The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APEC – Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center, Belgium, marking a significant step towards enhancing academic collaboration and knowledge exchange in the fields of international trade, logistics, and supply chain management.
The MoU aims to strengthen trade education and training ties between India and Belgium by facilitating faculty and student exchanges for cross-cultural business learning. It includes joint research on port management, global logistics, and trade facilitation, along with specialized training programs, workshops, and industry interactions.
Additionally, the collaboration will enhance knowledge transfer in critical areas such as e-governance, digital trade, and emerging business technologies.
Following the MoU signing, a roundtable discussion was held between the Minister-President of Belgium and IIFT alumni who had previously visited Flanders, sharing their experiences and key takeaways from the program.
About IIFT: Established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has gained Deemed University status and is one of the premier business institutions in India, focusing on Foreign Trade. It is highly regarded as an academic center of excellence in international business research, training, and education.
About APEC – Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center: APEC is a leading training institute affiliated with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, providing specialized programs in port management, trade facilitation, and logistics, contributing to global capacity building in the maritime and trade sectors.
The Government of India and the Government of Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, including waste management. The signing ceremony took place at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi, in presence of C R Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, India and Shri Pradeep Yadav, Minister of Water Supply Nepal.
The agreement aims to promote collaboration between the two nations and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation in the WASH sector, ensuring better access to clean drinking water and sanitation for their populations.
The comprehensive MoU outlines a collaborative framework encompassing several key areas:-
Capacity Building: Training programs for Nepali personnel in water resource management and related fields.
Technology & Knowledge Transfer: Sharing of technological expertise and best practices between India and Nepal in WASH sector.
Groundwater Management: Joint efforts in monitoring, assessment, and management of groundwater resources, including quality improvement,
artificial recharge, and rainwater harvesting.
This MoU marks a new chapter in the India-Nepal partnership, ensuring that both countries work together for the well-being of their people and for a sustainable future.
The Union Government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants during Financial Year 2024–25, for Rural Local Bodies in West Bengal, 2nd installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.694.4446 crores and withheld portion of 1st installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.4.9323 crores.
These funds are for the 21 eligible District Panchayats, 326 eligible Block Panchayats and 3220 eligible Gram Panchayats.
The Untied Grants will be utilized by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/ Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs, under the Twenty-Nine (29) Subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution,
except for salaries and other establishment costs. The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
As part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Government has initiated five pilot projects for using Hydrogen in buses and trucks. Earlier the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had issued guidelines for implementing Pilot projects in the Transport Sector under this Mission.
Accordingly, the proposals were invited for different types of hydrogen-based vehicles,
routes, and hydrogen refueling stations. After detailed scrutiny, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has sanctioned five pilot projects consisting total of 37 vehicles (buses and trucks), and 9 hydrogen refueling stations. The vehicles that will be deployed for the trial include 15 hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-
based vehicles. These vehicles will run on 10 different routes across the country viz., Greater Noida – Delhi – Agra, Bhubaneshwar – Konark – Puri, Ahmedabad – Vadodara – Surat, Sahibabad – Faridabad – Delhi, Pune – Mumbai, Jamshedpur – Kalinga Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram – Kochi, Kochi – Edappally, Jamnagar – Ahmedabad, and NH-16 Visakhapatnam – Bayyavaram.
The above projects are awarded to major companies like TATA Motors Ltd, Reliance Industries Limited, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL.
The total financial support for selected projects made available will be around Rs. 208 Crore from the Government of India. These pilot projects are likely to be commissioned in the next 18-24 months.
The Election Commission of India began a two-day conference of CEOs of all States/UTs at IIIDEM, New Delhi. This is the first such conference to be held since Shri Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as CEC. CEC and ECs Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi interacted with CEOs on a series of topics that will pave the way for improvements in election management.
In his address, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar exhorted all officials including all CEOs, DEOs, EROs, BLOs across the country to work transparently and fulfill all statutory obligations diligently and as per the existing legal framework i.e. the RP Act 1950 & 1951; Registration of Elector Rules 1960, Conduct of Election Rules 1961 and,
and the instructions issued by ECI from time to time.
Officials were directed to make efforts to have between 800-1200 electors in each polling booth and ensure that it is within 2 kms distance from the residence of each elector.
For the first time one DEO and one ERO from each State/UT are taking part in the conference.
Dr Mayank Sharma assumed the office of Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on March 01, 2025. He is a 1989-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) and has had a distinguished career in the government spanning more than three decades.
Dr Mayank Sharma has served in various capacities within the Government of India, including the Defence Accounts Department. He has also held key positions in the Cabinet Secretariat and represented India as the Alternate Permanent Representative at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and
the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
Additionally, the IDAS officer has represented India at the International Anti-Corruption Academy and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. As the Head of the Consular Division at the Indian Embassy in Vienna, he was responsible for all consular affairs and handled high-level Indian delegations at UNODC.
Popular denim brand Levi’s recently announced its newest ambassador – global icon Diljit Dosanjh. Known for rewriting the rules of music, cinema, and style, Diljit joins the Levi’s family as the first Punjabi artist as part of the brand’s ever-growing community of creative talent.
Drawing inspiration from Diljit Dosanjh’s unique ability to connect across borders and genres,
this collaboration highlights the Levi’s brand’s role as a canvas for self-expression. From his early hits in Punjabi cinema to charting on the Billboard Social 50, Diljit’s story is all about bold choices, just like the blue jeans that have stood the test of time for over 170 years.
Public sector undertakings Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) were granted 'Navratna' status by the Government of India.
Navratna status is conferred upon public sector undertakings that demonstrate outstanding financial and market performance.This recognition enhances their autonomy and financial authority.
A key advantage of this status is that the companies can invest up to Rs 1,000 crore or 15 per cent of their net worth in a single project without needing prior approval from the central government.
Furthermore, it enables them to independently establish partnerships, create subsidiaries, and enter into joint ventures.
IRCTC is a Ministry of Railways CPSE with an annual turnover of Rs 4,270.18 crore, PAT of Rs 1,111.26 crore and a net worth of Rs 3,229.97 crore for FY 2023-24.
IRFC is a Ministry of Railways CPSE with an annual turnover of Rs 26,644 crore, PAT of Rs 6,412 crore and a net worth of Rs 49,178 crore for FY 2023-24.
Private sector lender RBL Bank appointed Narendra Agrawal as president and head of branch banking and retail liabilities and T S Pari as chief operations officer (COO).
Agrawal has over 25 years of experience across deposits, lending, distribution, and payments. He brings strong track record of scaling businesses and driving profitable growth through digital-first approach.
Agrawal will focus on deposit growth, enhancing customer experience through an omnichannel strategy, and strengthening the business’s contribution to the lender’s long-term plan.
Pari, who has more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles across foreign and private sector banks, will be responsible for driving efficiencies, customer centricity etc.
India’s Krishna Jayasankar made history at the 2025 Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships by becoming the first Indian woman to cross the 16-metre mark in indoor shot put. Her record-breaking throw measured 16.03 metres. The 22-year-old broke the previous Indian indoor record of 15.54 metres.
Poornarao Rane set that record at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships.
Mya Lesnar of the USA bagged the Gold while compatriot Gabby Morns claimed a sliver. Krishna’s previous best indoor throw was 15.03 metres. India’s overall women’s shot put record remains 18.41 m. Abha Khatua set it at the Federation Cup 2024.
In tennis, Brandon Holt of the USA clinched his second ATP Challenger singles title of the season after beating Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 6-3 in the Bengaluru Open 2025 tennis tournament’s singles final today. Consequently, the 26-year-old Holt became the first American winner in the Bengaluru Open history.
This was the ninth edition of the ATP Challenger 125 tennis tournament.
Indian tennis player Anirudh Chandrasekar and Chinese Taipei’s Ray Ho beat Blake Bayldon and Matthew Christopher Romios 6-2, 6-4 to win the doubles title.
In the Prague Masters Chess tournament, India’s R Praggnanandhaa secured his second consecutive victory, outwitting Vincent Keymer of Germany in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram managed to draw with Sam Shankland of the US, despite facing some early challenges.
Both Praggnanandhaa and Chithambaram are at the top of the leaderboard, having three points each after the fourth round.
In other matches, top seed Wei Yi of China defeated local star David Navara, while Anish Giri of the Netherlands played to a draw against Gurel Ediz of Turkey, marking his fourth draw in as many games.
Czech Grand Master Nguyen Thai Dai Van also drew with Quang Leim Le of Vietnam in another match of the 10-player round-robin tournament.
With Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh leading the pack, Shankland, Keymer, Giri, and Le share third place, a full point behind the two Indians.
In Tennis, India’s Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and his Colombian partner Nicolás Barrientos have claimed the men’s doubles title of the Chile Open in Santiago. The Indian- Columbian duo upset top seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina, 6-3, 6-2, in straight sets last night. This is the first title of Rithvik and Nicolas as a team.
In the semifinal, the duo defeated the third seeds, Guido Andreozzi of Argentina and Theo Arribage of France 4-6, 7-6, 10-5.
