Current affairs 14 April 2023

India's 1st semi-high-speed regional rail service named "RAPIDX".

• India's first semi-high-speed regional rail services have been named RAPIDX by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
• The trains will run on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, being implemented to connect key urban nodes across NCR.
• It is a joint venture company of the Union government and Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The NCRTC will commission the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor by 2025.

Canara Bank, Bharat BillPay tie up for cross border bill payments.

• Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) have launched cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
• NRIs can now leverage the robust platform offered by the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to make bill payments on behalf of their families through the Musandam Exchange.
• With this, Canara Bank becomes the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill payments through BBPS.

National Museum of Natural History and State Museum, Lucknow sign MoU.

• The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and State Museum, Lucknow signed an MoU to work together toward environmental conservation and education among the masses.
• The multi-dimensional efforts will be made in organizing programs for school and college students to create awareness about nature.
• NMNH was established to portray and promote awareness of the country's Natural Heritage.
• It is an institution devoted to environmental education.

NMCG signs agreement with 49 Universities for water conservation.

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has signed an agreement with 49 Universities to inspire youth towards water conservation and river rejuvenation.
• Aim: To bring the student community to the forefront of the mass movement for creating a sustainable ecosystem of rivers.
• This also ensures the cleanliness and purity of River Ganga with the rejuvenation of rivers being the prime objective of the Namami Gange Mission.
• Jal Shakti Minister: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Uttarakhand government launched A HELP Program.

• Uttarakhand CM, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched a program named A-HELP (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production).
• Women have been chosen to strengthen livestock-related activities in remote rural areas, keeping in mind their important role under the A-HELP scheme, envisioned by Govt. of India.
• Trained A-HELPs will help to prevent the various infectious diseases of animals, and artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission.