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.

In a major development in maritime defence capabilities, India is set to establish a new naval base for nuclear submarines and warships in coastal Andhra Pradesh by 2026, reported The Times of India.

The first phase of the project is almost complete, a source told the news daily. They further added that once it is commissioned in 2026, it can be updated in phases.
Where is it located?

The new base will be located near the coastal village of Rambilli, approximately 50 kilometers from Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

State-owned Oil Major PSU, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, has launched Project SPRINT, a strategic initiative which is aimed at ensuring the company is future-ready in the evolving global energy landscape. The initiative focuses on strengthening core businesses while embracing innovation and sustainability.

SPRINT stands for:

Strengthening core businesses (oil refining, petrochemicals, and fuel marketing)

Propelling cost optimization to boost profitability

Reinforcing customer-centricity

Integrating technology and innovation

Nurturing leadership and talent

Transitioning towards cleaner energy

The National Awards and Exhibition, presented by BriBooks and powered by Education World, celebrated the literary brilliance of young Indian authors. This prestigious event honored the winners of two major student-led literary movements--the National Young Authors' Fair (NYAF) and the Summer Book Writing Festival (SBWF).

Held in New Delhi, the event brought together 200 finalists, selected from an extraordinary 500,000 books written by students through BriBooks' Gen-AI-powered platform. It was a landmark moment for young writers, educators, and literary enthusiasts across the country.

NYAF 2024-25: Recognizing Young Literary Leaders

A stakeholder consultation on ‘AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India’ will be held at T-Works on Tuesday.Hyderabad real estate

This is the third of five multi-stakeholder consultations under the AI RAM initiative by UNESCO and Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), following earlier sessions in New Delhi and Bangalore.

The event is aimed at shaping an India-specific AI policy report, the initiative focuses on mapping strengths and opportunities in the ethical AI ecosystem. It will feature policymakers, technologists, academia, and practitioners. The consultation is an opportunity to help shape a responsible, future-ready AI roadmap for the country.

The event also has a panel discussion on “Shaping Ethics in AI Governance: Government and Multilateral Perspectives”, with participation from senior officials representing MeitY, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Amrita University and UNESCO.

In a landmark move to modernize India’s statistical infrastructure, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched a series of digital initiatives aimed at enhancing data accessibility, capacity building, and technological integration within the official statistical system.

At the recently held Conference of State Government Ministers, MoSPI unveiled a revamped Microdata Portal—a significant upgrade that promises improved user experience, broader accessibility, and seamless integration of national statistical datasets. Developed in collaboration with the World Bank Technology Team, the new portal addresses long-standing technological limitations of its predecessor by adopting a modern, scalable tech stack, ensuring adherence to advanced security standards and enabling responsive design for ease of access across devices.

West Bengal has earned Geographical Indication (GI) tags for seven state products, including the iconic ‘Nolen Gurer Sandesh’ and Baruipur guavas, a development expected to boost local economy and lend global recognition to the state’s traditional

offerings, an official said on Friday.

‘Nolen Gurer Sandesh’, a winter delicacy made from fresh ‘chhena’ (curdled milk) and the season’s prized ‘nolen gur (date palm jaggery) holds a cherished place in Bengali households. The jaggery imparts a rich, caramel-like flavour and warm golden hue to the ‘sandesh’ (a type of sweetmeat).

In Boxing, India’s Hitesh Gulia bagged the Men’s 70 kg Gold at the World Boxing Cup 2025 in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil this morning. Fighting in the red corner, the Indian pugilist defeated Odel Kamara of England in the final.

Meanwhile, another Indian Boxer Abhinash Jamwal clinched the silver medal at the men’s 65 kg category today. Abhinash lost to Yuri Reis of the host country, nil-5 in the final.

Earlier, India’s Manish Rathore won the bronze medal in the men’s 55 kg category yesterday.