Parliamentary panel to examine functioning of EPFO

  • A parliamentary panel will examine the functioning of retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), its coverage and recovery of arrears.
  • The panel will be headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya.
  • Earlier, the panel had suggested that the EPFO should act as the sole regulator for all categories of provident funds, particularly private PF trusts.

India’s first domestic luxury cruise ‘Angriya’ flagged off from Mumbai

  • Angriya, India’s first luxury cruise ship, has been flagged off at Mumbai’s newly inaugurated cruise terminal.
  • The cruise liner will operate between Mumbai and Goa.
  • It is named after the first Maratha Navy Admiral Kanhoji Angre and the Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg.
  • Angriya has 104 rooms and can accommodate 399 passengers.

US-based Dalit writer Sujatha Gidla wins Shakti Bhatt Prize

  • Sujatha Gidla, a US-based Dalit writer, has won this year’s Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.
  • Gidla’s book is titled ‘Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India’.
  • Her debut book takes readers through four generations of her family, focusing primarily on her uncle and People’s War Group co-founder K G Satyamurthy.
  • The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize is funded by the Shakti Bhatt Foundation. It was set up in 2008 in memory of young writer Shakti and carries a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh.

India ranks 2nd last in pension schemes; Netherlands, Denmark on top: Study

  • India has emerged as the second lowest among 34 countries providing retirement income systems with good benefits, according to the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index.
  • India has been put into the Grade-D section, and is with Japan, China, Korea (South), Mexico and Argentina.
  • Netherlands and Denmark both offer A-Grade world-class retirement income systems with good benefits.
  • The report reveals that the ageing population has continued to pose challenges to the governments worldwide.
  • Policymakers from around the world have struggled to deliver financial security for their retirees that is adequate for the individual and sustainable for the economy.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates National Police Memorial in New Delhi

  • Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Police Memorial, laying wreaths and paying homage to the martyrs at the memorial.
  • He also inaugurated the Museum of National Police memorial and signed the visitor’s book.
  • The memorial recognises supreme sacrifices made by police personnel since independence.

India, China sign agreement on security cooperation

  • The first India-China high-level meeting on bilateral security cooperation was held in New Delhi.
  • The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, including bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism.
  • The agreement on security cooperation was signed India’s Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, and State Councilor and Minister of Public Security of China, Zhao Kezhi.

27th Fusion Energy Conference held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

  • The 27th Fusion Energy Conference is being held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
  • The event is organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is hosted by Department of Atomic Energy and Gandhinagar-based Institute of Plasma Research.
  • Innovative concepts on using nuclear fusion as a source of energy will be discussed at the conference.

More on Current Affairs

To stay up to date with current affairs and to test your general knowledge, check out our latest Current Affairs quiz.