Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a video address on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day today. The day marks the 5th anniversary of the launch of Skill India Mission. A Digital Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to mark the occasion.
 
Our Correspondent reports that skill India is an initiative of the Government of India to empower the youth with skill sets, making them more employable. Skill India offers courses across several sectors which are aligned to the standards recognised by both, the industry and the government under the National Skill Qualification Framework.
 
The courses enhance the technical expertise and companies don’t have to invest in training for the particular job profile.

Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai has announced an investment of 75,000 crore rupees in India through Google for India Digitisation Fund to help accelerate country's digital economy.

Addressing the sixth annual edition of the "Google for India" virtual event yesterday, Mr. Pichai said the fund would be used over the next five to seven years through equity investments and tie-ups.

The tech giant asserted that the latest move is a reflection of the company's confidence in the future of India and its digital economy.  He said the investments will focus on four key areas of India's digitisation.

Given the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, IRDAI, has allowed 30 general and health insurers to launch short-term ‘Corona Kavach' health insurance policies. The policy will cover medical expenses occurred due to coronavirus disease.
 
The insurance regulator said that it has designed a standard Covid specific product addressing basic health insurance needs of insuring public with common policy wordings across the industry. The sum insured amount of the policy ranges between fifty thousand rupees to five lakh rupees.
 
This policy can be availed by persons between the age of 18 to 65 years. People can avail the Corona Kavach policy for Self, spouse, parents, parents-in-law and dependent children up to 25 years of age.

Ningombam has been associated with Manipur Hockey for several years and was instrumental in supporting talented players and the development of the sport at the grassroots level.

Gyanendro Ningombam was named as the officiating president of Hockey India in an Executive Board meeting held on Friday. The decision followed the resignation of Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, who stepped down from the position on July 07, citing family commitments.

"In the Hockey India Emergent Executive Board meeting convened today where the resignation of Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad was accepted, the Hockey India Executive Board under the Rules & Regulations of the Hockey India Constitution subsequently nominated and approved Hockey India's Senior Vice President Gyanendro Ningombam as the new Officiating President," Hockey India said in a statement.

The Amazonia-1 earth observation satellite has gained importance in the wake of recent Amazon wildfires

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to lift off Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite next month onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

As per a report in the Financial Express, Amazonia-1 will be the first satellite for Earth Observation that is designed, assembled and tested in Brazil.

The launch of the Brazilian satellite is confirmed, but there is not clarity on a date for the planned launch. The report quoted a top diplomat as saying that it all depends on the ISRO as to when it is planning to blast off the satellite.

The images provided by Amazonia-1 will help in observing and monitoring the deforestation of the Amazon region, the report adds. The satellite has gained special importance in the wake of recent fires in the Amazon.

The BCCI is all set to part ways with its chief executive officer Rahul Johri, whose long-pending resignation was accepted on Thursday.

While the top bosses in the BCCI remained tight-lipped about the development, a senior official in the know of things said that they have decided to accept his resignation letter sent on December 27.

Johri, who joined the BCCI in 2016, had earlier put in his papers after the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had made way for the Sourav Ganguly-led set-up the run the world's richest cricket board. He was then asked to continue till the end of his contract, which is due to expire in 2021.

The IIT Alumni Council has signed an agreement with the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) to jointly conduct research on COVID-19 and patient data analysis. It may be noted that the council is setting up the world's largest molecular diagnostic lab 'MegaLab Mumbai'.

According to a statement issued yesterday, the council handed over imaging data of over 8,500 patients, who were admitted at the COVID Care Facility at Worli’s National Sports Club of India. IIT Alumni Council President Ravi Sharma has said that this partnership will not only create a world-leading testing and treatment ecosystem but also establish global data leadership. Late May, the Council had announced the launch of the world's largest virology lab testing centre with a capacity of conducting one crore tests. The first phase, with a capacity to carry out 10 lakh tests, will be ready by the end of this month.

The IIT Alumni Council is the largest body of alumni, students and faculty from all the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology and partnering Technical Institutes of Excellence and was formed last year to carry out projects of social importance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today dedicate to the nation a 750 MW Solar project set up at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. The Rewa project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to about 15 lakh ton of CO2 per year.

The project comprises three solar generating units of 250 megawatt each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park. The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL). It is a Joint Venture Company of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited, and Solar Energy Corporation of India, a Central Public Sector Undertaking.  Central Financial Assistance of 138 crore rupees has been provided to RUMSL for development of the Park.

The Rewa Solar Project was the first solar project in the country to break the grid parity barrier. Compared to prevailing solar project tariffs of approximately 4.50 rupees per unit in early 2017, the Rewa project achieved historic results. This means a tariff of 2.97 rupees per unit with a tariff escalation of 0.05 paise per unit over 15 years and a levelized rate of 3.30 rupees per unit over the term of 25 years.  

Ride-hailing major Ola on Monday announced its strategic partnership with PhonePe to enhance its digital payments experience for its customers.

Ola users can now access experience on the Ola app. Currently, the feature has been rolled out on Android and will be available on iOS soon.

"As PhonePe continues to drive digital payment adoption across the country, we are excited to partner with them to drive this seismic change that will enable us to move a step closer to becoming a Digital India," Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson at Ola, said in a statement.

This partnership will also enable PhonePe to offer their services to millions of customers on the Ola platform.