Uttar Pradesh will have five more airports in the next one month that will take the total number of airports in the state to 19, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday as he flagged off direct flight from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad.

The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30.

Scindia said that five new airports will be inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh in one month. The airports will be at Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Shravasti, taking the total number of airports in the state to 19.

Two cities in Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi and Prayagraj - have got national awards as part of the Swachh Survekshan 2023 Awards instituted by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

Varanasi and Prayagraj won the top two awards among the Cleanest Ganga Towns.

Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister AK Sharma termed it a “great achievement”.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be laying the foundation stone for the permanent campus of the Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy and Integrated Ayush Wellness Centre at Azara in Assam's Guwahati on January 12, said an official release on Thursday.

According to an official release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB), "A total amount of Rs 53.89 crore has been sanctioned for the Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy and Integrated Ayush Wellness Centre project."

This institute was established as a Clinical Research Unit of Homoeopathy in 1984 in a rented building at Odalbakra, Guwahati. Presently, it is situated in Bhetapara, Guwahati, in the old building of the Central Ayurveda Research Institute.

India has secured the 80th position in the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index, allowing its citizens visa-free access to 62 countries. This includes popular destinations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

India's position is a slight improvement from the previous year when it was ranked 84.

Among India's neighbors, the Maldives leads the pack positioned at 58, followed by China at 62, Bhutan at 87, Myanmar at 92, Sri Lanka at 96, Bangladesh at 97, and Nepal at 98th.

Pakistan trails behind at 101.

India marks National Youth Day today, January 12th, commemorating the birth anniversary of influential spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda. Established in 1984, the day honors Vivekananda's teachings and emphasizes the importance of youth in nation-building.

Celebrations across the country take various forms, from captivating speeches and musical performances to insightful seminars and vibrant youth conventions. Educational talks and competitions, including yoga practice, presentations, and writing contests, further engage young minds and promote awareness of people's rights.

This year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, Maharashtra, on January 12 and address the youth of the nation.

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Monday said its board has approved acquiring up to 10 per cent in a company promoted by the National Housing Bank (NHB).
In a regulatory filing, LIC said the board has cleared the proposal to invest in a new company, promoted by the NHB, for residential mortgage-backed securities, through equity contribution up to 10 per cent of the share capital.

The investment is to be made in one or more tranches, it added.

Details about the company were not disclosed.

LIC has a housing finance subsidiary -- LIC Housing Finance Ltd -- that was incorporated in 1989. This company went public in 1994 and since then its stocks are listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE).

Jain, who has more than two and half decades of experience in financial services and technology sectors, Jain is the former co-founder and CEO of Excelrate. Prior to Excelrate, he held leadership roles in the credit bureau industry for over 12 years.

“I am excited to join Experian and honoured with the prospects of partnering with the industry in shaping India’s credit ecosystem, enabling individuals, businesses, and country’s aspirations,” said Jain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Youth Festival at Nashik, Maharashtra on 12th January. He will also address the youth of the nation. National Youth Day is celebrated every year to honour the ideals and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda.

This year, the National Youth Day will be celebrated by all field organisations of the Department of Youth Affairs in districts in collaboration with multiple Government departments. Road safety awareness events will be conducted in major cities and 750 district headquarters of the country.

Addressing media in New Delhi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Nitesh Kumar Mishra said the theme of the National Youth Festival this year is “MYBharat-ViksitBharat@2047- By the Youth, For the Youth ''. He said that during the celebration, various states will showcase cultural programmes of their diverse cultural heritage. He further added that partner Ministers and district-level officers will set up stalls of various exhibitions and awareness drives of various government programmes including traffic awareness, nutrition and diet, products of KVIC startups among others.

The Rural Development Ministry and State Bank of India on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate enterprise financing for rural self-help groups (SHG), an official statement said. The MoU was signed by Additional Secretary Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Charanjit Singh and Chief General Manager, State Bank of India, Corporate office Mumbai, Shantanu Pendsey.

State Bank of India introduced a specialised financial product Svyam Siddha, exclusively tailored for SHG women entrepreneurs seeking loans up to Rs 5 lakhs. This initiative is designed to alleviate the challenges associated with extensive documentation requirements for bank loan applications and reduce the turnaround time (TAT). It does away with the requirement of burdensome documents like quotations and detailed project reports (DPRs), allowing an easy application process where a simple loan application with KYC details can be submitted at local SBI bank branches. DAY-NRLM will facilitate the loan application process and oversee loan repayment through its dedicated field cadre.

Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) today released a report on 'Engendering Land Ports in India' in New Delhi. The main objective of the report is to develop a framework for gender inclusive cross border trade and tourism through land Ports in the country.

Talking to Akashvani News, chairman of LPAI Aditya Mishra said that the report released today is a step towards making a gender positive environment. He added the Land Ports Authority of India will implement the recommendation of the reports to make land Ports more gender neutral.