Wednesday, April 24

INDIA

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Launched Job Portal For Job Seekers
INDIA

Maharashtra Chief Minister Launched Job Portal For Job Seekers

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today launched a web portal Mahaswayam that will cater to job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs, and training institutes who can avail details regarding skill development and employment. Earlier, the state government ran three different portals- Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) portal for Skill Development, Maharojgar for employment and Mahaswayamrojgar for entrepreneurship. These three have now been merged into Mahaswayam, making it easier for all beneficiaries as well as the state to keep a track of the demand and supply of workforce. Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, who was also present at the launch said, "It was important to get all the three sectors on one platform to en...
India Scraps Foreign Investment Advisory Body
INDIA

India Scraps Foreign Investment Advisory Body

India on Wednesday scrapped a ministerial panel responsible for coordinating foreign investments, part of reforms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing to boost funding of local industries from overseas. Set up soon after India embarked on its first market reforms in 1991, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) was tasked with approving foreign investments proposals. Its decisions often become bogged down in infighting between government ministries, leading to delays in investment projects. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the cabinet had agreed to abolish the FIPB, in line with a budget pledge he made in February. Foreign investments would in future be cleared by individual ministries. Since taking office in 2014, Modi has gradually eased restrictions for ...
Bengaluru Airport Rolls Out India’s First e-boarding Facility
INDIA

Bengaluru Airport Rolls Out India’s First e-boarding Facility

Passengers flying out of the Bengaluru airport will now no longer have to stand in long queues for boarding with the aerdrome operator BIAL rolling out an automated boarding process. The facility, e-Gate, enables airline services to integrate DCS (Departure Control System) to an automated boarding gate. The service has been implemented in association with Australia -based Elenium Automation, the budget carrier said. SpiceJet is the first carrier to use the e-boarding facility at the Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport. Under the facility, a passenger just has to scan his boarding pass and it takes less than five seconds to complete the boarding procedure, the airline said in a release today. Early results point to speeding up of the boarding process, making it simpler for pass...
Apple Will Start iPhone SE Manufacturing in India This month
INDIA

Apple Will Start iPhone SE Manufacturing in India This month

US tech giant Apple Inc today  said it is beginning initial production of a "small number" of iPhone SE in the city and start shipping to domestic  customers this month. "We are beginning initial production of a small number of iPhone SE in Bengaluru. iPhone SE is the most popular and  powerful phone with a four-inch display in the world and well begin shipping to domestic customers this month," Apple said here. The Karnataka government had in February announced Apple Inc.s proposal to commence initial manufacturing operations in Bengaluru. The phones will be manufactured by Wistron, a Taiwanese OEM for Apple at Peenya in the city. Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge had on March 30  said that Apple would be ready to start assembling high-end  iPhones in the city in less than a mon...
BHIM Referral Scheme Gaining Momentum, Received 50 Million Downloads
INDIA

BHIM Referral Scheme Gaining Momentum, Received 50 Million Downloads

The Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) referral bonus scheme for consumers has started gaining momentum in the country, NPCI managing director and chief executive A P Hota said today. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, 2017 on the occasion of commemorating the 126th birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. The total targeted outlay by the government of India for rewarding the referee and referrer is Rs 495 crore for a period of six month (from April 14, 2017 to October 14), NPCI said in a statement. As per the scheme, the referrer needs to encourage the referee to download the BHIM app and enter the referrers mobile number as the referral code. Both the referrer and referee will get a bonus provided the new user completes three successful trans...
Indian Railway Acquiring Technology To Run Trains Without Guards
INDIA

Indian Railway Acquiring Technology To Run Trains Without Guards

The Indian Railways will float global tenders worth over Rs 100 crore for acquiring sophisticated equipment to run 1000 trains without guards. The End of Train Telemetry (EoTT) equipment is used to establish communication between the locomotive driver and the last wagon of the train to ensure that the train is running with all coaches/wagons as a complete unit. The equipment is designed to do the guards job by giving indication to the loco driver in case of parting of coaches or wagons from the rear side of the train. Each set of EoTT device is estimated to cost approximately Rs 10 lakh. EoTT system comprises two units one unit called cab display unit (CDU) fitted on the locomotive and the other is sense and brake unit (SBU) fitted on the last coach or wagon of the train. Bo...
Another U Turn, 2500 Rs Per Ticket is not The Fixed Price Under UDAN Scheme
INDIA

Another U Turn, 2500 Rs Per Ticket is not The Fixed Price Under UDAN Scheme

Airfares as well as the government subsidy for airlines under the regional air connectivity scheme will be revised every three months depending on inflationary trends. The scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) provides for cap on air ticket prices and viability gap funding (VGF) for the participating carriers. The Civil Aviation Ministry has said caps on air ticket prices and VGF under the scheme would be revised on a quarterly basis. While airfares would be linked to inflation, VGF would be decided after taking into consideration inflation, cost of aviation turbine fuel and the rupee-dollar exchange rate. UDAN, that seeks to connect un-served and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable, kicked off with the first flight taking off last month from Shimla to ...
Indian Railway Started Delivery of Train Tickets at Doorstep
INDIA

Indian Railway Started Delivery of Train Tickets at Doorstep

IRCTC has offered delivery of rail tickets allowing passengers to make payment through any payment mode, including cash. Broad-basing the customer service, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has now introduced pay-on- delivery service allowing passengers to book train tickets online and pay at the time of delivery. IRCTC through its website and mobile app has now introduced pay-on-delivery as one of the payment options for its customers, said a senior IRCTC official. Delivering tickets at the consumers doorstep by offering the pay-on-delivery (PoD) option will facilitate those consumers who book through travel agents to move to online medium. It will also encourage people who book at railway reservation counters to move to online medium as there is a cost and e...
India’s Green Car Plan Prioritizes Electric Vehicles Over Hybrids
INDIA

India’s Green Car Plan Prioritizes Electric Vehicles Over Hybrids

India's most influential government think-tank has recommended lowering taxes and interest rates for loans on electric vehicles, while capping sales of conventional cars, signaling a dramatic shift in policy in one of the world's fastest growing auto markets. A draft of the 90-page blueprint, seen by Reuters, also suggests the government opens a battery plant by the end of 2018 and uses tax revenues from the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles to set up charging stations for electric vehicles. The recommendations in a draft report by Niti Aayog, the planning body headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are aimed at electrifying all vehicles in the country by 2032 and will likely shape a new mobility policy, said government and industry sources. The report's focus solely on electric v...
Indian Government Will Launch Online Platform To File Sexual Harassment Case
INDIA

Indian Government Will Launch Online Platform To File Sexual Harassment Case

An e-platform that will enable women employees of the central government to file sexual harassment complaints online is likely to be launched this month. "We have worked vigorously in the last two-three years in this area. We are going to launch an online platform where women can file sexual harassment-related complaints," Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop here today. "We have just been waiting for the NIC (National Information Centre) to establish it. It (platform) should be here this month," Gandhi, who was addressing heads of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) of various ministries and departments, added. The decision to host an online platform for sexual harassment cases was taken by the WCD ministry last O...
India’s First ‘Pod Hotel’ Launched in Mumbai, Cost 2000 INR Per Night
INDIA

India’s First ‘Pod Hotel’ Launched in Mumbai, Cost 2000 INR Per Night

New-age travellers visiting Mumbai and its suburbs can now enjoy a stay in a unique place - Urbanpod. And no, it is not pricey! The 'Pod hotel' offers rooms at affordable rates. This is India's first Pod hotel and its facility has come up in suburban Andheri consisting of 140 units. The initial investment was done by three promoters, and for expansion, the company is open for investments from venture funds, a top official said. "With an investment of Rs 5-15 crore per hotel depending on the locality, we are looking at an average of Rs 10-20 crore investment over the next three years," Urbanpod Co-founder and Director Hiren Gandhi told Pixr8. With an average price of Rs 2,000 per night, the individual pods are built in between 50 square feet and 90 sq ft space with self-contained a...
India is Set to Launch GSAT-9, A Gift to India’s Neighbours By PM Modi
INDIA

India is Set to Launch GSAT-9, A Gift to India’s Neighbours By PM Modi

India is set to launch its Geostationary Communication Satellite (GSAT-9), the South Asia Communication Satellite, that will boost connectivity among nations in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the South Asia Satellite would be India's "priceless gift" to its neighbouring countries on his Mann ki Baat programme on Sunday. The satellite, which costs around Rs 235 crore, will blast at 4.57 PM. The Geostationary Communication Satellite, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will blast off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, about 135 km from here. GSAT-9, considered as a gift to its South Asian neighbours, is all set to ride piggyback on the space agency's rocket GSLV-F09 with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage. ISRO Chair...