Friday, September 18
The Reserve Bank on Friday said the government has appointed Economic Affairs Secretary Anuradha Thakur to the central bank's board.Thakur replaces Ajay Seth, who superannuated on June 30 after a four-year stint at the North Block.A 1994-batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS officer, Thakur assumed charge of the Department of Economic Affairs on July 1."The central government has nominated Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India, vice Ajay Seth," the RBI said in a statement.The nomination of Thakur is effective from July 24, 2025, and until further orders, it said.In addition to the Economic Affairs Secretary, the other government nominee director on the central board is Fin
Sri Lanka will extend free tourist visa policy to 40 additional countries as part of its efforts to boost tourism and sustain economic recovery, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said on Friday. The move comes after cabinet approval last week to expand the current list of seven eligible countries to 40, Herath told reporters here. The Free Visa regime is already in place for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan from March 2023. The countries that are now part of the list of 40 include the UK, the US, Canada, Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. Although the government expects an annual revenue loss of USD 66 million due to the visa fee waiver, Herath said, the indirect economic benefits from increased tourist arrivals would outweigh t
