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Indian Affairs
- Union Government extended Interest Subvention Scheme to banks
- Union Government launches Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan
14 States, UTs achieve literacy rate of 80%: Government
- Union Government has announced that 14 States and Union Territories (UTs) have achieved or exceeded the literacy rate of 80 percent. It was announced by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
- 14 States and UTs are: Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, NCR of Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.
- Union Government’s flagship scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has helped to improve literacy rate. For implementing the scheme, Centre has helped the States and UTs. The literacy of adults has been covered under the Saakshar Bharat Programme.
- It was also announced that 10 States and UTs have also been able to reduce gender gap to 10 per cent or less. These states are Punjab, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Goa, Lakshadweep, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Linking of NPR data with Aadhar Numbers
The Government has decided to update the National Population Register (NPR) and seed the Aadhaar number in NPR database at an estimated cost of Rs. 951.35 crore. The field work would be completed by March 2016. This updated NPR database along with Aadhaar Number would become the mother database and can be used by various government departments for selection of beneficiaries under their respective schemes.
There is no duplication of efforts as all the agencies namely Registrar General of Citizen Registration India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Unique Identification Authority of India, NITI Aayog, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mission, Ministry of Finance and State/Union Territories Governments are working in close coordination for completion of the above exercis
Appointments
Hisao Tanaka resigned as CEO and President of Toshiba
- Hisao Tanaka on 21 July 2015 resigned as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Toshiba. He will be succeeded by Masashi Muromachi, who is presently the Chairman of Toshiba.
- Moreover, Toshiba’s other officials Norio Sasaki and Atsutoshi Nishida also resigned as Vice Chairman and Advisor, respectively.
Ananth Narayanan appointed as CEO of Myntra
- Mobile fashion store Myntra has appointed Ananth Narayanan as its chief executive officer (CEO). He will succeed Flipkart’s co-founder Mukesh Bansal who is currently serving as the head of company’s commerce platform.
- He will start working from October 2015 from Myntra’s headquarters located in Bengaluru and will directly report to the Myntra board.
Banking & Finance
NCDEX launches mobile app for investors
- National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) launched a mobile app to give anytime, anywhere access to prices and market information about commodities traded on it.
- The online commodity exchange has partnered with Trakinvest, a Singapore based financial technology firm, to develop this app. It will give users access to prices, news, updates, market data and analysis for commodities.
- “The NCDEX App will help investors to stay in touch with the market. Our partner Trakinvest has a deep understanding of technology and financial markets.
Now an exclusive mobile app for Vat, GST and Service Tax.
- The rapidly changing indirect taxation system in India has made it essential for every businessman or professional to be conversant in the basics of the indirect taxation. In the current high tech era, everyone is a tech savvy so it is more convenient to use a smart phone and browse the information rather than searching the information from the pile of books.
- Keeping in mind the above, CA Atul Kumar Gupta along with his team has made an endeavor to acquaint the common man apart from the professionals, regarding the dynamic indirect taxation system, through mobile application TAXO.
- The idea behind TAXO is to update and educate not just the taxation professionals but every one on ongoing basis by providing prompt and live access to the changing business environment in India.
- TAXO is a platform where the general public can get an insight into the basic fundamentals of Indirect Taxation.
Business
KFC partners IRCTC, to serve meals on trains
- KFC has entered into a partnership with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC) to launch a delivery system for consumers on trains.
- Now a person travelling on train can order KFC meal, while booking ticket through IRCTC from July 20 onwards, under e-catering service initiatives. Presently, this facility is available only on 12 trains passing through New Delhi railway station.
- The facility will be expanded to Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bengaluru stations over the next 10 days.
- The service will initially be limited to trains which do not have pantry cars and subsequently would be expanded to trains like Rajdhani and Duronto
- Consumers will have to visit the IRCTC website or call on 18001034139 (Toll Free) to place their order. A password will then be sent by KFC to the consumer’s mobile phone which will have to be mentioned at the time of delivery.
Science & Technology
Obituary
E.L. Doctorow author of Ragtime and Billy Bathgate passes away
- American novelist E.L. Doctorow passes away at 84
- E.L Doctorow, author of the novels ‘Ragtime’ and ‘Billy Bathgate’, took his last breath in a New York hospital following to lung cancer. He was 84.
- Doctorow was known for works which re-imagined the American experience and placed fictional characters in recognisable historical contexts, the BBC reported.
- US President Barack Obama paid tribute to him as ‘one of America’s greatest novelists’.
- In his 50-year career, Doctorow had published 10 novels, a stage drama, two books of short fiction and numerous essays.
