Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi will launch a national campaign "Ab Koi Bahana Nahi" November 25 at Rang Bhawan, All India Radio in New Delhi.

This campaign is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Women and Child Development and Rural Development, with support from UN Women which calls on the public, government and key stakeholders to take actionable steps to eliminate gender-based violence.

The campaign is launched along with the 'Nayi Chetna 3.0 campaign,' led by the Ministry of Rural Development, to ensure a wide reach on spreading the call to action on ending gender-based violence, leaving no one behind, as per an official statement.

Set against the tense backdrop of the Cold War, a period when the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly trying to outsmart each other, intelligence operatives had to get creative. Each side sought any advantage, even if it meant scouring through discarded scraps in search of clues that might tip the balance of power.

The Mission

Operation Tamarisk involved agents from the U.S., U.K., and France, who sifted through garbage left behind by Soviet troops stationed in East Germany. Discarded items included food scraps, letters, military documents, and even used toilet paper. Since Soviet troops often used official documents as a substitute for toilet paper, intelligence agents found sensitive information scattered among trash heaps. In some cases, agents retrieved items from hospital waste bins, where discarded limbs provided clues about the types of shrapnel and injuries Soviet soldiers suffered, particularly from their involvement in the war in Afghanistan. This operation, referred to as “tamarisk” by some operatives, was known for its gritty and unsanitary work but was valued for the intelligence it yielded.

South African writer and poet Breyten Breytenbach, a staunch opponent of the former white-minority government's apartheid policy of racial oppression, has died in Paris, his family announced. He was 85.

Mr. Breytenbach was a celebrated wordsmith, a leading voice in literature in Afrikaans — an offshoot of Dutch that was developed by white settlers — and a fierce critic of apartheid that was imposed against the country's Black majority between 1948 and 1990.

He moved to Paris but on a clandestine trip to his home country in 1975 he was arrested on allegations that he assisted Nelson Mandela's then-outlawed African National Congress group in its sabotage campaign against the white-minority government.

A day after securing a grand victory, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren on Sunday submitted his resignation to Governor Santosh Gangwar and staked claim to form the government. He will take charge on November 28.

Before going to the Raj Bhavan, Mr. Soren held a meeting with the new MLAs of INDIA bloc where he was unanimously elected leader of the legislature party.

Out of the 81 Assembly seats, the INDIA bloc bagged 56 seats in the election, whereas the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 24 seats, and one seat has gone to the kitty of the Jharkhand Loktrantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) led by Jairam Tiger Mahto.

The Indian Cast Guard will conduct National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercises & Workshop (SAREX-24) under the aegis of NMSAR Board at Kochi from November 27 to 30, according to an official press statement.

This workshop will be conducted with imperatives to validate the National M-SAR construct through 'all-inclusive' and 'collaborative' approach.

The release added, taking cognizance of the vast 4.6 Million Sq Kms of Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR) bestowed to India, Indian Cast Guard has been a proponent of cooperative engagements not only with the resource agencies but also with littorals and friendly foreign countries.

Response operation to large scale contingencies at sea, termed as 'Mass Rescue Operation' (MRO) will be the essence of 11th edition of SAREX-24.

N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Choudary Bolipalli won the ATP Challenger title in Rovereto, Italy. On Saturday, November 23, the Indian pair defeated Francisco Cabral and Theo Arribage 6-3, 2-6, 12-10. It took the Indians an hour and 20 minutes to win the match on Centre Court.

Balaji and Bolipalli had it easy in the opening set where they converted one of their three break point chances to come up trumps. But Cabral and Arribage stormed back, winning the second set and forcing a decider.

Bolipalli and Arribage dropped their serve twice and failed to convert two chances to break their opponent’s serve. With the title on the line, the third and final set was expected to be a nail-biting affair and it turned out to be an absolute thriller.

Reetika Hooda has made history by winning the gold medal in the women’s 76kg category at the World Military Championships, becoming the second Indian woman to achieve this feat after Jyoti Sihag. This victory marks a significant milestone for Indian women’s wrestling and highlights the growing strength of the sport in the country.

Reetika Hooda’s Historic Achievement

Reetika’s gold medal win follows Jyoti Sihag’s triumph in the 55kg category just a day earlier. This back-to-back success signifies the hard work and dedication of Indian female wrestlers. Reetika’s victory is particularly noteworthy as it comes after her heart-wrenching exit at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she narrowly missed out on a medal.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu graced Sahitya Aaj Tak and presented Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Samman in New Delhi today (November 23, 2024).

Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated the winners of ‘Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Samman’. She specially congratulated Gulzar Saheb on getting the ‘Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Life Time Achievement Award’. She appreciated him for his dedication to the world of literature and art.

The President was happy to note that the award-winning works of today’s awardees reflect the diversity of India from the past to the present and introduce several generations of writers together. She said that the pan-India consciousness was always present in our country's regional works of literature. This consciousness has been visible throughout our journey, from the times of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, to our freedom struggle, and can be seen in today's literature as well.

India is among the top ten countries in Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness, and the country holds immense potential for public sector transformation through AI, according to a report.

“Readiness” for AI refers to an economy’s ability to effectively implement and integrate AI. The report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) based on data from 73 economies showed that India ranks second globally in AI specialists, and third in research publications, with a strong base in AI-related patents.

On the other hand, over 70 per cent of the economies studied score below average in critical areas such as ecosystem participation, skills, and research and development.

“India’s journey to becoming an AI contender underscores the nation’s emphasis on integrating technology into high-priority sectors like agriculture, education, and healthcare. As one of the top 10 countries in AI readiness, India holds immense potential for public sector transformation through AI,” said Saibal Chakraborty, India Leader, Technology and Digital Advantage Practice, BCG.

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to do away with the collection of garbage collection tax. To this effect, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana tabled an Amendment Bill to Repeal Garbage Tax in the State Legislative Assembly on November 21 (Thursday). The Assembly approved the same.

Mr. Narayana informed the House that the government would launch an inquiry into how the previous YSRCP government had benefited contractors by imposing the garbage collection tax.

The YRSCP government imposed a garbage tax for waste collection. It used service providers to arrange for vehicles and collected taxes in 40 municipalities, and paid somewhere between ₹51,641 to ₹62,964 per month for garbage collection. A total of ₹13.9 crore per month was given to 40 municipalities for garbage collection, which began in November 2021.