The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the second edition of ‘Vividhta ka Amrit Mahotsav’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 5, 2025).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that in the second edition of Vividhta ka Amrit Mahotsav’, people would get to know about the vibrant cultural heritage of five states - Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and two UTs - Lakshadweep and Puducherry. She was happy to note that about 500 artisans and weavers are participating in this celebration. She urged people to participate in this festival, know about the art and culture of South India. It will also boost the morale of all the artisans and artists.

The 'Vividhta ka Amrit Mahotsav' is being organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan to celebrate and showcase the rich diversity of India. This Mahotsav has been structured in the seven distinct editions dedicated to – North-East, South, North, East, West, Central region and Union Territories.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing a National Workshop of Women Elected Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions wherein "Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan" will be launched on 4th March 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, the ministry said in a release on Sunday.

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S. P. Singh Baghel and Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse. Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, along with representatives from various Ministries/ Departments, SIRD&PRs, and international organizations like UNFPA, TRIF will also participate in the event.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering gender-sensitive governance at the grassroots level. The initiative, which focuses on the development of Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats (MWFGP), will be unveiled at a National Convention on March 5, 2025, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

This event, a key part of the Ministry’s International Women’s Day 2025 celebrations, seeks to ensure safety, inclusivity, and gender equality for women and girls in Gram Panchayats across the country.

Union Minister of State, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj & Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, along with Union Minister of State, Anupriya Patel, from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, will be present at the convention. Other notable attendees include Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary.

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, attended the official send-off ceremony for the 49-member Indian team set to compete in the Special Olympics World Winter Games. This marks the largest-ever Indian contingent for the prestigious event, which will be held in Turin, Italy, from March 7 to 17.

The Indian team comprises 30 athletes, three officials, and 16 support staff, including coaches. The athletes will compete in six disciplines—Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Floorball, Short Track Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snowshoeing.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting inclusive sports, the Union Sports Ministry has placed a strong emphasis on supporting specially-abled athletes. As part of this initiative, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) organized 11 national coaching camps across multiple cities, including Chandigarh, Narkanda, New Delhi, Gwalior, Noida, and Gurugram, to prepare the athletes for the global event.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda chaired the ninth meeting of Mission Steering Group (MSG) of National Health Mission (NHM) on Tuesday at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

Union Ministers of State for Health & Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav and Anupriya Patel, Suman K. Bery, Vice chairman, NITI Aayog, VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog were also present.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Mission Steering Group is the highest policy-making and steering institution under the NHM, providing broad policy direction and governance for the health sector. Secretaries of Ministries of Government of India including MoHFW, AYUSH, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Punchayati Raj, Development of North Eastern Region along with officials from Women and Child Development, Social Justice & Empowerment, Education, Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Expenditure, NHSRC and Secretaries from various central ministries, Health Secretaries from high-focus states including Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura and senior officials from NITI Aayog and MoHFW also attended the meeting.

The 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific has been inaugurated today in Jaipur, India, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation for sustainable waste management and circular economy initiatives. This Forum provides a critical platform for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and development partners to discuss and implement sustainable solutions for waste management and resource efficiency. As economies in the Asia-Pacific region experience rapid urbanization and industrialization, the need for a shift towards a circular economy model has never been more urgent.

The Forum will focus on the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R), aiming to create a roadmap for sustainable production and consumption patterns. Through insightful discussions, policy recommendations, and collaborative partnerships, the Forum will help strengthen global and regional commitments with a focus on resource efficiency, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.

The last Forum was hosted in 2023 by Cambodia. India has previously hosted the Forum in 2018, when the 8th edition was held in Indore.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, inaugurated the 16th ‘JUMBO’ Majumdar International Seminar organised by the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) on 04 March 2025 at Air Force Auditorium. The theme for the Seminar was ‘EVOLVING DYNAMICS OF AEROSPACE POWER’. The welcome remarks were delivered by Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd), Director General, CAPS.

‘Jumbo’ Majumdar International Seminar is an annual event organised by CAPS in commemoration of late Wg Cdr Karun Krishna Majumdar, an ace fighter pilot of pre-Independence India.

A host of topics ranging from Integrated Aerospace Management, Effective Space Exploitation for gaining ‘Control of the Air’, exploitation of Drones and Manned Unmanned Teams (MUMT) in future conflicts, impact of EW and Cyber on Aerial Warfare, the Way Forward for induction of Emerging and Niche Technologies to 5th gen aircraft by IAF, were discussed by the eminent panellist. The Seminar was attended by officials, researchers and aviation enthusiasts from varied fields and experiences. The Seminar reignited interest and excitement amongst the young and veterans alike and paved the way for future engagements in Aerospace domain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated Vantara, an animal rescue, conservation, and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where he spent time interacting with a variety of rescued animals. The visit underscored his deep commitment to wildlife protection and conservation efforts.

The inauguration was attended by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, along with Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, and Radhika Merchant. The Prime Minister explored the centre’s extensive facilities, including its state-of-the-art wildlife hospital equipped with MRI, CT scan, and ICU services, aimed at providing advanced medical care to rescued animals.

During his visit, PM Modi was seen engaging with a range of animals, including Asiatic Lion cubs, a White Lion cub, a Clouded Leopard cub, and Caracal cubs. A video shared on his official YouTube handle captured heartwarming moments of him feeding and playing with these animals. The White Lion cub he fed was born at the centre after its mother was rescued, while the Caracals, once common in India but now a rare species, are being bred at Vantara under a captive breeding program for future release into the wild.

Tata Motors on Tuesday launched the first-ever trials of hydrogen-powered heavy duty trucks in order to assess their viability for long haul transportation solutions.

The trial phase will span up to 24 months and involves deployment of 16 advanced hydrogen-powered vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities.

The trucks, equipped with Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICE) and Fuel Cell (H2-FCEV) technologies, will be tested on India's most prominent freight routes, including those around Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Surat, Vadodara, Jamshedpur and Kalinganagar.

A new species of bat, Hipposideros srilankaensis, was discovered in Sri Lanka. A decade-long study, led by Bhargavi Srinivasalu of the Department of Zoology, Osmania University, identified a new species of leaf-nosed bat.

This discovery, along with the taxonomic revision of the South Asian allies of Hipposideros galeritus, has been published in the prestigious international taxonomy journal Zootaxa. The team surveyed multiple locations across India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, collecting crucial samples and evidence to support their findings.

One of the scientists involved in the study, Prof C Srinivasulu, told TNIE, “The new species, Hipposideros srilankaensis, is distinguished by its unique morphological features, including a broad noseleaf, distinct ear shape, and cranial characteristics. Genetic analysis further confirmed its distinctiveness from other known species in the region.