In honor of the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, a revered tribal leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will engage in an e-samwad (virtual dialogue) with beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-Janman) from Jamui in Bihar on Friday, according to Gujarat CMO.

PM Modi will also launch the ‘Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan,’ a national campaign aimed at the upliftment of tribal communities across India.

As part of this initiative, a state-level celebration will be held on November 15 at Ahwa in the Dang district under the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Various events will be organized across Gujarat to commemorate ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas,’ with participation from ministers, Members of Parliament, and Members of the Legislative Assembly.

The state of Jharkhand honours its foundation every year on November 15. Jharkhand Foundation Day commemorates the founding of India’s 28th state. The state was a part of Bihar before the Bihar Reorganisation Act of 2000. The state is currently made up of the forests of Santhal Pargana and Chhotanagpur Plateau. The day holds particular significance in Indian history because it also marks the anniversary of the birth of Birsa Munda, also known as Bhagwan Birsa, a tribal leader.

The Ministry of Mines today signed an agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) on cooperation in the area of critical minerals. This collaboration will provide India with access to reliable data, analysis, and policy recommendations in the critical minerals sector, enhancing the country’s decision-making capabilities and ensuring strategic resource management. It will also enable the country to streamline its policies, regulations, and investment strategies in the critical minerals sector. Approval for the proposal to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the IEA and the Ministry of Mines was granted by the Union Cabinet on the 3rd of last month.

The Koreasat 6A communications satellite was successfully launched yesterday by a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Ordered in 2022 by KT SAT Corporation Ltd. (KT SAT), South Korea’s national satellite communications operator, Koreasat 6A was designed and developed by Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%). As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space was in charge of the design, construction, assembly, integration and testing of the satellite, as well as overseeing launch preparations. The company is also responsible for satellite positioning and in-orbit checkout, and will be providing operational support over its nominal 15-year service life.

Based on Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus 4000B2 platform, Koreasat 6A will replace the Koreasat 6 satellite currently in orbit, delivering fixed and broadcast satellite services to South Korea from its geostationary orbital slot at 116° East.

Antariksha Abhyas – 2024’, a three day Exercise to war-game the growing threats from and to Space Based Assets and Services, is being conducted by the Defence Space Agency of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff from 11 - 13 Nov 24. Exercise Antariksha Abhyas is a first of its kind exercise being conducted and is expected to help secure national strategic objectives in space and integrate India’s space capability in military operations.

In his opening address, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said, “Space, once considered the final frontier is now the critical enabler of India’s defence and security apparatus. With its rich legacy of space exploration and growing military capabilities, India is well positioned to navigate the challenges posed to space based capabilities”. Highlighting that space was becoming increasingly congested, contested, competitive and commercial, the CDS impressed upon the military leadership to secure our national interests in space by fostering innovation and developing cutting edge technologies and state of the art systems in collaboration with DRDO, ISRO and Academia.

Indian Oil Corporation announced the appointment of Arvinder Singh Sahney as the Chairman of the company. The appointment came into effect on November 13 as the additional charge of chairman entrusted to V Satish Kumar, came to an end.

Sahney, 54, has over three decades of expertise in the refinery and petrochemical sector. He has worked at five of Indian Oil’s nine refineries.

The Chemical Engineer from HBTI, Kanpur, has been instrumental in commissioning and optimising key refinery units, including the 15 MMTPA Paradip refinery. The Paradip refinery has significantly increased India’s refining capacity and energy security.

Before being appointed Chairman of Indian Oil, Sahney headed the corporation’s petrochemical vertical, where he was instrumental in the conceptualisation of various petrochemical projects, including the upcoming mega petrochemical complex at Paradip. This complex is poised to significantly expand Indian Oil’s footprint in the sector.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) underscored that it is unconstitutional to demolish a person’s property without adhering to the due process of law, simply on the grounds of their alleged involvement in a crime. A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan issued a slew of guidelines to prevent illegal and retributive bulldozing of homes and private properties of accused persons by States. Earlier, the top court had extended its interim order halting demolitions across the country without express permission except for encroachments on public land or unauthorised structures.

Rising punitive demolitions
Over the last few years, there has been an advent of communal and retributive bulldozing of homes and private properties of accused persons by States. In each of these cases, demolitions have been justified on account of action against encroachment or under the pretext of unauthorised construction. Such state-sanctioned acts of punitive violence have also been endorsed by several leaders of the ruling BJP and Hindutva supporters, who have hailed them as a form of “instant justice.”

Amaravati’s long-stalled construction projects are set for a revival with a substantial Rs 15,000 crore loan from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Commissioner, Katamaneni Bhaskar, announced the finalisation of the tripartite agreements following a meeting at the World Bank office in New Delhi on Monday. Officials from the Union Finance Department, CRDA, and Amaravati Development Corporation (ADC), along with representatives from the World Bank and ADB, completed the loan terms to advance Amaravati’s urban development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated 18 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras at various railway stations across the country. Mr. Modi inaugurated these Kendras through video conferencing from Darbhanga in Bihar along with other developmental projects worth over 12 thousand crore rupees. These kendras will ensure availability of affordable medicines at railway stations for the passengers.

Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister said, his government has main focus on holistic health services in the country. Addressing a public meeting at Shobhan in Darbhanga, Mr Modi said we have five focus points including prevention from diseases, affordable screening of ailments, use of technology in treatment and providing best health care services for the well being of common people. The Prime Minister said, 75 thousand new medical seats will be added in the next five years.

Mr. Modi also said, over one lakh 50 thousand Ayushman Arogya Mandir have been opened in the country for economically weaker sections.

As Rajasthan looks to expand the defence industrial base in the State, the Army’s Jaipur-based South Western Command has established a think tank Gyan Shakti to provide a platform for debate and interaction between armed forces, industry, State government and the academia on defence and security related matters at regional and national level. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has enunciated a vision to turn the State into a $350 billion economy by 2029.

“This think tank, will harness the invaluable wisdom, experience and vast domain knowledge of the veteran community, on matters of defence and national security. This will not only give a boost to the transformation initiatives of the Indian Army but also encourage them to participate in ongoing prospects of nation-building, and contribute to the government’s objectives of Rising Rajasthan and Viksit Bharat by 2047, South Western Army Commander Lt. Gen. Manjinder Singh said on Monday. He was speaking at the inaugural seminar on ‘atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing: opportunities in Rajasthan’ in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.