More than 1.7 million foreigners visited India on e-visa last year and the number of tourists availing the popular scheme this year is likely to cross two million mark, home ministry said on Wednesday.

USD 105,558,496 has been received as e-visa fees in 2017 by the government and USD 137,527,270 (Rs 993 crore approx) till October 31 this year. The number of foreigners who visited India with e-visa has gone up from 447,000 in 2015 to 1.7 million in 2017. The figure for 2018 is 1.87 million till October 31 this year and it may touch two million mark by the end of the year, a Home Ministry official said.

The e-visa facility now covers practically all the countries of the world, 166 as of now, and foreigners can arrive at any of the designated 26 airports and five seaports in India without interacting with any official before checking in at the immigration counter.

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday successfully launched its latest communication satellite GSAT-29, which was put in its orbit by India’s heavy-lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-Mk III). The GSLV Mk III is the designated rocket for India’s first human spaceflight proposed for 2022. Today’s launch was a key test to the GSLV Mk III as it carried the GSAT-29 weighing 3,423 kg and placed it into Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO) just over 16 minutes into its flight.

The GSLV Mk III took flight as scheduled for 5.08 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. This was the third flight undertaken by ISRO’s most powerful rocket.

The GSLV Mk III has so far undergone one experimental and one developmental flight and Wednesday’s flight was the second developmental flight for the rocket.

Diabetes is a chronic disease which is largely affected by the patient’s lifestyle and eating pattern. While it cannot be cured completely, diabetes can be curbed to a large extent with the help of proper medical assistance, diet and regular exercise. Often diabetics are advised to have small and frequent meals to ensure that the blood sugar level is under control.

As the world observes World Diabetes Day 2018 on November 14, we have listed down some of the most important foods that a person suffering from diabetes should include in their diet.

Happy Children’s Day 2018: From 1964 onwards, his birthday has been celebrated throughout India as Children’s Day—a day to remember the first Prime Minister of India, who loved children as much as he loved his country.

(Excerpted with permission from Jawaharlal Nehru by Aditi De, published by Puffin Books.)

When Jawaharlal was a child, he dreamt of a world where India stood tall and proud on the world stage. He did not know then that he would shape an independent India, alongside the Mahatma.

During his years of studying at school and college in England, he learnt that it was fine for people to be different. That Asia could be as strong as European powers.

That India could find its own voice though it was ruled by the British.

One of his favourite poems was by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, from his Gitanjali published in 1910.

Born as AS Dileep Kumar, AR Rahman’s life could as well be scripted. From being compelled to shoulder the  responsibilities of his household at a tender age, converting to Islam at the age of 23 to emerging as one of the most successful music composers in India and finally walking upto the stage and collecting an Oscar in 2011, Rahman’s story was waiting to be told.

With the help of the reclusive composer, author Krishna Trilok has written Notes Of A Dream, an authorised biography of Rahman The book, published by Penguin, traces the highs and lows in his life and makes for a compelling read.

Months after Sachin Bansal exited from Flipkart, following its acquisition by the US retail company Waltmart Inc in May, his close friend and Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal also stepped down from the company he co-founded in 2007. Binny resigned from Flipkart, which is India's largest e-commerce company by market share, following an investigation by the parent company Walmart over the allegations of "serious personal misconduct". The surprise announcement by Walmart followed an email from Binny, denying the allegations, and the company board confirming Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy's induction as the Flipkart's Group CEO.

In a statement issued by Walmart, the company said: "...Binny Bansal announced his resignation as CEO of Flipkart Group, effective immediately. Binny has been an important part of Flipkart since co-founding the company, but recent events risked becoming a distraction and Binny has made a decision to step down."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi on Monday for inaugurating key infrastructure projects. These projects included two roadways and an inland waterway.

In Varanasi, PM Modi received a large container vessel that left Kolkata inland port on October 30 carrying cargo belonging to PEPSICO (India).

This is the first time that a container vessel travelled on inland waterways on the Ganga. This waterway has been named National Waterway-1. PM Modi also dedicated a multi-modal terminal to the nation.

NATIONAL WATERWAY-1: 10 POINTS

The government announced it will release a Rs 75 commemorative coin on the occasion of 75th anniversary of hoisting of Tricolour for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair.

A notification in this regard has been issued by the Ministry of Finance.

"The coin of seventy-five rupees denomination shall only be coined at the Mint for issue under the authority of the central government on the occasion of '75th Anniversary of Hoisting of Tricolour' for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair," said the notification.

This coin will bear the portrait of 'Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose' saluting the flag on the background of cellular jail.

A numeral 75th along with inscription “anniversary” will be depicted below the portrait.

There will be inscription in both Devanagari script and English saying 'First Flag Hoisting Day'.

In line with the directions of the Supreme Court, the government submitted Monday details of the pricing of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft being purchased from Dassault Aviation of France to the top court in a sealed cover.

A separate government document shared with the petitioners — a redacted copy of its earlier response to the Supreme Court on the decision-making process leading to the award of the contract — said the delay in sealing the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal (during the UPA rule) gave India’s adversaries time to upgrade and equip their fighter fleets with advanced weaponry.

“During this long period of inconclusive 126 MMRCA process, our adversaries inducted modern aircraft and upgraded their older versions. They acquired better capability air-to-air missiles and inducted their indigenous fighters in large numbers. Further, they modernised and inducted aircraft with advanced weapon and radar capabilities,” the government said.

“As per available information, our adversaries inducted more than 400 fighters (equivalent to more than 20 squadrons) during the period from 2010 to 2015. They not only inducted 4th Generation Aircraft but also inducted 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Aircraft. The combined effect of our own reducing combat potential and our adversaries enhancing their combat potential made the situation asymmetrical and extremely critical. An urgent need was felt to arrest the decline in the number of fighter squadrons in IAF and enhance their combat capabilities,” the government said.

Stan Lee, who passed away on Monday at the age of 95, was a comic-book legend who was responsible for creating some of the most iconic superheroes like Spider-man, Iron Man, Hulk that we read in comics and watch in TV shows and movies. Even in his 90s, the man was active and could be seen at events like Comic-Con and interacting with his fans. For non-readers, he was just a jolly old grandpa who makes tiny cameos in Marvel movies, but for comic-book readers, he was nothing short of a godfather.

DC’s superheroes have always been godlike, especially the big three – Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Even Batman, who is just a human as opposed to others, is less accessible than most fictional characters. He is a brooding man with almost a single-minded obsession with crime-fighting.

Stan Lee wanted to do something different. He wanted to create superheroes who were vulnerable, who bled, who hurt, who were petulant, and had everyday problems, not just supervillains. Most of all, he wanted to give readers something to relate to. Let’s face it. Superman might be awesome, but it is hard to relate to an all-powerful alien.