Jasprit Bumrah, Smriti Mandhana named Wisden’s leading cricketers of 2024
India duo Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been crowned the world’s leading cricketers in the latest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Bumrah won the honour in the men’s section after a stellar 2024 when he excelled across formats and was named player of the tournament as India won the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.
Opener Mandhana won the women’s honour after a prolific 2024 that included five hundreds, four of them in one-day internationals. Mandhana also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first Women’s Premier League title last year. West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran was named the ‘Leading T20 Player in the World’. England’s Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, and Sophie Ecclestone were named among Wisden’s five ‘Cricketers of the Year’, alongside Liam Dawson and Dan Worrall. The Almanack, often called “the Bible of cricket”, has been published every year since 1864.
Rafael Nadal, Armand Duplantis, Simone Biles emerge as winners at Laureus World Sports Awards 2025
Former tennis player Rafael Nadal and Paris 2024 Olympic champions Armand Duplantis, Simone Biles, and Rebeca Andrade were among the top winners at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards held in Madrid. The event marked the 25th edition of the prestigious awards ceremony, celebrating the world’s most outstanding athletes. Eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, while Nadal was honoured with the Laureus Sporting Icon Award to a standing ovation from a hall filled with sporting legends.
PM Modi inaugurates new Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing a rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland, and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service here. The PM also flagged off a Coast Guard ship, which passed under the bridge. The bridge is all set to improve connectivity to this spiritual destination flocked by devotees throughout the year from across the country. Built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore, this is India’s first vertical sea-lift bridge.
Lukashenko Sworn In for 7th Term as Belarus President
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko takes office for the seventh time in a low-key ceremony in Minsk. Despite past protests and Western criticism over election fraud claims, Lukashenko solidifies his grip on power. He remains a key ally of Russia, echoing Putin's stance on NATO and offering Belarusian territory for Russian weapons.
World Sparrow Day 2025
From the peaceful mornings in villages to the hustle and bustle of cities, sparrows once filled the air with their cheerful chirps. Flocks of these tiny birds, uninvited yet welcome, created unforgettable memories. But over time, these little friends have vanished from our lives. Once abundant, the house sparrow is now a rare sight and a mystery in many places. To raise awareness and protect these small creatures, World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on March 20th. World Sparrow Day was initiated by "Nature Forever," a bird conservation organization in 2010. The aim was to raise awareness about the declining sparrow population. The event has spread to over 50 countries. The goal is to protect sparrows and stop their decline. In 2012, the house sparrow became Delhi's state bird. Since then, the event has gained global attention. People everywhere celebrate sparrows and work to protect them.
World Consumer Rights Day 2025
World Consumer Rights Day, observed annually on March 15, serves as an essential reminder of the need to uphold consumer rights and protection. The day is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers and encourage those rights to be respected and protected. World Consumer Rights Day was first observed in 1983. This date was chosen to commemorate President John F. Kennedy's address to the US Congress on March 15, 1962, where he became the first world leader to formally recognize consumer rights. The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2025 is, ‘A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyles.’ This theme reflects the urgent need to make sustainable and healthy lifestyle choices available, accessible, and affordable for all consumers – while ensuring that these transitions uphold people’s basic rights and needs. This year’s campaign highlights the pathways needed to achieve sustainable lifestyles and call for stronger consumer protection and empowerment worldwide.
PM Surya Ghar: India’s Solar Revolution
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, has achieved a historic milestone with 10 lakh homes now solar-powered as of 10th March 2025. Launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 13th February 2024, this transformative scheme is rapidly reshaping India’s energy landscape. With 47.3 lakh applications received, the initiative has already disbursed ?4,770 crore in subsidies to 6.13 lakh beneficiaries, making solar energy more accessible than ever. The scheme’s easy financing options, including collateral-free loans up to ?2 lakh at a 6.75% subsidized interest rate through 12 Public Sector Banks, have further accelerated adoption. So far, 3.10 lakh loan applications have been received, with 1.58 lakh sanctioned and 1.28 lakh disbursed, ensuring financial inclusion for all. With a seamless 15-day subsidy transfer process and zero electricity bills for many beneficiaries, the scheme is not just powering homes but also empowering people. Every solar installation under PMSGMBY offsets carbon emissions equal to planting 100 trees, driving India towards a cleaner, greener, and self-reliant future.
Mauritius announces highest award for PM Modi, a first for India
Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced the country's highest award 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour - making it the 21st international award bestowed upon him by a foreign country. This is an honour for the historical relations between India and Mauritius.
Jan Aushadhi Diwas 2025
Every year, March 7th is celebrated as 'Jan Aushadhi Diwas' to raise awareness about the scheme and promote the use of generic medicines. Week-long events are organized nationwide from March 1st to 7th to support this initiative.
This year, the celebration was flagged off on March 1 to disseminate information about PMBJP in the National Capital Region (NCR). The "Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)" was launched in November 2008 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, in collaboration with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings. The initiative aims to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the public through dedicated outlets called Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK).
Cabinet approves development of ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji (12.4 km) in Uttarakhand
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 12.4 km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji in Uttarakhand. The project will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 2,730.13 crore. Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat and is covered on foot or by ponies or palanquins. The proposed ropeway is planned to provide convenience to pilgrims visiting the Hemkund Sahib Ji and tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers. It will ensure all-weather last-mile connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib Ji. The ropeway is planned to be developed in public-private partnership and will be based on Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG) from Govindghat to Ghangaria (10.55 km), seamlessly integrated with the most advanced Tricable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib Ji (1.85 km) with a design capacity of 1,100 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) carrying 11,000 passengers per day. The ropeway project will also generate substantial employment opportunities during construction and operations as well as in allied tourism industries like hospitality, travel, foods & beverages (F&B) and tourism throughout the year.
Interior design is a fun and creative field. It mixes art and practicality to make spaces look good and work well. With more people wanting great places to live and work, the need for skilled interior designers is rising. Let’s look at what it takes to have a career in interior design, including nee →
Foundation Date: December 8, 1991 Headquarters: The Republic of Belarus Executive Secretaries: Sergei Lebedev Member Countries: 12 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was established on December 8, 1991, and the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine signed an a →
In 2009, an unknown programmer by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto put forward a whitepaper that proposed a creation of new form of digital currency - cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency functions the same way as regular currencies do in that its used as a means of exchange, unit of account and a store of va →
Headquarter: New Delhi Function and Objective of the Organization: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries →
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