New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister for Youth Affairs &amp; Sports, GOI, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur virtually inaugurated the valedictory session of E-Khel Pathshala organized by SAI LNCPE, Thiruvanantha-puram under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs &amp; Sports today.Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur in his address highlighted the important schemes and facilities offered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India like FIT INDIA which has become “People’s Movement” and Khelo India Games which is crucial in the run up for the athletes’ journey from playground to podium. He also conveyed that Govt. of India wanted to focus on every aspect that would make sports more popular across the nation. He quoted the words from the Prime Minister that when our athletes win the medal in Olympics or in any international events and when our Tricolour flies high, it is an extremely special feeling and it energizes the entire nation. He intimated that Physical Education is a subject that directly addresses critical issues of health &amp; wellbeing. He also appealed to the youth of the country to take up sports as a way of life. He congratulated SAI LNCPE &amp; Khelo India e-Khel Pathshala team for successfully conducting the 7th batch programme.The aim of the e-Khel Pathshala is to make sports-related knowledge accessible to all parts of the country, regardless of geographical constraints. It has the professionally designed curriculum developed in consultation with National Sports Federations, eminent coaches, athletes, and experts. This programme is organized in association with the Ministry of Education, Khelo India and Fit India.&nbsp;E-Khel Pathshala is a project conceptualized by Sports Authority of India to provide uniform structured online training courses to Physical Education Teachers and Community Coaches/ learners at grassroot level on Sports e-learning platform. SAI through e-Khel Pathshala has created an online sports learning program that would act as a catalyst to revolutionize sports delivery at the grassroot level. This will provide standardized level-based quality coaching program across the country.The e-khel pathshala has been launched so that right from the grass root level it would educate PE teachers and coaches and equip them with the right set of knowledge and skills to conduct physical education classes across the country. This will also help them to identify budding talents for the next generation to select various sports disciplines by realizing their talents and will further enable them to rise to higher levels of excellence in sports Dr. G. Kishore, Principal &amp; Regional Head SAI LNCPE Region welcomed the gathering. Sh. Sandip Pradhan IRS, Director General, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Ms. Ritu Sain, IAS, DG, NADA, Shri. Vinod Krisha Verma, Dy. Secy, Ministry of Education, Prof. Vivek Pandey, VC, LNIPE Gwalior, Sh. Pushkar Vohra, Jt. Director, CBSE, Shri. Piyush Jain, Secy., PEFI and other dignities were also present in the function. Dr. Lumlun Buhril, Associate Professor, LNCPE proposed the vote of thanks. The last session was led by Shri.Sh.Ankush Gupta, Project Officer, NADA on the topic “An Introduction to Anti-Doping ”.

 Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, GOI, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur virtually inaugurated the valedictory session of E-Khel Pathshala organized by SAI LNCPE, Thiruvanantha-puram under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports today.

Anurag Inaugurates The Valedictory Session Of e-Khel Pathshala

New Delhi (The Hawk):&nbsp;The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur addressed the session on “Volunteer Engagement Strategy for India@100” in the conference on Sankalp se Siddhi: New India New Resolve under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Ministry of Culture, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and India@75 Foundation jointly organized this Conference today in New Delhi.During his address, Shri Anurag Thakur said that the pandemic made us rethink and reimagine how we have to live in a post pandemic era. When the whole country was under lockdown, it was this spirit of volunteerism that kept the poor fed - by delivering ration under PMGKY to the local areas and homes of the poor which was done by our youth volunteers across the nation by setting up temporary kitchens and delivering hot meals to the needy. Talking about New India-New resolve Shri Thakur said that the nation can only be healthy if its young people participate and engage in development initiatives. “Youth must always remember the contribution and sacrifice made by the freedom fighters. You don't need to sacrifice but you have to contribute”, Shri Thakur added.Shri Thakur further said that while now India is at 75 years of independence, we must pledge and commit what we are going to achieve and what we are going to contribute during its Amrit Kal ie from now to India@100. It is entirely in the hand of youth to make the present and future of this country, he exhorted.. Shri Thakur also highlighted that India has involved the youth in several central government and state government schemes for sustainable development. The 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development is dependent on public participation, ownership &amp; solidarity. Shri Thakur mentioned that how during the pandemic a larger number of startups emerged and around 47 unicorns have come up.Shri Thakur also requested other organisations and the private sector to collaborate with different ministries in organising various programmes in order to attract and bring large participation of youths.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image00342XS.jpg">Shri Thakur further added that in the last few years we have seen a rapid growth in youth engagement, whether it’s through political participation and representation or through civil society engagement initiatives. He added that millions are due to join India’s workforce by 2030, hence there is a need to provide avenues for young people to take part in the process of nation-building while giving them opportunities as well as a platform to develop their skills. And if we go about it systematically, India can create the largest workforce in the world, the Minister explained. The Minister concluded by urging the private sector to promote volunteerism by creating new avenues and coming up with unique ideas to engage the youth meaningfully. The Ministry of Culture is organizing a year-long series of events under the umbrella of India@75 Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence.The Sankalp Se Siddhi Summit is one such flagship event.This multi-stakeholder summit “Sankalp Se Siddhi” wasorganized jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and India@75 Foundation. The Summit convened important stakeholders to deliberate on the country’s achievements in different areas of development and the way forward.

 The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur addressed the session on “Volunteer Engagement Strategy for India@100” in the conference on Sankalp se Siddhi: New India New Resolve under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Ministry of Culture, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and India@75 Foundation jointly organized this Conference today in New Delhi.

Anurag Addresses Session on 'Volunteer Engagement Strategy for India@100'	

New Delhi (India) (The Hawk): Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday interacted with participants from various universities ahead of the Khelo India University Games 2021 in BengaluruThe Union Minister paid a surprise visit to the Jain University Global Campus-venue for 13 disciplines including new additions Mallakhamba and Yogasana.He walked to various sporting arenas and took cognizance of the arrangements made for the participants to ensure they have a memorable event at the KIUG.Reminiscent of his playing days as a cricketer, the minister said, “Jain University along with the Karnataka State Government is doing a fantastic job of hosting these events with best facilities for athletes taking part in the Khelo India University Games. Watching these athletes here today, I am reminded of my University days when I played cricket. In some of the tournaments held in places like Darbhanga and Samastipur in Bihar, the facilities used to not be up to the mark. But infrastructure has improved so much today and you can see the kind of facilities being provided here for athletes. Our initiative through the KIUG is to provide athletes with a platform that is on par with international standards.” Advising the budding athletes of the country, Thakur said, “Play in the spirit of sportsmanship. I would advice them to propagate clean sports and not use performance enhancements drugs. That is why we have NADA here to give athletes the right information and create more awareness about doping particularly among young athletes at the university level.” The minister arrived at the Volleyball venue in the morning when the matches between HRM (Himachal Pradesh University) and AWU (Adamas University West Bengal) in the women’s section and SRM university Chennai and AWU in the men’s section were underway. He interacted with both the teams and wished them good luck for their upcoming matches. He also had an interaction with the referees and the audience too. Apart from this, the minister indulged in a round of volleyball himself.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday interacted with participants from various universities ahead of the Khelo India University Games 2021 in Bengaluru

 Anurag interacts with participants from various  Varsities ahead of Khelo India University Games 

New Dehli (The Hawk): Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur met virtually with Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal at the Organizing and Coordinating Committee meeting of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, to review the preparedness of the State in organising the upcoming games, scheduled from 4th-13th&nbsp;June. Shri Sardar Sandeep Singh, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Govt of Haryana, was also present along with other officials from the State and the Sports Authority of India in the meeting.The Games, to take place for the U-18 age category, will be held in Shahbad, Ambala, Chandigarh and Delhi apart from Panchkula. Around 8500 players will participate in these games. It will feature a total of 25 sports, including 5 indigenous games of India. Laying out a detailed information plan to the Union Sports Minister, Shri Manohar Lal mentioned that preparations are up and running for the smooth conduct of the Games.Better infrastructure ready for sportsThe Chief Minister said that on May 8, a mascot and logo of Khelo India Youth Games would be launched at Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula. For this, extensive preparations have been completed. He said that 2-3 multipurpose halls, synthetic track, athletic track have been constructed for sports. Apart from this, the work of auditorium in Badminton Hall, Government Women's College, Sector 14, Panchkula has also been completed. He said that the construction work of Hockey Stadium Panchkula and Shahbad has also been almost completed. Shri Manohar Lal also mentioned that the all-weather swimming pool has been completed in Ambala.Sports competitions will be resonating with Haryanvi cultureThe Chief Minister said that cultural programs full of Haryanvi culture would be organized in these games and during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the story of innumerable heroes of freedom struggle and introduction of excellent players of the state would be shown in the exhibition so that the young generation could take inspiration from them. He said that a promotion event program would be organized in Gurugram on May 13 for the games.Focus will be on the theme dedicated to the daughters of HaryanaUnion Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur said that a commendable work has been done in Haryana to save the girl child. Apart from this, the women players of the state have also hoisted the flag in every game organized abroad. He said that in order to increase the interest of the students towards more sports, focus should be given on the theme dedicated to sports. Work should be done with new ideas in Khelo India Youth Games so that there is more discussion about Haryana across the country. He said that in these games to be held in June, the rules of Covid-19 should be fully followed and full arrangements should be made for testing etc. for the players.

 Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur met virtually with Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal at the Organizing and Coordinating Committee meeting of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, to review the preparedness of the State in organising the upcoming games, scheduled from 4th-13th June.

Anurag & Khattar review state’s preparedness of   Khelo India Youth Games 2021	

Mumbai (The Hawk) :Union Minister for Information &amp; Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur has said that Cinema, as a soft power can play a major role in nation branding initiative.&nbsp;Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Seminar in Mumbai through video message, Shri Thakur said “Indian film industry&nbsp;and the Government&nbsp;&nbsp;today recognizethe&nbsp;potential of culture at the highest level. Depiction of one’s culture is a very strong component -of any country’s soft power”. The Minister further said that the capacities of nation to make themselves attractive in a global market place for ideas has become an important&nbsp;aspect of contemporary international relations. “Cinema can play&nbsp;a major role in doing this by aiming for nation branding initiatives” he added.The Minister observed that rapid liberalization, de regulation, privatization of media and culture industry have transformed the film industry in India over the past few decades, and at the same time the expansion of global digital media industries, and distribution technologies have ensured that Indian entertainment channels and films are increasingly visible in the global media space.Speaking about the growing popularity of Indian Cinema on the world map Shri Thakur said “today Hindi films are released simultaneously across the globe and its stars are recognized faces in international advertising and entertainment space.” he said.&nbsp;“Even the far flung African countries are fascinated by our movies and music. We know about countries like Nigeria where the Nollywood market takes a lot of inspiration from Indian Cinema; Bollywood has also expanded in unchartered countries like Latin America; our cinema is making inroads into counties like South Korea, Japan, China” he added.The Minister also stressed the role being played by Indian language cinema. “It is not just the Hindi movies, but also the films in Indian languages that are getting vast audience nationally and internationally.&nbsp;Speaking about the role of film industry in aiding public diplomacy the Minister said that globalization of our popular cinema aided by large diaspora can help in promoting India’s public diplomacy. “We need to promote a Public –Private Partnership to brand India using the power of our film fraternity and the power of India to create the content and become the content sub-continent of the world” he added.Need to institutionalize subtitling in foreign languages : Vinay SahasrabuddheAddressing the gathering, ICCR President Shri Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said, more than 95 participants from various parts of the country participated in the seminar which discussed the idea of Indian Cinema and its Soft power probably for the first time.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/WhatsAppImage2022-05-04at6.54.20PM3YVI.jpeg">To enhance the reach of Indian films across the world, Shri Sahasrabuddhe advocated for institutional arrangements for subtitling Indian films in a number of foreign languages, particularly in the languages of countries where India’s cultural influence is strong viz Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan etc. Shri Sahasrabuddhe informed that ICCR will&nbsp;organize a national seminar on Foreign Languages Training in India and Soft Power.The ICCR President also&nbsp;said that we can pitch our Language Cinema to the NRIs, who are nostalgic about their culture that they left behind.&nbsp;He said ‘A category such as ‘Soft Power Promotion Friendly Films’ could be introduced in Film Awards. ‘Those films that show a comprehensive and correct understanding about India could be awarded under the category’, he added.About the symposiumAround 95 participants from various parts of the country participated in the Seminar organized by the ICCR and FLAME University, Pune.&nbsp;The aim of the seminar was to bring together practitioners and scholars of Indian cinema and international relations to deliberate, discuss and dwell upon the pertinent discourse in contemporary times.Renowned film director Shri Shekhar Kapoor had inaugurated the seminar yesterday.&nbsp;Eminent film personalities and renowned experts like Subhash Ghai, Roopa Ganguly, Bharat Bala, Ambarish Mishra, Arunaraje Patil, Ashok Rane, Meenakshi Shedde, Manoj Muntashir, Paresh Rawal, and G P Vijay Kumar chaired various technical sessions.

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur has said that Cinema, as a soft power can play a major role in nation branding initiative. Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Seminar in Mumbai through video message, Shri Thakur said “Indian film industry and the Government  today recognizethe potential of culture at the highest level. Depiction of one’s culture is a very strong component -of any country’s soft power”.

Cinema can play a major role in nation branding initiative Anurag Thakur

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur has said that Cinema, as a soft power can play a major role in nation branding initiative. Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Seminar in Mumbai through video message, Shri Thakur said “Indian film industry and the Government  today recognize the potential of culture at the highest level. Depiction of one’s culture is a very strong component -of any country’s soft power”.



New Delhi/Pune: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur announced on Thursday that India is embarking on the world’s largest film restoration project under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) with a budget of Rs 363 crore. The restoration project, awarded on May 4, is set to begin in full swing at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI). Under the NFHM, approximately 2,200 films will undergo restoration. The titles have been shortlisted by language wise committees consisting of filmmakers, documentary filmmakers, film historians and producers, with members comprising eminent film personalities such as Aparna Sen, Shriram Raghavan, Anjali Menon and Vetrimaaran. “The NFHM in addition to restoration also involves the on-going preservation processes of film condition assessment, preventive conservation and digitisation, with the total allocated budget of Rs 597 crore, which is one of the world’s largest film preservation missions,” Thakur said. Indian cinema, which has been in existence for more than a century now, holds a very unique place in the pantheon of world cinema. The restoration of Indian films will once again give a chance to the current and future generations to relive the glory of these films which have enamored audiences for decades, he added. In the interim, the NFAI undertook restoration of 10 prestigious Satyajit Ray films which will be subsequently showcased at various International Film Festivals. Of this, “Pratidwandi” has been selected to premiere in the Cannes Classics Section in its 2022 edition. The restored version of G. Aravindan’s 1978 Malayalam film “Thampi”, which will be showcased at Restoration World Premieres in Cannes by Film Heritage foundation, is also being collaborated for preservation with the NFAI. Beyond Satyajit Ray films, feature films as diverse as “Neelakuyil” (Malayalam) and “Do Aakhein Barah Haath” (Hindi) will also be covered. Extremely important shorts and documentaries from the collection of the NFAI, Films Division and other rare materials, including pre independence, will also be restored as they capture the growth of India like no other. The process involves frame-to-frame digital and semi-automated manual picture and sound restoration from the best surviving source material. The source negative/print will be scanned at 4K to dpx files, which will be then digitally restored. The damages including scratches, dirt and abrasions in every frame of the picture negative will be cleaned during the restoration process. The sound was also restored in a process similar to the picture restoration procedure. The numerous pops, hisses, crackles and distortions on the sound negative will be digitally removed. After restoration, the digital picture files will be colour graded (DI process) and balanced to achieve the look of the film at the time of the original release. —IANS

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur announced on Thursday that India is embarking on the world’s largest film restoration project under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) with a budget of Rs 363 crore.

India embarking on world's largest film restoration project: Anurag Thakur

New Delhi (The Hawk): On the occasion of the 61st Foundation Day of Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports - Patiala (NSNIS), Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur laid the foundation stone of two new projects at the premier institute, today.This is part of the revamping of NSNIS PAtiala wherein givt is investing more than Rs 150 cr in 3 yearsThe first project is the setting up of a National Centre of Sports Coaching including a High tech sports science labs and Strength &amp; Conditioning Hall for the education of diploma holders.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image0025T0N.jpg">The new infrastructure includes an indoor 3 lane track and a full rehabilitation and recovery gym for athletes. The strength and conditioning hall has the capacity to accommodate 150 athletes at one go and promises to be one of the biggest such facility in the country.The second project is the construction of a centralised fully air-conditioned Kitchen and Food Court with a sitting capacity of 400 people and a modular kitchen with a capacity of preparing 2000 meals.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image003TBQA.jpg">The 3rd project is the increase of hostel capacity&nbsp;by 450 with the building of 2 news hostels in the campus.Speaking about the importance of the projects, Shri. Thakur said, "NSNIS Patiala is India's premier sporting institute and on the occasion of its 61st Foundation Day, these projects are a gift to athletes. Good, hygienic diet and rehab and recovery are basic requirements of every athlete and therefore it was felt that these two projects need to be taken up on priority. The two projects are among the 13 infrastructure projects lined up for 2022-23. From 2014 to 2021 23 projects have been launched to ensure that athletes have the facilities they need to train well and excel in their sportThe Union Sports Minister also visited various other parts of the sprawling 268 acre campus and met athletes, coaches and Officials for informal interactions.

On the occasion of the 61st Foundation Day of Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports - Patiala (NSNIS), Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur laid the foundation stone of two new projects at the premier institute, today.

Anurag Singh flags off two new projects at SAI-Patiala 

New Delhi: Cinema celebrities from across India will walk the 'Red Carpet' along with Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur at this year's Cannes Film Festival.The ministry in a statement said that the 'Red Carpet' event at the 75th Cannes Film Festival is going to be a gala event for Indian audience as celebrities from the cine world across India are set to walk as part of Indian delegation on the opening day of Cannes Film Festival on May 17.Thakur will lead the delegation from India to Cannes and the list of celebrities comprises actor Akshay Kumar, music composers A. R. Rahman and Ricky Kej, folk singer and music composer Mame Khan, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, actresses Nayanthara, Pooja Hegde, Tamannaah Bhatia and Vani Tripathi, chairman CBFC Prasoon Joshi, actor R. Madhavan, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.The ministry said that the intent is to showcase the rich flavour and diversity of India - culture, heritage, legacy, and developments through its cinema.The delegation has been hand-picked from across the length and breadth of the country to represent different strengths and aspects of the country."Several new initiatives were undertaken at the recently concluded 52nd International Film Festival of India like collaboration with OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime amongst others; recognition to 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow and the BRICS film festival. In the same spirit, several new and exciting initiatives are lined-up this year for Cannes," the ministry said.India is the 'Official Country of Honour' at the Cannes Film Market (Marche' Du Film) in this edition of the festival. This is the first time this honour has been bestowed on any country and comes at a time when India celebrates its Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.India and France are also celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.The minister had earlier announced that India is also the 'Country of Honour at the Cannes Next', under which five new startups would be given an opportunity to pitch to the Audio-Visual Industry—IANS

Cinema celebrities from across India will walk the 'Red Carpet' along with Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Indian cinema celebrities to walk ‘Red Carpet’ with Anurag Thakur at Cannes

Mumbai: &nbsp;Anurag Kashyap's film "Dobaaraa" is scheduled to be released in theatres on August 19, the makers announced Thursday.Billed as an edgy thriller, the movie stars Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati."Dobaaraa" is jointly produced by Ektaa Kapoor's Cult Movies, a new division under her Balaji Telefilms banner, and Sunir Khetarpal's ATHENA.The film marks Kashyap and Pannu's third collaboration after the 2018 hit "Manmarziyaan" and biographical drama "Saand Ki Aankh" (2019), on which he served as producer.It also reunites Pannu with Gulati, who previously co-starred in 2020's "Thappad"."Dobaaraa" is also set to open this year's London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) on June 23.—PTI

Anurag Kashyap's film "Dobaaraa" is scheduled to be released in theatres on August 19, the makers announced Thursday.

Anurag Kashyap's 'Dobaaraa' to release on August 19

Mumbai: Superstar Akshay Kumar won't be able to attend Cannes Film Festival 2022 as he tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Akshay wrote, "Was really looking forward to rooting for our cinema at the India Pavilion at #Cannes2022, but have sadly tested positive for Covid."Akshay was supposed to walk the red carpet on the opening day of the 75th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Indian contingent along with music maestro A R Rahman, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and actor Pooja Hegde. Expressing his disappointment on not being able to attend the festival, Akshay further wrote, "Will rest it out. Loads of best wishes to you and your entire team, @ianuragthakur. Will really miss being there." This is the second time in over a year that Akshay Kumar has been diagnosed with the virus. In April 2021, he shared that he tested positive for the virus.—ANI

Superstar Akshay Kumar won't be able to attend Cannes Film Festival 2022 as he tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.

Akshay Kumar tests positive for Covid-19, will skip Cannes Festival

Mumbai: The Central Government has announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore for the Indian men's team that defeated 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0 in the final to win a historic maiden title in the Thomas Cup world team badminton championships.After Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth won their respective matches to give India a dominant, memorable victory in their maiden entry in the final, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced the cash award in a tweet. "As #TeamIndia defeats 14-time #ThomasCup Champions Indonesia to win its 1st ever #ThomasCup2022, @India_Sport is proud to announce a cash award of ₹1 crore for the team in relaxation of rules to acknowledge this unparalleled feat! Congratulations Team India!!," the Minister said in his tweet.India on Sunday became only the sixth country ever to win the Thomas Cup, joining Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Japan, and Denmark to win the Thomas Cup. India had defeated Malaysia and Denmark by an identical 3-2 margin in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively before getting the better of Indonesia in the final.—IANS

The Central Government has announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore for the Indian men's team that defeated 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0 in the final to win a historic maiden title in the Thomas Cup world team badminton championships.

Minister Anurag Thakur announces Rs 1 cr cash award for men’s badminton team

Paris: Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur experienced the next generation of filmmaking on Thursday when he donned VR headsets to watch the music maestro A.R. Rahman's multi-sensory virtual reality film, 'Le Musk', sitting in an immersive VR chair designed by the Los Angeles-based company Positron at Cannes XR.The minister was joined by the two-time Grammy winner, Ricky Kej, and the celebrated lyricist and Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi. Cannes XR is the segment of the Cannes Film Market focusing on cinematographic content that uses immersive technologies."'Le Musk' is a technical masterpiece with inter-disciplinary expertise coming together from around the world," the minister commented after his immersive experience.The minister also delivered the keynote address on 'India: The content hub of the world' at the India Forum, where he pointed out that "the advent of AI, virtual reality and immersive technology such as the metaverse presents immense possibilities to India's IT-enabled services and IT-skilled workforce."Declaring that the "land of storytellers," in the "spotlight of the cinematic world today," is "ready to engage and collaborate," the minister reiterated: "We will take all the necessary measures to speed up co-production collaborations from around the world and also offer the best locations and historical locations in India for film shoots."Earlier, the minister began his address by saying: "I stand here before you honoured to represent a civilisation that is over 6,000 years old, a youthful nation of over 1.3 billion Indians, and the world's largest film industry that produces over 2,000 films annually."And he added: "India's red carpet presence captured the diversity of its cinematic excellence not only in terms of representation of actors and filmmakers from various languages and regions, but also the OTT platforms."—IANS

Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur experienced the next generation of filmmaking on Thursday when he donned VR headsets to watch the music maestro A.R. Rahman's multi-sensory virtual reality film, 'Le Musk', sitting in an immersive VR chair designed by the Los Angeles-based company Positron at Cannes XR.

Anurag Thakur experiences A.R. Rahman's VR film 'Le Musk' at Cannes

New Delhi (The Hawk): Minister of State for Sports ShriNisith Pramanik and Minister of State for Railways Smt. Darshana Jardosh laid the foundation stone of the Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence in Coochbehar on Saturday. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between SAI and the Ministry of Railways on the occasion.Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur&nbsp;joined the event virtually, alongside Tokyo Olympics medallists Neeraj Chopra and Lovlina Borgohain. Also in attendance during the occasion in Coochbehar included Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Men’s hockey team players Manpreet Singh and Nilakanta Sharma, Women’s hockey team players Salima Tete and Nikki Pradhan as well as North Bengal’s very own local favourite heptathlon athlete Swapna Barman.&nbsp;Shri Anurag Thakur said that Initiatives like Target Olympic Podium Scheme and Khelo India scheme have made it sure to do the best possible for athletes. "Opening of this NCOE is another big step taken especially by Nisith Pramanik ji and Darshana ji. We wanted to make one of the best sporting facilities in North Bengal and today, the foundation stone has been laid. This will help over 1000 athletes get the training who will in return help India reach new heights in the sporting arena", Shri Thakur added.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image002DUYI.jpg">Expressing his delight while laying the foundation stone of this High Performance Centre, Shri Pramanik said, “Today is a historic day for the development of sports not just in North Bengal but also for India. I thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, whose vision made this sports hub possible here. In every region, from north to south and east to west, Modiji has been envisioning the overall development of sports. Before March 2024, we want to inaugurate the NCOE here in the presence of Shri Modi ji.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image00355SY.jpg">"We believe in positivity. There are numerous talents here. We want champions here across every nook and corner. Therefore, we are making available the best of infrastructure here. Let us work together to make the best of facilities for our future champions. We want to develop 10 more Khelo India Centres in North Bengal," added Shri Pramanik.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image0043GJK.jpg">Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra asserted the role this NCOE will play in building more future champions. "When athletes are starting out, they need a lot of infrastructure facilities. When I started out, there weren't much facilities in my village, but things have changed now," mentioned Neeraj Chopra virtually during the event. "I thank Anurag sir, Nisith sir and Darshana ma'am for establishing the SAI centre. I wish this NCOE all the best and I hope that a lot of future champions emerge from this centre who will make our country proud."The National Centre of Excellence will provide aspiring athletes of Coochbehar with excellent sporting facilities, besides providing top class coaching facilities covering 12 sports disciplines. NCOE Coochbehar also has a 100-bedded Hostel for athletes including Kitchen, Dining hall, a Recreational Zone, as well as a Residential Area for Staff. It also has both an Outdoor training area and Indoor Sporting facilities.Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya mentioned this NCOE is a big step in developing grassroots athletes. "I want to thank both Railways and Govt of India. This is a massive step for developing grassroots athletes. Many athletes emerging from here will make the the country proud."Boxer Lovlina Borgohain mentioned she is looking forward to visiting the centre soon. "A SAI NCOE in North Bengal is a fantastic opportunity for athletes. I myself am indebted to SAI for the role they played in my life when I started out with the SAI Guwahati center. If I can, I will really want to go to Coochbehar and meet the young athletes training in the NCOE," Lovlina said.Manpreet Singh, captain of the Men's Hockey Team that won the bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics, emphasized the importance of the NCOE in modern sports. "I want to thank the Government for starting this NCOE in Coochbehar. There will be 12 sports disciplines featuring here, world class coaching facilities, best equipments, great facilities, and so on. This is very important in modern sports. The Khelo India scheme has also helped in awareness of sports across universities. There are many youngsters I've come across who are in national camps due to Khelo India. We're going in the right way."Local favourite Swapna Barman said, "It's a big dream come true for sports in North Bengal and it has become a reality. I cannot thank the Government, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Indian Railways and Sports Authority of India more for this."With the establishment of this centre, SAI will now have a total of 24 NCOEs across the country. The NCOEs impart specialized training to promising athletes by providing state of the art infrastructure and playing facilities, sports science support, individualized diet prescribed by trained nutritionists and overall supervision under the best coaches, qualified support staff and High Performance Directors.

Minister of State for Sports ShriNisith Pramanik and Minister of State for Railways Smt. Darshana Jardosh laid the foundation stone of the Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence in Coochbehar on Saturday. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between SAI and the Ministry of Railways on the occasion.

Foundation stone laid for SAI National Centre of Excellence in Dist Coochbehar 

New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday felicitated the Indian archery team, which returned home with five medals, including a compound team gold, from the World Cup 2022 Stage 2 held in Gwangju (South Korea) recently.The men’s compound team of Abhishek Verma, Rajat Chauhan and Aman Saini defeated France to win gold, while India also won silver and three bronze in the prestigious tournament. Mohan Bhardwaj won individual silver in men’s compound. Lauding the archer’s efforts, Thakur said, “They have worked so hard to win these medals, I am sure we can clap hard to show them how much this win means to the country. We must make it our habit to show our appreciation for our athletes, because they are doing it for the country.”Sharing their experience from the tournament, Abhishek Verma said, “We were preparing for the Asian Games so the team is in a great form now. There has been a significant improvement in India archery in terms of accuracy and technical aspects. With the all-round support in terms of infrastructure, coaching, exposure, camps from the federation and the government, we are being able to achieve so much. “Going forward this momentum will continue and in June, as we go in for the next stage of the World Cup we will come back with more medals,” he added.—IANS

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday felicitated the Indian archery team, which returned home with five medals, including a compound team gold, from the World Cup 2022 Stage 2 held in Gwangju (South Korea) recently.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur Lauds Indian Archery Team

Pune(The Hawk): Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports&nbsp;Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurated the Takshashila Sports Complex built by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at Viman Nagar on Saturday evening.&nbsp;Underlining the importance of creating sports infrastructure at grassroot level, Shri Thakur appealed to the corporates in Pune to come forward and fund sports facilities through their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds.Urging the youngsters to take up sports and fitness, the Minister recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words, "Kheloge toh khiloge! and said “sports teaches perseverance, instils self confidence and develops leadership qualities.”&nbsp;He mentioned that India has the largest number of obese people and that sedentary life style has changed people. Hence, fitness is important for everyone, he said.Stating that this sports complex has been built for the youngsters and common people of the area, the Minister urged "come out of your AC rooms, practice games for half an hour here. Then you will become fit, reduce health and treatment bills, develop a liking for sports”.Speaking about developing a sports culture in the country, Shri Thakur said, "When our children will get a chance to play, they will develop a liking for sports. Then they will go ahead on their own to win matches in the country and foreign lands". He said that a sporting tournament is a battle of nerves which shows how mentally strong a person can be.Shri Thakur stated that the Government attaches great importance to sports and the Centre has been working very closely with states to build grassroot level infrastructure across the country.&nbsp;He said&nbsp;budget for sports, which earlier used to be around Rs 1,200 crores has been increased to Rs 3,000 crore so that there is more fund to spend on sportpersons.Further, under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Government of India takes full responsibility for foreign training of elite athletes, which includes their lodging, nutrition, equipment, international competitions in foreign countries besides a monthly stipend of Rs. 50,000/- for each athlete. "Now players only need to play and not worry about anything else. That is why they are making efforts on their own and winning medals for the country", the Minister added.Earlier in the day, the Union Minister visited the famous Gulshachi Talim Akhada in Pune where he inaugurated a centre of Sports Authority of India (SAI) and interacted with trainee wrestlers. SAI has adopted maximum number of wrestling akhadas in Maharashtra.&nbsp;Shri Thakur also promised to give opportunity for Dhol-Taasha players to play at national level games.-

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurated the Takshashila Sports Complex built by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at Viman Nagar on Saturday evening

Union Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates Takshashila Sports Complex at Viman Nagar in Pune

New Delhi: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur will launch a nationwide programme of cycle rallies on Friday from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi during which the Union Minister along with 750 Young Cyclists will peddle on 7.5 km distance. On the occasion of World Bicycle Day on June 3, Cycle Rallies will be organized throughout the country. Through this initiative, more than 9.68 Lakh K.M. distance will be covered by 1.29 Lakh Young Cyclists through the proposed Bicycle Rallies on a single day. Further Cycle Rallies will be held in 35 States/UTs capital and at 75 iconic places across the country.The aim of this program is to encourage and motivate people to take up and adopt Cycling in their daily lives for physical fitness activities and get freedom from obesity, laziness, stress, anxiety, diseases etc. Adopting Cycling by common citizens will also facilitate in reduction of carbon footprints. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav-India@75 is organizing World Cycle Day throughout the country as a part of World Bicycle Day. The support of its two pioneer youth organizations namely Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and National Service Scheme (NSS) are undertaking four sets of activities simultaneously viz Launching of World Bicycle Day in Delhi, Bicycle Rallies in 35 States/UTs Capitals, 75 Iconic Locations across the country and in all blocks of the country.—ANI

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur will launch a nationwide programme of cycle rallies on Friday from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi during which the Union Minister along with 750 Young Cyclists will peddle on 7.5 km distance.

Anurag Thakur to launch nationwide programme of cycle rallies on World Bicycle Day

New Delhi: &nbsp;Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur launched a nationwide 'Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally' on Friday from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022. Anurag Thakur, along with 750 young cyclists, covered a distance of 7.5 km during the cycle rally that started from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. "Today on World Bicycle Day we want to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to everyone. Fit India Movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India movement and Healthy India movement all can be accomplished by riding a bicycle. It'll also cut down the pollution level," Thakur said. "On the world bicycle day, across the country, thousands of cyclists have joined us for the camping for fit India movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India movement and Health India movement. By using the bicycle you can cut down the pollution level, you can stay fit and you can also promote the clean India campaign because there will be less pollution or no pollution by the use of bicycles," he added.Apart from Thakur, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Health &amp; Family Welfare Mansukh Mandviya, MoS for culture and external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, and MPs Manoj Tiwari, Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Bidhuri also attended the event. More than 9.68 lakh kilometres of distance will be covered by 1.29 lakh young cyclists through the proposed bicycle rallies organized today on World Bicycle Day 2022. The aim of cycle rallies organized in the country is to encourage and motivate people to adopt cycling in their daily lives for physical fitness and keep them immune to health disorders including obesity, stress, anxiety, and diseases. The cycle rallies across India on World Bicycle Day have been organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav-India@75.—ANI

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur launched a nationwide 'Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally' on Friday from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022.

Anurag Thakur launches nationwide 'Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally'

New Delhi: Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday appealed to the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme to shun violence and come forward for talks, asserting that the government is ready to look into their grievances with an 'open mind' and make changes 'if required'. The Information and Broadcasting Minister said the Agnipath scheme is a 'historic decision' taken by the Narendra Modi government towards making the country 'more secured' in future and also provide 'opportunities' to the country's youth.Thakur said the country's youth, who want to join Army, would never take the path of the violence. But some political parties, which keep looking of every opportunity under an agenda to block any change taking place, have 'provoked' the youth, he alleged, without naming any party."I would like to appeal to the country's youth that path of violence would not take you anywhere. In a democracy, you have right to protest but not by setting government property on fire. Violence has no place in a democracy," he said replying to questions at a conclave organised by the TV9 media group. He also urged the political parties not to 'provoke' the youth, and asked them to express their views on the issue in their respective 'platforms or media'."If you have any better suggestion, you can place your views at your platform, media in a democracy or tell us. Government is always ready to consider with an open mind," he said.The minister suggested the protesting youths can come for talks with the central government raising their grievance through the governors and chief ministers of their states or through their elected representatives and the Union ministers. (Contd On Page 2)

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday appealed to the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme to shun violence and come forward for talks, asserting that the government is ready to look into their grievances with an 'open mind' and make changes 'if required'.

Govt 'Ready To Talk' To Protesters

New Delhi : Sports minister Anurag Thakur reviewed India’s preparation for the Commonwealth Games 2022 at a Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting on Thursday. A total of 215 athletes will be representing India at the upcoming CWG. Present at the MOC meeting were former long jumper Anju Bobby George, former hockey player Viren Rasquinha, former Table Tennis player Monalisa Baruah, former Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former Badminton player Trupti Murgunde.“The preparation of the athletes is going on in full swing. I am happy that the momentum of training and competition has been enhanced post Olympics and we can hope for continued success post Olympic and Paralympic,” Thakur said while reviewing the preparations .During the review various aspects of India’s preparation came to the fore. Post the Tokyo 2020 Olympics the athletes have gone back to full-fledged training including training at national camps and multiple international exposures in training and competition. As of now, the Government of India has helped facilitate 111 exposure trips in disciplines that India will compete in Birmingham 2022. The National Sports Federations (NSFs) are also working in tandem to organize national camps.Several elite athletes have been training abroad post-Olympics at government cost, as per their training plan. Since return to training after Olympic Games, Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra has been based in Chula Vista (US), Antalya (Turkey) and Finland, Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu spent time in St Louis (US), training with specialist coach Dr Aaron Horschig, Steeplechaser Avinash Sable has been based in Colorado Springs (US) with coach Scott Simons since April 2022 and Cycling team has been based in Slovenia and Portugal for three months. Recently, exposure trips in Portugal and Republic of Ireland for the Table Tennis and Boxing contingents have also been sanctioned ahead of the CWG 2022. -- IANS

Sports minister Anurag Thakur reviewed India’s preparation for the Commonwealth Games 2022 at a Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting on Thursday. A total of 215 athletes will be representing India at the upcoming CWG. Present at the MOC meeting were former long jumper Anju Bobby George, former hockey player Viren Rasquinha, former Table Tennis player Monalisa Baruah, former Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former Badminton player Trupti Murgunde.

 Anurag Thakur reviews India's preparedness for CWG 2022, says momentum of training, competition enhanced post Olympics

New Delhi (The Hawk) : Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the Third Annual Conference of Indian Information Service Officers at Vigyan Bhavan. The Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri Apurva Chandra and Principal Director General, Shri Jaideep Bhatnagar, Shri Satyendra Prakash, Shri Venudhar Reddy and Shri Mayank Kumar Aggarwal were present on this occasion. Senior Officers of the Indian Information Service from all over the country are participating in the two-day Conference.&nbsp; In his keynote address, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur outlined the five key features that need to define Government Communication. These include - Citizen-Centric and Compassionate, Co-creating with Target Audience, Collaboration, Contemplation, and Continuous Capacity Enhancement. Elaborating on this, he said that all communication needs to be relevant and easy to understand, keeping the citizens in mind. Further, he underlined the importance of collaborating with all stakeholders including Government bodies, institutions and the private sector. He added that as communication is a fast-changing field with upcoming challenges like fake news, it is important for communicators to be agile and adaptable, as seen during the recent COVID pandemic.&nbsp;<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/WhatsAppImage2022-07-16at5.15.01PM(1)VJM0.jpeg">Shri Anurag Singh Thakur lauded the role of IIS Officers in undertaking transformational initiatives such as expansion of Fact Check Unit to counter fake news and accessibility initiatives for Divyangjan, among others. He also put forth ideas and initiatives to further improve the efficacy of Government communication to benefit the last mile, highlighting the importance of new media technologies, institution building and coordinating with State governments. He exhorted all Officers to recognize the importance of their role as communicators to 130 crore people. The Union Minister underlined the importance of synchronized communication and art of story telling to enhance the public outreach. He told that institution building , mentoring and motivation of the officials are equally important..<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/WhatsAppImage2022-07-16at5.15.01PM(2)JR2R.jpeg">Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Apurva Chandra said that communication during the COVID-19 pandemic reassured the public, and was successful in removing fear from their minds. It also ensured wide awareness amongst the people about welfare initiatives like Vaccination and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. He noted that compared to many other countries, Vaccine Hesitancy was almost non-existent in India, enabling it to come close to achieving the&nbsp;200 crore vaccine dose milestone.&nbsp;Principal Director General Shri Jaideep Bhatnagar in his remarks said that the prime focus of the Service is to work towards empowerment and accessibility, citizen centric 24x7 engagement, behavioural change communication and combating fake and mischievous news. He observed that the role has evolved and expanded significantly in light of the information explosion in recent years, leading to a re-imagination and inclusion of new processes and tools.Recognizing that the field of communication is inherently dynamic, the two-day Conference will deliberate on emerging challenges and a roadmap for cutting-edge communication in the future. Sessions over the two days will focus on ‘Communication for India@2047’, 'Skill &amp; Capacity Building', ‘Projecting India Abroad with Focus on G20’, ‘Evolving Role of Government Communication’ delivered by prominent speakers viz. Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO MyGov; Dr. R. Balasubramaniam and Shri Hemang Jani, Capacity Building Commission, Shri Arindam Bagchi, JS (XP) MEA and Shri Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa to G-20 respectively.The Keynote Address on the second day of the Conference will be delivered by Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics &amp; Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, while the Valedictory Session will be addressed by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the Third Annual Conference of Indian Information Service Officers at Vigyan Bhavan. The Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri Apurva Chandra and Principal Director General, Shri Jaideep Bhatnagar, Shri Satyendra Prakash, Shri Venudhar Reddy and Shri Mayank Kumar Aggarwal were present on this occasion. Senior Officers of the Indian Information Service from all over the country are participating in the two-day Conference. 

The Hawk

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