Current Affairs Today : Updated @ 16-Mar/02:10pm
The Prime Minister of Iraq announced on Saturday that his country's National Intelligence Service personnel working in the US-led coalition killed the top leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria.
Abdullah Maki Mostafa al-Rifai, or Abu Khadija, who is serving as the deputy caliph of the international terrorist organization ISIS, was killed by coalition forces, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said.
Source: ntnews.com
The Central Government has invited applications for the ‘Padma’ Awards, the highest civilian award in the country, which is given to those who have shown excellence in various fields. The nomination process for the Padma Awards for the year 2026, which will be announced during the Republic Day celebrations, has begun.
Interested parties should upload their nominations and recommendations for the Padma Awards on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal https://awards.gov.in by July 31, the Central Government has announced.
Source: ntnews.com
US President Donald Trump is set to make another key decision. It is reported that the US will impose travel restrictions on citizens of about 41 countries. The US government will divide these countries into three different groups.
The first group includes a total of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea. The Trump government will impose a full visa suspension on these. The second group includes Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan. These five countries will have partial visa suspensions. This will affect tourist and student visas.
The third group will include a total of 26 countries, including Pakistan, Bhutan, and Myanmar. If these countries do not correct their shortcomings within 60 days, the issuance of US visas to these countries will be partially suspended.
Source: ntnews.com
Two Indian-origin MPs have been inducted into the cabinet of Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney. Indo-Canadian Anita Anand and Delhi-born Kamal Khera have been appointed ministers. Carney and his cabinet members were sworn in on Friday. Anita has been given the portfolio of Innovation, Science and Industry, while Kamal Khera has been given the portfolio of Health.
Source: ntnews.com
Indian athlete Vispi Kharadi has set a world record for the longest time he held two Pillars of Hercules. He held both poles for 2 minutes and 10.75 seconds, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records. This is the 15th Guinness World Record for Kharadi, who has won the title of Steel Man of India.
Source: ntnews.com
The Karnataka government has decided to give a four percent quota to Muslim contractors in government tenders. The state cabinet approved the resolution on Friday.
CM Siddaramaiah announced in the assembly that the reservation system will be implemented under Category 2B in the KTPP Act. He said that Muslim contractors will be in Category 2B. SCs and STs will be in Category 1 and backward classes will be in Category 2A.
Source: ntnews.com
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday (March 15, 2025) said it has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot testing of the cryogenic engine identified for the sixth operational mission of LVM3 launch vehicle (LVM-M6) at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
Source: thehindu.com
The Union Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to go on a nationwide strike on the 24th and 25th of this month to press for its demands. It said that the strike was decided after the talks with the Indian Banks Association (IBA) did not yield positive results. They stated that their main demands are the implementation of a five-day workday, jobs at all levels, and the filling of director posts.
Source: ntnews.com
A set of six properties have been added to India's tentative list by the UNESCO's World Heritage Centre.
The list include Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh; Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs in Telangana; serial nomination of Ashokan Edict Sites along the Mauryan Routes (multiple States); serial nomination of Chausath Yogini Temples (multiple States); serial nomination of Gupta Temples in north India (multiple States), and the palace-fortresses of the Bundelas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the statement said.
Source: thehindu.com
The Union government has released Rs 32.68 crore for the State Consumer Welfare (Corpus) Fund in FY 24-25, said the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Friday, ahead of the World Consumer Rights Day.
Source: thehansindia.com
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the redemption price for the final redemption of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) due on March 17, 2025 would be ₹8,624 per unit of SGB.
“This price has been fixed based on the simple average of closing gold price for the week March 10-13, 2025,” the RBI said.
Source: thehindu.com
Former central banker Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s new Prime Minister on Friday. Mr. Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader.
Source: thehindu.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, he said that the idea is correct and that they will definitely support it. However, he said that there are some issues that need to be discussed with the US and other partners.
Source: ntnews.com
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has become the first water board in India to receive certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for its piped drinking water supply management system.
Source: thehindu.com
Amid the clamour across the northeast for tighter control to weed out non-citizens, Arunachal Pradesh has approved a family-based identification system ostensibly to streamline public welfare distribution. Introduced by the State’s Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on March 6, the Arunachal Pradesh Arun Parivar Authority Bill was passed by voice vote in the 60-member Assembly on March 11.
Source: thehindu.com
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully undocked the SpaDex satellites. The SpaDeX mission was launched on December 30 last year when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) placed in orbit two satellites -- SDX01 and SDX02 -- to demonstrate the docking experiment in space. After several attempts, the space agency successfully docked the two satellites on January 16.
Source: ndtv.com
A Bill that seeks to amend the existing law governing exploration and production of oil and gas as well as delink petroleum operations from mining operations was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (March 12, 2025).The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, is aimed at boosting investment in the sector. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in December last year.
Source: thehindu.com
The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) signed a ₹2,906 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad for the procurement of Low-level Transportable Radar, LLTR (Ashwini). Ashwini is an active electronically scanned phased array radar based on state-of-the-art solid state technology, the MoD said in a statement.
Source: thehindu.com
Former India all-rounder Syed Abid Ali passed away on Wednesday. He was 83. A medium pace bowling allrounder, Abid played 29 Test matches for India, scoring 1018 runs and taking 47 wickets. One of the finest cricketers from Hyderabad.
Source: thehindu.com
Ukrainian President Zelensky has reportedly agreed to a ceasefire. He has approved the US proposal. The US has proposed a 30-day ceasefire immediately. The agreement was reached during talks between the Ukrainian team and US representatives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Source: ntnews.com
A slew of welfare initiatives targeting almost all segments of society have been introduced in Puducherry’s annual budget of ₹13,600 crore for 2025-26, presented by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Wednesday (March 12, 2025).
These include the enhancement of monthly financial assistance to women from ₹1,000 to ₹2,500, an increase in the monthly old-age pension by ₹500, and financial aid for government schoolchildren who have lost either of their parents.
Source: thehindu.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded Mauritius’ highest civilian honour on Tuesday, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, making him the first Indian recipient of the prestigious accolade.
Source: indianexpress.com
India has 13 cities in the top 20 most polluted cities in the world. The World Air Quality Report 2024, a report on air pollution prepared by Swiss air quality technology company IQ, has been released. India has been ranked as the fifth most polluted country in the world.
Source: ntnews.com
The Centre has banned two groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. The Awami Action Committee and Jammu Kashmir Ittehadul Muslimeen have been declared banned organisations for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Union Home Ministry has issued two separate notifications to this effect.
Source: ntnews.com
India’s Deepti Sharma surpassed New Zealand's Amelia Kerr to climb one spot and break into the top five of the latest ICC Women's all-rounders rankings. The 27-year-old Indian now occupies the fifth spot with 344 points, in a list headed by Australia's Ashleigh Gardner.
Source: thehindu.com
Telangana Government has focussed its attention on providing employment to unemployed SC, ST, BC and Minority youth.
The government has decided to provide financial assistance of ₹6,000 crore to five lakh unemployed youth from these sections under Rajiv Yuva Vikasam enabling them to take up self-employment. Each of the selected beneficiaries will be provided with financial assistance of ₹3 lakh under the scheme enabling them to opt for self-employment.
Source: thehindu.com
The Lok Sabha on Monday (March 10, 2025) passed the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, which aims to update and simplify the legal framework for shipping documents replacing the colonial era Act of 1856.
Source: thehindu.com
The Union Sports Ministry has taken a key decision. It has lifted the suspension imposed on the Wrestling Federation of India. This has paved the way for the Wrestling Federation of India to organize domestic tournaments and select national teams for international tournaments.
Source: ntnews.com
Mark Carney, 59, will take over as Canada's next prime minister. He was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Party on Sunday. Although Trudeau resigned in January this year, he will continue as prime minister until his successor takes office. The Liberal Party elected Carney as its leader with a majority of 85.9 percent of the vote.
Source: ntnews.com
Team India won the ICC Champions Trophy. Team India chased down the target of 252 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy finals held in Dubai on Sunday by four wickets with six balls remaining in the stipulated 50 overs.
While ‘Player of the Match’ Rohit Sharma (76 off 83 balls; 7 fours, 3 sixes) was a standout... Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62 balls; 2 fours, 2 sixes) played a key innings. New Zealand player Rachin Ravindra, who scored 263 runs and took 3 wickets in the tournament, won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. India had previously won the Champions Trophy title in 2002 and 2013.
Source: ntnews.com
The Rajasthan Cabinet has approved a Bill that aims to regulate the state’s coaching institutes and offer students a secure and supportive learning environment, officials said on Saturday.
Coaching centres with 50 or more students will fall under legal scrutiny. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said to ensure transparency in the management of coaching centres, a state-level portal will be established, along with a 24×7 helpline for student counselling, and the Rajasthan Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Authority will be set up.
Source: indianexpress.com
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar handed over appointment letters to 51,389 newly selected teachers on Sunday. The grand ceremony was held at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, where 10,739 teachers received their appointment letters in person from the CM and other ministers.
Source: thehansindia.com
This is a 2.6 square foot park in the town of Nagaizumi, near the Japanese capital Tokyo. That's right. This park, which has a small bench along with grass, has recently been recognized by Guinness World Records as the smallest park in the world. The park was built in 1988 to make good use of the space left empty during the construction of the road, said city official Shuji Koyama. Tourists stop at this tiny park and take photos.
Source: eenadu.net
The newly formed BJP government in the national capital Delhi has given good news to women on the occasion of International Women's Day. It has started implementing the 'Mahila Samriddhi Yojana' scheme. BJP national president JP Nadda revealed that the scheme was approved in the cabinet meeting today. Under this scheme, Rs 2,500 will be provided to eligible women in Delhi. JP Nadda announced that Rs. 5,100 crore has been allocated for this scheme.
Source: ntnews.com
The Sahitya Akademi Awards, considered the highest of Indian literary awards, were announced on Friday to 21 people who have translated works. A total of 21 people, including Turlapati Rajeshwari in Telugu, Madan Soni in Hindi, and Anisur Rahman in English, were announced to receive the Central Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2024 for their outstanding translation works. Under this award, a copper citation along with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 is presented.
Source: ntnews.com
India top-order batter Shubman Gill has been nominated along with Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Glenn Phillips for the ICC 'Player of the Month' for February. Gill, scored 406 runs, averaging 101.50 at a strike-rate of 94.19 in the five ODIs that he had played in February.
Source: thehindu.com
Sri Lanka signed a deal with Japan on Friday (March 7, 2025) to restructure $2.5 billion in loans, marking the first agreement with official creditors who had pledged debt relief to the cash-strapped nation last year. Japan said it was granting concessions on a 369.45 billion yen ($2.5 billion) loan under a comprehensive debt treatment plan.
Source: thehindu.com
The Telangana state cabinet, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has approved a draft bill providing 42% reservations for backward classes (BCs) in local bodies. Additionally, the cabinet has resolved to extend the same 42% reservation in education and employment for BCs. The bill will be introduced in the upcoming Legislative Assembly session.
Source: thehansindia.com
Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramiah presented the state budget for 2025-26, outlining an outlay of ₹4,09,549 crore, with a focus on agriculture, infrastructure, and welfare initiatives. The budget projects total revenue receipts at ₹2,92,477 crore and capital receipts at ₹1,16,170 crore, with a public debt component of ₹1,16,000 crore.
Source: thehansindia.com
A university has been named after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Karnataka government has decided to name Bengaluru Central University (BCU) in the capital city of Bengaluru after him. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself announced this in the Assembly on Friday.
Source: ntnews.com
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the prestigious 'Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados' by the country of Barbados for his valuable services and effective leadership during the Covid era. Our country’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, received the award on behalf of the Prime Minister in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday.
Source: eenadu.net
Japanese barber Shitsu Hakoishi (108) was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records on Wednesday as the world's oldest barber. Hakoishi moved to Tokyo at the age of 14 to become a barber. She received her barbering license at the age of 20, and then opened a salon with her husband.
Source: ntnews.com
The collegium on Thursday recommended the appointment of Calcutta High Court judge Justice Joymalya Bagchi as a Supreme Court judge. The recommendation was made by a five-member collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
Source: ntnews.com
Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has decided to come out of his international retirement to help the national team in the FIFA friendly assignment scheduled this month, the sport's apex body in the country said on Thursday. Chhetri returns to the team, which he led for more than a decade, aged 40.
He announced his retirement after India’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 last year.
Source: ndtv.com
NMDC Director-Finance Amitava Mukherjee, who since March 2023 has been holding additional charge as the chairman and managing director, on Thursday assumed office as the CMD of State-owned miner. The government order appointing him to the post was issued on Wednesday.
Source: thehindu.com
Fred Stolle, a winner of two Grand Slam singles titles and 17 major doubles trophies, has died, He was 86. Stolle was an “iconic figure” in tennis as a player and later as a commentator for Australia's Nine Network and U.S. broadcasters.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s visit to Australia has advanced cooperation on “shared priorities and interoperability, including in maritime domain awareness, reciprocal information sharing, and deployments from each other’s territories,”. This is the first visit to Australia by an Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Source: thehindu.com
Eranhipalam native Ranjith Mathew has secured the Canadian government’s King Charles III Coronation Medal for his outstanding voluntary social service in the field of labour and employment sector. He received the honour recently from Canadian Parliament Member Cheryl Gallant.
Source: thehindu.com
Previous days
Anju Rathi Rana was appointed as the Union Law Secretary on Wednesday. She is the first woman to be appointed to the post. She joined the Law Ministry as Joint Secretary in 2017. Prior to that, she worked for the Delhi government as a Public Prosecutor for 18 years.
The Reserve Bank on March 5, 2025 said it has appointed Ajit Ratnakar Joshi as Executive Director (ED) who will look after Department of Statistics and Information Management and Financial Stability Department. Prior to being promoted as ED, Mr. Joshi was serving as principal adviser in Department of Statistics and Information Management.
Bangladesh’s seasoned wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from ODIs. Nineteen years later, Mushfiqur has finished his ODI career with a whopping 7,795 runs in 274 matches at an average of 36.42, boasting nine centuries and 49 fifties.
Reserve Bank of India announced open market purchase of government securities (G-Secs) for ₹1 lakh croreI. The move followed a review of current and evolving liquidity conditions, the banking regulator said. The liquidity injection will happen in two tranches: ₹50,000 crore on March 12 and the rest on March 18, the statement said.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently successfully conducted the hot test on a semi-cryogenic engine (SE2000), going a step closer to finalising the crucial cryogenic stage where powering the booster stages of launch vehicles is realised.
Scientifically, this test is known as the Power Head Test Article (PHTA) and the first hardware test for the development of semi-cryo engines.
PHTA is a significant precursor test done to validate the integrated performance of some of the engine’s critical subsystems, such as the gas generator, turbo pumps, pre-burner and control components. The test involves performing a hot-firing for an extremely brief duration of not more than 4.5 seconds.
The Union Cabinet approved the construction of two ropeways — 12.9 km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath and 12.4 km ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib — in Uttarakhand.
The 12.9 km project connecting Kedarnath to Sonprayag will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of ₹4,081.28 crore, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The 12.4 km Hemkund Sahib-Govindghat Ropeway will be developed at a total capital cost of ₹2,730.13 crore.
James Christopher Harrison, who saved the lives of millions of babies, has passed away. Harrison (88), who was known for donating his blood plasma 1,173 times and saving the lives of nearly half a million children with the rare anti-D antibody in it, passed away on the 17th of last month in New South Wales, Australia, it was revealed late on Monday.
Steve Smith announced his retirement from one-day international cricket on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) after captaining Australia to a semi-final exit at the Champions Trophy. Smith ends his ODI career with 170 appearances, making him the nation’s 16th-most-capped men’s player in the 50-over format and the 12th-highest runs scorer with 5800 runs and a strike rate of 86.96 in the format.
On Tuesday, the EU executive chief proposed a massive plan worth 800 billion euros (about Rs. 73, 29,538 crore) to strengthen defense systems in European Union (EU) countries.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that this massive plan, which aims to reduce the impact of the US withdrawal on Europe and provide military strength to Ukraine, will be presented to the leaders of the 27 EU member states.
Russia has unveiled a miracle. It has developed the fastest rocket engine that will be very useful in space exploration. The plasma electric rocket engine developed by the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom can travel at a speed of 3,13,822 kilometers per hour.
This is faster than the speed of light. This super-fast rocket engine will significantly reduce the travel time from Earth to Mars. While it takes about a year to go to Mars with the help of currently available missions.. With the help of the plasma electric rocket engine, Mars can be reached in 30-60 days.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday presented a ₹15,198.76 crore budget for 2025-2026 and announced a 75% increase in fund allocation for the flagship ‘Bana Kaih’ (Handholding) scheme, a financial assistance programme for farmers and small entrepreneurs.
He said the Government will introduce a scheme from April to provide health insurance of up to ₹5 lakh cover per year to beneficiaries.
Virat Kohli, who took his 157th catch in the recent match against Pakistan as part of the Champions Trophy, set a new record for the most catches by an Indian player in ODIs. Kohli achieved this feat in his 299th match. Until then, this record was in the name of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Azharuddin took 156 catches in 334 matches.
Capital markets regulator SEBI's total income rose 48% year-on-year to ₹2,075 crore in 2023-24, driven by increased earnings from fees and subscriptions. Of the total income, the regulator earned a fee income of ₹1,851.5 crore, which was way higher than ₹1,213.22 crore garnered in the preceding financial year, according to Sebi's annual statement of accounts 2023-24 made public on Tuesday (March 4, 2025).
The path for the private sector to enter the manufacturing of fighter aircraft in India has become more clear. Recently, the Defense Empowerment Committee has made several suggestions in this regard. It is known that a five-member committee was recently appointed to expedite the production of the light fighter aircraft Tejas. It recently submitted its report to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday (March 4) unanimously passed a resolution, opposing the Central government’s plans to permit offshore mining along the Kerala coast. The resolution, presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressed grave concerns over the amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, which now allow private participation in deep-sea mineral exploration and mining.
The tea plantation industry in the Peermade hills of Idukki in Kerala has reached a historic milestone, marking 150 years since its first recorded commercial cultivation in 1875. Interestingly, it was the first establishment of a commercial tea plantation in Kerala.
A key development took place in Maharashtra politics today. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from his posts. His aide was arrested in the murder case of a sarpanch and Dhananjay had to resign due to serious allegations.
Two more PSUs in the country have achieved Navratna status. The Centre has said that it is giving Navratna status to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC). With this, IRCTC has become the 25th company to be granted Navratna status and IRFC the 26th, the Department of Public Enterprises said. The Center grants Navratna and Maharatna status to companies based on their financial performance and management.
It has been found that there are 6,324 dolphins in the country. The central government has conducted its first-ever survey of riverine dolphins and released a report. The data was collected between 2021 and 2023 over an area of 8,000 km as part of ‘Project Dolphin’. These dolphins are found in the basins of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers and their tributaries.
Former legendary Mumbai spinner Padmakar Kashinath Shivalkar, passed away due to age-related issues in Mumbai on Monday.
Shivalkar, a left-arm spinner, played a staggering 124 first-class matches and bagged 589 wickets at an average of 19.69 between 1961-62 and 1987-88. The BCCI honoured him with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
On the occasion of World Wildlife Day, on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 9 significant decisions and findings to improve conservation efforts in India.
These include setting up a National Referral Centre for Wildlife in Junagadh, conducting the 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation in 2025, establishing a Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict, and introducing cheetahs to Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Banni Grasslands in Gujarat.
PM Modi released India’s first-ever riverine dolphin estimation report, which found 6,327 dolphins across 28 rivers in eight states.
PM Modi announced that Barda Wildlife Sanctuary will be supported with prey augmentation and habitat improvement measures to sustain its natural lion population.
Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict, Use of AI and Space Technology for Wildlife Management, Expansion of Cheetah Reintroduction and New Conservation Projects, Task Forces for Wildlife Conservation
The Chhattisgarh government on Monday presented a ₹1,65,000 crore budget for the fiscal 2025-26, proposing substantial funding for welfare schemes related to women, food security, while allocating ₹10,000 crore for boosting farm prosperity.
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday (March 3, 2025) tabled a ₹3.17 lakh crore Budget in the Assembly, the last before the State goes to polls later this year. Mr. Choudhary said ₹60,964 crore has been set aside for education, ₹20,335 crore has been allocated for the health sector, while ₹17,831 crore will be given to the home department, which is responsible for law and order, improvement in which has been the most talked about achievement of the NDA government.
The Jharkhand Government on Monday (March 3, 2025) tabled a ₹1.45 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the State Assembly. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led (JMM) coalition government had presented a Budget of ₹1.28 lakh crore for the 2024-25 financial year.
UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team has revealed that 40 percent of the world's population does not receive education in their mother tongue or a language they understand. It believes that governments are recognizing the impact of mother tongue on child development, but are lagging behind in formulating policies.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday (March 2, 2025) announced a new £1.6 billion ($2 billion) deal that would allow Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air-defence missiles using export finance. Britain's Ministry of Defence said Thales will manufacture the lightweight-multirole missiles for Ukraine.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has been recognised at the Governance Now 11th PSU National Awards for its exceptional leadership and self-reliance initiatives. V. Anbukumar, Managing Director, KSRTC, received the PSU Atmanirbhar Leadership Award as Best MD.
Mukul Saran Mathur has taken charge as General Manager of South Western Railway in Hubballi. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service officer of the 1988 batch and holds a Law degree from Delhi University and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon. Before joining this assignment, he was Additional Member, Commercial, on the Railway Board.
Firefly Aerospace, based in Texas, USA, has created history. The company's spacecraft, the 'Blue Ghost', successfully landed on the surface of the moon. Firefly's mission control confirmed this, making it the first private company to land a spacecraft in a safe position.
A SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15, carrying Blue Ghost and another Japanese lander, Hakuto-R2. The Blue Ghost lander is two meters long. It descended from the lunar orbit in autopilot mode and landed near Mons Latreille on the northeastern edge.
Indian cricket's talisman Virat Kohli scripted his name in the cricketing history books yet again on Sunday as he represented India in his 300th ODI game. Alongside his 300th ODI, Kohli also became the first player to appear in as many one-day internationals having already played at least 100 Tests and 100 T20Is. Overall, 18 cricketers have gone on to play 300 ODIs for their respective countries but none of them had featured in 100 matches each in the two other formats in international cricket.
Swedish pole vault legend Armand Duplantis has broken another world record. Proving that he is unstoppable in the pole vault, Duplantis leaped 6.27 meters to set a new world record at the World Athletics Indoor Tour tournament. Duplantis, who is a world and Olympic champion, has broken the world record in the pole vault for the 11th time.
Indian Grandmasters have made a strong showing in the latest FIDE rankings. World champion Gukesh, who has been performing consistently in recent times, and young GM Praggnanandhaa have improved their rankings. Gukesh (2877), who won the World Chess Championship held in Singapore last December, has reached a career-best 3rd rank.
Magnus Carlsen (2833) and Hikaru Nakamura (2802) are in the top two ranks respectively. Arjun Irigesi (2777), who had been the highest ranked Indian for many days, fell to fifth place. Praggnanandhaa (2758) reached eighth place for the first time with 17 points.
Indian Railways has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for laying a railway line from Kokrajhar in Assam to Gelephu in Bhutan. A spokesperson for the North East Frontier Railway (NFR) recently informed the media about the details.
The proposed 69.04 km railway line will connect Kokrajhar station in Assam to Gelephu in Bhutan, at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore, the spokesperson said. The survey for this railway line has already been completed. Now the DPR has to be approved. A total of six new stations will be built in this project - Balajan, Garubhasa, Runikhata, Shantipur, Dadgiri Gelephu. This railway line will strengthen India-Bhutan relations.
Flying Officer Tanushka Singh has become the first woman pilot to be permanently assigned to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet squadron. She will soon report to her squadron for active duty.
She underwent training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana, followed by specialised training on the Hawk MK 132 aircraft.
The Centre has brought new rules into effect from Friday regarding passport applications. According to the amended Passport Rules, 1980, from now on, those born after October 1, 2023, to apply for a passport, they will have to submit only a certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, Municipal Corporation or any other authority as proof of date of birth.
Those born before October 1, 2023 can submit other documents as proof of birth. Accordingly, TCs issued by schools, certificates issued by boards regarding matriculation and tenet, PAN number issued by the IT department, copy of service record given to government employees, pension order of retired government employees, driving license, election photo identity card, policy bonds issued by LIC and other public companies can be submitted as birth certificates.
Yuki Bhambri and Alexei Popyrin of Australia beat second seeds Harri Heliovaara of Finland and Henry Patten of Britain 3-6, 7-6(12), [10-8] in the doubles final of the $3,415,700 ATP tennis tournament in Dubai on Saturday.
The Rajasthan government has taken a key decision to prevent child marriages. It has made it mandatory to include the dates of birth of the bride and groom on wedding cards. It has directed the concerned officials to keep a watch on child marriages. It has warned that strict action will be taken against those who violate this law. For many years, child marriages have been taking place in Rajasthan on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) and Peepal Purnima festivals. Therefore, the Rajasthan government has become alert in view of these festivals. It has taken steps to prevent child marriages.
Amid concerns that US President Donald Trump's retaliatory tariffs could have a serious negative impact on the global economy, India and the European Union (EU) Commission made a key announcement. They announced that they would finalize the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) between them by the end of this year. They said that they have instructed officials to complete the negotiations expeditiously. India and the EU also decided to further expand bilateral ties in several areas, including defense, security and technology.
Last month set a new record as the hottest February in 124 years. The average temperature last month was 22 degrees Celsius. This is the first time since 1901 that this level of average has been recorded in February. Moreover, for the first time in history, the average temperatures across the country in February were recorded above 15 degrees Celsius, setting a new record.
President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order making English as the official language of the country, according to a report by Wall Street Journal citing White House officials.
Despite it’s long history, the US has never designated a national language at the federal level. Hundreds of languages are spoken across the country, reflecting its long tradition of immigration. The move comes as Trump intensifies efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Suman Kumar has assumed charge as Indian Oil Corporation’s Director (Planning & Business Development).
Prior to the elevation to the Board, he was heading the Exploration & Production (E&P) vertical as ED at the corporate office. A mechanical engineer from MIT Muzaffarpur with an MBA and advanced management training, Mr. Kumar has more than 30 years of experience. He played a pivotal role in the upscaling of the company’s natural gas, petrochemicals, city gas distribution and renewable energy businesses.
India’s first dedicated space based solar mission, Aditya-L1, has made a ground-breaking observation as one of its scientific payloads has captured the first-ever image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere.
The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) payload has captured the image kernel in the lower solar atmosphere, namely the photosphere and the chromosphere.
The coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has presented a full budget for the first time. The budget for the financial year 2025-26 was presented in the Legislative Assembly by Minister Payyavula Keshav. The budget was brought before the House with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 3 lakh 22 thousand crores.
Of this, Rs. 48 thousand crores have been allocated for agriculture. Revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs. 2,51,162 crores, capital expenditure is estimated at Rs. 40,635 crores, revenue deficit is estimated at Rs. 33,185 crores, and fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs. 79,926 crores.
Department-wise allocations.. For Polavaram Project- Rs.6,705 crore, Annadata Sukhibhavwa- Rs.6,300 crore, School Education- Rs.31,806 crore, Higher Education- Rs.2,506 crore, BC Welfare- Rs.23,260 crore, SC Welfare- Rs.20,281, ST Welfare- Rs.8,159 crore, Minority Communities- Rs.5,434 crore, Health Department- Rs.19,265 crore, Panchayati Raj Rural Development Department- Rs.18,848 crore, Water Resources Department- Rs.18,020 crore, Municipal Administration Department- Rs.13,862 crore, Energy Department-13,600 crore, Agriculture Allied Sectors- Rs. 13,487 crore, Transport Department - Rs. 8,785 crore, Social Welfare - Rs. 10,909 crore, Welfare of the economically backward - Rs. 10,619 crore.
The BJP has started efforts to form a government in the northeastern state of Manipur, which is under President's rule. The BJP leadership is hoping to give a second chance to an MLA from the Meitei community as the Chief Minister. Party sources said that while three leaders from this community are in the race, 22 MLAs are positive for them.
With this, there is a possibility of BJP forming the government before the beginning of the budget session of Parliament on March 10. The current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Tokchom Satyavrat Singh, is also in the race for the CM post.
The government on Thursday appointed Finance and Revenue Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Mr. Pandey replaces Madhabi Puri Buch, who completes her three-year tenure on Friday (February 28, 2025). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr. Pandey, IAS (OR:1987), Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Revenue, to the post of SEBI chairman, according to a government order issued late in the evening.
The largest simultaneous sanitation program in Prayagraj has been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. The certificate was presented to CM Yogi Adityanath. He congratulated the sanitation workers, police and support staff who served during the 45-day Mahakumbh Mela. The CM said that the Mahakumbh Mela has set new standards in terms of cleanliness and good governance.
Marathi Language Day is celebrated every year on February 27. This day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the famous Marathi poet Vishnuvaman Sivadkar. Vishnuvaman Sivadkar is also known as ‘Kusumagraja’. On this day, the great contribution of Marathi literature is recognized and Marathi language writers are honored.
Marathi specialties : 1. Marathi is the most spoken language in the country after Hindi and Bengali. Marathi is spoken by nine crore people.
2. There are a total of 42 dialects in Marathi. These vary according to the region.
3. Marathi is also written in the Devanagari script. Marathi has its own script. It is called the Modi script.
4. The Postal Department has released a special stamp recognizing the Marathi script.
5. The first book in Marathi language was published in the 11th century.
6. Marathi language also has its own grammar. Marathi language was also called Maharashtrian and Marahatti.
Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Lavu Nageswara Rao was appointed as the chairman of the Supreme Court Bar Association Election Reforms Committee on 24th of this month.
The two-judge bench of the Supreme Court said that the committee will determine the qualifications of the candidates contesting for the Bar Association’s executive committee. Justice Nageswara Rao’s committee will recommend reforms to be made in the rules for the election of executive committee members.
The Union Cabinet has approved the report prepared by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that studied the ‘Wakf Amendment Bill-2024’, paving the way for the introduction and discussion of this bill in Parliament in the second phase of the Budget Session.
It is known that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill presented its report in Parliament on the 13th of this month. Sources have recently revealed that the Union Cabinet approved the bill last week. The way is clear for the introduction of the bill aimed at streamlining the registration of waqf properties in the second phase of the budget session, which will begin on March 10.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has once again reduced the minimum eligibility for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Postgraduate (NEET-PG). It has been said that those who have secured at least 5 percent marks can appear for the counselling.
This is applicable to all categories of candidates, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) said on its website. It explained that there will be no change in the NEET-PG 2024 rank and percentile score published on August 23, 2024.
The Ministry of Ayush conferred the prestigious National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards for the current year on three distinguished practitioners for their exceptional contributions to the field of traditional Indian medicine.
This year’s recipients of the coveted award are Vaidya Tara Chand Sharma, renowned Nadi Vaidya and author; Vaidya Maya Ram Uniyal, a distinguished scholar of Dravyaguna Vigyana with six decades of service; and Vaidya Sameer Govind Jamadagni, founder of the Vishwa Vyakhyanmala national conference.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has taken a key decision on the 10th class examinations held in the CBSE syllabus. The CBSE board has decided to conduct the 10th class examinations twice a year from the academic year 2026. The CBSE board officially approved the draft syllabus on Tuesday.
CBSE has clarified that the first phase of the 10th class exams will be conducted from February 17 to March 6, 2026, and the second phase will be from May 5 to 20.