Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday launched the PRANAM Commission, a panel set up to look after the issues concerning a Bill brought in for protection of parents of state government employees.

The Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill, stated to be the first-of its-kind Bill in the country, is an effort to protect elderly parents of government employees in their times of need, Sonowal said.

"We have ensured that no state government employee can ignore their elderly parents and unmarried differently abled siblings. The PRANAM Bill is an effort from the state government to protect them and give them financial security," the chief minister said.

He, however, said it would be better if this Bill did not require to be implemented.

India’s gold rush at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Delhi continued on day 4 when the pair of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary bagged a gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team. The teenage sensations claimed top spot with a total of 483.4 points, which was almost 5 points ahead of the Chinese pair that finished in second place with 477.7. The duo had already equalled the world record in the event during the qualifying stages with a score of 778 points.

However, they bettered their performance in the finals of 10m air pistol mixed team event to emerge as the winners while comprehensively beating their Chinese counterparts. In the qualification rounds, Bhaker scored 385 while Chaudhary got 393 to equal the world record score of 778. They were the only Indian pair to make it to the final after Heena Sidhu (384) and Abhishek Verma (386) fell short of the five-team final as they finished ninth with a score 770.

In the 10m air rifle final also, no Indian could reach the final. Anjum Moudgil and Ravi Kumar marginally missed the five-team final after coming seventh with a score 836.3. Meanwhile, Apurvi Chandela (the Gold medallist in the individual event) and partner Deepak Kumar were placed 25th with a score of 831.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on February 26 said that Allahabad Bank, Corporation Bank and Dhanlaxmi Bank have been taken out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.

In a statement, RBI said the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) reviewed the performance of banks under PCA and noted that the government has infused fresh capital on February 21 into various banks including some of the banks currently under the PCA framework.

"Of these banks, the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) noted that Allahabad Bank and Corporation Bank had received Rs 6896 crore and Rs 9086 crore respectively. This has shored up their capital funds and also increased their loan loss provision to ensure that the PCA parameters were complied with," RBI said.

The release noted that the two banks made the necessary disclosures to the Stock Exchange and after the infusion of capital, the CRAR, CET1, Net NPA and Leverage Ratios are no longer in breach of the PCA thresholds.

The 49-year-old, who was charged in October, admitted failing to co-operate with an investigation and "concealing, tampering with or destroying evidence".

It is part of a wider investigation into corruption in Sri Lankan cricket.

Jayasuriya, who retired in 2012, is a former chairman of selectors.

"This conviction under the code demonstrates the importance of participants in cricket co-operating with investigations," said Alex Marshall, general manager of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit.

"Compelling participants to co-operate under the code is a vital weapon in our efforts to rid our sport of corruptors. These rules are essential to maintain the integrity of our sport."

Jayasuriya was player of the tournament when Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 and he scored 21 centuries and took 323 wickets in 445 one-day internationals.

He also averaged 40.07 runs in 110 Test matches.

The former government minister retired from international cricket in 2011, but continued playing Twenty20 matches until 2012.

In Indonesia, 60 people have been buried following a landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in North Sulawesi province. The national disaster agency said, one person is confirmed dead and at least 13 injured. 

The mine collapsed last evening due to unstable soil and the large number of mining holes. Rescue operation is underway.

Mourning the loss of more than 40 Indian security personnel in a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist attack in Pulwama early this month, an influential American lawmaker has endorsed India's move to diplomatically isolate Pakistan.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country.

Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give away the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 awards in New Delhi today. In his Mann Ki Baat address in December 2017, Mr Modi had shared his idea of organising Youth Parliaments for young people in every district of the country.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore had launched the festival on the 12th of last month to encourage the youth to engage with public issues and understand the common man's point of view. More than 50 thousand youths participated through Youth Parliaments at all levels.

The National Level Finals of the festival concluded yesterday with the announcement of winners.

Colonel Rathore handed over the certificates of participation to those who took part in the festival.

Inaugurating the National Level Finals event, Colonel Rathore  called upon the youth to recognise their strength and create a New India. He said, India has a large young population bestowed with special qualities which need to be identified, harnessed and promoted. The Minister said, the country is progressing under the best leadership, and impossibilities are being converted into possibilities.

The Indian Army destroyed five forward posts of Pakistan in a befitting retaliation to firing from across the border in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu Division last night. 

A Defence spokesperson said, Pakistani troops resorted to indiscriminate firing and shelling with heavy calibre weapons in 12 to 15 places in the twin border districts. 

The Pak troops were also seen firing mortars and missiles from civilian houses, using villagers as human shields. The spokesperson said, the Indian troops retaliated strongly and caused a number of casualties to the Pak Army. However, in the exchange of fire, five Indian soldiers were injured. Two of them were taken to Military Hospital and their condition is stable.

AIR correspondent reports that a number of Pakistan Army personnel were killed and injured while their five posts were destroyed across line of Control in Sunderbani Palling ala sector last evening in retaliatory firing and shelling by the Indian side  while a Ranger was killed and six others were injured across Kanachak sector on the International border in Jammu district . In view of heightened tension between India and Pakistan amidst heavy exchange of fire along line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch the respective district administrations have ordered closure of all schools within a radius of  five kilometers from Line of Control.

President Ram Nath Kovind today conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2015, 16, 17 and 18 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. For 2015, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari was given the award for its contribution in Rural Development, Education and Development of natural resources.

For 2016, the award was presented jointly to Akshaya Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of children across India and Sulabh International for its contribution in improving the condition of sanitation in India and emancipation of manual scavengers.

Ekal Abhiyan Trust was conferred the award for 2017 for its contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender and Social Equality.

For 2018, Japan's Yohei Sasakawa was given the prize for his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.

The award, comprises a cash award of one crore rupees, a citation in a scroll, a plaque and a traditional handicraft item.

PepsiCo's India-born former CEO Indra Nooyi has joined Amazon's board of directors, the online retail giant has said. Nooyi, who stepped down as CEO of Pepsico in October last year, is the second women of colour to be added on the Amazon's board of Directors. Early this month, Starbucks executive Rosalind Brewer joined the Amazon Board.

"We're thrilled to have elected two new members to our Board of Directors this month. Welcome, Roz Brewer and Indra Nooyi," Amazon said in its announcement. Nooyi would be a member of the audit committee. 

She was Pepsico CEO from October 2006 to October 2018, where she also served as the Chairman of its board of directors from May 2007 to February 2019.

She was elected to PepsiCo's board of directors and became its President and Chief Financial Officer in 2001, and held leadership roles in finance, corporate strategy and development, and strategic planning after joining PepsiCo in 1994. Nooyi has served as a director of Schlumberger Limited since April 2015.