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Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has demanded imposition of safeguard duty on import of polysilicon, ingot and wafer to help protect the domestic solar manufacturing industry from dumping and boost local capabilities. Sunlight is converted into electricity through a process called photovoltaics (PV). This involves several key components working together to harness the energy from the sun. At the core are solar cells, which are made from silicon. These are grouped together and mounted on a solar panel or module which captures sunlight and converts it into direct current (DC) electricity. According to ISMA, India is already self-sufficient in module manufacturing, helped by duty protection measures. Also, significant cell capacities are under ramp-up and the country will be self-sufficient by FY27 in cell manufacturing. «Need of the hour is to shift focus towards capital and energy intensive upstream manufacturing which is currently dependent on China with heavy dumping and price manipulation,» ISMA said in a presentation to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

environmental regulations, particularly the carbon tax, deforestation rules, and supply chain due diligence laws are one of the biggest hurdles in the negotiations for a proposed trade pact with India, economic think tank GTRI said on Sunday. It said that these regulations could impose additional costs on Indian exports. Under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Indian exports of steel, aluminum, and cement to the EU could face tariffs of 20-35 per cent, even if an FTA is signed, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said in its report. This raises concerns that while EU goods would enter India duty-free, Indian exports would still face these indirect barriers in Europe, it added.

NMDC on Sunday said worker unions are staging protests despite negotiations underway over the wage revision. It has already intimated to the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in the national capital that the trade unions have resorted to a «willful» slowdown of work and work-to-rule with effect from March 6, NMDC said in a statement. The most recent wage revision occurred in 2017, and the next one was due in 2022, according to NMDC. The charter of demands (COD) was submitted by the unions on February 27, 2023.

Annapurna Devi will lead India's delegation at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The session, which begins on Monday, will focus on global progress in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. According to a statement by the Women and Child Development Ministry, the minister will deliver India's national statement at the Commission which will highlight the government's initiatives for the holistic development of women and girls under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. She will also participate in discussions on resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it said.

The Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), on October 18, 2024, approved the resolution plan filed by Uniglobal Papers, which was challenged by Merico Agro Industries and Nagri Farm Tea Co before the appellate tribunal. While approving the resolution plan, the NCLT in its order (paragraphs 18) had asked Uniglobal Papers, the successful bidder, to make an application for renewal of the leases and to get possession, if granted.

Growth capital firm Playbook Partners intends to invest USD 20 million (around Rs 175 crore) each in about 12-15 companies over the next two years, a top company official said. The firm's investment portfolio includes companies like Myntra, PolicyBazaar, InMobi, Nazara Technologies, Rapido, and Renee, among others. While primarily investing in India, it has also backed global companies like SpaceX and Stripe. «With planned investments up to USD 20 million each in 12-15 companies, we are targeting high-potential ventures across SaaS, E-commerce, Healthtech, ClimateTech, B2B & B2C,» Playbook Partners Founder and Managing Partner Vikas Choudhury said. «Our focus is on companies that have crossed Rs 100 crores in turnover, where our capital and expertise can accelerate their journey to the next level of growth,» Choudhury told PTI.

Religare Enterprises has withdrawn its appeal at the NCLAT against a competition watchdog CCI order that allowed four Burman group entities to acquire a 5.27 per cent stake in the financial services firm. The move comes after the Burman Family, through its investment firms, gained a controlling stake in Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) after acquiring 25.16 per cent of equity shares through an open offer. The total holding of Burman family, which also owns FMCG firm Dabur and Eveready, now exceeds 50 per cent, consolidating their position as the largest shareholders in the company. During the proceedings, the «authorised signatory for Appellant (Religare) is present and submits that he is under the authorisation to say the Appellant is not interested in pursuing the matter and intends to withdraw this appeal», the NCLAT order said.

Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday demanded facilities and incentives like Gujarat's GIFT City for Mumbai while accusing the BJP of systematically weakening the city's economic standing. Talking at a party event here, Thackeray alleged a deliberate erosion of Mumbai's financial importance. «Subsidies and facilities given to GIFT City should also be extended to Mumbai. The BJP is deliberately weakening Mumbai's economic backbone,» he claimed. The former state minister criticised the BJP's policies for shifting major projects and headquarters from Mumbai to Gujarat and Delhi, questioning the impact on Maharashtra's economy.

Ramchet Mochi'. The man behind his transformation is Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Rae Bareli, who gifted him a machine to improve his work.

The deceased worker is yet to be identified, they said. The rescue operation is still underway to see if anyone is still trapped under the debris, they said.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra on Saturday said that National Hydroelectric Power Corporation is no less than East India Company and is draining the resources of the J&K, besides taking undue consultancy charges from the regional entities. Karra, while speaking on the budget presented by the Omar Abdullah led government in J&K Assembly, also accused the NHPC of inappropriately taking Rs 300 crore as consultancy charges over the last ten years from the regional entity. “A corporate entity which can be considered nothing less than the East India Company…I am talking about NHPC. Post the commissioning of 900 MW Baglihar power project in 2008 which was independently executed and commissioned by state arm JK Power Development Corporation, NHPC came back as Chenab Valley Power Projects (CVPP) — a joint venture between JKSPDC (49% stake), NHPC(49% stake) & PTC (2% stake),” said Karra in the assembly.

Champions Trophy 2025. The rivalry between the two nations goes back a few decades in the ODI format. However, it has been worth noting the past few years. New Zealand beat India in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup, only to lose to England in the final, while India returned the treatment in 2023 World Cup by knocking the Kiwis out in the semifinal, eventually losing to Australia in the final.

handwritten budget in Hindi, reflecting his hands-on approach and commitment to the budget preparation process. Choudhary, a former IAS who quit service to join politics as he saw it as a bigger medium to serve the public, literally burnt midnight oil, hardly sleeping for a couple of hours in the days leading to the March 4 presentation of the Budget for the fiscal year starting April 1 in the Chhattisgarh assembly. The rare act that displayed a sense of ownership and dedication to the state's financial planning and goals stood out, especially since most budget documents are typically prepared by a team of officials or typed out on computers. «I was writing my own (Budget) speech and I realised that a handwritten document expresses my feelings, my emotions, my vision, my commitment, and my attachment more. And so, I thought, I should write in my own handwriting,» he said.

NEET 2025 application on March 9. Candidates can make changes in selected fields and document uploads. The window will be open till March 11, 11:50 pm. The application process had begun on February 7 and had closed on March7, 11:50 pm. In an instance where the application is reopened, the correction window wil also be reopened. The agency has announced the NEET application correction dates in advance for the first time.

But it has also led to concerned conversations in numerous circles about job losses and a drop in employment opportunities. From its theoretical roots to modern-day applications, AI has transformed from a distant dream into a transformative reality. It will deliver a unique and beneficial value proposition for the world, particularly India. Agents and automation

Invincible Season 3 Episode 8 will be available for streaming on Prime Video on Thursday, March 13, 2025. The season consists of eight episodes, with a weekly release schedule.

Daredevil: Born Again continues its run with Episode 3 set to arrive soon. The release schedule and total episodes have changed since the show's initial development.

Severance Season 2 continues its weekly release schedule on Apple TV+. Episode 9 is set to premiere soon. Fans can check their local time zones to catch the episode as soon as it airs.

1923 Season 2 Episode 3, titled Wrap Thee in Terror, will be released on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT on Paramount+. New episodes will continue every Sunday until the finale on April 13, 2025.

Formula One teams face a dilemma this season. They have to decide when to stop development of this year's car to focus on 2026, for what Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, said was «the biggest regulation change in probably 50 or 60 years in the history of the sport.» Teams develop their cars over a season as they fight for the drivers' and constructors' championships or try to improve their positions. The higher a team finishes, the more prize money it earns. This year is different. The changes to the regulations in 2026, including the configuration of the engine, means teams have to focus resources early on next season's car. Development for 2025 could stop after a few Grands Prix.

While the meeting marked a significant shift from the stringent oversight seen during President Joe Biden’s tenure, many in the industry expressed disappointment over the lack of concrete commitments from the administration, as per a report by NBC News.