NATIONAL NEWS

Ashwini Vaishnav Launches NITI Aayog's ‘NITI For States’ Platform

Minister Ashwini Vaishnav launched 'Policy for States Platform' at Rang Bhawan Auditorium, New Delhi.

NITI Aayog's 'NITI for States' platform is a cross-sectoral knowledge platform. Ashwini Vaishnav is currently the Union Minister for Communications, Railways and Electronics and Information Technology.

It is designed to create digital public infrastructure (DPI) for policy and good governance.

Before the launch of this platform, Ashwini Vaishnav also launched the ‘Viksit Bharat Strategy Room’ in NITI Aayog.

This would enable rich visibility and engagement with insights, information and knowledge to enable personalized decision making.

The ‘Policy for States Platform’ will provide robust, adaptive and actionable knowledge to facilitate the digital transformation of governance for government officials.

It would benefit District Collectors by providing access to innovative best practices in different States and Union Territories.

It will also benefit advanced level functionaries like block-level functionaries.

NIGEL Signed Agreement with GUVNL

NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has established a new subsidiary named NLC India Green Energy Limited (NIGEL) with the sole purpose of carrying out future Renewable Energy Projects.

NIGEL has recently signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) for a 600 MW Solar Power Project.

This project is a significant step towards NLCIL's commitment to renewable energy and will help the company to leverage its expertise in the field.

NLCIL has won a tender to develop a 600 MW Solar Power Project in the GSECL Khavda Solar Park through a competitive bidding process.

In line with its policy of developing renewable energy projects through its wholly owned subsidiary (WoS), NIGEL has been entrusted with the project development.

Kerala Launches the Country's First Government-Owned OTT Platform

Kerala launched India's first government-owned OTT platform ‘CSpace’ on 07 March 2024.

Its objective is to provide meaningful information to the people and take advantage of the vast opportunities of the sector.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan launched the OTT platform at Kairali Theater. Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian is presiding over it.

CSpace has been fundamentally created to address the growing imbalance and diverse challenges in the OTT sector in terms of content selection and dissemination.

The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) oversees the management of CSpace. KSFDC is a state owned company.

It is entrusted with the task of promoting the Malayalam cinema industry on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala.

Shaji N Karun serves as the current film director and chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).

India's First Underwater Metro In Kolkata, West Bengal

India's first underwater metro service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is the first metro tunnel in India to pass under a significant river.

This is situated beneath the Hooghly River, which divides Kolkata and Howrah.

 It has the country's deepest metro station, the Howrah Metro station. In April 2023, a trial journey was completed, marking a significant milestone for the Kolkata Metro.

The tunnel is situated 13 meters below the riverbed and 33 meters below the surface level.

It comprises four stations - Esplanade, Mahakaran, Howrah, and Howrah Maidan - and can be traversed in just 45 seconds.

The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation established the metro, which was constructed by Afcons Infrastructure.

The 4.8-km stretch of the East-West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, which cost Rs 4,965 crore, is a testament to engineering ingenuity and a historic advancement in India's metro infrastructure.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

France is the First Country to Give Constitutional Right to an Abortion

France made history by becoming the first country to guarantee a woman's right to an abortion in its constitution.

The amendment was passed by lawmakers from both houses of parliament in an overwhelming 780-72 vote, and was met with a standing ovation.

The amendment to Article 34 of the constitution ensures that women in France have the freedom to choose to have an abortion.

 

SPORTS

National Youth Parliament Festival 2024

Yatin Bhaskar Duggal from Haryana won the first prize in the National Youth Parliament Festival 2024, while Vaishna Pitchai from Tamil Nadu won the second prize, and Kanishka Sharma from Rajasthan won the third prize.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and National Service Scheme (NSS), has been conducting Youth Parliament events such as District Youth Parliament, State Youth Parliament, and National Youth Parliament.

These events aim to strengthen democracy, promote tolerance of differing views, and educate youths about parliamentary practices.

Youth Parliaments also promote awareness of the importance of active citizenship and encourage youth engagement and participation, while developing leadership qualities and enabling them to realize their full potential to contribute to nation-building.

National Youth Parliament 2024 is based on the 'Young Voices: Engage and Empower for Nation’s Transformation’ theme.

Khelo India Athletes Now Eligible For Government Jobs

The Khelo India athletes will now be eligible for government jobs.

In this regard, the Department of Personnel and Training and Sports Ministry have made progressive revisions to the eligibility criteria for sportspersons seeking government jobs

Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, groundbreaking step now extends eligibility to medal winners from Youth, University, Para and Winters Games of Khelo India Games to be eligible for government jobs.

Through the changes in rules the games and events have also been clearly defined to ensure inclusivity across various sports.

The revised rules mark a significant stride in supporting athletes in making India a sporting superpower.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Non-Executive Chairman of Bank of India

Bank of India (BoI) has announced the appointment of MR Kumar, former chairman of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), as its non-executive chairman.

Alongside MR Kumar's appointment, Bank of India also announced the appointment of Rajiv Mishra as an executive director.

Apart from serving as the chairman of LIC, he also served as a director on the boards of Kenindia Assurance, Kenya, and ACC India.

He has held leadership roles such as chairmanship of the governing board of National Insurance Academy and presidency of the Insurance Institute of India.

Additionally, he served as the chairman of the Council of Insurance Ombudsman.

MR Kumar served as the chairman of LIC from 2019 to March 2023 before joining BoI.           

 

DEFENCE

PM Modi Will Participate in 'Bharat Shakti' War Game in Pokhran

The three forces of India are going to conduct the biggest exercise 'Bharat-Shakti' in Asia's largest field firing range located in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.

PM Narendra Modi will participate to see this show of strength of the Indian Army.

Bharat Shakti is a significant tri-Service exercise showcasing firepower by the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

In the exercise named Bharat-Shakti at Pokhran Field Firing Range, the three Indian Services will showcase the capability of indigenously manufactured weapons.

Only indigenously developed weapon platforms and systems will be included in this exercise.

Top officers of the three forces including CDS General Anil Chauhan will participate in the exercise, which will be held on March 12 in Pokhran.

The concept of self-reliant India will be seen during this exercise.

In this exercise named 'Bharat Shakti', defense platforms and network based systems developed in India will be tested.

This exercise will also reveal the capability of indigenous weapons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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