 bank notes are still in circulation, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which reported on Friday that nearly 97.26% of the notes have been returned to the banking system. The RBI declared on May 19 that banknotes with a denomination of Rs 2,000 will no longer be in circulation. "The total value of Rs 2,000 bank notes in circulation, which amounted to Rs 3.56 lakh crore as at the close of business on May 19, 2023 when the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 bank notes was announced, has declined to Rs 9,760 crore as at the close of business on November 30, 2023," the RBI stated in a statement. It further stated that as of May 19, 2023, 97.26% of the high-value currency in circulation has been brought back into the banking system. The RBI stated, "The Rs 2,000 bank notes remain legal tender." The 19 RBI offices around the nation accept deposits and/or exchanges of Rs 2,000 in banknotes. Additionally, anyone can send two thousand rupees by India Post from any post office to any RBI Issue Office to have the money credited to their bank accounts back home. The initial request was made to the public and entities holding these notes to exchange or deposit them in bank accounts by September 30. Later, the deadline was moved to October 7. On October 7, deposit and exchange services were terminated at bank branches. At the 19 RBI offices, people have had the option of exchanging their currency or having the same amount credited to their bank accounts as of October 8. In the meantime, lines are seen at RBI offices during business hours to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 notes. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Belapur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, and Thiruvananthapuram are the 19 RBI offices that deposit and exchange bank notes. November 2016 saw the introduction of the Rs 2,000 bank notes, which replaced the then-current Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 bank notes. [caption id="attachment_6499" align="alignnone" width="300"] RBI says Rs 2,000 notes totalling Rs 9,760 cr still with public[/caption]
NEW DELHI: Under the direction of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Defence purchase Council approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for a number of capital purchase projects totaling Rs 2.23 lakh crore on Thursday. A total of Rs 2.20 lakh crore (98%) of the acquisition will come from local industries. A statement from the defence ministry stated, "This will give the Indian Defence Industry a substantial boost towards the aim of achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta'." The acquisition of two types of anti-tank munitions (ADM Types 2 and 3), which are able to neutralise enemy people as well as tanks and armoured personnel carriers, has been granted by the council to the AoN.AoN has been granted permission to purchase a state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS), which will replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which has reached the end of its useful life. The TGS will become a mainstay of the Indian Army's artillery units. Additionally, the AoN was granted for the 155 mm Nubless projectile, which will increase the projectiles' lethality and safety when used in 155 mm artillery weapons. The Indian Army will purchase all of these pieces of gear under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. In order to keep T-90 tanks' combative advantage over enemy platforms, the AoN for the purchase and integration of Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC) for T-90 Tanks under the Buy (India) category has also been granted.The Indian Navy's surface platforms have been granted the authority to purchase Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM) under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. The MRAShM is intended to be a principal offensive armament on Indian Naval Ships and a lightweight surface-to-surface missile. Furthermore, the Indian Army and Air Force (IAF) received AoNs from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) to purchase Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. The DAC has also granted the AoNs for the in-house Su-30 MKI aircraft upgrade from HAL.Although acquiring these weapons will provide the IAF great strength, obtaining them from homegrown defence companies will raise the level of indigenous capacity. Additionally, it will significantly lessen reliance on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Additionally, a significant modification to the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has received clearance by the DAC. It has been agreed that going forward, at least 50% of the indigenous content in all categories of procurement cases must consist of Indian-made materials, components, and software. The cost of an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC), Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC), or After-Sale Service will not be included in the computation of Indigenous content. Additionally, the DAC has decided to promote MSMEs' and startups' involvement in the defence ecosystem even more. Registered MSMEs and recognised start-ups will be given preference for issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for all procurement cases with AoN costs up to Rs 300 crore. There will be no financial parameters attached to RFPs, and the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) may approve AoN costs up to Rs 500 crore on an individual basis. [caption id="attachment_6481" align="alignnone" width="300"] Defence Acquisition Council approves capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 2.23 lac cr[/caption]
Srinagar, Nov 30: In connection with the J&K Cooperative Bank fraud of over Rs 250 crore in the name of a fictional housing association, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting searches, according to officials today. The ED's Srinagar office released a brief statement stating that six locations—including the former J&K Cooperative Bank chairperson's premises—had been targeted. "In the money laundering case related to J&K (cooperative) Bank Fraud of more than Rs 250 Cr in the name of fictitious Society namely River Jhelum cooperative House building Society, the Srinagar ED office is conducting search u/s 17 of PMLA today," the statement states. The statement said, "A total of six premises have been covered, including the then-chairperson J&K (cooperative) Bank and Trustees of Society in Srinagar."Notably, Mohd Shafi Dar, Hilal Ahmed Mir (Chairman of Fake Society), and other individuals have already been charged by the ACB with crimes under the Corruption Act and IPC sections. [caption id="attachment_6428" align="alignnone" width="300"] ED conducts searches in Rs 250 cr J&K Cooperative Bank fraud case[/caption]
New Delhi, Nov 29: In order to safeguard the rights of migrant workers, the government said on Wednesday that it will require all building and construction workers nationwide to have a unique identity. Benefits portability will be facilitated by this identity, which will be connected to Aadhaar and incorporated into the e-Shram database. Labour Secretary Arti Ahuja stated that the family's entitlements should be available regardless of whether someone is in Delhi today or Mumbai tomorrow. The senior official said this while speaking at "The Migration Conclave," which was held in the nation's capital and was sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the All India Organisation of Employers (AIOE and FICCI). These revisions will be fully explained in the future addendum, which is anticipated to be presented within the next week.Ahuja talked about the difficulties brought about by the growing usage of contractors to seek unregistered labour abroad. According to the Interstate Migrant Workmen Act, contractors will have to offer these workers full benefits under the four labour codes. These include access to basic amenities like restrooms and worksite childcare, minimum salaries, and occupational safety. According to Ahuja, the ministry also intends to put policies in place that guarantee proper housing, hygienic conditions, and knowledge of one's rights in these areas.In order to address the unique issues of migrant workers inside industries, she also stressed the significance of a tripartite process involving workers' organisations. The International worker Organization's (ILO) Deputy Director, Satoshi Sasaki, emphasised the importance of worker migration in the present and future labour markets. He emphasised the chances and difficulties faced by migratory workers, which are made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic's effects on access to respectable employment. [caption id="attachment_6400" align="alignnone" width="300"] Govt To Make Unique Identifier Mandatory For Construction Workers: Labour Secy[/caption]
NOV 29, 2023 : Between October 2022 and September 2023, the US Embassy and its consulates in India issued an unprecedented number of student visas—more than 140,000. The US State Department said on Tuesday, "Our embassy and consulates in India issued an all-time record of more than 140,000 student visas." The State Department of the United States said, "From October 2022 through September 2023 (the 2023 federal fiscal year), the Department of State issued a near-record level of nonimmigrant visas of more than 10 million globally." There were more nonimmigrant visa decisions made by half of the US embassies and consulates than ever before. Furthermore, the statement stated that the US embassy had given around eight million business and tourist visitor visas—more than in any previous fiscal year since 2015. The statement went on to say that these accomplishments were made possible by creative solutions, like extending the authority for interview waivers, which let regular travellers who fulfil stringent national security requirements renew their visas without needing to go to an embassy or consulate. "Looking to the future, we are exploring new technologies to assess opportunities to streamline operations, such as the option of domestic renewal in select visa categories," it continued. The US Mission to India exceeded its target last month, handling one million non-immigrant visa applications by the year 2023. In a statement, the US Embassy and Consulates in India stated that over 1.2 million Indians travelled to the US last year, making it one of the most robust travel partnerships in the world. Currently, more than 10% of all visa applicants globally are Indian, with 20% of all student visa applicants and 65% of all H&L-category (work) visa applicants being Indian. The statement continued, "The United States welcomes this growth." In the meantime, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti paid a visit to the US embassy in the country's capital earlier this month to supervise the "unprecedented demand" among Indians for US visitor visas. 'Super Saturday' saw Garcetti as the special guest assisting the additional visa applications, according to the US Embassy. [caption id="attachment_6382" align="alignnone" width="300"] US Embassy in India breaks record, issues over 140,000 student visas[/caption]
SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta and Secretary Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India, V Srinivas today released four case studies of Good Governance Initiatives of Jammu and Kashmir. The…
NEW DELHI, Nov 28 : Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh disclosed during a meeting with a high-level delegation of NASA, the premier USA agency, that the US and India will launch the joint microwave remote sensing satellite for Earth observation, named NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), in the first quarter of 2019. NASA Chief Administrator Bill Nelson led the delegation. The goal is to launch NISAR onboard the GSLV in India. NISAR data will be very helpful for researching land ecosystems, solid earth deformation, sea ice, coastal oceans, mountains, and polar cryosphere on a regional to global scale.It was reported that NASA/JPL officials were present when ISRO's S-band SAR and NASA's L-band SAR were integrated at JPL/NASA. Currently, integrated L & S band SAR is being tested with the satellite at URSC, Bangalore. Nelson commended Dr. Jitendra Singh for the historic Chandrayaan-3 landing on the uncharted South Polar region of the Moon and urged him to move forward with plans to send India's first astronaut on a NASA rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as possible.The two countries decided to start a two-week joint India-US space flight next year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US earlier this year. NASA sees a chance for Indian astronauts in the Private Astronaut Mission in 2024. A Joint Working Group (JWG) on Human Spaceflight Cooperation was established by ISRO and NASA to investigate areas of joint research including radiation impact studies, micro meteorite and orbital debris shield studies, and space health and medicine aspects. In January 2023, the eighth meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation (CSJWG) took place in Washington, DC.Prominent US companies (such as Boeing, Blue Origin, and Voyager) are currently in discussions with ISRO/DoS about specific areas of cooperation. Additionally, joint ventures with Indian commercial entities are being explored. The Indian side disclosed that ISRO and NASA were considering a concept paper on the Implementing Arrangement (IA). A mutually agreed-upon draught was reached after a few rounds of revisions, and it is now being processed for internal government approvals. Additionally, ISRO is investigating the viability of testing the Gaganyaan module's Micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) protection shields using NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Test (HVIT) facility.According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, India's space sector is experiencing tremendous growth thanks to changes instigated by Prime Minister Modi. As little as four years have passed, there are now over 150 Space StarUps, many of whom have become successful business owners after starting out as just one or two. Nelson, an astronaut who flew on "Columbia" during the 24th Space Shuttle mission in 1986, praised ISRO for having launched 231 US-made satellites using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV). Mr. Nelson expressed his excitement about meeting Indian cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma in Bengaluru the following day. Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, attended the meeting as well.
New Delhi, Nov 27: In a case involving bribery, the Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a complaint against two senior members of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (PPQS). Within the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's Plant Protection Division, the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine, and Storage is an organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare of the Indian government. Sanjay Arya, Joint Director (Plant Pathology), Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (PPQS), Faridabad, and Padam Singh, the Plant Protection Officer (PPO) at the time, Plant Quarantine, Visakhapatnam, have been identified as the accused parties named in the FIR.According to the formal complaint filed in this case, Sanjay Arya looked into the complaint that Rajesh Acharya had made against Padam Singh, PPO, Plant Quarantine, Visakhapatnam. Rajesh Acharya claimed in the complaint that Padam Singh was pressuring exporters for payment and threatening to cease operations if his demands were not met.Sanjay Arya visited Visakhapatnam in May 2022 as part of the investigation and examined the complainant. According to what we've been told, complainant Rajesh Acharya reiterated that Padam Singh has been extorting money from exporters and hasn't accepted their requests for timely clearance of goods, which has caused delays in stock loading on vessels and resulted in significant losses for them. Additionally, the complaint stated that in May and June of 2022, the complainant sent emails to Sanjay Arya complaining that Padam Singh was refusing to approve their applications and was requesting a Certificate of Appreciation from him.Sanjay Arya suggested closing the complaint after the investigation was finished because there was no evidence to support the allegations. Consequently, it said, the matter has been closed. It went on, "Sources also revealed that Dr. Sanjay Arya accepted Rs. 2 lakh as an undue advantage from Padam Singh in two instances through one Satish Singh in order to give a favourable report in respect of the said enquiry." An inquiry into the situation is in progress. We're waiting for more information. [caption id="attachment_6273" align="alignnone" width="300"] CBI Registers Case Against Two Agriculture Ministry Officials In Bribery Case[/caption]
KISHTWAR: In the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, another isolated village at a high altitude has gained telecom connectivity, an official said on Sunday. This week, the Warwan Inshan area will get its first mobile network tower, making it the second remote area in the district to have telecom connectivity after the Sumcham Buddhist village, according to the official. According to him, the new tower is especially important because it guarantees constant connectivity with other areas during the severe winter months. The official stated that because of the severe road connectivity problems caused by the heavy snowfall in the area, the tower's construction is an essential support system. On November 24, telecom connectivity was established in the Dangail area of Sumcham, which is near the famous Paddar Sapphire Mine and the Kargil region of Ladakh. [caption id="attachment_6228" align="alignnone" width="224"] High-altitude remote village in Kishtwar gets mobile tower[/caption]
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