NATIONAL
Union Cabinet approves new ammonia-urea complex in Assam.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, has approved the establishment of a new Brownfield Ammonia-Urea Complex with an annual production capacity of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) within the existing premises of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Namrup, Assam.
• The project, with an estimated total cost of ₹10,601.40 crore, will be executed under a Joint Venture (JV) with a Debt-Equity ratio of 70:30, in accordance with the New Investment Policy, 2012, and its amendments on October 7, 2014. The commissioning timeline for the Namrup-IV Project is set at 48 months.
• Additionally, the Cabinet has granted approval for National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) to hold an 18% equity stake, exceeding the limits prescribed in the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines. An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has also been constituted to oversee the establishment of the Namrup-IV Fertilizer Plant.
• As part of the approval, the Cabinet has also sanctioned National Fertilizers Limited’s (NFL) equity participation of 18 percent, granting an exemption from the limits prescribed under the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines. Additionally, an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will be constituted to oversee the establishment and execution of the Namrup-IV Fertilizer Plant.
• The equity structure of the Joint Venture will consist of a 40 percent share by the Government of Assam, while Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) will hold 11 percent. Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) will contribute 13 percent, while both National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Oil India Limited (OIL) will hold 18 percent each. BVFCL’s equity share will be in the form of tangible assets.
INTERNATIONAL
13th Edition of India-Italy Military Cooperation Group Meeting concludes in Rome.
• The 13th edition of the India-Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was successfully conducted from 20-21 March 2025 in Rome, Italy. The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff IDC (A) from Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), representing India, and the Deputy Head of the Strategic Direction and Military Cooperation Division of the Italian Defence General Staff, representing Italy.
• The discussions were focusing on identifying new avenues to expand the scope of bilateral military focused cooperation. Key agenda points included enhanced exchange programs, capability development efforts and strengthening collaboration between the Indian and Italian armed forces. The meeting also reviewed ongoing defence engagements, assessing their progress and exploring ways to optimize future interactions.
• The MCG serves as a key institutional mechanism to enhance defence cooperation between the armed forces of both nations, fostering stronger military-to-military engagements and strategic collaboration.
One million malnourished children in Nigeria and Ethiopia risk losing aid
• The United Nations children’s agency said it will run out of its supply of lifesaving food to treat children suffering from acute forms of malnutrition in Ethiopia and Nigeria within the next two months due to lack of funding exacerbated by Trump administration cuts to foreign aid.
• In Nigeria, UNICEF said it may run out of supplies to feed 80,000 malnourished children as soon as the end of this month. Van der Heijden described recently being in a hospital in Maiduguri with a child who was so malnourished that her skin was falling off.
• International donors have in recent years reduced contributions to UN agencies, including UNICEF. Its funding woes were accelerated when the United States, its top donor, imposed a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign aid on the first day of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
• That action, and ensuing orders halting many programmes of the U.S. Agency for International Development worldwide, have jeopardised the delivery of lifesaving food and medical aid, throwing into chaos global humanitarian relief efforts.
ECONOMY
BPCL Inaugurates Floating Solar Power Plant at Kochi Refinery
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has taken a significant step toward sustainable energy with the inauguration of its floating solar power plant at the Kochi Refinery. The project was formally inaugurated by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan. This marks a major milestone in BPCL’s efforts to integrate renewable energy sources into its operations.
• The newly inaugurated floating solar power plant has several distinctive features:
• Capacity: The plant has an installed capacity of 3.2 MW AC.
• Location: It has been constructed on the rainwater harvesting pond within the Kochi Refinery premises.
• Coverage Area: The plant occupies 8 acres of the 19-acre waterbody.
• Investment: BPCL has invested approximately ₹28.93 crore in this green energy initiative.
Global Funding for Women-Led Startups Declines in 2024; India Ranks 2nd in Tech Investments
• In 2024, global funding for women-led tech startups dropped to 29.6billion,markingan1133.1 billion in 2023 and a 21% drop from 37.5billionin2022.•Despitethisdownturn,Indiasecuredthesecondpositiongloballyintermsofall−timefundingforwomen−ledtechstartups,followingtheUnitedStates,accordingtoareportbyTracxn.•Macroeconomicchallengescontributedtoareductioninoverallinvestment,butcertainsectors,includingEnterpriseApplications,LifeSciences,andFinTech,continuedtoattractsignificantfunding.•Globalfundingforwomen−ledstartupsdeclinedby11•2024:29.6 billion
• 2023: 33.1billion•2022:37.5 billion
• Women-led startups accounted for 11.7% of total global funding in 2024.
• The global women-led startup ecosystem consists of over 69,000 companies, which have raised 309billiontodate.•45fundingroundssurpassed100 million in 2024 (a 15% increase from 2023 but a 40% drop from 2022).
S&T
C-DOT Launches ‘Samarth’ – A Cutting-Edge Incubation Program for Startups
• The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has launched ‘Samarth’, a dedicated incubation program aimed at fostering innovation in telecommunications and IT sectors. The initiative will support startups and innovators in Telecom Software Applications, Cybersecurity, 5G/6G, AI, IoT, and Quantum Technologies.
• The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) is the implementation partner, helping create a dynamic and supportive startup ecosystem. The program will run in hybrid mode with two cohorts per year, each consisting of 18 startups, providing funding, mentorship, and infrastructure support.
• Launched by: C-DOT, an autonomous Telecom R&D Centre under DoT, Govt. of India.
• Focus Areas: Telecom Software, Cybersecurity, 5G/6G, AI, IoT, and Quantum Technologies.
• Implementation Partner: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under MeitY.
• Cohort Size: 18 startups per batch, 36 startups per year.
• Duration & Mode: Two six-month cohorts in hybrid mode.
