The Muthoot Finance Scholarship programme has disbursed more than Rs 5.26 crore over nine editions, helping 512 students build careers in medicine, engineering and nursing, the company said.



The Muthoot M. George Higher Education Scholarship has supported 176 doctors, 184 engineers and 152 nurses since its launch. The programme has now entered its 10th edition, with applications open to eligible students from Kerala until October 17, 2026.



For the 2026-27 academic year, the scholarship programme will offer 120 scholarships. Of these, 30 scholarships are earmarked for students from Kerala pursuing MBBS, B.Tech and B.Sc. Nursing courses.



Under the latest Muthoot Finance Scholarship, selected MBBS students will receive Rs 2.40 lakh, while students pursuing B.Tech and B.Sc. Nursing will receive Rs 1.20 lakh each. The financial assistance covers the four-year course duration.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Eligibility for Muthoot Finance Scholarship</h3>



Applicants must have secured at least 90% or an equivalent grade in Class 12, with annual family income not exceeding Rs 2 lakh.



Candidates must also have qualified the relevant entrance examination and secured admission to a recognised educational institution.



Students applying from Kerala must select the region corresponding to their permanent place of residence rather than the location of the college where they have secured admission.



Applications can be submitted online through the company’s scholarship portal.



Alexander George Muthoot, managing director of Muthoot Finance, said education can transform individual lives as well as families and communities. He said the scholarship aims to support talented and deserving students seeking to build their futures through education.



The powerful impact of the Muthoot Finance Scholarship is reflected in the 512 professionals supported through the programme so far, according to the company.



Muthoot Finance Ltd is an Upper Layer non-banking financial company and gold-loan provider in India. The company said it serves more than 2 lakh retail customers daily through its gold-loan business and has more than 5,029 branches across 29 states and union territories.



The company reported loan assets of Rs 1,91,532 crore as of June 30, 2026.

Muthoot Finance scholarship delivers powerful career boost

&#8211; Mankind Pharma has extended Rs 1 crore in financial support to Captain Smit Macchhar and his family, recognising the courage, composure and sense of responsibility he showed during an unprecedented crisis, the company said.



The drugmaker said the gesture reflects its belief that acts of exceptional courage deserve more than words of appreciation. It chose to turn its gratitude into action, citing Macchhar&#8217;s commitment to the safety and well-being of those in his care.



&#8220;There are moments when words of appreciation simply do not feel enough,&#8221; said Rajeev Juneja, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mankind Pharma.



Juneja said Macchhar put the safety of others before his own during the crisis, demonstrating leadership and service. He said the company believes meaningful recognition is best expressed when appreciation is accompanied by action.



&#8220;We salute his courage, his humanity and his unwavering commitment to those entrusted to his care,&#8221; Juneja said.



Mankind Pharma said the support is a gesture of gratitude for Macchhar&#8217;s courage and leadership, and in recognition of the responsibility he showed towards the lives entrusted to him.



Earlier this year, on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Juneja contributed Rs .17 crore, reaffirming his personal commitment to supporting those who serve the nation.

Mankind Pharma gives Rs 1 crore to Captain Smit Macchhar for courage in crisis

Waste management firm Renvion has begun an integrated municipal solid waste collection and transportation project across the entire South Zone of the <a href="https://mcdonline.nic.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)</a>.



Renvion South Delhi operations are being executed through its special purpose vehicle, South Delhi MSW Solutions Pvt Ltd. The project covers all 23 wards across nearly 190 sq km and is designed to handle about 1,400 tonnes of waste a day.



The fleet comprises 550 electric four-wheelers and 226 electric three-wheelers, which the company describes as Delhi&#8217;s first large-scale zero-emission primary and secondary collection fleet. It also includes multi-stream collection, a Command &amp; Control Centre with GPS and RFID monitoring, and 60 Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations that will form the backbone of the secondary network.



Operated on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model, the project is expected to create over 2,000 jobs.



The system will cover door-to-door collection from residential, commercial, institutional and bulk generators, along with street sweeping waste, desilted drain waste, horticulture waste and domestic hazardous waste, including sanitary waste.

Renvion powers South Delhi waste collection with 776 EVs

The<a href="https://earthshotprize.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Earthshot Prize</a> has named <a href="https://www.seruminstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serum Institute of India </a>as a principal sponsor of the Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai 2026, the prize organisers said, in a partnership between two organisations that back innovation capable of improving lives at scale.



The Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai will bring together environmental innovators, investors, philanthropists and business leaders to speed up solutions to pressing environmental challenges. The Summit is a key part of the programme and is intended to help leaders from different sectors build collaborations and mobilise support.



&#8220;India has an extraordinary track record of turning ambitious ideas into solutions that improve lives at scale,&#8221; said Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize.



 He said the prize was coming to Mumbai for the first time and that Serum Institute&#8217;s experience in taking breakthrough solutions from innovation to impact reflects the ambition at the heart of the prize.



Knauf added that the aim is to help environmental innovators connect with the people, collaborations and support that can help their solutions &#8220;go further, faster.&#8221;



Adar C. Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said some of the world&#8217;s greatest challenges can only be addressed when bold ideas are backed by the resources and partnerships needed to make them accessible at scale.



&#8220;We are proud to support The Earthshot Prize Summit in Mumbai and the innovators working to build a healthier and more sustainable future,&#8221; Poonawalla said, adding that India has always been a country of ingenuity and enterprise.



The sponsorship builds on Serum Institute&#8217;s wider support for scientific discovery and education.



The Mumbai programme will end with The Earthshot Prize Awards Night, where five Winners will each receive £1 million ($1.3 million) to accelerate their environmental solutions. The event will gather global leaders, entrepreneurs, environmental champions and cultural voices to celebrate the 15 Finalists and their work to protect and restore the planet.

Serum Institute boosts Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai 2026 as principal sponsor

<a href="https://www.industowers.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indus Towers Limited</a> said its Indus Towers CSR programmes, Saksham and Pragati, positively impacted 33.88 million lives in FY26, taking the company&#8217;s cumulative reach to 90 million people across India.



The company said the programmes aim to create &#8220;capability equality,&#8221; ensuring every individual, irrespective of geography, gender or socio-economic background, has access to the opportunities, skills and resources needed to take part in India&#8217;s growth.



Indus Towers CSR empowers communities with digital skills, education, healthcare access, livelihood opportunities and sustainable infrastructure. The company said it works with local stakeholders, government institutions, implementation partners and beneficiary groups to identify needs, create solutions and build long-term community ownership.



&#8220;India&#8217;s development journey will be truly transformative only when growth becomes inclusive and participatory,&#8221; said Prachur Sah, Managing Director and CEO of Indus Towers Limited.



&#8220;At Indus Towers, we believe that sustainable progress begins with capability equality, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity, resources and support needed to realise their potential. Through our CSR programmes, we are focused on empowering communities with knowledge, skills and opportunities that help them participate meaningfully in India&#8217;s economic and social progress. By working closely with communities, implementation partners and government institutions, we aim to create lasting impact that strengthens resilience, fosters inclusion and contributes to nation-building. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our reach and deepening our contribution towards a more inclusive, empowered and future-ready India,&#8221; Sah said.



The programmes are aligned with national priorities and flagship government initiatives, including Digital India, Skill India Mission, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, National Education Policy 2020, PM eVIDYA and the Aspirational Districts Programme. They also contribute to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.



The company has built a diverse portfolio of interventions to address development challenges in underserved regions. It has set a long-term ambition of positively impacting 150 million lives by 2030 through scalable, high-impact interventions with measurable and sustainable outcomes.



Drawing on its nationwide presence, technology-led approach and understanding of local realities, Indus Towers said it will continue to contribute to India&#8217;s priorities on digital inclusion, human capital development, environmental sustainability, women&#8217;s empowerment and equitable economic growth.

Indus Towers CSR empowers 33.88 million lives in FY26

<a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLFoundation</a>, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of <a href="https://www.hcltech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLTech </a>in India, said on Monday it had completed a massive coastal cleanup campaign across 50 coastal areas in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.



The coastal cleanup was launched on August 11 to mark the 50th anniversary of the HCL Group. HCLFoundation ran it with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, People&#8217;s Action for Development, Development Research Communication and Services Centre, SPANDAN, ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Plan@Earth, Animal Warriors Conservation Society and Plan Foundation.



On International Coastal Cleanup Day, the Foundation also held awareness events, including street plays, sand sculptures and marine debris exhibitions. Employees, local communities and environmental partners took part in Kundapura (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), Ongole (Andhra Pradesh), South and North 24 Paraganas (West Bengal) and Puri (Odisha).



The coastal cleanup mobilized more than 7,000 volunteers and community members, who collected and responsibly removed over 54,000 kg of marine debris from coastal ecosystems.



&#8220;Healthy oceans and clean coastlines are critical to ecological balance, livelihoods and community well-being. Lasting environmental change requires sustained participation from all stakeholders to help foster a culture of stewardship and responsibility towards our coastal ecosystems,&#8221; said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCLFoundation, while taking part in a beach clean-up drive in Puri, Odisha.



Under its coastal and marine conservation mission, HCLFoundation and its partners have so far removed more than 829,610 kg of ghost nets and marine debris.

HCLFoundation completes coastal cleanup in 50 areas, removes over 54,000 kg of marine debris

<a href="https://www.metlife.com/about-us/corporate-responsibility/metlife-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MetLife Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.onestage.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OneStage </a>have launched &#8216;Plastic-Free Gurugram,&#8217; a sustainability programme aiming to reach over 100,000 residents by cutting single-use plastic use and improving waste management. 



Unveiled during <a href="https://www.pnbmetlife.com/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.pnbmetlife.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PNB MetLife&#8217;s</a> 25th anniversary, it engages RWAs, institutions, and malls. 



A baseline survey of 228 respondents found 84.4% segregate waste at home, but 77.8% still use disposables at gatherings.

MetLife, OneStage launch plastic-free Gurugram initiative

<a href="https://www.pepsico.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PepsiCo </a>said on Thursday its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) sustainability programme is driving measurable growth across its global operations, with India emerging as a key market for the initiative&#8217;s expansion.



In its 2025 ESG Performance Update, the company said it has extended regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, achieved 100% water replenishment at company-owned facilities in high-water-risk areas, and cut virgin plastic use in primary packaging by 6%.



&#8220;We&#8217;re excited by the momentum we&#8217;re building as pep+ continues to transform our business end to end,&#8221; said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo&#8217;s chief sustainability officer. He said the company is &#8220;evolving our product portfolio to offer more choices&#8221; while strengthening the business for the long term.



In India, PepsiCo Positive is being implemented through the company&#8217;s Partnership for Progress philosophy, which engages roughly 36,000 farmers across 14 states. The company sources 100% of its chip-grade potatoes locally in the country.



&#8220;In India, our growth is deeply connected to the strength and resilience of the ecosystem around us,&#8221; said Yashika Singh, chief corporate affairs officer and sustainability head for PepsiCo India &amp; South Asia, adding that the approach turns interdependence into shared growth across farmers, communities and consumers.



The company has partnered with start-ups to bring digital tools to its farmer network. Its Mitti Didi initiative offers soil-health diagnostics to thousands of farmers, while the Lay&#8217;s Smart Farms programme, developed with Cropin, spans more than 18,000 mapped acres and reaches over 7,000 farmers. Micro-irrigation has reached full adoption across key potato-sourcing regions, including more than 2,300 acres in Uttar Pradesh.



On water, PepsiCo said its Pune manufacturing facility has cut water use by more than 90%, part of a broader effort that has replenished 23 billion litres of water globally since 2010 and reached about 97 million people with safe water access.



The company is also advancing circularity in India, complying with local Extended Producer Responsibility rules and redesigning packaging with mono-material and polyolefin-based structures, alongside a shift to 100% rPET bottles for select beverage products. Biomass now makes up 97% of PepsiCo India&#8217;s fuel mix.



On transport, the Kosi–Pataudi EV Green Corridor, run with Kalyani Powertrain Limited and Vayudoot Road Carriers, operates thirteen 32-foot electric trucks covering roughly 6 lakh electric kilometres annually. PepsiCo India has retrofitted more than 800 vehicles for last-mile delivery.



The company said more than half of its beverage portfolio by volume in India is now low- or zero-sugar, alongside new offerings such as Red Rock Deli baked variants with 40% less fat and millet-based Kurkure Jowar Puffs.

PepsiCo Positive drives sustainable growth across India

Hitachi Vantara, the data infrastructure and hybrid cloud unit of <a href="https://www.hitachivantara.com/sustainability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hitachi Ltd.</a> (TSE: 6501), said on Thursday it has set a validated net-zero target to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across its global value chain by fiscal year 2040.



The company said its near- and long-term emissions targets have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a body that sets standards for corporate climate goals, giving customers and partners assurance the plan aligns with current climate science.



The announcement comes as data centers face mounting scrutiny over energy use tied to the AI boom. <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Congressional Research Service report</a> cited by the company found cooling systems account for 38% to 40% of data center electricity consumption, underscoring the stakes for infrastructure providers.



&#8220;Customers increasingly expect their technology suppliers to demonstrate that their climate commitments are credible and backed by action,&#8221; said Simon Ninan, senior vice president of business strategy at Hitachi Vantara. He said the validated net-zero target &#8220;holds us accountable to measurable progress.&#8221;



Under the near-term plan, Hitachi Vantara aims to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions 98% by FY2030 from an FY2024 baseline, and reduce Scope 3 emissions 51% per usable petabyte of storage sold by FY2036. The long-term goal calls for a 97% cut in Scope 3 emissions per petabyte sold by FY2040.



The company said it reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions 43% in FY2025, helped by sourcing half its energy from renewables. It has also expanded sustainability features across its VSP One storage platform and is aligning products with Hitachi&#8217;s Eco-Design Management Guidelines.



Hitachi Vantara pointed to customer results from its VSP 360 Clear Sight monitoring tool: Turkey&#8217;s DestekBank cut data center energy use 25% and total cost of ownership 20%; India&#8217;s Malayala Manorama reduced power and cooling costs 70% and rack space 66%; Turkey&#8217;s Garanti BBVA estimated its Hitachi Vantara systems use about 30% less energy than rival systems; and Brazil&#8217;s Aquiris used the platform to support wastewater treatment operations processing more than 110 million cubic meters annually.



&#8220;Sustainability is most effective when it is embedded into decision-making across the organization,&#8221; said Courtney Hadden, sustainability director at Hitachi Vantara, adding that the SBTi validation gives the company &#8220;a clear, science-based framework&#8221; to track progress.

Hitachi Vantara commits to validated net-zero by 2040

The <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gates Foundation </a>said on Tuesday it would spend at least USD 1 billion over the next two years to widen access to artificial intelligence, a bold bet that the technology can narrow rather than widen the gap between rich and poor countries.



The commitment was unveiled alongside the foundation&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/report/2026-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10th annual Goalkeepers Report</a>, titled &#8220;Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can&#8217;t Delay.&#8221; The report argues that the window to shape who benefits from AI, and how quickly, is closing fast.



Under the plan, 40% of the money will go to education, including AI tutoring designed to individualize student learning and teaching tools for classrooms in the United States and abroad. Another 40% is earmarked for health care, spanning diagnostics, clinical decision support for frontline health workers, maternal and newborn care tools, and drug and vaccine discovery.



A further 10% will support agriculture, including AI-generated advice tailored to smallholder farmers&#8217; soil, weather and crop conditions. The remaining 10% will fund digital infrastructure, such as building datasets in languages current models do not yet understand.



The Gates Foundation AI strategy rests on three priorities set out in the report: making tools work in every language people speak, designing them around the contexts where they will actually be used, and investing in the people and access needed for communities to shape the technology themselves.



More than 90% of the data used to train early large language models came from English-language sources, the report said, leaving many communities poorly represented in the systems built on that data. It also calls for countries and communities to decide how their own data is managed and protected.



Bill Gates, chair of the foundation, wrote that the organization was created in part to address a basic market failure, in which those with the greatest needs have the least power to steer innovation and investment. AI presents the same challenge, he wrote, only at far greater speed, because the most capable tools will be built first for those most able to pay.



&#8220;We can harness AI for good. But it won&#8217;t happen by accident,&#8221; Gates wrote, adding that success should be measured not only by what AI does for the most profitable users but by what it does for the people who stand to gain the most.



The foundation said its funding would scale up partners already working to close access gaps, with examples cited from clinics, classrooms and small farms. It also urged technology companies, governments and other philanthropies to commit resources, expertise and public advocacy, noting that affordable access will require action from industry as well as public investment.



The Seattle-based foundation is led by Chief Executive Mark Suzman under the direction of Gates and its governing board. Goalkeepers is its campaign to accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Gates Foundation AI push: bold USD 1 billion health pledge

standard

In a major push for rural development,<a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> HCL Foundation </a>and the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday announced a landmark extension of their Samuday partnership, renewing the flagship rural development programme for another five years, through 2031.



The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding at a ceremony in Lucknow, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Rural Development Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Minister of State for Rural Development Vijay Laxmi Gautam, and senior government officials.



Maurya said the state government remains committed to integrated rural development, noting that the Samuday partnership had driven significant change in Hardoi district over the past 11 years, and that the renewed MoU aims to replicate this transformation in other districts of Uttar Pradesh.



Since its launch in Hardoi in 2015, the Samuday partnership by HCL Foundation has grown into one of India&#8217;s largest government-CSR collaborations. The programme now spans 579 Gram Panchayats across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh, reaching more than 3 million people. It is also active in 95 Gram Panchayats in Tamil Nadu&#8217;s Thoothukudi district, benefiting over 140,000 residents.



Under the renewed Samuday partnership, focus areas will include strengthening rural livelihoods, improving education and healthcare access, promoting climate-resilient agriculture, advancing water and sanitation infrastructure, empowering Panchayati Raj institutions, and deepening convergence with government schemes, besides extending the programme&#8217;s footprint to additional districts.



Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCL Foundation, said the organisation works closely with communities and government bodies to strengthen rural ecosystems and build development models that can be scaled across geographies. She added that the past decade of the Samuday partnership had shown how government, communities and the private sector could jointly deliver lasting impact, and that HCL Foundation looks forward to deepening this collaboration.



Samuday&#8217;s impact since 2015:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Over 1.99 million people reached through health and nutrition programmes</li>



<li>More than 534,000 students benefited from improved learning environments</li>



<li>113,000+ farmers supported with better agricultural practices</li>



<li>85,000+ youth and women aided through livelihood initiatives</li>



<li>2,224 kWp of renewable energy infrastructure created</li>



<li>2,300+ households covered under waste management interventions</li>
</ul>



HCL Foundation, the CSR arm of HCLTech, has so far impacted over 8.5 million lives across its programmes in education, sports, health, sanitation, skilling, livelihood and environmental sustainability.

HCL Foundation, UP govt renew Samuday pact till 2031

Maharasthra government and Project Mumbai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen institutional coordination ahead of the second edition of <a href="https://www.mumbaiclimateweek.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Climate Week</a>, scheduled for February 23-26, 2027, at the Jio Convention Centre.



Under the Mumbai Climate Week MoU, the <a href="https://environment.maharashtra.gov.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state&#8217;s Environment and Climate Change Department </a>will act as the nodal partner agency and knowledge partner for MCW 2027, supporting Project Mumbai in organising the event and coordinating with government bodies including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.



The agreement commits the Department to facilitating time-bound meetings between MCW 2027 theme leads and senior officials, including ministries, commissioners and secretaries of the Maharashtra government. Organisers said the partnership aims to build a stronger link between thematic discussions at the event — spanning urban resilience, food systems, energy transition, biodiversity and circularity — and government institutions implementing related policy on the ground. This year&#8217;s edition will also examine climate&#8217;s intersections with literature, food, sports, cinema and healthcare.



Pankaja Munde, state Minister of Environment &amp; Climate Change, called the platform significant for bringing together governments, businesses, civil society and citizens to advance climate action, adding that the Department hopes to build on the momentum of the previous edition to strengthen climate leadership across the state.



Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder of Project Mumbai and Chief Convenor of Mumbai Climate Week, said the partnership with the state department would help translate discussions at the event into lasting solutions.



Organisers said the MoU reinforces the institutional framework behind MCW 2027 as Mumbai grapples with climate impacts across infrastructure, mobility, water, waste management, energy and urban resilience.

Maharashtra govt, Project Mumbai sign MoU for climate week

<a href="https://www.swiggy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swiggy Ltd</a> and <a href="https://www.heromotocorp.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hero MotoCorp </a>on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership giving delivery partners on Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart preferential access to two-wheelers, financing and road safety training.



Under the Swiggy Hero MotoCorp partnership, riders will be able to select a preferred Hero model directly on the Swiggy app and receive exclusive pricing at Hero dealerships. The deal also unlocks customised financing, including loans covering up to 90% of the vehicle&#8217;s value at competitive interest rates.



The companies kicked off the tie-up with a road safety training session at Hero MotoCorp&#8217;s Traffic Training Park in Gurugram, part of the automaker&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.heromotocorp.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ride Safe India&#8221;</a> CSR programme.



Participants received safety kits containing a full-face helmet, a medical kit and a reflective vest. Hero MotoCorp said the training — combining digital modules with instructor-led sessions — will now be extended to Swiggy riders nationwide, covering hazard anticipation, traffic rule compliance and emergency response.



Saurav Goyal, Chief Operating Officer of Swiggy&#8217;s Food Marketplace, said the initiative reflects the company&#8217;s push to make vehicle ownership more accessible for delivery partners through curated pricing and flexible financing.



Ashutosh Varma, Chief Business Officer at Hero MotoCorp, said the partnership underscores the company&#8217;s commitment to affordable mobility and safer roads for India&#8217;s gig workforce.



Registration will run through an API integration linking the Swiggy app to Hero MotoCorp&#8217;s systems, with riders able to complete purchases online or at participating dealerships, supported by dedicated customer service.

Swiggy, Hero MotoCorp ink exclusive mobility partnership

<a href="https://www.nabard.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)</a> and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) signed an MoU on Monday to integrate IMD&#8217;s agro-meteorological data products into <a href="https://www.dicra.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture)</a>, an open-source digital platform backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and NABARD.



The agreement aims to make weather and climate data freely accessible to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers across the country, an official statement said.



The MoU was signed by Sanjeev D Rohilla, Chief General Manager, Department of Climate Action and Sustainability at <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/agri-food/jindal-nabard-to-help-boost-farmers-income/31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NABARD</a>, and Bikram Singh, Scientist-G and Head of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai.



NABARD Chairman Shaji Krishnan V, IMD Director General of Meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, and senior officials from both organisations were present at the ceremony.



Under the deal, IMD will supply district and block-level weather forecasts, agromet advisories, in-situ observations and weather alerts through a dedicated Weather Portal on DiCRA. The data will sit alongside DiCRA&#8217;s existing geospatial datasets on soil moisture, vegetation health, crop conditions and climate vulnerability, giving users decision-ready insights at the local level.



&#8220;Climate risk cannot be treated as a standalone issue; it has to be integrated into our development and financing decisions,&#8221; Krishnan said, adding that the partnership would help &#8220;forewarn both the farmer and the bank.&#8221;



Mohapatra said Indian weather forecasting accuracy has improved by 40 to 50 percent over the past decade, with forecasts now reaching the panchayat level, but that reaching every farmer in a usable format remained the next challenge.



NABARD will use DiCRA&#8217;s open APIs to distribute district-level advisories, seasonal risk alerts and weather-linked vulnerability assessments to credit officers, field staff, researchers and farmers via web, mobile and API channels. The Weather Portal integration also supports NABARD&#8217;s own weather portal on DiCRA, which is currently under development.



NABARD, India&#8217;s apex rural development bank, was established in 1982. IMD, founded in 1875, is India&#8217;s national meteorological service under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. DiCRA, recognized as a Digital Public Good in 2022, is jointly maintained by NABARD with technical support from UNDP.

NABARD-IMD sign MoU to boost farmer weather data

<a href="https://www.pw.live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PhysicsWallah (PW)</a> has launched the fourth edition of <a href="https://www.pwnsat.pw.live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PWNSAT </a>2026, its national scholarship cum admission test, to help students prepare for JEE and NEET.



Registrations are free and open to students from Class V to XII, as well as Class XII pass-outs, in both PCM and PCB streams. Eligible candidates can secure scholarships covering up to 100% of tuition fees and cash prizes totaling up to INR 2.5 crore. The top 500 eligible students will also receive free education and hostel support.



PWNSAT 2026 will be held in online and offline modes. Online exams run from October 1 to 15, 2026. Offline tests take place on October 3, 4, 10 and 11, 2026 at PW Vidyapeeth, Pathshala and Tuition centres across India. Results will be announced later.



Alakh Pandey, Educator, Founder and CEO of PhysicsWallah, said: “Access to quality education should not be determined by a student’s financial circumstances. Through PWNSAT, we aim to support learners by reducing some of these barriers while providing academic guidance that can help them continue their preparation with confidence. We hope the initiative encourages more students across the country to pursue their aspirations without financial constraints becoming a limiting factor.”



Select high performers in PWNSAT 2026 will gain additional mentorship through the Exclusive Rankers’ Group to support their JEE and NEET preparation.



PhysicsWallah Limited, founded in 2020 by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari and headquartered in Noida, offers online, offline and hybrid education programmes. The company listed on the NSE and BSE on November 18, 2025.

PWNSAT 2026: secure up to 100% scholarships for JEE, NEET

<a href="https://www.bosch.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bosch</a> India&#8217;s Spark of Joy event successfully raised funds for 17 projects across six cities, impacting over 5,000 underprivileged beneficiaries, the company said Thursday, marking another milestone for its employee-led social engagement initiative.



The event, organized through Primavera India, the company&#8217;s employee-led social engagement initiative, was themed &#8220;Bandhan – Celebrating Togetherness&#8221; and featured 14 performances spanning music, classical and contemporary dance, folk traditions, shadow art, neon effects and puppetry.



Bosch employees, including AI experts, hardware designers and assembly line staff, rehearsed after work hours for months to stage the performances, the company said, describing the initiative as proof that shared experiences unite people across roles.



&#8220;At Bosch, our &#8216;Invented for life&#8217; ethos extends beyond business to creating a positive social impact in the communities where we live and work,&#8221; said Guruprasad Mudlapur, President of the Bosch Group in India and Managing Director, Bosch Ltd.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1764" srcset="https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3-300x169.png 300w, https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3-768x432.png 768w, https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dashboard.csrvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SOJ3.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



&#8220;Initiatives like Spark of Joy show how employee-led initiatives can drive meaningful change, bringing people together for a shared purpose and support causes like education, healthcare, and skilling.&#8221;



Funds raised through this year&#8217;s Spark of Joy campaign will support 17 projects across six Indian cities, focused on improving access to education, healthcare, nutrition, rehabilitation and vocational training for underprivileged children, the company said.



Primavera India has operated as Bosch India&#8217;s employee-driven social engagement platform for more than 25 years, partnering with local non-profit organizations to support disadvantaged communities.

Bosch India&#8217;s Spark of Joy successfully raises funds for 17 projects

<a href="https://www.muthootfinance.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Muthoot Finance</a>, India&#8217;s largest gold loan non-banking financial company, said on Monday it will boost its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending to Rs 174.03 crore for fiscal year 2027, extending programmes in healthcare, education and housing to underserved communities nationwide.



The Muthoot Finance CSR outlay follows FY26 spending of Rs 106.42 crore, which the company said reached approximately 3.37 million beneficiaries through initiatives spanning education, healthcare, livelihood support, community development and sports promotion.



&#8220;At Muthoot Finance, we believe sustainable growth must go hand in hand with meaningful social impact,&#8221; Managing Director George Alexander Muthoot said in a statement. 



He said the FY26 results reflected the company&#8217;s commitment to underserved communities through healthcare, education, housing and social inclusion programmes.



Education remained a central focus of the Muthoot Finance CSR strategy, with flagship programmes including the Muthoot M. George Excellence Awards, higher education scholarships and the Muthoot Shiksha Jyothi initiative supporting nearly 11,900 students, including first-generation learners, the company said. 



Muthoot Finance has also established several educational institutions, including Sanskara School in Kochi, the Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science, and the newly launched Kalaivani School in Tamil Nadu.



On healthcare, the company said its Muthoot Snehasraya programme and related interventions benefited more than 100,000 people in FY26 through medical outreach, rehabilitation support and community healthcare services.



The company&#8217;s housing initiative, Muthoot Aashiyana, has built more than 270 homes for vulnerable and disaster-affected families since its 2018 launch, providing shelter and stability to underserved households, Muthoot Finance said.



Muthoot Finance also expanded its Soundscape Project, which provides digital hearing aids to children with hearing impairments, reaching 267 beneficiaries across Kerala, Hyderabad and Mumbai.



 Separately, the company&#8217;s prison rehabilitation programme, Radio Parvaaz, supports emotional wellbeing and informal learning among inmates, alongside initiatives for children of incarcerated parents.



Other community programmes included Box of Hope for fisherwomen&#8217;s livelihoods, a maritime safety programme for coastal communities in Tamil Nadu, and Pedal for Progress, which distributes bicycles to tribal students.



Deputy Managing Director George Muthoot George said the company aims to move beyond addressing immediate needs toward empowering communities for long-term self-reliance.

Muthoot Finance hikes CSR spend to Rs 174 crore for FY27

<a href="https://up.gov.in/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uttar Pradesh</a> will launch a massive plantation drive on July 12, aiming to plant 35 crore saplings in a single day as part of the state&#8217;s Vriksharopan Mahabhiyan 2026 campaign, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday.



Reviewing preparations via video conference, the CM said the Uttar Pradesh plantation drive was intended to function as a public movement rather than a routine government exercise, with success measured by sapling survival rather than volume planted alone, an official statement said.



The state has set a target of raising green cover to 15% by 2030 and 20% by 2047, the statement said. To meet that goal, authorities plan to plant 35 crore saplings annually over the next five years, a pace they say could help absorb nearly 72 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.



The CM directed departments to complete verification of plantation sites, ensure sapling availability, carry out geo-tagging and arrange irrigation ahead of the drive. He called for participation from citizens, students, farmers, elected representatives and voluntary organisations.



Officials from the departments of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rural Development, Agriculture, Horticulture, Panchayati Raj, Revenue and Urban Development presented their action plans during the review.



The CM also directed that beneficiaries of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme be linked to the campaign, and said a mix of fruit-bearing, shade-giving, medicinal and timber species should be planted.



State data show Uttar Pradesh added about 3.38 lakh acres of forest and tree cover between 2017 and 2023, with total cover rising to 9.96% from 9.18% over that period. The state has planted 242 crore saplings since 2017, compared with 51.48 crore between 2009 and 2016, according to the review.



The campaign also includes several themed initiatives — Mission Chhaya, Samaras Van, Samriddhi Van, City Van, Kapi Van, Maharshi Charak Aushadhi Van, Urja Van, Pauranik Van and Aviral Dhara Van — designed to support biodiversity, reduce heat stress and promote agroforestry across the state.

Uttar Pradesh to plant 35 crore saplings on July 12

New research from <a href="https://www.iitkgp.ac.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT Kharagpur</a> has proved that scientific speed management interventions can significantly cut fatal crash risk, fatalities and crash severity on Indian highways, offering crucial evidence for policymakers as India seeks to halve road crash deaths and serious injuries by 2030.



The findings were presented at a high-level <a href="https://www.roadsafetynetwork.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">road safety </a>dialogue organised by the Road Safety Network (RSN) in partnership with IIT Kharagpur, as the country continues to grapple with a severe road safety crisis. More than 1.8 lakh lives were lost in road crashes in 2024.



The study, carried out on a 51-km stretch of National Highway 16 between Balihati and Kolaghat in West Bengal, examined how design-based speed management measures affected vehicle behaviour and crash outcomes. 



Researchers found the interventions cut operating speeds by 39-45% for cars, 29-33% for heavy vehicles and 18-28% for two-wheelers. 



The study also recorded significant reductions in fatal crashes, fatalities, crash severity and the likelihood of a crash turning fatal at locations where speed management measures were applied.



Speeding remains a leading cause of road crashes in India. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways&#8217; Road Accidents in India 2024 report, over-speeding accounted for 62% of all road crashes and more than one lakh fatalities nationwide. Pedestrians, among the most vulnerable road users, accounted for 20.6% of all crash fatalities.



Prof. (Dr.) Bhargab Maitra, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, and a Road Safety Network member, said the Safe System approach recognises that while people make mistakes, roads, policies and systems must be designed so those mistakes do not result in death or serious injury. 



He said scientific speed management is central to this approach, and that aligning speeds with road function and the needs of all users, particularly vulnerable ones, significantly improves safety outcomes. He called for greater emphasis on evidence-based interventions as India pursues its road safety targets.



The findings were unveiled at a dialogue convened by RSN and IIT Kharagpur at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park, bringing together government officials, public health experts, researchers and road safety practitioners to discuss evidence-based approaches to reducing fatalities and serious injuries.



RSN also presented recommendations to the<a href="https://morth.nic.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</a> and state and local authorities to strengthen speed management nationwide.



 These included rationalising speed limits based on road function and user risk, adopting context-sensitive speed zoning, strengthening infrastructure and access control, expanding technology-enabled enforcement, improving crash data systems and enhancing coordination across transport, enforcement, health and urban development sectors. 



The recommendations stressed aligning speed management policies with the safety needs of vulnerable road users to support India&#8217;s road safety goals.

IIT Kharagpur study proves speed management cuts crashes

<a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLFoundation </a>has invited applications from non-profit organisations across India for Edition XII of the<a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> HCLTech Grant</a>, Rs 24 crore initiative targeting transformative rural development across four themes — water, biodiversity, health and education.



The corporate social responsibility arm of global technology company HCLTech is accepting submissions at <a href="http://www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant</a> until June 30, 2026, the Foundation said in a statement on Thursday.



Four winning organisations, one from each theme, will receive Rs 5 crore each. Eight additional NGOs will receive Rs 50 lakh each for proposed projects across the same categories.



&#8220;Some of the most transformative solutions emerge from grassroots organisations deeply connected to the communities they serve,&#8221; said Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCLFoundation. 



&#8220;Through this edition of HCLTech Grant, we aim to provide a platform for NGOs to unleash their potential, scale innovative ideas and create sustainable change.&#8221;



The HCLTech Grant has to date reached 2.3 million lives across 61,000 villages in India. Funded initiatives have resulted in the planting of more than three lakh saplings, rejuvenation of over 68,300 hectares of land and a reduction of more than 67,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Total commitments under the programme now exceed ₹203 crore.



Winners of Edition XI included Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti from Rajasthan, Live Foundation from Jharkhand, Goodwill Foundation from Mizoram and Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti from Rajasthan, each receiving Rs 5 crore for projects spanning water harvesting, biodiversity conservation, healthcare access and gender equality through education.



HCLFoundation also announced the HCLTech Grant Edition XII Pan India Symposiums 2026, scheduled in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Nagpur and New Delhi, to bring together NGOs, government bodies, corporates and policymakers on the role of CSR in nation building.



HCLFoundation has positively impacted over 8.4 million lives through long-term programmes in education, health, sanitation, skill development, environment and disaster risk reduction.

HCLFoundation seeks NGO applications for Rs 24 Crore HCLTech Grant Edition XII

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday pledges a massive West Bengal tree plantation campaign named &#8216;Ekti Gaach Mayer Naame&#8217;, targeting 1.10 crore trees by March 2027, while raising alarm over rapid concretisation of Kolkata and shrinking green cover.



Speaking at a state-level <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a> event at Nalban in Bidhannagar, Adhikari said unchecked urban expansion under the previous regime had turned Greater Kolkata into a &#8220;concrete jungle&#8221;, ignoring mandatory green space norms in construction projects.



&#8220;Greater Kolkata region is gradually turning into a concrete jungle… We have created vast stretches of concrete and will have to pay the price for this injustice in the future,&#8221; he said.



Adhikari announced that the new government would strictly enforce rules requiring at least one-third of construction project areas to be maintained as green spaces. He also expressed concern over declining forest land in North Bengal and its impact on ecological balance.



The <a href="https://www.westbengalforest.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bengal tree plantation initiative,</a> coordinated by the forest department, will involve large-scale sapling plantation across the state over the next 10 months. The drive was symbolically launched with Adhikari planting an indigenous sapling along the Nalban waterbody, followed by the release of fish fingerlings to restore aquatic ecosystems.



The Chief Minister said educational institutions, clubs and social organisations forming eco-clubs would receive financial assistance from the state government. He urged citizens, especially the youth, to make environmental protection a way of life beyond just observing Environment Day.



Senior officials, including the chief secretary and department heads, along with 50 student &#8216;environment ambassadors&#8217; under Mission LiFE, participated in the event.

West Bengal CM launches 1.1cr tree plantation drive

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu led an Andhra CM bicycle ride in Visakhapatnam on Friday to commemorate <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a> and promote sustainable living.



Donning a light green cap, Naidu pedalled from <a href="https://www.andhrauniversity.edu.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andhra University</a> to a nearby hotel where he was scheduled to attend a workshop on seafood exports. Public representatives, officials and local residents joined the Chief Minister on bicycles.



&#8220;Today is Environment Day and to increase awareness among people I will travel on a bicycle. Cycling should become a lifestyle,&#8221; Naidu told reporters before starting the Andhra CM bicycle ride.



The Chief Minister directed officials to transform Andhra University into a net-zero campus and commits to developing solar energy and planting trees across its 450-acre land bank. He highlighted the environmental imbalance evident from rising temperatures and frequent cyclones.



Naidu also pledged a dedicated cycling track in Visakhapatnam, increasing the port city&#8217;s green cover to 50 per cent, and measures to reduce pollution from the port and other institutions.



Source: PTI