5th bi-monthly monetary policy review

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review has maintained status quo in key policy interest rate. The key policy interest rates were kept unchanged on the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation in the country.

Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): unchanged at 6.75 per cent.

Reverse repo rate under the LAF: unchanged at 5.75 per cent

Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate has unchanged at 7.75 per cent.

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liability (NDTL).

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 3 is annually observed as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Global observance day of this day was declared in 1992 in order to promote understanding of issues faced by disabled persons and garner support for their rights and holistic well-being.On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Accessible India Campaign' in New Delhi.This campaign aims to highlight the need for creating a barrier-free environment so that PwDs can easily access government buildings and public transportation, airports and railway stations, information and technology, with greater ease.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was observed on December 2, 2015. As per the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are an estimated 21 million forced labour victims worldwide, annually creating $150 billion in illegal profits in the private economy.ILO has adopted a new legally-binding protocol to eliminate forced labour, which will be implemented in November 2016. The '50 for Freedom' campaign has been initiated to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018.