1 Rajasthan becomes first state to launch water resources control portal
Rajasthan became the first Indian state to launch State Water Resources Information System Control Portal to predict drought and enable better water management based on water availability. Water Resources Minister, Government of Rajasthan, Suresh Singh Rawat launched the initiative at a program organized at Sinchai Bhawan, Jaipur, Rajasthan. This portal was developed by the Department of Water Resources under the National Hydrology Project. Now the general public will be able to get real time data of water of dams and canals through the portal.
2. On the occasion of Medin Poya festival, Indian High Commission inaugurated Buddhist exhibition in Colombo
On the auspicious occasion of the ongoing Medin Poya festival in Sri Lanka , the Indian High Commission launched a Buddhist exhibition at the Sri Sambodhi Mahavihara Temple in Colombo . In this exhibition, photographs of important events related to the life of Lord Buddha and Buddhist pilgrimage sites located all over India are being displayed. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha was present on the occasion.
3 Bina Agarwal and James Boyce received the first “Global Inequality Research Award”
Bina Agarwal and James Boyce have been awarded the first “ Global Inequality Research Prize ” for their significant contributions to understanding global inequalities, particularly in the areas of social and environmental inequalities. Award winners will be invited to receive their awards and present an overview of their work at conferences in Paris in the fall and spring of 2024. These conferences will be organized in conjunction with Sciences Po’s Socio-Ecological Change (SET) initiative.
4 Tech Mahindra and IBM partner to promote digital adoption
Tech Mahindra and IBM have joined hands to inaugurate a Synergy Lounge in Singapore , which aims to accelerate digital adoption for enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region. This collaboration seeks to leverage next generation technologies to foster innovation and provide unique solutions to various industries. Tech Mahindra and IBM announced the opening of Synergy Lounge in Singapore. Located on Tech Mahindra’s campus, the lounge aims to facilitate the adoption of next generation technologies among enterprises in APAC.
5 Govind Dholakia appointed as the new chairman of Surat Diamond Bourse
Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) has appointed Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Govind Dholakia as its new chairman. The appointment comes a day after previous chairman Vallabhbhai Patel (Lakhani) resigned from his post.
6 Paytm gets third-party license from NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India recently approved Paytm owner One97 Communications Ltd to participate in the Unified Payments Interface as a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) under the multi-bank model . Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank will act as Payment System Provider (PSP) banks for Paytm. Earlier, Paytm operated through its own payments bank license. However due to regulatory non-compliance RBI imposed several restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank. TPAPs are entities that facilitate UPI payments by connecting customers and merchants through an application or platform.
7 SAIC Motor and JSW Group launch a joint venture ‘JSW MG Motor India Pvt Ltd’
The new joint venture (JV) company ‘ JSW MG Motor India Pvt Ltd ‘ was launched as a collaboration between JSW Group and MG Motor India Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai (China) based SAIC Motor . The JV aims to sell 1 million electric vehicles in India by 2030 and plans to launch new models, including new energy vehicles (NEVs), every three to six months from September 2024. It also plans to invest USD 750 million (about Rs 5,000 crore) to produce 300,000 units per year. Through this partnership, MG Motor will increase its annual production capacity at its plant in Halol, Gujarat from 100,000 to 300,000 units. JSW will hold a 35% stake in the joint venture, while Everstone, certain dealers and employees will hold about 16%, taking the total stake held by Indian investors to 51%.
8 March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is celebrated every year on 25 March . In 2007, March 25 was set for annual international observance by the United Nations. This day remembers those who suffered and died due to the ‘Transatlantic Slave Trade’. It has been called the worst violation of human rights in history. In the case of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 15 million men, women and children became its victims over 400 years. The day also focuses on raising awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.
9 International Day for the Right to Truth 2024
International Day for the Right to the Truth Regarding Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is celebrated every year on 24 March. This day is celebrated every year on 24th March to pay tribute to “ Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero ” as he was assassinated on 24th March 1980. He actively criticized human rights violations of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador.
