The ULLAS Mela will witness the participation of 700 individuals from various states and union territories, alongside over 100 dignitaries representing the Ministry of Education and diverse organizations.

The central government has been actively implementing the Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram, also known as the New India Literacy Program, spanning from fiscal years 2022 to 2027. Recognized as ULLAS, standing for Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, the scheme is guided by the motto "Jan-Jan Sakshar." It primarily targets individuals aged 15 and above who lack literacy and have not had the opportunity to receive formal education.

The scheme aims to achieve multiple objectives, including the provision of foundational literacy and numeracy. Additionally, it encompasses various components such as critical life skills, covering areas like financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, healthcare and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare. The scheme also focuses on vocational skills development, aiming to equip individuals with skills for local employment.

In a momentous development for K.R. Mangalam University, the institution proudly welcomes the distinguished former Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Justice U.U. Lalit, as the Eminent Jurist and Distinguished Professor at The School of Legal Studies. This prestigious addition comes as the university secures the 2nd position in Haryana according to the BW Legal World Law School Rankings 2022, showcasing its commitment to excellence in legal education.

As an Eminent Jurist and Distinguished Professor, Justice U.U. Lalit brings extensive legal expertise, unwavering integrity, and dedication to justice. Prof. Mehraj Uddin Mir, Chair Professor at the Moti Lal Nehru Chair, K.R. Mangalam University, highlights the significant influence that the presence of Justice U.U. Lalit will have. It is expected that the esteemed Justice’s participation will be a tremendous source of inspiration for the students, offering them unmatched insights into the world of law.

REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been bestowed with the prestigious Best Green Bond - Corporate Award at The Asset Triple A Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024.

REC has received the award for issuance of $750 million USD Green Bonds in April 2023 which was also the first USD Green Bond issuance from India post India’s assumption of G20 Presidency and the largest ever Senior Green Bond Tranche by a South or South-East Asian issuer. The bond issue was priced at a minimum new issue premium of 7.5 bps, which was tighter than the most recent high-rated issuances from the region. The issue was well received by the investors and demonstrates REC’s significant contribution to financing projects aimed at mitigating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability.

The award underscores REC Limited's unwavering commitment to sophisticated capital market instruments and customized financing solutions in advancing sustainable finance and fostering environmental stewardship. This recognition represents a milestone in REC Limited's dedication to support initiatives that drive positive environmental impact and foster sustainable development.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has signed a long-term gas supply agreement with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for five years.

Under the agreement, BPCL will supply 0.43 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meters per Day) of RLNG (Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas) to MRPL’s refinery and petrochemical facility in Mangaluru from Cochin terminal.

A media statement said that gas plays a significant role in refining crude oil, reducing feed costs, optimising fuel, and lowering overall emissions from the refinery. MRPL intends to utilise RLNG as feed for the production of hydrogen and fuel for gas turbines to generate power, steam, and various furnaces. Using natural gas in the refinery helps reduce both the emissions and carbon footprint of the refinery.

International Day of Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation is observed every year on February 6. This year, this significant day lies on Tuesday.

Female genital mutilation is a ritual performed on women, particularly when they are young, which involves the removal of external genitalia. A woman is deprived of personal choice, human rights, personal hygiene, and physical integrity as a result of this inhuman act. This practice is an example of extreme gender discrimination, reflecting deep-rooted inequality between sexes. It is particularly carried out in minors. The time has come to end female genital mutilation and make our societies safe place for women.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his address, said Haryana was a role model for the country; Describing Khattar’s seven principles of good governance, he said these principles are indispensable for upholding democratic values

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar released a book titled “9 Incredible Years of Haryana Government: Emergence of a New and Vibrant Haryana” in Surajkund, Faridabad, on Saturday. Chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar was present at the book launch.

The Vice President, in his address, said Haryana was a role model for the country. Describing Khattar’s seven principles of good governance —shiksha, swasthya, suraksha, swabhiman, swavlamban, sushasan and sewa—as “satvik”, he said these principles are indispensable for upholding democratic values.

The initiative, envisioned by late Dr. Manohar Parrikar, former Chief Minister of Goa, aimed to establish a nationally significant educational institute in the state. NIT Goa commenced its operations at a temporary location within the premises of Goa Engineering College in 2010 and gradually took shape in Cuncolim, South Goa, with support from the Ministry of Education in 2023.

The Goa government allocated 113 acres of land in Cuncolim for the permanent campus in July 2017, and the foundation stone was laid in December 2018. Construction, utilizing RCC Precast 3S Technology, began in May 2019, covering 46 acres initially. The campus, costing Rs 390.83 crore, boasts a built-up area of 70750 sqm, accommodating 1,260 students.

Featuring a tutorial complex, departmental complex, seminar complex, administrative complex, hostels, health center, staff quarters, amenity center, and sports ground, the campus is equipped with various facilities. Notably, it incorporates eco-friendly elements such as a solar plant, sewage treatment plant, water-saving fixtures, efficient lighting, and solar-powered street lights. The design prioritizes natural ventilation and lighting to reduce electricity consumption.

Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) is an autonomous scientific society under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It is having three R&D laboratories located at Pune, Hyderabad & Thrissur focusing on different thrust areas on critical electronic materials. C-MET, Hyderabad lab is focusing on the development of leap frogging electronic materials and strategic materials including metals and alloys.

One of the major thrust area of C-MET, Hyderabad is to develop environmentally benign e-waste recycling technologies to promote resource efficiency and circular economy in the country. India generates around 3.2 Million Tones per year of electronic waste as reported in 2019, which contains many precious materials like Gold, Copper, Palladium, Silver, etc in addition to hazardous materials like lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury etc. which can cause irreparable health hazards to human being.

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on E-waste Management facility is inaugurated by Shri S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, in the presence of Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT E&C, GoT; Shri Rajesh Singh, JS&FA, MeitY; Dr Anil Kumar C, CE&MD, M/s Greenko; Dr Sandip Chatterjee, GC, MeitY; Shri E Magesh, DG, C-MET; Shri Ashok Kumar Khatwa, CE, CPWD. The C-MET has established (CoE) first of its kind in the country under PPP model. The CoE has developed various e-waste recycling technologies viz. spent PCB, Li Ion Battery, Permanent magnet and Si-solar cells, etc C-MET has not only developed recycling technologies but also designed and fabricated necessary processing equipment for the same.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the "Digital India FutureLABS" and delivered the keynote address at the 'Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024,' focused on 'Catalyzing the Next-generation Electronics System Design through Digital India FutureLABS.'

The Summit also witnessed an announcement of 22 MoUs of C-DAC with Industry for implementation of the futureLABS. Companies like NXP Semiconductors, Tenstorrent and Qualcomm India have signed MoUs in areas like High Performance Computing space, Design & Innovation in Compute space and Indian Telecom Stack.

Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar addressed the summit that included senior leadership of major industry players, startups, young Indians and academia from the electronics manufacturing field.

The Odisha government and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have recently signed a MoU to establish the Biju Patnaik Special Centre for Odia Studies at JNU. With a substantial financial contribution of a one-time non-recurring corpus of Rs 10 crore from the state government, the envisioned Biju Patnaik Special Centre aims to explore the leadership, governance, and noteworthy contributions of Biju Patnaik, the visionary leader of India, the Bhoomiputra of Indonesia, and the former Chief Minister of Odisha.

The initiative intends to launch a master's programme encompassing diverse aspects of Odia Studies, enhance cultural connections with the Odisha Diaspora, and foster the appreciation of contemporary Odia literature and art.