State-run National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday said that for the first time, it has accepted an insurance surety bond for the monetisation programme of the upcoming bid of Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) Bundle 14.

“This will be the first time this innovative instrument is being utilised as a bank guarantee (BG) in the road infrastructure sector for monetisation of bids. NHAI has been working closely with Highway Operators Association of India (HOAI), SBI General Insurance and AON India Insurance to implement this initiative,” NHAI said.

Insurance surety bond has been issued for NHAI monetisation bid of TOT bundle 14 at 0.25 per cent by the insurer without any margin money. This will translate into big savings for concessionaires, which will further enhance liquidity in the market, thereby fostering an environment conducive to the growth and development of the road sector, it added.

The MSME sector has achieved a significant milestone by generating over 15 crore employment opportunities. This remarkable achievement was announced by Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Shri Narayan Rane in a recent social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Shri Rane highlighted the important role of the Udyam portal in facilitating this achievement with the registration of over 3 crore MSME units on the Udyam portal, including 99 lakh informal MSME units registered on the Udyam Assist portal. Out of these 3 crore registered MSMEs, more than 41 lakh are women owned MSMEs.

The Minister also emphasized the significant contribution of women workers in the MSME sector. He noted that among the 15 crore employment opportunities generated, over 3.4 crore are held by women. This reflects the government's commitment to promote women entrepreneurship and empower women through the MSME sector.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has approved a path-breaking Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023 to enable and empower the Central Bureau of Communication, CBC, which is the advertising wing of the Government of India to undertake campaigns in the Digital Media Space. This policy marks a pivotal moment in CBC's mission to disseminate information and create awareness regarding various schemes, programmes and policies of the Government of India in response to the evolving media landscape and the increased digitalization of media consumption.

The Policy will enable CBC to empanel agencies and organisations in the OTT and Video on Demand Space. CBC will also be able to leverage the growing number of listeners to Podcasts and Digital Audio platforms through empanelment of Digital Audio platforms. Apart from rationalising its process of empanelling Internet Websites, CBC now for the first time will be able to channelize its public service campaign messages through Mobile Applications too. With Social Media Platforms becoming one of the popular channels of public conversations, the policy further streamlines the process through which CBC can place advertisements for government clients on these platforms. The policy also empowers CBC to empanel Digital Media Agencies to enhance its outreach through the various platforms.

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has said that as long as the Indo-Tibetan Border Force and Army personnel are deployed on the border, no one can occupy even an inch of the country's land. He was addressing the 62nd Foundation Day celebrations of Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Dehradun today.

On the occasion, he stressed on the development of border areas for the security of the country. He said that till 2014, the average expenditure on the India-China border was 4 thousand crore rupees annually. Mr Shah said, in the last nine years this expenditure has increased to 12 thousand 340 crore rupees by the central government. Emphasizing on the development of border villages, the Home Minister said, the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started the Vibrant Village Scheme to stop migration from the border villages. Under this scheme, in the first phase, the government has given a budget of 4 thousand 800 crore rupees for electricity, roads, employment, education and health systems in 46 blocks and 662 villages of 19 districts of the border region.

Bharat Botanics proudly announces the opening of its cutting-edge wood-pressed Cold Oil processing facility in Gondal, Rajkot Gujarat. This 16,000 square feet automated facility is one of its kind, promoting 100% hygiene and transparency, marking a significant step towards healthier living, sustainability, and providing healthy edible oils for every customer it serves.

On this occasion, Manish Popat, Co-Founder of Bharat Botanics, passionately emphasizes, “we’re excited to announce the expansion of our production capacity to meet exponential rise in demand for our products from 12,000 direct B2C customers we have served. We are among rare profit making startups and our idea to have our own production facility was due to high quality standards we set for our products. We invite our customers to visit this facility and witness firsthand our commitment to the highest quality and hygiene standards. Our products are not just a symbol of Atmanirbharta; they are a testament to our dedication to local communities, environmental responsibility, and fostering a culture of wellness.”

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a new option for the public. Individuals can now send their Rs 2,000 banknotes to RBI's regional offices via insured post, allowing for direct credit to their bank accounts. This initiative is particularly beneficial for those who cannot personally visit the RBI's regional offices.

*Triple Lock Receptacle (TLR) Form for Deposit*

To streamline the process, the RBI has also introduced a Triple Lock Receptacle (TLR) form for the deposit of Rs 2,000 banknotes into bank accounts. This form simplifies the procedure for individuals looking to deposit these notes.

*Background of the Rs 2,000 Banknote*

The Rs 2,000 banknote was introduced in November 2016 under the RBI Act with the goal of rapidly meeting the currency requirements of the economy after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes. However, with most of these notes issued before March 2017, they are approaching the end of their estimated lifespan of 4-5 years. Additionally, the Rs 2,000 denomination is not commonly used for transactions. As a result, the RBI decided to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination banknote from circulation, in line with its "Clean Note Policy."

Bhutan Bird Festival from November 13-15, promises to highlight not only the area's amazing birds but also its distinct culture and locally produced goods.

Following a three-year hiatus, Tingtibi, Zhemgang will come alive with colourful celebrations in honour of the victorious return of the Bhutan Bird Festival.

According to Bhutan Live, this much-awaited event, which is slated to take place from November 13-15, promises to highlight not only the area's amazing birds but also its distinct culture and locally produced goods.

India and Netherlands have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) for cooperation on medical product regulation and enhance the quality of medical products and health care services for both countries, at Hague in Netherlands. The MoU was signed during the meeting between  Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers  Bhagwant Khuba and  Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports of  Netherlands, Ernst Kuipers. An Indian delegation led by Mr Khuba is in Netherlands to participate in the second World Local Production Forum (WLPF) meeting being held in the Hague from 6th of November till today. 

The World Local Production Forum is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies. During his visit, Mr  Khuba also visited the Port of Rotterdam which is Europe's largest port and discussed with the officials about the port's hydrogen hub plans. Rotterdam is poised to become a hub in hydrogen production and transportation. He also shared about India's Green Hydrogen Mission.

The 6th Session of India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6-7 November, 2023. The meeting was co chaired by the Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Ms. Priya P. Nair and the Lead Executive of the International and Regional Trade Integration, Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration, Ethiopia, Mr. Tages Mulugeta. Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Shri Robert Shetkintong and other senior officials from both sides also participated in the JTC.

Both sides agreed to expeditiously address all issues impeding bilateral trade and facilitate trade promotion between the two countries. The Indian side invited the Ethiopian side to collaborate on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of India with Ethswitch of Ethiopia. Further, the Indian side also urged Ethiopia to explore the possibility of settlement of trade transactions in local currency which will help boost bilateral trade and conserve foreign exchange. The deliberations of the 6th Sessions of India-Ethiopia JTC were cordial and forward-looking, reflecting the traditionally friendly and special relations between the two countries.

Dabur India Limited on Thursday announced the appointment of Sushil Chandra, former Chief Election Commissioner of India and former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), as an additional director in the category of non-executive independent director.

Chandra has been appointed as an independent director for a period of five years, subject to the approval of shareholders. With this, the company will now have ten independent directors on its board.