The Narendra Modi Cabinet approved the conferral of classical language status to five languages: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, as a part of government's ongoing efforts to promote and preserve India's rich linguistic heritage.

"PM Modi has always focused on Indian languages. Today, five languages—Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali—have been approved as classical languages," Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said highlighting the significance of this initiative.

With this latest approval, the total number of recognised classical languages in India has now increased to 11. Previously, Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia had already received classical language status.

International Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife, Vatavaran Was inaugurated today at Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi. The theme for the three-day film festival is “Wetlands for Life”, focusing on the awareness and conservation of the wetlands eco-system. Speaking at the event, the Director General of Forest in the Ministry of Environment, Jitendra Kumar highlighted that wetlands are very important to India due to their ecological and economic benefits. He added that around 6 per cent of Indians are directly dependent on Wetlands for livelihood, which makes their conservation even more vital. Mr Kumar has hoped that the film festival can host discussions on meaningful issues and formulate conservation strategies.

Talking to the media, the Climate and Environment Head of the Department at the German Embassy to India, Taina Dyckhoff said the bilateral cooperation between India and Germany has been very successful in Environment and Wetlands conservation. She said that film is an impactful tool to discuss such issues with the public.

In a move aimed at safeguarding small investors and enhancing market stability, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has unveiled a series of new measures to strengthen the index derivatives framework.

With the introduction of these rules, the landscape of equity derivatives trading in India is set to undergo notable changes, particularly for retail participants.

Here's a comprehensive look at the key changes and what they mean for investors.

Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) and the International Kho Kho Federation have announced that the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup will take place in India in 2025. The event will witness the participation of 24 countries from 6 continents and will feature 16 men’s and as many as women’s teams.

Ahead of the World Cup, the KKFI plans to take the sport to 200 schools across 10 cities to promote the sport. The federation will also run a membership drive for the school students with the aim of registering at least 50 lakh players ahead of the mega tournament. The tournament will feature a week-long series of matches, with top-tier athletes from across the globe.

The Kho Kho World Cup aims to elevate this indigenous Indian sport to an international stage. Kho Kho has its roots in India, and the World Cup will highlight the rich cultural heritage and competitive spirit of the sport. The sport that started in the mud and now gone to the mat has a global presence with 54 countries playing the sport across the world.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is banned from entering the country. This decision follows Guterres’s failure to unequivocally condemn Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amid rising tensions with its proxy, Hezbollah. While many of these missiles were intercepted, some breached Israel’s missile defenses, although no casualties were reported.

Guterres had issued a statement that only referred to the “latest attacks in the Middle East” and condemned the ongoing conflict without specifically addressing Iran’s actions.

NITI Aayog has launched its maiden State Chapter of Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) in association with WE Hub and the Telangana government. With over 30 thousand registered women entrepreneurs and associations, the WEP has over 400 mentors from different industry sectors. WE Hub Chief Executive Officer, Sita Pallocholla, has been appointed Mission Director of the WEP Telangana Chapter. WE Hub will be the nodal agency for all WEP activities in the State. The platform aims at promoting and supporting women entrepreneurs across sectors, providing them resources, tools, and a robust network to enhance their business growth. The WEP will offer customised support like digital skilling, access to financial services, mentorship, and market linkages. Addressing a gathering of women entrepreneurs from several parts of the State, NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam said, women entrepreneurs face a number of hurdles like banks not understanding their problems and not getting any guarantors. He said women need a helping hand to carry forward their entrepreneurial efforts. Telangana Special Chief Secretary, IT and Industries, Jayesh Ranjan said the Chapter will set up stalls in all the mandals in the State to promote entrepreneurship among women at the grassroots level.

The World Green Economy Forum was launched today in Dubai, bringing together global leaders and experts to address pressing environmental challenges. Under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, the forum’s theme, “Empowering Global Action: Unlocking Opportunities and Advancing Progress,” set the stage for discussions on international cooperation and innovative solutions for climate change and sustainability.

The day’s agenda was packed with critical sessions covering a wide range of topics. The first plenary focused on international cooperation for climate mitigation, where Luma Saqqaf, Director for the Middle East, Africa, and India at the Principles for Responsible Investment, stressed the importance of integrated approaches to achieving sustainable development goals.

A key session titled “Decarbonising Energy-Intensive and Hard-to-Abate Industries” explored strategies to reduce carbon emissions in heavy transport, construction, energy, and chemicals sectors. Another session, “4Ps: Adding Another ‘P’ to PPP (Public-Private Partnerships + Philanthropists),” highlighted the importance of collaboration between philanthropists and the public and private sectors to drive effective climate solutions. The potential applications of artificial intelligence in fostering a sustainable future were discussed in the session “How Can We Use AI to Help Create a Sustainable Future?”

Indian shooter Amanpreet Singh won the gold medal in Men’s 25 metre standard pistol shooting event at the ISSF World Championship 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, yesterday. In the Women’s 25 metre Standard Pistol shooting event, while Tiyana, Yashita Shokeen and Kritika Sharma failed to make it to the medal round in the individual competition, they managed to win the team bronze with a combined score of 1601. The two medals on the day took India’s tally in the Championship to nine – five gold and four bronze medals. 

Parth Rakesh Mane was crowned junior world champion in the 10m air rifle, leading a dominant performance by India in the discipline, as their medal tally continued to surge at the end of competition day three of the on-going International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun, being held in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Parth picked up a double gold, combining with Ajay Malik and Abhinav Shaw to win the team competition as well. India's third gold of the day came when Gautami Bhanot, Sambhavi Kshirsagar and Anoushka Thakur, also picked up the junior women's 10m air rifle team gold.

In Football, India secured the SAFF Under-17 Championship title defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in the final played at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan today. Mohammed Kaif secured the winning goal in the 58th minute by heading the ball past the opposing goalkeeper from a corner delivered by Ngamgouhou Mate. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Nazmul Huda Faysal extended India’s lead with a powerful strike from the edge of the box.