Today News Diary on 10 March 2021

1. Anurag Thakur 1st Minister to become TA Captain  as Commissioned Officer
2. PM releases Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita
3. Big morale-booster for men’s and women’s hockey teams with inclusion under TOPS scheme till Tokyo Olympics
4. Government Plans To Open New Sainik Schools With Private Partnership
5. Paytm unveils Smart PoS, Soundbox device
6. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to visit India on March 19

News in detail

1. Anurag Thakur 1st Minister to become TA Captain as Commissioned Officer

Union minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur on Wednesday became the first serving MP and Minister to become Captain in the Territorial Army as a regular Commissioned Officer.

The four time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant by the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dalbir S Suhag TA in July 2016.

Thakur said, “I am extremely honoured to have been promoted to the rank of Captain. I would like to reaffirm my commitment for serving the people and the call of duty towards mother India”. Thakur further said, “My grandfather and great grandfather both served in the Army. My father raised the issue of OROP and I come from DevBhoomi Himachal which has a long tradition of serving in the armed forces. I am glad I could carry on the mantle of my ancestors. Its a privilege to wear the uniform”.

Thakur added, “I am honoured to serve both within society and in parliament; I’ll always be ready to serve my country on the call of duty from my regiment in the Territorial Army.” Thakur joined the TA after clearing the SSB exam and a personal interview conducted in Chandigarh. He underwent over two weeks of pre-qualification training held in Bhopal.

The Territorial Army that is the second line of defence in the heirarchy, comprises volunteers who are imparted military training for about a month in a year. TA can be pressed into national service in case of any emergency.

2. PM releases Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi released a Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita. Jammu & Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha was also present on the occasion along with Dr Karan Singh,  the Chairman Trustee of Dharmarth Trust, J&K..

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister lauded the work done by Dr. Karan Singh on Indian philosophy. He added that his effort has revived the identity of Jammu and Kashmir, which has led the thought tradition of the entire India for centuries. He said thousands of scholars have dedicated their whole lives for in depth study of the Gita, which can be clearly seen in the analysis of different interpretations on every verse of a single scripture and the expression of so many mystics. He added that it is also a symbol of India's ideological freedom and tolerance, which motivates every person to have his own viewpoint.

The Prime Minister said Adi Shankaracharya, who united India, saw the Gita as a spiritual consciousness. Saints like Ramanujacharya had put forth the Gita as an expression of spiritual knowledge. For Swami Vivekananda, Gita has been a source of unwavering diligence and indomitable confidence. For Sri Aurobindo, the Gita was a true embodiment of knowledge and humanity. Gita was a beacon in Mahatma Gandhi's most difficult times. The Gita has been the inspiration of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's patriotism and valor. This is the Gita, which was explained by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and gave new strength to the freedom struggle.

The Prime Minister said that the Gita is a book for the whole world and every creature. It has been translated into many Indian and International languages, research is being carried out in many countries by many international scholars.

The Prime Minister said that it is in India’s culture to share its knowledge. He said that our knowledge in mathematics, textiles, metallurgy or ayurved are always treated as the humanities wealth.  Today when, once again, India is building its potential to contribute to the progress of the whole world and serve humanity.

3. Big morale-booster for men’s and women’s hockey teams with inclusion under TOPS scheme till Tokyo Olympics

With just over four months left for the Tokyo Olympics, the Mission Olympic Cell has sanctioned Rs. 50,000 per athlete as out-of-pocket allowance (OPA) for the members of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey team under the Target Olympic Podium scheme (TOPS) . A total of 58 hockey players, 33 in men’s and 25 in women’s will benefit from this decision.

The decision will be a big morale booster for our athletes as they look to make a strong push to win India’s first Olympic medal in the sport since 1980.

This will be the first time that the women’s team will be considered under TOPS for OPA. Captain, Women’s Hockey team, Rani Rampal hailed the decision to bring the women’s team under TOPS .
This decision taken today really goes to show that Women's Hockey is equally important, and will be a huge encouragement to the core group who are preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games.”

4. Government Plans To Open New Sainik Schools With Private Partnership

The government is planning to open new Sainik schools across the country to provide a new educational structure apart from CBSE to students.

The government is planning to open new Sainik Schools across the country to provide a new educational structure apart from CBSE to students. It will be partnering with NGO, private schools and different state education departments to help introduce the new Sainik Schools' curriculum in the partner schools.

The Union Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Naik said during the Lok Sabha session that the participating schools will be affiliated to the Sainik Schools Society.

The aim of this move is to provide schooling opportunities in ‘CBSE Plus’ type of educational environment by involving desirous government or private schools or NGOs to partner in establishing and aligning their system with Sainik Schools ethos, value system and national pride.

Further the schools will be introduced to the Sainik Schools curriculum. The government and the concerned officials have already contacted the schools and are building the required framework to increase the number of Sainik schools in the country. Currently, there are around 33 Sainik Schools across the country.

Earlier Uttar Pradesh government had sent a proposal to the Centre for opening Sainik Schools in all the divisional headquarters of the state. Presently, maximum number of Sainik schools are in UP- one each in Jhansi, Mainpuri and Amethi.

The schools conduct an entrance examination named All India Sainik School Entrance Exam or AISSEE for admissions to Class 6 and 9. AISSEE 2021 was conducted on February 7.

5. Paytm unveils Smart PoS, Soundbox device

Offering to aid small businesses: CEO

Financial services platform Paytm on Tuesday unveiled a new application — ‘Smart PoS’— which will enable merchants to accept debit and credit card payments through their smartphone.

The company also announced the new version of its Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled ‘Soundbox’, which provides instant voice-based confirmations of payments to merchants.

The Smart PoS is supported by the ‘Paytm for Business’ app and enables merchants to start accepting contactless card payments using near field communication (NFC) technology. The company has partnered with financial services institutions, including Visa and MasterCard, for facilitating card payments for Smart PoS.

T.R. Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa, said, “Contactless payments or tapping to pay with a contactless card or mobile device, have fast emerged as the preferred way to pay globally with nearly 60% of Visa transactions outside of the U.S. occurring with a tap.”

Meanwhile, the new Soundbox devices come equipped with a digitally enabled screen that gives instant visual confirmation of the paid amount along with the voice-based response.

6. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to visit India on March 19

Mr. Austin will hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders as part of his maiden visit abroad

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit India March 19-21 where he will hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders as part of his maiden visit abroad, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday morning . The dates of the India visit were released by the Defence Ministry. The Secretary, whose trip begins on Saturday, will also visit Japan and South Korea and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii . The trip would reinforce the U.S.’s commitment to the Indo Pacific, the Pentagon said.

“Secretary Austin will meet with his counterparts and other senior officials to discuss the importance of international defense relationships, and reinforce the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region – founded on respect for international rules, laws, and norms,” the Pentagon said.