International News
A Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 was signed between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- Under this agreement, India has been allocated a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024.
- This agreement signifies the deepening partnership between India and Saudi Arabia, particularly in facilitating the Haj pilgrimage.
India has signed an agreement to take over 5 lithium mines in Argentina
- The five lithium brine blocks are:
- Cortadera-I
- Cortadera-VII
- Cortadera-VIII
- Cateo-2022-01810132
- Cortadera-VI1
- These blocks cover an area of about 15,703 Hectares, located in the Catamarca
province of Argentina. This is the first ever lithium exploration and
mining project by a Government Company of India. The project cost is about 200
crores.
National News
ULFA faction inks Memorandum of Settlement with Govt of India & Assam
- The ULFA is the oldest
insurgent group in Assam. This agreement is expected to mark the start of a new period of peace for the
entire Northeast, especially for Assam.
The Centre and Assam government will reciprocate
by addressing ULFA’s political, economic, and social concerns and
safeguarding the interests of indigenous communities of the state.
Govt amends CCS (Pension) rules
2021; Allows Female Govt Servant/Pensioner to Nominate her child for Family
Pension
- This amendment allows a female Government servant or pensioner to
nominate her eligible child or children for family pension in precedence to
her husband.
- This change was made in response to numerous inquiries about
whether a female Government servant or pensioner could nominate her
eligible child or children for family pension in place of her spouse in cases
of marital discord.
- In such cases, the female Government servant or pensioner
can make a request in writing to the concerned Head of Office.
Banking
RBI Extends Payments Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme Till 2025
- It is designed to offer financial aid to banks and non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) for the deployment of point-of-sale terminals and other payment acceptance infrastructure.
- The scheme aims to encourage the deployment of digital payment infrastructure in North Eastern states, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and tier-III to VI centres.
- This extension aims to continue fostering financial inclusion and supporting the country’s payment infrastructure.
“RBI Cancels Licences of Botad Peoples Co-operative Bank and Adarsh Mahila Nagari Sahakari Bank”
- The RBI cancelled its licence due to inadequate capital and earning prospects. The bank had a negative net worth of ₹16.6 crore as of September 30, 2023.
- The RBI cancelled its licence due to the same reasons as the Botad Peoples Co-operative Bank.
- The bank had a negative net worth of ₹63.2 crore as of September 30, 2023. It had also been classified as a "weak" bank by the RBI since April 2022.
This digest is not complete. Read the complete digest on the General Awareness Course.
