5th Meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation

NATIONAL NEWS

TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP Federation E-Launch “Tech for Tribals” Initiative

• TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT Kanpur has e-launched “Tech for Tribals” initiative.
• The initiative started by TRIFED, in collaboration with Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) under the ESDP programme.
• The main aim is to attain a holistic development of tribes with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through Self Help Groups (SHGs) operating through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs).

Fact: Union Minister of tribal affairs - Arjun Munda

          Chairperson of TRIFED - Deepak Khandekar

PepsiCo to set up Greenfield potato chips production unit in UP

• The multi-national food and beverage major PepsiCo is setting up a Greenfield potato chips production unit in Uttar Pradesh with an investment of Rs. 814 Crore.
• The unit is setting up at Kosi - Mathura on 35 acres of land provided by UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA).
• MoU was signed by PepsiCo to set up this project at UP Investors Summit-2018.

Fact: CEO of PepsiCo - Ramon Laguarta

          Headquarters – Harrison, New York

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India’s NMF& Taiwan’s TAEF inked MoU to foster cooperation in Indo- Pacific region

• The Taiwan – Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), a well-known think tank from Taiwan has signed a MoU with India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) to raise cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The main aim of this MoU is to conduct joint research programme and to expand cooperation between the countries.
• Both organisation has decided to set up a joint task force to deepen bilateral dialogue.
• TAEF established in 2018 is Taiwan's first private policy think tank focused on ASEAN and South Asia.
• The National Maritime Foundation India is a non-governmental, non-political maritime think-tank, aims to undertake studies and analyses on various issues in the maritime domain.

5th Meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation

• The fifth meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation (BHLG) held virtually to discuss on the bilateral trade and commercial relations between India and Mexico in the recent years.
• Two MoU were signed in the meeting to expand and diversify the bilateral trade relationship to tap the potential of the complementarities between India and Mexico.
• MoU between the Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) of India and the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI) was signed.
• In addition, another MoU between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE was also signed.

ECONOMIC NEWS

Axis Bank collaborates with Google Pay, Visa to launch a new ACE Credit card

• Axis Bank collaborated with Google Pay and Visa to launch a new ACE credit card in India meant to help with the digital payments.
• The card uses tokenization through Google Pay to allow users to make transactions without having to enter their card details.

Fact: Headquarters of Axis Bank – Mumbai, Maharashtra

          Chairperson of Axis Bank - Rakesh Makhija

Microsoft and AICTE collaborate to skill students and educators in next generation technologies

• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has collaborated with Microsoft to provide uninterrupted online learning to students across the country and to develop them with future-ready skills.
• Over 1500 course modules from Microsoft will be made available to students and educators free of cost through AICTE’s e-learning portal, ELIS.
• The collaboration also gives educators access to best-in-class online learning paths and instructor-led training material through the Microsoft Learn for Educators platform.

Fact: AICTE Chairman - Anil Sahasrabudhe

          Microsoft India President - Anant Maheshwari

MasterCard collaborates with Signzy for global rollout of video KYC (Know Your Customer)

• MasterCard has collaborated with Bangalore-based Signzy, a RegTech start-up, to enable Signzy’s video-based KYC (Know Your Customer) solution for its banking customers.
• MasterCard customers will benefit from a completely paperless, remote and secure on boarding solution for end-users.
• In India, this launch will further MasterCard’s goal to drive inclusive growth by enabling individuals and small businesses to go online.
• The two companies are assisting merchant acquiring banks to easily on-board SMEs in remote corners of the country for digital payments acceptance, open SME accounts and NBFCs to underwrite and disburse SME loans.

Fact: CEO of MasterCard - Ajaypal Singh Banga

          Headquarters - Harrison, New York

REPORTS&RANKINGS

First-ever UN report on global stillbirths

• The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) released its first-ever global stillbirth estimates “A Neglected Burden: The Global Tragedy of Stillbirths”.
• According to the new report, stillbirths were on a downward trend prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but 1.9 million babies were stillborn globally in 2019 —that is one stillbirth every 16 seconds.
• The estimated 1.9 million stillborn babies equates to a global stillbirth rate of 13.9 stillbirths per 1,000 total births.
• A stillbirth is the death or loss of a baby before or during delivery.
• The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) was formed in 2004 to share data on child mortality and improve methods for child mortality estimation.
• The UN IGME is led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and includes the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Philately Day – 13^th October

• The National Philately Day celebrated throughout the country on 13^th October.
• The Philately is the study of postage stamps and postal history.
• The day also marks the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other philatelic products.

World Standards Day – 14^th October

• World Standards Day is celebrated internationally each year on 14 October.
• The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardization to the global economy.