Bankrupt Sri Lanka 1st Sep 2022 agreed a conditional $2.9 billion bailout with International Monetary Fund(IMF) negotiators, as the island nation seeks to overcome a bruising economic crisis that saw its president flee the country.

 

Months of acute food, fuel and medicine shortages, extended blackouts and runaway inflation have plagued the country after it ran out of dollars to finance even the most essential imports.

 

Sri Lanka has defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt and in July angry protesters stormed the home of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, with the leader subsequently fleeing the island and issuing his resignation from Singapore.

 

"This is an important step in the history of our country," said successor President Ranil Wickremesinghe of the IMF deal..

Source : The Daily Star

Brainchild of industry pioneer Sudip Ghose, Acefour Accessories, a travel accessories company, has signed Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassador for its eco-friendly luggage brand "uppercase" for two years. 

 

Jasprit Bumrah, exclusively managed by RISE Worldwide, a Reliance initiative and India's largest sports and entertainment company, will lead the D2C brand's 'Never Ordinary' campaign. His extraordinary game across formats makes him the perfect fit to represent the brand.

 

The campaign 'Never Ordinary' is spread across a series of creatives, weaved in a way that tells the features and USPs of the uppercase's bags. The films showcase the uppercase's bags as a perfect everyday companion that is eco-friendly in nature.

 

It highlights that uppercase bags are GRS (Global Recycle Standard)-certified sustainable travel gear. It essentially makes uppercase one of the first travel accessories brands in India to meet international product standards and recycled content certification, which comes with social and environmental practices and no hazardous chemicals restrictions. The creative showcasing of the efficacy of the gears is now live across OTT and social media platforms.

 

uppercase's gears are not only fashionably sustainable but also come with rainproof zippers, 3X more water resistance material, and premium recycled fabric with quality so good that backpacks can stand even when unstuffed. 

 

The bags are handcrafted and right-sized for different needs. The soft luggage is so sturdy that the brand is giving a 2500-day international warranty. For probably the first time in the industry, we will see all-over printed soft luggage at these price points.

 

Talking about roping in Bumrah, Sudip Ghose, Spokesperson/Founder of uppercase, said, "Our brand is young, dynamic, and never ordinary, just like Jasprit Bumrah. 

 

Co-founder and Chief Business Officer (CBO) of uppercase, Shivaprasad, said, "Jasprit Bumrah has shown over the years he is never ordinary with his terrific bowling spells, world record batting feat and being a leader on the field..

Senior Indian Information Service officer, Dr. Vasudha Gupta 1st September 2022 assumed the charge of Director General of News Services Division, All India Radio. 

 

A 1989-batch Officer Dr. Gupta has served in various capacities in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in an over 32 year long career. Before her appointment as Director General of the News Services Division of All India Radio, she was serving as DG, Press Information Bureau.

 

During her stint at Press Information Bureau(PIB), she played an instrumental role in devising and implementation of information dissemination products during the challenging period of COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

She is credited for leading the important initiative of developing a feedback dashboard for the Government of India across various media platforms, as also, establishment of Fact Check system for the government. 

 

A Ph.D in Finance from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Dr. Vasudha Gupta helped in the introduction of social media platforms in regional languages through All India Radio while she was posted as Additional Director General in AIR News..

Source : News on Air

India's unemployment rate surged to a one-year high of 8.3 per cent in August as employment sequentially fell by 2 million to 394.6 million, according to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

 

During July, the unemployment rate was at 6.8 per cent and the employment was 397 million, the CMIE data added.

 

"The urban unemployment rate is usually higher at about 8 per cent than the rural unemployment rate, which is usually around 7 per cent. In August the urban unemployment rate shot up to 9.6 per cent and rural unemployment rate also increased to 7.7 per cent," CMIE managing director Mahesh Vyas told PTI.

 

The unemployment rate in rural India rose from 6.1 per cent in July to 7.7 per cent in August. More importantly, the employment rate fell from 37.6 per cent to 37.3 per cent.

 

During August, the unemployment was the highest in Haryana at 37.3 per cent followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 32.8 per cent, Rajasthan at 31.4 per cent, Jharkhand at 17.3 per cent and Tripura at 16.3 per cent, according to the data.

 

While the unemployment was the lowest in Chhattisgarh at 0.4 per cent followed by Meghalaya at 2 per cent, Maharashtra at 2.2 per cent and Gujarat and Odisha at 2.6 per cent each, the data showed..

Source : Business Standard

* Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and  IT, in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency of "Singapore" successfully designed and conducted the Cyber Security Exercise “Synergy” for 13 Countries 31st Aug 2022. 

 

* It was a part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group. The Group is being led by India under the leadership of National Security Council Secretariat. The theme of the exercise was “Building Network Resiliency to counter Ransomware Attacks”. 

 

* The exercise scenario was derived from real life cyber incidents, in which a domestic level (limited impact) ransomware incident escalates to a global cyber security crisis.

 

* The Exercise “Synergy” was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform. Each State participated as a National Crisis Management Team having composition from different government agencies. 

 

* The specific objective of the exercise was to Assess, Share and Improve strategies and practices among Member-States to build network resiliency against ransomware & cyber extortion attacks.  .

Source : News on Air

Home Minister Amit Shah 1st Sep 2022 launched the "Central Armed Police Forces' eAwas" web-portal in New Delhi today(1st Sep 2022).

 

* Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah said, the Central Armed Police Forces have always been a strong pillar of the country's internal security.

* He said, since the Independence till date, more than 35 thousand police personnel have lost their lives while ensuring internal security and due to their sacrifices citizens sleep in peace with a sense of security. 

 

* The Home Minister said, the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that it is its responsibility to care for the families of Jawans who protect the nation’s borders in difficult circumstances so that they can serve the country without worry. He said, the CAPF e-Awas portal launched today is another step in the same direction.


Source : News on Air

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal in the field of biodiversity conservation, to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, and climate change.

 

“The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for signing an MoU with the Government of Nepal on biodiversity conservation, with a view to strengthen and enhance the coordination and cooperation in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change, including restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and share knowledge and best practices, between the two countries,” said a press release issued by the Cabinet.

India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world and it is taking several steps to conserve the wildlife population and biodiversity. Earlier, ex-Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar had said, “India has thriving wildlife and biodiversity.”..

Source : The Print

Meghalaya Chief Minister "Conrad K Sangma" on Wednesday(31st aug 2022) said the state's "Progress" scheme aims to ensure that the farmers earn a sustainable livelihood through different livestock farming activities.

 

Launching the ambitious flagship programme for the farmers - "Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme" under National Livestock Mission at Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district, the Chief Minister said that the government through different welfare schemes is successfully providing income generation opportunities and economic prosperity to the farmers.

 

He informed that Meghalaya acquires 18,000 MT of pork from different States and there is a huge shortfall in supply and demand, through the piggery scheme the state envisions addressing the shortage of pork supply.

 

He informed that the flagship programme "Progress" has been conceptualised by the government to ensure the prosperity of grassroots families through livestock intervention which includes piggery, poultry, etc.

 

Under Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme - phase 1, the government has earmarked Rs 15.18 crore under which four high-yielding improved varieties will be distributed to 6000 families...

Source : Business Standard

In India, the first week of September is celebrated as National Nutrition Week. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness among the general public about the value of healthy eating practices and proper nutrition for upholding a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet and an active, healthy lifestyle are required for this. The government launches programmes to promote nutrition awareness throughout this week.

 

Theme : Every year, as part of National Nutrition Week, the government also introduces a special theme that focuses primarily on that year’s theme. The theme for this year(2022) is "Celebrate a World of Flavors". Last year(2021), the government announced this theme for the week - feeding smart right from start.

 

Significance : In order to keep this cycle under control, well-balanced and nutritious food is crucial. Nutrition is at the centre of our daily life.

 

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Government of India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development organises an annual week-long celebration of National Nutrition Week to inform people about this basic phenomenon.

The importance and role of healthy diet in the human body are emphasised. A balanced diet full of essential nutrients is essential for healthy development and function. The Indian government has started programmes that emphasise good nutrition, wholesome food, and a healthy lifestyle..

Source : News18

Andhra Pradesh government has on Friday(26th Aug 2022) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based Parley for the Oceans, to clean the shores of the State and make Andhra Pradesh plastic free by 2027. 

 

As part of the MoU, Parley Future Institute along with Parley Super Hub will be set up in the State to manufacture goods with recycled plastic, attracting ₹16,000 crore investment in the next six years and generating employment to over 20,000 people. 

 

Speaking after signing of the MoU in Visakhapatnam, the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said environment and economy were two sides of a coin and his government was moving ahead with inclusivity and sustainability to protect and nurture the environment. 

 

 

”Visakhapatnam has taken up the world’s largest beach cleaning programme with the participation of over 22,000 people at a stretch of 28 km starting from Gokul Beach to Bheemili Beach, about 76 tonnes of plastic was collected from the seashore,’‘ he said. 

 

Emphasising that it is the responsibility of all to save the oceans, he said that 70 per cent of the world’s oxygen comes from marine plants and plastic debris has affected at least 267 marine species worldwide..

Source : The Hindu Businessline