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Union Government launched Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes

The Union Ministry for Social Justice & Empowerment launched the Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes. The scheme is being implemented by Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd. A sum of 200 crore rupees was allocated towards Credit Enhancement Guarantee scheme for young and start-up entrepreneurs belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) to avail financial assistance. This allocation was made under Social Sector Initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among SCs. The main objective of this scheme is to encourage entrepreneurship in the lower strata of the Society resulting in job creation besides creating confidence in Scheduled Castes. 

Union Cabinet Approved Building and Launching of GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 Communication Satellites

The Union Cabinet gave its nod for building and launching of GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 communication satellites. These two satellites with the structure similar to the GSAT-10 are aimed at providing replacement capacity and in-orbit backup that is they will provide for continuance of the services of existing users and augmenting in-orbit spare capacity to meet emergencies.
GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 satellites will weigh about 3425 Kg each and will be built and launched within 30 months at a cost of 1013.20 crore rupees and 1022 crore rupees respectively.

Oscar Holderer, the US moon rocket expert, died

Oscar Holderer, the last known surviving member of the German engineering team that designed the rocket that took US astronauts to the Moon died in Alabama. He was 95. Born in Preum, Germany, on 4 November 1919, Holderer was one of about 120 engineers who moved to the US after World War II and brought technology used in the German V2 rocket. The team played a key role in the Saturn V rocket which was used in 1969 Moon landing.