Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers, JP Nadda inaugurated the 'First Policy Makers' Forum', here on Monday, which will run until August 22.

To elevate India's position in the global pharmaceutical sector, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs, hosted an international delegation of policymakers and drug regulators from 15 countries.

The forum featured the launch of innovative digital platforms for pharmacopoeia and drug safety monitoring.

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General S. Padmanabhan passed away at his residence in Chennai on Sunday. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday. General Padmanabhan, who was the COAS between September 2000 and December 2002, was 83, and is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Army offered their tributes and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, a statement from the Army said.

“Known affectionately as ‘Paddy’ among his peers, Gen. Padmanabhan’s legacy is marked by his commitment to the welfare of soldiers, modernisation of the Army and strategic vision,” the Army said. General Padmanabhan led the Army during the crucial period of ‘Operation Parakram’.

In a forward-looking initiative, the Indian Army convened a formal interaction with senior veteran officers Shaurya Sampravah 1.0, at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi.

Spearheaded by General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), this represents a major step towards harnessing the rich experience and insights of the veteran community to shape the future of the Indian Army and contribute to the nation's growth.

General Upendra Dwivedi, in his remarks, welcomed the veterans, expressing profound gratitude for their continued service to the nation, both in uniform and beyond. He emphasised that this maiden interaction is not just a meeting but a significant platform for the confluence of ideas and thoughts between the Army's current leadership and its veteran community.

Sanskrit is one of the most ancient languages. It is said that it is the language of Gods. With changing times, people have left Sanskrit far behind. Like other languages, it is important to keep the status of this language high. For this very reason, Sanskrit Day is celebrated. According to the Hindu calendar, World Sanskrit Day is celebrated every year on the day of Shravan Purnima. This year, Sanskrit Day is on Monday, 19 August. This day is the last Monday of Sawan along with Raksha Bandhan. This day is a special day dedicated to celebrating the glory of the Sanskrit language and promoting it. Let us tell you that Sanskrit Day has a different theme every year. Let us know here about the theme of the year 2024. Along with this, we will also know why and since when Sanskrit Day is celebrated. Not only this, here we have also brought for you special wishes messages, quotes, shayari, poems and photos of Sanskrit Day.

Sadbhavana Diwas, meaning ‘Harmony Day’, is observed every year on August 20 to mark the birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This day serves as a reminder of his vision for a peaceful, prosperous, and united India.

Sadbhavana Diwas was first observed on August 20, 1992, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister of India in 1984, taking office during a time of significant turmoil, after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. His tenure as the youngest Prime Minister of India was marked by a forward-thinking approach to governance, with a strong emphasis on national integration and communal harmony.

Rajiv Gandhi recognised the importance of unity in a country as diverse as India. He believed that India’s progress was closely linked to the collective efforts of its citizens, regardless of their caste, creed, or religion. To honour his memory and the ideals he stood for, the Indian National Congress, the political party he led, along with various organisations and government institutions, established Sadbhavana Diwas. This day is dedicated to promoting the values of peace, unity, and harmony.

In pursuance of the Union Budget 2024-25 announcement by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman to simplify rules and regulations for Foreign Direct Investment and Overseas Investment, as one of the initiatives, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, has amended Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 vide notification dated 16.08.2024.

The amendments aim to simplify cross-border share swaps and provide for the issue or transfer of Indian company equity instruments in exchange for foreign company equity instruments. This will facilitate the global expansion of Indian companies through mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic initiatives, enabling them to reach new markets and grow their presence worldwide. Another key change brings further clarity on the treatment of downstream investments made by Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)-owned entities on a non-repatriation basis, aligning it with the treatment of Non-Resident Indian (NRI)-owned entities.

The government has finalised a tender document to procure 1,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of its ambitious IndiaAI Mission and offer computing capacity to Indian start-ups, researchers, public sector agencies and other entities approved by the government, The Indian Express has learnt. A requirement of data localisation has also been considered in the tender.

The move is part of the Rs 10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission to establish a computing capacity of more than 10,000 GPUs and also help develop foundational models with a capacity of more than 100 billion parameters trained on datasets covering major Indian languages for priority sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance. The idea is that if such an infrastructure exists in the country, start-ups could plug into it for developing AI systems.

In a recent move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday (August 16) imposed a monetary penalties on three financial institutions for various lapses. The three financial institutions include Bank of Maharashtra, Hinduja Leyland Finance, and Poonawalla Fincorp. The RBI imposed penalties on these institutions for the following reasons:

The Bank of Maharashtra was slapped with a penalty of Rs 1.27 crore for failing to meet RBI's guidelines related to the ‘Loan System for Delivery of Bank Credit’, ‘Cyber Security Framework in Banks’, and ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) rules.

This fine was imposed by an order dated August 8, 2024,

Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Paatil on August 13 unveiled version 2.0 of 'FloodWatch India' mobile application, aimed at providing a more comprehensive and detailed overview of flood conditions across the country.

The upgraded app, developed by the Central Water Commission (CWC), builds on its first version launched last year. The initial version offered flood forecasts from 200 monitoring stations.

In a statement, the Jal Shakti Ministry said that version 2.0 significantly expands this scope, integrating real-time data from 592 flood monitoring stations across the country. This expansion aims to provide users with a more extensive and detailed flood condition overview.

In addition to enhanced flood forecasting, the new version includes data on the storage positions of 150 major reservoirs.

The Centre on Friday accorded approval to three big-ticket Metro projects for prominent cities - Bengaluru, Pune and Thane costing Rs 30,765 crore and two airports for Patna in Bihar and Bagdogra in West Bengal, which are currently handling commercial flights primarily being a defence facility.

The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While briefing about the decisions, union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that under the phase III of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project approved on Friday, there will be two elevated corridors comprising a length of 44.65 kilometres (kms) with 31 stations.