Vladimir Putin Secures Another Six-Year Term in Russian Election
President Vladimir Putin secured another six years in power in a preordained election landslide that came amid the harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times.
The Central Election Commission said Putin received 87.28% of the vote, the highest number for any president in post-Soviet Russia. The turnout was 77.44% of the electorate, also the biggest. Others on the ballot all finished in single digits, and anti-war candidates were not allowed to run.
Bihar's Begusarai is World's Most Polluted City, Delhi Worst among Capitals
A new report placed Bihar's Begusarai at the top of the list for the world's most polluted urban area, while Delhi was named the capital with the worst air quality. India ranked third in air pollution among 134 countries in 2023, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter, trailing behind Bangladesh and Pakistan, as per the World Air Quality Report 2023 by IQAir, a Swiss organization.
Compared to its eighth-place ranking in 2022, India's average PM2.5 concentration has increased slightly from 53.3 to 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter.
Australia's North Braces for Tropical Cyclone Megan
Residents in parts of Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland state were urged to prepare for a tropical cyclone that is forecast to make landfall in coming days.
Megan, a category two cyclone sitting in the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts up to 155 kph (96 mph), was expected to cross the coast on Monday or early Tuesday morning as a "severe tropical cyclone", the nation's weather forecaster said.
Australia is experiencing an El Nino weather event, now easing, and typically associated with extreme phenomena such as cyclones, wildfires, droughts and heatwaves.
Gales with damaging wind gusts of 110 kph were already sweeping remote Groote Eylandt, off Northern Territory's Arnhem Land, about 653 km east of territory capital Darwin, the forecaster said.
It was likely Megan would intensify to category three later on Sunday, the weather forecaster said, urging those in the warning zone to prepare their properties for strong winds.
In a sudden development, Vinay Kumar Singh, the Managing Director of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), resigned from his position.
Singh has been spearheading the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project in India, and his resignation came at the cusp of the successful completion of India's first Namo Bharat service (formerly RapidX).
Singh has been the MD of the corporation since 2016.
Poonawala Fincorp Appoints Arvind Kapil as MD and CEO
Poonawalla Fincorp share price gained over 3% in early trade on Tuesday after the company announced the appointment of retail banking veteran Arvind Kapil as its new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer for a five-year term starting June 24.
Kapil is currently serving as Group Head - Mortgages at HDFC Bank and comes with over 25 years of experience with the largest private lender in handling a bouquet of retail products.
He will replace current MD & CEO Abhay Bhutada, who will move to Poonawalla Group, and remain a non-executive director in the company, as per a regulatory filing.
Analysts expect the leadership transition to pivot to a phygital approach (branch + digital) with a wider product offering to target a larger customer base.
"With the backing of the Poonawalla Group, AAA credit rating, guidance of Keki Mistry, and a retail banking veteran in Arvind Kapil at the helm of affairs, the right ingredients are in place to establish a successful retail lending franchise," said Avinash Singh, Senior Research Analyst at Emkay Global Financial Services.
P&G India appoints Kumar Venkatasubramanian as CEO effective May 1
Kumar Venkatasubramanian will be the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Procter & Gamble (P&G) India beginning May 1, as the incumbent LV Vaidyanathan has decided to move on after 28 years at the FMCG giant.
Venkatasubramanian is currently leading the P&G business in Australia and New Zealand as CEO, where he has delivered record metrics. Before the overseas role, he was leading the sales team in P&G India till 2020.
An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Venkatasubramanian had started his journey with P&G in the sales team in India in 2000, soon after leaving the campus.
India's Ram Baboo Books Paris Olympics 2024 Spot with Personal Best
India's Ram Baboo on Saturday achieved the Paris Olympics men's 20km race qualification standard, clocking a personal best time of 1:20:00 at the Dudinska 50 Meet in Slovakia.
Baboo, a bronze medallist in the 35km walk race at the Hangzhou Asian Games, finished third in the Race Walking Tour Gold-Level event. This is the first time an Indian athlete is finishing on the podium in this meet. The cutoff mark for Olympic qualification is 1:20:10.
The 24-year-old Baboo is also the seventh male walker from the country to breach the above-mentioned qualification mark, while the others are: Akshdeep Singh, Suraj Panwar, Servin Sebastian, Arshpreet Singh, Pramjeet Bisht and Vikas Singh.
Carlos Alcaraz Defends Indian Wells Title with Win Over Daniil Medvedev
Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Indian Wells crown with a 7-6(5) 6-1 win over Daniil Medvedev in the final.
In a rematch of last year's final, Alcaraz started sloppily, spraying errors around the court to fall 3-0 down but raised his level and captured the first set when his Russian opponent's forehand went wide in the tiebreak. The Spaniard romped through the second set, raising his arms in the air and letting out a roar when Medvedev missed another forehand wide on match point.
Second seed Alcaraz smacked 25 winners to Medvedev's 11 and was especially effective against his opponent's second serves. It was an eventful stay in the California desert for the 20-year-old Alcaraz.
All England Open: Marin Claims Second Title
Carolina Marin ended a nine-year wait for a second women's singles title at the All England after Akane Yamaguchi was forced to retire.
The Spaniard was leading 26-24, 11-1 when her Japanese opponent withdrew because of a hip injury.
A marathon first game, the joint-longest of this year's tournament, saw the lead change hands seven times with Marin requiring a medical timeout.
But the 30-year-old recovered to win the first game against an injured Yamaguchi. "At the beginning of the week, I had a hard conversation with my coach about the things that I have to improve," said Marin, whose main aim this year is the Paris Olympics, starting in July.
Tamilisai Soundararajan Quits as Telangana Governor
Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. While the sudden decision came as a surprise, Soundararajanis expected to return to electoral politics and contest Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Tamil Nadu.
In September 2019, Soundararajan, the then-state president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP for five years, took to the office of Telangana Governor and later took additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in February 2021.
Indian Navy Ships with integral helicopters and landing crafts embarked Indian Navy aircraft. Indian Army personnel and vehicles and Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters along with the Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) would be participating in the exercise.
In consonance with the established partnership between India and the US, a bilateral tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise between both countries, Tiger Triumph-24, is scheduled on the Eastern Seaboard from 18 to 31 Mar 24.
The US would be represented by US Navy Ships with embarked troops of the US Marine Corps and US Army. The exercise is aimed at developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enable rapid and smooth coordination between forces of both countries.
Indian Youth Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta Receive 'Diana Memorial Award'
Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta from India were honoured with the prestigious 'Diana Memorial Award'.
Along with them, a total of 20 people from around the world were honoured with the 'Diana Memorial Award'.
This award is given every two years in memory of Princess Diana. It recognises exceptional youth for their social work or humanitarian services.
The Diana Award charity, established in memory of the late Princess of Wales, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Uday Bhatia is an inventor from Delhi. His company, Uday Electric, founded by the 18-year-old, is headquartered in Delhi. Uday's low-cost invention can provide relief from power cuts.
Manasi Gupta is a mental health campaigner from Haryana. The Huesothemind Foundation, founded by Manasi Gupta, is headquartered in Gurugram. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 24-year-old's mental health services were appreciated, and she received recognition.
Renowned Poet Prabha Varma Selected for Saraswati Samman for the Year 2023
Renowned poet Prabha Varma has been selected for the Saraswati Samman for the year 2023 for his work in Malayalam language. He has been considered for this award for his Malayalam language poetry work, Roudra Sathwikam and also for his contribution to the literature during the period 2013 to 2022.
Roudra Sathwikam is a poetic work of Prabha Varma in Malyalam language which was published in 2022. The novel in poetic verse probes the conflict between power and politics, individual and state, art and power in a unique manner.
Instituted in 1991 by K. K. Birla, Saraswati Samman is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the country. It is given every year to an outstanding literary work written in any Indian language by an Indian citizen and published within the last 10 years. It carries a citation, a plaque, and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh. The recipient is chosen by a selection committee, whose current head is former Supreme Court judge, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri.
India Gets its First Outcome-driven Microcredit Course
A new initiative has been unveiled to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the technology sector. IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Masai School, has launched the country's inaugural Outcome-Driven Microcredit Course in Computer Science Education.
The micro-credit programme in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) introduces a comprehensive curriculum encompassing key domains essential for success in the contemporary job market.
From programming to system design, the course covers a range of critical topics designed to equip students with practical skills demanded by employers.
IIT Kanpur's Unique 'Flying Saucer' for Surveillance Uses Sunlight to Fly
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed a unique surveillance drone powered entirely by solar energy. This innovative creation, named 'Maral' promises to revolutionise aerial monitoring capabilities, offering a unique solution for surveillance needs.
The Maral drone, developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur has remarkable surveillance capabilities and is equipped with solar panels. This cutting-edge drone harnesses sunlight to power its flight, ensuring extended operational durations without relying on traditional fuel sources.
In a significant move to boost its tourism industry, the government of Nepal has officially declared Pokhara, a picturesque city in the Gandaki province, as the tourism capital of the Himalayan nation. The formal declaration was made during a special ceremony held at the Barahi Ghat, situated on the shores of the stunning Phewa Lake.
Pokhara, known for its natural beauty and adventure tourism, has long been recognised as a tourism hub in Nepal. However, the city was only designated as the tourism capital after fulfilling all the necessary criteria set by the government. The decision to officially declare Pokhara as the tourism capital is expected to further enhance its reputation and attract more visitors from around the world.
The special ceremony to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital was graced by the presence of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. The event featured captivating musical performances by renowned and popular singers, adding to the festive atmosphere. The choice of Barahi Ghat as the venue for the ceremony was particularly significant, as it showcased the city's natural beauty and its close connection with Phewa Lake, one of Pokhara's most iconic attractions.
Five Additional Judges of Allahabad High Court Made Permanent
The Central government on Monday cleared the appointment of five additional judges of the Allahabad High Court as permanent judges.
This was pursuant to a recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium on March 12.
The judges who have been made permanent are: (1) Justice Saurabh Srivastava; (2) Justice Om Prakash Shulda; (3) Justice Mohd. Azhar Husain Idrisi; (4) Justice Jyotsna Sharma; and (5) Justice Surendra Singh.
All five judges were initially recommended for appointment as permanent judges by the High Court Collegium in May last year. After the proposal was accepted by the Chief Minister and Governor of Uttar Pradesh, these names were forwarded to the Supreme Court Collegium for its consideration.
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