Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 12th BRICS Summit today hosted by Russia, under the theme Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth. The meeting will be held in a virtual format.
 
During the 12th Summit, held in the backdrop of the 75th Anniversary of UN and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders would be discussing intra-BRICS cooperation and key issues in the global context, including the reform of the multilateral system, measures to mitigate the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation in Counter Terrorism, trade, health, energy and people to people exchanges.
 
India will be taking over the Chairship of the BRICS, which would be the third BRICS Presidency for India since its inception after 2012 and 2016. India will host the 13th BRICS Summit next year.

Prime Minister Narendr Modi will dedicate two Ayurveda institutions to the nation on the 5th Ayurveda Day today. These are the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur. The ITRA, Jamnagar is recently created through an Act of Parliament, is poised to emerge as a world class healthcare institution. AIR correspondent reports, potential role of Ayurveda in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic will be the focus of this year’s Ayurveda Day observation.
 
Both the Institutes are premier institutions of Ayurveda in the country and are expected to play global leadership roles in the growth and development of Ayurveda in the 21st Century. The dedication of these institutes to the nation is a historic step not just in the modernization of Ayurveda education, but in the evolution of traditional medicine itself. This will provide them the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, and frame various courses as per emerging national and international demand. Utilising the immense untapped potential of AYUSH systems of healthcare for providing effective and affordable solutions for public health challenges is a priority of the Government.

India Post Payments Bank, IPPB have successfully launched the initiative of doorstep service for submission of Digital Life Certificate through Postman. The facility to submit life certificate online through Jeevan Pramaan Portal was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November, 2014 with the objective to provide a convenient and transparent facility to pensioners for submission of Life Certificate.

In order to make this facility available across the country, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare roped in the India Post Payments Bank to utilise its huge network of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks in providing doorstep facility to pensioners for submission of life certificate digitally.

The IPPB is utilising its national network of more than one lakh 36 thousand access points in Post Offices and more than one lakh 89 thousand Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks with smart phones and biometric devices to provide Doorstep Banking Services. As a result a huge number of pensioners across the country shall be able to avail doorstep service through Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevak, without visiting to bank branch or standing in a queue outside the bank branches. In order to avail this service, pensioners can get detailed information on ippbonline.com.

Public Service Broadcasting Day is being observed today. The day is celebrated every year to commemorate the only visit of Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. The Father of the Nation addressed the displaced people, who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.

A special programme is organized in the premises of All India Radio, New Delhi every year to mark the occasion. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will co-chair the 17th ASEAN-India Summit along with Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc today. The leaders of all ten ASEAN Member States will virtually participate in the Summit.
 
The Summit will review the status of ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership and take stock of progress made in key areas such as connectivity, maritime cooperation, trade and commerce, education and capacity building. The leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen ASEAN-India engagement and in this context will note the adoption of ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025). COVID-19, post-pandemic economic recovery and important regional and international developments will also be discussed at the Summit.
 
ASEAN-India Summits provide the opportunity for India and ASEAN to engage at the highest level. India’s Act East Policy, underlining ASEAN-centrality, reflects the importance, India attaches to engagement with ASEAN.

Ken Spears, the co-creator of the cartoon series Scooby-Doo, has died at the age of 82.

Spears, who created the animated characters alongside his creative partner Joe Ruby, died of complications from Lewy body dementia.

Their original show, Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, only ran for two series from 1969-1970, but established a template that spawned 50 years of stories.

Spears' death comes three months after that of his co-creator, Ruby.

His son Kevin confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Spears died in Los Angeles on Friday.

Warner Bros president Sam Register said in a statement: "Warner Bros Animation is saddened to learn of the passing of Ken Spears and we send our warmest thoughts to his loved ones.

"He was a true innovator in the industry whose gifts of humour and storytelling continue to delight audiences.

Even though they are successful in the businesses they run, striving hard for the profit their companies earn and fighting bitter boardroom battles at times, India Inc has always helped society and made others benefit from their success.

Azim Premji, the 75-year-old former chairman of Wipro has been the most generous philanthropist in India for 2020 with a donation of Rs 7,904 crore, as per EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020 unveiled Tuesday.

Shiv Nadar, founder chairman of HCL Technologies was ranked second, followed Mukesh Ambani, chairman, Reliance Industries, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, and Anil Agarwal, chairman, Vedanta Group. Among the lot, Birla debuted at the top 5 slot in this list and is the youngest among the top 10.

7 women found a place in the list with Rohini Nilekani (donating Rs 47 crore) being India’s most generous woman; followed by Anu Aga & family of Thermax (Rs 36 crore), and Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Rs 34 crore).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the state-of-the-art office-cum-residential complex of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, ITAT at Cuttack, Odisha today evening through video conferencing. 
 
Union Law Minister, Petroleum Minister, Chief Minister of Odisha, Chief Justice and Judges of Orissa High Court, along with other dignitaries would also be present during the event.
 
On this occasion, an e-Coffee Table Book on ITAT will also be released.
 
AIR correspondent reports, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, ITAT, is an important statutory body in the field of direct taxes and its orders are accepted as final, on findings of fact.
 
It is presently headed by Justice (Retd) P.P. Bhatt, formerly Judge of the High Court of Jharkhand and High Court of Gujarat.
 
ITAT was the first Tribunal to be created on 25th January, 1941 and is also known as Mother Tribunal.
 
Starting with three benches in 1941 at Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta it has now grown to 63 Benches and two circuit benches spread across thirty cities of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ro-Pax terminal at Hazira and flagged off the Ro-Pax ferry service between Hazira and Ghogha in Gujarat through video conferencing.

He also interacted with the local users. He renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said today, people of Gujarat have got their Diwali gift. Everyone will benefit from this better connectivity.

He added that business will be boosted and connectivity will become faster. He further said RO-PAX service between Hazira and Ghogha has made dreams come true for the people of Saurashtra and South Gujarat, as the journey is shortened from 10-12 hours to 3-4 hours.

He said this will save time and expenses will also be reduced. He said about 80000 passenger trains and 30000 trucks will be able to take advantage of this new service in a year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects worth around 614 crores in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi this morning via video conferencing. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present on the occasion. Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of these projects during the event.
 
Commissioner of Varanasi Deepak Agrawal said that around 1500 people will participate in the program through video conferencing. There is an arrangement of live display of the program at 6 places in the city on big screens and through 5 LED mobile vans. The 16 projects which will be inaugurated include Sarnath Light and Sound show. The show is going to be a major attraction for the tourists who reach this heritage site from all over the world. With the inauguration today the first light and sound show will be organised for the public at 7.15 evening.
 
During the event, Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for projects including the redevelopment of Dashashwamedh Ghat and Khidkiya Ghat, barracks for PAC police force,  along with  upgradation of the multi-purpose hall in Girija Devi Sanskritik Sankul, and development of tourist places.