India's Harnaaz Sandhu has been crowned Miss Universe 2021, two decades after Lara Dutta won the title in 2000. 21-year-old Harnaaz has won the Miss Universe crown at the contest held in Eilat, Israel on Monday morning. Harnaaz edged out contestants from Paraguay and South Africa to bag the crown. The moment her name was declared as the winner, Harnaaz broke down with tears of joy. She could also be seen joining her hands in gratitude. Mexico's Andrea Meza, the reigning queen, passed on her crown to the new successor. India had earlier won the coveted crown twice with Sushmita Sen bagging the title in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000. The 21-year-old Harnaaz, hailing from Chandigarh, has now joined the league of these incredible women. 

A National Helpline against Atrocities on Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to be launched on Monday. Social Justice and Empowerment will launch the helpline with an aim to ensure proper implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act which was enacted with a view to preventing atrocities on members of SCs and STs. The Helpline will be available round the clock on toll-free number - 14566. The Service will be available in Hindi, English and Regional Language of the States and Union Territories. The objective of the helpline is to build informed awareness about the provisions of the Law that are aimed at ending discrimination and provide protection to all. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from today where he will inaugurate the rejuvenated and transformed Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Mr. Modi will visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple at around 1 PM and offer prayers, after which he will inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. The entire event will be streamed live across the country. Over 3000 saints and dignitaries will participate in the event. In a tweet, Prime Minister has called this day a landmark day and urged everyone to join the programme.

Mr. Modi will also visit Kaal Bhairav Temple at around 12 noon today and witness Ganga Aarti while on board a Ro-Ro Vessel at around 6 PM. The phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been constructed at a cost of around 339 crore rupees. The project is spread over a massive area of 5 lakh square feet whereas the earlier premises was limited to just around 3000 square feet. 
The Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been developed under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in March 2019. The project is designed to provide direct connect of Ganga Ghats to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The project is spread over an area of about 5 lakh square feet. A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the phase 1 of the project. A variety of facilities including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court etc will be available for the pilgrims visiting Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The project is designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with provision of ramps, escalators and other facilities.

Power Ministry is celebrating Energy Conservation Week under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav from 8th to 14th of this month. Various activities are being undertaken by Power CPSUs as part of the celebrations.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has been organizing National Level Painting Competitions on Energy Conservation for school children. This year, the theme for the competition is ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Energy Efficient India” and ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Cleaner Planet’.

The State level painting competition is being organized from 1st to 10th December in all 36 States and Union Territories of the country, and it will culminate to a National Level Painting on 12th December at New Delhi. The winners of the National level competition will be awarded on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day on 14th December. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh tomorrow and inaugurate the Saryu Nahar National Project at around 1 PM. The work on the project started in 1978 but due to lack of continuity of budgetary support, interdepartmental coordination, and adequate monitoring, it got delayed and was not completed even after nearly four decades. Prime Minister’s vision for farmer welfare and empowerment, and his commitment to prioritize long pending projects of national importance, brought much-needed focus on the project. Consequently, in 2016, the project was brought under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with the target to complete it in a time-bound manner. The renewed focus on the project has resulted in the project being completed in only about four years.

The Saryu Nahar Project has been built with a total cost of more than nine thousand 800 crore rupees, out of which more than four thousand 600 crore rupees were provisioned in the last four years. The project also involves the interlinking of five rivers - Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini to ensure optimum usage of water resources of the region. The project will provide assured water for irrigation of over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers of over six thousand 200 villages. It will benefit nine districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh namely - Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, and Maharajganj. The farmers of the region will now immensely benefit from the upgraded irrigation potential. They will now be able to grow crops on a larger scale and maximize the agri-potential of the region.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today remembered the great freedom fighter, sagacious statesman, and last Governor-General of India, C. Rajagopalachari on his Birth Anniversary. In a tweet, Mr. Naidu said, he was a multifaceted personality- a scholar, thinker, writer, and a legal luminary. Mr. Naidu said, C. Rajagopalachari's incredible life continues to inspire many.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi In a tweet, said, C. Rajagopalachari is remembered for his contributions to the freedom struggle, administrative and intellectual prowess. He was a widely admired statesman and one of his most ardent well-wishers was Sardar Patel.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said the North East can emerge as a hub for rubber production. Addressing the ‘Destination Tripura - Investment Summit’ through video conferencing yesterday, Mr Goyal said, the Central Government has planned rubber plantations on a total of two lakh hectares in the North East states over five years. He said, Tripura is the second-largest producer of rubber in the country with 30 thousand hectares of cultivation.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of Transforming North-East into Ashth Lakhsmi of India, Mr. Goyal said that the government has accorded priority to the Focus North-East programme. He said, a dedicated Northeast Desk of Invest India has been set up to improve infrastructure and promoted industry.

The nation is paying tribute to General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat who lost their lives in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu recently. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several Union Ministers, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Members of Parliament, Chief Ministers of several states, Officers of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force and other dignitaries today paid tributes to departed souls at the official residence of General Rawat.

After paying floral tribute to General Rawat and Madhulika Rawat, Home Minister Amit Shah said, he paid his last respects to General Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat with a heavy heart. He said, General Rawat was the epitome of bravery and courage and it was very unfortunate to lose him so early. He said, his commitment towards the motherland will forever remain in our memories.

The last rites of General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat will be performed with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium in Delhi Cantonment this evening. His funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg after 2 P.M. and reach Brar Square Crematorium.

The mortal remains of General Rawat and others who lost their lives in the Tamil Nadu chopper crash were brought to Palam Airbase in Delhi last evening from Sulur.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat had promised to visit Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, from where his wife hailed, in January 2022, and also assured to take steps in setting up a ‘Sainik school’ in the district, his relative said on Wednesday.

Gen Rawat, India’s first CDS, his wife Madhulika and 11 other armed forces personnel died on Wednesday after the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Air Force said.

Madhulika, daughter of late Kunwar Mrigendra Singh of Sohagpur Garhi in Shahdol district, had got married to Rawat in 1986. Her family currently lives in the ancestral residence ‘Rajabagh’ in the Shahdol district headquarter, the family sources said.

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the helicopter crash Wednesday, is in critical condition at the Military Hospital in Wellington.

A year ago, he had a close call when a Light Combat Aircraft that he was flying developed system failure, resulting in total loss of control. Going “beyond the call of duty”, he managed to land the aircraft and for this “act of exceptional gallantry”, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra on Independence Day this year.

In one of his Twitter posts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington.”