Maldives generational smoking ban: The Maldives has become the first country in the world to impose a “generational” ban on smoking, preventing individuals born on or after January 2007 from purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms.

The Maldivian health ministry called the move a “historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”

What is Maldives’ generational smoking ban
The ban on individuals born on or after January 2007 purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms was enacted through the Second Amendment to the Tobacco Control Act ratified by President Mohamed Muizzu.

Gopichand P Hinduja, the chairman of the Hinduja Group, has died in a London hospital. He was 85. He is the second of the four Hinduja brothers. The eldest, Srichand Hinduja, died in 2023. The other two brothers are Prakash Hinduja and Ashok Hinduja.

Known as 'GP' in business circles, Gopichand Hinduja joined the family business in 1950 and is credited with transforming the company from an Indo-Middle East trading operation into a transnational conglomerate.

A graduate from Bombay Jai Hind College, Gopichand held honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Westminster and Richmond College, according to the company's website.

RITES Limited, the leading transport infrastructure consultancy and engineering firm under the Ministry of Railways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI), a Government of India enterprise, to explore collaboration in maritime logistics and multimodal transport solutions.

The MoU has been signed on the sidelines of India Maritime Week 2025, marking a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing maritime logistics and shipping operations to ensure the timely and efficient movement of RITES’ cargo across global destinations.

Under the agreement, RITES and SCI will work together to design and implement innovative, cost-effective, and resilient supply chain and logistics models tailored to RITES’ operational needs. The partnership also envisions joint efforts in knowledge exchange and capacity building, including sharing best practices in supply chain resilience, digital cargo tracking, and logistics planning for high-value consignments.

In a major step towards enhancing India’s maritime and dredging capabilities, BEML Limited and Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) have signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth approximately Rs 350 crore during India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai.

The MoUs have been exchanged between Cmdr R.G.K. Rao (Retd.), Head of SBU – Aerospace & Maritime, BEML, and Capt S. Divakar, Managing Director & CEO, DCIL, in the presence of Shantanu Roy, Chairman & Managing Director, BEML Limited, and Dr. M Angamuthu, IAS, Chairman, DCIL.

The collaboration aims to boost self-reliance in dredging operations through the supply of indigenous spares for DCIL dredgers, design and construction of five inland cutter suction dredgers, and supply of cable dredgers, long-reach excavators, and customized dredging solutions to support reservoir de-siltation and inland waterway development projects across India.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the extension of additional charge of the post of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Digital India Corporation (DIC) to Nand Kumarum (IAS).

Kumarum, who is currently serving as President & CEO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), will continue to hold the additional charge of MD & CEO, DIC for a further period of six months with effect from July 9, 2025, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Digital India Corporation functions under MeitY and plays a pivotal role in conceptualising, managing, and implementing projects aligned with the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the extension of additional charge of the post of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Digital India Corporation (DIC) to Nand Kumarum (IAS).

Kumarum, who is currently serving as President & CEO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), will continue to hold the additional charge of MD & CEO, DIC for a further period of six months with effect from July 9, 2025, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Digital India Corporation functions under MeitY and plays a pivotal role in conceptualising, managing, and implementing projects aligned with the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Ankathi Raju has been appointed as the Director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. Additionally, Dr M. Raghavendra Rao has been appointed as the Director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and assumed charge. Both officers assumed charge of the post on Saturday (November 1).

A native of Hyderabad, Ankathi Raju holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, and an M.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering (Propulsion) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai. Before his current appointment, he served as the Director of the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), where he led key indigenous defence projects, including the Enhanced Rocket System, Guided Pinaka, and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS).

NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub today unveiled a major roadmap titled “Reimagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology Led Transformation” in Gandhinagar.

The launch, attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, outlines a vision to use advanced technologies to boost agricultural productivity and sustainability. The roadmap focuses on harnessing frontier technologies such as climate-resilient seeds, digital twins, precision agriculture, and Agentic AI. It offers tailored solutions by categorizing farmers into three groups: Aspiring, Transitioning, and Advanced.

Chief Minister Patel stated that Gujarat is uniquely positioned to lead this shift, citing state initiatives like the Digital Crop Survey and the i-Khedut portal. He affirmed that empowering farmers is essential for realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam emphasized the need for customized solutions.
The roadmap, developed in collaboration with partners like BCG, Google, and CII, aims to enhance agricultural resilience, inclusive rural prosperity, and India’s global competitiveness in agri-tech innovation.

Sanjay Garg, a senior civil servant of IAS-1994 batch from the Kerala cadre, has assumed charge as the Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), with effect from the 1st of this month. Prior to joining BIS as DG, he served as the Secretary of Indian Council of Agriculture Research and additional Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Research and Education. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, highlighted that as the DG of BIS, Mr Garg will also serve as the President of India’s national committee in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been felicitated with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur in Kanpur today.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award started in year 1989, is the highest award given by IIT Kanpur in recognition of outstanding achievements of its alumni. Mr Kumar graduated from IIT Kanpur with a B.Tech in Civil Engineering in the year 1985. He was conferred the award by the Institute’s 66th Foundation Day celebration today.