The Defence Ministry has signed a Rs 2,269-crore deal with state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of 11 Shakti warfare systems, along with associated equipment, the ministry said in an official statement.

According to the ministry, it signed the contract with BEL on Tuesday for the procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare Systems along with associated equipment and accessories for the Indian Navy under the Buy (Indian- IDDM) category at a total cost of Rs 2269.54 cr.

"The Shakti EW System is indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. The Shakti EW System is capable of accurately intercepting electronic emissions and implementing countermeasures in dense electromagnetic environment," the ministry said.

The annual award is instituted by the government of the UAE and is presented to government entities, central or local, worldwide, to recognize creative and innovative solutions. India won under the category of 'AI-Powered Government Services'.

The accolade recognizes the remarkable efforts of the Ministry for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, for its transformative project known as iRASTE. iRASTE, a collaborative initiative involving the government, industry, and academia, is revolutionizing road safety through the integration of AI technology. This innovative project marks a significant departure from conventional approaches by harnessing the predictive power of AI to preemptively address road safety challenges.

At its core, iRASTE aims to reimagine road safety by leveraging AI as a force multiplier in road safety engineering. By harnessing predictive insights generated by AI algorithms, iRASTE endeavors to prevent accidents before they occur, thus mitigating the risk of fatalities and injuries on Indian roads.

At the Global Investors’ Summit in February 2023, the state had received 321 investment proposals totalling over ₹5,29,472.52 crore in the IT and electronics sector. Out of these, 60 projects worth ₹91,456.89 crore will be initiated at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The information technology and electronics department is counted among the most successful departments of the state government when it comes to attracting investment. The IT department is all set to roll out MoUs worth ₹91,000 crore at the groundbreaking ceremony (GBC) to be held on February 19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 60 mega MoUs of the IT department, which are expected to generate 81,424 employment opportunities.

United World Wrestling (UWW), wrestling's global governing body, on Tuesday lifted the suspension from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with immediate effect. WFI had remained under UWW's suspension since August 23 last year for failing to hold the elections. WFI elections were eventually held on December 21 when Sanjay Singh-led panel won 13 of the 15 contested positions.

"The UWW Disciplinary Chamber decided that it had sufficient grounds to impose the provisional suspension on the body as the situation in the federation prevailed for at least six months," UWW's statement read.

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog will table the state budget for 2024-25 in the floor of the Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday.

This budget will be her fourth budget and earlier, the state Finance Minister told ANI that this budget will be a realistic budget.

The budget session of the state assembly started on February 5 and will continue till February 28.

Last year, Neog presented a budget with an aggregate expenditure estimated at Rs 3.21 lakh crore for the year.

In preparation for the global promotion of the upcoming Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, the Yogi government is planning to organise a social media conclave.

This initiative involves collaborating with both governmental and non-governmental agencies to reach a wide audience, an official from Tourism Department said.

Until now, only government agencies have been involved in organising the Maha Kumbh. However, the state government is now taking proactive steps to involve non-governmental agencies in the process. Aparajita Singh, the Regional Tourism Officer of Prayagraj, said that the Tourism Department wants to connect with as many people as possible through the Maha Kumbh.

Paytm E-commerce has rebranded itself as Pai Platforms, marking a shift in its corporate identity. The move comes alongside the acquisition of Bitsila, a prominent seller platform operating within the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This strategic shift underscores Pai Platforms' ambition to assert its presence and gain a larger foothold in the fiercely competitive landscape of online retail.

According to PTI’s insider sources familiar with the development, the company initiated the process of rebranding approximately three months ago. Their efforts culminated in official approval from the Registrar of Companies on February 8th, heralding the dawn of Pai Platforms. The Registrar of Companies notification, dated February 8th, confirmed the alteration, stating, "The name of the company has been changed from Paytm E-Commerce Private Limited to Pai Platforms Private Limited with effect from the date of this certificate."

Aiming to significantly broaden the accessibility of football within the school setting for students, the Ministry of Education has tied up with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to distribute 11 lakh footballs across the country in a phased manner. The exercise is slated to benefit more than 1.5 lakh schools. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan doled out 6,848 footballs to be distributed to 1,260 schools in 17 districts of Odisha under the Footballs for Schools (F4S) programme on February 9.

The distribution of balls was launched by Mr. Pradhan in December in JNV Cuttack, Odisha. Besides the districts of Angul, Dhenkanal and Deogarh in Odisha, the footballs were also distributed in Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu in a phased manner.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long celebrations commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi today. He also released a logo for commemoration.

Upon arriving at the venue, the Prime Minister walked past the panorama and live representations of Arya Samaj and also offered Ahuti Arpan in the ongoing Yagya. Later on, he handed over the LED Mashal to youth representatives as a symbolic carry forward of the spark ignited in this programme reinforcing the messages of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati to the rest of India and the world.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister called the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati historic, an occasion to create a future and inspiration for the entire world. Referring to Maharishi Dayanand’s ideal of making the world a better place, the Prime Minister said in this era of discord, violence and instability, the path shown by Maharishi Dayanand gives hope.

In a bid to catalyze innovation and research within the renewable energy domain, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday. The agreement is poised to bolster collaborative endeavors in innovation and research, facilitate technology transfer, and cultivate a thriving start-up ecosystem.

The partnership between IREDA and IIT Bhubaneswar will facilitate joint research ventures and technology exchange, and offer comprehensive support to budding start-ups. Additionally, it will encompass capacity-building initiatives such as training programs, seminars, and workshops to enhance the skills of IREDA personnel.