The Madhya Pradesh government has announced 'bag less school' day once a week for students in classes 1 to 12, starting from the upcoming academic session in 2024-25. This decision applies to all government and private schools operating in the state.

The state government, aiming to alleviate the burden on students, has issued a notice outlining the maximum permissible weight of school bags for different classes.

According to the notice, students in classes 1 and 2 should carry bags weighing between 1.6-2.2 kg, while those in classes 3 to 5 should limit their bags to 1.7-2.5 kg. For classes 6 and 7, the recommended weight is 2-3 kg, and for classes 8, 2.5-4 kg. Students in classes 9 and 10 are advised to carry bags weighing between 2.5-4.5 kg.

Additionally, the weight of school bags for students in classes 11 and 12 will be determined by the school management committee based on the students' respective streams.

Military powers who have deployed or were left behind in developing or acquiring expensive anti-missile or anti-drone systems are now engaged in a serious race to develop and deploy the next generation of laser weapon systems that can neutralise any missile or fighter aircraft or drone high in the sky or even within enemy airspace. From big powers like the United States or China to countries like Turkey, Iran or for even Pakistan, all are reported to have advanced or initiated work on the highly challenging laser weapon systems to make their skies unimpregnable. The laser laboratory of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also reported to have been working on such highly complex laser weapon systems for the last two decades, and is now reported to have achieved a fairly advanced stage of testing a real prototype of a laser weapon that can even destroy a ballistic missile.

Bangladesh is observing the historic Language Day named ‘Amar Ekushey’, paying tribute to the martyrs who laid their lives during the language movement in 1952 demanding Bangla as the official language for then East Pakistan.

Scores of students were killed on this day in 1952 when Pakistani forces fired upon them during the protest leading to widespread civil unrest.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka after midnight on Tuesday. The Amar Ekushey song ‘Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February’ is played in the background.

India and Greece have agreed to escalate their bilateral trade by two-fold by the year 2030, as affirmed by Prime Minister Modi during Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s visit to India. The two sides have agreed to boost ties in the defence, pharmaceutical, space and shipping sectors as they seek to double their bilateral trade by 2030 from nearly US$2 billion in 2022-23.

The meeting between the two leaders underscored the strengthening of the strategic partnership between their nations, particularly in defense and security sectors, indicative of the deep mutual trust shared by India and Greece.

University of Canterbury academics have been awarded two of four inaugural IIT-Delhi India-New Zealand Centre Fellowships.

A joint initiative between IIT-Delhi and eight New Zealand universities, the IIT-Delhi India-New Zealand Centre aims to bolster academic and cultural exchange between India and New Zealand through joint research in climate change, disaster management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring, areas important to both countries.

"The partnership is designed to build engagement between New Zealand universities and create opportunities for mutually beneficial research ties between our country and IIT-Delhi," said University of Canterbury School of Mathematics and Statistics Head of Department, Professor Clemency Montelle.

Patients suffering from stiff elbow joints and limited mobility now have a ray of hope with the collaboration between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi).

Recognizing the challenges faced by patients due to the high cost and inadequate quality of imported elbow replacement setups, this partnership aims to provide accessible, precise, and high-quality implants for elbow replacement surgeries.

The 21st round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting took place at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in the Leh district of Ladakh, India, on Monday (February 19).

The discussions focused on advancing from previous rounds, aiming for complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, seen as crucial for restoring peace in the India-China border regions.

Both sides agreed to sustain communication through relevant military and diplomatic channels and pledged to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas during this interim period.

Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Tribal Affairs today announced a Joint Initiative on Public Health of Tribal Students. The joint National Level Project of Health Screening and Management through Ayurvedic Interventions will benefit over 20 thousand Tribal Students. The Ministry of Ayush through its research council CCRAS has taken this health Initiative for Tribal Students with the joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR-NIRTH Jabalpur.

Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda together announced initiative to address the health needs of children in Eklavya Model Residential Schools across tribal areas through public health initiatives.

In a significant step towards the development of indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) in India, the BharatGPT group, backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and top engineering schools in the country, aims to launch its first ChatGPT-style service next month.

The AI model is being developed in collaboration with eight Indian Institutes of Technology and is backed by Reliance Jio Infocomm and the central government.

Swedish photographer Alex Dawson has been named as Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for his image ‘Whale Bones’. The photo shows a diver beneath the Greenland ice sheet exploring the skeleton of a minke whale.

Alex Mustard, who chaired the judging panel of the awards told the BBC, "Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions, as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses. The diver's suit and torch give it a 'visiting alien' feel. The composition flows effortlessly and takes your eye on the right journey to tell the story."