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NITI Aayog and UNICEF India give ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ to Children

UNICEF India
UNICEF India along with NITI Aayog give ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ to Children

New Delhi: Coinciding with 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, NITI Aayog (Atal Innovation Mission and Atal Tinkering Labs) and UNICEF India are these days busy giving ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ to children across the country. The motive is to ideate and develop innovative solutions for a sustainable India, using Gandhi’s principles.

The winners of ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ will be awarded by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and UNICEF on Children’s Day. The contest, which is open for every child in India from 2nd to 20th October 2019, also celebrates 70 years of partnership between Government of India and UNICEF India to enable ‘Every Right for Every Child.’

“Through this partnership, AIM and UNICEF recognise every child’s ability and right to voice their dreams for a world of their choice, following Gandhiji’s principles. Our aim is to support them to thrive as young innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Mr R Ramanan, Mission Director AIM.

‘Encouraging meaningful participation of children is a core right of every child. It allows us to understand their point of view and envisage solutions through a child rights lens,” said Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, Representative UNICEF India. “Meaningful participation by children and young people and building their critical thinking skills is an essential part of Generation Unlimited,” she added.

All applications must be submitted on the challenge page on the Government of India’s citizen engagement portal. All applications must have an Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) code. Children in schools without an ATL can obtain the ATL code by visiting or calling the nearest ATL school. The list of nearest ATL schools in every district can also be accessed on the challenge page mentioned above.

The most innovative, sustainable solutions/ideas will be showcased as a symbol of a larger movement by children taking root in every district of India. Children across India can access more than 8000 Atal Tinkering Labs across all districts to support their innovative ideas.

In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, Internet Of Things (IOT) and programming and Do It Yourself (DIY) kits, with support from teachers and mentors.

India pitches for cotton as a global commodity, announcespartnership with 5 African Nations on World Cotton Day

Smriti Irani addresses opening session of World Cotton Day in Geneva

Geneva: With Mahatma Gandhi being the chosen icon for the first-ever World
Cotton Day, the India Story writ large here at the event to mark the Day that also
saw New Delhi pitching for cotton to be recognised as a global commodity.

“As one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of cotton, India supports the
World Cotton Day as an opportunity to recognise the significance of cotton as a
global commodity, and, more importantly, as a source of livelihood for millions of
small and marginal farmers in developing countries,” said Union Minister of Textiles
Smriti Zubin Irani, at the opening session of World Cotton Day here recently.

Irani said that it is fitting that Mahatma Gandhi has been chosen as the icon for the
World Cotton Day and to mark the celebration of the first World Cotton Day, India
will gift a replica of Mahatma Gandhi’s Charkha to the WTO.  She also informed
that a live demonstration of the Charkha has been arranged a by Pitta Ramulu, National Award-winning weaver from India.

World Cotton DayThe Textiles Minister also announced the launch of the second phase of the Cotton
Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for Africa at the Partners Conference in
Geneva. In the five-year-long second phase, the programme will be scaled up in size
and coverage and will be introduced in five additional countries, namely Mali,
Ghana, Togo, Zambia and Tanzania. The Cotton TAP programme will now cover 11
African countries including the C4 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali). India
implemented a Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for cotton in 6 African
countries, namely – Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda from
2012 to 2018.

The Textiles Minister also informed that cotton farming and the domestic cotton
textile industry continues to be important pillars of India’s economy. As a country of
8 million small and marginal cotton farmers, India is sensitive to the challenges
faced by the cotton sector in developing countries and India has been a proponent for
the elimination of asymmetries and imbalances in the WTO agreements that lead to a
distortion of global cotton markets, the Minister added.

There has been a major shift in Govt way of handling terror strike: IAF Chief

IAF Foundation Day
IAF marks 87th Anniversary on Tuesday

Ghaziabad: There has been a major shift in Government’s way of handling terrorist attacks, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said in his message on 87th Anniversary of Indian Air Force (IAF) Day that was celebrated at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad today, showcasing the country’s air-borne valour.

Indian Air Force Day“The strategic relevance of this (Balakot air strikes) is the resolve of the political leadership to punish the perpetrators of terrorism. There is a major shift in the Government’s way of handling terrorist attacks,” he said.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria were present on the occasion.

Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar

A highlight of the event was Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down Pakistan’s F-16 jet during a dog fight on February 27 earlier this year, flying MiG-21 Bison aircraft above the Air Force Day Parade.

Three Mirage 2000 aircraft and two Su-30MKI fighter aircraft also flew in ‘Avenger formation’. The fighter planes were flown by pilots who took part in Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan.

Earlier, the chiefs of three services paid floral tributes at the national war memorial to mark the occasion.

Accor unveils 13 new budget hotels in Singapore

Accor
Accor unveils 13 new ibis budget hotels

The Singapore hotel major, Accor, has inked a deal with Global Premium Hotels
Limited (GPHL) and unveiled 13 new ibis budget hotels, the re-branded version
of existing Fragrance hotels. These are available for booking through Accor’s
distribution network from 7 October 2019.

With this partnership Accor’s has cemented its position as the largest hotel operator
in Singapore, bringing its total inventory to 7,625 rooms across 30 hotels (3,357
rooms in the luxury and premium space, 1,840 in mid-scale and 2,428 in economy).

The two Parc Sovereign hotels will commence renovation plans from the end of
2019, will be rebranded to become one Mercure and one ibis Styles hotel by mid-
2020.

Garth Simmons, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore &
South Asia said, " With its nifty and modern design, these new ibis budget hotels
spread across central and suburban locations in Singapore, are perfect for savvy
business or leisure travellers. Featuring cosy rooms for one or more than one
person, conveniently located to leisure attractions such as Gardens by the Bay,
Clarke Quay, Mount Faber and Sentosa Island. These new additions to our network
in the city offer wider choices to guests looking for a short break or weekend
getaway.”

GPHL CEO Ko Lee Meng, said, “We are excited to launch a new Accor brand in the
market and deepen our relationship with Accor. Having provided quality
accommodation and great value to visitors to Singapore these past 20 years. The
rebranding and enhancement of our existing properties mark not just another
milestone for our group, but an evolution in our business and a boost to our
expansion strategy.”

Ranging in size from 32 rooms to 168 rooms, selected hotels also feature a pool and
gym. Ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay located just a five minutes walk away from
Clarke Quay MRT Station and the Singapore River. It features a fitness centre and a
rooftop swimming pool. The ibis budget Singapore Selegie boasts a rooftop pool with
great views of Singapore’s city skyline.

Additionally, ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay, ibis budget Singapore Imperial and
ibis budget Singapore Selegie offer a casual dining café.

The ibis budget Singapore Mount Faber and ibis budget Singapore West Coast are a
short drive from VivoCity, Singapore’s largest mall and gateway to Sentosa
Island and many leisure attractions like Universal Studios, various theme parks,
sandy beaches and lush rain forests. The cluster of hotels in the eastern suburbs of
Joo Chiat and Geylang are a foodie’s haven, with famous local eateries and dining
houses recommended by food bloggers and influencers within walking
distance. These selected hotels offer assistance with sightseeing and guided
tours to these hidden gems that are not commonly found on a tourist map.

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