1 Tamil Nadu: PM Modi inaugurated ‘Pamban Rail Bridge’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the ‘ Pamban Rail Bridge ‘ in Rameswaram . This is India’s first vertical lift bridge . Its foundation was laid by PM Modi in 2019. The 2.08 km long bridge connects Rameswaram (Pamban Island) to Mandapam in Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister operated the vertical lift span of the bridge using a remote device, allowing the Coast Guard ship to pass underneath. The newly constructed structure is the country’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge , reflecting the unprecedented progress of indigenous engineering. PM Modi also flagged off a new train service between Rameswaram and Tambaram in Chennai, which will further enhance regional connectivity and facilitate smooth travel for passengers and pilgrims. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Pamban Bridge in 2019 and in 5 years it has been completed over the sea. The Pamban Bridge has been designed keeping in mind future needs. This double-track bridge is suitable for the operation of high-speed trains, making it technologically advanced. The 2.08 km long bridge is special in many ways. It has 99 spans of 18.3 metres and one vertical lift span of 72.5 metres which rises to a height of 17 metres . It is 3 metres higher than the old bridge, allowing large ships to pass through easily. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects worth over Rs 8,300 crore in Tamil Nadu. These projects include four-laning of 28 km long Walajapet-Ranipet section of NH-40 and four-laning of 29 km long Viluppuram-Puducherry section of NH-332, 57 km long Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram section of NH-32 and 48 km long Cholapuram-Thanjavur section of NH-36.
2 Prime Minister Modi flagged off railway projects in Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated two major India-supported rail projects in Anuradhapura along with Sri Lankan President Anuradhapura Kumara Dissanayake . On the occasion, the two leaders launched the improvement of the Maho-Omanthai railway track and a new signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura section . Both these projects have been built with the help of India and are expected to improve connectivity and security in Sri Lanka’s northern railway network. The event took place at the Anuradhapura Railway Station and is an important step in the growing infrastructure cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
3 Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik became the first Indian to receive the prestigious Fred Darrington Sand Master Award
4 2nd phase of the 1st edition of 4th Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 to be held in New Delhi
The second phase of the first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 will be held in New Delhi. The four-day conference will see discussions on important strategic, operational and administrative issues among top naval commanders. The first phase of the conference was held in Karwar, Karnataka on Saturday . This conference is a top-level and semi-annual event in which important strategic, operational and administrative issues are discussed among top naval commanders. It plays an important role in emphasizing India’s role as a preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean region, reinforcing the Navy’s contribution to regional peace, security and stability.
In April 2025 , the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Government of India released a scoping study titled “ How Climate Change Affects Women and Children across Agro-Ecological Zones in India ”. The study highlights that women, especially in poor and rural areas , are more affected by climate change due to their daily responsibilities and social roles . Children are also highly vulnerable to climate hazards . The impacts of climate change, especially on women and children, vary across India’s 20 agro-ecological zones . The situation is complex because states such as Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (AP) have five agro-ecological zones each, while regions such as the North Eastern Hills and Western Coastal Plains are spread across multiple states, requiring inter-state coordination. Heatwaves have become very common in India, increasing by about 30 times by 2022. This increase in temperature is particularly dangerous for certain groups. Pregnant women, older women, women working outdoors, and poor women are most at risk. Young children, especially those under the age of 5, are at severe risk during extreme weather events such as heatwaves. Between 2000 and 2016, more than 17,000 children died in India due to natural disasters.
In April 2025, the Chennai (TN) -based Geographical Indications (GI) Registry under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag to 6 more products from Tamil Nadu (TN) , including the famous Puliyankudi Acid Lime, Panruti Cashew, Virudhunagar Samba Vathal (Dry Red Chillies) . With this recognition, the total number of GI tagged products of Tamil Nadu has reached 69, cementing its position as the second largest Indian state in terms of number of GI-certified products, second only to Uttar Pradesh (UP), which leads the country with 79 GI products . The GI Registry has also granted GI certification to 8 more traditional products from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and one each from Telangana, Assam and Kerala. With this, the total number of GI-registered crafts from Kashmir has reached 15, out of which 7 crafts have already been granted GI certificates.
7 Union Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal presents ‘Startup Maharathi’ awards at Startup Mahakumbh 2025
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal presented the ‘ Startup Maharathi ’ awards at the closing ceremony of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi . Addressing the audience of entrepreneurs, innovators and ecosystem enablers, Shri Piyush Goyal lauded all the participants and said that each one of them is a “Maharathi” – a skilled warrior and a significant contributor to India’s startup revolution. Piyush Goyal announced the setting up of the Startup India Desk . This desk will serve as a helpline for budding entrepreneurs. This desk will provide support to startups through a four-digit toll-free number in regional languages across India. He also announced the approval of the second Fund of Funds (FFS) for startups with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore .
In April 2025, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) was awarded the prestigious SKOCH 2025 Award for the Gold category in ‘ Infrastructure ‘. MSRDC won this award for the successful implementation of its flagship project named ‘ Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg ‘. Dr. Anil Kumar Gaikwad, Vice Chairman and Managing Director (MD), MSRDC received this award on behalf of MSRDC at the 100th SKOCH Summit held at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.
9 Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi appointed Chairman of ACC
In April 2025, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, chairman of the Lahore (Pakistan)-based Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was appointed the new president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) , during the ACC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). He will hold the position for two years, starting April 3, 2025 .
10 Paras Defence partners with Microcon Vision to supply drone cameras in India
In April 2025, Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel -based Microcon Vision Limited (Microcon) , a company under the Controp and Rafael Group , to supply advanced drone camera technology in India. Paras Defence has become the exclusive partner for Microcon’s ISR operations in India. Microcon serves as the exclusive supplier of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) payloads and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Seekers for Paras Defence. Enhanced surveillance capabilities: Integration of AI-driven analytics, thermal vision, and high-resolution imaging enhances surveillance efficiency Paras Defence plans to reduce the prices of these models by up to 50-60%, benefiting the Indian armed forces and commercial users.
11 South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace signs USD 253.6 million deal with L&T to export K9 howitzers to Indian Army
In April 2025, Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd, a Chagwon (South Korea)-based defense manufacturing company, will supply the K9 Vajra-T, a 155-millimeter (mm), 52-caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer to the Indian Army (IA). million or 371.4 billion South Korean Won (KRW) with Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) export components of the K9 Vajra-T, 155 millimetre (mm), 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer to the Indian Army (IA). The deal was signed at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi, marking a major milestone in the defence partnership between the Republic of Korea and South Korea.
