As the ‘monument mitra’ (Adopt a Heritage) scheme of the tourism ministry could not yielded desired results, the ministry of culture is ready with its own version the initiative for better maintenance of centrally protected heritage properties, creation of basic amenities and world-class additions like recently launched Sound and Light Show at Delhi’s Red Fort.

The target is to introduce Sound and Light Show along with projection mapping at 500 sites including prominent sites Hampi, Purana Quila, Ajanta, Ellora, Mandu, Kangra Fort and Golconda Fort.

The men in Khaki have won four Kirti Chakra and three Shaurya Chakra awards for their conspicuous display of Gallantry. Constable Rohit Kumar, Sub Inspector Deepak Bhardwaj, Head Constables Sodhi Narayan and Shrawan Kashyap have been posthumously awarded with Kirti Chakra with country’s second highest highest peacetime gallantry award.

Deputy Commandant Vikki Kumar Pandey, Assistant Commandant Satendra Singh and Constable Vijay Oraon have been awarded Shaurya Chakra. The personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been awarded the maximum number of Gallantry awards among the CAPFs on the eve of Republic Day. Of the total of 140 Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), 48 awards have been given to the personnel of CRPF and it includes also the 10 who were awarded posthumously. 

President Droupadi Murmu awarded on Jan 25 a total of 901 Police personnel with the Police Medals on the occasion of the Republic Day. President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) to 93 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM) have been awarded to 668.

The list 140 Gallantry awards also includes 24 personnel who are getting the award more than once. Second in Command (2-IC) Prakash Ranjan Mishra of CRPF is given the award for the fifth time. Furqan Qadir, SDPO and G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, IPS, serving as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of JKP,  2-IC Narender Yadav and Prahalad Sahay Choudhary of CRPF and Lalit Mohan Negi Assistant Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police have been bestowed the gallantry award for third time.

Six Kirti Chakra for Armymen

Ahead of the 2024 LS elections, the first of its kind  “Banjara-Mahakumbh”started on January 25  with the support of  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang h (RSS) at Gadri village in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. The event aims to unite the Gore and other nomadic communities. The “Banjara-Mahakumbh” by the RSS has started in Maharashtra, which is the home of around 5 million people to various nomadic communities.

In pursuance to the decision taken by the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh government, the state finance department has issued notification on the old pension scheme (OPS). Around 3 lakh government employees as beneficiaries are now given an alternative to opt between the OPS and the new pension scheme (NPS). For this they will have to submit an affidavit and once the choice being given by an employee will not be changed later.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced to revive the OPS for the state government employees in his previous budget speech and later in May last year sent a proposal to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority for the withdrawal of Rs 17,000 crore accrued under the National Pension Scheme since November 2004.

However the Centre refused the state’s demand to give back the amount deposited in the NPS following which the Congress government decided to give an option to its employees to choose between the OPS and the NPS.

An MP/MLA court in Prayagraj, onJan 25 , awarded a jail term of one year to UP Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi in connection with a 9-year-old case lodged against him under certain sections of IPC and SC/ST Act in 2014. The minister, then a member of Congress party, was accused of attacking rival party workers in 2014 election rally.

Special Judge of MP/MLA court, Dr Dinesh Chandra Shukla, also imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 on Nandi, who is holding the portfolio of UP Cabinet Minister for Industrial Development in the present dispensation. As per the court order, on failing to pay the penalty, the jail term would be extended with 10 days.

However, the minister was granted bail in the case by the same court. 

106 people have been selected for Padma awards on the eve of 74th Republic Day.

Senior Congress leader and former Defence Minister AK Antony's son Anil K Antony on  Jan 25 quit the Congress party hours after he denounced the BBC over its documentary examining the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Anil quit as convenor of the digital media cell of the Congress unit in Kerala and as the national coordinator of the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) social media and digital communications cell. 

Young Kerala-based wheel-chair bound singer Aadhitya Suresh, 15, lived his dream on  Jan 24 when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The social media sensation Suresh couldn’t have asked for more when Prime Minister Modi, interacting with winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023, asked him to sing.

Suresh, whose music videos have gone viral, is among the 11 children who have received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2023. He received the honour in the art and culture category.

Like Suresh, Bengaluru- based Rishi Shiv Prasanna finds it difficult to hide his excitement about meeting the prime minister.

When the Prime Minister first spoke with him, he told him that he doesn’t understand Hindi, but quickly added that he is now learning Hindi

At the tender age of nine, Prasanna, who won the award in the innovation category, has already written two books and is a certified android application developer with an IQ of 180.

The others who met the prime minister included M. Gaurav Reddy, a record holder in dance from Telangana.

Delhi girl Anoushka Jolly, who won an award for social service, said the prime minister spent almost an hour with the children and patiently listened to them and answered all their questions.

This year, 11 children were conferred the prestigious award by President Droupadi Murmu. This year's awardees include one each in the category of bravery and social service, two in the type of innovation, three in sports, and four in art and culture.