Azadi Se Antyodaya Tak will be launched by Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh in New Delhi on Thursday. The 90-day campaign will be launched with a mission to saturate 75 Districts across 28 States and UTs with beneficiary schemes of nine central ministries. Celebrating the spirit of the year-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the identified districts are aligned with the birthplace of 99 Freedom Fighters, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation during its struggle for independence.

The goal of the campaign is to take up 17 select schemes with direct assistance to beneficiaries in saturation mode, reaching out to the person at the bottom of the pyramid in rural areas by each of the participating ministries and departments.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asserted that India will engage with the world on its own terms and era of dictation is over.

He said, it is better to engage with the world on the basis of who we are rather than try to please the world as a pale imitation of who they are. Addressing the Raisina Dialogue, Dr Jaishankar said the idea that others define us and we need approval, is an era that we need to put behind us. 

Dr Jaishankar also said in the next 25 years, India should be at the next stage of globalisation. India should be about capability building, he said.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) project for upgrading 2G mobile services to 4G at security sites in Left Wing Extremism, LWE areas. Addressing the media on the cabinet decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that this will enable better internet and data services in these LWE areas. He said, the Project envisages upgrading of 2,542 mobile towers for providing 4G services in LWE areas at a cost of 2,426 crore rupees in 10 states including Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharastra. He said, alll the sites will be upgraded by BSNL at a cost of 2,426 crore rupees.

The Union Cabinet also approved revised cost estimate on “Setting up of India Post Payments Bank. Mr. Thakur said, the facility of India Post Payments Bank will be available in all the 1.56 lakh branches of Post Offices for which additional 820 crore rupees will be spent. He said, currently 1.30 lakh branches are equipped with this facility.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the construction of 540 Megawatt Kwar Hydro Electric project located on river Chenab in Kishtwar district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The project will be implemented by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited which is a joint venture company between NHPC and JKSPDC. The project has been approved with an investment of over 4 thousand 526 crore rupees. Addressing media about the cabinet decision yesterday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the  project will  help make the Union Territory self reliant in electricity.

Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has launched Digital India RISC-V Microprocessor (DIR-V) Program. Its overall aim is to enable the creation of Microprocessors for the future in India, for the world and achieve industry-grade silicon and  Design wins by December 2023. 

Launching the program yesterday in New Delhi Mr. Chandrasekhar mentioned that DIR-V program will see partnerships between Startups, Academia and  Multinationals, to make India not only a RISC-V Talent Hub for the World but also supplier of RISC-V  System on Chips for Servers, Mobile devices, Automotive and Microcontrollers across the globe.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that India as the largest filmmaker country, has the potential to be the content sub-continent of  the world. Speaking during the second day of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi today, Mr Thakur highlighted the importance of hard power and soft power saying that power is an interplay between hard power and soft power.

He said, a nation needs to have hard power in order to exist and stay relevant while the soft power is needed to establish good relationships as it captures imagination and touches the heart.  He said, the soft power is emerging  through Indian cinema in the last  few decades. He said,  now the world is looking towards India which is emerging as hard and soft power. 

Khelo India Youth Games-2021 will be organised from 4th to 13th June this year. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur virtually interacted with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal at the Organizing and Coordinating Committee Meeting to review the preparedness of the games.

Mr. Thakur said that work should be done with new ideas in Khelo India Youth Games so that there is more discussion about Haryana across the country. Haryana Chief Minister said that a mascot and logo of Khelo India Youth Games would be launched on 8th of next month in Panchkula.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that IGNOU should become the knowledge centre of the world. Addressing the 35th convocation of IGNOU, he called for leveraging technology to reach the unreached.

Mr. Pradhan said that 21st century is the century of knowledge. He said if we want to establish India as a knowledge-based economic superpower, the country must ensure a paradigm shift in the education landscape. He said that National Education Policy 2020 is a step towards transforming our education and skills’ landscape.

The Minister said technology is the new equaliser. He said Digital University and other e-learning initiatives are steps in that direction. On the occasion, Mr. Pradhan extended his deep compliments and good wishes to nearly 3 lakh meritorious students at the 32 regional centres across the country who have received their degree, diploma, certificate, Ph.D/M.Phil and gold medals.

A national level logistics seminar is being organised by Indian Air Force on 28th of this month at Air Force Auditorium in New Delhi. The seminar will be inaugurated by the Chief of the Air Staff VR Chaudhari. He will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session. The theme of the seminar is Orchestrating Logistics Support for Air Combat Operations.

Prominent experts from various fields would delve upon aspects related to National Logistics Policy and absorption of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and internet of things. The seminar will also have a session on logistics diplomacy. 

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is organising Asia’s biggest international food and hospitality fair AAHAR 2022 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The fair commenced today.

Commerce and Industry Ministry said, more than 80 exporters form different segments of agricultural products which include geographical indication products, processed food, organic, frozen food products will participate in the fair. APEDA has created dedicated stalls for exporters from North East Region and Himalayan states like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, women entrepreneurs, Farmer Producers Organizations, Start Ups and exporters of millets.