The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is drafting a new leather and footwear policy to boost exports in the state amid changing global trade dynamics.

The move aims to provide financial support, technological upgradation, and export subsidies to the state’s leather and footwear manufacturers and exporters.

“The new policy will aim to double the size of the UP leather industry in five years,” said a senior state government official.

The proposed policy will promote the leather and footwear industry in Kanpur, Agra, Unnao, and Noida while aiming to develop integrated leather clusters and parks in the state.

For this, the state will target the huge domestic market and the lucrative export destinations in Africa, Latin America, West Asia, the US, and Europe.

India will host the next international summit on artificial intelligence, confirmed the office of French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who co-chaired the AI summit with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, had earlier announced that India would be happy to host the next such event on its territory.

As the global AI summit shifts from safety in 2023 to action in 2025, India aims to balance the global governance framework by making it inclusive, sustainable, and mindful of the needs of Global South countries.

India has been part of the all five working groups dealing with international governance, future of work, security and safety, AI for general interest, and innovation and culture in the run-up to the summit that France co-chaired with India. Though there are difference among the countries especially from the US and UK, efforts are still on to get an outcome statement of the summit.

Upcoming Tamil movie Bad Girl, directed by Varsha Bharath, has courted controversy ever since the release of its trailer on January 26, 2025. Some social media users, including notable Kollywood filmmakers, have raised concerns over the depiction of the Brahmin community in the film. The comments have targeted the producers of the film Vetri Maaran and Anurag Kashyap.

The film, following its global premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, has received a prestigious recognition that could significantly boost its prospects.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first indigenous Automated Biomedical Waste Treatment Rig, named S?janam, at AIIMS New Delhi. Developed by the CSIR National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram, this rig is the first of its kind in the country.

During the event, the Minister called for a paradigm shift from "Waste to Wealth" and emphasized the importance of sustainability and environmental concerns.

Dr. Singh highlighted India’s economic transformation, noting that the country has moved from being part of the ‘fragile five’ to a member of the ‘First Five’ and is on track for continued growth. He also highlighted the significance of the new biomedical waste treatment rig, which is set to revolutionize waste management in healthcare facilities.

South African opener Matthew Breetzke created history on Monday, as he became the first batter to score 150-plus runs on an ODI debut. Before Breetzke, the record for the highest score on debut was held by West Indies’ D.L. Haynes, who scored 148 runs in his first ODI innings back in 1978. The highest ODI debut score for South Africa before Breetzke’s brilliant innings was held by Colin Ingram, who scored 124 runs in his debut ODI innings against Zimbabwe in 2010. Breetzke took 148 balls in his 150-run innings, including 11 fours and five sixes.

Veteran batter Virat Kohli urged fans to join the organ donation initiative on Wednesday, February 12 during the third ODI between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) took a major step towards raising awareness about organ donation through the ‘Donate Organs, Save Lives’ initiative.

This initiative aims to inspire cricket fans to pledge their support for donating organs, putting forth the importance of a single decision which could impact lives. With millions watching, the initiative hopes to encourage individuals to pledge for organ donation, ultimately saving millions of lives in the future. Jay Shah, the ICC chairman, also dropped a message, asking fans to take part in the organ donation initiative.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has renamed its flagship HJT-36 jet training aircraft as ‘Yashas’, following significant upgrades to improve departure characteristics and spin resistance across the aircraft’s operational envelope.

‘Yashas’ is designed for stage II pilot training and is capable of performing counter-insurgency and counter-surface force operations, armament training, aerobatics and more. It is powered by a FADEC-controlled AL-55I jet engine, which provides a best-in-class thrust-to-weight ratio, optimised thrust management and enhanced reliability.

Commenting on the renaming, D.K. Sunil, CMD, HAL, stated, “Large-scale changes to the baseline intermediate training platform have significantly enhanced its capabilities. This transformation warranted a new name, reflecting the aircraft’s continued relevance as a training system for modern military aviation.”

The Centre has released about Rs 1.11 lakh crore loan to states during April-January under the scheme for special assistance to states for capital expenditure, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Monday.

In the 2024-25 Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hiked the allocations for interest-free loans to states for capital expenditure, enabling states to spend more on infrastructure and specified reforms. The allocation was hiked to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, up from disbursal of Rs 1.10 lakh crore made in 2023-24.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Chaudhary said under the scheme for special assistance to states for capital expenditure, the Centre has approved loans worth Rs 1.22 lakh crore till January 31. Of this, about Rs 1.11 lakh crore has been released.

Deepak Kumar Kedia, Inspector General (IG) Headquarters, National Security Guard (NSG), has been honoured with the 'CA in Public Service' Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for his exceptional contributions to public service, particularly in law enforcement and national security, according to an official statement.

Adding another accolade to his illustrious career, he was honoured with the 'CA in Public Service' Award by the ICAI at the World Forum of Accountants Meet in New Delhi on February 1.

Earlier, on the Republic Day, he was also awarded with the prestigious 'President Medal for Distinguished Service', a testament to his exceptional contributions to law enforcement and national security, the statement said.

The government on Tuesday announced that late Chaman Arora has been chosen for the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 in Dogri for his book 'Ik Hor Ashwthama'.

The Ministry of Culture, in a statement, also said the book was selected on the basis of recommendation made by the jury comprising three members in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down for the purpose.

"The book was selected unanimously," it said.