New Delhi’s iconic India Gate will switch off its lights on Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. IST in observance of Earth Hour 2026, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about climate change and environmental conservation.

The campaign encourages people and institutions to turn off non-essential lights for one hour as a simple yet powerful gesture in support of the planet. This year’s theme, “Give an Hour for Earth,” highlights the importance of small, collective actions in building a sustainable future.

Organised by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour began in 2007 and has since grown into a worldwide movement, with participation from millions across over 190 countries.

By joining the initiative, India Gate becomes part of a global effort to spread awareness and inspire communities to take meaningful steps toward protecting the environment.

The Noida International Airport, developed with an investment of ₹11,200 crore, is set to significantly improve connectivity in the National Capital Region (NCR).

In its initial phase, the airport is designed to handle around 12 million passengers annually, with plans for gradual expansion to meet rising demand. It is expected to ease the load on Delhi’s existing airport while offering better travel options for passengers across the region.

Along with passenger services, the airport will also support cargo and logistics operations, helping boost trade and improve supply chain efficiency.

The project is likely to play a key role in driving economic growth by attracting investment, generating employment, and supporting the development of nearby areas. Improved connectivity is also expected to benefit businesses and industries in the region.

Overall, the airport marks an important step toward strengthening infrastructure and enhancing the region’s position as a major economic hub.

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the food processing industry has attracted investments worth ₹9,207 crore, indicating steady growth and strong industry participation.

Officials stated that the scheme has encouraged companies to expand capacity, adopt modern technology, and improve processing infrastructure. These developments are expected to enhance efficiency and support the sector’s long-term growth.

Pic Credit: Pexel

Industry experts note that the initiative is promoting value addition across key segments such as ready-to-eat products, processed fruits and vegetables, and marine goods. It is also helping strengthen supply chains and improve product standards.

The scheme is further expected to boost exports, create employment opportunities, and increase demand for agricultural produce, benefiting farmers.

Overall, the response to the PLI scheme highlights its role in supporting the growth and competitiveness of India’s food processing industry.

The University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications recently announced the winners of the Lynn and Dana Roper Sports Writing Competition. 

The annual competition tests students’ ability to produce clear, concise, accurate and compelling stories about sports. The first-place winner received a $2,500 cash award, second place $2,000, third place $1,500 and fourth place $1,000.

The winners, with their year in school, major(s), hometown and award-winning entries, are:

First place: Kevin Artiles Fernandez, senior, accounting, and sports media and communication, Havana, Cuba; “Reagan Raabe and a journey back from rock bottom,” “Ryan Tan: The evolution of an esports competitor”

 Second place: Ben Beecham, senior, advertising and public relations, and sports media and communication, Papillion, Nebraska; “‘It was really special’: Arkansas’ Gage Wood record pitching sends Murray State home,” “USA Triathlon event brings athletes’ grit and smiles to Omaha’s Cunningham Lake”
Third place: Danny Berg, junior, broadcasting, and sports media and communication, Chicago, Illinois; “Nebraska volleyball’s dream season comes to a whimpering end,” “What student athletes really carry and who helps them carry it”

Fourth place: Anthony Rubek, senior, journalism, and sports media and communication, La Vista, Nebraska; “Nebraska alumni honored to represent Huskers again,” “Las Vegas Bowl loss sets Nebraska up for make-or-break offseason”

Each student submitted two published sports stories and their resume to be reviewed by judges. This year’s judges were Amie Just, sports columnist for the Lincoln Journal Star; Max Olson, college football reporter for ESPN; and Mitch Sherman, staff writer for The Athletic.
Established in 2001, the competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students in the journalism college.

Hyderabad, Mar 28: Sri Bhaskar Reddy Vemireddy, presently serving as Judicial Member of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), Vijayawada Bench, has been appointed as the Vice President of the GSTAT, Andhra Pradesh State Bench. The appointment has been made by the Hon’ble President of India as part of a nationwide designation of Vice Presidents for GSTAT State Benches.

 The appointment forms part of Office Order No. 01/2026 dated March 23, 2026, issued by the Government of India under the authority of the President of India in exercise of powers under Section 109(7) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. Under this order, 22 Judicial Members of GSTAT across the country have been designated as Vice Presidents for their respective State Benches to strengthen the institutional framework of the Tribunal.

Sri Bhaskar Reddy Vemireddy is a distinguished legal professional with vast experience in tax laws and litigation. He has built a formidable reputation in indirect taxation, with expertise spanning Goods and Services Tax (GST), Central Excise, Customs, Sales Tax and allied fiscal statutes. Prior to his elevation to the Tribunal, he had an extensive practice in tax litigation and appeared before various judicial forums including High Courts and Tribunals.

In recognition of his professional excellence and standing at the Bar, he was designated as a Senior Advocate by the High Court for the State of Telangana. The designation of Vice Presidents across India is aimed at ensuring smoother functioning of GSTAT benches, strengthening leadership at the State level, and facilitating expeditious disposal of GST disputes.

His appointment as Vice President of the Andhra Pradesh State Bench is expected to significantly contribute to the effective administration of justice in indirect tax matters and enhance the efficiency of appellate mechanisms under the GST regime.

Mar 28: Shri Ajay Bijli, Managing Director of PVR INOX Limited, has been conferred the “Capital’s Pride” award, by Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema and for taking a Delhi-born exhibition vision to the world stage.

The “Capital’s Pride” distinction celebrates leaders who embody Delhi’s defining traits including bold ambition, global outlook, and cultural leadership. It recognises individuals whose work transcends enterprise to shape how India is experienced and perceived worldwide.

Shri Ajay Bijli’s cinematic journey reflects that very spirit.

In 1997, at a time when cinema exhibition in India was fragmented and in decline, he founded PVR Cinemas and ignited the country’s multiplex revolution. With a steadfast commitment to international standards of sound, projection, design, and hospitality, he redefined the movie-going experience for a new India.
What was once a theatre visit became a curated cultural experience.

Under his leadership, Indian exhibition evolved from legacy single screens to premium, technology-driven multiplex environments comparable to the finest global markets. The landmark merger of PVR and INOX in 2023 further consolidated this transformation, creating the world’s fifth-largest listed multiplex chain and positioning India as a formidable global exhibition power.

This scale enabled a more integrated national cinematic ecosystem where regional language cinema from across India could command premium platforms alongside mainstream Hindi films, strengthening India’s creative diversity.

Mr. Ajay Bijli, Managing Director- PVR INOX Limited on receiving the ‘Capital’s Pride’ Award said, “This honour belongs to the city that shaped me. Delhi has always had a unique spirit, which is open, ambitious, and unafraid to think big. Whatever we have built in cinema carries that same spirit. When we began the multiplex journey in 1997, the idea was simple: to give Indian audiences a world-class big screen experience and celebrate movies the way they deserve. Over the years, Indian cinema has grown in scale, confidence, and creativity. Today, we produce over 1,800 films in more than 20 languages, and audiences continue to show that the big screen remains their first choice for shared entertainment. I am deeply honoured to receive the ‘Capital’s Pride’ award in Delhi. It renews our commitment to building cinemas that are not just theatres, but destinations and places where stories come alive and where India’s voice grows stronger on the global stage.”

Shri Bijli’s leadership has firmly placed Indian exhibition on the international map. His keynote address at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the first Indian in over a decade to receive that platform marked a defining shift: India was no longer observing global cinema trends; it was shaping them.

As a prominent voice at the PM Modi-led WAVES Summit, he continues to advocate for the creative economy as a pillar of India’s global identity, ensuring that Indian exhibition remains at the forefront of technological and narrative innovation. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI), is a founding member of the Multiplex Association of India (MAI), and is a member of The Film and TV Producers Guild of India.

From Delhi’s neighbourhood cinema to the world’s most influential stage for motion pictures, Ajay Bijli’s journey mirrors the capital’s own evolution, which is confident, outward-looking, and culturally assertive.

In conferring the “Capital’s Pride” honour, Delhi celebrates a visionary who did more than build screens. He built scale. He built standards.  And he built an experience that carries the confidence of the capital to audiences across the world.

PhD scholar receives award for excellence in research

Mar 28, Bengaluru: “Congratulations to the Class of 2026 at the 51st Convocation of IIM Bangalore. As you enter a rapidly evolving business environment, remember that lasting success is built through consistent choices, not just moments of acceleration. The real test of leadership lies in balancing short-term performance with long-term value creation. It is possible to have it all, but not always at the same time – prioritization and resilience act as the key. I wish you the wisdom to play the long game and create meaningful, enduring impact”, said Chief Guest Ms Vibha Padalkar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Life, during her special address at IIM Bangalore’s Convocation ceremony, this evening. 

Ms Padalkar explained the graduating students that life should go beyond the fast pace of the sprint to make way for a more resilient and enduring marathon. She explained that institutions and careers are not built in sprints but through a process of evolution of a long distance race, with doses of energy, ambition, confidence and courage, and that leadership was about integrating multiple lenses. She also emphasized on the importance of precision meeting persuasion, trust built over years and slowing down to accelerate, to have sustainable careers. 

Ms Padalkar also shared that three key decisions proved to be the turning points in her own life – choosing finance as her career, returning to India to build a life in the financial capital Mumbai, and choosing the life partner that she did. 

Ms Vibha Padalkar advised the students that the ability to anticipate, discipline to pause and wisdom to choose deliberately, will stand them in good stead in the long run. “IIMB has honed your decision making skills. So, as you enter a new phase of your lives, remember that you need to run fast when it matters, slow down when it counts and stay in the long race.”

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore hosted its 51st Convocation on 27th March 2026. A total of 785 students from various programmes graduated, this evening. Degrees were awarded to the students of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme and the MBA programmes – the Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) and Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). Students of the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM) received the Master of Management Studies (Public Policy) degree. One PhD scholar received the award for excellence in research, while gold medals were awarded for Best All Round Performance, First Rank and Second Rank.

The students graduated from the prestigious institution this year in the presence of the Chief Guest, Board Members, Director-in-charge, Deans, faculty, alumni and staff of the Institute, alongside proud smiles and loud cheers from their families.

Gold medallists and PhD award winner: This year, a total of nine students have won gold medals. Moreover, a PhD scholar received the award for excellence in research.

In the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) 2024-2026,Manasi Anju Mertia is the First Rank Holder, whileDhvit Jayen Mehtais the Second Rank Holder. 

Mayur Dattatray Khule is the Gold Medallist for Best All Round Performance for Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2024-2026 combined.

For the Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2024-2026, Bharat Mundra is the First Rank Holder.

In Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) 2025-2026, Aysha Shaba PP is the First Rank Holder andRajasilpi SP is the Best All Round Performer.  

In Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM) 2024-2026,Lakshmi R is the First Rank Holder, while Biswaranjan Mishra is the Best All Round Performer.

In the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM), Anirudh has won the gold medal for Best Academic Performance.

The Institute Research Award 2026 was won by Divya Dwivedi, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student of the Information Systems area of the graduating batch. The award seeks to inspire the school’s Doctoral students to achieve greater heights in terms of research quality and productivity.  

Address by Prof. Malavika R Harita, Member, IIMB Board of Governors

The day’s events also included an inspiring address by Prof. Malavika R. Harita, Founder & CEO, Brand Circle, and Member, IIMB Board of Governors. She made mention of IIMB’s new Centres such as the Centre for Digital Public Goods as well as the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital, the newly set up IIMB Development Foundation – the Institute’s fundraising and development arm, and the Institute’s collaborations with leading national and global organizations which play a significant role in enhancing the Institute’s reputation. She also highlighted IIMB’s achievements in terms of placements and the Institute’s position in prestigious national as well as global rankings.

“Be focussed on gaining knowledge, stay authentic, relevant and original, and create the impact you want to”, she advised the budding managers and entrepreneurs.”

Director’s address

Prof. U Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, highlighted some of the achievements of the Institute as well as of faculty, students and alumni, and shared details on IIMB’s programmes, centres, events, digital learning initiatives, rankings, placements, entrepreneurship, and more. 

“With a vision to elevate undergraduate education in India with the same academic rigour that defines our postgraduate offerings, we introduced two undergraduate offerings: BSc Honors in Economics, and BSc Honors in Data Science.”

While sharing his message, Prof. Dinesh Kumar commended the Institute for its initiatives on sustainability, inclusivity as well as nation building, apart from academics and research. “The Office of Diversity and Inclusion convened important conversations on accessibility and universal design, and student-led efforts play an important role in our outreach.”

“Sustainability remains our key priority. We released our Sustainability Report on World Environment Day and introduced a new core course on Responsible Business and Sustainability. These efforts were accompanied by practical steps toward greener campus operations, including the introduction of an EV fleet on campus, donated by the PGP 1998 batch. IIM Bangalore won the Award for Excellence in Biodiversity Management and the Award for Excellence in Social Welfare and Community Services, at the ELCITA Sustainability Awards 2025.”

He also congratulated IIMB’s incubation centre, NSRCEL, on completing 25 years of supporting entrepreneurs in November last year. 

Prof. Dinesh Kumar also shared three Zen stories to emphasize on the importance of mindfulness to the graduating students. “The destination is not so important, but the journey is, and the journey has to be full of happiness. Be compassionate, which again is necessary to make life happier. Also, make integrity your life motto. These three elements will go a long may in making your lives happier.”

“Consider IIMB to be your home – come back, share your life stories and be an inspiration to the entire country.”

As the graduating students get a step closer to their dreams – with new beginnings, hopes and possibilities in the horizon – the campus today was witness to moments full of emotional farewells, group photos, selfies and other celebrations.

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