The Centre, the Tamil Nadu Government and the World Bank have signed a $287-million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP). TNHSRP aims to improve the quality of healthcare, reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and fill equity gaps in reproductive and child health services in the State, according to an official statement.
Russia launched its first ever tourist train traveling through Russia’s Arctic region to Norway set off from Saint Petersburg station with 91 passengers aboard for the inaugural trial journey. The train named “Zarengold” (“The Tsars gold” in German) complete with two restaurant cars travel from Saint Petersburg through Petrozavodsk, the historic town of Kem and Murmansk.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attend the two-day meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors in Japan on June 8 and 9. It is the first overseas visit of Sitharaman as the Finance Minister. She took charge as full time finance minister last week. The main aim is to focus on the risks and challenges of overseas trade and investment in infrastructure which are faced by our country.
The 2nd Bi-Monthly monetary policy statement has been released. On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting decided to:
Reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 5.75% from 6.00% with immediate effect. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.50%, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.0%. The Reserve Bank of India lowered the economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7% due to slowdown in domestic activities and escalation in global trade war.
Malayalam Actor Sheela J.C. has won the J.C. Daniel Award, the highest honour in Malayalam cinema. She is only the second woman to get it, after Aranmula Ponnamma in 2005. She won the State and National Awards for the Second Best Female Actor for Akale.
L&T Financial Services’ (LTFS) ‘Digital Sakhi’, an educational programme aimed at digital financial inclusion of rural women, was launched in two villages of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. LTFS in association with Sri Aurobindo Society will train and develop a team of 100 rural women (Digital Sakhis) as digital enablers, who in turn, will train about 40,000 others in using digital modes of payments.
The 2nd Global Disability Summit being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ‘Disability Summit, Argentina 2019’, the three-day summit will be held from 6 June to 8 June 2019. India will be represented by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot. The Global Disability Summit is organized by International Alliance Disability (IDA). The summit will be focusing on deliberating issues across the world concerning empowerment and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
In the United States, Google’s India-born CEO Sundar Pichai and Nasdaq president Adena Friedman have been chosen for the prestigious Global Leadership Awards 2019 by business advocacy group USIBC in recognition of the two companies’ contribution as the leading technology-driven platforms. The award by Washington-based US-India Business Council (USIBC) would be conferred upon Indian-American Pichai, 46, and Friedman, 50, during ‘India Ideas Summit’.
Renowned scientist and cyclone warning specialist Mrutyunjay Mohapatra was appointed as the chief of India Meteorological Department (IMD). Mohapatra and his team at the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD have earned praise for their accurate forecasts on cyclones, its wind-speed and likely impact on life and property including during the recent cyclone ‘Fani’, when their timely warnings enabled the authorities to ensure early evacuation of millions of people.
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