Rail-cum-Road Bridge over Ganga River: Historic day for Bihar! Today, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the much-awaited 14.5 kilometre long ‘Rail-cum-Road-Bridge’ over the Ganga river approach project on NH 333B in Munger, located in the state of Bihar. Gadkari while inaugurating the infra project said the new ‘Rail-cum-Road-Bridge’ on river Ganga has been constructed at a cost of Rs 696 crore on NH 333B and approach road on both sides. Not only the ambitious infra project will reduce travel time, but will also give a boost to tourism, agriculture as well as generate employment opportunities, according to the Union Minister.

President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the new Darbar hall in Rajbhavan in Mumbai today. The reconstructed Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Mumbai stands on the same place where the Old Darbar Hall stood. However, it has a seating capacity of 750. Earlier, it had a seating capacity of 225.

Speaking on the occasion President Ramnath Kovind congratulated the people and government of Maharashtra and said the name of the state itself states that it is the great state of India.

Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and PWD minister Ashok Chavan were also present on the occasion.

To mark the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with UNDP, India launched Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF).  

While launching the Fellowship, NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant said, “Creating a pre-incubation space for young and energetic innovators is a very important step in building vibrant, inspiring solutions for community problems.”

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to achieve equal access and participation of women and girls in science. It also aims at achieving gender equality and women empowerment.

Veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra has resigned as chairman of the Supreme Court’s High Powered Committee (HPC) on the Char Dham project, saying that his “belief that the HPC could protect this fragile (Himalayan) ecology has been shattered”.

In his resignation letter to the secretary general of the Supreme Court on January 27, Chopra referred to the apex court’s December 2021 order that accepted the wider road configuration to meet defence needs, instead of what the HPC had recommended and the SC accepted in its earlier order in September 2020.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday proposed to extend the Rs 50,000 crore on-tap liquidity window for emergency healthcare services till June 30.

The central bank had introduced the liquidity window at the repo rate with tenors of up to three years on May 5 last year to provide immediate capital for ramping up Covid-19 related healthcare infrastructure and services.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enhanced the cap under e-RUPI prepaid digital vouchers. The present cap of Rs10,000 will be increased to Rs1 lakh per voucher and can be used more than once.

“To facilitate digital delivery of various government schemes to the beneficiaries, it is proposed to increase the cap on the amount for e-RUPI vouchers issued by the government to Rs 1,00,000 per voucher and allow the use of the e-RUPI voucher multiple times (until the amount of the voucher is completely redeemed),” said RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday.

Minister for State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar presented the 5th National Award for Innovations and Good Practices in Educational Administration virtually today.

The Ministry said that the National Award or Certificate of Appreciation were presented to the selected District and Block level education officers from 29 states and Union Territories of the country. It said, more than hundred officers received Award or Certificate of Appreciation this year.
 
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Sarkar said that District Education Officers are the key link between the system level administration and the field level educational administration. He added, their role is important in ensuring effective implementation of policies and programmes and efficient delivery of educational services.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today remembered Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his death anniversary. In a tweet, Mr Naidu said, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a devout nationalist, insightful thinker and an epitome of selfless service. The Vice President said, his philosophies of Integral Humanism and Antyodaya have inspired many to serve the nation and the downtrodden and will continue to remain a guiding force for all.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, the entire life of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was based on the principle of Sarvajan Hitay - Sarvajan Sukhay Everybody's Wellbeing and Everybody's Happiness.

The European Commission has launched the first post-Brexit court case against the UK in a move that could exacerbate tensions between Brussels and London.

The commission on Wednesday referred the British government to the European Court of Justice, claiming a February 2020 UK Supreme Court judgment ordering the Romanian government to pay compensation to investors who lost out on state subsidies “breached the principle of sincere co-operation” and violated EU law.

India has rejected the references to Jammu and Kashmir and the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the joint statement between China and Pakistan issued on 6th of this month. In response to media queries in this regard, External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India has always rejected such references and its position is well known to China and Pakistan. He said, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are, and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. He said, India expects the parties concerned not to interfere in matters that are its internal affairs.