The Gujarat government on Tuesday implemented farmer-centric schemes aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing their income.

As part of these efforts, the Soil Health Card (SHC) Yojana, launched with the motto 'Swasth Dhara, Khet Hara,' and has benefited 2.15 crore farmers in Gujarat.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the Soil Health Card Yojana in 2003-04 when he was the chief minister of the state. Gujarat became the first state in the country to implement this initiative, recognizing the crucial role of soil health in agricultural sustainability. To promote awareness about the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme and its benefits, India observes Soil Health Card Day every year on February 19.

Renowned motivational speaker, Counsellor, author, and poet Poonam Kalra successfully launched her fourth book, Poonam Vaani, in a grand event held at Hotel Hyatt Centric, on February 2.

The event was attended by a distinguished audience, including literary enthusiasts, well-known personalities, and admirers of Poonam Kalra's work. Her latest book, Poonam Vaani, is a heartfelt collection of poetry and thoughts that reflect her deep understanding of life, emotions, and personal growth.

Adding to the grandeur of the occasion, Bollywood actor Manoj Bakshi graced the event and extended his best wishes to Poonam Kalra for her latest literary achievement. His presence and words of encouragement added an extra layer of charm to the successful book launch.

A statue of noted Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar has been unveiled in the Philippines. An official statement today said, it was unveiled at the Gullas College of Medicine in Cebu yesterday as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines. The statement said that Indian Ambassador Harsh Kumar Jain unveiled the statue and attended the Indo-Philippine Cultural and Educational Exchange Summit at the college.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday received credentials from Ambassador of Cuba, Ambassador of Nepal, Ambassador of Cambodia, High Commissioner of Maldives and Ambassador of Somalia at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Those who presented their credentials were- Rath Many, Ambassador of Cambodia, Aishath Azeema, High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives, Abdullahi Mohammed Odowa, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, and Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal, as per the statement.

The Centre has approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme through the 15th Finance Commission cycle, extending its implementation until 2025-26. The scheme aims to enhance procurement operations, ensuring fair prices for farmers while stabilizing essential commodity prices for consumers.

Under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) component of PM-AASHA, the government procures notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra that meet Fair Average Quality (FAQ) standards. Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) conduct the procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), working with state-level agencies to purchase directly from pre-registered farmers.

To boost domestic production and reduce import dependence, the government has allowed 100% procurement of Tur (Arhar), Urad, and Masur under PSS for the 2024-25 procurement year. In the Budget 2025, the government announced that this procurement measure would continue for another four years to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses.

India’s fourth-generation deep-ocean submersible, Matsya-6000, has successfully completed its wet testing at the harbor, marking a significant step towards conducting shallow-water demonstrations at depths of up to 500 meters by the end of 2025, as per an official statement released on Monday.

Matsya-6000 is equipped with several innovative subsystems that ensure its functionality in the deep ocean environment. Key features include a main ballast system for diving, thrusters for movement in all directions, a battery bank for power supply, and syntactic foam for buoyancy. It also boasts advanced control hardware, software, and sophisticated underwater navigation devices. Communication is facilitated through an acoustic modem, underwater telephone, VHF for surface communication, and GPS for precise location tracking.

The submersible’s interior is designed with human life-support systems, along with displays for critical environmental parameters, navigation joysticks for maneuvering, and various oceanographic sensors. Underwater lighting and cameras are integrated into the exterior, all subsystems being indigenously designed and undergoing rigorous testing.

In a major push towards skill development in emerging technologies, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and Intel India on Monday launched the ‘AI for Entrepreneurship’ micro-learning module.

The initiative is designed to simplify artificial intelligence (AI) concepts and encourage entrepreneurial thinking among young innovators across India.

The programme aims to empower 1 lakh youth by 2025 by equipping them with essential skills to thrive in a technology-driven economy.

The ‘AI for Entrepreneurship’ module is part of India’s broader vision to foster innovation and promote inclusivity in learning.

India has sent its first-ever commercial trial shipments of pomegranates to Australia through sea route, an official statement said on Monday (February 17, 2025).

At present, the exports are mainly done by air route because of lower volumes and different ripening periods.

The Commerce Ministry said that after getting the market access for export of Indian pomegranates to Australia, a work plan and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the export were signed in February 2024.

The Centre on Monday launched the ‘Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs’, which was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 to boost the micro, small, and medium enterprises.

The scheme facilitates collateral-free loans to MSMEs by providing loans up to Rs 100 crore for the purchase of plant, machinery, or equipment.

The scheme would provide 60 per cent guarantee coverage by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC) to member lending institutions (MLIs) for a credit facility up to Rs 100 crore, sanctioned to eligible MSMEs under MCGS-MSME for the purchase of equipment/machinery.

Launching the scheme here, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also distributed sanction letters to MSMEs eligible under the scheme in Mumbai.

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday said 20 non-banking financial companies, including Reliance Commercial Finance and IDFC Limited, have surrendered their certificate of registration (CoR).

Of these, two non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have surrendered their CoR as they have exited from the non-banking financial institution business. These NBFCs are Manoway Investments Private Limited and Reliance Commercial Finance Limited.

IDFC Ltd, IDFC Financial Holding Company Ltd and other 16 entities surrendered the CoR as it ceased to be a legal entity due to amalgamation or merger.