1. Jaitley gets addl charge of key Defence Ministry after Parrikar resigns
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was on Monday given additional charge of the Defence Ministry after Manohar Parrikar resigned to take on the new role of Goa Chief Minister.
• A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said the resignation of Parrikar as Defence Minister, on advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been accepted with immediate effect.
• “Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Arun Jaitely, Cabinet Minister, shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Defence, in addition to his existing portfolios,
2. Manohar Parrikar to be sworn in as Goa chief minister
• Governor Mridula Sinha invited Parrikar to form the government after he staked claim and showed the support of 21 MLAs.
• The governor has asked Parrikar to prove majority in the assembly within 15 days of assuming charge.
• Parrikar’s candidature was cleared by the BJP parliamentary board on Sunday evening.
3. Tamil Nadu: Women Safety app ‘Ammavin Aran’ launched by AIADMK
• The AIADMK IT Wing has launched the first-of-its-kind women safety application in Tamil Nadu. The app is called ‘Ammavin Aran’ meaning ‘mother’s fortress’.
• The app will give the user details about the nearest police station and hospital along with map details and phone number.
• Also, the app carries an in-built call recorder and and ‘Tips’ icon to provide life saving information.
4. Karnataka has Rs 10 crore for women entrepreneurs
• The Karnataka government has launched a Rs 10-crore fund for women entrepreneurs, through which the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology can sanction upto Rs 50 lakhs for any woman innovator looking for funds for proof of concept validation, certification, and for other purposes such as to cover costs in manufacturing pilot devices
5. ₹605-crore ‘KCR Kit’ scheme for pregnant women, new born
• Focussing on women welfare and new born, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has come out with an innovative scheme – KCR Kit.
• The scheme is designed to address complications during the time of pregnancy and aimed at reducing infant mortality rate and encourage institutional deliveries.
• The KCR Kit consists of 16 essential things needed for a new-born and will be useful for up to three months.
• The kit comes packed with soaps useful for mother and child, baby oil, baby bed, mosquito net, dresses, sarees, hand bag, towels and napkins, powder, diapers, shampoo and toys for the kid.
• The government proposes to earmark ₹605 crore for the scheme, State Finance Minister Etela Rajender said during the budget speech.
6. Lee Chong Wei clinches fourth All England Open Badminton Championships title
• Lee Chong Wei won his fourth All England Open Badminton Championships crown on Sunday and changed his mind about it being his 13th and last visit to badminton’s oldest championship.
• After swatting aside first-time finalist Shi Yuqi of China 21-12, 21-10, Chong Wei said he will return to defend the title of his favorite tournament.
