Indore has become the country's first beggar-free city, officials said on Thursday. There were about 5,000 beggars on the city streets a year ago before the administration launched a campaign, they said.
"The campaign we launched for the elimination of begging has itself become a model. It has been recognised by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and also a World Bank team," Singh added. Indore is one of the 10 cities where the Union ministry has started a pilot project to eliminate begging.
District program officer of the Women and Child Development Department, Ramnivas Budholia, said the campaign against begging was launched in February 2024. There were about 5,000 beggars in the city, including 500 children, he said.
"In the first phase, we ran an awareness campaign. Then the beggars were rehabilitated.
Begging as well as giving money to beggars or buying anything from them has been banned in the city, and so far three FIRs have been registered for violations, he said. A reward of Rs 1,000 is given to anyone providing information about begging, and many people have claimed the reward so far, said another official.
State Bank of India (SBI), which entered the global top 50 banks by assets following its landmark merger with five associate banks nearly a decade ago, has now set a new benchmark — this time in profitability.
Harvansh Chawla, Founder and Managing Partner of K.R. Chawla & Co. Advocates, has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This appointment recognizes his extensive experience in international law and his commitment to fostering legal collaboration among BRICS nations.
Chawla is a distinguished member of several international legal associations, including the International Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and the Indo-US Business Council.
Beyond his legal practice, Chawla actively engages in social causes, reflecting his commitment to using the law as a tool for societal benefit.
Ed Smith has been named as the next president of MCC.
Smith, the former England selector, will serve a 12-month term as president from October 1, succeeding Lord King of Lothbury, the club announced following its AGM.
Smith played for Kent, Middlesex and three Tests for England in a career which spanned 13 seasons,
After retiring from the game in 2008, he embarked on a career in the media and wrote five books. He was chief selector for the England men's team for three years from 2018, during which time England won the World Cup.
Smith is also involved in academia, as co-founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities (ISH), which has a mission to nurture and inspire sport's current and future leaders, teaching the MA Leadership in Sport in partnership with Loughborough University London.
QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has become the first bank from the region to open a branch in India’s GIFT City, Gujarat’s premier international financial hub and special economic zone.
The bank’s GIFT City branch plans to support Indian corporates seeking global banking partners to drive their expansion.
With foreign exchange reserves exceeding $650 billion, India ranks among the top players globally. The lenders GIFT City branch will also offer multi-currency product suite.
QNB’s international network, spans 28 markets across three continents.
QNB first entered India in 2017 and has since rapidly expanded to serve the international banking needs of Indian corporates and institutions. QNB India operates as a Scheduled Commercial Bank, offering full-fledged banking services nationwide, with a focus on structured trade credit solutions.
Dr. Ajay Kumar, Former Secretary, Ministry of Defence took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission today. The Oath was administered by Lt.Gen. Raj Shukla (Retd.), the senior most Member of the Commission.
Having pursued a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Dr. Ajay Kumar has done his M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, USA and Ph.D in Business Administration from Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA. He was also conferred an Hon. Doctor of Philosophy by Amity University in 2019.
He has been instrumental in introducing several e-Governance initiatives such as “Jeevan Pramaan" (digital life certificates for pensioners); myGov, Pragati (Prime Minister's video conference); Bio-metric Attendance System; OPD Registration System in AIIMS; "Cloud First" policy for Government for using Cloud Service Providers, etc.
India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation fell sharply to 0.85 per cent in April 2025 from 2.05 percent in March, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The decline in inflation was largely due to a decline in prices in the fuel & power and primary articles segments, although the manufacturing sector continued to show resilience.
The WPI tracks the average change in prices of goods sold in large quantities and is an important indicator of inflation at the production level. It shows trends in supply and demand across sectors like agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
In April, prices in the primary articles group, which makes up 22.62 percent of the WPI, fell by 0.11 percent compared to March.
Over the past year, this group saw a price drop of 1.44 per cent.
Some key changes include a sharp fall in crude petroleum and natural gas prices by 5.31 per cent, and non-food article prices dropped by 1.78 percent. In contrast, food article prices rose by 0.36 percent, and mineral prices increased sharply by 7.81 percent.
The WPI Food Index, which includes both primary food articles and manufactured food products, slightly increased in April to 189.3 from 188.8 in March. Even though prices rose compared to the previous month, the yearly food inflation rate went down to 2.55 per cent in April from 4.66 per cent in March.
Over 111 research projects have been funded in India with sanction amount of Rs 300 crore and the country now ranks among the top six nations globally in 6G patent filings, Union Minister of State for Telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said.
Speaking at BHARAT 6G 2025 conference, the minister said that 6G will utilize TeraHertz frequency bands enabling data rates up to 1 terabit per second which is 100 times faster than 5G.
6G will create entirely new industries and revolutionize existing ones, potentially adding USD 1 trillion to India's economy by 2035.
SBI Card said it has partnered with Apollo HealthCo, which operates Apollo Pharmacy, to introduce a health and wellness-focused co-branded credit card. The Apollo SBI Card SELECT cardholders will get a rewarding shopping experience on transactions, including pharmacy products, health check-up packages, blood tests,
and more through the Apollo 24*7 app and Apollo Pharmacy stores.
Apollo SBI Card SELECT card offers up to 25 percent value back on purchases across categories from the Apollo 24*7 app and select Apollo Pharmacy retail stores.
Apollo SBI Card SELECT card offers up to 25 percent value back on purchases across categories from the Apollo 24*7 app,
and select Apollo Pharmacy retail stores.
Apollo SBI Card SELECT card customers receive would receive a Rs 1,500 e-gift voucher as welcome benefits, redeemable on the Apollo 24*7 app and at Apollo pharmacy stores.
Neo group has appointed Shajikumar Devakar, a seasoned leader in private banking and wealth management, as co-Founder and CEO of Neo Wealth Management.
Shaji joins Neo from 360 ONE Wealth, where he served as executive director, heading the South India business and overseeing the firm’s international operations in the Middle East.
He led a platform of senior private bankers and managed marquee client relationships during his tenure. His extensive experience also includes leadership roles at Barclays Wealth and Deutsche Wealth Management.
Neo’s long-term global investors include marquee names such as Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and Euclidean Capital LLC.
A Brazilian scientist who pushed back against the use of chemical fertilisers and studied biological approaches to more robust food production has been honoured with this year’s World Food Prize, the organisation announced on May 13.
Microbiologist Mariangela Hungria has been researching biological seed and soil treatments for 40 years,
and has worked with Brazilian farmers to implement her findings. Her accomplishment has now won her $500,000 from the Iowa-based World Food Prize Foundation.
Norman Borlaug, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to dramatically increase crop yields and reduce the threat of starvation in many countries, founded the World Food Prize.
Since the first prize was handed out in 1987, 55 people have been honoured.
Hungria will be awarded her prize at an annual October gathering in Iowa of agricultural researchers and officials from around the world.
Gebisa Ejeta, chair of the World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee, credited Hungria for the transformative effects of her research in South America.
India’s Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has been bestowed with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. The announcement, made by the Ministry of Defence on 13 May 2025, celebrates Chopra’s outstanding achievements on the global athletics stage and his prior service in the armed forces.
Originating from Khandra village near Panipat, Haryana, the 27-year-old has etched his name into history with a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a silver in the 2024 Paris Games. A Subedar Major by rank, Chopra had been due for retirement this year.
The honorary commission will take effect from 16 April 2025, placing him alongside past honourees such as M.S. Dhoni, who received the same title in 2011.
The honorary title was conferred by the President of India under Para 31 of the Territorial Army Regulations, 1948.
Over the years, Chopra has earned several prestigious civilian and military awards, including the Padma Shri, PVSM, and VSM, further underscoring his contribution to national pride in both sport and service.
The TA at 75: Honouring dual service-
Founded in 1949, the Territorial Army celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024.
