Bilateral Swap Arrangement is a two-way arrangement where both authorities can swap their local currencies in exchange for the US Dollar
Japan and India have renewed the Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) of up to $75 billion with effect from February 28, 2022.

The Bank of Japan, acting as agent for the Minister of Finance of Japan, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed the Amendment and Restatement Agreement of the BSA, per a RBI statement.

An Indian student has lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday morning. In a series of tweets, the External Affairs Ministry conveyed its deepest condolences to the family.

The Ministry said, it is in touch with his family. It informed that the Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage for its nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones. Similar action is also being undertaken by the Indian Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine.

Official sources said India had already taken up with the Russian and Ukrainian Embassies the pressing requirement of safe passage for Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones. This demand has been repeatedly made of Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of this conflict on 24th of February.

Government has invited applications for National Startup Awards 2022 across 17 sectors and 7 special categories. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has launched the third edition of the National Startup Awards.

In line with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Awards will acknowledge startups and enablers who have been instrumental in revolutionising the development story of India. The 17 sectors include Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Construction, Drinking Water, Education and Skill Development, Energy, Enterprise Technology, Environment, and FinTech.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main dates for the 2022 exams have been announced. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct JEE Main 2022 in two sessions. The first session will be held in April while the second session will be conducted in May this year. The tentative date for examination for session-1 is 16th to 21st April and for second session, the date of examination will be from 24th to 29th May. The Online application for JEE Main has begun form today and candidates can apply till 31st of March.

Candidates can check the official website for details on JEE Main 2022 at
jeemain.nta.nic.in
. The helpline numbers for the candidates are 011-69227700 and 011-40759000.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main dates for the 2022 exams have been announced. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct JEE Main 2022 in two sessions. The first session will be held in April while the second session will be conducted in May this year. The tentative date for examination for session 1 is 16th to 21st April and for the second session, the date of examination will be from 24th to 29th May. The Online application for JEE Main has already begun and candidates can apply till 31st of March. Candidates can check the official website for details on JEE Main 2022 at
jeemain.nta.nic.in
. The helpline numbers for the candidates are 011-69227700 and 011-40759000

Indian Air Force's C 17 transport aircraft carrying humanitarian assistance left for Romania at 4 AM this morning from Hindan airbase. The aircraft will bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours under Operation Ganga. In a tweet, Dr. Jaishankar said this includes the first flights from Poland. These flights have carried back 1377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine.

Today is the National Science Day. The day is celebrated every year on 28th February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’. On this day, Indian Physicist Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.

In 1986, Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day. The day is aimed at spreading the message of importance of science and its application in human life.

This year the theme of the National Science Day is- Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future. On the occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country.

The Women and Child Development Ministry will celebrate the International Women’s Day week from Tuesday as an Iconic Week as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. As a part of the week-long celebration, the Ministry will organize various events and social media campaigns covering a variety of themes related to women’s safety and empowerment. It will mark an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equity and women's empowerment but also to critically reflect on accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality. It will kick off on Tuesday in collaboration with the Bureau of Police Research and Development to raise awareness on safety and security of women. On this day, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights will also celebrate its Foundation Day. The focus of this event will be children, wherein an exhibition by children will be on display and children will be taken on guided tour of the Red Fort. The focus of the events on 2nd March will be on the role played by One Stop Centres in supporting women in distress. The Ministry will launch the Stree Manoraksha Project in collaboration with NIMHANS Bengaluru. It will emphasize psychosocial well-being and aims at improving the mental health of women in India.

Maha Shivratri is being celebrated across the country today. Devotees worship Lord Shiva, the destroyer of evil, on this occasion. In Uttar Pradesh, a large number of people are reaching Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi to offer prayers. Devotees are also taking holy dip in Ganges. In Prayagraj, devotees are taking holy dip at Sangam.

In the national capital, temples have been decorated and people started offering prayers early this morning. Long queues of devotees are being witnessed at most of the Lord Shiva temples in Delhi. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed best wishes to people on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri. In a tweet, Mr Modi hoped that Lord Mahadev will bless everyone.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the national roll-out of Central sector scheme, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with a budget of ₹1,600 crore for five years.

The National Health Authority (NHA) will be the implementing agency of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).