Shyama Prasad Mukherji National Rurban Mission is completing four years today. It was Launched by Prime mInister Narendra Modi from Kurubhat in Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh on 21st February 2016. It aims at developing clusters in all States and Union Territories which would trigger overall development in the region.

The objective is to give a boost to economic activities, skill development and infrastructure amenities in the regions.
At the launch ceremony, the Prime Minister had asserted that the mission is intended to make Indian villages as smart villages. Around 300 rural clusters developed under Shyama Prasad Mukherji National Rurban Mission.

These clusters are being developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills and local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities. Spurred by the success of Rurban clusters, NITI Aayog has proposed a new and extended programme for over 1,000 clusters in next three years.

Maha Shivratri is being celebrated across the country today. Devotees worship Lord Shiva, the destroyer of evil, on the occasion. In Uttar Pradesh, a large number of people are reaching Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi to offer prayers. Devotees are also taking holy dip in Ganges.

In Allahabad, devotees are taking holy dip at Sangam.In Nepal, thousands of devotees are offering prayers at famous Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu since early morning. 

The fourth Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) will be observed today. On 21st February 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Mission with the vision to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth.

The Mission aims at transforming these Rurban clusters by stimulating local economic development, enhancing basic services and creating well planned Rurban clusters. This will lead to holistic development of the region and encourage integrated and inclusive rural development.

Under the mission, 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a time-bound manner. Spurred by the success of Rurban clusters, NITI Aayog has recently proposed a new and extended programme for over 1,000 clusters in next three years.

Haryana government will open Atal Kisan - Majdoor canteens in all mandis and sugar mills across the state to provide affordable and cheap meals to farmers and labourers at a concessional rate of 10 rupees per plate.

This was stated by Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya during his address to the Budget Session of State Assembly which commenced in Chandigarh yesterday. He said that 25 such canteens will be established this year.

Mr Arya said, Haryana government will also provide free and concessional travel facility to 41 different categories of residents in the ordinary buses of Haryana Roadways. Governor said, under a new initiative, the women and girls belonging to 11 lakh BPL families will be given sanitary napkins free of cost during the year 2020-2021. 

Nepal is celebrating its 70th National Democracy Day today.

A special ceremony was held at the Nepal Army Pavilion Tudikhel in Kathmandu to mark the occasion. President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly Chairperson, Chief Justice, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, senior government officials and people from all walks of life attended the ceremony.

In his address Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said after resolving conflict Nepal is now moving towards economic and social transformation. He said Nepal has created its identity in the world and increased its prestige at various international fourms. Mr. Oli said his government has completed two years after 2017 historic elections.

First year was base for laying foundation of the government and now on his government is working for prosperity of the country. Prime Minister Oli also paid tribute to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives in the struggle for democracy. Every year, Falgun 7 of the Nepali calendar is commemorated as the National Democracy Day in Nepal. In 2007 Bikram Sambat, on this day, democracy was established in the Himalayan nation ending over a century old autocratic Rana regime.

Union Cabinet has approved the Phase- 2 of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Grameen till 2024-25, which will focus on Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus).

The program will work towards ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone uses a toilet. The phase-2 of the mission will be implemented in a mission mode with a total estimated budgeted financial implication of 52 thousand 497 crore rupees.

The ODF Plus programme will also converge with MGNREGA, especially for grey water management and will also complement the newly launched Jal Jeevan Mission. 

Arunachal Pradesh is celebrating its 34th Statehood Day today. Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood on February 20, 1987. Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the celebrations at Itanagar.

AIR correspondent reports that Home Minister Amit Shah will launch a slew of projects on the occasion. He will launch the Arunachal Pradesh Industrial and Investment Policy, 2020, inaugurate the Joram-Koloriang Road constructed by BRO, lay the foundation stone of the new headquarters of the state police and along with other projects. Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Dr. Jitendra Singh will also attend the function. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated the Indian pavilion yesterday at the Berlin International Film Festival for which three feature films and one documentary from the country have been selected. Information and Broadcasting ministry in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is participating in the 70th edition of the festival.

Earlier, Dr Jaishankar held a very good meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas and thanked him for the support his country in expanding cooperation between India and the European Union (EU). The External Affairs Minister, who was in Germany during the weekend for the Munich Security Conference, arrived in Berlin on Monday to prepare the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit for the India-EU summit in Brussels next month.

Ashu, Aditya Kundu and Hardeep have won a bronze medal each in their respective weight categories as Indian wrestlers bagged five medals in Greco-Roman events of the Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi yesterday. While Ashu won a bronze in 67kg category, Aditya and Hardeep also bagged the medals of same colour in the 72kg and 97kg respectively on the second day of the competitions.

Ashu beat Syria's Abdulkarim Mohammad Al-Hasan 8-1 while Kundu defeated Nao Kusaka of Japan 8-0 inside one and a half minutes in a lop-sided 72kg bronze medal bout. Later in the evening, Hardeep beat Kyrgyzstan's Beksultan Makhamadzhanovich Makhmudov 3-1 to register India's third podium finish of the day.
 
India has so far five medals in the championships, after Sunil Kumar's historic gold in 87kg and Arjun Halakurki's bronze in 55kg Greco-Roman category on Tuesday.

The Kashi Mahakal Express, the third private train of IRCTC, will start from today. The train service will link the three Jyotirlinga - Omkareshwar near Indore, Mahakaleshwar, in Ujjain and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.
 
First Kashi Mahakal train will start from Varanasi this afternoon and will reach Indore tomorrow morning on the day of Mahashivratri. This is also the first overnight journey train run by IRCTC.

Chief Regional Manager of IRCTC Ashwini Shrivastava told AIR that apart from giving high-class facilities, IRCTC is also offering tour packages of Omkareshvar.