Category: News

New Delhi, March 17: India continues to hold the top position in global coconut production, contributing 30.37% of the world’s total output, according to information shared in Parliament. The Government of India has also announced a Coconut Promotion Scheme in the Union Budget 2026–27 aimed at boosting productivity and strengthening the country’s competitiveness in coconut cultivation.

Globally, coconut cultivation spans approximately 12,390 thousand hectares, of which India accounts for about 2,165.20 thousand hectares. The country produces nearly 21,373.62 million coconuts annually, with an average productivity of around 9,871 nuts per hectare, highlighting the crop’s significant contribution to the agricultural economy.

Coconut farming also plays a crucial role in rural livelihoods. Nearly 30 million people, including around 10 million farmers, depend on coconut cultivation and related activities for their income and employment.

To further strengthen the sector, the government has proposed the Coconut Promotion Scheme as part of its efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and promote high-value crops. The scheme focuses on rejuvenation of coconut plantations, including the replacement of old and non-productive trees with improved saplings and high-yielding varieties. The initiative aims to increase both production and productivity in major coconut-growing states across the country.

The scheme forms part of a ₹350 crore allocation for high-value agriculture, which also includes crops such as cashew and cocoa. Through targeted interventions, the government intends to improve crop quality, increase farmers’ incomes, and strengthen India’s position in global agricultural markets.

However, officials clarified that the state- and Union Territory-wise fund allocation and utilization details are yet to be finalized, as the scheme is currently under formulation.

The details were provided by Bhagirath Choudhary, Minister of State for Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Abu Dhabi,  March 17— Numeraire Future Trends, the Abu Dhabi–based CultureTech company pioneering AI-powered Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for art, luxury goods, and cultural assets, today announced that three contemporary talented female artists have partnered with the company to secure the identity and provenance of their works using its object-level fingerprinting technology.

Emerging artists Megan Baker and Colette LaVette, represented exclusively by Gillian Jason Gallery, will integrate Numeraire’s proprietary AI-based authentication technology into their paintings. The platform creates tamper-resistant digital identities for each artwork, enabling collectors, galleries, and institutions to verify authenticity and provenance throughout the artwork’s lifecycle.

Exploring Old Master influences through a contemporary lens, Megan Baker’s lyrical abstractions transform into dream-like landscapes. Taking moments of stillness within nature, the artist reflects on our contained state as human beings, while evoking a quiet sense of comfort in solitude.

Colette LaVette’s practice borrows attributes from Rococo aesthetic, characterised by elaborate and ornamental decorations, lightness, a delicate chromatic palette and a focus on the fantastical.

Millie Foster: “As emerging artists, Baker and LaVette are taking steps to both create and secure their legacy. Numeraire’s technology is an important step to support this endeavour.”

Caroline Bergeron (ARO)

Numeraire has also onboarded Caroline Bergeron, known as Aro, a Quebec based artist whose work is gaining increasing visibility through prominent exhibitions and cultural events in Canada and internationally. Her abstract contemporary practice merges emotional intensity with refined visual sophistication, resulting in powerful, immersive works that leave a lasting imprint. Through this collaboration, she further affirms her commitment to innovation, transparency, and the long-term protection and value of her collectors’ acquisitions. “Every artwork holds a story, an energy, and a moment in time. Ensuring its authenticity for generations to come is a responsibility I take seriously as an artist.”

SAN DIEGO, CA —March 17– Turquoise Health (“Turquoise”), a multi-sided healthcare pricing and payment platform, today announced it has raised $40 million in Series C funding. The round was led by Oak HC/FT, with participation from existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Adams Street Partners, and Yosemite.

Healthcare’s financial infrastructure is broken in a way that costs the industry nearly $1 trillion in administrative spend annually. The core problem is structural, with the contracts underlying every payment decision stored in disparate systems, inconsistently interpreted, and effectively invisible to the parties bound by them. The result is a world where it’s difficult for anyone to translate those rates into accurate payment amounts. The current system results in both sides losing money due to denials and administrative overhead, or needing to maintain teams of analysts to manage complex reimbursement scenarios and reviews of documentation. This also leads to the poor experience that most patients have with medical bills and the financial infrastructure supporting care. By centralizing data, contract information, and clinical coverage rules, Turquoise addresses the industry’s pricing opacity and revenue leakage, transforming the cost of care from a source of conflict and confusion into a clear, actionable source of truth.

Turquoise’s platform creates a new way to price, contract and transact in healthcare. Clear Rates synthesizes machine-readable files, claims data, Medicare benchmarks and all other relevant pricing signals into a single, auditable rate for every payer-provider combination. Contracts leverages AI to tag every rate and provision across a customers’ contract portfolio, turning static documents into a dynamic operating system so teams can find contract details, compare performance and model negotiation scenarios in a few clicks. Together, they lay the foundation for a fundamentally different healthcare transaction, one where standardized pricing and aligned contracts dissolve administrative waste and improve the patient experience by making same-day, transparent transactions the norm. Woven across the platform is AskTQ, the AI-powered pricing and contracting layer that cuts weeks of manual research down to seconds.

“Our goal has always been to move the industry toward clear, accurate, and actionable healthcare pricing,” said Chris Severn, CEO and Co-Founder of Turquoise. “By evolving from a data vendor to a full workflow and transaction platform, we are building the infrastructure for transparent, real-time payments. This round allows us to ensure that this model becomes the industry standard.”

Turquoise has demonstrated significant market momentum, with 35% of monthly active users now leveraging multiple products on the platform. The company’s platform is now utilized by more than 280 customers, including 10 of the top 25 health systems, 4 of the 5 national payers, 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, and 6 of the top 10 insurance brokers. The new capital will be used to assist with additional go-to-market efforts, accelerate the buildout of the product roadmap, and increase headcount. Turquoise has grown its team to nearly 200 employees since its founding 5 years ago and looks to add more talented, motivated people to the team.

“Turquoise is uniquely positioned at the center of the healthcare economy, leveraging a data moat bolstered by their subject matter expertise, extensive library of over 65,000 contracts and best-in-class user interface,” said Vig Chandramouli, Partner at Oak HC/FT. “We have tracked Chris and the team since 2021 and are impressed by their ability to expand adoption simultaneously across providers, payers, employers, and life sciences. Their platform doesn’t just provide data; it embeds transparency directly into the negotiation and payment workflows of the industry’s largest stakeholders.”

Chandigarh, Mar 17: In a powerful celebration of compassion, dignity, and social inclusion, Narayan Seva Sansthan successfully concluded its 45th Free Mass Wedding Ceremony for Differently-Abled and Economically Weaker Couples at the Seva Mahatirth, Liyon Ka Guda campus in Udaipur.

 The two-day ceremony witnessed 51 couples from different parts of the country solemnize their marriages amid Vedic chants and sacred rituals, marking the beginning of a hopeful new chapter in their lives. The ceremony was graced by chief guests Darshana Mehta, Yash Mehta, and Om Prakash Soni, along with the institution’s founder Kailash ‘Manav’ Agarwal, Kamla Devi, Vandana Agarwal, Palak Agarwal, and numerous donors, social workers, and distinguished guests.

Held with the objective of empowering persons with disabilities and promoting social harmony, the ceremony brought together couples who have faced significant challenges in life but chose to embrace the future with courage and companionship. With the sacred fire as witness and priests reciting traditional mantras, the couples took the seven sacred vows, symbolizing lifelong commitment, trust, and partnership.

Many of the newlyweds are individuals living with different forms of disabilities, some with mobility impairments, others visually impaired, and some with limb disabilities. Despite these challenges, they demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination to build meaningful lives together. Several of these beneficiaries had earlier received free corrective surgeries, artificial limbs, calipers, and rehabilitation services at the institution, enabling them to regain mobility, confidence, and independence. Through skill-development programs offered by the organization, many have also gained livelihoods and become self-reliant.

Of the 51 couples, 25 include persons with disabilities, while 26 belong to economically weaker sections of society. Among them is Vijay Gamar from Banaskantha district in Gujarat, who married Manju from Chikhla Guda in Udaipur, who has a disability in her legs. Vijay shared that while Manju may be physically challenged, he believes she will bring immense joy, strength, and hope into his life.

Addressing the gathering, Prashant Agarwal, President, Narayan Seva Sansthan emphasized the organization’s mission by stating,

 “Our goal is to ensure dignity, confidence, and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. When society comes together with empathy and a spirit of service, it becomes possible to build a more inclusive and compassionate nation.”

The wedding festivities began with the ceremonial welcome of the couples amid traditional music and auspicious chants. The ceremony formally commenced with the Toran ritual, followed by the exchange of garlands. Priests then conducted the wedding rituals at 51 sacred altars, where the couples took the seven vows, pledging lifelong companionship and support.

To help the newlyweds begin their married life with dignity and stability, the institution presented each couple with essential household items, including beds, bedding, wardrobes, utensils, gas stoves, dinner sets, fans, and other daily necessities. Guests, donors, and well-wishers also blessed the couples with gifts such as mangalsutras, bangles, anklets, and other traditional ornaments.

The celebration also featured vibrant cultural performances depicting the divine weddings of Shiva–Parvati and Krishna–Rukmini, followed by symbolic doli farewell of the brides, an emotional moment where families and guests witnessed tears of joy and heartfelt blessings as the brides embarked on their new lives.

With this ceremony, Narayan Seva Sansthan has now facilitated 2,510 marriages of differently-abled and underprivileged individuals, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to compassion, empowerment, and social upliftment.

Environmental organization WaterCAN has announced its upcoming 2026 Schools Water Testing Week, a nationwide initiative designed to engage schools in monitoring the safety of their drinking water and raising awareness about potential contamination risks., according to media reports.

The program invites students, teachers, and community volunteers to participate in hands-on water testing activities, using specially designed kits to examine drinking water sources at schools. Schools and participants can also access professional testing support through facilities such as Water Testing Lab in Bhubaneswar, which provide accurate water quality analysis and guidance on maintaining safe drinking water. By involving young people directly, WaterCAN aims to foster scientific curiosity, encourage civic responsibility, and highlight the importance of maintaining safe water for health and learning.

Water testing is crucial because contaminated water can carry harmful bacteria, viruses, and chemical pollutants that pose serious health risks, especially to children. Regular testing helps identify unsafe water sources, prevent waterborne diseases, and ensure compliance with national and international safety standards. In schools, where students spend significant time consuming drinking water, routine testing is a key measure to protect health, enhance learning, and promote overall well-being.

Previous WaterCAN initiatives revealed that a significant portion of tested school water samples were unsafe for consumption, underscoring the need for routine testing and proactive measures. The 2026 Schools Water Testing Week seeks to expand participation and reach more communities, ensuring that students gain firsthand experience in protecting their water quality.

Organizers emphasize that regular water monitoring and community engagement are key to safeguarding children from waterborne illnesses. The initiative also aims to inspire local authorities to address infrastructure challenges and ensure clean, reliable drinking water in schools.

Details about registration, participating schools, and specific dates for the 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks. WaterCAN’s effort reflects a growing commitment to empowering communities and promoting the right to safe, clean water for all students.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov: 

WAMA’s newest exhibition, Entanglements with Fungi: Life, Death and Renewal, is opening at the National Centre for Environmental Art on March 21. This exhibition brings together a group of multidisciplinary artists who explore the Kingdom Fungi, a mysterious underworld that acts as the bridge between interspecies life. 

 

Through a compelling mix of reflections on art, science, history, and politics, Entanglements with Fungi: Life, Death and Renewal focuses on the cycles of life, death, and renewal that exist within this hidden kingdom. 

The multi-sensory exhibition features a mix of traditional and experimental projects. Highlights include works created from local earth and materials created through the fungus recycling process, paintings based on data that tracks how mushrooms grow, and an artists’ book that stretches eight metres across the gallery. 

The gallery also features digital projections of the forest floor, sound installations made from recordings of tree roots and soil, and live experiments where sensors track the movement of growing fungi. 

“The artists invite you to imagine what it might feel like to see, or hear, or smell, through the nurturing exchanges between species which are often remote from the immediacy of our human senses. They ask you to imagine what it might feel like to be something other than human,” says exhibition curator Dr Felicity Spear. 

 

Neither plant nor animal, fungi underpin all ecosystems, living in water, on trees, in the air, and even on our bodies. Their networks span kilometres and they are linked to every function on the planet, from food security to pharmaceutical medicines. Despite this, they remain largely misunderstood and their future is threatened by the impact of human influences. 

“WAMA at Gariwerd is building a bridge between nature and culture, prompting us to think about human culture not as separate from, but intertwined with Earth’s hidden networks and ecological systems, mutually shaping each other,” says Spear. 

Exhibiting artists include UK environmental artist Chris Drury, sound artist Vicki Hallett, environmental photographer Alison Pouliot and handmade book and digital collage artists Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison. 

Other artists include Sam Leach, Chris Henschke, Debbie Symons, and the curator herself, Felicity Spear. 

Situated at the foothills of Gariwerd/Grampians National Park, WAMA offers a distinctive new cultural experience that unites contemporary art and environmental consciousness across a 16-hectare precinct and includes the Gariwerd Endemic Botanic Garden and Jallukar Native Grasslands alongside the National Centre for Environmental Art – Australia’s only institution dedicated exclusively to the intersection of art and the environment. 

EXHIBITION LAUNCH EVENT 

Mushroom Masterclass with Alison Pouliot

Saturday 21 March 10am to 12.30pm

This hands-on workshop is designed to change the way the forest floor is seen. Learn the basics of mushroom identification, how to tell edible species from toxic look-alikes, and where to find the most interesting fungi in the wild.

Tickets are extremely limited, $75.

-ENDS-

New Delhi, Mar 17:  The Sony World Photography Awards today revealed the 2026 National and Regional Award winners, recognising outstanding photographic talent from across the globe. Selected from over 430,000 submissions spanning more than 200 countries and territories, this year’s winners highlight the diversity and depth of contemporary photography.

Organised by the World Photography Organisation, the National & Regional Awards programme aims to support local photography communities worldwide, offering global exposure and recognition to both emerging and established photographers.

India National Award Introduced

A key highlight this year is the introduction of the India National Award within the Professional competition. The inaugural winner, Avijit Ghosh, was recognised for his powerful series Keepers of Mangroves, documenting the conservation efforts of “tiger widows” in Dayapur, India, who work to restore mangrove ecosystems following tragic human-wildlife conflicts.

Global Winners Across Categories

In the Latin America Professional Award, Citlali Fabian secured 1st place for Bilha, Stories of My Sisters, a visually rich project combining portraits and digital illustration to highlight stories of women in southern Mexico. She was followed by María Fernanda García Freire (2nd place) and André Tezza (3rd place).

The Japan National Award was won by Hayate Kurisu for Living Photographs, a deeply personal series exploring grief, memory, and time following a stillbirth.

Spotlight on Emerging Talent

The newly introduced European Student Award recognised Teresa Halbreiter from the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg as its inaugural winner for Stillgestanden (‘Attention!’), which examines identity and femininity within the German Armed Forces.

Open Competition Winners

The Open competition, celebrating the best single images of 2025, featured winners from over 30 countries, showcasing a wide range of subjects—from landscapes and portraits to compelling images of the natural world.

Exhibition and Next Announcements

All National Award winners and Regional first-place recipients will be showcased at the official exhibition at Somerset House from April 17 to May 4, 2026. Winners will also receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment, while select participants will attend exclusive workshops in London.

The overall winners across Professional, Open, Student, and Youth competitions will be announced on April 16, 2026.

Recognising Excellence in Photography

Produced by Creo, the Sony World Photography Awards remain one of the most prestigious platforms in global photography. This year, renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award, joining an esteemed list of past honourees.

Through its continued global reach and commitment to artistic excellence, the Awards provide a vital platform for photographers to showcase their work, share powerful stories, and contribute to the evolving narrative of contemporary photography.

New Delhi, March 17: Sahitya Akademi has announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 for outstanding literary works in 24 Indian languages recognised by the national literary body. The awards cover a diverse range of genres including poetry, novels, short stories, essays, literary criticism, autobiography, and memoirs.

According to the Akademi, the awards this year include eight books of poetry, four novels, six short story collections, two essay collections, one work of literary criticism, one autobiography, and two memoirs.

The selection process for the awards began in January 2025 with an open advertisement issued on 30 January 2025. The awardees were recommended by distinguished jury members across the 24 languages, and the final selections were approved by the competent authority of the Akademi.

Among the notable winners are Devabrat Das for the Assamese novel Karhi Khelar Sadhu, Navtej Sarna for the English novel Crimson Spring, N. Prabhakaran for the Malayalam novel Maayaamanushyar, and Mamta Kalia for the Hindi memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad.

In the poetry category, awards have been announced for Shrestha Kabita by Prasun Bandyopadhyay (Bengali), Thakur Satsayie by Khajur Singh Thakur (Dogri), Bhattkhadaki by Yogesh Vaidya (Gujarati), Najdavanek’y Pot Aalav by Ali Shaida (Kashmiri), Padapurana by Girijakumar Baliyar Singh (Odia), Prasthanacatustaye Brahmaghosah by Mahamahopadhyaya Sadhu Bhadreshdas (Sanskrit), Animesha by Nandini Sidha Reddy (Telugu), and Safar Jaari Hai by Pritpal Singh Betab (Urdu).

The short story category includes works such as Dada Seerisu Tande by Amaresh Nugadoni (Kannada), Kanglamdriba Eephut by Haobam Nalini (Manipuri), Safety Kit by Jinder (Punjabi), Bharkhama by Jitender Kumar Soni (Rajasthani), Mid Birna Chenne Saon Inag Sagai by Sumitra Soren (Santali), and Waghoo by Bhagwan Atlani (Sindhi).

The awards also recognise essay collections such as Konkani Kavyem: Rupani Ani Rupakam by Henry Mendonca (H.M. Pernal) in Konkani and Nepali Paramparik Sanskriti Ra Sabhyata Ko Dukuti by Prakash Bhattarai in Nepali.

In addition, Sa. Tamilselvan received the award for literary criticism for Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal (Tamil), while Raju Baviskar was honoured for the Marathi autobiography Kalyanilya Resha. The memoir category includes Jeete Jee Allahabad by Mamta Kalia (Hindi) and Dhatri Paat San Gaam by Mahendra (Maithili).

The Sahitya Akademi Award carries a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000. The awardees will be honoured at a presentation ceremony scheduled on March 31, 2026, in New Delhi.

Established as India’s national academy of letters, Sahitya Akademi annually recognises literary excellence across multiple Indian languages, promoting the richness and diversity of the country’s literary traditions.

HYDERABAD – ScienceLogic, a United States-based technology company whose agentic AI platform powers modern IT environments, today announced its entrance into India with the opening of a new office in Nanakramguda, Hyderabad. Located at Sohini Tech Park in the Nanakramguda Financial District, the company is marking the opening with a small ceremony at the new office, which represents a strategic investment in one of the world’s fastest-growing technology markets and reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting customers across the Asia-Pacific region.

 
This expansion builds on ScienceLogic’s existing global presence in Reston, Virginia near Washington D.C., London, Sydney, Taiwan, and Singapore, and enhances its ability to serve enterprises and government organizations navigating increasingly complex, distributed IT environments. India’s rapidly growing digital economy, expanding cloud adoption, and rising demand for AI-powered operations make it a key growth market for the company. 

“We are thrilled to open our first India location in the Nanakramguda Financial District,” said Dave Link, CEO and Co-founder of ScienceLogic. “As enterprise IT environments grow more distributed and complex, IT teams now face a sometimes insurmountable number of alerts, telemetry, and tickets spread across siloed systems. By establishing a presence in Nanakramguda, we will be able to much more rapidly meet the needs of our India-based customers who rely on the ScienceLogic AI Platform to consolidate fragmented tools and deliver complete observability.”

“Hyderabad is one of India’s premier technology corridors, with a strong ecosystem of enterprise innovation and technical expertise,” said Vamsi Krishna Ivaturi, Director, India at ScienceLogic. “With the India observability market forecasted to see a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) throughout this decade, this expansion positions ScienceLogic to partner more closely with customers as they modernize infrastructure, consolidate tools, and adopt AI to drive operational resilience.” 

ScienceLogic delivers intelligence that accelerates outcomes through service-centric observability, AI-driven operations, and intelligent automation. Its flagship ScienceLogic AI Platform and Skylar AI suite — including Skylar One™ (formerly SL1), Skylar Automation™, Skylar Compliance™, and Skylar Analytics™ — enable organizations to unify monitoring, automate workflows, ensure compliance, and gain deeper operational insight across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

FIA Statement

It has been confirmed today that, after careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April.

While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April. The FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3 and F1 Academy rounds will also not take place during their scheduled times.

The decision has been taken in full consultation with Formula One Group, local promoters and our Member Clubs in the region.  

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, said: “The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. 

“We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events. 

“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow. My sincere thanks to the promoters, our partners, and our colleagues across the championship for the collaborative and constructive approach that has led to this decision.” 

Stefano Domenicali, Formula One Group President and CEO, said: “While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East. 

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the FIA as well as our incredible promoters for their support and total understanding as they were looking forward to hosting us with their usual energy and passion. We cannot wait to be back with them as soon as the circumstances allow us to do so.” 

Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, said: “We fully support the decision by Formula 1, and we are grateful to them and to the FIA for their support and enduring partnership. We look forward to welcoming fans from all around the world back to Bahrain when F1 returns. 

“On behalf of all of us at BIC, I take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks to all those in the F1 community who have taken the time to send us messages of support.” 

HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and Chairman of the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), said: “The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation respect the decision taken by Formula 1 regarding the 2026 race calendar. 

“Fans across the Kingdom were once again looking forward to the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah this April, but we understand the considerations behind this decision and remain in close partnership with Formula 1.”