Palestinian Ambassador to UNESCO Monir Anastas said the 'inscription is a message of hope to our people in Gaza, who are fleeing bombs with no shelter, no food or water'
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said 10 billion rupees ($186 million) had been set aside to capitalise the new bank that is to focus on lending to women and be managed and staffed by them.
“I hope to obtain the necessary approvals and banking licence by October 2013 and invite all honourable members to the inauguration of the bank shortly there after,” he told parliament as he presented the 2013/14 budget.
Last week, the Reserve Bank of India paved the way for the issuance of new bank licences in a push to expand financial services across the country where fewer than half of the country’s 1.2 billion people have a bank account.
Other examples of women-only banks exist in neighbouring Pakistan, which opened one in 1989, and in Tanzania in East Africa where a similar version became operational in 2009.
Separately, Chidambaram also announced the creation of a 10-billion-rupee fund aimed at improving the safety of women amid criticism of the government for failing to do more to tackle sex crime.
In December, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was raped and murdered on a New Delhi bus in a vicious attack that provoked street protests and a bout of deep introspection about India’s attitude to women.
“Recent incidents have cast a long, dark shadow on our liberal and progressive credentials,” Chidambaram said.
“We stand in solidarity with our girl children and women. And we pledge to do everything possible to empower them and to keep them safe and secure,” he said to cheers from members of parliament.
Palestinian Ambassador to UNESCO Monir Anastas said the 'inscription is a message of hope to our people in Gaza, who are fleeing bombs with no shelter, no food or water'
The said delays are expected between the intersection of Hatta Road and Al Ain Road towards Abu Dhabi
Veerendra Kumar said he was cheated by a job agent who had promised him a job in Qatar but sent him to Saudi
The government authority announced the road closure on social media platform X
Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair
A total of 17 candidates secured the All India Rank (AIR) 1 as per the final results while earlier the number was 67
Authority said the exercise will involve movement of military vehicles and urged residents to stay away from designated areas
'I am proud of you. This is going to be historic,' the former first lady told Harris in a live video call