Indian bodybuilder Ravinder Kumar Malik has clinched Mr. South Asia title. He has crowned the overall champion at 12th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Kathmandu yesterday. 

Malik, the winner of 80 kg category, was adjudged best bodybuilder among the winners of nine senior men's weight categories. Afghanistan won team championship by securing a top position with 535 points. Host Nepal finished second with 445 points, while India remained third with 380 points. 

Afghanistan won a total 15 medals including six gold, four silver and five bronze. Nepal bagged three gold, seven silver and six bronze and India claimed four gold, five silver and one bronze medal. The Maldives won three gold and two bronze medals, Pakistan bagged one gold, two silver and two bronze, while Bhutan finished last with a bronze medal. 

Noted vocalist S. Sowmya has been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy and she will preside over 93rd annual conference of the Academy to be held between December 12, 2019, and January 1, 2020.

“She is a high-calibre vocalist who has an intellectual approach towards Carnatic music,” said N. Murali, president of the Academy, said.

A student of Dr. S. Ramanathan and T. Mukta, Ms. Sowmya equally excelled in her academic pursuit and obtained a doctorate from the Madras University.

Mr. Murali said she was the youngest musician to receive the coveted award in recent times after Sanjay Subramaniam. “We either select a veteran or young talent. We do not stick to any particular norm in selecting the artist,” he explained.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has passed away in New Delhi. The veteran Congress leader was 81.

A few days ago, the three-time Delhi CM was admitted to Escorts Hospital, where she breathed her last around 3.55 pm.

Dikshit was the longest-serving chief minister of Delhi, serving between 1998 and 2013.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will launch the Global Innovation Index, GII on 24th of this month in New Delhi. 

The GII has been a charter for assessing the innovation capabilities of national economies worldwide. 

An official release said, the launch of GII will reveal the innovation rankings of economies and the findings for this year. 

This year’s theme is Evaluating the Medical Innovation Scenario of the Next Decade. Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization, Mr. Francis Gurry, will also be present during the event.

India are in line to get the Asian Games gold in 4x400 mixed relay with Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain being handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing a dope test.

India's mixed relay team of Mohammad Anas, Hima Das, Arokia Rajiv and M R Poovamma had won the silver in the event at the Asian Games in Jakarta last year.

The ban on Adekoya, who was part of the gold-winning team, means India's silver is set to be upgraded.

The AIU said that Adekoya's results between August 24, 2018 and November 26, 2018 will be disqualified.

Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the architectural illumination of the historic Safdarjung Tomb in New Delhi yesterday.
A total of 213 technologically advanced LED lights have been used to highlight the 17th century monument. The consumption of LED lights is approximately 62 percent less than conventional light fixtures. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Patel said, to highlight the archaeological magnificence of historical monuments, Archaeological Survey of India has taken up the project to illuminate the important monuments of Delhi. He said, the move aims to showcase the monuments during late evenings and enhance the experience of visitors and tourists.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Friday launched the All India Football Federation's Golden Baby Leagues handbook 2019-20 on the sidelines of the Intercontinental Cup here.

The sports minister was accompanied by AIFF general secretary Kushal Das.

The launch marked the renaming of the 'AIFF Baby Leagues' to 'AIFF Golden Baby Leagues', with the emphasis being laid for ages under 6 to under 12 both for girls and boys.

"Baby League sounds very cute to me. The actual scouting has to start from a very young age. I have been explained how it's planned by the AIFF.

Marine Acoustic Research Ship INS Sagardhwani on Thursday embarked on a two-month-long 'Sagar Maitri' mission from SNC Kochi. INS Sagardhwani was flagged off by Southern Naval commander Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla and Defence Research and Development Organisation chairman G. Satheesh Reddy.

Indian Navy said in a tweet that the objective of this mission is to promote cooperation in areas of ocean research among the Indian Ocean Rim countries. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has extended his best wishes for the success of Sagar Maitri mission. The Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative is in consonance with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Safety And Growth of All in the Region (SAGAR) and it is seen as a step by Indian Navy towards enhancing oceanic research and strengthening relationships with South-East Asian countries.

Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with India to upgrade tracks in a key railway segment connecting the north and south at a cost of $ 91.26 million.

This is the first time in 100 years that the 130 km-long-tracks, running from Maho town in the North Western Province to Omanthai in the Northern Province, are being upgraded. The initiative seeks to double the speed potential of the track from the current 60 km/hour to 120 km/hour, reduce maintenance costs and potentially improve travel comfort of passengers, according to a press release from the Indian High Commission here.

The contract agreement for concessional financing was signed in Colombo on July 18 between the Government of Sri Lanka and IRCON International Ltd., represented respectively by Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and Sunil Kumar Choudhury, Chairman & Managing Director, IRCON.

Indian Foreign Service officer Vivek Kumar was today appointed as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An official order said, the decison was taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. 

Mr Kumar, a 2004 batch IFS officer, is currently working as the Director in the Prime Minister's Office. Mr Kumar's appointment will come into effect from the day of the assumption of charge.