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- The Odisha government is set to secure an external loan of ₹734.86 crore from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to implement Phase II of the Odisha Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme (OPELIP-II).
- About the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
- IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations. It focuses on investing in rural communities, aiming to enhance food security, nutrition, and incomes through funding grants and low-interest loans for various projects.
- Established in 1977 in response to a global food crisis, IFAD-supported projects have positively impacted millions of people globally. The institution works in regions most affected by poverty and hunger. As the only global development organization solely dedicated to transforming agriculture, rural economies, and food systems, IFAD plays a pivotal role in promoting rural development.
- IFAD's funding supports research, innovation, institutional reforms, and the development of pro-poor technologies. It offers two types of grants: global/regional grants and country-specific grants, depending on the scope of the intervention and innovation.
- Headquartered in Rome, Italy, IFAD is also a member of the United Nations Development Group.
- A complete and annotated edition of the works of C. Subramania Bharati will be unveiled by the Prime Minister in New Delhi.
- About C. Subramania Bharati:
- C. Subramania Bharati was a renowned poet, freedom fighter, and social reformer from Tamil Nadu. He was affectionately known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar, with "Mahakavi" meaning "great poet." Born in Ettayapuram, South India, in 1882, he passed away in Madras in 1921. Bharati is celebrated as one of India's greatest poets, whose songs on nationalism and India's freedom played a crucial role in inspiring the masses to support the Indian Independence Movement, particularly in Tamil Nadu.
- In 1904, Bharati joined the Tamil daily Swadesamitran as Assistant Editor. By 1907, he began editing India, a Tamil weekly, and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham alongside M.P.T. Acharya. He also collaborated with Aurobindo on the Arya journal and later worked with Karma Yogi in Pondicherry.
- Despite facing persecution for his beliefs both from the British authorities and orthodox elements of his own society, Bharati remained steadfast in his ideals. Exiled from British India in 1908, he lived in Pondicherry, a French colony, for a decade before returning to Madras, where he died.
- Bharati's compositions are largely short lyrical expressions on patriotic, devotional, and mystical themes, with his works often categorized as lyrical poetry. His most famous compositions include Kaṇṇan Pattu (1917; Songs to Krishna), Panchali Sapatham (1912; Panchali's Vow), and Kuyil Pattu (1912; Kuyil's Song). He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, and the Bhagavad Gita into Tamil.
- India's employability among graduates is projected to increase by 7 percent, reaching 54.81 percent by 2025, according to the India Skills Report 2025.
- About India Skills Report 2025:
- The India Skills Report 2025 is compiled by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in collaboration with Wheebox, a talent assessment firm, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The report is based on data from over 6.5 lakh candidates who took the Global Employability Test (G.E.T.) across India, as well as insights from more than 1,000 companies spanning 15 different industries.
- Key Highlights of the Report:
- Approximately 55 percent of Indian graduates are projected to be globally employable by 2025, up from 51.2 percent in 2024, marking a 7 percent increase.
- Among various fields, management graduates have the highest global employability at 78 percent, followed by engineering graduates at 71.5 percent, MCA graduates at 71 percent, and science graduates at 58 percent.
- States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Delhi are emerging as key hubs for employable talent, while cities such as Pune, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are leading in providing a skilled workforce.
- The report reveals a gender disparity, with employability for men expected to rise to 53.5 percent in 2025 from 51.8 percent in 2024, while the employability rate for women is projected to decline to 47.5 percent from 50.9 percent during the same period.
- By 2025, half of all secondary and tertiary students are anticipated to receive vocational training, further strengthening India's position in the global talent marketplace.
- The report underscores the importance of aligning vocational training with industry needs, particularly in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and green energy.
- Researchers at IIIT-Delhi have developed AgeXtend, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform aimed at discovering molecules that can slow down the aging process and promote healthier living.
- About AgeXtend:
- AgeXtend is an AI-driven platform designed to identify molecules that have the potential to slow aging and enhance overall health. It was created by researchers at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi).
- The platform leverages bioactivity data from existing geroprotectors—substances known to slow aging—to predict new molecules with similar properties. AgeXtend’s AI modules assess the geroprotective potential of these molecules, evaluate their toxicity, and identify target proteins and mechanisms of action, ensuring both effectiveness and safety in the discovery process.
- To test the platform, researchers excluded well-known compounds like metformin and taurine, which are already recognized for their lifespan-extending properties. Even without these compounds, AgeXtend successfully predicted their benefits. The platform has screened over 1.1 billion compounds, identifying promising candidates that were further validated through experiments on yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans (a nematode), and human cell models.
- Additionally, the research explored AgeXtend’s ability to analyze natural compounds found in the human microbiome—microorganisms residing in the body—and their influence on regulating cell aging.