In a significant administrative development, Nidhi Khare (IAS), has been entrusted with the additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). She currently serves as Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Khare is a 1992 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Jharkhand cadre. She has been assigned additional charge of MNRE Secretary with immediate effect till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders.

The development came a day after, former Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh (IAS) returned to his parent cadre following the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet's directive.

Vineet Joshi (IAS) has taken over charge as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi on Thursday. Before this appointment, he served as the Chief Secretary of Manipur.

Joshi is a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Manipur cadre.

Vineet Joshi holds B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. Having numerous training modules and research papers to his credit, the new Chairman is credited with an extensive experience and professionalism.

He has held several prominent positions in the education sector, including Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education, among others.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, at the launch of Dr. K.S. Chauhan’s book “Parliament: Powers, Functions & Privileges; A Comparative Constitutional Perspective”, praised the author’s dedication to the study of parliamentary law.

In his address, Dhankhar noted that the two-volume work offered crucial insights into the workings of Parliament and its responsibilities, particularly in holding the executive accountable.

The Vice President highlighted that Parliament is the backbone of democracy, stating that its primary function is to ensure government accountability through dialogue, debate, and deliberation.

He stressed that a dysfunctional Parliament jeopardizes democracy and erodes public trust. Dhankhar also discussed the importance of parliamentary privileges, urging MPs to use their powers responsibly and emphasizing the need for a functional Parliament to address the aspirations of the people.

India is close to finalising a USD 450 million deal to supply the BrahMos missile system to Indonesia. Indonesia's defence ministry has officially communicated with the Indian embassy in Jakarta regarding the purchase, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal is expected to be announced during the Indonesian President's upcoming visit to New Delhi, where he will be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations.

To facilitate the agreement, India is considering offering a loan to Indonesia through the State Bank of India or another national bank, as per sources. Initially, the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank was slated to provide the financing, but the plan did not progress. Negotiations are ongoing to determine the loan's structure.

This potential deal reflects India's growing role in the global defence export market. It follows the government’s landmark USD 375 million defence agreement with the Philippines in April 2023, which included the delivery of three BrahMos missile batteries. These missiles have a range of 290 kilometres and a speed of 2.8 Mach, greatly enhancing the Philippines' coastal defence.

President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday bestowed the highest honour of the city-state on Tarun Das, the former director general of the Confederation of the Indian Industry (CII).

Mr. Das was awarded the Honorary Citizen Award by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam who will start the official leg of his India tour on Thursday.

The Honourary Citizen award is given for “outstanding contribution by a non-Singaporean to the country’s growth and development,” a press note released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Singapore declared.

Indian economy is likely to grow at 6.5-6.8 per cent this fiscal and slightly higher between 6.7-7.3 per cent in FY2026, boosted by domestic consumption, Deloitte said on Sunday.

Deloitte India Economist Rumki Majumdar said the growth in the first half of the fiscal year 2025 turned out to be slower than estimated as election uncertainties followed by disruptions in activity due to heavy rainfall and geopolitical events weighed on domestic demand and exports.

However, India continues to show resilience in certain pockets that are worth noting -- be it in consumption trends, services growth, the rising share of high-value manufacturing in exports, or the capital market.

Novak Djokovic added yet another record in a career full of them when he overtook Roger Federer on Wednesday to become the player to have played the most Grand Slam matches.

In his match against Jaime Faria, which he won 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2, Djokovic leapfrogged Roger Federer by taking part in his 430th Grand Slam match, one more than the Swiss legend. He also improved on his performances in the Grand Slams with 379 wins and just 51 losses.

“Grand Slams, of course, they are the pillars of our sport. They mean everything for the history of the sport. … Definitely the most important tournaments. I’m just blessed to be making another record, I guess, today,” the Serb said.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill severely restricting transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports.

The legislation would bar transgender students from female teams at any school or university that receives federal funding, though its adoption by the Senate and passage into law is unlikely.

The bill defines sex as "based solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth" and restricts transgender athletes from participating in athletic activities "designated for women or girls."

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a new term on Friday (January 10, 2025), amid renewed protests and rebukes from the United States and others who believe he stole last year's vote.

Venezuela’s legislative palace, where he was sworn in and delivered a fiery speech, was heavily guarded by security forces who have become Mr. Maduro's main hold on power since last summer's disputed election. Crowds of people, many sporting pro-Maduro T-shirts, gathered in adjacent streets and a nearby plaza.

Mr. Maduro, likening himself to a biblical David fighting Goliath, accused his opponents and their supporters in the U.S. of trying to turn his inauguration into a “world war.” He said his enemies' failure to block his inauguration to a third six-year term was “a great victory" for Venezuela's peace and national sovereignty.

NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region, the alliance's leader said on Tuesday.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that the mission dubbed Baltic Sentry would include frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide "enhanced surveillance and deterrence."

Announcing the new operation, Rutte noted that more than 95 per cent of internet traffic is secured via undersea cables, and 1.3 million kilometres (8,08,000 miles) of cables guarantee an estimated USD 10 trillion worth of financial transactions every day. (ANI/WAM)