The distribution of passes for Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations has gone digital. Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt yesterday launched Invitation Management Portal in New Delhi to extend e-Invitations to guests and online sale of tickets to the general public.

The portal -
www.aamantran.mod.gov.in
- is part of the Government’s e-governance initiative. The portal provides the facility for the issue of online passes to dignitaries and their guests along with the provision for the general public to purchase tickets online, irrespective of geographical location.

National Council of Science Museums in association with Nehru Memorial Museum and Library organised Astro Tourism - A Sky Gazing event at Delhi's India Gate yesterday. The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The programme will continue till tomorrow with various activities. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Meghwal said, the programme will help in developing scientific temper among the people.

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organised in Indore from tomorrow to the 10th of January in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh.  

The theme of this PBD conference is "Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal".

AIR correspondent reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention on January 9 while President Smt Draupadi Murmu will preside over the valedictory session and present the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela will be conducted in 242 districts of the country on the 9th of this month. The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry said, several local businesses, companies, and organisations have been invited to be part of the mela.

The Mela will provide a unique platform for the participating organizations to select the apprentices. Candidates who are class five to Class 12th pass-outs and have skill training certificates, or ITI Diploma holders or graduates can apply for this apprenticeship mela.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Digital India Awards (DIA) on the winners of DIA-22 in New Delhi today. The Digital India Awards aims to inspire and motivate not only government entities but also start-ups and grassroots-level digital initiatives in fulfilling the Digital India vision.

Electronics and IT Ministry said, the government has envisioned the Digital India Programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur will launch the themes of the Y20 summit, logo, and website in New Delhi today in the curtain raiser event of Y20 Summit India. Panel discussions of young achievers will also take place in the second session of the event. It will be anchored around how India can harness its youth population to be a superpower and discuss the personal success stories of the panelists. AIR reports that India is playing a significant role in finding workable solutions at the international level to ensure holistic well-being embodying the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a public meeting in the Bishnupur district of Manipur this morning and also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 21 development projects worth 1,311 crore rupees in Manipur. Mr. Shah arrived in Imphal yesterday evening. He will visit Heingang village this morning and inaugurate the Marjing Statue Complex, where a 122 feet tall statue of a polo player has been made. The village is situated under Heingang Assembly Constituency from where Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is an MLA.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar today met Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella in New Delhi. In a tweet, Dr. Jaishankar said, during the meeting, he discussed delivery, governance, and security in the digital domain.

The first infrastructure working group meeting of the G-20 series is going to be held in Kolkata from the 9th of January 2023. The three-day meeting will focus on financial inclusion and the theme of the meeting is “global partnership for financial inclusion”. The meeting aims at bringing the marginal people including small traders under the purview of the modern banking system, says Shree Chanchal Chand Sarkar, Advisor, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. 

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Communications, IT, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will lunch the 5G service in Odisha today, January 5. 

It will be rolled out in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack from a special program in the capital Bhubaneswar in the forenoon. According to information, in order to provide 5G telecom service to consumers, Reliance Jio and Airtel have set up about five hundred Base Transceiver Stations, BTS in various cities and towns across the state.