India participated at the 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting held on Friday in Hanoi, Vietnam. Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Ministry of Education Ms. Neeta Prasad virtually addressed the gathering and informed about the key initiatives of National Education Policy 2020 and India’s collaborative efforts in education and research with partner countries.

Addressing the meeting, Ms. Neeta Prasad said that NEP - 2020 encourages a holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary approach to education as envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said, it is based on foundational pillars of access, equality, quality, affordability and accountability, and is aligned with SDG 2030 goals.

Indian Railways has accomplished electrification of over 81 percent of the total Broad Gauge network in the country. Out of over 65 thousand Route Kilometers (RKMs) of the network, more than 53 thousand Route Kilometers have been electrified till last month.

During the current financial year, till September, 851 RKMs have been electrified as compared to 562 RKMs during the corresponding period of 2021-22.

The target set for electrification during this Financial Year is six thousand 500 RKMs.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 36 satellites of UK’s global communications network OneWeb on 23rd of this month. The launch of satellites is scheduled for 12.07 AM on October 23.

The commercial launch onboard the GSLV-Mk3, India’s heaviest satellite, is being facilitated by Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

NSIL has signed two launch service contracts with OneWeb for launching the firm’s LEO (low Earth orbit) broadband communication satellites onboard the GSLV-Mk3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) to the nation at 11 AM tomorrow through video conferencing. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.

As part of the Union budget speech for 2022-23, the Finance Minister had announced the setting up of the 75 DBUs in 75 districts of the country to commemorate the 75 years of independence of the country.

The DBUs are being set up with an objective to ensure benefits of digital banking reach every nook and corner of the country and will cover all the States and Union territories. Eleven Public Sector Banks, twelve Private Sector Banks and one Small Finance Bank are participating in the endeavour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary today. In a tweet, Mr. Modi said, he is greatly admired for his contribution to the nation as a scientist and as a President who struck a chord with every section of society.

Defence Ministry is organising the 12th edition of the prestigious Biennial Defence Exhibition - DefExpo 2022 - in Gandhinagar, Gujarat starting from October 18 to 22. This mega defence exhibition is focusing on Land, Air, Naval and Homeland Security systems.

The seminars during the event will be held at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gandhinagar in a hybrid format, enabling the speakers as well as the audience to participate virtually. AIR correspondent reports, these will be streamed worldwide.

President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility and a high-power active and passive component laboratory of SAMEER at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati on the first day of her visit to the State. The Param Kamrupa, one of its kind supercomputers in the North East region, installed under the National Supercomputing Mission.

In the same function, the President virtually inaugurated Dhubri Medical College and Hospital, and laid foundation stone for Zonal Institutes of National Institute of Virology at Dibrugarh in Assam and Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh.

In a big accolade for the Narendra Modi government's Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has termed it a 'logistical marvel' considering the sheer size of the country.

IMF's Deputy Director of Fiscal Affairs Department , Paolo Mauro said that while there is a lot to learn from countries across the globe, India's DBT scheme is quite impressive. Mauro said that the way DBT programme that seeks to help people who are at low-income levels reach hundreds of millions of people is a logistical marvel.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described India as a bright spot on the dark horizon. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that India deserves to be called a bright spot on this otherwise dark horizon because it has been a fast-growing economy, even during these difficult times. She was replying to a question on her expectations from India just days before it takes over the presidency of G20.

Ms. Georgieva was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington. She said, most importantly, India's growth is underpinned by structural reforms. 

Ministry of Law and Justice is organising an All India Conference of Law Ministers and Law Secretaries from today at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. Law Ministers and Law Secretaries from States and Union Territories will participate in the three-day-long conference. The keynote address will be delivered by Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju tomorrow.

Ministry of Law and Justice said this initiative will provide a forum for discussion on a variety of topics relating to India's legal system so that policymakers may develop a road map for the country's future. It said this event will provide a platform for exchange of ideas and an opportunity to various States and Union Territories to exchange their best practices.