NATIONAL NEWS

24th World Sustainable Development Summit 2025

The 24th World Sustainable Development Summit 2025 concluded in New Delhi on 7th March 2025.

The World Sustainable Development Summit, which claims to be the only independently convened international summit on sustainable development and environment in the Global South, was held in New Delhi from 5-7 March 2025.

The Summit provides a platform for thought leaders, heads of state and government, scholars, corporates, youth groups, and civil society to discuss issues related to sustainable development and climate change and suggest innovations and solutions.

The World Sustainable Development Summit 2025 was organised by “The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).”

The theme of the 24th World Sustainable Development Summit 2025 was “ Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions.”

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was set up as the Tata Energy and Resources Institute in 1974.

It is a non-governmental organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

TERI's expertise lies in conducting research in the fields of energy, sustainable development, and the environment.

Kerala Chief Minister Inaugurates Advance Cybersecurity Operations Centre

Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, inaugurated the Advanced Cybersecurity Operations Centre (SOC) for the Kerala Police Cyber Division via video conferencing.

The initiative aims to enhance cybersecurity for police systems and critical infrastructure across the state.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has developed TRINETRA, an AI-powered cybersecurity platform designed to protect enterprises and critical sectors.

Key Features of the Cybersecurity Operations Centre (SOC)

24x7 Cyber Threat Monitoring to identify vulnerabilities and prevent cyberattacks.

Protection of Police Infrastructure, including headquarters, city commissionerates, and police stations.

Real-Time Anomaly Detection using AI-driven analysis of endpoints, network traffic, and user behavior.

Proactive Cyber Threat Mitigation to ensure robust data security.

This initiative marks a significant leap in strengthening Kerala Police’s cybersecurity resilience, ensuring the safety of critical digital infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.

BANKING

PhonePe Launches 'insuring HEROES' Campaign for International Women's Day

PhonePe launched its ‘insuring HEROES’ campaign ahead of the International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day is observed every year on March 8.

As part of the initiative, the company is offering exclusive discounts of up to 30%, specifically for women, on select term life and health insurance plans.

It is available on the PhonePe platform until March 9, 2025.

Women can avail these exclusive offers on the PhonePe app to ensure their overall economic well-being and enjoy long-term stability.

Discounts include up to 15% off on health insurance plans, and up to 30% off on term life insurance plans.

Through this initiative, PhonePe aims to assist women with greater financial security, facilitating their access to the right insurance solutions tailored to their unique needs.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados Award

The Government of Barbados conferred its prestigious Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The award was received by the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados.

Prime Minister Modi has been conferred with the award for his strategic leadership and valuable assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley announced the award for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the sidelines of the 2nd India-CARICOM summit meeting.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024

The founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of online stock broking company Zerodha Limited, Nitin Kamath, has been conferred with the EY Entrepreneur Of  The Year 2024 India award.

Nitin Kamath will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards to be held in Monte Carlo in June 2025.

The winners of the 26th edition of the annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 India in various categories were announced by the Indian subsidiary of the British consultancy firm EY on 5th March 2025.

Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav gave the awards to the winners.

Zerodha is credited for making capital market investing more accessible and cost-effective for small investors.

Zerodha achieved Unicorn status in 2020 without any external funding. Zerodha is now supporting many fintech and startup companies like Nazara Technologies and Bluestone.

Zerodha also launched India’s first Growth Liquid ETF in January 2024.

Veteran banker KV Kamath was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the financial sector.

S Somanath, ISRO Chairman, was awarded the Special Jury Award for his role in India's landmark space missions, reinforcing India’s global position in space exploration.

AM Turing Award 2024

Andrew G. Barto and Richard S. Sutton of the United States of America have been selected for the prestigious 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award.

The winner of the prestigious A.M.Turner award, which is considered as a Nobel Prize in Computing, was announced by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in New York, United States of America.

Both the winners will share the $1 million prize money sponsored by Google.

Both Andrew G. Barto and Richard S. Sutton were honoured for their work in conceptual and algorithmic foundations of reinforcement learning, crucial for artificial intelligence.

They introduced the main ideas, constructed the mathematical foundations, and developed important algorithms for reinforcement learning.

The A.M.Turing award was instituted in 1966 by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), New York, United States of America.

It is given every year to individuals whose work has outstanding significance for computer science.

The prize has been founded as a tribute to the British mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst Alan Mathison Turing.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

New Executive Director of RBI

Dr Ajit Ratnakar Joshi has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) of the RBI, effective March 3, 2025.

He will oversee the Department of Statistics and Information Management and the Financial Stability Department.

He previously served as Principal Adviser in the Department of Statistics and Information Management.

He has over 30 years of experience in statistics, information technology, and cyber risk management.

SPORTS

Sharath Kamal To Retire After WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025

Legendary Indian male table tennis player Achnata Sharath Kamal has announced his retirement from professional table tennis after the 2025 WTT Star Contender Chennai tournament.

Chennai will host a WTT Star Contender event for the first time from 25 to 30 March 2025. He will finish his illustrious career in the city where he was born.

Sharath Kamal was born on 12th July 1982 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He started his professional table tennis career when he was in class X.

Sharath Kamal won his first National title in 2003. He has won the National title 10 times in his career.

He broke Kamlesh Mehta’s record of eight National titles.

Sharath Kamal was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2019

Sharath Kamal was conferred the 2004 Arjuna Award.