Rajnath Singh releases Tarun Vijay’s ‘Invincible’ book on Manohar Parrikar

1.Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank chairs meeting on Research in Indian Traditional Knowledge Systems in Delhi

Union Human Resource Development Minister Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank chaired a meeting on Research in Indian Traditional Knowledge Systems in New Delhi.Objective of the meeting is to ensure the development of the society by coordinating the ancient and modern genres of knowledge.

Citing the example of Yoga, the Minister said Indian traditional knowledge is not only logical but also scientific.

Mr Pokhriyal appealed to the participants to solve the present-day problems by connecting traditional knowledge to modern research and innovation.

2.Govt taking positive steps for listing Bhojpuri, Rajasthani & Bhoti into 8th Schedule of constitution

The Union Government is taking positive steps for the listing of three languages Bhojpuri, Rajasthani and Bhoti into the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.The issue was raised during Zero hour in Lok Sabha by Jagdambika Pal of the BJP.

He urged the government to consider the listing of these languages into the Eighth schedule.

Mr Pal said that almost 20 crore people in 16 countries speak them.

The Ladakhi language also called Bhoti is a Tibetic language spoken in the Ladakh union territory of India.

3.DAC gives approval for procurement of 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave approval for procurement of 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force.The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas indigenously-designed by Aircraft Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is going to be the backbone of Indian Air Force in future.

While orders of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, DAC paved the way for procurement of another 83 of the more advanced version of the aircraft from HAL.

This procurement will be a major boost to Make in India as the aircraft is indigenously designed.

The Defence Acquisition Council also accorded approval for acquisition of indigenous Defence equipment for about 1,300 crore rupees.

4.Centre issues gazette notification for adaptation of 37 central laws in J&K

The Centre has issued a gazette notification for the adaptation of 37 Central laws in the Concurrent List for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.The gazette notification, issued by the Home Ministry’s Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs will come into force with immediate effect.

It contains 37 Central laws including the representation of people act, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, the Protection of Human Rights Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code among others.

5.Entry of pilgrims in Thanjavur temple prohibited till March 31

In Tamil Nadu, entry of pilgrims into the internationally acclaimed Big Temple in Thanjavur has been prohibited till 31st of March.The decision has been announced by the District Administration, against the background of Coronavirus pandemic.

However, the four-time daily rituals of the temple will be offered as usual.

Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the South bank of Kaveri river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture.

6.Banihal to Katra railway link to be completed by 2022

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that Banihal to Katra railway link in Jammu and Kashmir will be completed by 2022.The Katra-Banihal railway track is a 111-km long stretch which would link Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country by train.

The railway line will include the Chenab Bridge, which will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world with a height of 359 m above the river which is 35 metres higher than the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The railway is expected to cross over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 km of tunnels, the longest of which is 11,215 m .

7.Konark Sun Temple and Statue of Unity to be included in ‘Iconic Sites’ list

The famous Black Pagoda, the Sun temple in Konark in Puri district of Odisha is to be included in the ‘Iconic Sites’ list of 19 monuments, informed Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.Accordingly, the Sun temple will be developed as an iconic site by the Centre.

The Union Minister further said that the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the Sun temple in Odisha will be included in the said list as the total number of monuments in the list is to be raised from 17 to 19.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for 2019-20 fiscal had announced allocations to develop infrastructure at 17 famous tourist places across the country to develop these monuments as iconic sites.

8.Rs 20,466.94 crores of loans sanctioned under Stand Up India Scheme since inception

Rs 20,466.94 crores of loans have been sanctioned under Stand Up India Scheme to over 91,000 accounts upto 10.03.2020 since inception of the Scheme.Giving the details of the Scheme, the Minister said that the Stand Up India Scheme was launched by the Government on 5th April, 2016.

The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore to at least one Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower, per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), for setting up greenfield enterprises in the manufacturing, services or the trading sectors.

9.Priyanka Chopra collaborates with WHO to spread awareness over COVID-19

Actor Priyanka Chopra urged followers to rely on authentic sources of information about coronavirus and arranged an Instagram live with top personnel of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the pandemic.The 37-year-old actor documented her videos on Instagram stories where she expressed the importance of only relying on authentic information about the highly contagious disease.

Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas are on day 8 of self-isolation and have said they are taking all the recommended precautions to combat the spread of the virus.

10.Iraqi President Salih appoints Adnan al-Zurfi as new PM-designate

Iraqi President Barham Salih has appointed Adnan al-Zurfi as the country’s new prime minister-designate in the latest bid to resolve a months-long political crisis.Al-Zurfi has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to a vote of confidence in Iraq’s fractious Parliament.

Al-Zurfi would replace caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who quit in December following widespread mass demonstrations against a government that protesters see as corrupt, failing to provide them with basic services, and beholden to powerful neighbouring Iran.

11.Rajnath Singh releases Tarun Vijay’s ‘Invincible’ book on Manohar Parrikar

Defence minister Rajnath Singh released a coffee table book on the life and times of the former Union minister Manohar Parrikar.The book titled ‘Invincible’ has been edited by former MP and BJP leader Tarun Vijay.

Parrikar, four-time chief minister of Goa and former defence minister, passed away on March 17, 2019 after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.