The state government has cleared the setting up of the Maharashtra Drone Mission (MDM) for the use of drone technology for functions ranging from security surveillance, rescue and relief work during disasters, delivery of emergency medicines and vaccines to remote areas, monitoring of infrastructure projects and traffic management.

A five-year implementation plan has been prepared based on a report by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay which would be monitored by a committee headed by the chief secretary. The drone mission will be headquartered at IIT-B, according to a notification issued by the higher and technical education department on Thursday.

The drone mission will seek to turn Maharashtra into a global drone hub, the notification said. The IIT-B report, which led the government to approve the mission, was submitted in October this year.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the five-day-long national-level Winter Carnival at Manali on Tuesday. He also offered prayers at the historic Hidimba Temple and flagged off the Carnival Parade from Circuit House, Manali.

The parade featured the involvement of more than 250 Mahila Mandals and cultural troupes from Himachal Pradesh and other states, presenting a vibrant display of traditions and cultures along with messages supporting social causes.

He also inaugurated the cultural programme at Manu Rangshala, the stage for the five-day festivity.

The NDMC's plans for improving facilities at its schools in fiscal year 2024-25 include providing 9,000 computer tablets to students, strengthening sports training infrastructure, and establishing nature-based classrooms. Kuljeet Singh Chahal, a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), stated that the council will also establish a wrestling centre at the Atal Adarsh Vidyalaya on Mandir Marg.

"The NDMC's target is to achieve Viksit Bharat@2047 by establishing modern infrastructure for education and green energy," he said. There are around 28,000 students in 43 NDMC-run schools.

Talking about the various initiatives in the field of education, he said that during COVID-19, the council had made 811 computer tablets available to students of classes 10 and 12 in four schools on the basis of a pilot project.

"The NDMC will expand the scope of this programme by including all students from classes 9 to 12, and all PGT and TGT teachers in all schools, benefiting around 9,000 students. The distribution of the tablets will be completed in the 2024-25 fiscal and the NDMC will be the first municipal body to do so," Chahal said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday, January 2, launched an Annual Capacity Building Plan. This plan has been launched to work towards growth and skill enhancement of its employees.

UGC’s Annual Capacity Building Plan (ACBP) was officially launched today by UGC Chairman, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, in the presence of Dr R Balasubramanium, Member HR, Capacity Building Commission. UGC is the first autonomous organisation to have initiated planning for the capacity building of their employees in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC).

“The idea is to build, develop and enhance the abilities, talents, competencies, efficiency and qualifications of UGC employees to increase their capacity to serve the higher educational system in India,” Kumar said.

On the occasion of New Year 2024, CMD IREDA Shri Pradip Kumar Das has announced that the year 2024 will be christened as 'Year of Human Resource Development and Discipline' to mark IREDA's future roadmap into new strategic sectors and geographies.

The CMD extended his best wishes to IREDA employees and congratulated them for their contributions to IREDA’s remarkable achievements. His words celebrated the collective efforts that have brought IREDA to new heights, setting the tone for a year filled with continued success and achievements.

CMD, IREDA was accompanied by Director (Finance), Shri Bijay Kumar Mohanty; Chief Vigilance Officer, Shri Ajay Kumar Sahani and other Senior Management officials.

Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal has reportedly launched his new startup to provide end-to-end solutions to e-commerce firms. Bansal had parted ways with Flipkart following its acquisition by Walmart in 2018. It is the first time he has come up with his venture after leaving Flipkart.

Bansal's startup, named OppDoor, will provide services to e-commerce firms related to design, product, human resource, and other backend support, according to media reports. These services will be provided to enterprises willing to expand their businesses to other regions by leveraging network platforms like Amazon and others.

China has unveiled its first ocean drilling vessel, the Mengxiang, which is designed to delve into the Earth's crust and explore the mysteries of the mantle. If successful, this will mark humanity's first exploration into the upper mantle. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the massive ship, aptly named "dream" in Chinese, has been created by the China Geological Survey along with over 150 research institutes and companies. It represents a significant stride in deep-sea drilling capabilities, aiming to reach where humanity has never ventured before.

According to SCMP, the colossal ship can carry about 33,000 tonnes of cargo and measures 179 metres (590 feet) long. The vessel can traverse 15,000 nautical miles and operate for 120 days per port call. Its stability and structure are designed to withstand the strongest tropical cyclones, enabling it to operate anywhere in global waters. Moreover, its drilling power is the best in its class, with the ability to reach 11,000 metres below the sea's surface.

Supreme Court judge, Justice BR Gavai has been nominated by the National Legal Services Authority as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

The Department of Justice issued a notification to this effect on December 29, 2023.

The post was earlier held by the Supreme Court's senior-most puisne judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Justice Khanna was recently appointed Executive Chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

Outgoing Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SJ Singh received the Guard of Honour at South Block Lawns in Delhi.

Outgoing Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SJ Singh also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi.

He will take charge as the next Western Navy Commander succeeding Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Indian Navy.

Earlier on December 26, the Indian Navy commisioned the INS Imphal, a Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. The INS Imphal is the third of four indigenous 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, being designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

All services of local body governments in Kerala will be available on mobile screen from January 1, 2024, as the state launches its ambitious digitisation initiative, K-Smart.

The e-governance project, the Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation (K-Smart), will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on January 1, making Kerala the first state to launch such a service.

The K-Smart platform, developed by the Information Kerala Mission for the Local Self-Government Department, will facilitate numerous services, including applications for various certificates and permits, filing complaints, and other options.