Month: April 2025

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 APR 2025 3:20PM by PIB Delhi

“I love you Mom because you take me out to play…”

Moksh’s mother had tears in her eyes when she read this simple, loving, and heartwarming note written by her son in uneven letters and wobbly handwriting. Though it seems like just ten simple words written by a kid to his mother. But behind those words lies a powerful story of love, waiting, and hope.

Moksh was born with a condition called “knock knees,” which made his legs bend inward. He was left at a Child Care Institution when he was just a day old unaware of anything in this new world. He was put up for adoption. For four years, families walked in and out of his life—pausing, hesitating, moving on. His condition was listed on the form. And that was often the end of the conversation.

Until one day, it wasn’t.

In 2021, a couple saw him, not the label, not the diagnosis, but ‘Their child.’ To them, he wasn’t a problem to solve, he was their son, waiting for them from the day he was born. The second wave of COVID-19 made the wait even longer. But they didn’t let him go, they stayed—through video calls, telling him bedtime stories through screens, making him smile from far away and patiently waiting to hold him in their arms.

Finally, before the New Year, Moksh came home. His new parents enrolled him in swimming to help his legs, took him for regular check-ups, and gave him love and care. Today, Moksh is not just healthy—he’s thriving. He learned to swim, act in plays, and most of all, fly through the air in parkour, that bold sport of leaps and climbs and courage. From a child once left behind… to being named ‘Student of the Month’.  

Moksh’s story is one of love triumphing over hesitation. And across India, many more stories like his are finally being written. Over the years, legal adoptions in India have seen a boost with families coming forward to give home to orphaned children. In FY 2024-25, India saw a record 4,515 adoptions—the highest in nearly a decade. Of these, 4,155 were domestic, marking a powerful shift in societal attitudes. It’s no longer rare for Indian families to adopt. It’s becoming a choice made with open hearts and open arms.

The Promise of Legal Adoption

Driving this transformation is the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), with its mission to ensure no child is left behind. The statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development ensures that adoptions should happen legally and ethically to safeguard innocent children.

It functions as the nodal body for the adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. It is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions by the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003. CARA primarily deals with the adoption of orphan, abandoned, and surrendered children through its associated /recognized adoption agencies. CARA is working day and night through on-ground activities, training sessions, and social media campaigns to promote legal adoptions. As adoption is not just about legal contracts, it is more of an emotional journey that both parents and child take together, the process becomes even more important.  

Before planning to adopt, the Prospective Adoptive Parents must go through the eligibility criteria mentioned on CARA’s website. Illegal adoption is concerning as it amounts to child trafficking and is a punishable offense under The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021.

Illegal Adoption refers to taking direct, immediate and unsolicited custody of a child in need of care and protection.

More Children, More Hope

For years, one of the biggest hurdles in adoption was the gap between children in need and parents willing to adopt. But 2023–24 marked a turning point.

• Over 8,500 children were identified and added to the adoption pool—many of them from institutions where they had long waited to be seen, chosen, and loved. 
• 245 new agencies were added to CARA’s network, making adoption more accessible than ever.

These are not just policy wins—they are acts of restoration. Every child added to the list represents a new possibility for connection, belonging, and a chance to be a child again.

Stories of Finding Home

References:

Download in PDF

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Santosh Kumar/ Sheetal Angral/ Priya Nagar

(Release ID: 2124267) Visitor Counter : 105

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 25 APR 2025 2:34PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today, condoled  passing of Dr. K. Kasturirangan, a towering figure in India’s scientific and educational journey. Shri Modi stated that Dr. K. Kasturirangan served ISRO with great diligence, steering India’s space programme to new heights. “India will always be grateful to Dr. Kasturirangan for his efforts during the drafting of the National Education Policy (NEP) and in ensuring that learning in India became more holistic and forward-looking. He was also an outstanding mentor to many young scientists and researchers”, Shri Modi added. 

The Prime Minister posted on X :
 
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. K. Kasturirangan, a towering figure in India’s scientific and educational journey. His visionary leadership and selfless contribution to the nation will always be remembered. 

He served ISRO with great diligence, steering India’s space programme to new heights, for which we also received global recognition. His leadership also witnessed ambitious satellite launches and focussed on innovation.”

 

 

“India will always be grateful to Dr. Kasturirangan for his efforts during the drafting of the National Education Policy (NEP) and in ensuring that learning in India became more holistic and forward-looking. He was also an outstanding mentor to many young scientists and researchers. 

My thoughts are with his family, students, scientists and countless admirers. Om Shanti.”

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MJPS/VJ

(Release ID: 2124254) Visitor Counter : 150

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (April 25) published its Annual Report 2024, including the financial statements of the Exchange Fund, and its Sustainability Report 2024.

The Annual Report reviews trends and major events in monetary and banking affairs, and reports on the HKMA’s work during 2024. It also sets out the HKMA’s work priorities and plans for 2025.

The Sustainability Report sets out the HKMA’s strategy and priorities in embedding sustainability at the core of Hong Kong’s financial system, including strengthening climate-resilience and enhancing the ecosystem, while operating as a responsible investor and sustainable organisation. 

The HKMA Annual Report 2024 and Sustainability Report 2024 can be viewed on and downloaded from the HKMA website free of charge.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The 77th issue of “HA Risk Alert” was published today (April 25) by the Hospital Authority (HA) as a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the reporting and monitoring of clinical incidents in public hospitals.
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), there were seven sentinel events reported, comprising four cases of retained instruments/material after surgery/interventional procedure, two cases of inpatient suicide and one case of a surgery/interventional procedure involving wrong body parts. Among the 31 reported serious untoward events, there were 29 related to medication errors and two patient misidentifications.
 
     “Subsequent to the incident reviews and analyses of the root causes of these incidents, important lessons for patient safety have been identified, while recommendations are made and shared in this publication to avoid similar events in the future,” an HA spokesperson said.
 
     The HA Head Office has released the latest “HA Risk Alert” to all staff. It can also be accessed by the public at www.ha.org.hk/riskalert. “HA Risk Alert” is published on a quarterly basis and posted on the HA website in January, April, July and October. The next issue is scheduled for July 2025.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (April 25) the results of the Quarterly Business Tendency Survey for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025.
 
Business Situation
 
     For all surveyed sectors taken together, the proportion of respondents expecting their business situation to be better (9%) in Q2 2025 over the preceding quarter is lower than that expecting it to be worse (18%). 
  
     When compared with the results of the Q1 2025 survey round, the proportion of respondents expecting a better business situation in Q2 2025 is 9%, broadly the same as the corresponding proportion in Q1 2025. On the other hand, the proportion of respondents expecting a worse business situation had slightly decreased from 19% in Q1 2025 to 18% in Q2 2025.
 
     Analysed by sector, respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their business situation to decrease on balance in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, significantly more respondents in the accommodation and food services and transportation, storage and courier services sectors expect their business situation to be worse in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025.
 
     The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. In this type of survey on expectations, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents’ perception of the future accords with the underlying trends. The enumeration period for this survey round was from March 4, 2025 to April 10, 2025. 
 
Volume of Business / Output
 
     Respondents in all of the surveyed sectors expect their volume of business/ output to decrease on balance or remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, significantly more respondents in the accommodation and food services sector expect their volume of business to decrease in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025.
 
Employment
 
     Respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their employment to decrease on balance or remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. In particular, more respondents in the accommodation and food services and construction sectors expect their employment to decrease in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025. In the real estate sector, however, more respondents expect their employment to increase, as compared to those expecting it to decrease.
 
Selling Price/ Service Charge
 
     Respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their selling prices/ service charges to remain broadly unchanged in Q2 2025 as compared with Q1 2025. However, significantly more respondents in the construction and accommodation and food services sectors expect their tender prices/ charges for services rendered/ prices of food provided to go down in Q2 2025 over Q1 2025.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that according to the survey conducted earlier, the near-term business outlook and hiring appetite among large enterprises for the second quarter of 2025 were largely stable compared with expectations for the previous quarter.  
 
     The spokesman pointed out that the survey captured largely the views of enterprises before the abrupt escalation of trade tensions due to the significant increases in import tariffs by the US in early April. Looking forward, as the downside risk and uncertainties of the global economy have increased notably, business sentiment should be subject to pressure. The Government has been providing support to enterprises through various measures, and will monitor the situation closely. 
 
Further Information
 
     The survey gathers views on short-term business performance from the senior management of about 570 prominent establishments in various sectors in Hong Kong with a view to providing a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for predicting the short-term future economic performance of the local economy.
 
     The survey covers 10 major sectors in Hong Kong, namely manufacturing; construction; import / export trade and wholesale; retail; accommodation and food services (mainly covering services rendered by hotels and restaurants); transportation, storage and courier services; information and communications; financing and insurance; real estate; and professional and business services sectors.
 
     Views collected in the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own establishments rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in, and are limited to the expected direction of quarter-to-quarter change (e.g. “up”, “same” or “down”) but not the magnitude of change. In collecting views on the quarter-to-quarter changes, if the variable in question is subject to seasonal variations, respondents are asked to provide the expected changes after excluding the normal seasonal variations.
 
     Survey results are generally presented as “net balance”, i.e. the difference between the percentage of respondents choosing “up” and that choosing “down”. The percentage distribution of respondents among various response categories (e.g. “up”, “same” and “down”) reflects how varied their business expectations are. The “net balance”, with its appropriate sign, indicates the direction of expected change in the variable concerned. A positive sign indicates a likely upward trend while a negative sign indicates a likely downward trend. However, the magnitude of the “net balance” reflects only the prevalence of optimism or pessimism, but not the magnitude of expected change, since information relating to such magnitude is not collected in the survey.
 
     Furthermore, owing to sample size constraint, care should be taken in interpreting survey results involving a small percentage (e.g. less than 10%) of respondents in individual sectors.
 
     Chart 1 shows the views on expected changes in business situation for the period Q2 2024 to Q2 2025.
 
     Table 1 shows the net balances of views on expectations in respect of different variables for Q2 2025.
 
     The survey results are published in greater detail in the “Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey, Q2 2025”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1110008&scode=300).
  
     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Business Expectation Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7263; E-mail: business-prospects@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

A man and two women were each sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and fined between $500 and $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (April 25) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Customs officers intercepted a 40-year-old incoming female passenger, a 36-year-old incoming male passenger, and a 30-year-old incoming female passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on February 18, February 26 and March 6. About 118 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 7 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $518,000 and a duty potential of about $390,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. 

Under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years. 

Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Government of India

Viksit Vibrant Villages Program to Take Place From 15th to 30th May 2025; Registrations on MY Bharat Platform Started from 23rd April

500 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers from Across Country to Work Directly with Communities in 100 Selected Villages of Leh-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand

Program to Empower Youth to Take Lead in Giving New Identity to Border Villages and Transform India’s Frontier Communities

Posted On: 25 APR 2025 2:16PM by PIB Delhi

The Viksit Vibrant Villages Program is a joint initiative aimed at revitalizing India’s remote border regions. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the program will be implemented with support from local governance bodies and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). It will focus on Leh-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, taking place from 15^th to 30^th May 2025.

This initiative will empower youth by involving 500 MY Bharat volunteers from across the country, who will work directly with communities in 100 selected villages. These volunteers will drive grassroots engagement and community development through a variety of initiatives, ranging from educational support and infrastructure enhancement to healthcare and cultural preservation. By engaging local residents and leveraging the strength of youth leadership, the program aims to bring long-lasting, positive transformation to these border areas.

Registration for the Viksit Vibrant Villages Program officially commenced on 23^rd April 2025 via the MY Bharat Portal. Volunteers from across India are encouraged to apply for this transformative opportunity. 10 MY Bharat volunteers will be selected from the Union Territories and 15 from each participating state. In total, 500 volunteers will be chosen to serve as the backbone of the program, leading and coordinating activities within the villages.

As part of this program, immersive learning journeys, cultural exchange programs, and grassroots development projects are being rolled out, allowing the youth to directly interact with the unique socio-cultural and strategic fabric of India’s border regions.

The program will unfold over 7 days, with each day dedicated to a distinct domain of community development. The activities will include, but are not limited to:

1. Community Engagement

2. Youth Leadership Development

3. Cultural Promotion

4. Healthcare Awareness and Support

5. Skill-building and Education

6. Environment Protection Best Practices

7. Career Counselling Sessions

8. Fitness Activities like Sports, Yoga, Meditation, etc

9. Open Mic, Essay, Fireside Chat, etc on My Dream India

Knowledge Transfer and National Consciousness

Through this program, young citizens will have the opportunity to explore and document the heritage, resilience, and potential of border communities. These experiences, when shared through digital platforms, community discussions, and institutional presentations, will ensure that the voices of India’s frontier residents reach wider national and global audiences.

The initiative encourages youth to not only witness but actively contribute to the development of these areas – be it through innovative projects in education, entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, or local governance. This interaction cultivates mutual respect, deeper national unity, and the emergence of border villages as ‘cultural beacons’ rather than isolated outposts.

From Forgotten to Celebrated: Giving Border Villages a New Identity

The program seeks to dismantle the long-held stereotype of border villages being “the last on the map.” Instead, it celebrates them as ‘first villages’ in the journey toward Viksit Bharat  by 2047. Through sustained youth involvement, these villages will be given a platform to showcase their language, art, music, architecture, and stories – redefining their identity from that of a geopolitical buffer to centers of heritage, innovation, and national pride. The Viksit Vibrant Villages program is not just a government effort – it is a generational mission to ensure that development, identity, and dignity ow to every corner of the country, with the youth leading the way.

To kick-start this initiative, the Ministry will conduct an orientation program in Delhi, where all selected volunteers will undergo an intensive briefing and training session. This orientation will ensure that the volunteers are well-prepared to carry out the program’s objectives and equipped with the necessary knowledge to engage with local communities effectively. The orientation program will provide a unique opportunity for the volunteers to develop crucial leadership skills, gain deeper insights into rural community needs, and learn how to coordinate their efforts with the local governance systems.

This structure aims to provide a well-rounded learning experience for volunteers, ensuring that they not only contribute to village transformation but also grow personally and professionally throughout the program. This initiative will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the border regions of India, empowering the youth to become active participants in nation-building. By providing youth with the platform to engage directly with local communities, the program seeks to foster a spirit of National integration, cultural pride, and strategic development.

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Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2124248) Visitor Counter : 39

Source: Government of India

EPFO Simplifies Transfer Claim Process Through Revamped Form 13 Functionality; More Than 1.25 Crore Members to Benefit

Launches Facility for Bulk Generation of UAN by Employers without Aadhaar Seeding

Posted On: 25 APR 2025 2:00PM by PIB Delhi

Simplification of Transfer Claim Process through Revamped Form 13 functionality

To ensure ease of living for its members, EPFO during January this year, has greatly simplified the process for transfer of PF account on change of jobs by removing the requirement of approval from employer in majority of the cases.

Till now, the transfer of PF accumulations used to happen with the involvement of two EPF Offices. One, from which the PF accumulation is transferred (Source Office) and two, the EPF Office in which the transfer is actually credited (Destination Office).

Now, with an aim to further simplify the process, EPFO has removed the requirement of approval of all transfer claims at the Destination Office by launching a Revamped Form 13 software functionality.

Henceforth, once the transfer claim gets approved at the Transferor (Source) Office the previous account will automatically get transferred to the present account of the member at the Transferee (Destination) Office instantly furthering the aim of “Ease of Living” for Members of EPFO.

This revamped functionality also provides the bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable components of PF accumulations to facilitate accurate calculation of TDS on Taxable PF interest.

It is expected to benefit more than 1.25 Crore Members facilitating the transfer of around Rs. 90,000 Crores every year henceforth as the entire transfer process shall be speeded up.

Bulk generation of UAN by Employers without seeding Aadhaar

With a view to further Ease of Doing Business and to address the grievances being raised w.r.t proper accounting of the Past Accumulations that had been remitted to EPFO by the Exempted PF Trusts consequent to the surrender/cancellation of exemption and also in other cases involving remittance of past period contributions consequent to quasi-judicial/recovery proceedings, it has been decided by EPFO to relax the requirement of Aadhaar for generation of UAN/credit of Past Accumulations for such members. Also, a facility for bulk generation of UANs based on the Member Id & other member information available on record so as to enable prompt crediting of funds in the accounts of such members has been provided.

To that effect a software functionality has already been deployed and made available to the Field Offices in the FO Interface for bulk generation of UANs in the above said cases and also account the Past Accumulations without the requirement of Aadhaar in EPFO Application.

However, as a measure of risk mitigation to protect the PF accumulations, all such UANs would be kept in a frozen state and subsequently made operational only after the seeding of Aadhaar.

All these measures are expected to significantly improve services to members and reduce long standing grievances including further streamlining of validations for auto settlement of eligible claims.

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Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2124244) Visitor Counter : 41

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region