Celebrated wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and Paralympian Deepa Malik are among the new inductees in the government's All India Council of Sports (AICS).

It is an advisory body to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which was formed in 2015 by the  then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Its term has also been extended by three years and it will continue to be led by veteran sports administrator V K Malhotra as President.

Some other renowned new entrants in the Council are former shooter Anjali Bhagwat, footballer Renedy Singh, and mountaineer Bachendri Pal. Senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also been inducted in the council. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 32nd interaction through PRAGATI- the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation in New Delhi today. In the previous thirty-one interactions of PRAGATI, projects worth over twelve lakh crores have been reviewed by the Prime Minister. In the last PRAGATI meeting, nine projects worth over 61 thousand crore rupees related to 16 states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were taken up for discussion. There were also discussions on various topics like grievances of Indian citizens working abroad, National Agriculture Market, Aspirational District Programme and infrastructure development programmes and initiatives.

Prime Minister had launched the multi-purpose and multi-modal governance platform PRAGATI on 25th March 2015. PRAGATI is an integrating and interactive platform aimed at addressing the common man’s grievances. PRAGATI also helps in simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Centre as well as projects flagged by various State governments.

Uttar Pradesh Government has launched Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana which will provide financial assistance to family of farmers who die or become handicapped while working in fields. AIR correspondent reports that government has also decided to implement Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana to boost tourism in state.

"After the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Spokesman of UP Government and Power Minister Shrikant Sharma told media in Lucknow that Under the 'Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana, if a farmer or any member of his family dies while working in a field then they will be given financial assistance of five lakh rupees. For the first time, the scheme will also include the Bataidars, who work in the field of other persons and share the crop after it is harvested. 

As the countdown to Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation films - MIFF-2020 entering its last week, Films Division has launched a mobile app, which will provide movie buffs all the information about the festival. Addressing a curtain-raiser press conference in Mumbai yesterday, Festival Director Smita Vats Sharma informed that the app will also enable delegates to vote for their favourite movie.

The much awaited 16th edition of MIFF is all set to begin on 28th of this month at Nehru Centre Auditorium with a bouquet of over 76 films competing in national and international sections. MIFF  will have a number of attractions such as a special package of films from European Union, Animation package from Russia, Finland and Balkan, Oscar nominated films such as Fauve, Detainment and Night at the Garden. Additionally, curated films from North-East India, student films and best documentaries from Ireland will be showcased during the week-long festival that will culminate on 3rd of next month.

Defence Acquisition Council, DAC has approved procurement of equipment worth over five thousand 100 crore rupees from indigenous sources to promote indigenization. They include sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organization, DRDO and manufactured locally by the Indian industry. These systems will be used in deserts and plains and will provide comprehensive Electronic Support and Counter Measure capabilities to the field formations in both communication and other aspects of Electronic Warfare.

The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met to consider a number of new and ongoing proposals for procuring critically needed platforms and equipment for the Armed Forces. The council also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks providing an important indigenous de-mining capability to the Army. The DAC also accorded approval for inclusion of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in Defence Procurement Procedure. This will provide avenues in capital procurement for the Armed Forces to startups and innovators working for iDEX and provide huge fillip to their budding efforts.

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Kiran Bedi inaugurated the 12 th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme in Puducherry today. The Nehru Yuva kendra Sangathan National Vice Chairman Vishnu Varadhan Reddy, Puducherry Chief Minister's Parliament Secretary Lakshmi Narayanan, NYKS State Director Nataraj, Sub-Collector Shashvat Saurabh and other dignitaries participated in the inaugural function. Two hundred youths from Naxal-affected districts of Chattisgarh are taking part in this week-long programme.

The programme has been jointly organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Puducherry Government with a view to ensure development and empowerment of the tribal youths. They will be visiting many places to know about the language, customs, culture, arts, dressing patterns, food pattern and other aspects of Puducherry.

The team of the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Saturday defeated the team of the Pakistan Consulate to lift the Diplomat Cup Cricket Championship of 2020.

Consul General Vipul alongwith the other family members of the Indian Consulate was present on the ground to cheer the team.

The Championship was organized by Skyline University College in Sharjah. Consulates of eight countries participated in the tournament.

The aim of the Diplomat Cup Cricket Championship is to bring together officials and employees of different Consulates based in UAE.

With the Indian Consulate in Dubai as the permanent patron, the championship entered its fourth edition this year.

ISRO has successfully completed the three orbit-raising manoeuvres of communication satellite GSAT-30 and succeeded in placing it in an orbit close to its operational orbit.

The space agency informed yesterday that as planned all manoeuvers were completed successfully using the satellite's propulsion system.

The cumulative duration of operation of the propulsion system for these manuoeuvres was 2 hours 29 minutes. It said, satellite solar panels and antennas have been deployed and the satellite is placed in an orbit with a perigee of 35, 826 km and an apogee of 35,913 km with an inclination of 0.11 deg which is very close to its operational orbit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart K P Sharma Oli will inaugurate the Integrated Check Post (ICP) Biratnagar today. The two Prime Ministers will jointly inaugurate the project through video conferencing at 11 A.M. India and Nepal share over 1,850 kilometre- long border which is characterized by a unique and long tradition of free movement of people. Jogbani-Biratnagar international trade point is one of the important trade points between the two countries.

ICP Biratnagar has been built on 260 acres of land at a cost of around 140 crore rupees. It has the facilities for immigration clearance of foreign passengers, export and import cargo handling. It is equipped with all modern facilities and is designed to handle around 500 trucks per day. Adequate facilities for quarantine, amenities for drivers, passengers and security personnel have also been created, along with a waste water treatment plant.