CURRENT UPDATE : INDIA BECOMES ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF CERN, GENEVA

India and European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) signed an agreement on Monday making India an Associate Member State of CERN; This follows CERN Council’s adoption of the resolution to this effect on September 15, 2016.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Sekhar Basu, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy and CERN Director General Dr. Fabiola Gianotti in Mumbai.

India’s Associate Membership will strengthen the long-term partnership between CERN and the Indian scientific community. 

Associate Membership will allow India to take part in meetings of the CERN Council and its committees (Finance Committee and Scientific Policy Committee). It will also make Indian scientists eligible for staff appointments.

Finally, once the Agreement enters into force, Indian industry will be entitled to bid for CERN contracts, which will open up opportunities for industrial collaboration in areas of advanced technology. 

CURRENT UPDATE : WORLD SANSKRIT AWARD

FIRST 'WORLD SANSKRIT AWARD'

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that the case for studying Sanskrit makes itself, and there is no need at all to invoke higher spiritual incentives in order to justify this. He was addressing the gathering after giving away the The World Sanskrit Award 2015 & 2016 by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), here today. The Vice President congratulated Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and Prof. George Cardona, an American linguist and Indologist for being the first recipients of ICCR’s World Sanskrit Awards.

CURRENT UPDATE : WITHDRAWAL OF LEGAL TENDER STATUS FOR ₹ 500 AND ₹ 1000 NOTES: RBI

Government of India vide their Notification dated November 8, 2016 have withdrawn the Legal Tender status of ₹ 500 and ₹ 1,000 denominations of banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series issued by the Reserve Bank till 8th November 2016.

This is necessitated to tackle counterfeiting Indian banknotes, to effectively nullify black money hoarded in cash and curb funding of terrorism with fake notes.

Starting from 10th November 2016, members of public/ corporates, business firms, societies, trusts etc holding these notes can tender them at any office of the Reserve Bank or any bank branch and obtain value thereof by credit into their respective bank accounts.

For their immediate cash needs, these notes of value upto ₹ 4,000 per person can be exchanged for cash over the counter of these bank branches.

Public are advised to present a valid proof of identity for availing this exchange facility.

Value credited to their bank accounts can be freely used by issue of cheques or by remitting through various electronic modes of transfer like NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, mobile banking, internet banking etc. Cash withdrawals from bank accounts, over the bank counters, will be restricted to a limited amount of ₹ 10,000 per week.

All ATMs and other cash machines will remain shut on 9th November 2016 to facilitate recalibration. When ready, they will be reactivated and cash drawals from ATM and other machines will be restricted to ₹ 2,000 per day.