RBI
to Soon Put One Rupee Notes in Circulation Again
After a gap of about two
decades, the RBI will again put in circulation rupee one notes soon. Printing
of one rupee note was discontinued about 20 years ago. "These currency
notes are legal tender as provided in the Coinage Act 2011. The existing currency
notes in this denomination in circulation will also continue to be a legal
tender," the Reserve Bank of India said in release. At present, one rupee
coins are minted. "The new currency note will be predominantly pink green
on obverse and reverse in combination with other colours", the RBI said.
"The RBI will soon put in circulation currency notes in one rupee
denomination. The notes will be printed by the Government of India," the
Reserve Bank said. Unlike other currency notes which the bear signature of RBI
Governor, the one rupee note will have signature of the Finance Secretary.
January
WPI inflation dips to -0.39% versus 0.11% in December
Wholesale price index fell
for the second time in three months in January as oil prices slumped,
bolstering prospects for further interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI). The wholesale price index (WPI) unexpectedly fell 0.39 per cent
last month from the same period a year earlier, its biggest decline since June
2009, government data showed on Monday. The fuel price index tumbled 10.69 per
cent on-year.
Hindujas
power up Modi’s renewable push with $1 billion investment in solar
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s thrust on putting India on the renewable energy map is luring big
corporates to invest in this segment. In the latest such investment in the
sector, the Hinduja Group on Monday said it is looking to pump in about a
billion dollars to set up solar-based power units in the country to generate
1,000 MW. “We have identified locations in three States, including Rajasthan
and Gujarat,” Gopichand P Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the $25-billion Group said at
a media interaction. The company has acquired land and is in talks with three
potential partners, of which one will be selected after due diligence. Shom
Hinduja, the 23-year-old son of Group Chairman Ashok Hinduja, is leading the
entry into the solar power business.
IPL
auction: Delhi Daredevils bags Yuvraj for a record Rs.16 crore
He may not have made it to
the World Cup squad, but all-rounder Yuvraj Singh proved that he is still in
the game after Delhi Daredevils snared him for a record Rs.16 crore in the IPL
auctions. Last year, Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Yuvraj for Rs.14 crore,
the highest-ever bid then in the IPL auctions. In the latest round of auctions,
a total of 67 players went under the hammer, including 23 foreign ones. Yuvraj
was the hot favourite when the bidding opened in the morning at a five-star
hotel in the city. In a four-way bidding war, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI
Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers tried to outbid each other to
bag Yuvraj. But once the bidding crossed Rs.7 crore, Rajasthan and Punjab teams
withdrew, leaving Bangalore and Delhi in the field. Royal Challengers bought
Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik for Rs.10.5 crore, the
second-highest bid for a player in the eighth edition of the auctions conducted
by Richard Madley. While bidding for some of the key players went on expected
lines, star South African batsman Hashim Amla went unsold though he carried a
base price of Rs. 2 crore. So did Kumara Sangakkara, the former Sri Lankan
captain, who carried a base price of Rs. 1 crore. Among the uncapped players,
Mumbai batsman, Shreyas Iyer was bagged by Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs.
2.6 crore while Karnataka’s little known leg break bowler KC Cariappa went to
Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs. 2.40 crore.
SBI
starts tech learning centres to help customers use alternate banking channels
To get customers to use
alternate banking channels such as ATMs, Internet and mobile banking, State
Bank of India has started technology learning centres at 385 regional business
offices across the country. India’s largest bank is conducting free interactive
learning sessions for customers on the third Friday of every month at these
offices. “We found that many of our customers needed handholding to use
technology oriented offerings from the bank. So, we have started an initiative
called technology learning centre. “Therefore, at 385 RBOs (regional business
offices), on the third Friday of every month, we have customer gatherings in
two sessions in the evening,” said Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya.
SBI
commits Rs. 75,000 crore for clean energy generation
State Bank of India has
committed Rs. 75,000 crore for generation of 15,000 MW of renewable energy in
the next 5 years. “SBI has committed to provide Rs. 75,000 crore over a period
of five years for the renewal energy sector,” SBI Chairperson Arundhati
Bhattacharya said at the first Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet. “The funding
would be for 15,000 MW of renewal power. Of course, the proposals will have to
be viable and they also have to be viable as per the norms of the banks,” she
said. SBI has a loan exposure of Rs. 1.78 lakh crore in the power sector
including conventional energy and discoms. Of this, she said, the bank’s
outstanding loan towards clean energy is to the tune of Rs. 7,500 crore.
Infosys
Buys US-Based Panaya for $200 Million
IT major Infosys has
announced the acquisition of US-based Panaya for $200 million or Rs 1,250
crore. This is Infosys' second largest acquisition since the September 2012
deal to acquire Zurich-based Lodestone Holding. New Jersey-based Panaya
provides cloud-based quality management services for enterprise applications;
its clients include companies such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Unilever,
among others. The all-cash deal is expected to close before March 31, 2015,
Infosys said in a statement on Monday. "Panaya's acquisition reflects
Infosys' execution of its Renew and New strategy to enhance the competitiveness
and productivity of current service lines by leveraging automation, innovation
and artificial intelligence," the company said in a statement. The
acquisition comes at a time when Infosys, India's second-biggest IT outsourcing
company, is betting on new technology to boost growth. Under chief executive
Vishal Sikka, Infosys has been making big bets on automation and other new
technology like artificial intelligence and cloud-based services as the company
tries to regain some lost ground from rivals like Tata Consultancy Services.
Manappuram
buys microfinance company Asirvad
Kerala-based gold loan
company Manappuram Finance Ltd, on Friday, said it has acquired a majority
stake in Chennai based micro-finance company Asirvad Micro Finance Pvt Ltd as
it seeks to diversify into different financial businesses. Manappuram acquired
71.14% stake in Asirvad for Rs.48.63 crore in an all cash transaction. It plans
to invest a further Rs.63 crore in into the micro-finance company to take its
stake to 84.98%, the company said. Asirvad has 115 branches spread across Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Manappuram Finance had 3,293 branches across 27
states and Union territories with assets under management (AUM) of Rs.88.23
billion as on 31 December 2014.
India-Born
Punit Renjen to be Deloitte Global CEO
India-born Punit Renjen has
been appointed the next chief executive of US-based accounting giant Deloitte's
global operations, becoming the first person of Indian-origin to head a
'Big-Four' audit firm. Mr Renjen joins a growing list of persons of Indian
origin like Indira Nooyi, Satya Nadela and Anshu Jain who have made to the top
posts at multi-billion dollar global corporations PepsiCo, Microsoft and
Deutsche Bank, respectively. Deloitte, which is present across 150 countries
including India and employs over two lakh people, is one of the four largest
audit firms in the world and competes with PwC, KPMG and EY. Hailing from
Rohtak, Haryana, Mr Renjen will assume his new role of Deloitte Global CEO from
June 1. He will succeed Barry Salzberg in this role and is currently serving as
US business chairman and CEO of the group. "I am honoured to have been
elected as Deloitte Global's next CEO," Mr Renjen said in a statement.
Supersonic
BrahMos successfully test-fired from INS Kolkata
The Navy successfully
test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from its latest stealth
destroyer INS Kokata, the largest-ever warship built in India till now, during
its ongoing major Tropex exercise being conducted in the Arabian Sea. The 290km
deadly conventional missile hit its target with pinpoint accuracy during this
first-ever vertical launch from the 6,800-tonne INS Kolkata, which was
commissioned in August last year. Two more follow-on destroyers, INS Kochi and
INS Chennai, are being constructed at the Mazagon Docks under the overall Rs
11,662 crore project. "The two warships, like INS Kolkata, are also being
equipped with the universal vertical-launched BrahMos missile system as their
principle precision strike weapon. The warships can fire 16 missiles in a salvo
mode," said an official.
All
India Football Federation Awards: Sunil Chhetri and Bala Devi win Player of the
Year Trophy
Sunil Chhetri from
Secunderabad and Bala Devi from Manipur won the All India Football Federation
(AIFF) 2014 Player of the Year - Male and Female trophy, respectively.
31-year-old Chhetri, who is Captain for the Indian National Football Team, has
been chosen as the winner for the 'AIFF 2014 Player of the Year' award on the
basis of voting done by the Coaches from I-League Clubs. As of now, Chhetri has
been named AIFF Player of the Year four times in 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2014.
While Chhetri will be presented a prize of Rs 2 lakh, Devi would be presented
Rs 1 lakh, besides a Trophy, each. With this, Chhetri also broke the record of
IM Vijayan, who won the award for a total of three times. Vijayan had won it in
1992, 1997 and 2000. In the year 2014, 24-year-old Devi scored 16 goals to help
India retain the SAFF Women's Crown in Islamabad.
McCullum
becomes first cricketer to win New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year award
Brendon McCullum, became the
first cricketer to win New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year award in the last 24
years. McCullum, who is the current captain in all three forms of the
international game, has been awarded for
scoring over 1000 Test runs in the year 2014 and New Zealand's first Test
triple-ton. WIth this, 33-year-old McCullum became the first cricketer from New
Zealand to create such record since former captain Martin Crowe in 1991. New
Zealand also won nine One-Day Internationals and six Twenty20 Internationals,
taking their victory tally to 20 in 35 matches. McCullum was also a finalist
for the supreme prize, the Halberg Award, but was beaten by Olympic and world
rowing champions Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. Currently, he plays for the Otago
Volts at provincial level. He played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian
Premier League, having also spent one year with Kochi Tuskers Kerala. McCullum
was a wicket-keeper until 2013, and is an aggressive batsman who opens in
One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate. He currently
plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. McCullum is the leading career scorer
in Twenty20 International cricket and is the first and so far only player to
have scored two Twenty20 International centuries and 2000 runs in T20
Internationals. He was the previous record holder for the highest individual
score in a Twenty20 International (123 against Bangladesh in 2012) and highest
individual score in all Twenty20 cricket (158 not out for the Kolkata Knight
Riders against Bangalore Royal Challengers in 2008). On 18 February 2014,
McCullum scored 302 runs against India making him the first New Zealand
cricketer to score a triple hundred in Test cricket.
Former
home minister of Maharashtra RR Patil passes away
Former Home Minister of
Maharashtra, Raosaheb Ramrao Patil has passed away in Mumbai. He was 57 years
old and was suffering from oral cancer. R. R Patil was born on 16 August 1957
in Anjani village of Sangli district in Maharashtra. He was popularly known as
Aaba. His political career spanned over 25 years and belonged to the
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He was elected to the Maharashtra legislative
assembly for consecutive 6 times in 1990, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 from
Tasgaon constituency of Sangli district. R. R Patil was Deputy Chief Minister
of Maharashtra from November 2004 to December 2008 during the NCP-Congress
coalition government.
India,
Sri Lanka inks agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, Cultural cooperation
India and Sri Lanka have
signed an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, Cultural cooperation during
Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisen four-day visit to
India.
Sri Lanka has signed first
such bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation.
Following agreements were
signed between India and Sri Lanka
Agreement
on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy- It
will facilitate the transfer and exchange of knowledge and expertise, resources
in peaceful uses of Nuclear energy between both nations. This agreement also
includes capacity building and training of personnel for nuclear security,
radioactive waste management and nuclear and radiological disaster mitigation
and environmental protection.
Programme
of Cultural cooperation between both nations for years 2015-18 –It
seeks to enhance cooperation in different fields like arts, visuals arts,
cultural documentation, archeology, handicrafts etc between both nations.
MoU
on establishment of Nalanda University- It will enable Sri Lanka
to participate in India’s Nalanda University project.
Work
Plan 2014-15 under MoU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture- It
will facilitate bilateral cooperation in Agro Processing, Agricultural
extension, horticulture, agricultural machinery, training in farm
mechanization, livestock diseases, etc. between relevant institutes and
organizations from both countries.
French
actor Louis Jourdan passes away
French actor Louis Jourdan
has passed away on 14 February 2015 in Los Angeles, United States. He was 93.
He was best known for his role in the multi-Oscar winning musical film Gigi of
1958 and also for his roles in several Hollywood films, including The Paradine
Case (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Best of Everything
(1959), The V.I.P.s (1963) and Octopussy (1983).
China
opens largest embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan
China has opened new embassy
in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is the largest overseas diplomatic mission of China.
An opening ceremony of this embassy was held on 13 February 2015, during
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi ‘s three day visit to Pakistan. During the
opening ceremony Wang Yi has described its largest overseas embassy as a symbol
of friendship between China and Pakistan. However, China has not disclosed the
details of the new embassy. The opening of China’s largest Islamabad based
embassy came after China and Pakistan deepen their all weather relations by
constructing the multi-billion Economic Corridor through the Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir (PoK) region.
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