1. CCEA Approves Targeted Subsidy to PMUY Consumers
The CCEA, headed by PM Narendra Modi, has sanctioned a targeted subsidy of Rs. 200 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder for PMUY beneficiaries, with a maximum of 12 refills per year.
The total cost for the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24 will be Rs. 6,100 crore and Rs. 7,680 crore, respectively.
This subsidy is available to all PMUY beneficiaries and aims to encourage the use of LPG. The subsidy amount will be directly credited to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries. Public-sector oil marketing firms such as Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) have been offering this subsidy since May 22, 2022.
2. GoI Approves Setting Up of Electronics Manufacturing Cluster at Hubli-Dharwad in Karnataka
The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), led by Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has granted permission for the establishment of an Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) worth Rs. 180 crore in Dharwad District, Karnataka.
The project, set up at Kotur-Balur Industrial Area in Dharwad under the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC 2.0) scheme, is expected to create more than 18,000 employment opportunities and attract investments worth over Rs. 1,500 crore.
The strategic location advantage of this EMC with excellent connectivity through NH-48 (1 km) and Hubli Domestic Airport (33 km) is expected to lower the logistics and transportation costs for the industry. Nine companies, including start-ups, have already committed to investing a total of Rs. 340 crore, which could lead to the creation of 2,500 jobs. The GoI has also approved a Common Facility Centre (CFC) in Mysore, Karnataka, for the development of an advanced testing facility to meet the industry's varied testing needs. Karnataka, which already has Apple plants in Kolar (Wistron) and Devanahalli (Foxconn), is fast emerging as a global electronics manufacturing hub.
3. MoU signed between Ministry of Ayush, ECHS for Integrating Ayurveda at 10 Polyclinics
The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Exservicemen Welfare/Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS/DoESW), a division of the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD), to integrate Ayurveda as an OPD service in 10 ECHS Polyclinics for a period of five years.
The 10 polyclinics, located in Ambala (Punjab), Mysore (Karnataka), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Danapur (Bihar), and Allepey (Alappuzha) (Kerala), will provide the infrastructure required for Ayurveda OPDs at suitable locations.
The Ayush Ministry will provide technical guidance, support, and essential Ayurveda medicines, as well as enroll Ayurveda doctors and pharmacists for their engagement. The ECHS/DoESW will engage with Ayurveda specialists, medical officers, and paramedical staff on a contractual basis and provide necessary ancillary staff (administrative, clerical, and multi-tasking staff). Joint working groups comprising representatives from the Ministry of Ayush and ECHS/DoESW, MoD will be formed under the MoU to establish the OPDs.
The Ayurveda centres are already present in 37 cantonment Hospitals, 12 military hospitals of AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College) - Formed through two MoUs signed by the Ministry of Ayush and MOD in 2022.
Ayurveda OPD in Army Hospital Research And Referral (AH R&R), Air Force (AF) Hospital Hindan (Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh ) and five ECHS polyclinics - Formed via 2019 MoU Ministry of Ayush and MOD.
4. NHIDCL & CSIR-SERC signs MoU for Innovative Highway Engineering
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 23, 2023, to collaborate and share knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering.
The MoU was signed by NHIDCL's Managing Director (MD), Chanchal Kumar, and CSIR-SERC's Director, Dr. N. Anandavalli, to establish the basis of collaboration between the two entities for common interests, which include R&D activities in the road sector, sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering, and other infrastructure works on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
5. PM Inaugurated new ITU Area Office & Innovation Centre in New Delhi; Launched 6G R&D Test Bed, CBuD App
On March 22, 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre at a program held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
During the event, he launched the Bharat 6G (6th Generation) Vision Document and unveiled the 6G Research and Development (R&D) Test Bed.
Additionally, the Prime Minister launched the 'Call Before You Dig' App, which helps prevent unnecessary digging and damage to underlying assets, such as optical fiber cables, which costs the country approximately Rs. 3000 crore each year due to uncoordinated digging and excavation.
The CBuD app connects excavators and asset owners via SMS/email notifications and click-to-call, facilitating coordinated planning and ensuring the safety of underground assets. The app aligns with the PM's vision of integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects under " PM Gati Shakti " .
6. Former Brazilian President Dilma Vana Rousseff to head BRICS Bank
Former President of Brazil Dilma Vana Rousseff was unanimously elected as the President of the New Development Bank (NDB), previously known as the BRICS Development Bank, by the Board of Governors on March 24, 2023.
Rousseff's appointment as the President of NDB takes effect immediately and she will serve in this capacity until 2025. She succeeds Marcos Troyjo, who stepped down as the President of NDB on the same day.
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