Vice President Hamid Ansari concluded his two-
nation tour to Thailand and Brunei
05-FEB-2016
Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 5 February 2016 concluded his two-nation tour to Thailand and Brunei.
During the 5-day visit that started on 1 February 2016, the Vice President held talks with the head of governments, political leaders and Indian diaspora to enhance bilateral relations.
Highlights of the visit to Brunei
• He visited the country for three days starting from 1 February 2016 on the invitation of Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.
• With this tour, Hamid Ansari became the first Vice President to visit Brunei since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
• He met the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah.
• Both the leaders discussed a number of issues of bilateral, regional and multilateral significance, and also hold discussions on cooperation in ASEAN and East Asia Summit (EAS).
• During his visit, India and Brunei signed 3 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of health, defence and youth affairs and sports.
Highlights of the visit to Thailand
• He visited the country on official invitation of the Prime Minister of Thailand. This was also the first Vice Presidential visit from India after a gap of 50 years.
• During the visit, he held talks with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
• He delivered a speech at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University on the topic India, Thailand and ASEAN: Contours of a Rejuvenated Relationship.
• He visited Wat Phra Kew (Emerald Buddha) and Reclining Buddha temple in the capital Bangkok.
• He addressed the Indian community and met Indologists from Thailand.
• During the visit, India confirmed its participation in the Cobra Gold 2016 amphibious military exercise that will be held in Thailand.
Prime Minister dedicated Brahmaputra Cracker
and Polymer Limited to Nation
05-FEB-2016
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 dedicated the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata, Assam to the nation.
The 10000-crore plant is the first ever petro-chemical project in the entire North-East and it will make raw material for manufacturing plastic.
The Brahamputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd was conceived as part of the Assam peace accord signed during the tenure of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and its foundation stone was laid in 2007 by the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Besides, the Prime Minister also dedicated India's highest wax producing unit using indigenous technology in Numaligarh Refinery Limited to the nation.
During his visit to Assam, the Prime Minister
also
• Addressed the Annual Conference of Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha at Sibsagar. Modi was the first Prime Minister to attend the annual conference of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha in its 85 years history.
• Inaugurated the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati.
About Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha
• Established in 1930, the Sangha has published over 200 books and journals and have over 30 lakh members. The organization is also running a university and 64 schools in different parts of Assam.
• The Sangha started Srimanta Sankardev Thrift and Credit Co-operative Society in 2009 which has bank balance of 5 crore rupees.
At present, Prime Minister is on a three-day visit to the states of Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha from 5 to 7 February 2016.
On 6 February 2016, the Prime Minister will attend the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam besides visiting a maritime exhibition. On 7 February 2016, he will arrive in Bhubaneswar and dedicate to the nation the National Institute of Science Education and Research at Bhubaneswar.
During his Odisha visit, Modi will also dedicate the state of the art Indian Oil Refinery at Paradip to the nation.
Union Government approved Heritage
development projects for Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana
05-FEB-2016
Union Ministry of Urban Development on 5 February 2016 approved projects worth over 12 crore rupees for improving tourist infrastructure in heritage places of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh and Warangal in Telangana.
Amaravati and Warangal are among the 12 cities included in the Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for improving the social, cultural and economic ecosystems.
It can be augmented by necessary infrastructure with the objective of conserving the rich cultural heritage and enabling better facilities for tourists and pilgrims.
An inter-Ministerial HRIDAY National Empowered Committeeapproved development of a Heritage Park in Amaravati and developmental works at 1000 Pillar Temple and Kazipet Durgah and rejuvenation of pond at Padmakshi Temple in Warangal city.
Heritage Park in Amaravati for Andhra Pradesh
• It will be developed over an area of 3.50 acres opposite Dhyan Buddha Statue at a total cost of 7.36 crore rupees
• This Park will have an Exhibition Complex with
- Four halls to be developed at a cost of 92 lakh rupees,
- Twenty two statues at a cost of 2 crore rupees
- More than 20 shops at a cost of over 1 crore rupees,
- Four food courts at a cost of 95 lakh rupees
- Parking area at a cost of 60 lakh rupees
- Pathways at a cost of 44 lakh rupees
- Landscaping will be done at a cost of 76 lakh rupees and other facilities to be provided include seating benches, pargolas etc.
• Exhibition Halls and shops will be used to promote to local art and handicrafts and other products.
Approved Development Programmes in
Warangal, Telangana
An expenditure of 4.85 crore rupees has been approved for undertaking development works in Telangana. They divided into-
• Development of 1000 Pillar Temple at a cost of 94 lakh rupees.
• Development at Kazipet Durgah at a cost of 1.78 crore rupees and
• Rejuvenation of pond at Padmakshi Temple with an investment of 2.13 crore rupees.
Reliance Infra signed Agreement with Birla
Corp to sell its Cement Plant
05-FEB-2016
Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) on 4 February 2016 announced the signing of Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Birla Corporation Ltd in relation to 100 percent sale of its subsidiary Reliance Cement Company Private Limited (RCCPL).
While RInfra is an entity of the Anil Ambani-headed Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADAG), Birla Corp is the flagship Company of the M P Birla Group.
The deal was valued at 4800 crore rupees or 140 US dollars per tonne and the proceeds will utilised by RInfra towards debt reduction.
Under the SPA, the Birla Corp will acquire an integrated cement capacity of 5.08 Metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at Maihar, Madhya Pradesh and Kundanganj, Uttar Pradesh and a grinding unit of 0.5 Mtpa at Butibori, Maharashtra.
Reliance Infra signed Agreement with Birla
Corp to sell its Cement Plant
05-FEB-2016
Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) on 4 February 2016 announced the signing of Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Birla Corporation Ltd in relation to 100 percent sale of its subsidiary Reliance Cement Company Private Limited (RCCPL).
While RInfra is an entity of the Anil Ambani-headed Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADAG), Birla Corp is the flagship Company of the M P Birla Group.
The deal was valued at 4800 crore rupees or 140 US dollars per tonne and the proceeds will utilised by RInfra towards debt reduction.
Under the SPA, the Birla Corp will acquire an integrated cement capacity of 5.08 Metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at Maihar, Madhya Pradesh and Kundanganj, Uttar Pradesh and a grinding unit of 0.5 Mtpa at Butibori, Maharashtra.
India ratified Convention on Supplementary
Compensation for Nuclear Damage
05-FEB-2016
India on 4 February 2016 submitted its Instrument of Ratification of the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Vienna, Austria.
The instrument is an important multilateral treaty relating to liability and compensation for damage caused by a nuclear incident.
The instrument of Ratification was handed over to Juan Carlos Lentijo, Acting Director General of IAEA by India's Permanent Representative in Vienna Rajiva Misra. The CSC was ratified five years after it was signed on 27 October 2010.
The Convention will come into force for India on 4 May 2016 because as per law, the convention comes into force after 90 days of submission of ratification.
Why the need to submit the instrument of
ratification of CSC?
Certain clauses, especially Section 17(b) and Section 46 under India's Civil Liability Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 were major impediments in the progress of building reactors with the help of the established firms of the US as well as France and Russia in India.
The clause Section 17(b) relates to the Right of Recourse and Section 46 deals with potential claims against the supplier of nuclear equipment.
These clauses made equipment suppliers like General Electric potentially accountable for accidents, not just the plant operators as is the global norm.
Advantages to India
However, with India submitting the instrument of ratification, the following advantages are expected:
• It will help establish a worldwide liability regime and to increase the amount of compensation available to the victims of nuclear accidents.
• It will help India in addressing the concerns of foreign nuclear suppliers over civil nuclear liability in India, although in 2015 India launched an insurance pool with a liability cap of 15 billion Indian rupees (225 million dollars) to cover the suppliers' risk of potential liability
• It will help in drawing the foreign nuclear suppliers to Indian nuclear market which is worth billions of dollars.
• It will help India achieving the objective of increasing the share of nuclear power from barely 3 percent to 25 percent by 2050.
• It will give India access to international funding, beyond those available through national resources, to pay for damages in the event of a nuclear accident.
India’s interaction with nuclear suppliers
India plans to construct about 60 nuclear reactors and has been in talks with Westinghouse Electric Co LLC, GE as well as France's Areva for setting them up at sites already selected around the country.
Russia is separately building six reactors in south India and is in talks for another six. The total size of the Indian market is estimated at 150 billion dollars making it equal to or just behind China's.
About Convention of Supplementary
Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC)
• The CSC was adopted on 12 September 1997, together with the Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, and entered into force on 15 April 2015.
• It aims at increasing the amount of compensation available in the event of a nuclear incident through public funds to be made available by the Contracting Parties on the basis of their installed nuclear capacity and UN rate of assessment.
• It also aims at establishing treaty relations among States that belong to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy or neither of them.
• It leaves intact the 1988 Joint Protocol that establishes treaty relations among States that belong to the Vienna Convention or the Paris Convention.
NASA’s New Horizons mission spotted floating
hills on Pluto
05-FEB-2016
NASA’s New Horizons mission on 14 July 2015 spotted the nitrogen ice glaciers on Pluto appeared to carry numerous isolated hills which are likely to be the fragments of water ice, as per the press release of NASA on 4 February 2016.
As the nitrogen-dominated ice is dense than water ice, it is believed that newly found water ice hills are floating in a sea of frozen nitrogen and resembles icebergs in Earth’s Arctic Ocean. These hills individually measure one to several miles or kilometers across.
These hills are another example of Pluto’s fascinating and abundant geological activity and are likely to be fragments of the rugged uplands and smaller versions of the large and jumbled mountains on Sputnik Planum’s western border.
Chains of the drifting hills are formed along the flow paths of the glaciers.
When the hills enter the cellular terrain of central Sputnik Planum, they become subject to the convective motions of the nitrogen ice and are pushed to the edges of the cells where the hills cluster in groups reaching up to 12 miles across.
At the northern end of the image, the feature informally namedChallenger Colles which are honoring the crew of the lost space shuttleChallenger appears to be an especially large accumulation of these hills, measuring 37 by 22 miles or 60 by 35 kilometers.
This feature is located near the boundary with the uplands which are away from the cellular terrain and represent a location where hills arebeached due to the nitrogen ice being especially shallow.
The image was obtained by New Horizons’ Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) instrument and it measures a little over 500 kilometers long and about 340 kilometers wide.
It was obtained at a range of approximately 16000 kilometers from Pluto and about 12 minutes before New Horizons’ closest approach to Pluto on 14 July 2015.
ICC appointed Rahul Dravid as member of
newly constituted Anti-
Corruption Unit Oversight Group
05-FEB-2016
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board on 3 February 2016 constituted Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting headed bythe ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar. The meeting was held at the ICC headquarters in Dubai, the UAE.
Apart from Rahul Dravid as a member, the group will consist of a Chairman, two members and two ex-officio members.
The ICC mandated the Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group to meet once a year to review and provide independent input into the strategy adopted by the sport to tackle corruption and its implementation.
The group was further mandated to offer its advice and guidance to the Chairman of the Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) where required.
ICC Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group
• David Peever (Chairman); He is the Chairman of the ICC Executive Committee
• Rahul Dravid (Member); Former Indian captain
• Louis Weston (Member); a legal advisor and independent anti-corruption advisor to ICC
• John Abbott (Member); He is the Chairman of the Integrity Working Party
• Ronnie Flanagan (Ex-officio member); He is the Chairman of the ACU
• David Richardson (Ex-officio member); He is the ICC Chief Executive
Supporting Syria & the Region Conference 2016
held in London
05-FEB-2016
Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016 was held on 4 February 2016 in London. Theobjective of the conferencewas to discuss issues related to the over 5-year old civil war in Syria and measures to mitigate the humanitarian conflict faced by the country and the region as a whole.
The conference was co-hosted by Germany, Kuwait, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Nations and saw the participation of over 60 countries.
In addition to deliberating on the 2016 Syria humanitarian response plan (HRP) and Regional refugee and resilience plan (3RP) 2016-17,the conference announced 10.7 billion US dollars to undertake humanitarian activities in Syria between 2016 and 2020.
Highlights of Supporting Syria & the Region
Conference 2016
• Apart from the 60 participating nations, several international organisations, business, civil society, Syrians and people affected by the conflict were also part of the conference.
• The participants agreed on a comprehensive new approach on response to the protracted crisis in Syria, building on the 2014 Berlin Conference and the three Kuwait Pledging Conferences.
• The donors pledged over 10 billion US dollars in funding – 5.6 billion US dollars for 2016 and a further 5.1 billion US dollars for 2017-20 towards provision of support to children, women and girls, rehabilitation of infrastructure and support for sustainable agriculture.
• In addition, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and donors announced around 40 billion US dollars in loans on concessional terms.
• The funding will also help in providing access to education for all refugee and host community children by the end of the 2016-17 school year. This measure will help over 2 million children who are out of school.
Situation in Syria & the region
• Beginning from 2011, the over 5 years of intensifying conflict in Syria have precipitated the greatest humanitarian crisis witnessed in generations.
• Due to the conflict, over 250000 people have been killed and over one million injured, while more than half of all Syrians have been forced to leave their homes, often multiple times.
• On average, since 2011, 50 Syrian families have been displaced every hour of every day. In 2015 alone, over 1.4 million people were displaced inside the country.
• Increasing numbers of civilians are fleeing to neighbouring countries, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and risking their lives to reach safety beyond the region (Europe).
• Inside Syria today, 13.5 million people, including 6 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• At least 8.7 million people are unable to meet their daily food needs, while a staggering 70 per cent of the population is without regular access to safe drinking water
• During 2015, the number of registered Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt increased by more than 1 million, bringing the overall total to almost 4.6 million.
• The conflict also pushed more than 440000 Syrians to take the dangerous Mediterranean Sea route to reach the shores of Europe in 2015 killing thousands of them en route.
Odisha Government allowed tourists into
certain tribal areas after three years ban
05-FEB-2016
The Odisha government on 4 February 2016 lifted the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to certain tribal areas in the State. The ban was lifted after three years.
The revised guidelines relaxed restrictions that will enable foreign tourists to trek and learn the lifestyle of primitive tribes living in certain hilly terrains.
Highlights of the revised guidelines
• Foreign tourists have been asked to pay respect to the culture and tradition of tribals.
• The tourists will have to submit their proposed itinerary to the police superintendents of the concerned districts.
• The foreign tourists have been asked to take photographs only with the consent of the tribals.
The government tightened the restrictions following the abduction of two Italian tourists in Kandhamal district by Maoists three years ago.
The state government reportedly took the decision following dwindling tourist footfalls in Odisha. Notably, Odisha is home to 62 tribal communities, including 13 categorised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
India signed agreement to become an
Associate Member State of EMBO
05-FEB-2016
India through the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology signed a Cooperation Agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).
The agreement will strengthen scientific interaction and collaborative research between India and Europe in this field.
After the signing of an agreement with Singapore by Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) in July 2015, India became second such country outside the European region.
The official kick-off launch ceremony of the agreement was held on 4 February 2016 in New Delhi.
Key highlights of the agreement
• Researchers working in India are now eligible to participate in all EMBO programmes and activities.
• Indian scientists can apply to EMBO’s programmes, such as long-term fellowships for postdoctoral researchers, short-term fellowships, courses and workshops, as well as the EMBO Young Investigator Programme.
• At the same time, Europe will benefit from networking with the top-level scientists in India’s research community.
About EMBO
• The European Molecular Biology Organization is a professional organization of life scientists in Europe.
• Its goal is to promote research in life science and enable international exchange between scientists.
• It organizes courses, workshops and conferences, publishes four scientific journals and supports individual scientists and projects.
• The organization was founded in 1964.
• The current EMBO Director is Maria Leptin.
US General John Nicholson named NATO
commander in Afghanistan
05-FEB-2016
Army Lieutenant General John Nicholson was appointed as the commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. His nomination to the post was confirmed by US Senate committee on 4 February 2016.
He succeeded US General John Campbell who has been leading the Afghan operations for nearly 18 months.
The powerful Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed Nicholson's nomination during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan where the outgoing commander US General John Campbell testified before the Senators.
At present, Nicholas was US Army commander of NATO land forces.
Earlier, he had served in multiple capacities like chief of staff of operations for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US Forces - Afghanistan, director of Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell for the Joint Staff, and deputy commander - Stability of ISAF Regional Command - South.
Geetu Mohandas won Global Filmmaking award
2016 for script of Insha Allah
05-FEB-2016
Indian writer Geetu Mohandas won Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award 2016 on 30 January 2016 for her script of yet-to-be shot film Insha Allah. The award was presented at 2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony held in Park City, Utah.
Geetu won the award for her wonderful narration about an 11 year old boy, Mullakoya who sets off on a treacherous journey from the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea to Indian mainland in search of his missing older brother and tired of living in the shadow of the colorful, magical-realist folklore.
About Geetu Mohandas
• She was born on 14 February 1981 as Gayathri Mohandas at Kannur in Kerala.
• The name Geetu was adopted as her screen name when she starred in her first movie Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare in 1986 with Mohanlal in the lead role.
• She is an Indian film actress and director known for her works in Malayalam cinema and Bollywood.
• In 2013, she directed the socio political film Liar's Dice which had received two National Film Awards and was nominated for Oscar in 2015.
• It was also premiered at Sundance Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam and won a special jury award at Sofia International Film Festival.
• She had won Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist in 1986 and Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress in 2004.
• Along with many other awards she also won Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Malayalam in 2004.
Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award
2016
These awards are given in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world by the Sundance Institute.
Labour Ministry signed agreements with organizations engaged in employment & career activities
06-FEB-2016
Union Labour Ministry on 5 February 2016 signed agreements with leading organizations engaged in employment and career related activities. The agreements were signed to exploit the potential of the National Career Service (NCS) project.
The MoUs signed with Uber, Quikr, Monster, Tech Mahindra, Babajobs, India Staffing Federation, Buzzmatic Ventures and GoldFish will help in widening the scope and scale of the project.
This partnership will also provide transparent and credible platform and save both employers and job seekers from possible fraudulent practices.
National Career Service project
National Career Service (NCS) initiative was launched in 2015 as Information and Communication Technologies based platform for providing employment services to public. NCS aims to meet the aspirations of youth for jobs with the industry demand and has evolved a policy for entering into partnerships with leading organisations.
The Union Governement on 20 July 2015 launched the National Career Counseling Portal to modernize all government-run employment exchanges.
NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell died
06-FEB-2016
NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who was the sixth man to walk on the Moon, died on 4 February 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The lunar module pilot on Apollo 14 died at the age of 85.
His death occurred on the eve of the 45th anniversary of his lunar landing, which took place on 5 February 1971.
Mitchell, Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa were the crew of Apollo 14 mission, which launched on the lunar surface on 5 February 1971. As part of the Apollo 14 mission, he spent more than nine hours on the Moon's surface collecting rocks, taking measurements and other things. Mitchell helped collect 94 pounds of lunar rock and soil samples that were distributed across 187 scientific teams in the United States and 14 other countries for analysis.
Mitchell along with commander Alan Shephard set mission records for the time of the longest distance traversed on the lunar surface; the largest payload returned from lunar surface; and the longest lunar stay time (33 hours). They were also the first to transmit color TV from the lunar surface.
He said he had an epiphany in space and later devoted his life to studying the mind and unexplained phenomena. He said he believed that aliens had visited Earth.
Mitchell left the US space agency NASA in 1972 and set up the Institute of Noetic Sciences, which aimed to support individual and collective transformation through consciousness research. He was co-founder of the Association of Space Explorers, an organization for space travelers.
12th South Asian Games inaugurated in
Guwahati
06-FEB-2016
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 declared the 12th South Asian Games 2016 open at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Guwahati, Assam.
In his address, Modi said that the South Asian Games demonstrate 3-Ts and they are Team Work, Togetherness and Talent.
Earlier the players of all 8-participating nations marched past a crowd of thousands who cheered for them with applause. Squash Player Gaurav Ghoshal was the flag bearer of the 521-member Indian contingent.
12th South Asian Games open
• Over 2500 athletes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives will be part of the games that will be co-hosted by Meghalaya Capital, Shillong.
• A total of 228 events in 23 sports disciplines will be played during the games for the next 11 days.
• Games slogan is ‘Play for Peace, Progress and Prosperity’.
• Tikhor, a one-horned rhino that represents endangered fauna of Assam found in Kaziranga National Park is the official mascot of the event.
• India is hosting the game for the third time. First was held in 1987 in Kolkata, West Bengal and second time in 1995 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The 12th South Asian Games, 2016 is the first international multi-sporting mega event in the North Eastern region.
Major highlights of the event
• The inauguration ceremony was started by the team parade.
• The participating nations, decked out in their traditional dresses made their way into the ground amidst huge cheers from the packed audience.
• Each participating nations carried waters from one of their major rivers and the Indian Ocean.
• The waters were later merged into the Brahmaputra, symbolizing the confluence of the nations and the way forward in harmony and togetherness.
• Star Shooter Gagan Narang started the torch relay which was finished by veteran Footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, who lit the flame for the games.
• The top athletes including Anju Bobby George, Monalisa Mehta, Bhogeshwar Baruah, Rani Nagpal and Krishna Punia also took part in the relay.
• The cultural show of the game started with the theme song of the Games, ‘Ai Prithibi Ek Krirangan’.
• A colourful performance by dancers from across India depicting the rich cultural heritage of the country was also the highlight of the ceremony. The ceremony also presented different dance forms of the North East.
Mahindra AMC received SEBI nod for Mutual F
und business
06-FEB-2016
Mahindra Asset Management Company (AMC) on 4 February 2016 received Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI’s) approval to manage the Mahindra Mutual Fund.
Mahindra AMC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (MMFS), a part of the Anand Mahindra-led Mahindra group.
According to reports, Mahindra Finance applied for a mutual fund licence on 30 December 2008 and was given an in-principle approval on 4 October 2011.
Currently, about 40 mutual fund houses are operation in the country. HDFC MF, ICICI Prudential and Reliance MF are among the top mutual fund companies in India.
Union Government to set up National Organic
Farming Research Institute in Sikkim
06-FEB-2016
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on 5 February 2016 decided to set up the National Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim.
The decision to this effect was taken by the Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and Sikkim Agriculture Minister Som Nath Paudyal in New Delhi.
The institute will be established by upgrading the existing Regional Centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in Gangtok.
The setting up of the institute is of primary importance for Sikkim as it was declared as the first organic farming State in the country in January 2016 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.