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AIR INDIA COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF ITS 1ST A350 AIRCRAFT

On Friday, Air India said it had completed the acquisition of its first A350-900 aircraft by way of a finance lease transaction with HSBC.

Ashok Leyland wins 1,282-bus order from Gujarat

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has ordered 1,282 buses from Ashok Leyland, the Hinduja Group's flagship company in India. According to the firm, this order-one of the largest by a state transport undertaking for a single original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will enable Ashok Leyland in maintaining its hegemonic position in the Indian bus market.

Kerala IT Company enhances workforce with Kalaripayattu

Alarge proportion of workers in the IT industry nowadays neglect their physical and mental health. A group of techies at InfoPark, however, are actively embracing Kalaripayattu in opposition to this trend as a way to cultivate both their bodies and minds. Acsia Technologies, an automotive tech brand from Kerala, embarks on a transformative journey to empower its workforce through the ancient art of Kalaripayattu.

UP DECLARES 95,767 VILLAGES ODF+ UNDER SWACHH BHARAT

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Uttar Pradesh gets 100% \"Open Defecation Free\" status in 95,767 villages. 29 September 2023 in Government

India's eight core sectors post 12.1% yoy growth in Aug 2023

The output of India's eight core industries increased by 12.1 per cent year on year in August 2023 led by cement, coal and electricity as per provisional figures of the growth rate of Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday. The final growth rate of ICI for May 2023 is revised to 5.2 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of ICI during April to August, 2023-24 is 7.7 per cent (provisional) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Centre raised Rs 4,08,000 cr from dated securities in Q1FY24

The Central Government, during the first quarter (Q1) of financial year 2023-24 (FY24), on issuance/settlement basis of dated securities, raised gross amount worth Rs 4,08,000 crore and Rs 2,71,415 crore after adjusting for switches.

India's external debt rises to $ 629.1 bn at end June 2023

India's external debt at USD 629.1 billion in June 2023 recorded an increase of USD 4.7 billion over its level at end-March 2023. The external debt to GDP ratio declined to 18.6 per cent at end-June 2023 from 18.8 per cent at end-March 2023, the RBI said on Thursday.

India has low prevalence of organisedcrime actors

India has seen marked improvement in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) and is also displaying good progress in addressing security concerns with a GTI score of 7.43 and a crime index score of 44.7, reflecting a decrease in both terror incidents and fatalities from 2016 to 2020, as well as the recent reduction in crime cases.

INDIA TO RAISE $24 BILLION FROM HIGHWAYS

With 4,000 kilometers to 4,500 kilometers (2,796.2 miles) of new roads likely to be commissioned annually by the NHs Authority of India over the next 3 years, the govt can monetize these assets through a Infrastructure Investment Trust or toll-operate-transfer model, CareEdge Ratings said in a note.

India maintains 40th rank in Global Innovation Index 2023

NDIA has retained its 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) for 2023, as published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

'Take action against varsities offering unspecified degrees'

The Delhi High Court, in its order, has asked the University Grant Commission (UGC) to take appropriate and necessary actions against the universities and colleges offering unspecified degrees, and such universities are liable for penalties under Section 24 of the UGC Act, 1956.

BJP CEC TO MEET ON 30 SEP TO DISCUSS CANDIDATES FOR POLLS

Earlier, the BJP released its first list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections on August 17, revealing the names of 39 candidates

Delhi High Court Stayed Executive Committee Elections Of Gymnastics Federation Of India; Sports Code Compliance

The Delhi High Court in the case Padmaja Garikipati v. Union of India And Anr observed and has stayed the election of the office bearers and the executive committee members of the Gymnastics Federation of India, GFI.

ORISSA HIGH COURT GIVES LAST CHANCE TO CENTRE, STATE TO COMPLY WITH SECTION 19B) POSH ACT; DISPLAY PENAL CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, PROVIDE COMPLAINT NO

The Orissa High Court in the case Biyat Pragya Tripathy v. Government of Odisha&Ors observed and has given last chance to authorities under both the Union and the State Government to implement the mandate as stated under Section 19(b) of the Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, i.e., the 'POSH Act'.

DELHI HIGH COURT ASKED UGC TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST COLLEGE OFFERING UNSPECIFIED DEGREES

The Delhi High Court in the case Rahul Mahajan v. Ministry of Education And Ors observed and has directed the University Grants Commission, UGC in order to take necessary action against the varsities and colleges offering unspecified degrees and ensure compliance of law which includes the penal provisions on the issue.

US Embassy in India exceeds 10L nonimmigrant visa goal

On Thursday, the US Mission to India surpassed its goal of processing one million non-immigrant visa applications in 2023, with Ambassador Eric Garcetti personally handing over the one millionth visa to a couple who will be heading to the United States to attend their son's graduation at MIT. Dr Ranju Singh, senior consultant, Lady Hardinge College was elated at receiving an email from the US Embassy about hers being the one millionth visa this year. Her husband Puneet Dargan, was granted the next visa. The couple will be travelling to the US in May, 2024.

Byju's to skip campus placements for cost-cutting

The company's intensive cost-cutting measures, Byju's will not undertake campus placements this year. As part of its cost-reduction drive, the edtech company has let off more than 13,000 employees in the previous year. Byju's has discussed campus recruitment with a number of engineering colleges, including certain Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)s. According to the article, they have not yet received any confirmation regarding the hiring timeline.

Indonesia bans e-comm transactions on social media

Indonesia has imposed a ban on social media -platforms from doubling as e-commerce sites in order to prevent misuse of data, as reported in the news. The announcement was made on 25 September. Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, after a closed meeting on electronic commerce issues, said, \"Social media can only be used to facilitate the promotion of goods or services, but direct transactions... \"And direct payments are no longer allowed; social media can only be used for promotion.\"

SRI LANKA'S RECOVERY UNCERTAIN DESPITE SIGNS OF STABILISATION: IMF

Despite early signs of stabilisation, full economic recovery in Sri Lanka is not yet assured, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, as per the media report.

HP and Google to produce chrome books in India

HP, a manufacturer of personal computers, has partnered with Google to begin producing Chromebooks in India on October 2. According to a statement from HP, the Chromebook devices will be produced at the Flex Facility outside of Chennai, where HP has been making a variety of laptops and desktops since August 2020.

YouTube tops as go-to platform for Indian video viewers

Statement made on Wednesday by the video streaming service, online Indians create personal video universes with an average of five different material sources, with YouTube serving as the \"foremost\" option for video viewing.

AWS FORECASTS RS 1.6 TRILLION GAIN BY 2030

Amazon web services report forecasts 45.9 million jobs in healthcare, education, and agriculture sectors, 9% of India's employment

Government amends cable TV Network rules

A number of significant amendments to the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 have been started by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the goal of streamlining the MultiSystem Operator (MSO) registration process and encouraging infrastructure sharing with broadband service providers to increase internet access throughout the country.

Indian Railways deal with Russian JV for Vande Bharat

The Indo-Russian joint venture (JV), Kinet Railway Solutions, and the Indian Railways have agreed on a supply agreement for the production of Vande Bharat trains. Prior to the United States imposing new penalties against key officials connected with the Russian partners in this joint venture with the Indian company, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the JV's viability has been questioned.

SIDBI TO LAUNCH 'GST SAHAY' APP FOR MSME FINANCING

GST Sahay will be an invoice-financing marketplace where MSMEs can use their unpaid invoices to get quick working capital loans

Women's Reservation Bill boosts gender parity, development

As discussions surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill in India reverberate through the country's political landscape, it raises pertinent questions about the representation of women in politics, both in India and on a global scale.

TECH GIANTS AND EDTECH FIRMS FACE 18% IGST

Effective October 1, 2023, major tech companies like Google, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and certain edtech firms are set to face an Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) of up to 18 percent on services provided to both the government and individuals in India. This development comes following a notification issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, signaling the end of exemptions from IGST for these services, as reported in The Economic Times.

Mineral production surges 10.7 per cent

In a notable development, India's mineral production sector experienced a remarkable upswing in July 2023, with a substantial 10.7 percent increase compared to the same month in the previous year. These encouraging findings, based on the latest data released by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), underscore a positive trajectory in the country's mineral production, as highlighted in the Ministry of Mines' press release.

India's CAD widens to 1.1 per cent of GDP

India's current account deficit (CAD) expanded to $9.2 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023-24 (Q1 FY24), representing 1.1 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

56TH NPG EVALUATES RS 52,000 CR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Four road and two railway projects seek to enhance connectivity and socio-economic development, aided by the NMP portal's geospatial data for planning