UN World Food Programme, Alibaba Group form strategic partnership to eliminate hunger

  • United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group have formed a strategic partnership to support efforts eliminate hunger globally by 2030.
  • The agreement was signed at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
  • Alibaba will lend its cutting-edge technology and resources to support digital transformation of WFP’s operations.
  • The agreement also aims to boost efficiency of interventions and shorten emergency response times.

RBI plans ombudsman for digital payments

  • The Reserve Bank of India is likely to establish an ombudsman for digital payments by March 2019.
  • The aim is to take the load off the banking ombudsman, which is currently handling a large number of such complaints.
  • RBI is in the process of creating a scheme for establishing offices across the country for the digital payments ombudsman.

Meghalaya announces Rs. 378 crore investment in Aqua Mission 2.0

  • The Meghalaya Government announced Rs378 crore investment in the second phase of the State’s flagship aquaculture mission.
  • The mission’s aim is to reduce fish imports into the state.
  • Meghalaya State Aqua Mission 2.0 was announced by Fisheries Minister Comingone Ymbon at the 5th state aqua festival held in Shillong.

RBI relaxes ECB norms for infrastructure companies

  • The Reserve Bank has liberalised the norms governing foreign borrowings (also known as external commercial borrowings or ECBs) for infrastructure creation.
  • The move has been made in consultation with the Government.
  • The minimum average maturity requirement for ECBs in the infrastructure space raised by eligible borrowers has been reduced to three years from the earlier five years.
  • Additionally, the average maturity requirement for mandatory hedging has been reduced to five years from the earlier ten years.

K9 Vajra, M777 Howitzer guns inducted into Indian Army

  • New artillery guns and equipment have been inducted into the Indian Army, including K9 Vajra and M777 howitzers, at Deolali artillery centre in Nashik, Maharashtra.
  • The M777 American Ultra Light Howitzers and the K-9 Vajra guns have a range of 30 km.
  • They can be moved to a specified location using helicopters and service aircraft.

Ayodhya Deepotsav 2018 makes it to Guinness Book of World Records

  • Ayodhya Deepostav 2018, an event organised to mark the Diwali celebrations in the town of Ayodhya, has entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
  • The record was set when more than three lakh clay lamps were illuminated at Ram Ki Paidi on Chhoti Diwali as part of Deepotsava.
  • A Guinness Book of World Records certificate was issued to the UP government’s tourism department and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Avadh University, Faizabad.

Ladakh restoration project wins UNESCO award

  • The restoration project of an aristocratic house which was in a state of partial ruin in Ladakh has won an UNESCO Asia-Pacific award for conservation.
  • The Ladakh project won the Award of Distinction under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

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