Nineteen Opposition Parties to Boycott Inauguration of New Parliament Building
Nineteen opposition parties, including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena (UBT), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Janata Dal (United), issued a joint statement they will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 19 parties who will boycott the inauguration are -- Congress, DMK, AAP, TMC, Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party (SP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Kerala Congress (Mani), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), JD(U), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), National Conference (NC), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).
In the joint statement, a copy of which was uploaded on the Twitter handle of the Congress's communication department, the opposition parties said that PM Modi's move to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response.
Sengol', a Symbol of Fair Governance, to be Installed in New Parliament
'Sengol', a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu, which was given by the British to first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power and was kept in a museum in Allahabad will be installed in the new Parliament building to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shah said that 'Sengol' symbolises the transfer of power from British to India, just as it was originally used to mark the handing over power from one king to another during the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu.
On August 14, 1947, 'Sengol' was accepted by Nehru, the then Prime Minister, in presence of Rajendra Prasad, who later became India's first President.
The word 'Sengol' derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', meaning 'righteousness.' The historical sceptre was made of silver, coated with gold, and crowned with the sacred Nandi, with its unyielding gaze. The Nandi on top of the 'Sengol' is symbol of 'nyaya.'
May 24, 2023
GRSE's Launches 'GAINS' Start-up Challenge
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd took a significant step towards promoting innovation and technological advancements in shipbuilding. With the launch of their initiative called GAINS 2023, GRSE aims to harness the potential of start-ups and encourage the development of innovative solutions in the ship design and construction industry.
GRSE's latest endeavor, the GAINS 2023 (GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing Scheme – 2023) initiative, is a significant leap towards fostering innovation and technological advancements in shipbuilding. It aims to leverage the ecosystem and address present and emerging challenges in the ship design and construction industry.
Third G-20 Tourism Working Group Meeting at Srinagar in J&K Concludes
The city of Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, hosted 3rd tourism working group meeting of G20 members from the May 22 to 24, the first such international event since J&K became a Union Territory in 2019.
The event was part of a series of meetings ahead of a G20 summit in New Delhi in September this year (2023). The event, which tooke place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the famous Dal Lake, had a positive impact on the tourism and trade sectors of the region.
India holds the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
Srinagar hosted the G20 event for the first time under India's presidency amid tight security cover.
May 23, 2023
Amit Shah Lays Foundation Stone of National Academy of Coastal Policing Campus
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing in Dwaraka, Gujarat. Shah emphasized that the BJP government's commitment to coastal security, stating that it is a top priority under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The academy aims to provide comprehensive training facilities to over three thousand security personnel annually.
Established in 2018, the National Academy of Coastal Policing is the first national academy dedicated to providing intensive training to marine police personnel. It caters to the training needs of nine coastal states, five Union Territories, as well as the Central Police Forces. The academy plays a crucial role in enhancing the capabilities and skills of the marine police, enabling them to effectively tackle security challenges in coastal areas.
The newly constructed permanent campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing in Dwaraka will serve as a hub for comprehensive training programs. It is equipped to train over three thousand security personnel annually, ensuring their preparedness to handle diverse coastal security scenarios. The academy's training curriculum encompasses various aspects of coastal policing, including surveillance, intelligence gathering, interagency coordination, maritime law enforcement, and disaster response.
Bhupender Yadav Inaugurates Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management
In a significant step towards combating land degradation and promoting sustainable land management practices, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun.
The establishment of the CoE-SLM was announced by the Prime Minister of India during the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019. Recognising the urgency and importance of addressing land degradation, the CoE-SLM aims to spearhead initiatives that contribute to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.
May 22, 2023
Ministry of Civil Aviation Organises Curtain Raiser Event for 'Wings India 2024'
The Ministry of Civil Aviation in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organised a curtain raiser ahead of Wings India 2024.
Scheduled to take place from January 18-21, 2024 in Hyderabad, Wings India 2024, is expected to be Asia's largest event on Civil Aviation on Commercial, General and Business Aviation.
Wings India 2024 will bring together various stakeholders and participants from all over the world in the aviation industry.
Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel unveiled the event and promo video and released the Wings India 2024 brochure.
Vice President Dhankhar Inaugurates Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Kerala Legislative Assembly Bu...
Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly building in Thiruvananthapuram, where he addressed the gathering and release a Souvenir of Kerala Legislature International Book Festival – 2023.
The Vice President also visited the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala in Kannur, where and interacted with the cadets. This marked the first visit by any Vice President of India to the INA.
Telangana Home Minister Launches 'SAHAS' an Initiative
In Telangana, SAHAS, an initiative towards making workplaces safer for women was launched. Home Minister Mohamood Ali formally launched the initiative.
SAHAS, which means Courage, is a programme that aims at strengthening the support ecosystem for women who face workplace sexual harassment.
Under the initiative, the SAHAS Microsite, SAHAS Sathi Chatbot, SAHAS Whatsapp Number, Forum and online support facilities were launched in Hyderabad.
Director General of Police, Anjani Kumar lauded the SAHAS initiative and called it the natural next step towards reducing vulnerabilities in workplaces.
Centre Promulgates Ordinance to Constitute National Capital Civil Services Authority
Centre promulgated Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 to constitute National Capital Civil Services Authority.
The Authority will recommend the transfers and postings of all Group 'A' officers and officers of DANICS serving in the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The Authority consists of Chief Minister of Delhi, who shall be the ex officio Chairperson of the Authority, Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of NCT of Delhi. All matters shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present.
In case of difference of opinion, the decision of the Lieutenant Governor shall be final.
May 21, 2023
Odisha Chief Minister Launches State Dashboard & CM Dashboard
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the State Dashboard, a data and analytics-powered platform which will streamline performance monitoring of government schemes, aiding data-driven decision-making.
The launch of the integrated Dashboard will carry forward the 5T (teamwork, transparency, technology, timely completion leading to transformation) governance model. It will facilitate seamless data-driven decision-making to ensure time-bound outcomes aligned with our 5T governance model.
The State Dashboard consists of three critical components – CM Dashboard, Department Dashboard and Administrative Action Monitoring Portal.
The CM component of the State Dashboard called CM Dashboard is made public so that citizens can access it through the link https://cmdashboard.odisha.gov.in/.
Cabinet Approves MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India & CA Maldives
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and The Chartered Accountants of the Maldives (CA Maldives).
ICAI and CA Maldives aim to foster collaborative efforts and co-operation in enhancing Accounting Knowledge, facilitating the growth of Professional and Intellectual Development, promoting the interests of their respective members, and making a constructive impact on the progress of the accountancy profession in both the Maldives and India.
Agreement between Department of Health Research and WHO on Assistive Technology Gets Cabinet Appr...
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a project collaboration agreement signed between the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for promoting access to high quality affordable assistive technology mainly through fostering research, innovation, and capacity building.
This collaboration aims to work towards drawing global attention toward access to assistive technology, fostering research and innovation and developing and disseminating appropriate training programmes.
Centre's Approval Sought to Appoint P. K. Gupta as New Chief Secretary of Delhi
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Government sent the name of P.K. Gupta to the Centre to appoint him as the new Chief Secretary of Delhi. Gupta, a 1989 batch IAS officer, is currently serving as additional Chief Secretary at the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi Government. Presently, Naresh Kumar is the Chief Secretary of Delhi.
The move came days after the Delhi Government was given executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in a crucial verdict by the Supreme Court.