World Water Day, observed annually on 22 March, raises global awareness of freshwater and sanitation challenges. The 2026 theme, ‘Water and Gender’, emphasises safe drinking water and sanitation as fundamental human rights and critical enablers of gender equality, directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 5.
To mark this celebration, the UNESCO Office in Venice and the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) are organising a meeting, which will take place on 23 March 2026 in Venice, Italy.
Under the theme ‘Water and Gender - Where Water Flows, Equality Grows’, this event will launch the UN World Water Development Report 2026 (WWDR 2026) and convene key stakeholders to foster dialogue, partnerships, and action towards more inclusive and resilient water systems.
World Meteorological Day is being observed globally. The theme for this year is “Observing today, protecting tomorrow”.
Every year, on 23rd of March, the World Meteorological Organisation commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on 23rd of March in 1950.
It showcases the essential contribution of Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and well-being of society and is celebrated with activities around the world.
The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate or water-related issues.
Sikkim has been selected as the host venue for the 49th Yonex Sunrise Junior National Badminton Championship (Individual & Team – U-19) 2026. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 14th to 21st November.
Jacob Khaling, President of the Badminton Association of Sikkim, expressed pride over the state being chosen to host the prestigious national-level event for the first time. The championship, organised under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India, will see top junior players from across the country competing at the highest level.
Khaling extended his gratitude to Himanta Biswa Sharma, who also serves as President of the Badminton Association of India, along with Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, and the entire executive committee for placing their trust in Sikkim.
The championship is expected to be a landmark event for Sikkim’s sporting landscape, offering local athletes a rare opportunity to witness and compete alongside some of the finest young badminton talents in the country.
Khaling also called upon the badminton fraternity and the wider sporting community to extend their support in making the prestigious tournament a success.
The National Productivity Council (NPC), an autonomous organisation under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India,
has signed an Agreement with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to act as the Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, notified by MoEF&CC on 29 August 2025.
The Agreement entrusts NPC with the responsibility for overall management of the environmental audit framework, including development of eligibility criteria, conduct of examinations for certification, registration of auditors, monitoring of their performance and capacity building.
The Environment Audit framework is envisaged as a key instrument to strengthen compliance with major environmental legislations, including the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980;the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972;
and rules framed thereunder. It will also support compliance with regulatory approvals such as Environmental Clearance (EC), Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) issued by the competent authorities.
NPC will operate in accordance with the provisions of the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, ensuring adherence to prescribed standards, timelines and reporting requirements. With its pan-India presence through 13 offices, including its Headquarters in New Delhi, and its experience in productivity enhancement, sustainability and capacity building.
Shri Krishna Kumar Thakur, a 1998 batch officer of the Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), has assumed charge as Director (Personnel) at NMDC Limited, India’s largest iron ore producer, on Thursday.
In his two-and-a-half decades of service with Indian Railways and CPSUs, Shri Thakur brings extensive experience in human resource management and administration.
He has handled key HR functions across major railway divisions including Solapur, Bhopal and Mumbai, and has led large-scale recruitment as Chairman, Railway Recruitment Cell, Western Railway, overseeing induction of around 12,000 employees.
His leadership has been instrumental in handling large-scale recruitments, managing complex industrial relations, and introducing progressive HR initiatives aimed at enhancing productivity and employee welfare.
During his tenure with RITES, he was associated with an international train operations project in Saudi Arabia.
He has also headed the HR function at Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), where he played a key role in streamlining HR policies and procedures.
Prior to joining NMDC, as Director (HR) at BHEL, Shri Thakur spearheaded several initiatives in HR, Law and HSE, including restructuring of functions, policy reforms, introduction of a uniform incentive scheme.
An alumnus of Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur, he holds a postgraduate degree in Literature and a PGDM in Human Resources from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
His experience in HR across Indian Railways and large CPSEs will be instrumental in strengthening NMDC’s people-centric ecosystem while aligning employee growth with organizational goals.
India has achieved a one-billion-tonne Coal Production milestone again, which will strengthen country’s energy security. It was achieved for the second year in a row. The Ministry of Coal, said that this significant milestone underscores India’s growing self-reliance in the energy sector and its commitment to ensuring an uninterrupted fuel supply to key industries.
This enhanced and sustained coal production level has enabled the country to effectively meet rising energy demands while supporting the power sector in maintaining record-high coal stock levels at coal-based thermal power plants.
The achievement reflects robust planning, efficient execution, and strengthened coordination across the coal value chain, thereby contributing meaningfully to the nation’s economic growth trajectory.
The Ministry of Coal continues to remain steadfast in its commitment to fostering a stable, transparent, and performance-driven ecosystem.
Aligned with the national vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047,” these efforts reinforce the Government’s resolve to build a resilient energy framework, enhance domestic production capabilities, and drive sustainable economic development.
Bank of Baroda has launched an overdraft (OD) facility linked to UPI for women Self-Help Group (SHG) members, becoming the first bank in the country to operationalise a credit line on UPI for this segment.
The facility allows eligible women with Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts to access up to ₹5,000 as an overdraft, which can be used directly through UPI apps for payments, transfers and repayments without visiting a bank branch. Users can also track balances and transaction history digitally.
The initiative, launched in partnership with National Payments Corporation of India, Indian Banks Association and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, aims to expand access to formal credit among underserved rural borrowers.
Bhupathiraju Anmish Varma of India has set a new record for the shortest time to summit the Seven Volcanic Summits in the male category. He accomplished this feat in 92 days, 4 hours, and 45 minutes. This achievement was officially confirmed on February 6, 2026.
Anmish began his climb from Mount Elbrus in Russia on October 23, 2024. He successfully completed the expedition by reaching Mount Sidley in Antarctica on January 23,2025.
The Seven Volcanic Summits include volcanic mountains located in different regions of the world, including Tanzania, Ojos del Salado, Pico de Orizaba, Papua New Guinea, Elbrus, Damavand, and Mount Sidley.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has launched the second edition of its flagship initiative, the 5G Innovation Hackathon 2026, building on the encouraging response to the previous edition.
Organised under the 100 5G Use Case Labs Initiative, the Hackathon seeks to catalyse the development of innovative and scalable solutions leveraging 5G and allied technologies. It invites participation from students, start-ups, MSMEs, and innovators across the country.
The Hackathon will commence with a call for proposals from (March 20, 2026), and submissions will remain open until April 17, 2026. Proposals will be received through the designated 100 5G Use Case Lab institutions, which will function as nodal centres.
All entries will undergo a structured multi-stage evaluation process, including institute-level screening, regional committee assessment, national level evaluation based on presentations, prototype development support and final evaluations based on physical demonstrations.
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has successfully tested an indigenously developed Floating LiDAR Buoy System off the coast of Muttom in Tamil Nadu, marking a significant step in India’s push for advanced ocean observation technologies.
A floating LiDAR buoy is a high-tech ocean-based instrument used to measure wind conditions over the sea. It combines a floating platform (buoy) with LiDAR technology, short for Light Detection and Ranging.
The newly developed system is capable of measuring wind speed and direction profiles up to 300 meters above sea level.
Scientists say this high-resolution data will play a crucial role in improving weather forecasting and enhancing the accuracy of atmospheric and oceanographic models.
As the country looks to expand its offshore wind capacity, accurate wind measurements over the ocean are key to identifying viable project sites and optimizing energy generation.
Despite these constraints, the successful test demonstrates India’s growing capability in designing and deploying complex marine technologies. The project has been developed under the government’s flagship initiatives such as Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, aimed at boosting domestic innovation and reducing dependence on foreign technologies.
Telangana Government announced Indiramma Family Life Insurance scheme that will benefit 1.15 crore families in the State with an insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh each.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in his 2026-27 budget speech on March 20, 2026 announced the launch of the insurance scheme.
The government aims to ensure that living in Telangana is a support, not a burden, noting that the loss of a sole earning member can push families into severe financial distress alongside emotional trauma. In this context, the state has allocated Rs 13,679 crore to the Medical and Health department, an increase of Rs 1,286 crore from Rs 12,393 crore in the previous fiscal.
Rituparna Sengupta was recently honoured with the Women Empowerment Award for Art and Culture at the House of Commons in the UK. The award was presented by Seema Malhotra and Virendra Sharma at an event organised by GloWomen CiC to mark International Women's Day.
The event celebrated women across fields for their contributions, with Rituparna being recognised for her work in art and culture
