In a ground-breaking moment for Indian science, Prof. Aditi Sen De has been awarded the prestigious G. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research for the year 2023.

The award, established in 1991, recognises exceptional scientific research conducted by Indian scientists below the age of 50.

Prof. Aditi Sen De, a distinguished physicist from the Harish-Chandra Research Institute in Prayagraj, has been honoured for her outstanding contributions to the field of Physics. Notably, she is the first female scientist to receive this esteemed award, marking a historic milestone in the award's illustrious history.

Born in Kolkata in 1974, Prof. Aditi Sen De earned her PhD in physics from the University of Gdansk, Poland. Her research, focused on the manipulation of quantum states and their nonclassical applications, has made significant strides in the development of quantum technologies.

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday inaugurated the country's first Skill India Centre (SIC) here. Speaking on the occasion, he said the nation requires a skilled and competent workforce to propel its development journey forward in the 21st century.

He said the new-age and future skills are available at considerably higher cost in global markets.

Realizing this, the Centre has decided to democratize access to quality education and establish a level playing field for the aspiring youth, the Union minister said while addressing the youth at the inauguration of India's first Skill India Centre (SIC) here.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was conferred France’s highest civilian honour, the Chevalier de la Legion d’ Honneur France, at an intimate ceremony in the French embassy in the national capital.

Mr. Tharoor was awarded the honour in August 2022, but formal conferring took place on Tuesday.

The Congress leader said that his relationship with France began during his stint in the United Nations and that he has always “nurtured a sense or profound respect for French democracy” as the land where “the people” first replaced “the king” as the nucleus of the nation.

Startek® (NYSE: SRT), a global customer experience (CX) solutions provider, has been recognized by Great Place To Work® India as one of India's Best Workplaces™ in IT & IT-BPM for the year 2023. The prestigious accolade is a testament to the Startek commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive work environment for its associates.

As a global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work has been studying employee experience and people practices across organizations for over three decades. Every year, more than 100 million employees from over 150 countries worldwide take the with Great Place To Work for assessment, benchmarking, and planning of actions to strengthen their workplace culture. In this year for India, based on a rigorous evaluation methodology, 100 organizations among India's Best Workplaces in IT & IT-BPM 2023 have been recognized.

International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21st, celebrates linguistic diversity and advocates for the preservation of languages worldwide. This day underscores the importance of linguistic and cultural heritage, particularly in safeguarding indigenous and minority languages.

International Mother Language Day 2024: According to the United Nations (UN), "International Mother Language Day, first proclaimed by UNESCO and later adopted by the UN General Assembly, underscores the role of languages in promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals." It is celebrated on 21st February every year.

The inaugural edition of The Kolkata French Film Festival was launched at Nandan on Friday. Organised jointly by the West Bengal government and the Alliance Française du Bengale, the festival will continue till February 24.

During the inaugural function, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, who was the chief guest, reminisced about his early days in Kolkata, expressing his affection for the city where he began his acting journey. He received a picture from Nicolas Facino, reminiscent of his first film shooting experience, and lauded the contributions of director and cinematographer Nimay Ghosh.

He said,”Kolkata means a lot to me because I started my career here. Kahan se Guzar Gaya was my first film, which was shot in 1980. This is one of the best cinema destinations and both France and Bengal have some of the best filmmakers.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on February 19 pledged his country's long-term engagement in Ukraine's reconstruction, calling it a future investment, as Japan stressed its commitment to supporting the war-torn country ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.

In his keynote speech at a conference Japan co-organised with the Ukrainian government and business organisations, Mr. Kishida said Japanese public and private cooperation will be a long-term partnership based on inclusivity, humanitarianism as well as technology and knowledge. More than 50 cooperation deals were signed by Japanese and Ukrainian government agencies and companies.

Mr. Kishida stressed the importance of investment across industries for the future of that country's development and ensuring that the support caters to Ukraine's needs.

Ashwin Ramaswami has become the first Indian-American from Gen Z to run for a State or federal legislature in the U.S., indicative of a new breed of young politicians emerging from the community.

Mr. Ramaswami's parents immigrated to the U.S. from Tamil Nadu in 1990. Generation Z (also known as Zoomers) encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012.

“I'm running for (Georgia) State Senate to give back to my community. I want to make sure that everyone has the same opportunities I had growing up," Mr. Ramaswami, 24, told PTI in a recent interview.

The much-anticipated INDUS-X Summit is scheduled to be held on February 20-21, 2024 in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts between India and the United States in defence innovation. Organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, and Department of Defence (DoD), United States, in conjunction with the U.S.-India Business Council and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), the summit aims to be a pivotal event driving strategic technology partnerships and defence industrial cooperation between India and the USA.

Since its launch in June 2023 during the State Visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the US, the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) has been at the forefront of expanding bilateral ties in defence innovation. Now, with the INDUS-X Summit, stakeholders from both nations will converge in New Delhi to explore and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

In Nepal, National Democracy Day was celebrated yesterday. Every year Falgun 7 of Bikram Samvat is celebrated as National Democracy Day to commemorate the historic day on which the countrymen got freedom from the 104-year-long autocratic Rana regime in 2007 Bikram Samvat after huge sacrifices.

Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel said, democracy fosters national unity along with social justice, equality, social harmony, and prosperity. Giving a message of best wishes on the occasion the President said, the federal democratic republic is the achievement of a seven-decade-long struggle Nepalis waged. He paid tributes to all known and unknown martyrs of various movements for the establishment of democracy in the country.

Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav recalled and expressed condolences to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in various people's movements.