Noida's IT company Corporate Infotech Private Limited (CIPL) has got the work of 'Gov Drive' project to develop a highly secure application for the Government of India. On completion of this project, more than 50 lakh government employees will be able to easily exchange files through cloud-based technology. Instead of sending confidential files manually, now they can be sent instantly through the Gov Drive application. In this process, not only will the exchange of information be accelerated, but time will also be saved.

The Gov-Drive project is a very ambitious project of the Central Government. Through this, more than 50 lakh government officials and employees of different ministries, departments, statutory bodies, judiciary, commissions, constitutional officers, agencies and top advisory bodies located in the Center and Union Territories will be able to conduct their work seamlessly and streamline it from one office to another. The Gov-Drive application to be developed by CIPL will be based on cloud technology, through which not only will the movement of files be faster but its confidentiality will also be protected.

Nepalese citizens can now make digital payments of up to Rs 1 lakh in India. In fact, under the cross-border digital payment agreement between Nepal and India, a monthly spending limit of Rs 1 lakh has been set for Nepalese citizens in India.

You can make payments through QR code
Nepal Rastra Bank has issued a directive to all banks today to allow customers to spend up to one lakh rupees in Indian currency in digital payments made through QR code in India. Now you can pay for any purchase or any service in India through QR code. Nepali citizens can make payments using the QR facility of any bank including their country's e-wallet company Phone Ray or e Seva.

This facility has already been started for Indian citizens in Nepal.
Indian citizens visiting Nepal are currently making payments easily using their BHIM, UPI, Paytm, Google Pay, etc. The start of this service has made things much easier for the citizens of both the countries. Due to the Nepalese rupee not being in circulation in India and notes above 100 not being valid in Nepal, tourists and businessmen had to face a lot of problems. But now with the start of the QR code facility in both the countries, people are getting a lot of relief.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 60 million nonconvertible debentures financing agreement, disbursing USD 30 million to Aadhar Housing Finance Limited (AHFL) to provide housing loans to women and address the shortage of financing in the low-income and affordable housing segment in India.

As per a release, half of the funds will be deployed in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury highlighted that poor households often struggle to meet bank loan requirements and typically finance their homes through savings, borrowing from family or friends, or from moneylenders at high interest rates.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a notification announced the new swap framework, offering various concessions.

"Under the Framework for 2024-27, a separate INR Swap Window has been introduced with various concessions for swap support in Indian Rupee. The total corpus of the Rupee support is Rs250 billion," the RBI stated.

Furthermore, the RBI plans to maintain swap agreements in US Dollars and Euros through a dedicated US Dollar/Euro Swap Window worth $2 billion, it said.

National Statistics Day is an annual event celebrated in India in June to commemorate the birth anniversary of the father of Indian statistics, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

An Indian scientist and statistician, he was renowned for the Mahalanobis distance and statistical measure. He has made significant contributions to the field of statistics and economic planning in India.

Mahalanobis, one of the members of India’s first planning commission, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1931. He was awarded one of the highest civilian awards, the Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India for his contribution to science.

The International Day of the Tropics celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face. It provides an opportunity to take stock of progress across the tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region.

The Ecosystem

The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. The tropical region faces several challenges such as climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanisation and demographic changes.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today announced the grant of "Mini RATNA" status (Category-1) for Central Electronics Limited (CEL) at its Golden Jubilee celebration at the Ghaziabad campus.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions congratulated CEL on completion of 50 glorious years in the service of the nation and now celebrating their Golden Jubilee on 26th June this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh said “We feel proud that the Golden Jubilee Celebrations are being graced by the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri. Jagdeep Dhankhar and his guidance and motivation will persuade us to contribute more for the betterment of the country. Adding further the Science and technology Minister said, “50 years of dedication, perseverance, and success is a testament to the hard work, commitment, and vision which propelled this journey of excellence.”

The Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR) is holding a two-day workshop, CARING-2024, in its Digwadih Campus to explore the challenges and opportunities in coal gasification technology, a PIB press release stated.

The event, which is expected to draw 75 participants from industry, research, and government, will focus on key aspects of gasification technology, including the production of methanol, chemicals, fertilizers, and liquid fuels. The workshop was formally opened by Dr. Arvind Kumar Mishra, Director of CSIR-CIMFR, on June 26.

In his speech, Dr. Mishra highlighted the importance of coal in the global energy mix and the potential of gasification to produce valuable products that can help India achieve its energy goals of promoting sustainable growth and energy security.

K Raheja-backed Mindspace Business Parks REIT on Tuesday announced that it has raised funds by issuing Sustainability-linked bonds worth Rs 650 crore from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It became the first Indian real estate investment trust to issue such bonds.

The bonds have been issued for the tenure of seven years.

Wendy Werner, IFC country head for India said that this investment would help Mindspace enhance the sustainability of its portfolio of business parks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions year-on-year.

Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare (DA&FW) organized a workshop titled “Unleashing India’s Agribusiness potential through Innovative Agri Value Chain Financing” on 27th June 2024 in New Delhi. The event brought together senior officials of the Government of India and the State Government, experts, and stakeholders to discuss the dynamics of agricultural financing.

Reflecting on the importance of Agriculture Finance in the value chain, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary DA&FW, underscored the pressing need to transition from a production-centric approach to a demand-driven one. “To develop Agricultural Value Chains (AVCs) more holistically and integrate them with global markets, we must shift our focus from merely addressing supply shortages to meeting market demands,” he stated. Shri Ahuja emphasized the importance of implementing accountable and digital systems for effective AVC development and highlighted the need for a comprehensive policy framework to ensure financial inclusivity for all stakeholders.