In June 2024, India’s gross goods and services tax (GST) collection reached Rs 1.74 trillion, marking a 7.7% year-on-year growth, lower than previous months’ increases of 12.4% in April and 10% in May. Despite this slowdown, cumulative collections for the fiscal year stood at Rs 5.57 trillion. The finance ministry anticipates continued robust collections above Rs 1.6 trillion in the coming months, despite withholding detailed tax figures citing GST regime stability.
RBI, ASEAN to Create Platform for Fast Cross-Border Retail Payments
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), along with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and central banks of four ASEAN countries, is collaborating on Project Nexus, a multilateral initiative aimed at enabling efficient, faster, and cost-effective retail cross-border payments. The platform is expected to go live by 2026 and will interlink domestic fast payment systems (FPS) of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and India.
SERA and Blue Origin Announce India as Partner Nation for Human Spaceflight Program
Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) and Blue Origin have designated India as a partner nation in their human spaceflight initiative, inviting Indian citizens to participate in a historic opportunity. The program offers six seats aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, taking participants on an 11-minute journey beyond the Kármán line, the boundary of space.
Japan Introduces Holographic Technology in New Banknotes
On July 2024, Japan will introduce new banknotes featuring what it claims to be the world’s pioneering use of advanced holography. This technology creates the illusion of historic figures’ portraits rotating in 3D on the bills, serving as a key anti-counterfeit measure. This marks the first redesign of the banknotes in 20 years.
India Becomes First Nation To Prepare Full List of Fauna
The Fauna of India Checklist Portal is the first comprehensive document on the faunal species reported from India. India has become the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna, covering 104,561 species. The ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal’ was launched on the occasion of the 109th Foundation Day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.
World Chocolate Day 2024, Date, Significance and History
World Chocolate Day is a global celebration of one of the world’s favourite treats – chocolate. Whether you’re a fan of dark, milk, white, or vegan chocolate, this day is all about indulging in the sweet and delightful flavours that chocolate has to offer. This date marks the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550, which significantly contributed to its worldwide popularity. On this day, chocolate lovers around the globe come together to enjoy and appreciate the rich history and taste of chocolate.
“World’s First AI Dress” With Robotic Snakes, Internet Reacts
A Google employee recently created the “world’s first AI dress” and it has astonished many on the internet. Christina Ernst, a software engineer at the tech giant and the Founder of SheBuildsRobots.org, a platform which aims to educate girls on building robots, shared a clip of her creation which has robotic snakes attached to it to detect faces.