“AWARDS”

Scindia Confers Bhupen Hazarika Awards Celebrating Northeast Icons

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, in his role as Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, conferred the Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Awards at a cultural ceremony in Guwahati. Organised by Sarhad Pune, the event was a heartfelt tribute to Bhupen Hazarika’s centenary year, honouring the music legend’s legacy of unity through art.

Indian-Origin Historian Sunil Amrith Wins 2025 British Academy Book Prize for ‘The Burning Earth’

Indian-origin historian Sunil Amrith won the 2025 British Academy Book Prize for his book “The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years”, earning a £25,000 award for his outstanding non-fiction work. Currently a Professor of History at Yale University (U.S.), Amrith was born in Kenya, raised in Singapore, and educated at the University of Cambridge.

“SPORTS”

Punjab’s Namitbir Singh Walia Becomes Second International Master in Chess After Dushyant Sharma

Namitbir Singh Walia from Jalandhar, Punjab, has earned the title of International Master (IM) in Chess after finishing 4th overall at the 3rd Annemasse International Masters Tournament held in France. A student of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Delhi, Namitbir began playing chess at the age of six and was initially coached by Kanwarjit Singh until 2020 before moving on to advanced training.

“BOOKS & AUTHOR”

The Book By Kiran Desai Shortlisted For Booker Prize

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai is a richly layered novel that captures the emotional complexity of modern life across geographies and generations. Weaving together the internal landscapes of love, longing, and displacement, Desai crafts a powerful narrative that bridges India and America, tradition and modernity, youth and legacy.

“NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS”

Gogabeel Lake in Bihar Declared Newest Ramsar Site

Gogabeel Lake, located in the Katihar district of Bihar, has been officially designated a Ramsar site, gaining global recognition as a wetland of international importance. With this, India adds yet another name to its growing list of protected wetlands under the Ramsar Convention, strengthening its commitment to wetland conservation and biodiversity protection.

President Murmu Becomes First President to Fly in Rafale Jet

In a historic moment for India’s defence and constitutional history, President Droupadi Murmu took a 30-minute sortie in the Rafale fighter jet on October 29, 2025, from Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana. This made her the first President of India to fly in the Rafale, and notably, the only one to have flown in two different Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft—the Rafale and the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI. The sortie is a symbolic reaffirmation of her position as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Earlier, on April 8, 2023, President Murmu had taken a sortie in a Sukhoi Su‑30 MKI from Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam.

Maldives Enacts World’s First Generational Smoking Ban

In a globally unprecedented move, the Maldives has implemented a generational smoking ban, prohibiting anyone born after 1 January 2007 from buying, using, or being sold any form of tobacco. Effective 1 November 2025, this policy makes the Indian Ocean island nation the first and only country with such a law in place, reflecting a radical push toward public health protection and youth well-being.