National
75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) across 75 districts to the nation
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) across 75 districts to the nation via video conferencing on 16 October 2022.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister started by stressing that the 75 Digital Banking Units (DBU) will further financial inclusion and enhance banking experience for citizens. “DBU is a big step in the direction of Ease of Living for the common citizens”.
About Digital Banking Units (DBUs):
» The DBUs will enable those who do not have ICT infrastructure to access banking services digitally. They will also assist those who are not tech savvy to adopt digital banking.
In DBU, the products and services will be offered to customers in 2 modes:
- Self Service Mode
- Digital Assistance Mode
DBUs will be different from traditional branch in following aspects:
- They will provide banking services including cash deposit & withdrawal 24 x 7.
- Services shall be provided digitally.
- People not having connectivity or computing devices can do banking transactions from DBU in a paperless mode.
- Bank staff will be available to help and guide users for banking transactions in assisted mode
- Will help in providing digital financial literacy and create awareness for adopting digital banking.
Key Points:
- As part of the Union budget speech for 2022-23, the Finance Minister announced setting up the 75 DBUs in 75 districts to commemorate our country’s 75 years of independence.
- The DBUs are being set up with the objective to ensure the benefits of digital banking reach every nook and corner of the country and will cover all the States and Union territories.
- 11 Public Sector Banks, 12 Private Sector Banks and one Small Finance Bank are participating in the endeavour.
- Services being offered through DBU include banking facilities like opening of savings account, balance-check, print passbook, transfer of funds, investment in fixed deposits, loan applications, stop-payment instructions for cheques issued, application for credit / debit cards, view statement of account, pay taxes, pay bills, make nominations, etc.
- The DBUs will also facilitate onboarding to Government credit link schemes through the Jan Samarth portal and end-to-end digital processing of a small ticket MSME/retail loans.
- DBUs will enable customers to have cost-effective, convenient access and enhanced digital experience of banking products and services throughout the year.
Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)
⇒ The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a new Scheme, Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) on 12 October 2022.
Key Points:
- PM-DevINE has been approved for the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
- The PM-DevINE Scheme will have an outlay of Rs.6,600 crore for the four-year period from 2022-23 to 2025-26 (remaining years of 15th Finance Commission period).
- The new Scheme, PM-DevINE, was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 to address development gaps in the North Eastern Region (NER).
Implemented by:
- The new Scheme, PM-DevINE, is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% Central funding.
- PM-DevINE will be implemented by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) through North Eastern Council or Central Ministries/agencies.
The objectives of PM-DevINE are to:
- Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti;
- Support social development projects based on felt needs of the NER;
- Enable livelihood activities for youth and women;
- Fill the development gaps in various sectors.
» PM-DevINE will lead to creation of infrastructure, support industries, social development projects and create livelihood activities for youth and women, thus leading to employment generation.
» PMDevINE is an additionality to the quantum of resources available for the development of the NER. It will not be a substitute for existing Central and State Schemes.
International
90th General Assembly of INTERPOL
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 90th Interpol General Assembly in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 18 October 2022.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister informed that Interpol will be celebrating 100 years of its inception in the year 2023.
Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, Interpol President Mr Ahmed Naser Al Rais, Interpol Secretary General, Mr Jurgen Stock, and CBI Director, Shri Subodh Kumar Jaiswal were those present on the occasion.
- In 2023, INTERPOL will celebrate 100 years since the founding of the International Criminal Police Commission, which then became INTERPOL in 1956.
About 90th General Assembly of INTERPOL:
The 90th General Assembly of INTERPOL was held from 18th to 21st October 2022.
Host:
The INTERPOL General Assembly meeting took place in India after a gap of about 25 years – it was last held in 1997.
- India’s proposal to host the INTERPOL General Assembly in 2022 at New Delhi coinciding with celebrations for 75th year of India’s independence was accepted by the General Assembly with overwhelming majority.
Participation:
The meeting was attended by delegations from 195 INTERPOL member countries comprising of Ministers, Police Chiefs of countries, Heads of National Central Bureaus and Senior police officers.
Highlights:
» The 90th INTERPOL General Assembly has ended with a series of resolutions to further strengthen INTERPOL’s network and capabilities as the Organization heads into its centenary year.
» The four-day conference saw the launch of the INTERPOL Metaverse, the first specifically designed for law enforcement worldwide.
» INTERPOL’s first-ever Global Crime Trend report was also presented to delegates. Using data from the Organization’s 195 member countries, databases and external sources, the report highlights current and emerging threats at both the global and regional levels.
» Delegates also approved a resolution calling for greater efforts to identify and investigate online child sexual abuse through the creation of specialized units and increased use of INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation database.
» With an increasing number of unidentified human remains and individuals in relation to missing person cases, fuelled by global mass migration and human trafficking, the General Assembly called for more effective use of the I-Familia database by member countries.
- The result of cutting-edge scientific research, I-Familia seeks to identify missing persons or unidentified human remains by using DNA samples from family members.
» Recognizing the need to prioritize diversity at the General Secretariat, the General Assembly approved a resolution supporting a series of measures to be implemented in order to proactively seek candidates from under and unrepresented countries.
» The General Assembly also elected three new Executive Committee members.
- Peter De Buysscher of Belgium was elected as Vice President for Europe, with Alaa El Din Mohamed Abdalah Raga from Egypt and Anne-Marie Nainda from Namibia elected Delegates for Africa.
- All three new Executive Committee members will serve a three-year term.
About General Assembly:
- The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises delegates appointed by the governments of our member countries.
- It meets once a year and takes all the major decisions affecting general policy, the resources needed for international cooperation, working methods, finances and programmes of activities. These decisions are in the form of resolutions.
- The event provides an opportunity to showcase best practices in India’s law and order system to the entire world.
Next Meeting:
The 91st General Assembly will be held in Vienna, Austria, where INTERPOL was officially created in 1923.