- Former Jammu University VC Amitabh Mattoo appointed Advisor to CM Mufti Sayeed
- The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday appointed Professor Amitabh Mattoo, the former VC of the Jammu University as Advisor to the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
- Mattoo, who has a Doctorate from the University of Oxford is the Director of the Australia-India Institute in Australia. In 2002, during the PDP government, Matoo was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu until December 2008.
- Mattoo has also been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of education and public life.
- Puducherry CM N Rangasamy launched Free Laptop Scheme
- Puducherry Chief Minister (CM) N Rangasamy has launched the much awaited Free Laptop Scheme.
- The scheme envisages to provide free laptops to all students who have passed Plus Two from Government Higher Secondary Schools in the last two academic years that is 2013-14 and 2014-15.
- The state will give free laptops to 11 thousand odd students by incurring an expense of 20 Crore rupees.
- Rangasamy also distributed 5000 rupees each to 10 students who excelled in the National Talent Search Examination.
- HP Government launches RISHTA project
- Himachal Pradesh Government has launched RISHTA project, which is an efficient smart LED based street lighting project. It was launched by Virbhadra Singh who is State Chief Minister of Shimla.
- RISHTA project is stands for Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement project.
- This project is also known as Centralized Control and Monitoring System, Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies which implements LED based street lighting project.
- This project is being implemented by state Urban Development Department association and Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL).
- Babasaheb Purandare conferred with ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’
- History writer Balwant Moreshwar Purandare has been conferred with the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award, the state’s highest honour
- While addressing the audience after receiving the award, Purandare said that he would donate the prize money of Rs 10 lakh to the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital located at Pune.
- Making India Awesome authored by Chetan Bhagat released
- The book titled Making India Awesome authored by Chetan Bhagat was released by Rupa Publications.
- This is the second non-fiction book written by the country’s biggest-selling writer Chetan Bhagat.
- His first non-fiction book was What Young India Wants which was well received by the readers.
- RBI panel recommends conversion of UCBs into regular banks
- A Reserve Bank of India panel has recommended conversion of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), which have a revenue of more than Rs 20,000 crores into regular banks.
- The recommendation has been made with the objective of allowing UCBs to grow and proliferate further for financial inclusion.
- A high powered committee report on UCBs headed by RBI deputy governor R Gandhi, has however clarified that the conversion will not be compulsory for large UCBs and they can continue the way they operate currently in terms of balance sheet or asset size.
- The panel has further said that smaller UCBs with business size of less than 20,000 crore rupees who willing to convert to Small Finance Banks can apply to the Reserve Bank for conversion.
- The RBI has also suggested that licenses may be issued to financially sound and well-managed cooperative credit societies having a minimum track record of five years to operate as UCBs.
- Aditi Ashok Becomes First Indian to Win Ladies British Amateur Golf Championship
- India’s Aditi Ashok made history when she became the first from the country to win the Ladies British Amateur stroke play golf championship at the Moortown Golf Club
- The 17-year-old Bangalore girl, who had earlier won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews in July this year and finished second in the 2015 European Women’s Amateur Championship, also claimed the overall title called ‘The Nicholls Trophy’ as well as the ‘Dinwiddy Trophy’ given for the lowest score by an U-18 player.
- Former Australian Cricketer Arthur Morris passes away
- Former Australian Cricketer Arthur Morris passed away. He was aged 93.
- He was an opener and is regarded as one of Australia’s greatest left-handed batsmen.
- Morris is best known as member of Don Bradman’s 1948 ‘Invincibles’ team which made an undefeated tour of England.
- AP Shah panel recommends MAT relief to FIIs prior to April 1, 2015
- The AP Shah committee on minimum alternate tax (MAT) has recommended to the finance ministry that the levy shouldn’t be imposed for the period preceding April 1, 2015.
- If this view is accepted, it would mean a significant relief for foreign investors facing several years of levies on capital gains made by them.
- In the February Budget, the government had exempted foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from MAT starting April 1, 2015, but had not made the clarification retrospective.
- The committee headed by retired judge Shah submitted its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on July 24
- The Minimum Alternate Tax (“MAT”) is a tax levied under India’s Income Tax Act of 1961 that targets companies that show profits on their books and declare dividends, but pay minimal or no tax.
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