TITBITS:
1. An
Upgrade of the existing Permanent Account Number (PAN) with an additional
feature of a QR code on the cards along with a proposal to make PAN "the
common identifier for businesses" was approved by the Union Cabinet.
2. The
Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation One Subscription' (ONOS) scheme, under
which all centrally-run and state-run higher education institutions (HEI) will
have access to reputed journals published by international publishers on a
single platform. The platform is set to become operational on January 1, 2025.
3. The
Centre announced the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a standalone
Centre-sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers'
Welfare to promote natural farming among one-crore farmers across the country
with a budget outlay of ₹2,481 crore.
4. Advocating
for a closer and stronger relationship between India and the Mediterranean,
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Mediterranean presents
both opportunities and risks in an uncertain and volatile world and the India-Middle
East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) can be a "game changer".