In a landmark initiative to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, CERT-In (MeitY), CSIRT-Fin and SISA, a global Cybersecurity company, collaborated to launch the Digital Threat Report 2024 for the BFSI sector, a comprehensive analysis of current and emerging cyber threats and defense strategies.

The report was launched by Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Shri M Nagaraju and Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Shri S Krishnan along with Director General, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) Dr Sanjay Bahl and Founder and CEO, SISA, Dharshan Shanthamurthy.

The Non Performing Asset (NPA) rate in the MUDRA Scheme is the lowest in the world for the segment. In an interview with an English Daily, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated this, adding that just 3.5 percent loans provided under the scheme have turned into NPA, which is an exceptionally low default rate in this segment worldwide. Mr. Modi said that while during the previous UPA rule, the banks were burdened with toxic assets and favoured select elites of those who were close to power centres, the MUDRA has redirected resources to the grassroots, fostering entrepreneurship without compromising financial stability. The Prime Minister highlighted that the MUDRA is part of a larger vision to ensure that the entrepreneurial ability, innovation, creativity and self-reliance of the people at the grassroots is respected and supported. He added that through the MUDRA Yojana, the government wanted to give a message to every Indian: The Centre would stand as a guarantee in their journey to fulfil their aspirations.

Talking about the banking system, Prime Minister Modi said the banks in the country are in good health, and many of them have touched record profits due to relentless banking reforms and the deft handling of the NPA crisis by the government. He added that over the last decade, programmes including MUDRA, PM-Svanidhi and Standup India have benefited from the improving health of the banks. He also stated that due to these schemes, India’s banking system has become more responsive towards the needs of small entrepreneurs. Mr Modi expressed confidence that India’s banking sector will continue to be a strong partner in the journey of ensuring financial inclusion and supporting entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has notified the amalgamation of 26 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) under the “One State, One RRB” principle. This is the fourth phase of the RRB consolidation process. The Ministry of Finance rolled out the amalgamation plan in November last year, building on improvements in efficiency from previous phases.

Following consultations with stakeholders, 26 RRBs across 10 states and one Union Territory have been merged, focusing on enhancing scale, efficiency, and cost rationalisation. Currently, 43 RRBs operate across 26 states and two Union Territories. Post-amalgamation, there will be 28 RRBs covering 700 districts with more than 22,000 branches. Around 92 percent of these branches are located in rural and semi-urban areas.

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Arun Palli, judge, High Court of Punjab & Haryana, as Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The move comes ahead of the attainment of superannuation by incumbent Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Tashi Rabistan who would attain superannuation on April 9.

Justice Arun Palli, born on September 18, 1964, hails from a distinguished family of legal professionals. He commenced his legal practice at the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

He was elevated to the Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2013. He has been serving as executive chairman of Haryana State Legal Service Authority since 31 May 2023.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma inaugurated the newly established Tribal Museum on the premises of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Bhadrachalam. The Governor was welcomed with a traditional tribal reception, marking the cultural significance of the occasion.

During the visit, he toured the museum and viewed various exhibits showcasing the rich heritage, customs, and traditions of tribal communities. Expressing appreciation for the initiative, he lauded ITDA project officer B Rahul for curating such an impressive display of tribal culture.

Highlighting the museum’s value for future generations, the Governor emphasised the importance of preserving and promoting tribal heritage. He also called for the continuous development of tribal communities across various sectors and called for modernisation of the museum to further enhance its impact.

Virat Kohli reached the magic landmark of 13,000 runs during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's game against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. He reached the milestone with a beautiful cover drive boundary off Trent Boult in the third over.

With that boundary, he also reached another milestone; 100 fours in the format. With these two records in the bag, he will want to convert his personal milestones into a win for RCB at MI's home ground and break the 10-year-long jinx.

Acclaimed German film director Werner Herzog will be honoured with the Golden Lion at the forthcoming 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival.

While accepting the honour, Herzog said, "I feel deeply honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Honorary Golden Lion by the Venice Biennale. I have always tried to be a Good Soldier of Cinema, and this feels like a medal for my work. Thank you," reported Deadline.

The filmmaker added, "However, I have not gone into retirement. I work as always. A few weeks ago, I finished a documentary in Africa, Ghost Elephants, and at this moment, I am shooting my next feature film, Bucking Fastard, in Ireland. I am developing an animated film based on my novel, The Twilight World, and I am acting the voice of a creature in Bong Joon Ho's upcoming animated film. I am not done yet," as per the outlet.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd. (MSRDC) has been awarded the prestigious SKOCH 2025 Award for the successful implementation of its flagship project, the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg.

The award was presented to MSRDC Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Dr. Anilkumar Gaikwad, at the 100th SKOCH Summit held recently at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

Commenting on the recognition, Dr. Gaikwad said, "The SKOCH Award for the Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg is a testament to the dedication and hard work of Team MSRDC. Despite numerous challenges, we successfully completed the state's longest expressway in record time. This achievement will further inspire us to continue delivering world-class infrastructure projects for Maharashtra."

The Supreme Court of India on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Supreme Court of Nepal to enhance judicial cooperation between the two countries.

According to an official statement, the MoU aims to encourage mutual exchange of information on developments in the field of law and justice, and to promote interaction among judges and judicial officers through exchange visits, training programmes, and academic initiatives.

The agreement reflects the longstanding cordial ties between India and Nepal and seeks to strengthen cooperation between their respective judiciaries.

The MoU also highlights the role of technology in reducing case backlogs, speeding up judicial processes, and improving services for stakeholders. Both sides have agreed to share information on technologies used in their courts and related institutions.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Israel’s Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter signed agreements related to bilateral cooperation in agriculture in New Delhi. Addressing the meeting, Mr Chouhan said that the bilateral partnership between India and Israel is progressing well. The minister highlighted that both nations are having excellent cooperation in the fields of agriculture, innovation, water and technology. Mr Chouhan also mentioned that landholding in India is low. He further added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts are being made to make farming more profitable for farmers with small landholdings.

Later, talking to the media the minister stated that a constructive discussion had taken place during the meeting regarding strategies to address food security challenges in the coming years. He said that the focus was on developing seeds that could mitigate the effects of climate change, ensuring higher yields even in the face of rising temperatures.