The third India-Laos Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held in the capital Vientiane on Thursday.

The FOC was co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs and Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “3rd India-Laos FOC held today in Vientiane, co-chaired by Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar and Dy FM Mr Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Laos.”

In a bid to develop the corporate debt market and instill confidence among investors, market regulator SEBI has put in place a framework for rolling out the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) under which mutual funds will have to contribute 25 basis points (bps) of the specified debt asset under management to the fund.

The initial contribution of mutual funds to CDMDF will be based on AUM of the specified MF schemes as of last December-end. The specified schemes include debt-oriented funds excluding overnight and gilt funds. The move will lead to a contribution of ₹2,242 crore by mutual funds to CDMDF.

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a new term plan ‘Jeevan Kiran’ that returns the premiums paid by policyholders at maturity.

The non-linked and non-participating plan is available for individuals from 18 years to 65 years, and offers life cover with the return of premium, said LIC in a statement. It has a minimum sum assured of Rs 15 lakh for moderate life cover.

The policy term varies from 10 years to 40 years. Premium payment can be made by way of a single premium or by way of a regular premium, which is payable for the policy term. For a sum assured of more than Rs 50 lakh, rebates are available on tabular premium.

Payment and banking company Razorpay has launched an account for Indian exporters, the MoneySaver Export Account.

With this product, Indian exporters will be now open a smart account in any country of their choice and receive payments locally via bank transfers on the Razorpay platform.

The initiative allows exporters to receive international bank transfers from 160 countries.

Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and BITS Goa have joined hands to ‘revolutionise’ the shipbuilding and defence industry through the development and implementation of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the GSL and BITS Goa Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Society (BGIIES, Goa), “cementing their commitment to fostering innovation and progress in this vital sector”, a spokesperson of GSL stated on Wednesday. The signing of the MoU at Vasco da Gama happened in presence of P Ravindran, General Manager (Production), who represented GSL, and Suman Kundu, President BGIIES.

The American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tuesday announced the selection of Lockheed Martin to develop a nuclear propulsion engine that could be demonstrated as early as 2027.

Nuclear thermal engines are aimed at reducing transit times in space, which in turn would translate to reduced risks for astronauts.

The Lok Sabha today passed the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 amid the din. The Bill seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals. The House also passed the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023. The Bill is intended to regulate the profession of dentistry in the country. It also aimed at providing quality and affordable dental education.

Both Bills were moved by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. They were passed without any discussion amid the din. Earlier, the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 was introduced in the House. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Bill. 

The third India-Laos Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held in the capital Vientiane on Thursday.

The FOC was co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs and Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "3rd India-Laos FOC held today in Vientiane, co-chaired by Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar and Dy FM Mr Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Laos."

Aditya Samant became India’s 83rd Grandmaster after earning his third GM norm at the Master Tournament (MTO) in the Biel International Chess Festival.

The Maharashtra player had earned his first norm to become a grandmaster at the Abu Dhabi Masters last year in August.

His second norm was achieved in December last year at the 3rd El Llobregat Open.

The Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), in association with the Public Relations Society Delhi (PRSD), is pleased to announce the 17th Global Communication Conclave, scheduled to take place on September 21-22, 2023, at the Civil Services Officers’ Institute in New Delhi.

With the theme “Building Trust in the Digital Age”, the conclave aims to address the crucial issue of trust in an era dominated by digital communication and technological advancements. As data breaches and privacy concerns continue to plague businesses and individuals, establishing and maintaining trust has become more challenging than ever before.