President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo appointed the country's first female Prime Minister, fulfilling a campaign promise and making an important step towards the formation of a new government after being reelected late last year (2023).
Former Planning Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka stepped into the role at a time of worsening violence in the country's mineral-rich east, which borders Rwanda. The long-running conflict has displaced more than 7 million people according to the United Nations, making it one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Ms. Tuluka promised to work towards peace and development in her first speech following her appointment. Still, it could be months before a new government is formed as the process requires intensive negotiations with the many political parties.
Joyshree Das Verma Becomes New President of FICCI Ladies Organisation
Joyshree Das Verma took over as the 41st National President of the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) for the year 2024-25. FLO is the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber of South-east Asia.
With a 25-year journey in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors, Joyshree Das Verma has nurtured a diverse professional presence. She holds the position of Honorary Consul of Israel for Northeast India and is the Director of Kaapro Management Solutions Pvt Ltd, her pan-India entrepreneurial HR consulting company where she is a co-promoter.
As the Honorary Consul of Israel to Northeast India, Joyshree Das Verma has been instrumental in advancing and strengthening strategic relations between India and Israel in sectors such as agriculture, water, IT, technology, health, innovation, tourism, trade, and commerce across the 8 Northeastern states of India.
Veteran Dealmaker Atul Mehra Joins Axis Capital as MD & CEO
Axis Capital appointed Atul Mehra as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mehra will be overseeing both the investment banking and institutional equities businesses at Axis Capital.
Atul Mehra is an experienced dealmaker with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He was previously the Joint MD at JM Financial.
Mahindra Aerostructures Signs $100 Milllion Contract with Airbus Atlantic
Mahindra Aerostructures signed a multi-year contract worth around $100 million with Airbus Atlantic for the manufacturing and delivery of metallic components for the entire Airbus commercial aircraft family, including the A320 family planes.
Under the contract, the company will supply close to 2,300 varieties of metallic components to Airbus Atlantic in France from its manufacturing base in India.
The contract adds to existing MASPL programmes to deliver parts directly to Airbus at their facilities in France and Germany.
Pankaj Advani Outwits Causier to Retain CCI Billiards Crown
World champion Pankaj Advani continued his impressive run as he thrashed Englishman David Causier 1836-743 in a lop-sided final and retained the All India CCI Billiards Classic title in Mumbai.
Advani was in outstanding form as he constructed two humungous breaks of 801 and 460 to outwit Causier, a former 10-time World champion, in the four-hour summit clash played at the CCI's Wilson Jones billiards hall.
This was Advani's fourth successive triumph at this venue. He claimed the CCI Snooker Classic over the last two years and now retained the billiards title.
One of the few surviving World War veterans in the country, Subedar Thanseia passed away. He was 102.
The distinguished veteran was from Mizoram and had been part of the Army's Assam Regiment.
He is well known for his valour at the Battle of Kohima during World War II and his role in establishing the legacy of the 1st Assam Regiment during their deployment at Jessami.
World Autism Awareness Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 2nd of April every year, about the acceptance, support and the inclusion of autistic people, and for the advocation of their rights. Significant progress has been achieved in recent years, which facilitated in understanding autism and accepting the countless remarkable autistic champions laboured diligently to share their victories and flourishes to the world.
World Autism Awareness Day was designated by a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on November 1, 2007, to raise public awareness about autism and work towards empowering and accepting individuals with autism, recognizing their contribution to society.
The theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2024 is "Moving from Surviving to Thriving: Autistic Individuals share regional perspectives". This theme emphasizes the need to change the focus from simply dealing with autism to creating an environment in which autistic people can thrive.
Professor Meena Charanda Honoured with 'International Culture Award' 2024
Professor Meena Charanda, Principal of Kalindi College, Delhi University, was awarded the prestigious 'International Culture Award' for the year 2024. Prof. Charanda received this honour in recognition of her remarkable work in the field of education and social service. The award ceremony took place at the India International Centre.
During the award ceremony, Prof. Charanda was presented with a memento, a plaque, a shield and a citation from the university.
Prof. Charanda has been teaching in the Political Science Department of Kalindi College for more than two decades.
She holds a PhD degree from Delhi University, where she studied Dalit Assemblies of Uttar Pradesh.
Prof. Charanda has authored a book on the role of Dalit MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
She has published more than 50 articles in various newspapers and magazines.
IIT Madras Study Reveals Surge in C-sections across India between 2016-2021
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) researchers discovered a sharp uptick in the number of caesarean section (C-section) deliveries that took place across the country between 2016 and 2021. The study was undertaken by researchers from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras. They include Ms. Varshini Neethi Mohan and Dr. P Shirisha, Research Scholars, Dr. Girija Vaidyanathan and Prof. V R Muraleedharan. The findings of this study were published in the reputed, peer-reviewed journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
A caesarean section (C-section) delivery is a surgical technique that involves making an incision in the mother's belly to deliver one or more infants. When medically justified, the procedure can be lifesaving. When not strictly necessary, however, it can cause several adverse health outcomes, lead to unnecessary expenditure, and place a strain on scarce public health resources. Factors that could contribute to adverse birth outcomes and possibly justify C-sections (such as the mother's age being less than 18 years or greater than 34 years, the interval between births being less than 24 months or the child being the fourth or more born to the mother) are considered high-risk fertility behaviour.
IIT Guwahati Hosts Science & Math Olympiad
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati hosted a Science and Maths Olympiad in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Assam. Over 1.14 lakh students from 3,828 schools across Assam participated in this IIT Guwahati Olympiad.
The Olympiad comprised two phases: an OMR-based physical pen-paper test for secondary school students across Assam. This was designed to assess students' understanding and application of scientific and mathematical concepts. This was followed by a state-level round.
After this, the top two performers from each district were selected to participate in the final round of the Olympiad at IIT Guwahati campus. The final round saw participation from 62 students (32 female and 30 male) who were from classes 9 and 10.
3rd prize – Arjun Karki, Hawaipur HS, West Karbianglong
WHO Launches CoViNet: A Global Network for Coronaviruses
The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced CoViNet, a global initiative aimed at enhancing the detection, monitoring, and assessment of coronaviruses worldwide. CoViNet expands upon the existing WHO COVID-19 reference laboratory network to encompass a broader spectrum of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and potential novel strains of public health concern.
CoViNet leverages the expertise of 36 laboratories from 21 countries across all six WHO regions.
These laboratories specialize in human, animal, and environmental coronavirus surveillance, fostering a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing coronaviruses.
CoViNet emphasizes a One Health approach, bringing together experts from human, animal, and environmental health sectors.
This collaborative effort aims to monitor and assess coronavirus evolution and transmission patterns comprehensively.
Romania and Bulgaria Partially Join Schengen Travel Zone
Romania and Bulgaria took a significant step in their integration with the European Union by partially joining the Schengen travel zone. While travellers arriving by air or sea now enjoy ID-check-free access, land border checks persist due to opposition from Austria.
Austria's opposition over concerns of illegal migration has led to the retention of land border checks.
Travellers arriving by air or sea from both countries now have unrestricted access to the Schengen zone.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the partial inclusion as a "huge success" and a "historic moment" for European integration.
Established in 1985, the Schengen Area previously consisted of 23 EU member countries before Bulgaria and Romania's admission.
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