In March 2026, India Post under the Ministry of Communication, in collaboration with the Annapurna Devi Foundation, released a special cover to mark the birth centenary of legendary Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi at the Kolkata General Post Office (GPO), Kolkata, West Bengal (WB).
About Annapurna Devi:
Profile: She was renowned for her mastery in Hindustani classical music and was known for her reclusive nature, focusing on teaching rather than public performances.
Awards & Honours: Despite her reclusiveness, she received several prestigious awards:
- Padma Bhushan (India’s 3rd highest civilian honour, 1977) in the field of arts.
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991).
- Desikottama, honorary doctorate by Visva-Bharati University (1999).
- Fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (2004).
MSDE Signs MoU with GATI Foundation to Strengthen Global Skill Mobility
In March 2026, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Access to Talent from India (GATI) Foundation, a project under the SFI Impact Foundation, to strengthen mechanisms for overseas employment of skilled Indian workers.
- The agreement is valid for an initial period of three years on a non-financial, collaborative basis.
Key Details of MoU:
Objectives: The MoU creates a framework to position India as the global skills capital by 2047, enabling structured international job access through data-driven overseas skilling roadmaps.
Key Roles: MSDE will coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E), providing foreign language training, cultural orientation, and documentation support for international placements.
- The GATI Foundation will set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi(Delhi), to support research, monitoring, international partnerships, and build a mobility-ready workforce.
Skill India International Centres (SIICs): The collaboration will support SIIC development, strengthen partnerships with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, and engage global employers to improve overseas placements.
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