Current Affairs

Sebi launches personal finance app 'Saarthi 2.0' to simply complex financial concepts for users

Capital markets regulator Sebi has launched 'Saarthi 2.0', a focussed mobile app, on personal finance for investors with comprehensive tools aimed at simplifying complex financial concepts. The app is available on the Google Play Store iOS App Store.

The first version of Saarthi was introduced in January 2022, with the objective of engaging an investment-oriented public that increasingly Saarthi conducts transactions via mobile devices.



Haryana government to launch Rs 10,000-crore project to combat air pollution

Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad on Monday said the state government will soon roll out a Rs 10,000-crore project funded by the World Bank to address air pollution. The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development will be implemented in the state in a phased manner with the first phase being implemented in the districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR) and replication in entire state later, he said.

The announcement was made in a meeting of the governing committee of Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary here on Monday, according to an official statement.

Prasad said this ten-year comprehensive project would be funded by the World Bank.



GRSE to build Research Vessel for DRDO in ?500 crore deal

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), a leading Indian shipyard, has emerged victorious in the bidding process for a new research vessel for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This significant win marks another milestone for GRSE and signifies its expertise in constructing specialized vessels.

GRSE Clinches L1 Bid

Having submitted the lowest bid (L1), GRSE has been selected to construct the research vessel for DRDO. This accomplishment highlights GRSE’s competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry and its ability to deliver cost-effective solutions. While the exact value of the contract remains undisclosed, estimates suggest it could surpass ₹500 crore, signifying a substantial project for the shipyard.

Boost for GRSE’s Diversification

This win transcends a mere commercial success. GRSE has traditionally focused on warships for the Indian Navy. The DRDO research vessel signifies the shipyard’s diversification into constructing specialized vessels for scientific research purposes. This opens doors for GRSE to explore new avenues within the maritime domain and solidify its position as a versatile shipbuilder.



NSE creates world record of handling 1,971 crore transaction in single day

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) made a world record by processing 1,971 crore transactions in a single day, according to its MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan.

"@nseindia handled the highest ever - world record - number of transactions in a single day today on June 5, 2024, in a 6 hours and 15 minutes (915 am to 330 pm) single trading day - 1,971 crore (19.71 billion) orders per day. 28.55 crore (280.55 million) trades per day," Chauhan said on X platform (formerly Twitter).



Nokia, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya ink pact to collaborate on 5G/6G communication research

Finnish telecom gearmaker Nokia on Monday said it has signed an agreement with the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) for carrying out joint research related to 5G/6G communications in the transportation and logistics sector.

Nokia and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a university under the Ministry of Railways, will collaborate on research opportunities in 5G/6G communications targeting air, land and sea transportation use cases, as well as standards development, smart factory/ automation, and AI/GenAI labs, a company statement said.

The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is also the Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.



Defence Ministry signs MoUs to onboard four banks as SPARSH service centres

The Defence Accounts Department (DAD), which functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence will onboard the Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank to provide the last mile connectivity to the pensioners.

According to the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed in Delhi, the web-based SPARSH [System for Pension Administration (Raksha)] Service Centres will be available across 1,128 branches of the four banks across the country.



School Education Department Signs MoU With National Book Trust

The Department of School Education signed an MoU with the National Book Trust in New Delhi to create an institutional framework for the Digital Library Platform, Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education K. Sanjay Murthy said that the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya will be available round-the-clock, irrespective of the geographic location of the readers, making books more accessible to them. He also added that the problem of last mile presence of a library for many states will be solved with Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. He hoped that in the coming 2-3 years, there will be over 10 thousand books in more than 100 languages.



Kerala schools to adopt AI lessons from this year

From this academic year, around 4 lakh students in class VII in state syllabus schools will get to learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its introduction in the revised Information & Communication Technology (ICT) textbook. With this initiative, the state has ensured uniform exposure to AI for all students, unlike offering it as an optional subject.

“From next year, curriculum of classes VIII to X will also include in-depth exploration of AI,” Kerala Infrastructure for Technology and Education (KITE) CEO K Anvar Sadath, who is also the chairman of the ICT textook committee, said. KITE, the technological arm of the general education department, has started AI training for 80,000 secondary school teachers.



Hyderabad no longer joint capital of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana from today

Hyderabad, one of the bustling metropolitan cities of the country, ceased to be the common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh from Sunday as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Beginning June 2, Hyderabad will be the capital city of Telangana only.

Hyderabad was made the capital city of the two states for 10 years when the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh was carried out in 2014.

Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014.

"On and from the appointed day (June 2), Hyderabad in the existing State of Andhra Pradesh, shall be the common capital of the state of Telangana and the state of Andhra Pradesh for such period not exceeding ten years," said the AP Reorganisation Act.



South Korea Establishes National Space Agency, KASA

South Korea has officially launched its space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), to lead policy and industrial development in its aerospace sector. The establishment was made possible after the Country’s national assembly passed a special law in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects. The new agency is based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, with an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million).

Aligning with the government’s policy, KASA will subsequently establish a roadmap for Korea’s space exploration, aiming to promote reusable launch vehicles, development of South Korea’s global positioning system (GPS) and a lunar lander program. Furthermore, the agency has plans to land its lunar lander on the moon in 2032 and to design and develop engines to enter the commercial launch service market.