Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the maiden International Cruise Vessel – MV Empress, India’s first international cruise vessel – from Chennai to Sri Lanka in Chennai yesterday.

This marks the beginning of the international cruise tourism terminal at Chennai, built at a cost of 17.21 crore rupees, heralding a new age of cruise tourism and maritime trade in the country. Coinciding on the occasion of Environment Day, Mr Sonowal along with the port officials also planted 2,500 tree saplings at the port.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that the state has signed an agreement with Oil India Limited for promoting the production of green hydrogen.

CM Sukhu presided over ‘Enviro-Ideation Hackathon’ organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) Shimla today.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday inaugurated the permanent building of the pre-historic, 5,000 year old, Dhalpur Shiva Mandir in Sipajhar Revenue Circle in Darrang district.

The temple was restored to its ancient glory after it was retrieved during last year’s encroachment.

The Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched a new campaign ‘one student, one tree’ today – July 20. Pokhriyal planted trees along with school students in Bengaluru. Under the new scheme, each student in all the Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country will have to plant one tree in their campus.

In a move to revive wetlands and mangroves across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched two schemes named Amrit Dharohar and MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes).

India currently has 75 Ramsar sites that are wetlands of international importance and designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Colonel Shuchita Shekhar has become the first woman officer of the Army Service Corps to assume command of a Communication Zone Mechanical Transport Battalion, an official statement said on Monday.

The Communication Zone Mechanical Transport Battalion is responsible for the maintenance of the Supply Chain of the fully operational Northern Command.

President Droupadi, who is on a three-day visit to Suriname, was conferred with the highest civilian award of the country, the Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star.

State-run Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) on Monday initiated a pilot programme in collaboration with Ashok Leyland and Hero Mototcorp to test the effectiveness of the ED7 fuel blend, which combines diesel with 7% ethanol. The aim of this programme is to revolutionize India’s biofuel economy and establish a more stable energy mix.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday imposed a monetary penalty of ₹3 lakh on Sawantwadi Urban Co-operative Bank for contravention of directions contained in the Supervisory Action Framework (SAF). The co-operative bank is based in a taluka called Sawantwadi in Maharashtra.

In a notification, RBI said, this action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the KFON, Kerala Fibre Optic Network project at Shankaranarayanan Thambi Hall of the State Legislative Assembly on Monday.

The project aims to, ensure internet facilities for all at affordable rates in the State. It also aims to give free internet to over twenty lakh of poor families. While inaugurating Chief Minister said, by providing internet facilities at a lower rate, Kerala aims to bridge the digital divide in the society.