Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala clinched India’s first gold medal at the Asian Championships since 2021 edition with a close 8-7 win over Korea’s Ok J Kim while Antim Panghal settled for a bronze in Amman, Jordan on Friday( 28 March )

• Manisha (62kg) began with an easy technical superiority win over Kazakhstan’s Tynys Dubek and pinned Korea’s Hanbit Lee for another dominating win.
• The semifinal was no different, as she conceded only one point to eventually win 5-1 against Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy.
• Antim Panghal settled for a bronze.

Australian cricketing legend Steve Waugh has been appointed to the Centre for Australia-India Relations Advisory Board,.

The Centre works across all levels of government, industry, academia, and community to build an improved understanding of the Australia-India relationship and encourage businesses to capitalise on opportunities regarding economic partnership.

The Advisory Board guides the strategic priorities for the Centre’s programs and activities, improving partnerships in business, the arts, education, health, science, technology and sport.

About Steve Waugh

Waugh is a former Australian men’s cricket captain and has played a crucial role in strengthening ties between Australia and India. Over the past 20 years, he has made significant philanthropic contributions through the Steve Waugh Foundation. Waugh recently published a photography book on India titled, ‘The Spirit of Cricket: India’. 

Serbian great Novak Djokovic defeated Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6(4) in a quarterfinal clash that was postponed from Wednesday( 26 March) and became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist in the series history.

• At 37 years and 10 months, Djokovic is the oldest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist in series history (since 1990), surpassing Roger Federer, who reached the last four in Indian Wells and Miami at 37 years and seven months in 2019.
• Djokovic, into his eighth Miami semifinal and a record-extending 79th at Masters 1000 level, will next face 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov, whom he leads 12-1 in their ATP Head-to-Head series.
• The Serb, who is seeking his record-breaking seventh title in south Florida and a 100th tour-level trophy, is aiming to break his tie with Andre Agassi for most titles at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The second edition of the Khelo India Para Games 2025 came to a close with Haryana once again finishing on top of the team standings with 34 gold medals.

Important highlights

• Tamil Nadu (28 golds) and Uttar Pradesh (23 golds) finished second and third, respectively in the overall standings.
• Approximately1300 athletes competed across six sporting disciplines at three venues in New Delhi – Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, IG Indoor Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range.
• Eighteen national records were created in KIPG 2025 with Jaspreet Kaur (Punjab), Manish Kumar (Haryana), Seema Rani (Punjab), and Jhandu Kumar (Bihar) winning gold medals in Para Powerlifting.

Maruti Suzuki India has appointed an in-house Indian talent to its board. Sunil Kakkar, a company veteran, has been named Additional Director and Whole-time Director (Corporate Planning). 

• His appointment which will be effective from April 1, 2025, marks a shift in Suzuki’s leadership strategy, reflecting India’s growing role in its decision-making.
• With more than 35 years at Maruti Suzuki, Kakkar has held key leadership roles, including heading the Supply Chain vertical and serving as Plant Head at Gurgaon. 
• As Senior Executive Officer, he currently leads Corporate Planning and plays a vital role in shaping the company’s long-term strategy.
• His expertise spans localisation efforts, joint ventures, and technology collaborations with firms from Japan, Italy, and France.

The Hurun Global Rich List 2025 provides a comprehensive overview of the world's wealthiest individuals and the global distribution of wealth.?The List is released by the Hurun Research Institute, which is part of the Hurun Report, a leading research, media, and investments group known for its rankings and insights into the world's wealthiest individuals and luxury markets.

Here are the key highlights:

Global Overview:

• Total Billionaires: The world now boasts 3,442 billionaires, marking an increase of 163 from the previous year, setting a new global record
• Wealth Growth: Collectively, the total wealth of these billionaires surged by 13% over the past year. 

Top Billionaires:

1. Elon Musk: The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX retained his position as the world's richest individual for the fourth time in five years, with a net worth of $420 billion, an 82% increase driven by a surge in Tesla's stock price
2. Jeff Bezos: The founder of Amazon holds the second spot with a net worth of $266 billion, reflecting a 44% increase.
3. Mark Zuckerberg: The CEO of Meta entered the top three for the first time, with his wealth rising by $84 billion to $242 billion, attributed to Meta's successful investments in AI. 

Regional Highlights:

• United States: Leads with 870 billionaires, an increase of 70 from the previous year. 
• China: Follows closely with 823 billionaires, up by 9, despite economic challenges and market fluctuations.  
• India: Ranks third globally, adding 13 new billionaires for a total of 284.

Indian Billionaires:

• Mukesh Ambani: Chairman of Reliance Industries, reclaimed the title of Asia's richest person with a net worth of Rs.8.6 lakh crore, despite a decline of Rs.1 lakh crore from the previous year. 
• Gautam Adani: Chairman of the Adani Group, experienced a 13% increase in wealth, adding Rs. 1 lakh crore to reach Rs. 8.4 lakh crore, making him India's biggest wealth gainer. 
• Roshni Nadar Malhotra: Chairperson of HCL Technologies, became the first Indian woman to break into the global top 10 wealthiest women, with a net worth of Rs. 3.5 lakh crore, following the transfer of a 47% stake in HCL by her father, Shiv Nadar. 
• Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar: Co-founders of Razorpay, both aged 34, emerged as India's youngest billionaires, each with a net worth of Rs.8,643 crore. 

City Rankings:

• New York: Retains its position as the world's billionaire capital with 129 billionaires, an increase of 10 from the previous year. 
• Shanghai: Overtook Mumbai as Asia's billionaire capital, reflecting the dynamic shifts in wealth distribution within the continent. 
• Mumbai: Now ranks fifth globally, home to 90 billionaires, highlighting its significant role in India's economic landscape. 

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the inclusion of Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project of Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana - Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (PMKSY-AIBP).

• The project will receive Rs 36.52 billion in central support towards its completion by March 2029, with an estimated total cost of Rs 62.82 billion.
• The Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project aims to divert surplus water from the Kosi River to irrigate the Mahananda basin in Bihar by:
•  Remodeling the Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC) and extending it from RD 41.30 km to RD 117.50 km, linking it to the Mechi River.
• Creating an additional irrigation potential of 2,10,516 hectares in the Kharif season across Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts.
• Utilising 2,050 million cubic meters of surplus Kosi water through the new canal system.
• Restoring water supply to 157,000 hectares in the existing command area of EKMC.

India and Japan have signed loan agreements worth 191.736 billion Japanese yen for six projects under Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) to India.

• India and Japan yesterday( 27 March 2025) signed loan agreements worth 191.736 billion Japanese yen for six projects in forest management, water supply, urban transport, aquaculture, biodiversity conservation and investment promotion.
• The six loan agreements include one for the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program (Phase 3) (TNIPP-III) (JPY 36.114 billion).
• Also, one for Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project (Phase 4 Additional Corridors) (I)" (JPY 79.726 billion).
• Another Project is for the Construction of Chennai Seawater Desalination Plant (II)" (JPY 52.556 billion).

The Lok Sabha has recently passed the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, aiming to modernize India's maritime laws in line with international standards.

Key Points

The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024.  

The Bill seeks to replace the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925.  

The Act establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from a port in India to another port in India or any other port in the world.  

The Act is in conformance with the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading of August 1924 (Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments to it. 

The Bill retains all provisions of the Act.

Powers of the central government:  The Bill empowers the central government to:

(i) issue directions for carrying out provisions of the Bill, and 

(ii) amend the schedule specifying rules applicable to bills of lading.  

The rules outline the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities of goods carriers.