The Reserve Bank has launched a mobile application for aiding visually impaired persons to identify the denomination of Indian Banknotes.

In a press release issued from Mumbai, RBI said the “Mobile Aided Note Identifier - MANI” is capable of identifying the denominations of Mahatma Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) series banknote by checking front or reverse side of the notes, including half folded notes under broad range of light conditions.

Jeremy Lalrinnunga, who became the first Indian to win a gold at the Youth Olympic Games on 29th Dec, is now preparing for a berth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

The 17-year-old weightlifter from Mizoram has been making it to the headlines as he recently clinched a silver medal in men's 67 kg weightlifting category at the 6th International Qatar Cup with the total lift of 306 kg that broke 27 records in total.

Jeremy from Aizawl has been the recent talk among the public for his outstanding performance in sports, who won gold in the first and second edition of the Khelo India Games and the athlete competed in the 62kg and 67kg categories in both the editions respectively. 

The Indian Railways has integrated its helpline numbers into a single number -- 139 for quick grievance redressal and enquiries by passengers during their train journeys.

The new helpline number 139 will take over all the existing helpline numbers. It will be easy for passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during train travel.

The Helpline 139 will be available in twelve languages. It will be based on Interactive Voice Response System. A call can be made on this number from any mobile phone and not just smart phones, thus, providing easy access to all mobile users. 

The 5th Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) National Ice Hockey Championship -2020 has begun in Leh today. In the inaugural match in Under-20 Boys category between Chandigarh and Haryana, the contest ended in a draw with 4 goals each.

Similarly, the second match between Ladakh Scouts Regiment Centre and Delhi also ended in a draw with 2 goals each. 

Later in the afternoon Under-20 Girls match will be played between home team Ladakh and Maharashtra.

The tournament will continue till 7th January in Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink in Leh, where the Army, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and home team Ladakh are fighting for the championship in U-20 boys category.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and officials of the Khelo India Youth Games launched the torch relay of the competition in Guwahati on Sunday.

The tournament will be held between 10 January 2020 to 22 January 2020. Chief Minister Sonowal asked the people of Assam to create a fantastic environment for all the athletes who will be participating in the third Khelo India Youth Games.

“Athletes from all over the country will be coming to Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games. The competition is a great opportunity for our athletes. On behalf of the Assam people, I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju for all their support. I would like to ask the people of Assam to create an environment wherein all the athletes carry out their events in a fantastic manner,” said Sonowal.

NEW DELHI: ITBP Director General SS Deswal will now have “additional” charge of the country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF as the serving DG RR Bhatnagar retired on Tuesday. The Union Home Ministry issued an order for the same, stating Deswal, a 1984-batch Haryana cadre IPS officer, will hold the CRPF charge “till the appointment and joining of the successor or untill further orders, whichever is earlier.”

Bhatnagar, a 1983-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre Indian Police Service officer, is retiring after heading the Central Reserve Police Force for over 2.5 years. He was appointed CRPF Director General (DG) in April, 2017.

In Maharashtra, Udhdhav Thackeray-led Mahavikas Aghadi Government was expanded today.

NCP’s Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath to the Ministers. Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Vijay Vadettivar, Varsha Gaikwad from Congress, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Deshmukh, Hasan Mushrif, Dr. Rajendra Shingne from NCP were among those included today.

Under this first cabinet expansion, a total of 36 Ministers were administered oath today. Shivsena has ten Cabinet berths and 3 Ministers of State berths.

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch creates a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, surpassing the earlier record of 288 days in space.

When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, she will have spent more than 300 days in space. 

She is onboard the International Space Station since 14th March 2019.

Vishwesha Tirtha Swami would be laid to rest at Poornaprajna Vidyapeeth in Bengaluru around 7 p.m. as per his wishes
Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, the 88-year-old pontiff of Pejawar Mutt, passed away in Udupi on Sunday.

He was admitted to the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal for the treatment of extensive pneumonia on December 20 and was shifted to the Pejawar Mutt in Udupi on Sunday morning on ventilator after his health condition worsened. He passed away hours after being shifted.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who visited the Pejawar Mutt said that there would be a three-day State mourning and the seer would be laid to rest with full state honours.

Hemant Soren, executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Jharkhand at the Morabadi Ground in Ranchi on Sunday.

Governor Draupadi Murmu administered the oath to Mr. Soren, while three others, two MLAs from the Congress and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, were inducted into the Ministry.

The 44-year-old JMM leader took over as Chief Minister of tribal-dominated Jharkhand for the second time. He was deputy Chief Minister in the Arjun Munda Ministry in 2010 and went on to become Chief Minister in 2013.