Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district has now been renamed as Ahilyanagar after the Centre gave nod to the move on Friday, state Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.

The state cabinet approved the renaming of Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar on March 13, 2024.

Revenue and Guardian Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil mentioned that the Centre approved the move to rename Ahmednagar district after the 18th century Maratha ruler of Indore, Punyashlok Ahilya Devi.

Ahilyabai Holkar

Ahilyabai Holkar was a great pioneer and involved in several social causes and helped build hundreds of temples and dharamshalas throughout India.
Ahilyabai Holkar was born Chaundi in Ahmednagar district to a Dhangar family and was married to Khanderao Holkar of the Holkar dynasty of Holkar.
After the demise of her husband Khanderao Holkar and father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar, Ahilyabai Holkar herself undertook the affairs of the Holkar dynasty. She defended the Malwa state against intruders and personally led armies into battle.

The Indian Navy led the naval exercise “Cutlass Express” – 24 with INS Tir, held at Port Victoria, Seychelles. INS Tir is the lead ship of the First Training Squadron (1TS).

• The President of Seychelles inaugurated the naval exercises in the presence of dignitaries from India, the USA, and African countries.
• The Indian Navy actively engaged with participants from 16 friendly foreign countries, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
• The training lncluded theoretical and practical aspects of Maritime Interdiction Operations, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) procedures and Diving operations.
• During the sea phase, the ship’s VBSS team boarded the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) ship LE Vigilant and demonstrated the procedures of boarding operations.

India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $181 million loan agreement, aimed at improving infrastructure and services in the peri-urban areas, or the outskirts, of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city.

• The initiative aims to achieve this by enhancing physical and social infrastructure, fostering economic vibrancy, and establishing these areas as attractive investment destinations.
• The project's focus on expanding quality urban services and improving transport connectivity, particularly for the large migrant population settling in the city’s outskirts.
• Central to the project’s objectives is the upliftment of marginalized communities, including urban poor, women, and migrant workers. 
• Through the construction of essential infrastructure, such as water distribution networks, stormwater drainage systems, and sewage treatment plants, the project aims to improve urban services and governance while promoting inclusivity and sustainability.
• The project also aims to strengthen urban planning capacities by integrating climate change adaptation into development strategies. It also promotes gender equality and social inclusion to create models for planned urban development that other states can adopt.

The India-Bangladesh Naval Exercise Bongosagar 2025 and Coordinated patrol was conducted in the Bay of Bengal this week.

The exercise saw participation INS Ranvir from Indian Navy and BNS Abu Ubaidah from Bangladesh Navy.

The exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two navies, fostering tactical coordination, and strengthening maritime security cooperation in the region. 

Highlights

• Surface firing drills: Live-fire exercises to enhance combat readiness and precision targeting.
• Tactical maneuvers: Joint fleet operations to test coordinated response strategies and improve navigation capabilities in dynamic environments.
• Underway replenishment: Simulated refueling and supply exchange while at sea, critical for sustaining prolonged maritime missions.
• Visit-Board-Search-Seizure (VBSS) drills: Cross-boarding operations to counter piracy, illegal trafficking, and smuggling threats.
• Communication drills: Secure information-sharing protocols between naval units to ensure seamless coordination in real-time scenarios.
• Professional quizzes: Ops team and junior officers engaged in knowledge-based evaluations to enhance theoretical and practical expertise.
• Steam past: A ceremonial passage maneuver symbolizing naval unity and cooperation.

India has successfully test fired beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra from LCA Tejas AF MK1 off Odisha coast, paving the way for its integration in the indigenously developed fighter jet.

• Defence sources said Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) launched Astra from Tejas MK1 prototype fighter aircraft on Wednesday( 12 March 2025) and the missile directly hit a moving target.
• All the subsystems performed accurately meeting all mission parameters and objectives.
• Designed and developed by DRDO, Astra missile is capable of engaging the targets up to a range of over 100 km.
• The missile has been equipped with advanced guidance and navigation capabilities that allow it to destroy targets with greater accuracy.

The Centre announced a USD 1 billion fund to give a boost to the emerging creators' economy in the country and reached out to envoys from over 100 countries seeking their participation in the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) to be held in Mumbai.

India is positioning WAVES to be held from May 1 to 4 as the first convergence platform for the media and entertainment sector on the lines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, a gathering of international leaders from governance and business.

• Broadcasting minister D Fadnavis said Mumbai, the entertainment capital of India, was the perfect permanent venue for the WAVES summit like Davos is for the World Economic Forum and Cannes is for the eponymous film festival.
• The minister also announced that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology will come up in Mumbai and the government of Maharashtra has already allotted land in Film City at Goregaon.
• The WAVES Bazaar will be the marketplace offering a content showcase alongside buyer-seller meets to foster business opportunities.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has generated nearly 143 million US dollars in foreign exchange revenue through satellite launches.

• The Department of Space said that ISRO launched a total of 393 foreign satellites and 3 Indian customer satellites on a commercial basis over the past decade.
• Between January 2015 and December 2024, these satellites were successfully launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV launch vehicles.
• ISRO’s impressive track record includes launching satellites for 34 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and several other developed nations.