NPCI will announce 15,000 winners of 1000 rupees each for next 100 days, starting from Christmas

In a move to promote digital payments, the government of India has announced slew measures.

NITI Aayog CEO, Amitab Kant announced the #LuckyGrahakYojna.

The following points are the highlights of the scheme.

Digital payments through RuRay cards, UPI, AEPS and USSD between Rs 50-3000 will be eligible for awards. There will be a different prize for consumers and merchants.

Under the Lucky Grahak Yojna, daily 15,000 winners will eligible for a prize worth Rs 1,000 for the next 100 days starting December 25. A weekly award for around 7,000 consumers eligible for a maximum prize of Rs 1 lakh was announced.

NPCI will announce 15,000 winners of 1000 rupees each for next 100 days, starting from Christmas.

Under the Digi-Dhan Vyaapari Yojna, every week, more than 7,000 merchants will be eligible for Rs 50,000 prize.

Mega awards, in both the categories will be declared on the occasion on the birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. Under this Mega Award, consumers can win prize worth Rs 1 rore, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.

While merchants can win prize worth Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh, and Rs 5 lakh.

"Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapari Yojana is Christmas gifts for the nation", said Amitab Kant.

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Digital India: Why people are ignoring bank UPIs and flocking to Paytm instead

Post demonetization, people flocked to digital wallets for mobile payments instead of bank apps

Long before demonetization and a scramble to find alternatives to cash, India had laid out a unique tech infrastructure for a digital economy.

Bill Gates was so impressed with it on a recent visit that he exclaimed: “India is on the cusp of leapfrogging!”

But leapfrogging only happens with mass adoption. Although Aadhaar had identified and authenticated a billion Indians, and UPI made mobile payments as simple as sending a message or mail, banks dragged their feet over it.

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• Slip between the cup and the lip

• The Paytm tipping point

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To a question from Tech in Asia on how the Paytm app will be different from UPI-powered apps by traditional banks, Vijay Shekhar Sharma pointed immediately to customer experience. “Banks are not great at rolling out UPI,” he said. But for Paytm, “this is the truest opportunity to build something designed for unique Indian needs.

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Reliance Jio brings Pokemon GO to India

This launch is in line with Jio's plans to provide a variety of entertainment-based apps and games

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited ("Jio") will be bringing the augmented reality game 'Pokemon GO' to India through a partnership with Niantic Inc - publisher and developer of the game in association with The Pokemon Company.

With this partnership, thousands of Reliance Digital Stores and select partner premises in India will appear as 'PokeStops' or 'Gyms' in the Pokemon GO game beginning Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

Read our full coverage on Reliance Jio

This launch is in line with Jio's plans to provide a variety of entertainment-based apps and games, such as Pokemon GO.

"We are delighted to partner with Jio launch Pokemon GO in India," said John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Niantic. "It's exciting to see Pokemon fans in India step out and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pokemon and Jio's disruptive high-speed 4G LTE Network will be an excellent way to experience the game."

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Mukesh Ambani, Bill Gates, Jack MA to donate for $1 bn clean tech fund

The goal is to build cos that will help deliver the next generation reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy to the world

The Breakthrough Energy Coalition (BEC), which has Mukesh Ambani and Alibaba’s Jack Ma as members, will invest more than $1 billion in Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), an investor-led fund that will finance emerging energy breakthroughs for affordable and reliable energy to reduce greenhouse emissions, BEC said in a statement.

"It is extremely exciting for us to launch this fund as the next step in the commitment made by the Breakthrough Energy Coalition last year. Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy to the world,” said Bill Gates, chairman BEV.

“Breakthrough Energy Ventures will collaborate with other investors, governments, research institutions and corporate partners, bringing to the table an investor-led fund with internal scientific expertise, a long-term horizon, and a tolerance and understanding of the investment risks required to transform energy markets,” according to BEV statement.

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फोर्ब्‍स : अमेरिका के 'युवा' अमीर उद्यमियों में दो भारतीय

फोर्ब्‍स पत्रिका की 40 साल से कम उम्र के अमीर उद्यमियों की दूसरी सलाना सूची में दो भारतीय मूल के लोगों को भी जगह मिली है। इस सूची में फेसबुक के संस्थापक मार्क जुकरबर्ग शीर्ष स्थान पर हैं। 'अमेरिका के 40 साल से कम उम्र के अमीर उद्यमी, 2016' की सूची में सफल बायोटेक उद्यमी विवेक रामास्वामी 24वें स्थान पर हैं। उनके पास 60 करोड़ डॉलर का नेटवर्थ है। वहीं अपूर्व मेहता 36 करोड़ डॉलर के नेटवर्थ के साथ 31वें स्थान पर हैं।

फोर्ब्‍स के अनुसार 31 साल के रामास्वामी हार्वर्ड यूनिवर्सिटी तथा एले स्कूल ऑफ मैनेजमेंट के छात्र रहे हैं। वह अपने सौदों तथा औषधि विकास योजनाओं के साथ जैव-प्रौद्योगिकी कारोबार में निरंतर आगे बढ़ रहे हैं। वह जैव-प्रौद्योगिकी होल्डिंग कंपनी रोवैन्ट साइंसेस का परिचालन कर रहे हैं। वह दवाओं के विकास के लिए अनूठी वित्तीय रणनीति अपनाते हैं। वह प्राय: ऐसी दवाओं को खरीदते हैं जिसे औषधि कंपनियों ने या तो भुला दिया है या छोड़ दिया है।

वहीं मेहता को फोर्ब्‍स ने सिलिकन वैली का सबसे युवा सफल प्रवासी उद्यमी बताया है। भारत में जन्मे मेहता और उनका परिवार वर्ष 2000 में कनाडा चला गया। वहां उन्होंने यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ वाटरलू में इंजीनियरिंग की पढ़ाई की और उसके बाद ब्लैकबेरी, क्वालकॉम तथा एमेजॉन में नौकरी की। वर्ष 2012 में उन्होंने संयुक्त रूप से इंस्टाकार्ट की स्थापना की। यह किराना सामान उपलब्ध कराने की सेवा देती है और इसके लिए ऐसी दुकानों के साथ गठजोड़ किया हुआ है........ (अधिक पढ़ें)

Cashless economy: India to see 65% rise in mobile frauds in 2017

Post demonetisation there has been a surge in digital transactions via e-wallets and other online payment gateways

With the surge in digital transactions via e-wallets and other online payment gateways, mobile frauds are expected to grow to 60-65 per cent in the country by 2017, a leading industry body said on Monday.

The joint study by Assocham and research firm EY, titled "Strategic National Measures to Combat Cybercrime", said a secure cyberspace and the government's initiatives in keeping tabs on cybercrime have become an important criteria for business to establish, operate and flourish in any region.

"Mobile frauds are areas of great concern for companies as 40-45 per cent of financial transactions are done via mobile devices and this threat is expected grow to 60-65 per cent," the study noted.

Credit and debit card fraud cases top the chart of cybercrimes and there has been a six-fold increase in such cases over the past three years.

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India ranks 4th most vacation deprived country globally: Report

It was conducted among 9,424 employed adults aged 18 years of age and older across 28 countries

India has been ranked as the fourth most vacation deprived country globally, as 63 per cent take fewer days of the vacations that they get, according to to a  report.

"After Spain (68 per cent), UAE (68 per cent), Malaysia (67 per cent) and South Korea (64 per cent), India is ranked as the fourth most vacation deprived country globally," according to Expedia 'Vacation Deprivation report 2016'.

The News report revealed that 40 per cent Indians don't use all vacation days as work schedule does not allow for vacation or don't have enough staff to cover and 32 per cent are not able to take vacation days due to personal schedule.

"Vacations play a critical role in creating work-life balance as it re-energises people to be more focused at work (95 per cent of Indians agree in the survey)," Expedia, India, Marketing Head Manmeet Ahluwalia said.

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New guideline: Oxford University to use gender neutral 'ze' instead of he or she

Deliberately using the wrong pronoun for a transgender person is an offence under Oxford's behaviour code

Oxford University wants students to use the gender neutral "ze" instead of "he" or "she" when addressing fellow students.

One of the world's leading educational institutions has outlined the new guidelines in a students' union leaflet as part of a move to prevent transgender students being offended, Management,The Sunday Times reported.

Deliberately using the wrong pronoun for a transgender person is already an offence under Oxford's behaviour code.

In a economy move set to be imposed at Cambridge University too, students hope the use of gender neutral pronouns will be extended to lectures and seminars.

"Gender neutral pronouns are good...It should happen in lectures, too," said Franky Sissons, a transgender student at King's College, University of Cambridge.

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From January 1, only that with gold purity of 22, 18 and 14 carats to be hallmarked

Since consumers demand ornaments in other carats too, jewellers make ornaments in as many as seven other carat levels beyond these three categories. However, as per BIS, these ornaments will not be hallmarked, leading to a trust deficit between the jewellers

In a major blow to jewellers, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has made hallmarking of gold ornaments mandatory for three categories beginning the New Year.

Effective January 1, jewellers will need to hallmark the 22, 18 and 14 carat jewellery they sell to consumers. At present, gold ornaments with all purity levels between 9 and 24 carat are available for consumers but hallmarking is not compulsory, though organised sector jewellers offer hallmarked gold jewellery in 22 carat and diamond studded jewellery in 18 carat.

Since consumers demand ornaments in other carats too, jewellers make ornaments in as many as seven other carat levels beyond these three categories. However, as per BIS, these ornaments will not be hallmarked, leading to a trust deficit between the jeweller and the customer.

"The general format of gold purity is 22 carat in jewellery. But some regional customers demand 23 carat jewellery which we produce to serve them. Hence, the widely accepted purity are 22, 18 and 14 carat. But, jewellery with other than these purity levels should also be hallmarked," said Rajiv Popley, Director, Popley and Sons, a decades-old jewellery in the city.

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India ranked 7 among countries hit most by terrorism

The country recorded 289 terrorism-related deaths in 2015, a 45 per cent decline over 2014

India was ranked seventh in the list of countries most impacted by terrorism in 2015, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2016, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a think-tank based in Sydney, Australia.

India is one of six Asian countries ranked in the top ten nations most impacted by terrorism. The Heart of Asia conference adopted the Amritsar declaration on December 4, 2016, which recognises “terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation, separatism, and sectarianism and linkages among them” as the gravest challenges facing the region.

The declaration voiced particular concern about the “high level of violence” by ISIS and its affiliates, the Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan; all based in South Asia.

India recorded 289 terrorism-related deaths in 2015, a 45 per cent decline over 2014. However, the number of Indian Army and paramilitary soldiers killed this year is at an eight-year high, IndiaSpend reported on November 29, 2016.

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