11-day Tribal Festival goes to a colourful start at Kalagram
Aadi Mahotsav (Tribal Festival) a joint initiative of The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India and North Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture (NZCC), Government of India, went off to a colourful start at Kalagram, Manimajra (Chandigarh) here on February 2. His Excellency, the Governor of Haryana, Professor Kaptan Singh Solanki, formally inaugurated the festival at 5 pm on Saturday by lighting the lamp. The ceremony was followed by playing of the National Anthem. The Governor took a round of the venue an interacted with the artist and lauded their significant role in the protection, preservation and promotion of the rare folk art and craft of the country and also patted the host TRIFED for offering them platform to showcase their artistic creations to a bigger and wider market. The Governor said the TRIFED was doing a wonderful job by holding such purposeful programmes across the country to connecting people and integrating India.
NBCC TO CONSTRUCT 65-STOREY ‘TWIN-TOWER TRADE CENTRE’ IN GUWAHATI
NBCC, a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Govt. of India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Assam on 2nd February 2018 for the construction of a Twin-Tower Trade Centre in Guwahati valued at approx. Rs 1950 Crores.The MoU was signed between Dr Anoop Kumar Mittal, CMD, on the behalf of NBCC (India) ltd. and Ravi Capoor, Additional Chief Secretary, on the behalf of Govt. of Assam in the presence of Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal; Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri; and Minister of Industry & Commerce, Govt. of Assam, Chandra Mohan Patowary. The iconic Twin-Towers are being built on a land of approx. 10.6 acres area, which has been provided by the State Government, and the project shall be executed on a self-revenue generating model by NBCC. It will be equipped with modern amenities integrated with state-of-the-art IT enabled services, and will house convention centre, hotel, shopping complex, service apartments, residential zones, museum, cinema halls basement parking with a capacity of 4000 cars, multi layered security system etc. The eye-catching design of the towers has been inspired from the symbols of Assam such as ‘one-horn Rhino’ and ‘Dhol’. The project, touted to be the new Trade and Business Gateway for South-East nations, will immensely boost economic interlinkages by facilitating global trade and investment; thereby empowering the State of Assam and the North-East on a whole.
TABlET BASED SMART ClASSES TO BE STARTED IN NDMC SCHOOlS
With the aim to enhance the proficiency in Mathematics and empower the teachers to identify the students learning needs, the New Delhi Municipal Council has decided to introduce Tablet Base Smart Classes as a pilot project in its two schools namely N.P.Bengali Girls Sr.Sechool and N.P.Girls Sr.Sec. School at Gole Market in collaboration with Khan Academy. These schools would be provided with internet connectivity, tablets and smart boards and it will cater to the need of 1083 students and 11 teachers from Class 6 to 12. Khan Academy a prestigious non-profit educational organization, which has had been engaged to provide free world class education to anyone, anywhere does not need for any introduction. The classes had been integrated into the regular time table of these schools. And the teachers have created their virtual classes and the Academy has offered instructional videos, practice exercises, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classrooms. This platform will also have teacher tools and a coach dashboard that empower teachers to identify the learning requirements of each student.
MADHUlIKA RAWAT INAUGURATES SSB ANNUAl WElFARE EXHIBITION-CUM-MElA
In a grand and colourful function Madhulika Rawat, Wife of General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, on Saturday inaugurated a three day long SSB Annual Welfare Exhibition-cum-Mela from 2nd February, 2018 to 4th February, 2018 at SDG Grounds, Old JNU Complex, New Delhi. The main attraction of 03 day long Welfare Exhibiton cum Mela will be the wide spectrum of Culturally rich performance by SSB troops and display cum sale of unique handicrafts items, cane furniture and artifacts from Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan border areas. The inaugural function was attended by Gita Mishra, President, SSB Wives’ Welfare Association(SWWA) and Rajni Kant Mishra, Director General SSB with other prominent guests. On this occasion, laptops handed over to seven meritorious wards of SSB personnel who have secured highest marks in their Higher Secondary Examination. Chief Guest Madhulika Rawat commended the sincere endeavour and noble approach of SWWA for creating and carving a niche in its welfare activities by working selflessly for the welfare and wellbeing of SSB family personnel. She praised SWWA for supporting needy SSB families and their children in education, health and for promoting the craftsmen operating from the most interior and remote areas of Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan Borders. She praised SWWA for successfully carrying out various ambitious schemes and implementing numerous welfare programmes of Government of India like Skill Development Programme, “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”, “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” and Jan Dhan Yojna. She congratulated SWWA for continuously inculcating the feelings of nationalism and for evoking awareness among the border population about these programmes.
ONGC celebrates World Wetlands Day
ONGC has organised a week long Photo Exhibition titled ‘Mangalajodi Inheritence’ on birds and life around Chilika lake at Mumbai from February 2, 2018 till February 8, 2018. The photo exhibition was inaugurated on ‘World Wetlands Day’ to spread awareness of world’s shrinking wetlands. This is a unique feat by any Indian Corporate towards creating awareness and rallying support towards India’s shrinking wetlands. The objective of the photo exhibition is to bring together opinions of experts from diverse fields to strategise a way forward towards Chilika - The largest brackish water lake - to obtain heritage status from UNESCO. ONGC has taken up an ambitious project for conservation and holistic development of Chilika lake area in Odisha and for accordance of status of ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO and is committed to fund the project under its CSR initiative. ONGC had earlier organized this photo-exhibition at Delhi on January 6, 2018. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt of India inaugurated the event. Pradhan envisions Chilika to be developed into an eco-tourism destination. The photographs captured the migratory birds visiting the largest brackish water lake in the world along with glimpses of life of people around it. The photo exhibition was inaugurated by A J Morbale, Executive Director, Neelam & Heera Asset, ONGC in the presence of P K Dilip, Executive Director, Mumbai High, ONGC and S Gopinath, Executive Director – Head Regional Office, Mumbai, senior executives and ONGCians. Eminent environment conservationists, Ministry officials, ONGC top management at Mumbai and various NGOs working in the field of environment protection were present at the photo-exhibition.