The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled a pioneering national initiative: five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.

This is a significant step towards India’s Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and to achieve net zero decarbonisation pathways for Industry Transition., towards the Government’s goal to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.

Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) holds significant importance in hard-to-abate sectors like Cement, Steel, Power, Oil &Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers in reducing emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes and converting it to value add products such as synthetic fuels, Urea, Soda, Ash, chemicals, food grade CO2 or concrete aggregates. CCU provides a feasible pathway for these tough to decarbonise industries to lower their carbon footprint and move towards achieving Net Zero Goals while continuing their operations efficiently. DST has taken major strides in fostering R&D in the CCUS domain.

The Ministry of Culture and International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) is set to commemorate the sacred occasion of Vaiśākha Buddha Pūrṇimā Divas—the Triple Blessed Day marking the Birth, Enlightenment, and Mahāparinirvāna of Lord Shākyamuni Buddha. The event will be held at Dr B R Ambedkar International Centre (Auditorium), Janpath, New Delhi on 15th May 2025 (Thursday). The Guest of Honour for the event will be Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs and the Chief Guest will be Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture & Tourism.

The programme will feature prayers and a thought-provoking panel discussion on the theme: ‘Application of Buddha Dhamma in Conflict Resolution’. Esteemed Buddhist scholar-monks and domain experts, including Geshe Dorji Damdul (Director, Tibet House, New Delhi), Prof. Hira Paul Gang Negi (Former HoD, Buddhist Studies, Delhi University), and Prof. Bimlendra Kumar (Professor, Pali & Buddhist Studies, BHU), will share insights on the timeless relevance of Buddha’s teachings.

A special address will be delivered by the distinguished Buddhist nun, Ven. Gyaltsen Samten, and the Ratana Sutta will be rendered by renowned singer Ms. Subhadra Desai.

India’s push towards next-generation connectivity took centre stage at an event, where policymakers and industry leaders framed 6G not as a routine upgrade, but a fundamental shift in digital infrastructure. With over 111 projects already funded under the Bharat 6G Mission and India emerging among the top six nations in global 6G patent filings, experts highlighted the country’s ambition to move from a technology adopter to a global standard-setter.

Yet, voices from the telecom and policy sectors urged a measured, strategically phased approach—stressing the need for real-world use cases, robust 5G monetisation, and foundational infrastructure choices to ensure a secure, inclusive and AI-native future. 6G is not just “a simple upgrade but a fundamental transformation,” said Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Communications, speaking at the Bharat 6G 2025 International Conference and Exhibition.

Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

CJI Gavai succeeds Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on May 13, and will hold office till November 23, 2025. He is the 52nd Chief Justice of India.

Born on November 24, 1960, at Amravati in Maharashtra, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge of the high court on November 12, 2005.

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has launched the National Esports Championship 2025 (NESC25) to select India's official contingent for the 17th World Esports Championship (WEC), organised by the International Esports Federation (IESF).

ESFI has also finalised India's squad for the BRICS Esports Championship 2025, where Gurashish "Soul" Singh and Shubham Khorwal will represent the nation in Tekken 8, according to ESFI release.

The IESF's flagship tournament is the most prestigious international esports competition on the calendar, bringing together elite talent from across the globe. The national qualifiers, running online from May 22, will feature top Indian athletes competing in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and DOTA 2, with registrations open till May 19. Matches will be streamed live on ESFI's official YouTube channel. Furthermore, last year's NESC winner in eFootball will be granted a direct slot at the 17th WEC, following the game's removal from the previous edition's lineup.

Google is launching a new program called the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First to support AI startups in India. The program is being run in partnership with the MeitY Startup Hub and focuses on startups working with Agentic AI and Multimodal AI—two areas that are expected to play a big role in the future of AI.

If you're a startup in India that’s Seed to Series A funded and building AI products or models, you can apply for the program before June 30th, 2025.

So, what’s in it for the startups? Here’s what they’ll get:

–They’ll get one-on-one advice from Google experts and mentors from teams like Google DeepMind, Health, and Cloud.

Shri Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited said that, the robust performance during FY25 is primarily driven by better physical & financial performance across all major segments. Despite challenges in global economy, our company had a landmark year, reaching unprecedented financial milestones and achieving the highest-ever EBITDA, PBT and PAT in GAIL’s history. The Board of Directors has recommended a final dividend of Rs 1 per equity share (face value of Rs 10 per equity share) for the financial year 2024-25, subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is in addition to the interim dividend of Rs 6.50 per equity share Consequently, the dividend pay-out ratio for the Financial year stands at 43.59 per cent. He further stated that the Company has incurred a Capex of Rs. 10,512 Crores during the FY25.

He further informed that GAIL Gas Limited (GGL), a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL was incorporated in May 2008 for developing City Gas Distribution business as its focus area. GGL currently owns & operates 16 GAs across India. Further GAIL received PNGRB authorisation for development of CGD network in 6 GAs i.e. Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhubaneshwar & Cuttack in March 2018. In order to have a single entity for development of GAIL’s CGD Business and for bringing business synergy, efficiency & retail focussed business approach, the Board has recommended to transfer the 6GAs of GAIL to GGL subject to the approval of CCEA.

Harvansh Chawla, Founder and Managing Partner of K.R. Chawla & Co. Advocates, has been appointed as the Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This appointment recognizes his extensive experience in international law and his commitment to fostering legal collaboration among BRICS nations.

Chawla is a distinguished member of several international legal associations, including the International Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and the Indo-US Business Council.

Beyond his legal practice, Chawla actively engages in social causes, reflecting his commitment to using the law as a tool for societal benefit. His leadership in the BRICS is expected to enhance legal cooperation among member countries, facilitating the exchange of best practices and the development of unified legal frameworks.

BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry serves as a platform to collaborate on issues of mutual interest.

The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of shareholding in EPL Limited by Indorama Netherlands B.V.

The proposed combination envisages the purchase of 24.9% equity share capital of EPL Limited by Indorama Netherlands B.V.

Indorama Netherlands B.V. is a limited liability company established in the Netherlands. It is an indirect subsidiary of Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited.

EPL Limited is engaged in the business of manufacturing and sale of packaging products, including laminated and extruded plastic tubes.

Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

In a landmark decision aimed at enhancing global visibility and consistency in observance, the Government of India has designated September 23 as the date for celebrating Ayurveda Day each year.

This change, notified through a Gazette Notification dated March 23, marks a significant shift from the earlier practice of observing Ayurveda Day on Dhanteras, which follows a variable lunar calendar, according to the Ministry of AYUSH.

Ayurveda Day has been commemorated annually to promote Ayurveda as a scientific, evidence-based, and holistic system of medicine that plays a pivotal role in preventive healthcare and wellness. Until now, Ayurveda Day coincided with Dhanteras, a festival observed in the Hindu month of Kartik (usually October or November). However, as the date of Dhanteras fluctuates each year, the observance of Ayurveda Day lacked a fixed annual date.