Atal Innovation Mission, Niti Aayog today launched the first of its kind Vernacular Innovation Program which enables innovators and entrepreneurs to have access to the innovative ecosystem in 22 mother tongue languages. By providing access to learning in one's language and culture, Atal Innovation Mission aims to create equal opportunity for the vernacular innovators.

To build the necessary capacity for the Vernacular Innovation Program, VIP Atal Innovation Mission has identified and will be training a Vernacular Task Force in each of the 22 scheduled languages. Each task force comprises vernacular language teachers,  subject experts,  technical writers, and the leadership of regional Atal Incubation Centres.  

Launching the VIP,  NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar said innovation will be taken to the grassroots with this initiative. He said through this, innovation can become a Jan Andolan because people are more creative when they think in their own mother tongues rather than in English.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi and kickstart multiple development initiatives tomorrow. During his visit, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of ‘Banas Dairy Sankul’ at Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority Food Park at Karkhiyaon in Varanasi. 

Spread across 30 acres of land, the Dairy will be built at a cost of about 475 crore rupees and will have a facility for processing five lakh liter of milk per day. This will strengthen the rural economy and help farmers of the region by creating new opportunities for them.

Mr. Modi will also transfer the bonus of about 35 crore rupees to the bank accounts of more than 1.7 lakh milk producers associated with Banas Dairy. He will also lay the foundation stone for the Bio-gas based Electricity generation plant for the Milk Producers Cooperative Union Plant at Ramnagar in Varanasi. It will be a key step towards making Milk Producers Cooperative Union Plant energy self-sufficient.

Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed India’s next Ambassador to China. Mr Rawat, currently India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, will replace Vikram Misri, who completed his three-year term earlier this month and has left for Delhi. Mr Rawat, a Mandarin-speaking career diplomat, will take up the assignment shortly in Beijing.

Prasar Bharati and Indian Council for Cultural Relations, ICCR have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promoting Indian culture. The performances of the eminent artists associated with the ICCR will be telecast on the national and International Channels of Doordarshan.

The dance and music performances will be showcased on DD National, DD India, regional channels of Doordarshan and Prasar Bharati News Services (Digital Platform of Prasar Bharati) in the form of a weekly programme.

The MoU aims to bring forth the best of Indian Culture to the National and International audiences and provide TV and Digital platforms to the performing artists.

In collaboration with ICCR, Doordarshan will produce 52 half an hour episodes, based on cultural events, concerts, performances of music and dance organized by ICCR.

Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju will move the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Rajya Sabha today for consideration and passing. The Lok Sabha had yesterday passed the Bill.

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 provides linking of Aadhar number with electoral rolls besides giving four opportunities to enroll in a calendar year as voter upon attaining 18 years of age. 

In Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021 today for consideration and passing. She will move the bill to further amend the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959 and the Company Secretaries Act, 1980.

The Competition Commission of India has approved acquisition of shareholding in Air India Limited, Air India Express Limited and Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited by Talace Private Limited.

The proposed combination envisages acquisition of 100 per cent equity share capital of Air India Limited and Air India Express Limited, and 50 percent equity share capital of Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited by Talace Private Limited. Talace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.

In October this year, the Government approved Air India disinvestment. The government had announced that Talace Private Limited a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons had won the bid to acquire the debt-laden airline.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh today. He will participate in a one-of-its-kind programme around 1 PM, which will be attended by more than 2 lakh women. In a tweet, Prime Minister said he will transfer one thousand crore rupees in the bank accounts of various Self Help Groups at the programme.

Mr Modi said more than 16 lakh women associated with these groups will benefit from this initiative. Interacting with women self help groups in August this year, the Prime Minister had said that they are bringing revolution to the rural areas.

This transfer is being done under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), with 80,000 SHGs receiving Community Investment Fund (CIF) of 1.10 lakh per SHG and 60,000 SHGs receiving Revolving Fund of 15,000 rupees per SHG. Prime Minister expressed happiness over Centre and Uttar Pradesh Government’s constant efforts to strengthen Self Help Groups (SHGs). Mr Modi said, money will also be transferred to over one lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme, which provides assistance to the girl child during different stages of her life.

Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal today inaugurated the Packaged Drinking Water Test Facility at National Test House, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the Board of Directors, Mr Goyal lauded the National Test House for taking a leap of technology to usher in quality assessment and assurance. Stressing on Prime Minister’s principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas, Mr Goyal said, we should test the goods in such a way that they carry Zero Defect and testing shall be acceptable worldwide.

President and Vice President today paid homage to Martyrs and freedom fighters on Goa Liberation Day.  In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind said, on Goa Liberation Day, the nation pays homage to the martyrs and freedom fighters who fought to liberate Goa from colonial rule. He said, we also salute the exemplary courage and valour of our armed forces.

Mr Kovind said, he will forever cherish the memories of Goa@60 celebrations which he attended last year.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu greeted people on Goa Liberation Day. He said, today we remember and pay homage to the freedom fighters and martyrs who fought for the liberation of Goa from foreign rule.

Mr Naidu said, Goa has had a remarkable journey since its liberation. He wished the state an even brighter and prosperous future ahead.

Indian Navy conducted the maiden sea trials for Mormugao, the second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class yesterday. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL), the ship has been named after the port town in Goa. The Mormugao was launched in September 2016 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the defence minister.

The Indian Navy plans to commission the stealth destroyer in mid-2022 when it will be known as INS Mormugao. Mormugao will add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities. The sea trials come less than a month after the recent commissioning of INS Visakhapatnam, the first of the P15B contract. The fourth P75 submarine INS Vela was also commissioned in November and starting sea trials of Mormugao is testimony to the cutting-edge capabilities of MDSL.