India and Denmark have strengthened their commitment to sustainable energy by signing a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, aimed at advancing clean energy initiatives and supporting India’s ambitious target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

The agreement was formalized by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, and Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen, Denmark’s Ambassador to India, in the presence of Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs. The signing marks a continuation of the successful collaboration that began with the original MoU on June 5, 2020, which was set to expire in June 2025.

The renewed MoU expands the scope of the partnership, focusing on cutting-edge areas such as power system modeling, integration of variable renewable energy, cross-border electricity trading, and the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. It also emphasizes enhanced knowledge sharing through expert interactions, joint training programs, and study tours.

India’s overall exports grew 6.01 percent on-year, touching an all-time high of $824.9 billion in 2024–25, as per the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India on services trade.

Total exports (merchandise and services) stood at $778.1 billion in 2023-24.

Services exports reached a historic high of $387.5 billion in 2024–25, up 13.6 percent from $341.1 billion in the previous year.

For March 2025, services exports stood at $35.6 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 18.6 percent compared to $30.0 billion in March 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Amaravati is not just a city but a dream taking shape, as he inaugurated and laid the foundation for multiple infrastructure projects worth Rs 58,000 crore in the region. These projects also mark the resumption of construction projects in the city, which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has billed as the future capital of the state.

"Amaravati is the land where tradition and progress go hand in hand. Where there is the peace of the Buddhist heritage and also the energy of building a developed India," PM Modi said at the event, news agency PTI reported.

The prime minister laid foundation stones for 74 projects worth Rs 49,000 crore, which include construction of the Assembly, Secretariat and High Court buildings and judicial residential quarters, along with housing buildings for 5,200 families, reported PTI. The other projects include city infrastructure, national highway development, railway enhancements, and defence facilities.

In a significant boost for conservation efforts, the critically endangered Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) has been reintroduced into the Ganga River after a three-decade absence. On 26 April 2025, twenty of these freshwater turtles were released into the Haiderpur Wetland in Uttar Pradesh, as part of the Namami Gange Mission aimed at restoring the river's ecological health.

The Haiderpur Wetland, a UNESCO Ramsar site located near the Bijnor Ganga Barrage within the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, was selected for its strategic connectivity to the Ganga, especially during the monsoon season. The turtles, sourced from the Garhaita Turtle Conservation Center under the National Chambal Sanctuary's supervision, were equipped with sonic tracking devices to monitor their adaptation and movement patterns.

This reintroduction employs both "soft" and "hard" release strategies: one group was released upstream of the Haiderpur barrage, while the other was introduced downstream into the main channel of the Ganga. This dual approach aims to assess the most effective method for reestablishing the species in its natural habitat.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced the launch of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai during the WAVES 2025 event, positioning it as a national-level initiative to boost animation, gaming, and digital arts in India.

The institute, envisioned as a national hub for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC), has already commenced operations.

Several tech giants, including NVIDIA, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Star India, and Adobe, have partnered with IICT to collaborate on course development and training initiatives. The IICT is being established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,, in strategic collaboration with FICCI and CII, as a National Centre of Excellence—modeled on the lines of premier institutions like the IITs and IIMs.

The government will soon launch a new portal to monitor food storage depots in real time, ensuring they adhere to the highest standards of quality and safety, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution announced on Thursday.

The “Depot Darpan” portal and mobile application, set to be unveiled on May 20, is part of the government’s broader initiative to enhance food security for over 80 crore beneficiaries through scientific warehousing and smart storage solutions for food grains.

The Depot Darpan platform will empower depot managers to monitor infrastructure, operational efficiency, and financial performance in near real-time. By uploading geo-tagged data on depot infrastructure, managers will receive automated ratings and actionable insights for timely improvements. The system ensures robust oversight through 100% validation by supervisory officers and random third-party audits.

The United States has announced that it has signed an economic partnership agreement with Ukraine that will allow Washington access to Kyiv’s rare earth minerals in exchange for a joint fund to invest in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Washington and Kyiv have been engaged in intense negotiations for a couple of months to reach an agreement to provide the United States with access to Ukraine’s natural resources.

A US Treasury Department press release states that the two countries have mutually agreed to form a Reconstruction Investment Fund, which would receive 50 per cent of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits. The draft states that the US does get preferential access to Ukraine’s natural resources, but Washington doesn’t get Kyiv’s mineral wealth or any gas infrastructure.

The initial agreement, due to be signed in February, fell apart after a heated exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the Oval Office in the White House.

A team comprising top sprinters Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar and Amlan Borgohain broke the national record in the men’s 4x100m relay at the 2nd Indian Open Relay Competition, held in Chandigarh yesterday.

 The quartet clocked a timing of 38.69 seconds to set a new record in the discipline. The previous record of 38.89 seconds was set at Delhi’s 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Gujarat is celebrating its statehood day today. The state came into existence on 1st May 1960 after being separated from the Bombay State on a linguistic basis. The state-level celebrations of the Foundation Day will be held in Panchmahal district in the presence of Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Akashvani Correspondent reports that on Gujarat Gaurav Divas, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects worth Rs. 649.77 crore in Panchmahal district. Cultural programmes will be organised at the SRP Ground in the evening in the presence of Governor Acharya Devvrat. The Governor and the Chief Minister will present the Gujarat Garima Award to six individuals for their notable contribution to the state’s development. With only 5 per cent of the population, Gujarat contributes 8.2 per cent to India’s GDP. It holds over 30 per cent share in the country’s exports, and contributes 8 per cent to India’s GST revenues.

The Election Commission has introduced new initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy of electoral rolls and making the voting process more convenient for citizens. Our correspondent reports that these measures are in line with the initiatives envisaged by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers in March this year.

The Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India. This will ensure that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) receive timely information about registered deaths. It will also enable Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to re-verify the information through field visits. To make Voter Information Slips more voter-friendly, the Commission has decided to modify their design. The serial number and part number of the voter will now be displayed more prominently. The Commission has also directed that all BLOs will be issued standard photo identity cards to ensure that citizens can recognise and interact confidently with BLOs during voter verification and registration drives.