📊 Index & Rankings
Four Indian institutions ranked among the top 100 globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, which assess performance on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Lovely Professional University featured in the top 50, reflecting India’s growing focus on sustainability in higher education.
Unlike traditional academic rankings, THE Impact Rankings measure universities’ social and economic impact based on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
🇮🇳 National News
The Delhi Government received approval for its first-ever artificial rain (cloud seeding) pilot project to combat severe air pollution.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and will involve aircraft spraying silver iodide and other hygroscopic materials into moisture-laden clouds to induce rainfall.
The pilot is expected to be conducted in late 2025, subject to suitable meteorological conditions.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that disperses substances like silver iodide into clouds to encourage precipitation and reduce air pollution.
The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) approved 2,34,864 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban 2.0.
The houses were sanctioned across nine states under Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) and Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) components.
Special focus was given to women, SC, ST, OBC, and transgender beneficiaries.
💼 Business & Economy
India and Cyprus signed an MoU to introduce UPI-based digital payments in Cyprus.
The agreement between NPCI and Cypriot authorities aims to promote cross-border digital payments, benefiting tourists, businesses, and the Indian diaspora.
Cyprus joins the growing list of countries adopting India’s UPI system, expanding digital payment accessibility for Indians abroad.
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) received the Digital Payments Award 2024–25 from the Department of Financial Services for excellence in financial inclusion and digital outreach.
👔 Appointments
Sampath Kumar became the first Indian Managing Director of Nippon Koei India, a subsidiary of Japan’s ID&E Holdings.
Nippon Koei is a leading Japanese engineering consultancy firm with operations in infrastructure, energy, and urban development projects globally.
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