The Union Steel Ministry will host National Metallurgist Award 2021 in New Delhi today to recognise the outstanding contribution of metallurgists and engineers in the field of iron and steel. The programme will be chaired by the Steel Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh. The Steel Ministry has instituted the National Metallurgist Award after extensive deliberations with the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding rationalisation of the awards in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

The process of submissions of applications or nominations for the National Metallurgist Award 2021 was initiated during August to September last year. The awards will be given under categories like Lifetime Achievement, National Metallurgist, For Research and Development in Iron and Steel Sector and Young Metallurgist.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a new Cabinet on Monday. The authorities said that a total of 17 members including many former Cabinet Ministers were sworn in. According to media reports, several former key cabinet ministers were not included in the new cabinet of ministers who were sworn in today. Also, none of the members of the Rajapaksa family including Chamal Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa were appointed in the new cabinet. However, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa remains in power.Following the mass resignation of the Cabinet ministers, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on April 4 named four ministers, until a full Cabinet is appointed.

A first-of-its-kind mobile app launched for Khelo India University Games 2021.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the second edition of Khelo India University Games to be held in the tech capital Bengaluru will have its own mobile application which is free-to-download on Play Store and App Store.

A brainchild of Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) and hosts Jain deemed-to-be University, the unique ‘Khelo India Uni Games 2021’ mobile app promises to be a one-stop-shop for all information regarding the prestigious event scheduled to begin on 24th April. The coveted Games, which will be India's first largest mass participation sporting event post pandemic, will witness over 4,500 participants representing a total of about 189 universities vie for top honours in 20 disciplines.

18-year-old National Table Tennis player Deenadayalan Vishwa dies in accident

In Meghalaya, 18-year-old National Table Tennis player Deenadayalan Vishwa from Tamil Nadu met with an accident and succumbed to injuries yesterday.

Denadayalan, who was in Shillong to take part in the 83rd Senior National Table Tennis championships was travelling along with three other players in a taxi from Guwahati Airport to Shillong when the accident occurred at Shangbangla, Ri-Bhoi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first ever Semicon India-2022 Conference on 29th of this month in Bengaluru. Informing this at a press conference, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, this is being organized to take forward the vision of Prime Minister to make India a leader in the electronics manufacturing, semiconductor design, manufacturing and innovation.

Mr Chandrasekhar said, Semicon India - 2022 , a three-day conference, is to make India a significant player in Global Semiconductor value chain. He said, first time in last 75 years- rapid decisive strides have been made in this space.

Lieutenant General Manoj Pande has been appointed as the next Chief of Indian Army. The 29th Army Chief will be the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to become the Chief of Army Staff succeeding General Manoj Mukund Naravane who is scheduled to complete his 28-month tenure on 30th of April.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Pande was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in December 1982. Lt. General Manoj Pande commanded an engineer regiment during Operation Parakram in the Pallanwala sector along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects at Banas Dairy Sankul in Diyodar, Banaskantha, Gujarat today. Mr Modi will also lay the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine  (GCTM) in Jamnagar.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Director-General of World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus will be present on the occasion.

Mr Modi will also dedicate the Banas Community Radio Station to the nation. This Community Radio Station has been established to provide farmers with key scientific information related to agriculture and animal husbandry. It is expected that the radio station will connect with over five lakh farmers of about one thousand 700 villages.

President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022. The objective of the Act is to authorize for taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records. It also provides legal sanction for taking appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements which include finger-impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples, and their analysis among others. The new Act has replaced the Identification of Prisoners Act, of 1920.
 
Ministry of Home Affairs will notify the date on which the Act will come into force and also notify the rules under the Act.

The Union Health Ministry will organise Block Level Health Melas at more than one lakh Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres across the country from today. This is being organised in collaboration with all states, Union Territories and key ministries such as Women and Child Development, Information and Broadcasting, Panchayati Raj, Ayush and Education. 

In an exclusive interview to AIR News, Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Block Level Health Melas are part of week-long celebrations under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to create awareness about Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres and telemedicine and teleconsultations.

Iconic Week Celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav of Ministry of Panchayati Raj concluded on Sunday. The Ministry organized a series of National Conferences as part of Iconic Week celebrations during 11th to 17th April. During seven days conference,  more than five thousand participants brought the experience and shared learnings by Panchayats from different States and UTs.

On the 7th day of celebration of Iconic Week today, the Ministry organized the National Level Conference on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on Poverty free and Enhanced livelihood village. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Sunil Kumar emphasised on the infrastructure that were developed in the recent days. He stated that infrastructure plays an important role in the development of society and eradication of poverty. Mr. Kumar said, roads were constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and high-speed internet connectivity provided in Gram Panchayats.