NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi Inaugurates Wildlife Rehabilitation and Rescue Center, Vantara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The Prime Minister was in Gujarat to attend the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting at Sasan Gir in the Junagadh district of Gujarat on 3rd March 2025.

The Vantara is a wildlife rescue, conservation, and rehabilitation center.

During his visit to Vantara, the Prime Minister inspected various facilities and interacted directly with the rehabilitated animals.

Recently, the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust of the Vantara was honoured with the 2025 Prani Mitra award in the Corporate category by the government of India.

The Vantara Center has been established by Reliance Industries Limited and the Reliance Foundation. The Vantara is spread over 3000 acres of land within the Reliance Industries oil refinery complex at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The Vantara center attempts to address issues like habitat loss of the wildlife, human-animal conflicts and the poaching of the wild animals.

The Vantara animal rescue, conservation, and rehabilitation center is home to more than 200 species and over 1.5 lakh rescued endangered and threatened animals.

India Inaugurates First World Peace Center in Gurugram, Haryana

India has taken a major step towards global peace and harmony with the inauguration of its first World Peace Center in Gurugram, Haryana.

Established by Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti under the guidance of Jain Acharya Lokesh, the center aims to promote non-violence, spiritual awareness, human values, and universal brotherhood.

The event witnessed the presence of prominent leaders and spiritual figures.

Key objective includes

Promoting Non-Violence and Peace – Spreading the message of ahimsa (non-violence) and encouraging peaceful practices in daily life.

Spiritual and Moral Upliftment – Conducting discourses, workshops, and meditation sessions to enhance spiritual and moral consciousness.

Environmental and Ethical Awareness – Addressing climate change, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.

Mizoram Launches Voluntary Pension Scheme to Tackle ‘Proxies’ Menace

The Mizoram government has introduced the Special Voluntary Retirement Scheme across the state.

Under this scheme, any employee unable to perform official duties due to health, domestic, or other debilitating issues can apply for voluntary pension.

This scheme covers all regular government employees governed by CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, who have not completed 20 years of service.

Additionally, employees under the Mizoram New Defined Contributory System, 2010 are also eligible.

According to Mizoram CM Lalduhoma, this scheme provides affected employees with an honourable exit while addressing the widespread issue of government employees hiring proxies.

Current data shows that 3,365 government employees across 44 departments had engaged proxies as substitutes.

Of these, over 2,000 employees cited health reasons, while 703 employees were affected by domestic issues.

In June 2024, the government ordered all proxy-hiring employees to report to their assigned posts within 45 days.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Nepal Sign MoU In WASH Sector And Strengthen Ties In Railways

India and Nepal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in the field of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector and waste management.

Both countries also reviewed their existing and proposed cross-country rail projects at the 9th Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the 7th Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings held in New Delhi.

The MoU between India and Nepal on the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector and waste management was signed in New Delhi.

The MoU aims to ensure better access to clean drinking water and sanitation for their populations.

Both countries will collaborate in Capacity Building,Technology and Knowledge Transfer and Groundwater Management.

India and Nepal reviewed their cooperation in the Railway sector at the 9th Project Steering Committee and the 7th Joint Working Group meetings.

India Secures Place on UN’s Honour Roll for Timely Budget Payment

India paid USD 32.895 million to the UN Regular Budget, securing a place on the UN Honour Roll.

This recognition is awarded to nations that pay their assessed contributions in full within 30 days of receiving the UN’s payment notice.

India was among only 36 nations that met the Honour Roll criteria as of the deadline.

India has consistently fulfilled its financial obligations to the UN, reflecting its commitment to a rules-based global order.

The timely budget payment reinforces India’s credibility as a responsible global player and strengthens its case for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC).

 

BANKING

ICICI Prudential Life Launches Income Guarantee Product In Volatile Times

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has introduced ‘ICICI Pru GIFT Select’, a long-term savings product that offers guaranteed immediate income for liquidity.

The product provides flexibility in choosing the start time, duration, and maturity amount of the guaranteed income.

It includes a life cover component to ensure financial security for the family.

A unique feature is the increasing income option, where income grows at a compounding rate of 5% per annum, acting as an inflation hedge.

Amit Palta, Chief Product and Distribution Officer, stated that the product allows customers to customize guaranteed income based on their life goals and cash flow needs.

In a volatile macroeconomic environment, customers prefer guaranteed returns and wealth preservation.

ICICI Pru GIFT Select helps customers protect their financial savings from market fluctuations while achieving their financial goals.

The company has a claim settlement ratio of 99.3% in nine months of FY’25, with an average settlement time of 1.2 days for non-investigated claims.

Poonawalla Fincorp Launches 24/7 Digital Personal Loan Product

Poonawalla Fincorp, a Cyrus Poonawalla Group NBFC focused on Consumer and MSME Lending, has launched PL Prime Digital 24×7, an industry-first fully digital personal loan for salaried professionals.

The loan offers instant access to credit with approvals in just 15 minutes, up to ₹15 lakh, through a completely paperless process.

Key features include 24×7 availability via mobile app, website, and authorized partners, Zero collateral requirement and Flexible EMI tenures.

The personal loan segment in India has grown 27% year-on-year, highlighting the increasing reliance on unsecured credit.

Poonawalla Fincorp continues its risk-averse lending approach by calibrating pricing based on risk while leveraging disruptive technology to enhance customer experience.

This launch further strengthens the company’s PL Prime Business segment, recently introduced to expand its lending portfolio.

Paytm Ties Up With RBL Bank

Paytm has partnered with RBL Bank to boost digital payment adoption among the bank's merchant partners.

As part of the initiative, Paytm will provide Soundbox and card machines to RBL Bank’s merchants for seamless and efficient transactions.

Key benefits for merchants include Real-time transaction tracking through Paytm for Business dashboard, Support for multiple payment modes, including UPI, RuPay credit card on UPI, UPI Lite, debit and credit cards, and EMI options and Secure and reliable payment solutions powered by Paytm’s technology.

Paytm Soundbox revolutionized in-store payments with instant audio confirmations.

NFC Card Soundbox enables ‘Tap and Pay’ transactions for debit and credit cards, including payments from international tourists.

Multilingual audio alerts in 11 languages, enhancing merchant convenience.

The collaboration reduces cash dependency and empowers merchants with cutting-edge digital payment solutions.

 

DEFENCE

NASA And Nokia To Launch The First Cellular Network In Space

NASA's IM-2 mission, is a 10-day lunar expedition targeting the south pole’s Mons Mouton to mine water ice and rare minerals.

It will deploy Nokia’s 4G/LTE network for real-time communication, paving the way for sustainable lunar bases and future Martian missions.

Its primary goal is to mine for water ice and rare minerals critical for future lunar bases.

The mission also aims to deploy Nokia’s 4G/LTE cellular network, a partnership with NASA to boost high-speed, real-time communication for future lunar operations.

The IM-2 mission uses Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander, which detached from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is set to land near the lunar south pole on March 6, 2025.

Athena carries two NASA instruments designed to drill 3 feet into the lunar surface to search for water and carbon dioxide.

A secondary objective of the IM-2 mission is to deploy the first lunar cellular network, developed by Nokia in partnership with NASA and Intuitive Machines.

The 4G network is expected to function for only a few days due to lunar night temperatures (−200°C), which will deactivate the system.

The Texas-based Intuitive Machines became the first private company to complete a successful moon landing last February, carrying six NASA payloads, including one at the moon’s south pole.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2025

The Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2025 concluded with a grand ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, celebrating India’s corporate and entrepreneurial leaders.

The prestigious event recognized outstanding contributions in business, innovation, and leadership, highlighting individuals and organizations that have shaped India’s economic and social landscape.

Hosted by Forbes India, the event brought together top industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, honoring their transformative impact.

Emerging Innovator Award: BugWorks Research

BugWorks Research was awarded for its groundbreaking work in biotechnology.

Outstanding Startup Award: BrowserStack

BrowserStack, one of the fastest-growing tech startups, was honored for revolutionizing software testing solutions.

Icons of Excellence: Ajay Singh and Katrina Kaif

Ajay Singh, Chairman and MD of SpiceJet, was recognized for his contribution to the aviation sector, reflecting on the airline’s journey against all odds.

Katrina Kaif, co-founder of Kay Beauty, was honored for entrepreneurship in the beauty industry, promoting inclusivity and self-expression in cosmetics.

 

OBITUTARY

Mumbai Cricket Great Padmakar Shivalkar

Padmakar Shivalkar, the legendary left-arm spinner, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 84.

Shivalkar picked up 589 wickets in First-Class cricket across 124 games, with an impressive average of 19.74.

He played a key role in Mumbai’s 15-season Ranji Trophy title streak and was regarded as one of the finest spinners in domestic cricket.

In 2017, he received the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), alongside fellow spinner Rajinder Goel.

His last public appearance was during the 50th anniversary celebration of Wankhede Stadium, where he was felicitated by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

Shivalkar was spotted and mentored by Vinoo Mankad and trained at Shivaji Park Gymkhana.