The Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has inaugurated India’s first post office passport service centre at the Vidisha Post Office in Vidisha on February 25, 2017. The passport service centre will work in the form of Passport Sewa Laghu Kendra (PSLK). The centre will complete scrutiny and approval of passport applications in a day and provide passport to applicants in three days.

Mumbai has been named as the richest Indian city with a total wealth of $820 billion, according to recently released New World Wealth report. It is home to 46,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires, and is followed in terms of wealth by Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Delhi is home to 23,000 millionaires and 18 billionaires with a total wealth of $450 billion, while Bengaluru with a total wealth of $ 320 billion houses 7,700 millionaires and 8 billionaires. Hyderabad is home to 9,000 millionaires and 6 billionaires.

Kalinga Lancers has won the 5th edition Hockey India League (HIL) tournament by defeating Dabang Mumbai by 4-1 in Chandigarh. Uttar Pradesh Wizards claimed the bronze medal. In the encounter between the two losing semi-finalists, UP Wizards beat Delhi Waveriders 5-4. Dabang Mumbai’s Florian Fuchs was named the Player of the Tournament.

The International Shivaratri festival has started in Mandi village, Himachal Pradesh from February 24, 2017. It is held as per Hindu calendar every year on the Krishna paksha 13th day/13th night (breaking fast/’vrata’ on 14th after sunrise) of the waning moon in the month of Phalguna that corresponds to February/March as per Gregorian calendar. The festival’s popularity is widespread and hence is known as an international festival. In view of the large number of gods and goddesses that are invited to the festival from its 81 temples, Mandi town has the title of ‘Varanasi of the Hills’. The celebration includes maintaining a “jaagaran”, an all-night vigil and prayers, because Shaiva Hindus mark this night as “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in one’s life and the world through Shiva.

India’s first hill station bicycle path was inaugurated in Darjeeling, West Bengal that runs through Senchal wildlife sanctuary. It is a 20km cycle only trail at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, with thick pine forest under clear blue skies. The path was opened in response to growing interest from both national and foreign tourists.The route starts from near Jorebunglow, south of Darjeeling and ends to a small local eco-village resort in Chatakpur.