Notes:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has extended the timeline for implementation of linking SEBI Complaint Redressal (SCORES) with the online dispute resolution platform to April 1, 2024.
Earlier, the deadline for linking both the platforms was December 4. The SCORES platform, launched in 2011, was an initiative by SEBI to provide a facilitative platform for investors to file their grievances against listed companies or registered intermediaries which are unresolved.

Notes:
Bharat Bill Payments (BBPS), the platform built by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to digitise the country’s large utility bill payments market, is increasingly being used for loan repayments and clearing credit card dues.
The way utility bills get generated for consumers every month, EMI (equated monthly instalment) gets generated every month on a specific date for borrowers. The customer can use any mode of payment to clear the EMI due, and this is where the BBPS platform is fast emerging as a popular tool.

Notes:
Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a global service account (GSA) to address the banking needs of companies in the service export sector.
The account includes advisory services on forex markets and trends for a competitive edge. Clients will also have access to trade experts and digital solutions for expert trade insights and innovative digital solutions. They can also access business financing up to Rs 2 crore for on-time salaries, vendor payments or other short-term requirements. The bank said that the sector export sector contributes to 40% of total exports in India and grew at 26.8% in FY23 to $323 billion.

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Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), launched the India-Korea Electronic Origin Data Exchange System (EODES).
It is aimed at facilitating the smooth implementation of the India-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by way of electronic exchange of origin information between the two customs administrations in respect of the goods traded under the CEPA.

Notes:
The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Power has informed that the draft National Electricity Plan (2023) prepared by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has estimated the fund requirement for solar and wind generation projects during FY 2022 – 2032 as Rs. 20.67 lakh crore.
To ensure availability of low-cost funds for Renewable Energy Projects, Government of India raised Sovereign Green Bonds of Rs.16,000 crore during FY 22-23. Out of the proceeds of Sovereign Green Bonds, Rs. 6,186 crores were dedicated for renewable energy. IREDA raised Green Masala Bonds of USD 300 Million in October, 2017 for financing green energy projects in India.

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The Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) being built near Nagpur, Maharashtra under the ambitious PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has been named the Nagpur MMLP. It will be the first such freight transit hub in the state, developed under public-private partnership by National Highways Logistics Management Ltd. Spanning 150 acres with rail & road connectivity, the Rs. 673 crore project aims to boost logistical infrastructure.

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India plans to establish a goods showcase and distribution facility named Bharat Mart spanning over 100,000 sq meters in the UAE by 2025. Modeled on China’s enterprises, it will integrate warehousing, retail and hospitality offerings under one roof in the Jebel Ali free trade zone. This aims to boost exports of Indian products to West Asia, Africa and Europe leveraging the UAE’s connectivity and stimulate two-way India-UAE trade eyed to reach $100 billion by 2030.

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The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 15th December 2023 signed a $250 million policy-based loan that will continue support to industrial corridor development to make manufacturing more competitive, strengthen national supply chains and links with regional and global value chains, and create more and better jobs.
The National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICP) has been conceived to promote world-class manufacturing facilities and develop futuristic industrial cities in India. 11 Industrial Corridors are being developed under the programme. It is under the administrative control of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

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The fourth unit of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP-4) in Gujarat, with a capacity of 700 MWe, achieved criticality recently, marking the initiation of a controlled fission chain reaction.
The Kakrapar facility, houses the largest indigenous nuclear power reactors built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). These pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) utilize natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as coolant and moderator. The NPCIL is a public sector undertaking of the Department of Atomic Energy which already operates indigenous PHWRs at other facilities.

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Tamil Nadu maintained its “achiever” status within the coastal group in the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2023 rankings by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. LEADS, which was launched in 2018, evaluates states and union territories on three critical dimensions: Infrastructure, services, and operating and regulatory environment, encompassing both perception-based and objective indicators.