Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, Former Assistant Secretary General, UN and wife of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today launched her debut book "Swallowing the Sun" in Mumbai. During the launch, Lakshmi Puri said that the novel is set up during the time of independence and the book is inspired by her parents and her roots from Maharashtra. She added that the book highlights women empowerment through the protagonist of the novel. She also informed that the book is highly inspired by various Abhangas from renowned Maharashtrian saints and poets. During the launch, industrialist Anand Mahindra said that he is an ardent admirer of Lakshimi Puri's talent and congratulated her for the successful launch of the novel.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday announced a fully-funded universal life insurance scheme as he presented the Budget for 2024-25 which did not propose any hike in taxes.

Presenting the budget on the second day of the ongoing session of the State Assembly, Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio, said gross receipts are estimated at Rs 23,978.05 crore and the gross expenditures are pegged at Rs 23,727.88 crore.

The budget estimate is an increase of Rs 644.22 crore compared to the previous financial year where the amount was at Rs 23,083.66 crore.

Raksha Rajya Mantri, Shri Ajay Bhatt inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Jetty Vadinar on 01 Mar 2024, marking a significant step towards augmenting infrastructure development in the strategically important Indian Coast Guard Region(North-West). The jetty construction was undertaken by Deendayal Port Authority(DPA) as a deposit work at a cost of Rs. 74 Crores. Raksha Rajya Mantri lauded the role played by the ICG, in safeguarding national maritime interests in its areas of responsibility.

Speaking on the occasion Raksha Rajya Mantri said that the possibility of infiltration of anti-national elements into Indian territory poses a threat to national security and the economy, with potential implications for energy security in the Gulf of Kutch region, a major hub for crude oil coming through which 74% of India's crude oil passes via Vadinar and Kandla. This makes the area strategically important and requires 24x7 surveillance. The Vadinar Jetty has enhanced the operational capability of the Indian Coast Guard.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, made headlines on Friday as she virtually launched a series of infrastructure projects collectively worth over Rs 1,000 crore from the national capital.

These projects are poised to significantly enhance various aspects of infrastructure across different sectors.

One of the key highlights of the event was the laying of the foundation stone for the Departmental Residential Complex by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. Situated in Sector 28 of Faridabad, Haryana, this complex will comprise 198 quarters of Type-II and III, providing essential housing units for officials of the Income Tax Department.

NITI Aayog Member Dr V K Paul today launched the National Birth Defects Awareness Month 2024 at a function in New Delhi. The theme of National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 is “Breaking barriers: inclusive support for children with birth defects”. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram of the Health Ministry, various activities for nationwide awareness of birth defect prevention, early identification, timely management, and psychosocial impact will take place throughout the month. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Paul said many children have defects from birth and timely intervention can protect them.

On the occasion, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra emphasized the pivotal role that Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram plays in ensuring that every child has access to preventive healthcare, leaving no one behind. He said the children with birth defects will be screened during the entire month. He urged states to take part in this awareness campaign to provide a better future for the children.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday said that it has certified nearly 150 railway stations across the country as Eat Right Stations. This is part of the food safety authority’s Eat Right movement which focuses on ensuring safe, hygienic and nutritious food options across colleges, institutions, workplaces and even hospitals among others.

“Till date 150 railway stations across the country have been certified as Eat Right Stations, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of the Eat Right India movement, ensuring safe, hygienic and nutritious food options for millions of passengers who traverse the country’s vast railway network,” the official statement added.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), hosted the 1st ‘Blue Talks’ meeting in New Delhi today. The meeting was co-partnered by the Embassy of France and Embassy of Costa Rica in India. More than 50 participants from government, academia and research institutes witnessed the in-person, high level deliberations on matters related to ‘Ocean Health and Governance’.

The meeting was jointly co-chaired by the Secretary, MoES Dr. M. Ravichandran, along with the Ambassador of France to India, Mr. Thierry Mathou, and Costa Rica Chargée d'affaires, Ms. Sofia Salas Monge.

This meeting is a forerunner to the upcoming High-Level Event on Ocean Action (HLEOA) event ‘Immersed in Change’ scheduled to be held on 7th-8th June, 2024 in San Jose, Costa Rica. On a larger perspective, ‘HLEOA’ is a precursor event to gather recommendations and visions for the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile on Feb 28 7 29, 2024.

These were launched from a ground based portable launcher off the coast of Odisha from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. These tests were carried out against high speed unmanned aerial targets under different interception scenarios.

According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) during all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles, meeting the mission objectives.

Union cabinet on Thursday gave its nod for establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) — coalition of 96 big cat range countries and others — with headquarters in India and approved one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for this purpose for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

It’ll serve as a common platform and a centralized repository of successful practices for conservation of seven big cats namely tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.

Five of these - tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah - are found in India.

rime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth today jointly inaugurated several significant projects on Agalega Island via video conferencing. Among these projects were a new airstrip, St. James Jetty, and six community development initiatives.

Speaking at the event, Pravind Jugnauth praised the historic moment, hailing it as a testament to the exemplary partnership between the two nations. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for elevating the Mauritius-India relationship and highlighted India's pivotal role in financing the projects. He commended India's consistent support to Mauritius, particularly under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, and lauded India's global influence and leadership.