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UPI for Feature Phones from RBI

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On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced UPI123Pay, a new digital payment option for feature phones based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The UPI system has so far been restricted to smartphones with internet access. India’s mobile phone population is estimated to be at 180 million. 78 crore of these people have smartphones, while the remaining 78 crores have feature phones. Due to the phone they use, tens of thousands of users have been unable to do UPI transactions. The central bank of India introduced this new payment mechanism to incorporate all such users and bring them into the mainstream of digital payments.

“UPI123Pay would enable NPCI to accomplish its goal of a billion or more daily UPI transactions,” said Biswamohan Mahapatra, head of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the country’s umbrella organization for retail digital payments.

Working of UPI on Feature Phones?

Users will be able to conduct UPI transactions on feature phones using UPI 123Pay. Except for the scan and pay UPI option available for smartphones, consumers will be able to use all other functionalities. Transactions with the new digital payment mode don’t require an internet connection. To utilize the UPI 123Pay service, people must link their bank accounts to their feature phones. People with feature phones can now use the UPI 123Pay option for a variety of payments, from person to person to the merchant. UPI 123Pay would employ Hindi and English as their primary languages at first.

“We feel that the novel functions available on feature phones would give UPI a boost in many geographies across the country, transforming the way payments are perceived,” Mahapatra said.

UPI: India’s Most Popular Payment Method

In recent years, UPI has become one of India’s most popular payment methods. UPI is the country’s single largest retail payment system in terms of transaction volume.

“A substantial portion of digitalization is limited to people with smartphones, notwithstanding our tremendous growth in digital payments.” “About 40 crore feature phone users had limited access to digital payments,” said T Rabi Sankar, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He stated that the goal is to attract a significant number of feature phone users into the UPI payment system.

“To further popularise the usage of digital payments, a framework for retail offline payments across the country has been proposed.” This announcement has its roots in a series of successful pilot studies. The results of these experiments strongly suggest that there is more leeway for digital payment-related solutions, particularly in rural areas. According to Nitin Mathur, CEO of Tavaga Advisory Services, “the RBI is enthusiastic about expanding the ease of doing business in India as well as more innovative fintech prospects to capitalize on” as a result of this development.

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Around Digha Railway Station, Negligence Causes Massive Water Wastage

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Ignorance leads to huge water wastage near Digha Railway station.

The Wastage

In another case of carelessness, on Wednesday, March 27, a large water pipeline next to the Digha train station was damaged, wasting litres of water. In addition to upsetting locals, this event has drawn criticism for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) poor response.

After this occurrence, the NMMC, which was given the task of supervising the construction of citizen amenities, has come under investigation. While there are development projects going on in a number of places, a serious mistake happened close to the Digha railway station on the Thane Belapur route.

A large-water pipe that supplied Digha with water was accidently damaged by a JCB when the M/s Light Strong Company was working on excavation. The large-water pipe burst, resulting in the loss of lakhs of litres of water.

Municipal authorities were notified promptly, yet they did not move decisively against the contractor in question. Locals voiced their displeasure, drawing attention to a persistent problem where contractors appear to start work without proper supervision or responsibility.

“Irrational contractors begin work at their convenience with the tacit approval of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation officials,” said one resident. Millions of gallons of water were wasted when a water conduit ruptured close to the Digha railway station while the business was excavating. But neither the contractor nor the executives of the municipal corporation can bear all the blame.

“It is unacceptable to waste water. Additionally, such carelessness should not be tolerated now that summer has arrived. Another neighbor stated, “We hope NMMC takes action against such contractors.”

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The Shiv Foundation Hosts An Exhibition In Vashi Of Weapons Belonging To Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

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On the occasion of our esteemed leader Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj birth anniversary, the Shiv Foundation of Shiv Sena (UBT) has arranged an exhibition including Shivaji Maharaj’s weaponry at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, Vashi, from March 27 to 28, 2024, from 6 am to 8 pm.

The display provides an overview of the weapons and combat strategies used throughout Shivaji Maharaj’s rule. In order to obtain insight into the struggles and conflicts of the medieval age, visitors can peruse a variety of displays that explain the historical value of these artifacts.

Shree Vitthal More, the District Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), opened the exhibition, which attracted the interest of both public officials and ordinary people.

There will be a number of cultural activities and celebrations all day long to go along with the exhibition. Residents can take part in flower tributes, ceremonial greetings, and cultural performances honoring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s ongoing legacy from morning to evening.

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Prices Of Lemons Rise As Heatwave Hits City

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As Summer & heatwaves strikes, the prices of lemon rise.

The Rise

Since the region has been immersed in intense heat and rising temperatures, lemons have become an extremely popular item in the city. Lemons are becoming an expensive luxury for many people as a result of their record-high costs, which are causing concern among the general public.

The retail market claims that the price of a single lemon has increased dramatically to Rs. 10 per piece, which is a substantial rise over prior months. Some people are so shocked by this increase that they are restricting how much lemon they eat.

Costs have increased overall as a result of the equivalent rise in lemon prices in wholesale marketplaces. The low salaries that define the present economic landscape put more burden on households that are already struggling financially.

The problem has been made worse by the increase in demand for lemons, which is ascribed to their cooling powers during the intense heat. Lemons are also essential for a number of culinary procedures, including the manufacture of lemon juice and the extraction of sugarcane juice.

According to a lemon merchant Varsha Sadanand Devkar. “Over the past 50 years, we have been selling lemons. But since the start of April, the cost has increased. We now sell three lemons for Rs. 25 and six for Rs. 50, while a single lemon costs Rs. 10 a piece.”

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