The 2024 edition of the Embassy’s flagship diaspora engagement event, Pravasi Parichay, was inaugurated by Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan at the Embassy Auditorium in Riyadh. The week-long cultural celebration commenced with a specially curated event titled “Classical Languages of India,” aimed at highlighting the rich linguistic diversity of the country. Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, extended a welcome message on the occasion, further emphasizing the importance of such initiatives.

The Indian community in Saudi Arabia actively participated, presenting a unique play that featured all 11 classical languages of India: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Pali, Prakrit, and Sanskrit. The play, which combined narration, poetry recitals, conversations, dances, and songs, was deeply appreciated by the audience. The poetry recital in Pali and Prakrit particularly captivated the attendees.

Additionally, the event featured a quiz and a painting exhibition by women artists, adding further cultural depth to the inaugural day.

As governments worldwide grapple with cybersecurity and data privacy concerns, many have moved to restrict or ban popular social media platforms. From Hong Kong to North Korea, here's a look at some countries enforcing limits on digital communication apps.

Hong Kong: Banning WhatsApp and Google Drive on Government Devices

To tighten cybersecurity, Hong Kong has barred civil servants from using apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Google Drive on work computers. The new IT guidelines are designed to prevent data breaches and hacking incidents. Civil servants can still use these services from personal devices or request approval for exceptions.

India: TikTok and 58 Other Apps Blocked

India banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in 2020, citing national security concerns following border tensions with China. The government aimed to safeguard user data and prevent potential espionage, especially as TikTok’s popularity soared in the country.

The foundation stone for a people’s Right to Information museum was recently laid at Beawar, the birthplace of the RTI movement, in the presence of eminent lawyers and former judges with focus on digital exclusion in social security pensions. About 13.5 lakh people in Rajasthan have been waiting for release of their pensions, which were stopped following a discrepancy in the digital database.

Hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered in Beawar to attend ‘Jashn-e-Samvidhan’ organised as a festival of democracy and RTI. Former judges Madan B. Lokur, Govind Mathur and S. Muralidhar, lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Prashanto Chandra Sen and social activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey addressed the gathering, while laying emphasis on ensuring social security of vulnerable sections of the population.

The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), which has been waging struggles for people’s rights relating to land, minimum wages and forests, had organised a prolonged dharna in Beawar in April-May 1996 demanding an RTI law, when it was unheard of.

IN REMARKS that could trigger a fresh debate on population control, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu while expressing concern over ageing population in the southern states has urged people in his state to have more children. He also said that his government is planning to bring in legislation to make only those with more than two children eligible to contest local body elections.

“We are thinking of providing incentives to families with more children, encouraging couples to have more children,” Naidu said Saturday after flagging off the resumption of construction work at Amaravati that had been halted under the previous government.

“We have repealed the earlier law barring people with more than two children from contesting local body elections,” he said, referring to the August 7 state Cabinet decision. “We will bring in a new law to make only those with more than two children eligible to contest.’’

A new genus and snake species discovered in the Himalayas has been named after the Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio - the "Titanic" star who is also a passionate environmentalist, officials said on Tuesday.

The newly described snake species, ‘Anguiculus dicaprioi' is distributed from central Nepal to Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, whereas ‘Anguiculus rappii' is distributed in Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.

These snakes are mostly active from late May to August and are not found at other times of the year, nothing is known about the biology of the two species, and ‘Anguiculus rappii' is rare and has not been recorded in the last couple of decades.

Meghalaya's capital Shillong pips Azerbaijan's historic capital city Baku as the most popular destination for Indian travellers in 2025, reveals the new 'Travel Trends Report' by global travel app Skyscanner.

Shillong is the only city to feature in the list as part of the annual report, released on Wednesday.

The report, which offers insights into the pulse of Indian travellers in the coming year, claimed that 66 per cent of Indians plan to "travel more" in the coming year.

"Known as the Scotland of the East, Shillong in India sits on top among the most buzzing destinations followed by Baku, Azerbaijan and Langkawi, Malaysia known for their diverse experiences and the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the second edition of its flagship international seminar, the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, in New Delhi today. The Minister will launch the Indian Army’s Green Initiative 1.0 and Digitisation of IA 1.0. The Minister will deliver a keynote address on ‘India’s Vision for Development and Security,’ underscoring the importance of comprehensive security in achieving Viksit Bharat in 2047. Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi will also address the audience, highlighting the Indian Army’s significant contributions to nation-building, including initiatives aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The two-day event will bring together policymakers, strategic thinkers, academics, defence personnel, veterans, and scientists. Prominent speakers from the United States, Russia, Israel, and Sri Lanka will also participate in the dialogue. The dialogue will explore India’s strategic pathways towards Viksit Bharat in 2047, focusing on the role of comprehensive security in national development. The Chanakya Defence Dialogue will consist of six expert-led sessions, each focusing on critical aspects of comprehensive security.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Wednesday announced that Australia has been nominated as the "Country of Focus" at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India .

The “Country of Focus” segment at IFFI will feature a curated selection of seven Australian films, showcasing the country's rich storytelling traditions as well as indigenous and contemporary narratives.

The announcement follows the recent signing of an Audio Visual Co-production Treaty between the two nations, which aims to boost co-productions by offering incentives to filmmakers from both countries.

"This collaboration will not only promote cultural exchange but also open new avenues for filmmakers in India and Australia to work together on innovative cinematic projects," the ministry said in a statement.

Actor Darasing Khurana has received the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award for his work towards raising awareness around mental health issues as the ‘Commonwealth Year of Youth Champion’.

Khurana, 32, the Indian actor and philanthropist, also served as the keynote speaker at the Global Mental Health Summit 2024 at the Oxford University’s historic Oxford Union before heading over to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

“My work in the field of mental health awareness goes back many years. Getting the opportunity to put that on the world map and have meaningful discussions with people in power and influence has been quite special,” said Khurana, who received the award at the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.

The Odisha government on Tuesday announced that women employees will now get an additional 12 days of casual leave (CL) annually apart from the 15 days they get currently, an official note issued by the CMO said.

The current government followed Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida's announcement on Independence Day that women employees will be entitled to a day's paid menstrual leave per month.

The number of additional CLs for women was 10 since March this year as announced by the previous BJD government "keeping in mind the family responsibilities and various problems of women".