Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today lauded the Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE) technological advancements and its vital role in India’s economic development. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Asia’s oldest stock exchange, marked a historic milestone as it celebrated its 150th anniversary, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was the chief guest at the celebration.

Addressing the gathering, Ms. Sitharaman said BSE processes orders worth Rs 1,500 crore daily, reflecting the seamless integration of cutting-edge technology. She added that this truly is a barometer of where the Indian economy is headed.

She emphasized that the government’s budget focus has been on “inclusive growth,” and India remains well-positioned to navigate global disruptions with policy agility and long-term strategic investments. She added that the strong regulatory framework of the BSE has played a key role in this stability.

Karad, a small city in Maharashtra’s Satara district, has achieved 100% segregation, collection, and processing of sanitary and biomedical waste, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the city collects an average of 300 to 350 kg of sanitary waste daily—including sanitary napkins, diapers, and other hygiene products—from hospitals, clinics, households, and public facilities.

Women-led groups have played a key role in spreading awareness at the community level. Red bins placed in public toilets ensure proper disposal, while schools have installed sanitary pad vending machines, incinerators, and disposal systems to promote hygienic practices among adolescents.

India has fielded a 56-member squad for the Asian Under-15 and Under-17 Boxing Championships being held in Amman, Jordan. This is the first event organised by Asian Boxing, endorsed by both the Olympic Council of Asia and the newly formed World Boxing. The standout names in the Under-17 boys’ squad include Sahil Duhan and Devansh, who clinched silver and bronze, respectively, at the 2024 Asian Junior Championship, as well as Tikam Singh, who is the SGFI 2024 gold medallist.

Sixteen-year-old Nishchay grabbed his second medal of the meet as he won a silver with a personal best effort of 19.59 meters in the boys’ shot put event on the third day of the Asian Under-18 Athletics Championship in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. His earlier personal best was 18.93 meters, which he achieved last month.

In a landmark achievement, C-DOT, jointly with Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL), has successfully tested India’s first QKD transmission over a 4-core Multi-Core Fibre (MCF) — marking a major milestone in the nation's journey towards quantum-secured communication networks.

Multi-Core Fibre (MCF) technology provides a powerful solution by enabling data transmission across multiple cores within a single fibre, significantly saving physical space and infrastructure costs. In the context of QKD — which typically requires a dedicated dark fibre for the quantum channel, MCF offers a significant advantage: it enables the physical separation of quantum and classical signals into distinct cores within single fibre. This allows for the simultaneous transmission of QKD and high-capacity data traffic on a single fibre without compromising quantum signal integrity thereby saving fibre cost.

In this activity, the quantum signals of QKD were transmitted through one core, while simultaneously, the other three cores on the same fibre were used to carry high-speed user data. A stable QKD link was established over a distance exceeding 100 km, validating the robustness and stability of quantum communication even amidst high-capacity classical data traffic.

World Liver Day is observed on April 19th each year. This day aims to raise awareness about liver diseases. It also encourages individuals to adopt healthier lifestyle choices that can prevent liver diseases. As liver diseases are on the rise globally, World Liver Day acts as an effective tool that promotes the importance of keeping your liver healthy.

World Liver Day 2025 theme

The theme for World Liver Day 2025 is 'Food is Medicine.' This year's theme advocates the importance of balanced nutrition which can be a game changer for liver health. It also attempts to encourage authorities to form policies that can help make nutritious foods accessible and affordable to everyone.

In a significant step towards becoming the first coal PSU in India by adopting paste fill technology for coal mining, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has signed a Rs 7,040 crore agreement with TMC Mineral Resources Private Limited on Friday.

According to a release from the Ministry of Coal, under this agreement, large-scale coal production will be undertaken using paste fill technology in the Singhali underground coal mine located in SECL's Korba area.

The report also mentioned that over a period of 25 years, the project is expected to produce approximately 8.4 million tonnes (84.5 lakh tonnes) of coal.

In a first, the government is organising a two-day conclave starting April 21 in Arunachal Pradesh to highlight the spread and impact of Buddhism in India’s Northeast. To be organised jointly by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the event at Namsai — just bordering Myanmar — is likely to be attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy CM Chowna Mein, officials said.

Earlier, the international Buddhist conclaves were held in Delhi with participation from monks and scholars from neighbouring South Asia and SouthEast Asia countries. However, since Arunachal is a sensitive region and requires multiple permissions, the international contingent this time won’t be large.

However, Consul General of Bhutan in Guwahati, Jigme Thinlye Namgyal, is likely to attend the event, while students of Buddhism from Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, currently studying in India, are also expected to mark their presence, as per officials. Besides, MLAs and academics from the region and other parts of the country will also attend, officials say.

French luxury brand Chanel on Wednesday (April 16) named Bollywood star Ananya Panday as its first-ever brand ambassador from India. This comes after Ananya made her presence felt at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2025 show in Paris.

A star who is best known for her performances in films such as Gehraiyaan (2022), Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023), and CTRL (2024), and the comedy series Call Me Bae (2024), Ananya has undoubtedly become a fashion icon for Gen Z. Her Instagram account, followed by 25.9 million people, features several photoshoots in which the star can be seen wearing Chanel.

The luxury house, in a statement to The Business of Fashion, said, “Ananya characterises a generation of evolving tastes and fiercely independent identities who navigate the world with their curiosities. Her values resonate with Chanel, making her the perfect choice to represent the house.”

Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu and Commonwealth Games gold medallist S. Sathish Kumar have been elected chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively, of the Athletes’ Commission of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF). Their term will last four years.

Mirabai is one of India’s most decorated weightlifters, holding multiple national records and historic milestones to her name. Her personal best in the total lift is 205kg — 86kg in snatch and 119kg in clean and jerk — which also stands as the national record.

She holds the national record in snatch as well, with a lift of 88kg. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she became the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal, marking a watershed moment for the sport in the country. Earlier, in 2017, she ended a 22-year wait by becoming the first Indian in over two decades to win gold at the World Weightlifting Championships.