Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Zubin Irani on Sunday launched the Haj Suvidha App that would provide necessary information and direct access to important services like training modules, flight details and accommodation to those embarking on the annual pilgrimage.

Irani inaugurated a two-day Training of Trainers Programme as part of preparations for Haj 2024 at the Vigyan Bhavan here in the presence of Minister of State for Minority Affairs John Barla.

The Indian Navy will commission the newly inducted MH 60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter at INS Garuda in Kochi on Wednesday, March 6.

The Seahawks' squadron will be commissioned into the navy as INAS 334.

"The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP)," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that the helicopter, a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter, has been "rigorously tested" in Indian Reference Atmosphere (IRA) conditions and is fully integrated into the Fleet.

The conference aims to examine current challenges and delve into successful methodologies employed by both state and central enforcement authorities. It also aims to address this primary form of GST evasion and strategise effective methods to combat it collaboratively.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be inaugurating the national conference of Goods and Services Tax enforcement chiefs in the national capital on Monday, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release. The one-day national conference will be held aiming to strengthen the enforcement mechanism in GST. The Finance Minister will also deliver the keynote address. Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary will also attend the conference.

The conference agenda promises a comprehensive deliberation on combating GST evasion, combating fake invoicing, sharing best practices, fostering synergy, leveraging technology and data and balancing ease of doing business, according to the Ministry.

The Government has notified the historic Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 and its rules. The Act came into force from Friday (1st March 2024). The new Act provides for an online system for facilitating the registration of newspapers and other periodicals in the country. The new system replaces the existing manual, cumbersome processes involving multiple steps and approvals at various stages which were causing unnecessary hardships to the publishers. Information and Broadcasting Ministry said, now the registration of periodicals will be governed by the provisions of the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023.

The registration of newspapers and periodicals goes online through Press Sewa Portal. All applications, including the intimation by the printer of a periodical, application by a publisher for obtaining a certificate of registration of a periodical, transfer of ownership of periodicals and procedure for desk audit for verification of circulation of a periodical will be online through the Portal.

Shehbaz Sharif on March 3 became the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a second time to lead a coalition government after he comfortably won a majority in the newly-elected Parliament.

Mr. Shehbaz, 72, who was the consensus candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), received 201 votes in the 336-member house.

Mr. Shehbaz's challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.

India has now officially eliminated 'extreme poverty', which can be seen through the sharp decline in headcount poverty ratio and stark increase in household consumption, American think tank Brookings said in a report.

The report, authored by Surjit Bhalla and Karan Bhasin, states that this has been a result of the government's strong policy thrust on redistribution, which has led to strong inclusive growth in India over the last decade.

India has just released its official consumption expenditure data for 2022-23, providing the first official survey-based poverty estimates for India in over ten years.

The Indian Men's Cricket Team has reached on top in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, replacing New Zealand in the latest rankings issued on Sunday. The International Cricket Council (ICC) updated their WTC points table today, in which India moved to the top of the points table, following Australia's victory over New Zealand in the Wellington Test.

India is currently leading the five-match test series against England 3-1, and a win in the final match of the series will further strengthen their position in the WTC points table. The two-time ICC World Test Championship finalists are looking in great form in Test Cricket after they registered three consecutive victories against England in the ongoing series under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.

India observes National Safety Day every year on March 4. This is an important occasion that promotes safety awareness and practices across various sectors. The day serves as a reminder to prioritise personal and public well-being in all aspects of life. The council raises awareness about safety measures that must be taken to prevent accidents. The objective is to renew the commitment of employees and the public towards working safely.

National Safety Day was first observed in 1972 on the foundation day of the National Safety Council. The National Safety Council is a tripartite apex body at the national level that is non-profit and self-financing.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development organised the Poshan Utsav at The Oberoi on February 29, 2024. The event was aimed at promoting good nutrition behaviour and highlighted India's ongoing efforts to combat malnutrition by promoting good nutrition practices.

The event was graced by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani and Bill Gates Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The Art of Freedom', by Nico Slate, is the third book in the Indian Lives series, edited and curated by Ramachandra Guha.

In 1947, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay made an unexpected visit to a gloomy government building in New Delhi to confront one of the gravest crises facing the newly independent nation--the fate of the millions of refugees pouring in from across the borders with Pakistan. She had no official standing but managed to play a key role in the creation of a model town, built to house 30,000 people. This town is today's Faridabad.