Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed confidence that the corporate sector will contribute generously for the welfare of ex-servicemen.

Addressing the Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR Conclave in New Delhi today, Mr Singh said he is confident that the corporate sector and wealth creators in the country will contribute to the corpus of the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare.

He said common people had generously contributed to Bharat Ke Veer Fund for the bereaved families of soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

The Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) was organised in Dhaka on Monday. The day long festival screened 15 films on the theme of migration and its various aspects. The GMFF was started in 2016 and this year it is being organised across many cities in the world between 28 November to 18 December.

The short films and documentaries shown during the festival were selected through a global competition for which 600 entries were received. The jury selected 30 best films out of which 15 were screened in Dhaka.

Speaking on the occasion of the festival inauguration, the Ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink praised the German chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing more than one million migrants from Syria into Germany. She said European countries wish to promote migration through aspiration and not based on desperation.

The government has launched a drive to enroll one crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) and the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self Employed Persons (NPS-Traders) by March next year.

Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar launched the drive yesterday at a function to mark the celebrations of Pension week. Stating that both the schemes are simple and hassle-free, Mr Gangwar said, an Aadhaar card number along with a savings bank account or Jan-Dhan account are needed for enrollments.

The monthly contribution has been kept at the lowest level ranging between 55 rupees and 200 rupees depending on the entry ages of subscribers. 

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Sanjay Dhotre inaugurated the India Pavilion at International Book Fair in Guadaljara, Mexico.

This fair is the biggest book fair in the Spanish-speaking world. India is the ‘Guest of Honour Country’ in this book fair and it becomes the first Asian country to participate as ‘Guest of Honour' in the Fair. 

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, yesterday, Mr Dhotre highlighted the deep literary connection between India and Mexico and referred to the legendary Mexican poet Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz’s first visit to India in 1952. He also said that both the countries are in opposite directions on the world map, but both have great similarities in terms of their people, bio-diversity, family and cultural values. He invited all the publishers gathered from across the world to the World Book Fair being organised by National Book Trust in New Delhi, during January 2020.

In wrestling, Asian Championships silver medallists Gurpreet Singh and Sunil Kumar clinched gold medals on the final day of the senior national championships in Jalandhar yesterday.

Gurpreet defeated two-time world junior championships medallist Sajan Bhanwal, who was representing the Railways, by a 3-1 margin, in the 77 kilogram categor. This was Punjab grappler's fourth senior national title.

Sunil also managed an easy win over Punjab's Prabhal. The Railway's grappler used all his experience to crush the Punjab wrestler 5-1 in the 87 kg final.

India has become the first country to make the entire process for pilgrims going on Haj completely digital.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said this after signing the bilateral agreement for next year's pilgrimage with the Saudi Haj Minister in Jeddah.  Mr Naqvi said, an online application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, 'e-MASIHA' health facility, "e-luggage pre-tagging" providing all information in India itself regarding accommodation and transportation in Mecca and Madina will be provided to 2 lakh Indian Muslims going for Haj in 2020. 

The minister signed the bilateral annual Haj 2020 agreement between India and Saudi Arabia with Haj and Umrah Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten. He said, for the first time facilities were provided for digital pre-tagging of pilgrims' baggage. 

For the first time in the history of Hornbill festival, Bureau of Outreach & Communication, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is organising a Multi Media Exhibition commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio officially inaugurated the Multi Media Exhibition yesterday at World War II museum, Kisama in Nagaland.

The focus of the event is to present Gandhian values and principles both to the people and through the people in contemporary idiom. The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is more than a celebration of a great life and a remembrance of history. It is a moment of renewal, of making a fresh commitment to the goals of a just, honest and fair society- at home and abroad.

Centre will launch the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 across the country today.

The government's flagship scheme is aimed at immunizing children under the age of 2 years and pregnant women against eight vaccine preventable diseases. The IMI covers  vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B. Vaccines for Japanese encephalitis and hemophilus influenzal are also being provided in selected areas. The IMI 2.0 aims to achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 districts spread over 27 States. The IMI 2.0 will be carried out between December 2019 and March 2020.

In October 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the IMI. The IMI was built on Mission Indradhanush, using additional strategies to reach populations at high risk, by involving sectors other than health. It was an effort to shift routine immunization into a peoples movement.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Army has successfully test fired two Spike long-range anti-tank missiles at Mhow.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and several commanders witnessed the firing of the newly acquired missiles on Wednesday.

Spike is a fourth generation missile which can engage any target with precision at ranges up to 4 kilo metres. The Spike long-range anti-tank missiles will bolster the Army's fire power capability.

Stage is all set for the three-day long Military Literature Festival (MLF) with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating the gala event on December 13 at the Lake Club of the City Beautiful.

Talking to media persons here, Senior Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Lt Gen (Retd) T S Shergill said the prestigious event to be held from December 13 to 15 would present an international level forum to foster and preserve exchange of knowledge related to military literature and associated works besides acquainting the youth with our glorious military heritage.

“Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the event, while Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will preside over the closing ceremony and honour the descendants and units of Victoria Cross winners of the Burma Campaign of the Second World War,” said Shergill.