In December 2022, the world came together and agreed on a global plan to transform our relationship with nature. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, sets 23 targets for 2030 and 5 global goals for 2050 to stop and reverse the loss of nature in 25 years.
This International Day for Biological Diversity, under the theme “Harmony with nature and sustainable development”, highlights how this plan for nature connects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showing that both agendas must advance together as they support one another.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences announced the achievement of a major milestone inthe National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building -Mission Karmayogi.
The iGOT Karmayogi platform, a digital learning platform operated and managed by Karmayogi Bharathas crossed 1 crore registered civil servants across India, marking a 30-fold growth from 3lakh users onboarded till January 2023, in over 2 years. Over 60% of the registered users on iGOT Karmayogi platform are from all 36 States/UTs.
The top 5 states which so far have relatively higher number of registered civil servants on the platform are Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. So far, over 3.1 crore learning certificates have been issued to civil servants based on course completion which aggregates to more than 3.8 crore learning hours.
iGOT Karmayogi platform offers over 2,400 courses in 16 languages contributed by more than 200 course providers including Central and State Government Ministries and Departments, Civil Services Training Institutes (CSTIs), Civil Society Organisations, philanthropic bodies, premier Indian academic institutions, and private industry experts.
The first Karmayogi Saptah (National Learning Week) was held during 19th to 27th October 2024 that witnessed a significant learning uptake with over 32 lakh course completions and more than 38 lakh hours of learning recorded across the platform.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, in collaboration with the Embassy of France and the Embassy of Costa Rica in India, hosted the “Second Blue Talks”, May 20, 2025, at Prithvi Bhawan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
At the event, MoES launched a white paper titled “Transforming India’s Blue Economy: Investment, Innovation and Sustainable Growth” in collaboration with its strategic knowledge partner.
The Indian Navy formally inducted and named the Ancient Stitched ship as INSV Kaundinya at a ceremonial event held at Naval Base, Karwar. INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship, based on a 5th century CE ship depicted in the paintings of Ajanta Caves.
The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and M/s Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. Following the keel laying in September 2023, the vessel’s construction was undertaken using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala.
India has formally assumed the Chairmanship of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) for the 2025–26 term during the ongoing 67th Session of the Governing Body Meeting (GBM) of the APO, being held from 20–22 May 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indian delegation is led by Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Amardeep Singh Bhatia.
Each year, over 100 Indian professionals participate in APO-led capacity-building initiatives through the National Productivity Council (NPC) under DPIIT. These programs contribute significantly to productivity improvements in India's industrial, services, and agricultural sectors.
Established in 1961, the Asian Productivity Organization is a Tokyo-based intergovernmental body that promotes productivity enhancement across the Asia-Pacific region through mutual cooperation and capacity building. The 67th GBM is being hosted by the Government of Indonesia.
The APO currently comprises 21 member economies, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Taiwan, Fiji, Hong Kong (dormant), India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye, and Vietnam.
The Indian economy is projected to expand by 7.2% in the fourth quarter of FY25, due to a sharp increase in net indirect tax growth and improvement in the agriculture sector, according to Barclays. The agriculture sector is expected to show improvement in Q4, with the gross value added (GVA) rising to 5.8% compared to 5.6% in Q3, it noted.
The net indirect taxes grew by 30% year-on-year in the January-March quarter. Both firms forecast lower FY25 growth than official estimates. Easing inflation may prompt RBI rate cuts, supporting the economy amidst varying growth projections for the coming fiscal year.
Kannada author Banu Mushtaq’s short story collection Heart Lamp, which interprets and inhabits the faultlines and silent revolts in the everyday lives of Muslim women, won the 2025 International Booker Prize. Translated from the Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, Heart Lamp (Penguin) examines how misogyny unfolds, in kitchens, bedrooms, prayer rooms, and (women’s) own silent.
Mushtaq (77), a practising lawyer in Karnataka since 1990, is known for her work as a women’s rights activist and role in the Kannada Bandaya (rebel) tradition that emerged after Emergency. She was also a reporter with the now-defunct weekly newspaper Lankesh Patrike for a decade.
Bhasthi, meanwhile, has become the first Indian translator to win the prize. She won the English PEN’s ‘PEN Translates’ award for the same work in 2024.
Bhasthi has previously translated a Kannada novel — The Same Village, The Same Tree, by Kota Shivarama Karanth — and a collection of Kannada short stories by Kodagina Gouramma titled Fame’s Game.
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi today launched the Depot Darpan, Anna Mitra, and Anna Sahayata apps in New Delhi. The apps are aligned with the government’s aim of advancing the country’s food security through digital innovation.
The Depot Darpan mobile app will allow supervisory officials to track warehouse performance anytime, anywhere, supporting better decision making. It is integrated with smart warehousing technologies, CCTV Surveillance and IoT sensors.
On the other hand, the Anna Sahyata app is a first-of-its-kind voice and message grievance platform which will allow citizens to register complaints in their local languages with real-time tracking and feedback. Anna Mitra will act as real real-time command centre for ration distribution for FDS dealers, Food Inspectors, District Officials, among others.
The Indian Army, in collaboration with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Assam Police, successfully conducted Exercise JAL RAHAT at IIT Guwahati.
The exercise underscored the immense potential of civil-military cooperation in disaster management. It showcased the dedication and capability of all involved parties in conducting effective relief operations.
The exercise has successfully instilled a sense of confidence among the local population regarding the effectiveness of flood relief operations. It assured residents of a prompt and efficient response from the Indian Army and other government agencies in times of crisis.
According to the report, the world’s top ten busiest airports account for 9% of global air traffic (approximately 855 million passengers) and experienced an 8.8% increase from 2023 and an 8.4% rise compared to their performance in 2019, when they served 789 million passengers.
As of 2024, New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) has emerged as the busiest airport in India and globally, surpassing Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), which recorded 52,820,754 passengers that year.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has secured a Rs 1,500 crore loan from the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) for its first slum redevelopment project in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar. This marks the first major financial closure for MMRDA’s Rs 8,498 crore Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project.
Of the total project cost of Rs 8,498 crore, Rs 3,916 crore will be raised through institutional loans. The Rs 1,500 crore loan from BoM represents the first tranche in this funding plan. The agreement has been executed as part of the implementation of Phase 1 of the project.
Renowned astrophysicist Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar passed away peacefully in his sleep on 20 May at his home in Pune at the age of 86. Prof Narlikar was best known for his pioneering contributions to cosmology and for advocating alternative models to the widely accepted Big Bang theory.
Jayant Narlikar was born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and grew up in a family that valued intellectual pursuits. Jayant Narlikar and Fred Hoyle proposed the Hoyle–Narlikar theory of conformal gravity as an alternative to the Big Bang theory. Unlike the Big Bang model, which suggests the universe began from a singular explosive event.
A recipient of several prestigious honours, Narlikar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965, the Padma Vibhushan in 2004, and the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2011. In 2014, his autobiography received the Sahitya Akademi Award for best writing in a regional language (Marathi).
Dr. M R Srinivasan, the former Chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, passed away on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, at the age of 95. M R Srinivasan was the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission who played a major role in developing India's nuclear power programme.
Malur Ramasamy (M R) Srinivasan, born in Janaury 1930, was an Indian nuclear scientist and mechanical engineer who was also responsible for the development of a Pressurised heavy-water reactor (PHWR) in India. After joining the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in September 1955, Srinivasan worked with Dr. Homi Bhabha on the nation's first nuclear research reactor, Apsara.
The United States of America has become the world’s fourth largest supplier of crude oil to India, overtaking the UAE. According to Vortexa, an energy cargo tracking firm, India's US crude imports doubled to reach 0.33 million barrels per day (mbd) in April, increasing from 0.17 mbd in the previous year and 0.24 mbd in March.
India seeks to enhance its energy procurement from the US, responding to Donald Trump's desire to address bilateral trade disparities. Following discussions between Trump and PM Narendra Modi in Washington in February, foreign secretary Vikram Misri indicated potential growth in India's energy purchases from the US, projecting an increase from $15 billion to $25 billion.
The US achieved a 7.3% share of India's crude imports in April, exceeding the UAE's 6.4%. However, it remained behind Saudi Arabia (10.4%), Iraq (19.1%), and Russia (37.8%). The April figures showed increased shares for Russian and Iraqi imports, whilst Saudi Arabia and the UAE experienced declines compared to March.
