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.”

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Standard award to the 22nd Missile Vessels Squadron of the Indian Navy at a ceremony held in the naval dockyard on Wednesday morning. The President’s Standard is the highest honour bestowed by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to a military unit in recognition of the service rendered to the nation.

The Union Cabinet has approved continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin till March 2024. Briefing the media in New Delhi yesterday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana will ensure housing for all in rural areas. He said, the scheme will provide assistance for construction of remaining over 155 lakh houses and will achieve target of 2.95 crore pucca houses with basic amenities.
 
Mr. Thakur said, the cabinet has also approved Ken-Betwa interlinking of rivers project. He said, it will ensure water availability in the water starved Bundelkhand region. The project will cost of 44 thousand 605 crore rupees and will be completed in 8 years.

The last rites of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat will be performed tomorrow in Delhi Cantonment. Their mortal remains are expected to arrive in the National Capital in a military plane by this evening. Before that a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Madras Regimental Centre in Wellington today. Chief of Army staff General MM Naravane, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhury and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar will reach Wellington this morning to attend the wreath-laying ceremony.

After that the mortal remains will be flown to Delhi. Their mortal remains will be brought to Gen Rawat's residence in New Delhi tomorrow. People will be allowed to pay their last respect from 11 am to 2 pm.

General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others died in a tragic chopper crash in Tamil Nadu yesterday. The mishap took place when the Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying Rawat and 13 others crashed shortly after it took off from an IAF base in Sulur near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The Indian Air Force has already ordered an inquiry into the chopper crash that led to Rawat's untimely death. Lone survivor in the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh is under treatment at a military hospital in Wellington.