The Centre's interlocutor Akshaya Kumar Mishra on April  23   held a third round of talks with NSCN-IM and assured it that the final solution to the vexed Naga political issue will be based on the Framework Agreement of 2015.

The assurance was given by Mishra to the outfit's general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, who led a a 29-member team, during a closed door meeting at Chumoukedima Police Complex, NSCN-IM 'home kilonser' (minister) M Daniel Lotha said .

The interlocutor also met a delegation of the Naga Hoho (apex body of Naga tribal bodies) during the day and assured them that the final solution to the vexed political issue will be "honourable and acceptable to all the Nagas", a release by the body's media cell said.

The Naga Hoho has members from Arunachal, Assam, Manipur besides Nagaland. The six-member Naga Hoho team at the meeting, held at the Chumoukedima police station, was led by its president HK Zhimomi and general K Elu Ndang.

Officials said that Mishra is likely to meet the state government's core committee on Naga Political Issue headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and also Naga civil societies on April  24.

The former director of Intelligence Bureau has been in Nagaland since April 18 to take forward the negotiation with different groups and find a permanent solution to the decades old Naga political struggle, which is considered the longest insurgency movement in the north east.

Former Congress MLA Manilal Vaghela, who was denied ticket by the party in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, joined the BJP on April  24 along with several of his supporters, ahead of the state polls due in December this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April  24  received the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award named after the legendary singer, and dedicated it to all Indians.

“Lata Didi was like my elder sister,” Modi said, accepting the award, instituted in the memory of the iconic singer, who died at 92 on February 6 this year.

The nondescript hamlet of Palli in Jammu and Kashmir's border district of Samba entered into the 'modern history' of India on April  24  as country's first "carbon neutral panchayat" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating to the nation 500 KV solar plant, installed in a record time of nearly three weeks.

Modi, inaugurated the solar power plant amid cheer and applause from the people.

The prime minister said that Palli has shown the way to the country for achieving carbon neutral state.

In all 1,500 solar panels put up on the total area of 6,408 square metres will provide clean electricity to 340 houses in the model panchayat under the central government's ‘Gram Urja Swaraj' programme .

From the macadamised roads to the recently launched electric bus service, the village located just 17 kms from the winter capital Jammu is witnessing a major transformation with an upgraded Panchayat Ghar, renovated government high school building, a new pond and improved playfields.

The project was completed at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore in a record time.

The electricity generated will be distributed to the village, having a daily requirement of 2,000 units, through the local power grid station.

The village, which has 450 houses, have been given solar ‘Chulhas' (stoves) and all the houses will be covered by the next phase after the prime minister's visit.

Digital transactions worth Rs 20,000 crore seen daily: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April  24  said digital transactions worth Rs 20,000 crore are now taking place daily in the country and asserted that this is not only increasing facilities but also encouraging an environment of honesty.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said small online payments are helping build a big digital economy and many new fintech start-ups are coming up.

He also urged people who have any experience related to digital payments and the startup ecosystem to share it with others.

Privileged to contribute to S&T ecosystem: India's new scientific adviser Ajay Sood

In 2003, when Prof Ajay Kumar Sood and his team at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, created history when they generated electricity by passing liquid or gas through carbon nanotubes, Sood did not imagine that he may one day become the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government.

Regarding his new role as the country’s top scientist, he said he was “humbled” and felt privileged to get this opportunity to contribute to the science and technology ecosystem.

Talking about the road map to increased scientific temperament and advancement, Sood said India has pockets of scientific excellence, which need to be expanded.

The new PSA will assume charge on April 25.

Vishakha Mulye, an ICICI Bank veteran, will take over as the chief executive of Aditya Birla Capital, the non-bank lender said on April  23. Mulye, who was the executive director of ICICI Bank in charge of the wholesale banking portfolio, will take over her role on June 1, as per an announcement by Aditya Birla Capital to the exchanges.

She will be the first female to join Aditya Birla Management Corporation, the conglomerate's top decision making body. Mulye replaces Ajay Srinivasan, who is taking up other responsibilities within the group, as per the exchange filing.

The government is likely to dilute 3.5% stake instead of 5% as planned earlier in Life Insurance Corporation(LIC) through its listing. It is hoping to garner Rs 21,000 crore from this much-awaited initial public offering (IPO), likely to hit the floor in May first week. Currently, the Government of India holds 100% stake in LIC. Its valuation would be Rs 6 lakh crore with 3.5 dilution, 1.1 times of its embedded value of Rs 5.4 lakh crore. Embedded value is a measure of the consolidated shareholders value in an insurance company.

Notably, the government will have to file the fresh documents with the markets regulator the securities exchange board of India (SEBI), in case it fails to roll out the IPO before May 12. The Finance Ministry had previously planned to launch the IPO of LIC by March this year but it had to postpone the roll-out on account of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. 

The first female referee to officiate an Asian Champions League game saw Melbourne City defeat Jeonnam Dragons of South Korea 2-1.

Yoshimi Yamashita and assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi  "all of Japan" comprised the first all-female trio to officiate an Asian Champions League match, having been appointed by the Asian Football Confederation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April  24  met delegations from the United Arab Emirates looking for opportunities to invest in Jammu and Kashmir, and said private investment proposals in the union territory has reached around Rs 38,000 crore.

Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the celebrations for the National Panchayati Raj Day and addressed all gram sabhas of the country from Palli .

Before arriving at the dais for his speech, the prime minister met the delegations from the UAE.

Later in his speech, he said a new story of development is being written and many private investors are interested in Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi, who was wearing a white kurta-pajama with a stole around his neck, also interacted with renowned local sculptor Ravinder Jamwal.

He had sculpted a six-foot-long statue of the prime minister which was installed during the event.

He also went around various stalls put up at a technology exhibition by the ministry of science and technology to motivate start-ups and help create awareness about the enormous new avenues of livelihood .

The stalls put up by various departments and wings of the ministry will display latest technologies and innovations beneficial for rural areas and farming  . The stalls showcase integration of science and technology with the themes of rural development and Panchayati Raj.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha honoured the prime minister by presenting a shawl and a painting.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for multiple development initiatives worth Rs 20,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir.