Current affairs 07 August 2023

PNGRB and World Bank to draft a roadmap for hydrogen blending in natural gas.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and the World Bank have joined forces to develop a comprehensive roadmap for integrating hydrogen blending in natural gas and establishing the infrastructure for their transmission through gas pipelines in the country.
This include proposing amendments to the regulatory frameworks to align with the national objective of achieving a hydrogen consumption target of 5 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030.
The study is scheduled to be completed within 16 weeks.

The State government of kerala has launched a groundbreaking scheme called Shubhayatra.
The scheme aims to provide much-needed financial support to first-time overseas emigrants from Kerala, facilitating a positive and productive migration ecosystem.
With a financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh, a tax holiday for six months, and attractive interest subvention, the scheme intends to help eligible candidates cover the incidental expenses associated with overseas employment.
Shubhayatra scheme will significantly enhance the quality of professional migration from Kerala.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has developed The MASI application for real-time monitoring of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and their inspection process across the country.
The primary objective behind the development of the Monitoring App for Seamless Inspection (MASI) is to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the inspection mechanism for CCIs as provided under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
The app aims to synchronize the monitoring of the system by various authorities, including Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), State Inspection Committees, District Inspection Committees, Members of Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) and State Commissions for TNPCB to Hold Public Hearings amid Controversy Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs).

State Bank of India (SBI), one of India’s largest public sector banks, reported its financial results for the April-June quarter of 2023-24.
The bank achieved its highest-ever quarterly profit at ₹ 16,884 crore, representing a significant jump from ₹ 6,068 crore in the same period the previous year.
This remarkable performance was attributed to a decline in bad loans and increased interest income.
On a consolidated basis, SBI’s net income also saw substantial growth, rising more than two-fold to ₹ 18,537 crore compared to ₹ 7,325 crore a year ago.