International News
India and Bangladesh launch ’50 Start-ups Exchange Programme’
- The framework of the programme was decided by the Prime Ministers of the two countries during their recent bilateral summits.
- They also learned about India’s ‘Start-up India’ initiative. This visit has kick started the 50 Start-ups exchange programme and has the potential of augmenting cooperation in new and emerging areas, cutting edge technology, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Israel & India Partners to Establish Center of Water Technology
- The center aims to implement the best practices of Israel, which is a leader in integrated water resources management, in a tailor-made context for the Indian requirements and to ensure water security for the country
- The center will also facilitate the exchange of technology, scientific information, literature and experts between the two countries. This is a significant partnership that will benefit both nations.
National News
NTPC and NPCIL struck a deal to build nuclear power plants
- The joint venture company will develop two pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) projects, which are Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project of 2x700 MW and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project of 4x700 MW.
- The joint venture company is called ASHVINI and it will have equal (50:50) partnership/shareholding of NTPC and NPCIL
A Compendium, 2023’ in Collaboration with UNDP
- The compendium covers 14 key social sectors such as education, health, agriculture, women empowerment, etc.
- The aim of this compendium is to highlight and laud the efforts of innovations taking place in the social sector and to facilitate peer learning among states. The compendium was released on May 1, 2023 to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence
Banking
NPCI International Payments partners with PPRO to expand reach of RuPay and UPI
- This partnership will allow global payment service providers, banks, payment gateways, and enterprises to expand globally and provide international e-commerce merchants with access to Indian consumers.
- Indian consumers will be able to shop online with merchants worldwide and pay safely and easily using RuPay cards and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund launches Multi-asset NFO with Old Tax benefits
- It has recently launched a Balanced Advantage Fund, which is a hybrid scheme that invests in a mix of equity and debt instruments.
- The fund also claims to offer old tax benefits under Section 112A of the Income Tax Act , which means that the long-term capital gains from equity investments are taxed at 10% only if they exceed Rs. 1 lakh in a financial year.
