Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various people-centric projects worth 708 crore rupees in Gandhinagar today. These include the projects of Gandhianagar Municipal Corporation, Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority (GUDA) and Gandhinagar district administration. Tomorrow, Mr Shah will attend several programmes in Ahmedabad and Mahesana.

Akashvani’s Correspondent reports that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a series of key infrastructure and public service projects in his Loksabha Constituency today. These include the inauguration of the newly constructed Primary Health Centre at Vavol, the underbridge connecting the newly developed Sectors 21 and 22 of the capital city, the inauguration of a Primary Health Centre in Pethapur and the newly developed Kolvada Lake, near the ONGC Well in Kolwada.

In the evening, Mr Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of several developmental projects of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and the Department of Posts. During the programme, the Home Minister will distribute the benefits of various postal schemes to the beneficiaries and address the public rally.

Union Minister of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh will lay the foundation stone for the Integrated Aquapark situated in Kailashahar, Tripura tomorrow. The Minister will also inaugurate a one-day Fish Festival in Agartala.

This Integrated Aquapark is being set up with an investment worth 42.4 crore rupees under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). These aquaparks are conceptualized as integrated hubs that offer services ranging from hatcheries and feed mills to cold storage, processing, training, and marketing, all under one roof. The event will also be attended by Minister of State Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in a statement, informed that on this occasion, certificates and sanction orders will be distributed to various beneficiaries in the fisheries sector, which entails the disbursement of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to eligible fishers and fish farmers. The Ministry added that the best-performing cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), and fisheries start-ups will also be recognized for their contributions to the sector.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on Saturday (May 17, 2025) said it has inked a pact with Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to support early-stage climate-tech startups through funding access, and mentorship.

As part of the MoU, GEAPP will launch the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE), a competitive platform offering up to $500,000 in rewards for high-impact solutions, it said.

Investment support will also be facilitated through partners like Spectrum Impact and Avana Capital, it added.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled the ‘Sagar Mein Samman’ (SMS), a policy initiative of the Government of India to create a future ready gender equitable maritime workforce with the ultimate aim to increase participation of women in the maritime sector. The initiative was launched at the inaugural International Day for Women in Maritime celebrations in Mumbai today, with a clear message of inclusivity, transformation and sustainability of the maritime sector.

The SMS policy aims to build a future where women’s participation is integral to all maritime operations; i.e., from the docks to decision making boards. In order to bridge the gender gap in both seafaring and shore based roles, this policy provides a structured road map for enhanced participation by women while addressing safety, leadership and retention of women in the Indian maritime sector. This programme is also aligned with Government’s DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) objective. Major scope of the policy would entail planning & strategy, training & development, research & development, governance & compliance, communications, and community outreach. It aims to secure objectives like empowerment & leadership, inclusivity & equal opportunity, safety & well-being, and skill development & training for women in maritime sector.

As the Chief Guest at the event, Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal underscored the importance of empowering women to drive growth and resilience across the maritime ecosystem. Sonowal also interacted with a group of almost 100 women seafarers at the event.

A team of US surgeons has performed the world’s first in-human bladder transplant, it was announced today. Surgeons in Southern California have performed the first human bladder transplant, introducing a new, potentially life-changing procedure for people with debilitating bladder conditions.

The operation was performed earlier this month by a pair of surgeons from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California on a 41-year-old man who had lost much of his bladder capacity from treatments for a rare form of bladder cancer. Dr Inderbir Gill, who performed the surgery along with Dr Nima Nassiri, called it ‘the realisation of a dream’ for treating thousands of patients with crippling pelvic pain, inflammation and recurrent infections. Dr Gill said this surgery is a historic moment in medicine and stands to impact how they manage carefully selected patients with highly symptomatic ‘terminal’ bladders that are no longer functioning.

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will lead an Indian delegation at the 17th edition of Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025), being held at Langkawi, Malaysia from Tuesday to the 24th of this month.

Mr Seth will be inaugurating an Indian Pavilion which is set up in LIMA 2025. During the visit Mr Seth will also call on Malaysian Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin.

The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said the visit will further consolidate the bilateral defence cooperation and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Ministry added that India and Malaysia have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security.

IIT Delhi hosted 100 school girls for its Manasvi STEM mentorship program, offering talks, workshops, and lab experiences to inspire confidence and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers

The IIT Delhi campus was filled with energy and excitement as it hosted 100 school girls from May 13 to 17 for the Manasvi: STEM Mentorship Program for High School Girls. The girls, mostly from government schools in the Delhi-NCR region and studying in Classes 9 to 12, took part in this unique program aimed at inspiring them to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The five-day mentorship program, organised by IIT Delhi’s Academic Outreach and New Initiatives Office, focused on reducing the gender gap in STEM. It helped students build confidence, develop the right skills, and believe in their potential to succeed in STEM fields.

Union Minister for Fisheries Rajeev Ranjan Singh today said that the fisheries sector is contributing more to the country’s economy when compared with the agriculture sector.

He said the agriculture sector is contributing around 4-5 per cent towards the national economy. However, the fisheries sector contributes 9 per cent. Speaking after virtually laying the foundation stone for an Integrated Aqua Park at a programme in Agartala, he said 11 aqua parks will be built across the country, and four of them will come up in the northeast.

The Integrated Aqua Park will come up at Kailashahar in Unakoti district of Tripura.

The Union Minister emphasised Tripura’s vast potential in fish farming. He said the state currently has a demand for 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of fish annually, but there is a significant shortfall, which is met through imports from neighboring Bangladesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and other states. He noted that if Tripura’s potential is properly harnessed, the state could not only meet its own demand but also become an exporter of fish. He urged the state government, particularly the fisheries minister, to take initiative in this regard.

Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh led India’s official delegation to the solemn ceremony of the inauguration of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City today. Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, Yanthungo Patton, accompanied the Deputy Chairman at the event. The External Affairs Ministry said the Indian delegation had an audience with Pope Leo XIV after the ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier tweeted his felicitations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as Supreme Pontiff.

Neeraj Chopra crossed the 90m mark for the first time in his career with a 90.23 throw in the 2025 Doha Diamond League. Neeraj beat his personal best and national record of 89.94m. Neeraj finished second in the event behind Julian Webber. The 27-year-old continued a remarkable streak dating back to the Tokyo Olympics.

Neeraj Chopra crossed the 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League at the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium, ending a long wait in his glorious career the achieve the significant feat. The 27-year-old achieved the feat on the third throw of the night on Friday (May 16).

Neeraj has become the first Indian to achieve the milestone and get a national record, which previously belonged to him. Prior to tonight's show in Doha, Neeraj had a personal best of 89.94. The reigning world champion has achieved the feat just months after bringing in Jan Zelezny as his personal coach. Zelezny is widely regarded as the greatest Javelin thrower of all time. He holds the world record of the longest throw ever (98.48m).