NATIONAL NEWS

JP Nadda Launches Tripura Government’s 2 Schemes For Girls In Agartala

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jagat Prakash Nadda, launched the two welfare schemes of the Tripura government for the girls of the state.

The scheme -Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana and Mukhyamantri Kanya Atmanirbhar Yojana - was launched on the occasion of the two years of the formation of the BJP government in the state.

Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana

The scheme is for the girl children born in a below poverty line (BPL) in the state.

The state government will deposit Rs 50,000 in the name of the girl in a bond.

After the girl reaches the age of 18 years, the bond will be given to the girl.

According to the state government, the value of the bond is expected to be Rs10 lakhs when the girl child turns 18.

Mukhyamantri Kanya Atmanirbhar Yojana

It will be for meritorious girl students studying in Higher Secondary Schools.

The schools affiliated with the Tripura Education Board, CBSE, and Indian School Certificate (ISC) are eligible under the scheme.

140 meritorious students scoring high marks in the exam will be provided a scooty free of cost by the state government.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Armenia Signed two MoU

India and Armenia signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The MoUs were signed during the visit of Armenia’s foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan to India.

They discussed the regional and bilateral issue. Discussion was held on a wide range of bilateral issues like the cooperation in the field of trade,economics, politics,connectivity, education, culture, and people-to-people contacts.

Both sides also agreed to explore cooperation in digital technologies, and pharmaceuticals.

These MoUs are:

Cooperation in the field of regulation of medical products. The MoU was signed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Center of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise (CDMTE) of Armenia.

Cooperation between Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Government Launches AI Kosha to Strengthen AI Development

The AI Kosha initiative is a significant step in India’s AI development strategy.

It serves as a non-personal data repository with 316 datasets to aid AI model development, focusing on Indian languages to support the creation of translation tools for linguistic inclusivity.

It is part of the broader ₹10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission, which promotes AI innovation.

India has also expanded its AI compute infrastructure by commissioning 14,000 GPUs, an increase from 10,000, with quarterly expansions planned.

The initiative provides pooled access to these GPUs for startups and academia to facilitate AI model training and deployment.

Additionally, India is working on developing its own homegrown AI model, inspired by China's DeepSeek, to create cost-effective AI solutions.

 

BANKING

State Bank of India Unveils ‘Asmita’ Loan and ‘Nari Shakti’ Debit Card

In a significant move to support women entrepreneurs across India, the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched 'Asmita', a collateral-free digital loan designed exclusively for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The initiative, unveiled on the eve of International Women's Day, aims to provide easy access to finance at low-interest rates, along with comprehensive support to help women entrepreneurs scale their businesses.

The launch of Asmita comes after a TransUnion CIBIL report highlighted the low participation of women in business borrowing.

Key Features of SBI Asmita Scheme include Customized Financing, Collateral-Free Loans, Financial Literacy and Support, Low Interest Rates, Paperless Process and Entrepreneurial Training

Alongside Asmita, SBI has also introduced the 'Nari Shakti' RuPay Debit Card, made entirely from recycled plastic as part of the bank’s sustainability initiatives.

Key Benefits of 'Nari Shakti' Debit Card: Exclusive benefits on shopping, travel, entertainment, and insurance and designed to cater to the changing financial and lifestyle needs of women

Star Health Insurance Launches ‘SheTARA’ Campaign

Star Health Insurance launches the “SheTARA” health campaign in Tamil Nadu to celebrate International Women’s Day.

This initiative aims to raise people’s awareness of preventative healthcare solutions and recruit more women as insurance agents.

This is a crucial step as Tamil Nadu’s factories employ nearly 42% of India’s women workers (6.3 lakh).

These camps will provide essential health screening services to women at subsidised rates.

This will include tests for measuring thyroid function, haemoglobin levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, and bone mineral density.

The company will also host a special webinar to explain how women can achieve work-life balance and prioritise their health in the age of AI.

The event will be led by a prominent gynaecologist.

Besides, it will also host a flagship event at its Anna Nagar branch (Chennai) to recognise the contribution of its women employees.

 

DEFENCE

First Defence Minister to Visit Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bengaluru

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh made history by becoming the first Defence Minister of India to visit the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

His visit emphasized the critical role of aerospace medicine in India's defence and aviation sectors.

During the visit, he was briefed on IAM’s contributions to pilot training, aeromedical research, and medical evaluation of Air Force personnel.

He also inaugurated a new research project on space psychology, highlighting India’s growing focus on space medicine as the country advances in both aerospace and space exploration.

IAM is a premier aerospace medicine institute under the Indian Air Force, dedicated to research and training in aeromedical sciences.

One of the key highlights of the visit was the launch of a major research initiative – the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Extramural Research Project: Centre for Advanced Research.

 

APPOINTMENTS RESIGNATIONS

Prime Minister of Canada

Mark Carney has been announced as the next Liberal Party leader and the 24th Prime Minister of Canada, succeeding Justin Trudeau.

The announcement was made by Liberal Party President Sachit Mehra after Carney won the leadership race with 131,674 votes (85.9%).

His competitors included Chrystia Freeland (11,134 votes), Karina Gould (4,785 votes), and Frank Baylis (4,038 votes).

Carney has previously served as Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008–2013) and Governor of the Bank of England (2013–2020).

He also chaired the Financial Stability Board (2011–2018) and worked at Goldman Sachs before moving into central banking.

He is credited with helping Canada navigate the 2008 financial crisis, making him one of the most respected economic leaders.

 

SPORTS

2025 World Junior Chess Championship

Grandmaster (GM) Pranav Venkatesh became the 7th Indian to win the World Junior Chess Championship.

GM Pranav Venkatesh won the 2025 World Junior Chess Championship after his last match against FIDE Master Matic Lavrencic of Slovenia ended in a draw. He topped the points table with 9 points and won the 2025 World Junior Chess Championship title.

The 2025 World Junior Chess Championship was organised by the international chess governing body FIDE at Petrovac, Montenegro.

Before the start of the 2025 World Junior Chess Championship, GM Pranav Venkatesh was ranked 140th in the world.

During the whole tournament, Pranav remained unbeaten. He won seven matches and drew 4.

He secured 9 out of a maximum 11 points to win the World Junior Chess Championship.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Women Judges Day

The International Day of Women Judges, observed annually on March 10, highlights the vital role of women in the judiciary.

It promotes fairness, representation, and inclusivity in legal systems while encouraging more women to pursue judicial careers.

It recognizes women’s contributions to the judiciary and strengthens judicial legitimacy through inclusivity.

It was declared by UNGA through Resolution 75/274 on April 28, 2021

It is first observed on March 10, 2022.

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