Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said that India has demonstrated that climate responsibility and economic development can go hand in hand. Inaugurating the International Conference on Carbon Markets named Prakriti 2026 and an Indian Carbon Market Portal at Bharat Electricity Summit in New Delhi today, Mr Lal said that India’s leadership in advancing climate commitments under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said, India is building a transparent and credible carbon market framework that will serve as a long-term national asset. He further noted that India has already established a transparent Carbon Credit Trading Scheme with nine notified methodologies and over 40 registered entities submitting projects in biogas, hydrogen, and forestry.

The Telangana government will roll out the Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme from June 2, offering Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to 1.15 crore families in the state.

The government said it aims to ensure that living in Telangana is a support, not a burden, noting that the loss of a sole earning member can push families into severe financial distress alongside emotional trauma. In this context, the state has allocated Rs 13,679 crore to the Medical and Health department, an increase of Rs 1,286 crore from Rs 12,393 crore in the previous fiscal.

The 2026-27 Budget introduces a cashless treatment initiative under the Employees Health Scheme (EHS), to be implemented through the Rajiv Aarogyasri Trust, covering government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members, and enabling access to treatment for 1,998 diseases across government hospitals and 421 empanelled private hospitals, with around 23.51 lakh beneficiaries expected to be covered.

Sikkim has been selected as the host venue for the 49th Yonex Sunrise Junior National Badminton Championship (Individual & Team – U-19) 2026. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 14th to 21st November.

Jacob Khaling, President of the Badminton Association of Sikkim, expressed pride over the state being chosen to host the prestigious national-level event for the first time. The championship, organised under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India, will see top junior players from across the country competing at the highest level.

Khaling extended his gratitude to Himanta Biswa Sharma, who also serves as President of the Badminton Association of India, along with Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, and the entire executive committee for placing their trust in Sikkim.

The championship is expected to be a landmark event for Sikkim’s sporting landscape, offering local athletes a rare opportunity to witness and compete alongside some of the finest young badminton talents in the country.

India on Thursday appointed seasoned diplomat Vikram Doraiswami as its new ambassador to China, a move seen as significant as both nations work to stabilise ties after years of strained relations.

Doraiswami’s appointment comes at a critical juncture, with New Delhi and Beijing seeking to reset diplomatic engagement following the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The tensions, triggered by the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, had pushed bilateral relations to their lowest point in decades before easing in October 2024.

A 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Doraiswami is currently serving as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He will succeed Pradeep Kumar Rawat in Beijing and is expected to assume charge shortly, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani, was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University (KIITU) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in recognition of her steadfast dedication to nation building through education, sports, healthcare, rural transformation, art and culture, and her unwavering commitment to empowering communities.

At the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) campus in Bhubaneswar, she was conferred the KISS Humanitarian Award 2025.

The award was presented by Nobel laureate from Sri Lanka Prof Mohan Munasinghe in the presence of KIIT & KISS founder Achyuta Samanta here on Monday, a KIIT statement said.

The Ministry of Ayush has launched “Yoga 365”, a nationwide campaign aimed at transforming yoga from a once-a-year celebration into a daily practice embedded in everyday life.

The initiative was unveiled during the launch of Yoga Mahotsav–2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, marking the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, said the campaign seeks to build on the global success of the International Day of Yoga by encouraging consistent daily engagement with yoga.

The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has launched a nationwide 'VB-G Ram G Youth Digital Campaign' in collaboration with the 'MY Bharat' portal, aiming to encourage participation of rural youth in development activities.

The initiative seeks to channel the energy and creativity of young people towards rural development, employment generation, and local livelihood initiatives.

The campaign is designed to make youth active partners in nation-building by providing them with a digital platform to showcase progress and innovation in their villages. Through this initiative, participants can present stories of development work, grassroots-level changes, and local innovations through videos and creative designs.

In a pathbreaking initiative to bring India’s rich tribal heritage to the forefront of global fashion and lifestyle, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram launched a dedicated premium signature brand, “RISA: Timeless Tribal,” on 18th March 2026 at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi in the august presence of Smt. Savitri Thakur, Hon’ble MoS Women and Child Development, Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Shri Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Shri M. Rajamurugan, MD TRIFED, and renowned designer Shri Manish Tripathi.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Jual Oram, Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs remarked that “tribal crafts are timeless yet undervalued, and platforms like Bharat Tribes Fest and RISA are bridging this gap through market access and fair profit-sharing.”

In a significant step towards deepening structural reforms in rural drinking water governance, a Reform‑Linked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was signed today with the State of Uttar Pradesh, marking the State’s formal entry into the reform‑linked implementation framework of the Mission. Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 was approved by the Union Cabinet on 10 March 2026.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Paatil, and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, who joined the event through video conferencing. Shri V Somanna, Minister of State, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Shri Swatantra Dev Singh, Minister of Jal Shakti, Uttar Pradesh was present in person for the MoU signing.

The Union Cabinet approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks with an allocation of 33 thousand 660 crore rupees. Briefing media in New Delhi after the cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Scheme aims to develop world-class industrial infrastructure, unlocking manufacturing potential and driving the country’s growth story. He said that Industrial parks of 100 to 1000 acres will be developed with support of up to one crore rupees per acre.

In a significant step towards strengthening farmer welfare and advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Cabinet approved MSP funding of over 1,718 crore rupees to the Cotton Corporation of India for the cotton season 2023-24. The Minister said that this funding aims to provide direct price support to cotton farmers across the country. Mr Vaishnaw said the MSP operations are undertaken to safeguard the interests of cotton farmers, particularly during periods when market prices fall below the MSP.