The 39th Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Award was awarded on 7 November 2016 in Mumbai, Maharastra.This year, the receivers of the award were Mohan Hirabai Hiralal and BonBehari Vishnu Nimbkar from Maharashtra, Dr. Nannapaneni Manga Devi from Andhra Pradesh and Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi from Tunisia. The four winners were felicitated for their work in the fields of constructive work, application of science & technology for rural development, development and welfare of women and children and international award for promoting Gandhian values outside India. Dr. Justice CS Dharmadhikari (Retd.), Chairman, Council of Advisors of the Foundation was the chief guest at the event.

Standard Chartered Bank launched ‘Unified Payments Interface’ (UPI) solution on 8th November 2016 for its corporate and financial institutional and commercial banking customers. This UPI solution will enable clients to send and receive money through a Virtual Payment Address without entering additional bank account details. UPI enables real time ‘push and pull’ of funds, making the payment process easier for end customers. Installing UPI app the clients can send request for collection and payment of funds.

Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on November 8 2016, made a historical announcement that the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes currently in use will no longer be legal tender from midnight 8th November 2016 that is these notes will not be accepted for any kind of transactions from midnight onwards. The aim behind such move is to curb corruption, black money, money laundering, terrorism creating an environment of panic. However one hundred, fifty, twenty, ten, five, two and one rupee note will remain legal tender and will not be affected by the decision.

China once again blocked India’s effort to join NSG in a meeting in Seoul on November 4 2016. Out of 48 members of NSG 47 supported India except China. China wants India to sign the non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) first before joining the NSG. NSG membership will be a significant step to boost India’s which atomic energy sector. Besides, India’s clean track record will get recognition in nuclear non-proliferation without being signatory of non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced increasing motherhood leave period for women government employees from six to nine months, the state government issued an order to implement it. A Government Order (GO) of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department remembered that Jayalalithaa had made an announcement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in September, promising to increase the leave period from the existing six months or 180 days to 270 days.

The Ministry of AYUSH has organized the 9th Annual Meeting of International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) from 8-10 November, 2016 which was inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH Shri Sripad Yesso Naik at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi. About 36 delegates from 19 countries including experts from WHO and Geneva attended the meeting. India has signed 6 MoUs with other countries over the last two years for improving collaboration in the field of traditional medicine.

Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor and Employment launched the ‘Kahin-Bhi-Kabhi-Bhi’ medical facilities for The Employees’ StateInsurance Corporation (ESIC) beneficiaries of Delhi and Inaugurated the 6 bedded Day Care Unit’ of ESI Dispensary on November 8 at Dwarka. This makes ESIC dispensaries a complete medical unit with facilities like OPD care, family welfare services, full-time laboratory and X-ray and diagnostic care enabling the beneficiaries and their families to visit the day care centre for minor disorder instead of going to ESIC hospitals.

Minister of State(I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, launched the Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana, MSDE’s flagship scheme on entrepreneurship education and training, marking the 2nd Foundation Day of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The scheme spans over five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) with a project cost of Rs. 499.94 crore, and will provide entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through 3050 Institutes. MSDE also unveiled the Lab Guidelines towards standardisation of lab equipment across skill development training centres in India at the conference.

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Delhi on a three-day visit(November 6-8, 2016) aimed at enhancing Indo-UK ties in the key areas of trade, investment, defense and security. May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the signing of the two Memorandums of Understanding – one on intellectual property (IP) and another for bilateral cooperation on raising ease of doing business. India and the United Kingdom have agreed to enhance defence ties with a view to expanding military trade and industrial collaboration.

Scientists have indicated the presence of water on Psyche, the largest metallic asteroid in our solar system and the target of a proposed NASAmission. Previous observations of Psychehad shown no evidence of water-rich minerals on its surface. However, new observations from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii show evidence of water or hydroxyl on its surface. Psyche is a proposed orbiter mission concept to explore the origin of planetary cores by studying the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche. This asteroid may be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet, likely the remnant of a violent collision with another object that stripped off the outer crust.