Qatar Airways wins Skytrax World Airline Awards 2017
Qatar Airways has won the World’s best Airline at the SKYTRAX World Airline Awards 2017 at the Paris Air Show France.
TTravelers across the globe take part each year in the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the winners.
Qatar Airways also won the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best First Class Lounge, and the Best Airline in the Middle East awards.
105 nationalities participated in the survey from Aug 2016 to May 2017.
Note: Skytrax World Airline Awards, described as ‘the Oscars of the aviation industry’ are coveted Quality accolades for the world airline industry, and a global benchmark of airline excellence.
World’s Top 5 Airlines:
1st: Qatar Airways
2nd: Singapore Airlines
3rd: All Nippon Airways(ANA)
4th: Emirates
5th: Cathay Pacific
Italian fashion legend Carla Fendi passes away
Italian fashion legend Carla Fendi (79-year) passed away in Rome.
Carla, one of the five Italian sisters (Paola, Anna, Franca, and Alda) at the helm of the iconic Italian label, was the public face of the company famous colourful 'baguette' bags.
Italian luxury fashion house Fendi, whose specialties include fur and leather goods, shoes, fragrances, accessories etc.
Note:
In 1925, the house of Fendi was launched by Adele and Edoardo Fendi as a fur & leather shop in Rome.
Since 1946, the five-second generation sisters entered the company and brought a new wave of enthusiasm.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu launches PMC's municipal bond listing at BSE
The Union Minister ‘M Venkaiah Naidu’ has launched the listing of Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Municipal Bonds program, at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
This is the first time after ten years that any municipal corporation has issued bonds worth value of Rs. 2264 crore and any profits made in this will directly go to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
This is India’s largest Municipal Bond Programme for Pune 24x7 Water Supply Project.
Now, Pune is poised to add a new chapter in the country’s urban transformation saga based on Prime Minister’s vision of financially empowering urban local bodies.
Karnataka waives Rs 8,165 crore worth farm loans
The Chief Minister of Karnataka ‘Siddaramaiah’ has announced a crop loan waiver of Rs. 50,000 per farmer.
The State is going to incur Rs. 8,165 crores in additional expenditure through the loan waiver.
Now, the move is expected to help about 22.27 lakh state farmers who had taken loans from various cooperative banks.
The Karnataka government's decision comes in the wake of similar announcements made by the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and Congress-ruled Punjab governments.
Note: Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab govt. waived off farmer loans.
Chandrababu Naidu lays foundation stone for Airport at Orvakal
Andhra Pradesh chief minister ‘Chandra Babu Naidu’ has laid the foundation stone of the Greenfield Airport at Orvakal in Kurnool district.
The airport will be constructed on 2,000 acres land at a cost of Rs. 120 crores with international standards.
After construction of this airport, many industries will come up and thus enhance the growth in business and more employment opportunities.
MeitY launches web portal for smooth GST implementation
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (E&I) has launched a dedicated webpage for facilitating taxpayers with regard to addressing issues related to Information Technology Services and Electronics goods.
Now, the Webpage can be accessed through Ministry’s Web Portal ‘http://meity.gov.in’.
Any Individuals, Companies, and Entrepreneurs in IT and Electronics sector can visit the webpage for sector-specific information.
The webpage also enables filing of grievances in relation to the implementation of GST.
Aadhaar must for benefits under govt's TB control scheme
According to the Health Ministry notification, People suffering from tuberculosis (TB) will have to submit their ‘Aadhaar number’ to avail benefits under a central government scheme.
The Health Ministry also asked those who do not have Aadhaar card to get themselves enrolled by 31st August 2017.
The notification will be effective in all the states and Union territories except Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme under the National Health Mission aims at promotion of universal access to tuberculosis care with early diagnosis and regular treatment completion.
Guwahati Intl Documentary Film Festival begins in Guwahati
The Assam Governor ‘Banwarilal Purohit’ has inaugurated the ‘Guwahati International Documentary Film Festival (GIDFF) in Guwahati, Assam.
He invited filmmakers to explore the beauty of the North East.
The event is being organized by Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Film and Television Institute.
Total twenty-seven documentary and animation films will be showcased in the festival (till 24th of June).
Meghalaya Govt. signs two MoUs with SBI for digital transaction
The Meghalaya govt. has signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the State Bank of India (SBI) for their SBIePay and SBI CMP facilities, as a part of an initiative towards migrating government transactions to digital mode.
After Goods and Services Tax(GST), the MoUs are expected to give dealers and other citizens for conducting financial transactions with the state government on a digital platform.
SEBI decides to ease entry norms for FPIs
Markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has decided to ease the entry norms for overseas investors by permitting a direct access to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) from eligible jurisdictions.
The regulator has rationalized ‘fit and proper’ criteria for FPIs as well as simplified broad-based requirements for such investors.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will issue a discussion paper on easing registration of FPI.
SEBI has decided to expand the eligible jurisdictions for grant of FPI registration to category I FPIs by including countries having diplomatic tie-ups with India.
Operating under the Multiple Investment Managers (MIM) structure and holding foreign venture capital investors (FVCI) registration, to appoint multiple custodians.
Note:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulator for the securities market in India.
It was established in the year 1988 and given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
ADB & India sign USD 275 million loan agreement for upgrading small towns in Madhya Pradesh
The Union Govt. has signed a loan agreement of USD 275 million with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for improving urban services in 64 small towns in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
The project will be carried out in the design-build-operate model (10-years) operation and maintenance to ensure better sustainability of the water service operation and financial viability.
The project will run for almost five years with an expected completion date of June 2022.
The Union Govt. has sold its 2.5% stake in Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to state-run entities, including SBI and LIC, for about Rs. 4,200 crores.
The transaction was done through the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India.
Now, the Govt. held 6.55 % stake in engineering firm L&T and the shareholding after the sale has come down to a little over 4%.
The State Bank of India (SBI) and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), New India Assurance and General Insurance Corporation bought over 2.37 crore shares in L&T at an average price of 1,764.2 rupees apiece, fetching about 4,200 crore rupees to the exchequer.
Earlier, the Union Budget had estimated to collect Rs 72,500 crore through minority sale and strategic stake sale of CPSEs.
Note:
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) originated from a company founded in 1938 in London by two Danish engineers, Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro.
L&T headquartered in Mumbai.
The company has business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing goods, information technology, and financial services, and has offices worldwide.
