1 President presented Ramnath Goenka Awards
President Draupadi Murmu on Wednesday presented the 19th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards at a ceremony held in New Delhi . These awards are given to journalists who uphold the values of truth, fairness and fearless reporting. aajtak.in ‘s special correspondent Mridulika Jha has been awarded the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in the Hindi category for her story on the year 2023. This award has been given for the ground report on the youth of Haryana and Punjab who want to go to America through the ‘ Donkey Route ‘. As part of the centenary year celebrations of its founder Ramnath Goenka , the Indian Express Group instituted the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Thursday visited the Indian Navy’s latest indigenously built destroyer warship INS Surat at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. He was accompanied by Royal New Zealand Navy Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Garin Golding . Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh welcomed the Prime Minister and briefed him about the capabilities of the Indian Navy. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is on a visit to India from 19 to 24 March. At the same time, the Royal New Zealand Navy ship ‘ HMNZS Te Kaha’ ‘ has also anchored on the western coast of Mumbai.
3 Decision to honour renowned sculptor Ram Sutar with Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian award of Maharashtra State
4 India’s GDP to grow at 6.7% in FY 2025: S&P Global
S&P Global Ratings on Thursday said India’s GDP will grow at 6.7% in fiscal 2025 and it will remain the fastest growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region. The rating agency also said that the impact of tariffs will be less due to India’s low exposure to the US. The report said Indian companies are safe due to strong growth and credit quality and most companies will focus on getting onshore funding due to increased liquidity.
In a significant step to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yes Bank . The collaboration aims to foster innovation and provide critical support to product startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the country . The partnership will leverage DPIIT’s Startup India initiative and Yes Bank’s financial expertise to facilitate market linkages, access to funding, mentoring, and infrastructure support for early-stage enterprises. Startups will benefit from Yes Bank’s HeadStartup program, which provides banking and financial solutions including working capital, credit access, and cash flow management. Additionally, they will get access to Yes Bank’s extensive network, strategic partnerships, and industry expertise, enabling them to scale operations and attract investments effectively.
6 DPIIT and Kyndrill partner to foster innovation in India’s manufacturing and IT startup ecosystems
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India and Kindrill Solutions Private Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate innovation and grow India’s startup ecosystem . The partnership will focus on supporting startups in the manufacturing and IT sectors by leveraging Kindrill’s expertise in digital transformation and generative AI solutions. Under the partnership, startups will be empowered through mentorship, infrastructure support and market access, enabling them to integrate their solutions into the enterprise ecosystem across industries such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, BFSI, oil & gas and government services. Kindrill will institutionalize dedicated programs to support digital product startups, AI-driven innovators and entrepreneurs.
The Union Cabinet has approved incentives worth Rs 1,500 crore for promoting low-value BHIM-UPI peer-to-peer merchant (P2M) transactions for 2024-25 . The scheme is being launched to promote the BHIM-UPI platform to achieve the target volume of Rs 200 billion in FY25. This is the first time that the Centre has defined small and large merchants in terms of the framework of BHIM-UPI incentives. The Centre has announced an incentive rate of 0.15 per cent for transaction value up to Rs 2,000 done by small merchants. , while large merchants of the same value category will not get any incentive. No one will get any incentive for transactions above Rs 2,000.
8 C-DOT launches SAMARTH Incubation Programme
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has launched “ SAMARTH ” incubation programme for startups to promote innovation and indigenous research in telecom and information technology (IT) sectors . Only startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry are eligible for the SAMARTH incubation programme. The selected startups will get a grant of up to Rs 5 lakh, and well-equipped workspace for a period of 6 months at C-DOT campuses in the country. They will also get access to C-DOT lab facilities and will be mentored by C-DOT technical leaders and industry experts. If selected, the startups will also get an opportunity for future collaboration under C-DOT’s collaborative research programme.
India’s cleanest city Indore , Madhya Pradesh has launched India’s first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model- based green waste processing plant under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban . The project will convert green waste in the city’s municipal area into valuable resources and help the city achieve garbage free status. The second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, launched on 1 October 2021, aims to achieve “garbage free” status for all cities in the country by 2026. The latest initiative of Indore Municipal Corporation is to achieve the goal of the second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban. The green waste processing plant is being set up by Indore Municipal Corporation in partnership with Astronomical Industries Private Limited. The Municipal Corporation will allocate land for this facility and transport the green waste of its area to the green waste processing plant. The private sector will be responsible for the construction and management of the green waste processing plant.
11 Zimbabwe’s Christy Coventry elected President of International Olympic Committee
Zimbabwe ‘s Christie Coventry has been elected President of the International Olympic Committee – IOC . 41-year-old Christie is the first female president in the history of the IOC . She was elected President at the 144th Session of the IOC in Greece yesterday. Christie Coventry will replace the ninth IOC President Thomas Bach, whose 12-year term will officially end after June 23.
12 World Sparrow Day 2025
World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on March 20. World Sparrow Day is an occasion to remind us that we must make efforts to save our little winged friends . Whether it is small efforts like planting more greenery, reducing the use of pesticides, or building safe nests, every step counts. By celebrating World Sparrow Day, we can bring these little birds back into our lives and maintain harmony between nature and humanity. World Sparrow Day was started in 2010 by a bird conservation organization called “ Nature Forever ” . It aimed to raise awareness about the declining sparrow population. In 2012 , the house sparrow was made the state bird of Delhi .
