Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday rolled out several infrastructure and social sector projects in Odisha aimed at boosting job creation and living standards.

The projects have an estimated cost of ₹14,000 crore, including those inaugurated by Modi, besides some, for which work has commenced.

The Prime Minister said the projects will be in higher education, health, natural gas and roads, besides other social welfare projects. “All these will improve the quality of life in Odisha. The government has been giving priority to the balanced development of the country.”

The projects inaugurated include an Indian Institute of Technology at Bhubaneswar, set up at a cost of ₹1,260 crore, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the state. Modi also announced that work has commenced for an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

The state will also get 1,150 health and wellness centres. Modi said the Centre is also making efforts on improving connectivity, which will improve business and trade activities. Work has commenced on a Rs4,000 crore pipeline project, he said. “Once the pipeline becomes operational, Odisha will become the petroleum hub of eastern India.”

Veteran CPM leader and former state commerce and industries minister Nirupam Sen — hailed as one of the architects of West Bengal’s industrial drive under late chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — passed way at a Kolkata hospital Monday after prolonged illness. He was 72.  The former CPM politburo member is survived by his wife, a son and daughter.

“Mr Nirupam Sen passed away at around 5.10 am after prolonged illness… he was suffering from pneumonia, leading to septic shock, causing multi-organ failure in a background of diabetes, hypertension, cerebral stroke and chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis,” a statement issued by AMRI Hospital, Salt Lake said.

Sen retired from active politics in 2013, when he had suffered a cerebral stroke. He had been on life support since after his health deteriorated in early December. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Saddened at the passing away of Nirupam Sen, former minister of West Bengal. Condolences to his family and well wishers.”

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury described Sen as a “dedicated Communist who devoted his entire life to the cause of the working class and the peasantry. He served in various capacities including as a member, politbureau and a senior minister in Left Front governments.”

On the eve of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 94th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday released a Rs 100 commemorative coin in the memory of the former premier.

Vajpayee’s long-time associate and BJP veteran L K Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah were also present at the event here.

The former prime minister died at the AIIMS in the national capital in August at the age of 93 following prolonged illness.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said he would go to Vajpayee’s memorial on Tuesday to reiterate his commitment to the ideology and path shown by the statesman. “Atal Ji wanted democracy to be supreme. He built the Jana Sangh. But, when the time came to rescue our democracy he and others went to Janata Party. Likewise, when the choice was between remaining in power or comprising on ideology, he left Janata Party and formed the BJP,” the prime minister said.

The Indian Railways has bagged 17 coveted and prestigious National energy conservation awards 2018, instituted by the Government of India, said a Railways statement, on Sunday. This is the highest number of awards bagged by a single organisation.

The statement said the awards were representative of the Railways’ continuous emphasis on energy efficient technologies and energy conservation measures. 

Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal, congratulated the officials for the achievement and called upon the organisation to continue striving for more and more energy efficiency and conservation measures in railways, the statement said.

These awards are given by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of the Ministry of Power to various institutions for adopting measures for reducing energy consumption and cost.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the institution of a new national honour for national unity on the pattern of Padma Awards, an official statement said on Sunday.

The annual award will be given to an Indian who has contributed to national unity in any manner, it said, adding that the PM drew inspiration from Sardar Patel’s contribution towards unification of the country.

The announcement was made at the just-concluded annual conference of Director Generals of Police and Inspector Generals of Police held at Kevadiya in Narmada district of Gujarat, near the statue of Sardar Patel.

Modi also released a commemorative postal stamp on the National Police Memorial and a special issue of Indian Police Journal on police martyrdom, published by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, it said.

India Inc on December 23 cheered the GST Council's decision to slash tax rates on 23 goods and services and said the move will push demand and boost the economy.

The council reduced tax rates on goods and services including movie tickets, TV and monitor screens and power banks, and exempted frozen and preserved vegetables from the levy.

The reduced rates are likely to come into effect from January 1, 2019, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after the 31st meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council here Saturday.

Rajeev Talwar, president, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said consistent indirect tax revenue growth along with reduction in high GST rates indicate that tax base is widening and economic activity is expanding.

Ficci President Sandeep Somany said the GST Council has followed a pragmatic policy by bringing down rates gradually, taking into consideration the revenue realisation and affordability, and this will stabilise and strengthen GST further.

The 28 per cent slab is now restricted to only luxury and sin goods apart from auto-parts and cement -- the tax rate on which could not be cut due to high revenue implication.

US President Donald Trump has forced Defence Secretary James Mattis to leave his post early, appointing an acting successor to take over in the new year.

Gen Mattis, 68, strongly hinted at policy differences with Mr Trump when he resigned on Friday.

He offered to stay in the job until February but will now leave on 1 January after Mr Trump reportedly balked at media coverage of his exit.

Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan, 56, will take over the role.

Mr Trump has lauded his achievements and described him as "very talented".

Mr Shanahan, a former executive at the aerospace giant Boeing, joined the Pentagon in July 2017 after Mr Trump nominated him.

He was reportedly a vocal supporter of the president's plan to establish a sixth branch of the armed forces, known as the "space force".

Originally from Washington state, Mr Shanahan studied mechanical engineering and business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined Boeing as an engineer in 1986.

Indian woman Vedangi Kulkarni has become the fastest Asian to cycle the globe. Hailing from a suburb of Pune, 20-year old Vedangi cycled into Kolkata in the wee hours today, completing the 29,000 kilometers' distance required to qualify as bicycling across the globe.

Vedangi told news agency PTI that she spent 159 days  peddling up to 300 kilometers a day in 14 countries. Starting off from Perth in July, she will now be flying back to the Australian city to complete the record by cycling a 15 kilometer distance to reach the same place from where she started.  

Vedangi is a student of the University of Bournemouth in the United Kingdom pursuing a degree in sports management. 

Thirty-eight year old British adventurer Jenny Graham  is the fastest woman to have cycled the globe in 124 days this year.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today launched the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region, IFC-IOR at the Information Management and Analysis Centre, IMAC in Gurugram.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Sitharaman said, the objective of having an IFC-IOR is more for partners, equals to work towards keeping the global commons safe and democratically available for all. 

She said, in addition to utilising the collective wisdom and resources towards addressing the myriad challenges in the region, the IFC-IOR will help interface and integrate, wherein, the country will benefit from each other’s best practices and expertise. The Defence Minister said, IFC-IOR will help foster bonds of trust, camaraderie and partnership.
 
Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said,  IFC - IOR shall be a collaborative construct that will work with partners, countries as well as international agencies to enhance maritime security and safety.

The missile is 20 meter-long and weighs 17 tonnes. It is equipped with state-of-the-art Avionics, 5th generation onboard computer and distributed architecture.

Nuclear strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV was successfully test fired off Odisha coast on Sunday.

The test fire took place from launchpad number 4 of integrated test range at APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast at 8.30 in the morning.