A rare Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) was seen in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu during the winter migration season. This large eagle breeds in Central Asia and Eastern Europe and moves south in winter.
The Reserve Bank of India published its Trend and Progress of Banking in India report. It says bad loans of banks (gross NPAs) fell to a 13-year low of 2.7% in March 2024 and then to 2.5% by September 2024. Return on assets was 1.4% and return on equity 14.6% in 2023-24.
The RBI has started reviewing its Scale-Based Regulation (SBR) framework for non-banking financial companies. SBR, in place since 2022, places NBFCs in four tiers, the Base, Middle, Upper and Top layers, by their size and risk. NBFC credit is now close to 15% of India's GDP, and these firms are increasingly linked with banks.
Divya Arul from Puducherry reached the summit of Mount Elbrus in Russia. At 5,642 metres, Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe and one of the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. The climb is a notable mountaineering achievement for a climber from the Puducherry Union Territory, a neighbour of Tamil Nadu.
The Centre notified the area around the Parvati-Arga Bird Sanctuary in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, as an Eco-Sensitive Zone under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The sanctuary covers about 1,084 hectares and hosts resident birds as well as winter migrants from Central Asia and Tibet.
National Test House (NTH), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, signed an agreement with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). NTH will be an empanelled laboratory that tests construction materials for national highway projects at its regional labs, including the one in Chennai.
Two Indian chess players, Koneru Humpy in the women's section and Arjun Erigaisi in the open section, each won a bronze medal at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championships 2025 in Doha, Qatar. FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) is the world governing body of chess.
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry said India registered more than 5.5 lakh domestic trademarks in 2024-25, the most in any single year. Online filing, faster examination and lower pendency helped. Pharmaceutical, veterinary and healthcare businesses filed the most. Trademarks in India are governed by the Trade Marks Act, 1999, and a registration lasts 10 years, renewable without limit.
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