Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a high-level Indian parliamentary delegation to the 150th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to be held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent from April 5 to 9.

According to an official statement, Birla is slated to address the assembly during a high-level general debate on the theme ‘Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice’, highlighting India’s commitment to inclusive governance and equity through legislative mechanisms.

The delegation includes prominent parliamentarians from both Houses, including Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, MPs Bhartruhari Mahtab, Anurag Singh Thakur, Vishnu Dayal Ram, Aparajita Sarangi, Dr Sasmit Patra, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Kiran Choudhry, Lata Wankhede and Bijuli Kalita Medhi.

The Union Cabinet has approved phase two of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) for the comprehensive development of strategic villages along all international land borders, with a total outlay of ₹6,839 crore.

While VVP-I was aimed at villages along the China border, the second phase of the programme will be implemented in select strategic villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, until the financial year 2028-29.

The government has said that due to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, the sex ratio at birth has increased from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24 at the national level. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi said the scheme was launched in 2015 to address the declining Child Sex Ratio and related issues of the empowerment of girls and women. She said the scheme focuses on creating mindset and behavioural changes towards the girls by informing, influencing, motivating, engaging, and empowering all stakeholders. The Minister said the gross enrollment ratio of girls in the schools at the secondary level has increased from around 75 per cent in 2014-15 to 78 per cent in 2023-24.

India will launch a pioneering inter-ministerial scientific study to address zoonotic spillover risks at the human- wildlife- environment interface. This unique study will be conducted in select bird sanctuaries and wetlands across Sikkim, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, leveraging the One Health approach to monitor the health of both human populations and migratory bird species. Union Health Ministry said, the comprehensive research project aims to develop a real-time surveillance model to detect and diagnose zoonotic diseases in bird sanctuary workers and nearby residents. The Ministry said, a study at selected bird sanctuaries and wetlands was launched at the Indian Council of Medical Research Headquarters in New Delhi today.
Speaking on the occasion, Director General, ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl said, the National One Health Mission exemplifies the government’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge science in real-world settings to anticipate and mitigate public health risks. He said, by embracing the One Health approach, the government is shifting from reactive responses to proactive preparedness.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted four flight tests of the Army version of the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) on April 3 and 4, 2025. The tests were carried out at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha.

The operational flight trials were conducted against high-speed aerial targets, with each of the four missiles successfully intercepting and destroying its designated target. The tests covered target interceptions at varying ranges and altitudes - long-range, short-range, high-altitude, and low-altitude - to assess the missile system's full operational capability.

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lamrin Tech Skills University, Punjab (LTSU) and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to develop and implement specialized skill development programs for the railway sector.

According to an official statement, this collaboration aims to bridge the skill gap in Railways and allied sector by offering Post Graduate Diploma/Certification and Industry Sponsored Diploma courses that align with industry requirements. The MoU has been signed in the presence of RailTel CMD Sanjai Kumar, Vice President of NSDC Academy Nitin Kapoor. Dr Sandeep Singh Kaura, Chancellor/LTSU cum Advisor/ NSDC and other senior officials of RailTel, NSDC and LTSU were also present on the occasion.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced an increase in fees for ATM withdrawals, which will take effect from May 1, 2025. Customers will now have to pay Rs 23 per transaction after exhausting their free monthly limit. This is an increase from the current charge of Rs 21 per transaction.

Despite the fee hike, customers will continue to receive a limited number of free ATM transactions every month. According to the RBI guidelines, bank account holders will get:

Five free transactions per month (both financial and non-financial) at ATMs of their own bank.

Three free transactions per month at ATMs of other banks in metro cities.

Five free transactions per month at ATMs of other banks in non-metro areas.

Once customers exceed these limits, they will have to pay Rs 23 per withdrawal.

Actor Kamal Haasan has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s Media and Entertainment Committee South. This was announced during the FICCI’s Media and Entertainment Business Conclave South Connect 2025, which was held in Chennai.

In his foreword to FICCI’s Media and Entertainment report that is celebrating the 25th edition, he urged the stakeholders to aim for a bold future, taking India’s Media and Entertainment sector to a $100 billion industry, and have content that resonates with audience across the globe. Stakeholders have a responsibility to serve audience with bold, creative storytelling that reflects the nation’s rich diversity in this digital first era.

The Warangal Chapata chilli, or as it is called Tomato chilli, from the State has been granted the Geographical Indication tag by the GI Registry, government of India on March 28. The chilli is called Tomato chilli as it has a bright red colour and is shaped round like a tomato. This is the 18th produce from Telangana that has secured the coveted GI tag.

“We are very happy with this development. It will expand the market for the the spice we have been cultivating in the family for more than 100 years. The chilli is less spicy but lends a bright red colour with extensive flavour due to its capsicum oleoresin properties,” said Rajkumar Reddy who has been cultivating the crop for 45 years in his native Thimmampet village.

Aditya Birla Capital on Monday said it has completed the amalgamation of its wholly-owned subsidiary Aditya Birla Finance with itself to create a unified larger operating NBFC.

This follows the order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Ahmedabad Bench, dated March 24, and the scheme of amalgamation is effective from April 1, Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL) said in a statement.

In March last year, the decision to merge Aditya Birla Finance with the parent entity was taken by the respective boards, subject to receipt of various statutory and regulatory approvals.

The board has also approved the appointments of Vishakha Mulye as the MD and CEO and Rakesh Singh as the executive director of the amalgamated entity, the statement said, adding that these appointments are subject to regulatory and other requisite approvals.