In a boost for Indian academia and to bolster youth empowerment, the Union Cabinet has approved the ambitious ‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) scheme. This initiative aims to position India as a global hub for research, learning, and knowledge while fostering interdisciplinary studies and bridging the gap in access to academic resources.

Under ONOS, all central and state-run higher education institutions nationwide will gain seamless access to over 13,000 esteemed journals published by 30 international publishers on a unified platform.

The scheme, coordinated by the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous inter-university centre under the University Grants Commission (UGC), will address the fragmented system of academic journal subscriptions currently managed by ten separate library consortia.

The government has approved a Rs 1,435-crore project to revamp the existing system of issuing permanent account number under which PAN cards with QR Code feature will be given free of cost to taxpayers.

The PAN 2.0 project aims to create a "common business identifier" for all digital systems of government agencies.

The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday.

PAN is a unique 10-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department to Indian taxpayers.

To promote its pet project of natural farming, the Centre on Monday (November 25, 2024) launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). The Union Cabinet, which approved the decision here, said in a release that the NMNF will be a standalone centrally-sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and it will have a total outlay of ₹2,481 crore.

Of this, ₹1,584 crore will be the Centre’s share and the States will contribute ₹897 crore till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26). The Centre said NMNF will promote natural farming in mission mode across the country.

“Rooted in the traditional knowledge inherited from their forefathers, farmers will practise Natural Farming (NF) as a chemical free farming which involves local livestock integrated natural farming methods, diversified crop systems, etc. NF follows local agro-ecological principles rooted in local knowledge, location specific technologies and is evolved as per the local agro-ecology,” the government release added.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday stated that the Nayi Chetna campaign aims to assist women in every village through self-help groups to combat gender violence. He emphasised that women must not remain silent if violence occurs.

He further highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission focuses on women’s empowerment. Whether in the political, social, or educational sphere, the government is committed to achieving these objectives.

“The rural development department has launched a new campaign, Nayi Chetna, against gender violence. The campaign will support women in every village through self-help groups to address gender violence. If violence occurs, women must not remain silent. PM Modi’s mission is women’s empowerment–be it political, social, or educational–and the government is making every effort to ensure this,” Chouhan said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Russia on 8-10 December. After visiting Moscow and Kaliningrad, on 9 December, he will induct the guided-missile frigate INS Tushil into the Indian Navy fleet. This warship will be the first of the four frigates being built for the Indian Navy. Its induction will give a big boost to India's naval power amid the emerging strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov during this period.

Russia will supply two frigates INS Tushil and INS Tamala

India signed a deal with Russia in 2016 for four guided missile frigates. A $1 billion contract was finalised for the direct purchase of the first two frigates. Subsequently, in November 2018, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) through Indian partnership signed a $500 million deal with Rosoboronexport for material, design and technical assistance to build the remaining two ships domestically. The formal contract between the Indian Defence Ministry and GSL was signed in January 2019. According to the contract, Russia will supply two frigates INS Tushil and INS Tamala, while the other two will be built in India with technical assistance from Russia.

In a move to enhance the quality of education, Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the TeacherApp in New Delhi. This digital platform aims to equip teachers with the skills needed to navigate 21st-century classrooms, fostering continuous professional development.

Speaking on the theme "Elevating Teachers, Elevating India," Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that the app will empower educators by providing continuous professional development through innovative content, technology, and community-building tools. He stressed that teachers are the true Karmayogis shaping future generations, and the government is committed to prioritising their ongoing development in alignment with the vision of NEP 2020.

A Conference on potential of blue economy in the Indian Ocean region, Voyage Sri Lanka 2024, was held at Colombo today. Speaking at the Conference, Vice Chairman of India Sri Lanka chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr. Naresh Bana has said that Neighbourhood first policy and increasing trade and commerce between India and Sri Lanka is important for both countries. He added that India has been helping Sri Lanka in several ways including in energy sector, ports, railways among others. Dr. Bana said that India through the International Solar Alliance has helped Sri Lanka through capacity building, financing and execution of projects apart from helping develop wind energy capabilities of about 500 Mega Watts.

The event organised by Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board at Colombo bringing together stakeholders and experts in the region on blue economy.

Blue economy contributes 4 percent to India’s GDP and covers 95 percent of all international trade by volumes. With immense impact and potential, India’s G20 presidency highlighted the need to build a sustainable and resilient blue economy.

Left-wing politician Yamandu Orsi was elected president of Uruguay, official results showed on Sunday (November 24, 2024), in a rebuke by voters of five years of conservative rule.

Uruguayans went to the polls for the second round of voting in what became a tight race between Mr. Orsi, of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) alliance, and Alvaro Delgado of the National Party, a member of outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou's center-right Republican Coalition.

Mr. Orsi promised in a victory speech on Sunday (November 24, 2024) evening to be a president "who calls again and again for national dialogue to find the best solutions."

When Sanjiv Suryavanshi sold his farmland to fund his 10-year-old son Vaibhav's cricketing aspirations, he couldn’t have imagined that within three years, his son would make history.

During the second and final day of the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, 13-year-old Vaibhav, at just 13 years and eight months, became the youngest cricketer ever to be picked by a franchise. Rajasthan Royals acquired him for Rs 1.10 crore.

Sanjiv, a farmer from Motipur village, 15 km from Samastipur town in Bihar, was overwhelmed.

“He’s no longer just my son, he’s the pride of all Bihar,” Sanjiv told PTI over the phone while his son is currently in Dubai for the U-19 Asia Cup.

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission has reached a critical milestone as its Coronagraph spacecraft was successfully fueled with hydrazine at the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

This preparation marks a significant step towards the mission's scheduled launch on December 4, 2024, using Isro’s PSLV-XL rocket.

Proba-3 is a pioneering mission dedicated to demonstrating precision formation flying, a technique that involves two satellites operating in tandem as if they were a single, large structure.