The annual Amarnath yatra will begin on June 30 this year with all covid protocols in place. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board Chairman and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said that the online registration for the yatra will begin on April 11. He said, the 43-day long yatra will conclude on August 11, when the festival of Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated. The decision to commence the pilgrimage from June 30 was taken at a meeting of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board at Raj Bhavan in Jammu yesterday. 
Talking to AIR News, Nitishwar Kumar, chief executive of the shrine board, said that the board has decided to start yatra from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes simultaneously.

He said, Only 10,000 pilgrims will be allowed in a day on each route, excluding those traveling by helicopter. Nitishwar Kumar said the government will introduce an RFID system for pilgrims to track their movement. 

The free trade agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates is expected to come into force from 1st May this year. India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, CEPA was signed on 18 February, 2022 in New Delhi during the India-UAE Virtual Summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The agreement aimed at boosting the merchandise trade between the two countries to 100 billion US dollar over the next five years. The India-UAE CEPA is the first deep and full free trade Agreement to be signed by India with any country in the past decade.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that historic India - UAE CEPA, is a joint roadmap to transform the lives of our people and strengthen the partnership on the global stage. In a tweet, Mr. Goyal said, India-UAE embark on a brighter future together. 

Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav today informed that October 5th has been designated as National Dolphin Day to be celebrated every year to create awareness for conservation of Dolphins. In a tweet, Mr Yadav stated that generating awareness and community participation is integral for conservation of the indicator species. 

He chaired the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life in New Delhi today. Considering that generating awareness amongst the people on the benefits of conservation of Dolphins is important, the Standing Committee recommended that every year 5th of October should be celebrated as National Dolphin Day.

The ten-day mega Red Fort Festival -Bharat Bhagya Vidhata kick has started at the iconic 17th- century monument Red Fort in Delhi. Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the festival yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Irani recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invocation from the Red Fort to join hands for making a New India.

The Minister said that Red Fort is not just a monument but a living example, which every year makes the nation realize its resolve, promise and its responsibility towards the Constitution. She also mentioned that through this event, the diverse culture of India has been brought under one roof.

Earth Hour will be observed from 8:30 to 9:30 PM tonight. It is the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment where people around the globe unite to take a stand against climate change by turning off non-essential lights for one hour.

Starting out as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney in 2007, it has come to be observed every year on the last Saturday of March in more than 180 countries uniting millions of people in the effort to decarbonise the planet both collectively and individually.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of India have signed an agreement to establish the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar in Gujarat. The agreement was signed by the Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghbereyesus in a formal event hosted by the organisation at Geneva yesterday.

WHO in a statement said, the global knowledge centre for traditional medicine, supported by an investment of 250 million dollar from the Government of India, aims to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through modern science and technology to improve health of people and the planet.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has imposed a penalty of 5 lakh on Axis Bank for violating merchant banking regulations. The market regulator examined the Debt Capital Market operations of the bank between August 2016 and August 2019. The bank has been asked to pay the penalty in 45 days of the receipt of the order. The showcause notice issued to Axis Bank on March 2, 2021, alleged that bank had acted as a lead manager in 22 public issuances of debt between the period from August 2016 to August 2019, and the Noticee had acquired the securities in 9 of these public issues.

State Bank of India (SBI) said it had entered into a co-lending agreement with 5 housing finance companies (HFCs) for advancing home loans. The arrangement with PNB Housing Finance Ltd., IIFL Home Finance Ltd., Shriram Housing Finance Ltd., Edelweiss Housing Finance Ltd., and Capri Global Housing Finance Ltd., would help sanction home loans to the unserved and underserved sector in line with RBI guidelines, the lender said.

The fifth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha is going to be held on 1st April this year at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Education Ministry said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with students and share his insights on how to beat exam stress.

Pariksha Pe Charcha is an interactive program wherein students, parents and teachers from India and overseas interact with the Prime Minister to discuss and overcome the stress emerging out of examinations in order to celebrate life as an Utsav.

School students of classes 9 to 12, teachers and parents will be selected through an online competition for the programme. 

The Centre has decided to extend the validity of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, FCRA registration certificates of certain categories of FCRA registered entities.

Home Ministry said, the validity of registration certificates of such entities whose validity was extended till 31st March 31st of this month and whose renewal application is pending will stand extended till this year or till the date of disposal of the renewal application, whichever is earlier.

The Ministry said, validity of FCRA entities whose 5 years validity period is expiring during 1st April 2022 to 30th June 2022 and who have applied for renewal before expiry of 5 years validity period will stand extended up to 30th June 2022 or till date of disposal of renewal application, whichever earlier.