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Technology giant Microsoft announced that it has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to train students and educators in new-age technologies.
Microsoft’s learning resource centre ‘Microsoft Learn’ has been integrated with the ELIS platform, the e-learning portal of AICTE to make available over 1,500-course modules of Microsoft to the students and educators at free of cost.

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Kerala has recently become the first state in the country to have high-tech classrooms in all its public schools.
Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has declared that the state public education sector has become completely digital. He also said that over 5 lakh students joined in Government schools during the last five years.

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Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) is a leading think tank from Taiwan and the organizer of the Yushan Forum.
The think tank was seen in the news recently, as it has signed a memorandum with India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF), to promote cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The agreement also aims to conduct joint research.

Notes:
The Finance Minister has recently announced a one-time interest-free festival advance of Rs 10000, to all its officers and employees.
The festival advance was discontinued from the 6th Pay Commission for central government employees. But this one-time measure is announced to spur demand in the economy. The advance will be given as a pre-paid Rupay card, which can be spent by March 31, 2021. Cash voucher replacing leave travel concession (LTC) fare was also announced.

Notes:
The Bangladesh Cabinet has recently approved the draft law to include death penalty as the highest punishment for rape.
Previously, Lifetime imprisonment was the highest punishment. Bangladesh President Mohammed Abdul Hamid signed the ordinance approving the death penalty for rapists. There have been nationwide protests seeking for the move.