1) Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS): India will soon allow cross-border bill payments via BBPS for NRIs in UK.
- The BBPS is already available to NRIs living in Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Bahrain.
- Allowing cross-border bill payments is part of India’s larger digital payment push.
- BBPS is a Centralised Bill Payment System for recurring payments (Electricity, Gas, DTH, Water, Telecom Postpaid, FASTag etc.)
- It was launched by National Payments Council of India (NPCI).
- NPCI is owned by a consortium of banks, aimed at creating robust payments and settlement systems.
- It has also launched UPI
2) Matsya 6000: Under project Samudrayaan, Indian scientists are planning to send three people 6000 meters underwater in an indigenously developed submersible called ‘Matsya 6000’.
- Samudrayaan mission is part of Deep Ocean Mission.
- Matsya 6000 is being designed and developed by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai under Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- It will facilitate in exploring deep sea mineral resources rich in Nickel, Cobalt, Rare Earths, Manganese, etc., and collection of samples, for further analysis.
- It has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in case of emergency for human safety
3) Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD’s) Initiatives to Reshape Disability Rights Landscape: DEPwD will launch 5 initiatives to foster inclusivity, advance disability rights, and harness technology to improve lives of PwDs.
Initiatives include:
- MOU with Council of Architecture: To mandate universal accessibility courses in Bachelor of Architecture programs.
- Release of Anonymous Data of UDID (Unique Disability ID): To facilitate data-driven decision-making in disability sector.
- PM Daksh Portal: Comprehensive digital platform for PwDs seeking training and employment opportunities, etc.
- Pathways to Access- Courts on Disability Rights: Compilation of notable Supreme Court and High Courts judgments into a booklet.
- Online Case Monitoring Portal by CCPD (Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities): To handle grievances filed by PwDs.
4) Goa Roadmap for Tourism: G20’s Delhi Declaration underlined the significance of ‘Goa Roadmap for Tourism’ as a vehicle to achieve SDGs.
- It identifies five priority areas in Tourism – Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination Management.
- Delhi Declaration also noted the launch of ‘Travel for LiFE’ initiative, which nudges tourists and tourist businesses to take simple actions having tremendous significance for environment protection and climate action.
- Further, Ministry of Tourism and UN World Tourism Organization has launched G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard which will serve as a global repository, showcasing best practices and case studies of sustainable tourism practices and policies from G20 nations
Places in News:
1) Marrakesh: Morocco has experienced an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude with its epicentre near Marrakesh.
- Marrakesh is situated west of the foothills of Atlas Mountains.
- Ancient section of Marrakesh – Medina – has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Marrakesh Agreement, establishing the World Trade Organization, was signed in 1994.
- World Intellectual Property Organization administered Marrakesh Treaty makes the production and international transfer of specially-adapted books for people with blindness or visual impairments easier.
2) Konark Sun Temple: Also known as Black Pagoda, the Temple is situated in Puri (Odisha), and is dedicated to Sun God
- It was established in 13th century by King Narasimhadeva-I of Eastern Ganga dynasty
- It is built in Kalinga architecture and designed as a Chariot drawn by 7 horses and has 12 pairs of wheels (signifying 12 months of year).
- Each wheel consists of 8 wider spokes and 8 inner spoke that represent the 8 time divisions of the day.
- It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
