Sputnik V to be made in India by SII :The Serum Institute of India (SII) will be producing at least 300 million doses of Sputnik V a year, according to an announcement from Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, on the first day of the Assembly’s Budget session.
Bill seeks to ban the transport of cattle within as well as to and from the State : No person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cattle without a valid permit from any place of another State through Assam to any place outside the State of Assam, any place within the State of Assam to any place outside the State of Assam where the slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law.
Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy said that the National Archives’ records related to freedom fighters would be digitised within a year as a part of the commemoration of 75 years of Independence next year.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asserted on Monday that it was not possible to ensure population control through laws. He was reacting to Union Rural Development Minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s call for a policy on population control in Bihar, similar to the one launched by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Business News
The RBI on Monday announced the unveiling of a scheme under which retail investors will be allowed to open retail direct gilt accounts (RDG) directly with the central bank.
This account can be opened through a dedicated online portal, which will provide registered users access to primary issuance of government securities and to NDS-OM.
The scheme is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in government securities (G-secs) by individual investors.
India’s trade with China in the first half of 2021 rose by a record 62.7% — the highest increase among China’s major trade partners — with total two-way trade surpassing the pre-pandemic levels.
S&P Global Ratings kept India’s sovereign rating unchanged at the lowest investment grade of ‘BBB-’ for the 14th year in a row, and said the government’s ability to execute additional economic reforms that spur investment and create jobs will be crucial for recovery from the current economic slowdown.
National Payment Corporation of India’s arm, NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL) has partnered Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan for implementing BHIM UPI in Bhutan.
International News
Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the Nepali Congress, is the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
The 75-year old centrist politician was sworn to office by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, a day after the Supreme Court of Nepal, in a dramatic verdict, said Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli had violated constitutional principles.
Previously, Mr. Deuba served as Nepal’s Prime Minister four times from June 2017–February 2018, June 2004–February 2005, July 2001–October 2002 and September 1995–March 1997.
Russia and Mexico on Monday warned against any “outside interference” in Cuba after thousands took part in rare protests against the Communist government on the island nation.
France’s competition regulator fined Google 500 million euros for failing to negotiate in good faith with French publishers in a dispute over payments for their news.
Sports News
Deepak Kabra has become the first Indian to be selected for judging the gymnastics competition at the Olympic Games
Yashpal Sharma, India’s 1983 World Cup winner, has passed away.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has allotted the BWF World Championship to India for 2026.
This will be the second time that India will host the premium tournament, after the 2009 edition in Hyderabad.
India will be sending a 228-strong contingent to the Tokyo Olympics, including 119 athletes. This will be India’s largest-ever contingent for an Olympics.
Person in News
President Joe Biden has nominated West Virginia’s former health commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta as the nation’s top anti-drug official.
According to White House, Dr. Rahul Gupta will be the first physician to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy, also known as the “drug czar”.
