Ashwini Bhide has been appointed as the Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in a key administrative decision by the Maharashtra government, becoming the first woman to head the civic body. She is currently posted as Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office.

She will assume the role after incumbent Bhushan Gagrani completes his tenure on March 31, 2026. The post had also seen consideration of other senior bureaucrats, including Sanjay Mukherjee and Aseem Gupta, before Bhide was finalised based on her experience and administrative track record.

A 1995-batch IAS officer, Bhide has built a reputation for a firm, outcome-focused working style. She has worked closely with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the past and is known for managing high-stakes assignments.

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on Tuesday announced the achievement of twin milestones with the launch of a next-generation offshore patrol vessel for the Indian Navy and the delivery of a patrol vessel to the Indian Coast Guard.

The defence public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence ceremonially launched INS Shachi (Yard 1280), a Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), marking a key development under the Indian Navy’s modernisation programme. The launch ceremony was conducted in the presence of senior naval officials, including Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti.

On the same day, GSL also delivered Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Achal (Yard 1274), which was formally accepted by the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel is expected to enhance coastal surveillance, maritime law enforcement, and national security operations.

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday inaugurated a semiconductor plant of Kaynes Technology in Sanand, Gujarat, marking the start of production at the facility and underlining India’s push to build a domestic chip ecosystem.

Noting the pace of developments in the sector, the Prime Minister referred to his visit to Sanand on February 28 for the start of production at the Micron facility, saying the back-to-back milestones reflect the momentum in India’s semiconductor journey.

The Kaynes facility will manufacture Intelligent Power Modules used in electric vehicles and industrial applications, with a significant share of output expected to be exported. Officials said the project is already integrated with global supply chains, linking domestic production with international markets.

World Trade Organization talks ended deadlocked early on Monday as Brazil blocked a bid by the U.S. and other countries to extend a moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, dealing a fresh blow to the embattled trade body.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the e-commerce moratorium had expired, meaning countries could apply duties on electronic goods such as digital downloads and streaming. But she said the WTO hoped to be able to restore the moratorium and that Brazil and the U.S. were trying to reach agreement on it.

“They need more time and we didn’t have the time here,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to freedom fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma on his death anniversary today. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said, ‘Shyamji Krishna Varma awakened a new consciousness in the freedom movement with his revolutionary ideas.’ Mr Modi noted that the life and ideals of Shyamji will continue to inspire every generation of the country towards national service.

Cape Canaveral, Florida - Nasa is preparing to launch the first crew of astronauts to the moon in more than 53 years with its second Artemis mission.

It's a key test flight in humanity's broader lunar goals as the US, faced with growing competition from China, races to reassert leadership in space.

Three US and one Canadian astronaut are due for liftoff aboard Nasa's Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket on Wednesday for a 10-day test mission swinging around the moon and back.

The mission is the first crewed test flight in Nasa's Artemis programme, the flagship US effort to begin regular flights to the moon, at an estimated cost of at least $93bn since 2012.

India's pharmaceutical sector is set to take a major step towards becoming an innovation-driven global powerhouse, as India Pharma 2026 aims to accelerate the industry's transition from volume-based growth to value and research-led expansion, the government said on Monday. The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), will organise the 9th edition of India Pharma 2026 on April 13-14 at Federation House in the national capital.

The conference will act as a key platform for discussions on how India's pharma industry can move beyond being a volume-driven market to becoming a value- and innovation-led global leader.

It will bring together policymakers, global industry leaders, researchers and innovators to explore new opportunities and strategies.

Census 2027 will begin from the 1st of next month. This will be the 16th Census in the series and the 8th since Independence. Addressing the media in New Delhi today, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan informed that the Census will be conducted in two phases. Mr Narayan said that in the first phase, house listing and Self-Enumeration will be carried out. The Commissioner noted that the Self-Enumeration facility will be conducted over a 15-day period between 1st April and 31st August this year, with the schedule varying across States and Union Territories.

He added that, after each State and Union Territory carries out the Self-Enumeration, the house listing operations will be conducted over a 30-day period till 30th September. He also noted that the self-enumeration portal will be available in 16 languages. He further informed that the questions for the first phase have already been notified, and the questions for the second phase will be published in due course. Mr Narayan also highlighted that the caste enumeration will be done in the second phase of the Census.

Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to win the Miami Open and complete the ‘Sunshine Double’.

The Italian beat Lehecka in straight sets to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Sinner also became the first player to achieve the feat without dropping a set across the two events.

The 24-year-old won Indian Wells for the first time in his career and became the eighth different man to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’. Novak Djokovic and Federer have achieved the feat multiple times.

Eight men who have completed the Sunshine Double at least once are: Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Roger Federer (2005-06) and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014-16).

The Central Government has allocated 3,880 crore rupees to Nagaland under the “Pride of Hills: Special Development Assistance for the Hill States” scheme for the financial year 2026-27. The scheme aims to address key challenges faced by hill states, such as difficult terrain, limited connectivity, sparse population, and constrained revenue sources, which often impact their fiscal strength.

The initiative, part of the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), earmarks a total outlay of 25,000 crore rupees for nine hill states. Under the total outlay, Arunachal Pradesh received the highest allocation of 4,900 crore, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 3,920 crore. Nagaland was allocated 3880 crore, while Uttarakhand received 3,460 crore and Tripura 3,450 crore. Manipur was allotted 2,400 crore and Meghalaya 2,070 crore. Further, Sikkim has been allocated 820 crore and Mizoram 100 crore rupees.

The additional funding is expected to boost capital expenditure, support infrastructure development, and accelerate overall economic growth in these regions.