BIS Releases Quality Standard IS 18267: 2023 for Agri By-Product UtensilsOn 16th June 2023, The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published IS 18267: 2023 on ‘Food Serving Utensils Made from Agri By-Products – Specification’, aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting sustainability.

• The IS 18267: 2023 lays down the norms to make disposable utensils free from harmful additives and contributes towards environmental safety, conserve natural resources, promote a circular economy.

Key Points: 
i.The BIS standards covers various aspects such as raw materials, performance and manufacturing techniques such as hot pressing, cold pressing, molding, and sewing. 
ii.The IS 18267: 2023 standard, emphasizes the use of agricultural by-products, such as leaves and sheaths, as preferred materials for making plates, cups, and bowls.
iii.It prohibits the use of chemicals, resins, and adhesives, and recommends appropriate parts of plants and trees for production.
The disposable plate market is estimated to reach US$ 6.73 billion by 2028, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.94% from 2021 to 2028 helps in providing economic opportunities to farmers, Micro, Small & Medium enterprises (MSME) and controls plastic and air pollution caused by the burning of agricultural by-products.

 

---

GoI Amended the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 introduced TOD Tariff & Rationalized Smart Metering ProvisionsGovernment of India (GoI) has introduced two changes to the prevailing power tariff system, through an amendment to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020.

• The changes are: introduction of Time of Day (ToD) Tariff, and rationalization of smart metering provisions.

TOD Tariff System:
i.Under the ToD Tariff system, Tariff during solar hours (duration of eight hours in a day as specified by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission) of the day shall be 10%-20% less than the normal tariff, while the tariff during peak hours will be 10 to 20 percent higher.
ii.ToD tariff would be applicable for Commercial and Industrial consumers having Maximum demand of 10 KW and above, from 1st April, 2024 and for all other consumers except agricultural consumers, latest from 1st April, 2025.
iii.ToD tariff should be made effective immediately after installation of smart meters, for the consumers with smart meters.
Benefits:

• As per the statement of Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh ToD tariffs comprising separate tariffs for peak hours, Solar hours and normal hours, send price signals to consumers to manage their load according to the Tariff.
• With awareness and effective utilization of ToD tariff mechanism, consumers can reduce their electricity bills.
• As the solar power is cheaper, the tariff during the solar hours will be less, so the consumer will get benefited.

Rules over amendment in smart metering provision:
i.GoI simplified the rules for smart metering to avoid inconvenience / harassment of the consumers, the existing penalties for increase in consumer’s demand beyond the maximum sanctioned load / demand have been reduced.
ii.As per the amendment in metering provision, post installation of a smart meter, no penal charges will be imposed on a consumer based on maximum demand recorded by the smart meter for the period before installation date.
iii.Load revision procedure has also been rationalized and smart meters should be read remotely at least once in a day and the data should be shared with Consumers in order to enable them to take informed decision about electricity consumption.
Note –

• The Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 were notified by the GoI on December 31, 2020, based on the conviction that power systems exist to serve consumers and that consumers have rights to get reliable services and quality electricity.
• The current amendment to the Rules is a continuation of the measures taken by the government, to empower power consumers, to ensure 24X7 reliable electricity supply at affordable cost, and to maintain a conducive ecosystem for investment in the power sector.

 

---

Indian Railways signed MoU with USAID/India to Combat Climate ChangeOn 14th June 2023, The Indian Railways (IR) and the United States Agency for International Development/India (USAID/India), an independent agency of the United States (US) federal government, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to combat climate change and achieve Indian Railways’ target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

• According to the projected estimates, in order to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emission, Indian Railways would need an expected renewable capacity of around 30,000 MW (megawatts) by the fiscal year 2029-30.

Note -The projected energy demand of Indian Railways for the fiscal year 2029-30 is estimated to be approximately 8200 MW (megawatts).
Signatories:-
The MoU was signed by Naveen Gulati, Member (Traction and Rolling Stock), Railway Board, Indian Railways, and Isabel Coleman, Deputy Administrator, USAID  in the presence of Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board.
Scope of MoU:
i.The MOU states that, the collective expertise, resources, and innovation of the two partners will be accelerated for the deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage technologies, aligning with the net-zero goal, promotion of e-mobility.
ii.USAID and IR aims to develop sustainable solutions that enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon footprints, and ensure a greener future for railway operations.
iii.IR will be provided technical support for addressing regulatory and implementation barriers.The IR and the USAID/India will co-host events, conferences and capacity-building programs, arrange field visits and study tours of domestic and international.

 

---

India and Belgium Sign Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty for Investigations 

India and Government of Kingdom of Belgium have signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which allows Belgian authorities to carry search warrant issued by Indian courts and summon a person under investigation by an Indian agency.

• It will help investigators in getting evidence from fugitives like Neeshal Modi, brother of Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam  mastermind Nirav Modi.

i.In Belgium, The Federal Public Service Justice will serve such summons or execute warrant on the person.
ii.In India, summons or warrant shall be sent to the Internal Security (IS)-II division of the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA)
NOTE:The MLAT states that between India and Germany, any suspect’s documents that are uncovered during searches in Belgium will be sent to India.

 

---

11th THE’s Asia University Rankings 2023: IISc top Indian institutes, Overall Tops by China’s Tsinghua Universityi.On June 22, 2023, the 11th edition of ‘Times High Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2023 has named Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru (Karnataka) as the highest-ranked Indian institution in Asia. Overall it is ranked at 48th in the Asian Region.
ii.On the whole regional front i.e. Asia, the list is topped by China’s Tsinghua University, and Peking University at 1st and 2nd positions for the 4th year in a row.
iii.Singapore’s National University of Singapore is ranked at 3rd place for the 3rd consecutive year.
iv.Notably, IISc 2023 position at 48th is the lowest rank since 2015, when it first entered the ranking at 34th spot. It was ranked 42nd in 2022.
v.The ranking is premised upon the 13 performance indicators to reflect the attributes of Asia’s institutions. These performance indicators are grouped into five areas.
About Times Higher Education (THE):
Formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement (The Thes), it is a British magazine reporting on news and issues related to higher education.
CEO– Paul Howarth
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom (UK)

 

---

ITU approves Bharat 6G vision framework “IMT-2030”

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an United Nations (UN)’s agency for Telecom has approved the 6th Generation (6G) vision framework named “IMT-2030” at its 44th meeting of the ITU-R WP 5D held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 12 to June 22.
The new 6G vision contained in the draft new recommendation ITU-R M.IMT.Framework for 2030 and beyond provides framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2030 and beyond.
This new Framework recommendation will become a base document for 6G work across the different research groups and in external standards development organisations like the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
Note: India administration delegation by TK Roy, Deputy Director General in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) played a critical role in getting the ubiquitous connectivity being accepted as a key usage scenario.
Background:
i. In March 2023, India released its ‘Bharat 6G’ vision document which recommended opening up more spectrum across low-, mid- and Millimetre wave (MM wave) bands.
ii. It has also laid importance on terahertz (THz) research, as well as, focused on industry and academic research & development, among others.
Note: 6G testbed had also launched at the time of launching the 6G document by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
Highlights:
i. One of the key elements agreed upon among the different administrations was on the inclusion of elements of interworking across different access services.
ii. ITU is now intending to develop interfaces that would allow interworking of terrestrial 6G network with non-terrestrial technologies (such as satellites being launched by OneWeb, Telesat, etc.).
Note: Similar interfaces will be developed for other access technologies including Wi-Fi.
iii. IAFI provided input contributions to the meeting on this aspect of interworking and helped drive consensus on this topic at the meeting.
iv. The newly approved 6G standard now includes six key usage scenarios, as compared to only three usage scenarios in 5G.
v. The newly developed framework standard is envisaged to support expanded and new usage scenarios compared to those of IMT 2020, while providing enhanced and new capabilities.
vi. Under the newly approved ITU vision of IMT 2030, 6G to continue to build an inclusive information society and to support the UN’s sustainable Development goals (SDGs)
Goals:

The IMT 2030 framework is expected to be a significant enabler for achieving the following goals, among others:

• Inclusivity
• Ubiquitous connectivity
• Sustainability
• Innovation
• Enhanced security, privacy and resilience
• Standardisation and interoperability
• Interworking

About International Telecommunication Union (ITU):
Founded in- 1865
​Secretary-General- Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland

 

---

Global livability index 2023: Austria’s Vienna ranked world’s most liveable city followed by Copenhagen According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global livability index 2023 released on June 21, 2023, ‘Vienna’ the capital of Austria ranked as the world’s most liveable city for the second consecutive year due to excelling in all the categories of the index.

• Copenhagen (Denmark) ranked second while Melbourne and Sydney of Australia ranked 3rd and 4th in the index.
• EIU’s index ranks 173 cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, education, culture and the environment, and infrastructure.

Ranking of Indian cities:
Five cities from India such as Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) ranked at 47th and 48th rank, whereas New Delhi (Delhi) and Mumbai (Maharashtra) stood at 141st rank and Chennai (Tamil Nadu) ranked at 144th in the livability index based on their performance in various metrics.
The average liveability score has increased from 73.2 in 2022 to 76.2 (out of 100) in 2023.
About The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU):
It is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist newspaper.
Managing Director – Robin Bew
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom

 

---

SEBI –  Issues standardisation for valuing AIF portfolio assets & Barred Eros International Media, promoters & CEO from the securities market The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has made the manager and key management personnel of the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) responsible for appointing an ‘independent valuer’ of assets and ascertaining true and fair valuation of the investments of AIF schemes.
Key Points:
i.The independent valuer should have at least three years of experience in the valuation of unlisted securities and should not be associated with the manager, sponsor or trustee of the AIF.
ii.If the established policies and procedures of valuation of AIF portfolio assets do not result in fair and appropriate valuation, the manager is directed to value the assets or securities at a fair value and document the rationale for such deviation.
iii.The manager should inform the investors the reasons, in case of a deviation of over 20% between two consecutive valuations or a deviation of over 33% in a financial year.
In June 22, 2023, the SEBI has barred Eros International Media Limited, its promoters and chief executive officer (CEO) Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi from the securities market until further notice over alleged breach of trade practice regulations.

• The Vice Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Arjan Lulla was also barred by SEBI from holding any directorial position in any listed company, including Eros International or its subsidiaries.

About Securities Exchange Board of India(SEBI)
Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharastra
Establishment – 12 April 1992
Chairperson -Madhabi Puri Buch

 

---

ADB approves $295mn loan to improve Transport Connectivity in BiharOn June 22, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $295 million loan to improve transport connectivity in Bihar.

• The loan amount will be utilized towards widening and upgradation of around 265 kilometers of state highways, improving transport connectivity and safety in Bihar.
• The Central Government is contributing $156.6 million for the same.

Key Points:
i.The highways will be upgraded with climate- and disaster-resilient design, road safety elements, and other features that will respond to the needs of the elderly, women, children, and people with disabilities.
ii.The project will also encourage women’s participation by providing employment in construction works.
iii.Trainings in livelihood as well as awareness on road safety, health and hygiene, and abuse and harassment will also be provided to women from communities in the project areas.
Note: Since 2008, ADB has provided five loans totaling $1.63 billion to Bihar, which have upgraded about 1,696 kilometers of state highways and constructed a new bridge over the Ganga River.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters– Manila, Philippines
Establishment– 1966

 

---

Meesho, NPCI: 2 Indian Companies featured on TIME100: Most Influential Companies 2023 Meesho and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), two Indian companies have featured on the, “TIME 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023“, the TIME Magazine’s annual list under the ‘pioneer’ category

• The TIME 100 Most Influential Companies List described Meesho as “Innovative Retailer” and NPCI as “Connecting Commerce“.

About TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list:
i. This list is an expansion of TIME’s iconic TIME100 franchise, will be curated by expansive network of editors and correspondents of TIME.
ii. To create the TIME100 companies, the editors of the magazine seek nominations from various sectors and poll a global network of contributors, correspondents, as well as external experts.
iii. The editors then evaluate each key factor of the companies based on criteria such as impact, innovation, ambition, and success.
iv. The 2023 list is divided into five categories titled: Leaders, Disruptors, Innovators, Titans, and Pioneers. Each category has listed under 20 companies.
Note: The TIME Magazine launched the first TIME100 Companies list in 2021.
About Meesho:
i. Meesho is a Bengaluru (Karnataka) based E-Commerce Company , founded in 2015 by ViditAatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal.
ii. It doesn’t charge sellers a commission, which it says enables it to sell 60% of its products for less than USD4, in reach for Indian families that make less than USD6,000 a year.
iii. Meesho is the most-downloaded shopping App in the world in early 2022, serving customers priced out by Amazon and Walmart.
Note: According to data.ai, Meesho has emerged as the “World’s fastest shopping app” to cross 500 million cumulative downloads across Google Play and iOS App Store combined.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
i. NPCI is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) launched in 2008 to create more robust payment systems. It is an umbrella organisation for all retail payments and settlement systems in India.
ii. It launched United Payments Interface (UPI), which lets instant money transfers via mobile apps and Quick Response (QR) codes, and has brought digital payments to nearly 300 million users, replacing debit and credit cards and enabling e-commerce growth in India.
iii. The company had registered about 45 billion transactions and accounted for 52% of India’s digital payments and had huge growth in 2021–22.
Some notable companies:
The TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2023 list dominated by:
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS and Elon Musk’s SpaceX (under Leader category)
Sam Altman’s OpenAI (under Disruptors)
Kia America, Formula One (under Innovators)
Major League Baseball, MLB, Disney, Samsung, Apple and Microsoft (under Titans)

 

---

IOC honoured WHO DG Tedros Ghebreyesus with Olympic Order & WHO with Olympic Cup 2021On 20th June 2023, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach presented the Olympic Order to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in an award ceremony held at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

• During the event, IOC has also honoured The World Health Organisation (WHO) with the Olympic Cup for 2021 in recognition of its exceptional contribution to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Key Points: 
The Olympic Order recognises Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus’s inspirational role in ensuring the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 took place, and supported the cooperation agreement between the IOC and the WHO signed in 2020.
About Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:
i.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, born in Asmara, Ethiopia (now in Eritrea), was elected as WHO Director-General for a five-year term in May 2017.
ii.He served as the Minister of Health from 2005 to 2012 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2016 in Ethiopia.

• During his period as a Health Minister, he made the foundation for universal health coverage and access to better health care in Ethiopia.

About Olympic Order: 
i.The Olympic Order is awarded to a person who has done outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through his own personal achievement or his contribution to the development of sport.
ii.Olympic Order already awarded to great personalities including Fanny Blankers-Koen, Jean-Claude Killy, Bertrand Piccard, Jesse Owens, Steffi Graf, Alberto Tomba, Indira Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
About Olympic Cup: 
i.The Olympic Cup is a unique award and was created in 1906 by the IOC’s founder, Pierre de Coubertin.
ii.The Olympic Cup is the highest honour bestowed for an institution that has a proven track record of advancing the Olympic Movement’s goals.
Partnership between IOC and WHO:
i.In May 2020, the two organisations signed a new cooperation Agreement, to promote healthy lifestyles, including physical exercise, sport and active recreation, as a tool for health around the world.
ii.In 2022, a new joint programme between the IOC and WHO was signed to strength the role of sport in contributing to the global target of a 15 per cent reduction in physical inactivity by 2030 and fostering healthy and active lives, the three-year programme forms part of the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy.

 

---

MoAFW Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches PM Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication FeatureOn June 22, 2023, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW) launched the PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature during an event at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi (Delhi).

• It was launched under the scheme for income support to farmers i.e. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).

Key Points:
i.With this app, farmers can complete e-KYC (Know your customer) remotely by scanning their face without OTP (One Time Password) or fingerprint.

• Farmers can also know the status of land seeding, linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, and e-KYC using the No User Status Module.

ii.The app enables farmers to assist up to 100 other farmers in completing their e-KYC from home as the Central Government has extended the e-KYC ability to state government officers, enabling them to complete the process for up to 500 farmers.
iii.MoAFW has also collaborated with India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) to open Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for beneficiaries and urged Common Service Centers (CSCs) to organise village-level e-KYC camps with the help of States and Union Territories (UTs).
About PM-KISAN:
The scheme was launched in February 2019 but is being implemented with effect from December 2018. Under this, eligible farmers are provided with a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each every four months.

• The 13th installment of PM-KISAN was paid to more than 8.1 crore farmers.

 

---

Skyroot successfully tested Raman-I Engine designed to use in Vikram-I rocketSkyroot Aerospace, Hyderabad (Telangana) based private Indian Space company, successfully conducted the Flight Qualification Test of the Raman-I Engine  at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in Benglauru, Karnataka.

• ‘Raman’ is a series of engines or thrusters which uses the Earth storable hypergolic (MMH/N2O4) propellants for upper stage engine and attitude or reaction control in Skyroot’s Vikram-1 launch vehicle (rocket). 
• The Raman-I engine underwent a test firing at the LPSC of ISRO, marking Skyroot as the first Indian private company to launch a rocket with Vikram-S

Note: The indigenous Vikram-S (named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme) was launched in November 2022, from the ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, marking India’s first privately developed rocket.
Roll Attitude Control:
i. As Vikram-I launches into space, aerodynamic disturbances and thrust misalignments can make the vehicle roll about its axis, needing a responsive roll-control system.
ii. The four Raman-I engines will be utilised to facilitate roll attitude control through precise pulses, commanded by the autopilot algorithm of our mission computer, enabling the rocket to effectively manage its rotation and orientation.
iii. Maintaining a stable roll attitude is vital to guarantee the rocket’s stability during ascent. Uncontrolled rotation can result in instability, making it challenging to accurately control the rocket’s trajectory.
Raman-1 Qualification Test:
i. Propulsion for roll control requires rapid response and needs to be versatile, supplying adequate thrust from atmospheric pressure to the deep vacuum and with widely varying inertia.
ii. The series of tests resulted in perfect completion with 280 engine pulses with a total burn time of 104 seconds.
iii. The total test was carried out within 352 seconds with the Peak Vacuum Thrust of 890N (Newton).
Raman-1:
i. The engine throat is designed with Metal matrix composites (MMCs), which are light-weighted structural materials.
ii. The nozzle of the engine is scarfed to tangentially flush to vehicle diameter from inside.
iii. Raman-I engine test has completed endurance with nominal and off-nominal chamber pressures, mixture ratios and a minimum pulse width of 1/17th a second.
Additional Info:
i. The three variants of the Vikram rocket of Skyroot: Vikram-I can carry 480 Kilograms (kg) of payload to Low Earth Orbit, Vikram-II is designed to lift off with 595 kg of cargo, and Vikram-III can launch with 815 kg to 500 Kilometre (km) Low Inclination Orbit.
ii. Raman-1 engine for roll control and Raman-2 engine as a single higher thrust regeneratively cooled will be used in the upper stage of Vikram-1 launch vehicle, which may take place by the end of 2023.
About Skyroot Aerospace:
Established in– 12th June 2018
Co- Founders– Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana

 

---

United Nations Public Service Day -June 23United Nations Public Service Day is observed annually across the globe on 23rd June to highlight the contribution of public officials in development and progress. The day aims to acknowledges the work of public servants outstanding efforts and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector.

• A special event took place at UN Headquarters in New York on June 23rd, in celebration of UN Public Service Day with the theme of “Innovative Public Service Delivery: Ensuring No One Is Left Behind.”

Symbols:
i.The United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) uses a special logo for Public Service Day.
ii.UNPAN’s main logo, will be similar to the logo on the UN flag.
About United Nations:
Secretary general – António Guterres
Establishment- 1945
Headquarters- New York, United States

 

---

International Olympic Day 2023 – June 23International Olympic Day is annually celebrated across the world on 23rd June for the celebration of sport, health, and being together. This day marks the founding day of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Sorbonne, Paris on June 23, 1894, when ancient Greek olympics were revived by the efforts of French historian Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

• The theme for International Olympic Day 2023 is ‘Let’s Move’ which emphasises daily physical activity to people around the world.  #Letsmove and #OlympicDay are the hashtags for this year’s celebration.

Events in 2023 International Olympic Day:
In 2023, around 130 NOCs are hosting Olympic Day Celebrations in their respective territories.
ii.On the occasion of International Olympic Day 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) and IOC Jointly launched the Let’s Move campaign on 23rd June 2023.
About International Olympic Committee (IOC):
 President – Thomas Bach
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland

International Widows Day 2023 – June 23 The United Nations (UN)’s International Widows Day is annually observed across the world on 23rd June 2023 to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to provide the unique support they need.

• The day serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by widows all over the world and the need to address their unique social, economic and legal issues.

Background:
i. On 21st December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/65/189 and proclaimed the 23rd June of every year as International Widows’ Day.
ii. The first-ever International Widows’ Day was observed on 23rd June 2011.
About United Nations (UN):
Founded in– 1945
Secretary-General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)

 

---

IOB inks MoU with TNSRLM to provide financial support to SHGsOn 20th June 2023, the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), a leading Public Sector bank, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM), to promote the growth of self-help groups (SHGs) in Tamil Nadu and provide financial support to them.
Under the terms of the MoU, TNSRLM will facilitate eligible SHGs for credit linkage with IOB.
Objective:
The strategic collaboration aims to integrate access to financial resources for SHGs, enabling them to undertake entrepreneurial activities, expand their ventures and contribute to the economic development of Tamil Nadu.
Key People:
i. Divyadharshini, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW) and  Sanjay VinayakMudaliar, Executive Director, IOB.
Key Points:
The target for IOB under SHG National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for the current fiscal (FY 2023-24) is Rs.1875 crore set by TNCDW to increase disbursal under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission), thus effectively doubling the impact of financial assistance.
GeM signed MoU with TANSTIA to increase GeM Seller Base in Tamil Nadu
On 21st June 2023, GeM (Government e-Marketplace), India’s leading online public procurement platform, signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TANSTIA (Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to enhance the GeM seller base in Tamil Nadu.
The MoU outlines the commitments and collaborative efforts of both parties to promote transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity in public procurement processes.
The partnership holds huge potential for growth and development in the small and tiny industries sector of Tamil Nadu.
Key People:
MoU was signed by Er. K. Marlappan, President- TANSTIA in the presence of A.V. Muralidharan, Deputy Director General and Deputy Chief Executive Officer,GeM; G. Kathiresan, Joint Secretary (Headquarters) TANSTIA;  Ramesh Mahadevan, Business Facilitator, GeM; K.S. Prasanna, Consultant, GeM and N. Sabareesh, Consultant, GeM.
Key Points:
i. During the last fiscal year, Tamil Nadu recorded the second-highest growth in GeM procurement amongst 36 States and Union Territories (UTs).
ii. Tamil Nadu observed an increase in order value by 302.5% (nearly three times) from Rs.220.89 Crore in FY21-22 to Rs.889.19 Crore in FY 22-23.
iii. Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) received orders worth Rs.3,808.50 crore from the Central and State government.
iv. Buyers in FY 22-23, an increase of 122% from FY 21-22. With access to the national market, 92% of orders (in terms of value) were from buyers outside Tamil Nadu.
About Indian Overseas Bank:
Founded on- 10th February 1937
MD and CEO- Ajay Kumar Srivastava
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu

 

---

Rajasthan govt brings PCTS mobile app to ensure better healthcare for mothers, infants

The Medical, Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) Department of the Rajasthan Government has launched the Pregnancy, Child Tracking & Health Services Management System (PCTS) app to enable online tracking, reporting and monitoring of the health of pregnant women, obstetricians and infants.

• PCTS was developed by the National Informatics Centre(NIC) as an Integrated system for Health information management system (HIMS).
• The PCTS app enables ASHA Sahyoginis, who are selected from the local community and trained as frontline health workers in Rajasthan, to efficiently reach women and infants in their designated areas.

Note – The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) program is a community health initiative implemented by the Government of India. It was launched in 2005 as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and later incorporated into the National Health Mission (NHM).