The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has achieved a milestone by surpassing the Rs 1 lakh crore mark in total order value through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.

In the current financial year, transactions worth around Rs 45,800 Crore have been awarded, covering a wide range of items from general stores to critical defence acquisitions. GeM has facilitated over 5.47 lakh orders for MoD.

CEO of GeM, P. K. Singh praised MoD for being the first central government entity to achieve this milestone. He emphasized MoD's dedication to embracing change and supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India.

A significant portion of the orders, totaling Rs 60,593 Crore, has been awarded to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), reflecting GeM's focus on social inclusion and bolstering India's economy towards self-reliance.

ISRO's meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS, aimed at improving meteorological observations for enhanced weather forecasting and disaster warning, is scheduled for launch on February 17.

In a post on X, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today announced that the satellite will be launched aboard a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle F14 (GSLV F14).

"The GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS mission is set to launch on Saturday, February 17, at 5:30 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota," stated ISRO.

In its 16th mission, the GSLV intends to place the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Following orbit-raising maneuvers, the satellite will be positioned in a Geostationary Orbit.

Railway PSU IRCTC on Wednesday announced the appointment of Sanjay Kumar Jain as its Chairman and Managing Director with immediate effect. Prior to this role, Jain was Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM) of Northern Railway, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) said in an exchange filing.

"...the appointment of Sanjay Kumar Jain has been approved by the Government of India (Ministry of Railways) for the post of CMD on immediate absorption basis...for a period with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post and till the date of his superannuation i.e. 31.12.2026 or until further orders, whichever is the earlier," IRCTC said.

Under International Competitive Bidding (ICB), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has won an order for setting up a 800 MW Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Plant on Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) basis, at Yamunanagar, Haryana, from HPGCL (Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd.). Notably, the 1x800 MW Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant (DCRTPP) will be Haryana’s first ultra-supercritical technology-based power project.

On commissioning, this plant will offer more efficient parameters and consume lesser coal in comparison to the existing subcritical units in the state.

Emphasizing the commitment to provide the best education in the UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a new Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) office will soon be established in Dubai.

Addressing the gathering at the 'Ahlan Modi' diaspora event in Abu Dhabi, PM Modi highlighted the significant achievements in the education sector, stating that "More than 1.5 lakh Indian students are studying in UAE schools... The master's course was started at the IIT Delhi campus here last month and a new CBSE office will be opened soon in Dubai. These institutions will be helpful in providing the best education to the Indian community here".

Addressing the cultural ties between India and the UAE, PM Modi commended the close linguistic affinity and praised the accomplishments of both nations as exemplary for the world.

The Haryana Police has become the first police force in India to use drones to launch tear gas devices. The Haryana Police dropped tear gas shells from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on protesting farmers at Shambhu Barrier on the Punjab-Haryana boundary on Tuesday.

The State government used drones made by Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA), a public limited company incorporated in 2021, a police official told The Hindu. According to a Haryana government press release of April 4, 2023, the drones are designed for “surveying infrastructure projects, monitoring of agriculture and horticulture crops, and surveillance of sensitive areas for security purposes.” The company is located at Karnal.

The Telangana Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a bill that prohibits the operation of hookah parlours.

The bill, introduced by State Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu on behalf of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, aims to address the growing concern over the exploitation of hookah smoking among young people, including college students.

The minister highlighted the potential for addiction and the harmful effects of hookah smoking, stating that it is more detrimental than smoking cigarettes as it exposes individuals to toxic substances. Additionally, he emphasized the adverse impact on passive smokers and the health hazards posed by hookah parlours in public places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana to provide free electricity to its beneficiaries. As per the scheme, the central government will provide 300 units of free electricity per month to its beneficiaries by investing worth ₹75,000 crores. The free electricity scheme was earlier announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim budget speech on Februrary 1.

“To further sustainable development and people’s well-being, we are launching the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This project, with an investment of over Rs. 75,000 crores, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month," wrote PM Modi in his post on X. In his series of X posts, PM Modi also gave the link to directly apply for the link.

Odisha Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said that the state government, in its recent cabinet meeting, has decided to provide interest-free loans up to Rs 1 lakh to youth of the state under the new government scheme 'Swayam.'

Speaking to ANI after the cabinet meeting on Monday, Swain said, "Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also decided to give more employment or more income to the rural youth and the urban youth by introducing one new scheme, 'SWAYAM' so that people who are maintaining small enterprises can avail liquid capital without any collateral security."

"The entire burden will be borne by the state government. They can take Rs 1 lakh at a time to enhance their existing business or to start a new business," he said.

The renowned Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force (lAF) is all set to enthral the audience at the Air Show scheduled to be held on 16 February at 9 AM at Air Force Station Bagdogra in West Bengal. Formed in 1996, SKAT is among the very few nine-aircraft aerobatics teams in the world, and is the only one in Asia. This one of a kind team has carried out an astounding 500 displays in India, besides showcasing the professionalism of the IAF in Air Shows abroad at China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and UAE.

According to PRO Defance, the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, popularly known as SKAT, inherits the motto "Sadhaiva Sarvottam" with ease, aptly describing the adage "Always the Best". This event will not only showcase the extraordinary skills of these pilots but will also provide an opportunity for the public to witness the dedication and excellence of the Indian Air Force. The team's motive is to spread awareness about the Armed Forces and to inspire the youth of the country to join the armed forces.