In Haryana, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, which is being undertaken to take the various welfare schemes of the central and state governments to the last person and to create a resolution for a developed India, is drawing lakhs of people every day. So far, Jansamvad programmes have been organised at 3439 locations across the state under the Yatra.

An official spokesperson said that over 4.60 lakh people have visited health camps for health checkups and out of these, 3 lakh 7 thousand people have undergone Tuberculosis (TB) screening during the yatra. Over 5 lakh 62 thousand people have been issued Ayushman Bharat cards and 5 thousand 852 farmers have been issued Kisan Credit Cards during the Yatra programmes.

In addition, 7193 people have sought information about the PM Svanidhi scheme and 8580 people visited the Aadhaar card camp. During the Yatra, 18917 women, 30822 students, 4328 local athletes and 4095 local artists were also awarded.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday inaugurated an autonomous board established by the state government to recruit efficient and skilled candidates for public sector units through a transparent selection process.

The board aims to enhance the efficiency of public sector institutions in the state, he said during the inauguration of the Kerala Public Enterprises (Selection and Recruitment) Board, and it’s office at Vellayambalam.

The chief minister said that the recruitment of public sector undertakings under the Department of Industries and Commerce will be under the board’s purview in the first phase.

Himachal Pradesh government’s initiative to roll out the first-ever Shimla Winter Carnival is expected to give a fillip to the tourism sector, which has suffered badly since a relentless monsoon brought the hill State to its knees this year and caused extensive damage to life and property.

“This winter carnival in Shimla is a historic moment for the city as it aims to boost tourism activities in the State. The recent monsoon fury had adversely affected Himachal Pradesh’s tourism sector but due to the government’s efforts, the State has recovered from this setback,” said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while inaugurating the 12-day-long festival on Monday. The event started with a cultural parade and a Mahanati (folk dance) performance presented by 450 women from self-help groups.

The 8th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) concluded today in Bangkok, Thailand. The conclave organized by Royal Thai Navy began on the 19th of this month. Chiefs of Navies or Senior Delegates from 27 Members or Observer countries participated in the event. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, attended the event with a three-member Indian Naval delegation.

During the Conclave of Chiefs, Thailand assumed the duties of Chair of IONS, and the Work Plan for the next two years was finalized. As a first, the Flag designed by India was selected as the IONS Flag. India also took over as the co-chair of IONS Working Groups on Maritime Security and HADR for the forthcoming cycle.

State-owned NLC India Ltd has contributed Rs 4.30 crore to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund for flood affected people of Tamil Nadu. Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc across Chennai and its neighbouring districts, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains, and startling residents.

“NLC India Ltd, under the Ministry of Coal, contributed Rs 4.30 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, including Rs 2.30 crores, as one day salary from NLC India’s employees,” according to an official statement.

The assistance is for fostering recovery of the people affected by the recent flood caused by Cyclone Michaung that devastated Chennai and the surrounding districts of Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu, and also to help people affected by the recent unprecedented heavy rain in the southern districts of Tuticorin and Tirunelveli.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu laid the foundation stone for capacity expansion at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) at Pasighat today.

With a total investment of Rs 53 crore, additional infrastructure will be developed at the institute, read AYUSH Ministry press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, "Folk medicine has a rich heritage of healing humanity for thousands of years. It has remained among our communities, helping generations to enrich their lives."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to preside over the third National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi on December 28 and 29. The primary focus of the conference will be ‘Ease of Living,’ with an emphasis on formulating and implementing a unified development agenda and action plan in collaboration with the states.

Addressing the need for easy access to welfare schemes and enhancing service quality, the conference will delve into five sub-themes: land and property, electricity, drinking water, health, and schooling. Special sessions will also explore topics such as cyber security challenges, perspectives on AI, stories from the ground through the aspirational block and district program, the role of states in streamlining schemes, and opportunities and challenges associated with AI in governance.

In-depth discussions on drug de-addiction and rehabilitation; Amrit Sarovar; tourism promotion, branding and the role of states; and PM Vishwakarma Yojana & PM SVANidhi are scheduled during the conference. Additionally, the event will feature presentations on best practices from states/UTs under each theme, enabling replication of successful models and customization according to individual state requirements.

More than 1500 people performed tabla in the 'Taal Darbar' at Gwalior fort on Monday and set a Guinness World Record for the most numbers of people performing tabla simultaneously.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia were also present at the event.

Expressing his joy, Chief Minister Yadav announced that December 25 will be celebrated as 'Tabla Divas'.

"This day is very special for us. To make this event memorable, December 25 would be celebrated as Tabla Divas. The history of music in India is considered to be more than 5000 years old. Music and Gwalior can never be separated," the CM said.

Haryana's Yogesh Choudhary and Assam's Deepankar Mech were adjudged as Female Champion of Champions and Male Champion of Champions at the recently concluded Shillong Armfight-All India Championship 2023, held in Shillong at the U Soso Tham Auditorium. The two-day All India Championship saw the participation of nearly 300 Armwrestlers from different parts of the country.

The Championship was organized by the Meghalaya Armwrestling Association and the Bouncer's Association of Meghalaya under the aegis of the People's Federation of Armwrestling (PAFI) in collaboration with the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs of Meghalaya.

The Drone Imaging and Information Systems of Haryana (DRIISHYA) Limited conducted a board of directors meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, to explore ways to harness the potential of drone technology across diverse sectors.

Drones are becoming integral to Haryana’s governance strategy, from enhancing traffic and crime surveillance to revolutionising agricultural practices, according to officials.

Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said, “DRIISHYA is collaborating with DCP Traffic, Gurgaon, to introduce drone-based land surveying on national highways. To cater to the increasing demand, the agency is set to augment its fleet with 20 new large-scale drones and six specialised agricultural drones designed for nano-fertiliser spraying demonstrations.”