Kerala Affairs
Kerala offered Rs 150 crore to scrap old government vehicles
The Centre has offered the cash-strapped Rs 150 crore that can be spent in the next two months if it scraps all the government vehicles that are more than 15 years old.
It has been said that the scrapping old government vehicles is part of the larger scheme of theministry of road transportand highways (MoRTH) to reduce old, unfit and polluting vehicles in the country. The Centre has earmarked Rs 2,000 crore as incentives to the states for scrapping the old government vehicles under the scheme. The states have been placed under four categories with respect to the vehicle Population and density, in whichKeralafalls in the category-two, which would be offered Rs 150 crore each.
The state has been asked to come up with an order specifying the number of government vehicles that it would scrap, scrap them at the registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF), and share the proof of scrapping the vehicles with the MoRTH. After examining the state’s achievement, the MoRTH would then recommend the ministry of finance to release the incentive for the state.
National and International Affairs
PM Modi inaugurates worlds longest railway platform in Hubballi, Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated World`s longest RAILWAY platform of 1.5 kilometres at Sri Siddhaarooda railway station in Hubballi in the state of Karnataka. The inauguration of the platform was done during the PMs Karnataka visit in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. It is to be noted that Indian Railways, South Western Railway Zones Hubbali is now registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest platform.
The worlds longest railway platform will cater to the transportation needs of the Hubballi-Dharwad region and will help in enhancing the operational capacity of the yard. Furthermore, it will enable the operations of trains in both directions.
IREDA gets Infrastructure Finance Company status from RBI
The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has granted an Finance Company (IFC) status to Indian RENEWABLE ENERGY Development Agency (IREDA) today. It was earlier classified as Investment and Credit Company (ICC).
With the IFC status, IREDA will be able to take higher exposure in RE financing. The IFC status will also help the company to access wider investor base for fund mobilisation, resulting in competitive rates for fund raising.
The recognition of IREDA as an IFC will increase the investors confidence, enhance the brand value, and generate positive outlook in the market. The grant of IFC status is a recognition of IREDAs 36 years of Infrastructure Financing and development with focused development of Renewable Energy. With IFC status, IREDA will keep contributing towards Govt. of Indias target of 500 GW installed capacity of non-fossil fuels by 2030.
IREDA has been promoting, developing and financing new and renewable sources of energy with the motto: Energy for Ever since 1987. It finances all RE technologies and value chain such as solar, wind, hydro, bio-energy, Waste to Energy, Energy Efficiency, e-mobility, battery storage, biofuel and new and emerging technologies.
Oscars 2023: RRRs Naatu Naatu wins Best Original Song
The 95th Academy Awards (Oscars 2023) have announced that RRRs Naatu Naatu won Best Original Song. The song had to beat out songs like Applause from Tell It Like a Woman, Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and This is Life from Everything Everywhere All At Once. The Oscars 2023 was accepted by lyricist Chandrabose and composer Keeravani.
The songs words were written by Chandrabose, with music by MM Keeravaani, and it was performed by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj. Naatu Naatu received the Golden Globe for best song. RRR became the first Indian film to win a Golden Globe as a result of the victory.
Bhutans graduation from the UN list of Least Developed Countries
Recently, at the United Nations Least Developed Countries (LDC) Summit that concluded on March 9 in Doha, Qatar, the landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will no longer be on the list of LDCs and will become only the seventh country to graduate from the list
Bhutan was included in the first group of LDCs in 1971.However, over the last few decades, it has made remarkable progress on a variety of socio-economic metrics.
Bhutan first fulfilled the requirements for graduation in 2015, and then again in 2018. Bhutan was therefore scheduled to graduate in 2021
PM Modi inaugurates worlds longest railway platform in Hubballi, Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated World`s longest RAILWAY platform of 1.5 kilometres at Sri Siddhaarooda railway station in Hubballi in the state of Karnataka. The inauguration of the platform was done during the PMs Karnataka visit in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. It is to be noted that Indian Railways, South Western Railway Zones Hubbali is now registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest platform.
The worlds longest railway platform will cater to the transportation needs of the Hubballi-Dharwad region and will help in enhancing the operational capacity of the yard. Furthermore, it will enable the operations of trains in both directions.
IREDA gets Infrastructure Finance Company status from RBI
The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has granted an Finance Company (IFC) status to Indian RENEWABLE ENERGY Development Agency (IREDA) today. It was earlier classified as Investment and Credit Company (ICC).
With the IFC status, IREDA will be able to take higher exposure in RE financing. The IFC status will also help the company to access wider investor base for fund mobilisation, resulting in competitive rates for fund raising.
The recognition of IREDA as an IFC will increase the investors confidence, enhance the brand value, and generate positive outlook in the market. The grant of IFC status is a recognition of IREDAs 36 years of Infrastructure Financing and development with focused development of Renewable Energy. With IFC status, IREDA will keep contributing towards Govt. of Indias target of 500 GW installed capacity of non-fossil fuels by 2030.
IREDA has been promoting, developing and financing new and renewable sources of energy with the motto: Energy for Ever since 1987. It finances all RE technologies and value chain such as solar, wind, hydro, bio-energy, Waste to Energy, Energy Efficiency, e-mobility, battery storage, biofuel and new and emerging technologies.
Oscars 2023: RRRs Naatu Naatu wins Best Original Song
The 95th Academy Awards (Oscars 2023) have announced that RRRs Naatu Naatu won Best Original Song. The song had to beat out songs like Applause from Tell It Like a Woman, Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and This is Life from Everything Everywhere All At Once. The Oscars 2023 was accepted by lyricist Chandrabose and composer Keeravani.
The songs words were written by Chandrabose, with music by MM Keeravaani, and it was performed by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj. Naatu Naatu received the Golden Globe for best song. RRR became the first Indian film to win a Golden Globe as a result of the victory.
Bhutans graduation from the UN list of Least Developed Countries
Recently, at the United Nations Least Developed Countries (LDC) Summit that concluded on March 9 in Doha, Qatar, the landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will no longer be on the list of LDCs and will become only the seventh country to graduate from the list
Bhutan was included in the first group of LDCs in 1971.However, over the last few decades, it has made remarkable progress on a variety of socio-economic metrics.
Bhutan first fulfilled the requirements for graduation in 2015, and then again in 2018. Bhutan was therefore scheduled to graduate in 2021