Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ16: Regulation of disposable plastic products
Question:
The first phase regulation of disposable plastic products (the first-phase regulation) officially came into effect on April 22 last year, and the relevant adaptation period ended on October 21 last year. There is a view that although members of the public and the trade have actively co-operated with the first-phase regulation and adopted to non-plastic alternatives, the types of alternatives (e.g. cups, cup lids, food containers and container covers) for some disposable plastic tableware available in the market are still limited, which may hinder the implementation of regulation of disposable plastic products in the next phase. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) how it assesses the specific effectiveness of the first-phase regulation (including the changes in the amount of regulated plastic tableware disposed of and the actual situation of the trade in the adoption of non-plastic alternatives); of the number of complaint cases received by the authorities since the implementation of the first-phase regulation, together with a breakdown by category of case;
(2) whether it has examined the difficulties or technical problems encountered by the catering trade in sourcing or using non-plastic alternatives during the implementation of the first-phase regulation, and the support measures provided by the authorities to assist the trade in responding to this situation;
(3) regarding the second phase regulation of disposable plastic products (the second-phase regulation), of the current state of discussions between the authorities and the trade, in particular on sourcing the relevant non-plastic alternatives, etc; whether the authorities have assessed the difficulties of different trades in adapting to the implementation of the second-phase regulation due to their actual operational needs; and
(4) whether the authorities will consider extending the existing support measures for the trade, such as providing more detailed guidance on alternatives to disposable plastic products or technical advisory services, as well as proactively introducing high-quality non-plastic alternative products, etc, in order to help small and medium-sized restaurants make a smooth transition to the second-phase regulation?
Reply:
President,
To reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products at source with a view to minimising the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment and human health, the regulation on disposable plastic products (the Regulation) commenced its first phase on April 22, 2024, and the six-month adaptation period ended on October 21, 2024. Since the implementation of the Regulation, the trades have actively complied with the Regulation by stopping the sale or provision of regulated disposable plastic products. The public’s habit of using relevant products in their daily lives has also changed, with “bring your own reusable tableware” and plastic-free cultures being developed gradually in the society, thereby achieving an effective waste reduction goal. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) will continue to promote going “plastic-and-disposable-free” and join hands with different sectors of the community to promote a culture of green and low-carbon living in Hong Kong.
The reply to the question raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows:
(1) Since the implementation of the Regulation on April 22, 2024, the public and the trades have adapted to the changes in their daily lives and business operations. For example, the number of takeaway customers who do not require disposable tableware has increased significantly compared to before the implementation of the Regulation. Some chain restaurants reported that more than 80 per cent of their customers no longer require takeaway cutlery. It is estimated that, on average, the Regulation can reduce more than 60 million sets of disposable tableware being disposed of in landfills in Hong Kong every year. Overall speaking, the Regulation has been effective in reducing plastic tableware and regulated plastic products from being disposed of in landfills, demonstrating a significant achievement in going “plastic-free”.
After the six-month adaptation period ended on October 21, 2024, as at end March 2025, the EPD received a total of 108 complaints and reports, of which 98 cases involved catering premises providing regulated disposable plastic tableware, while the remaining 10 cases concerned other disposable plastic products. The EPD has investigated the complaint cases and issued written warnings to those with suspected violations, requiring the persons-in-charge to make improvements within 10 working days; otherwise, a fixed penalty notice would be issued. The EPD has followed up all the cases, with 18 catering premises remained persistently incompliant after receiving warnings. The EPD staff have subsequently issued fixed penalty notices of $2,000 to the persons-in-charge.
(2) We understood that during the early stage of implementation of the Regulation, the catering trade required time to source non-plastic alternatives (such as paper straws and paper spoons) that met their operational needs in terms of quality and functionality. As such, the EPD had engaged the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency to establish the Green Tableware Platform (the Platform) (www.greentableware.hk
With the Regulation being implemented for nearly a year, the supply of alternatives has become more diverse, and the trades have gradually adapted to the regulatory requirements. We notice a continuous decline in the prices of these alternatives, along with significant improvements in the product quality. The catering trade has also progressively gained understanding and adopted suitable non-plastic alternatives. In addition, the EPD staff will continue to attend the Seminar on Restaurant Licensing regularly organised by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to help prospective restaurant operators understand the requirements of the Regulation.
(3) Since March 2025, the EPD has been meeting with various catering trade associations to gather their views and concerns regarding the second phase of the Regulation, as well as to understand the latest development of non-plastic alternatives. While there are currently several alternative options available in the market, the diverse range of food items provided by the catering industry necessitates varying requirements for food containers. The Government will continue to actively collaborate with the suppliers of non-plastic alternatives to explore ways to enhance the quality of their products, meeting the practical needs of the catering trade. To this end, before implementing the second phase of the Regulation, the Government will thoroughly consider the maturity, availability and affordability of the relevant non-plastic alternatives with a view to striking a balance between environmental protection and sustainable development of the trades, and will consider the programme of further regulation in light of the prevailing circumstances.
(4) Referencing the implementation of the first phase of the Regulation, apart from continuing to monitor the market development of alternatives, the EPD is preparing to collaborate with the trades and some large chain restaurant groups and expects to conduct various scenario testing of alternatives in restaurants in mid-2025. We will also continue to review and enhance supporting measures, engage with suppliers to explore further introduction of high-quality and cost-effective non-plastic alternatives, provide references of non-plastic alternatives to the trades through the above-mentioned Green Tableware Platform, and address enquiries from the public and the trades through the EPD hotline at 2838 3111. We will strengthen the relevant supporting efforts in accordance with the needs of the trades.
Through various channels as well as publicity and education activities, the EPD will continue its publicity and education efforts as the main focus, supplementing these efforts with enforcement actions to encourage the public and the trades to participate in “plastic-free” in their daily lives and businesses so as to achieve waste reduction at source.
Issued at HKT 16:08
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PM shares an article on how Dr. Ambedkar shaped some of India’s earliest and most impactful economic ideas rooted in justice, dignity and self-reliance
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 1:33PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today shared an article by Union Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal on how Dr. Ambedkar shaped some of India’s earliest and most impactful economic ideas rooted in justice, dignity and self-reliance.
The Prime Minister’s Office handle on X posted:
“Union Minister Shri @arjunrammeghwal elaborates on how Dr. Ambedkar shaped some of India’s earliest and most impactful economic ideas rooted in justice, dignity and self-reliance.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/arjun-ram-meghwal-writes-ambedkar-the-economist-9946393/
via NaMo App”
***
MJPS/SR
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LCQ1: Accessible toilets
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (April 16):
Question:
It is learnt that new public toilets built by the Government generally adhere to the requirements of the Buildings Department’s “Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008” and include accessible toilets. However, some wheelchair users have relayed that some of these toilets are not equipped with power-operated doors and significant physical strength are required to open the doors, thereby causing inconvenience to users. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of public toilets and accessible toilets currently managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and, among them, the number of accessible toilets equipped with power-operated doors;
(2) of the expenditures/estimates involved for constructing public toilets (including modification and refurbishment works) by various government departments in the past year and the coming year;
(3) of the Government’s specific considerations in respect of the installation of power-operated doors in accessible toilets, and the average cost of installing each power-operated door;
(4) whether the Government will increase the number of accessible toilets equipped with power-operated doors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5) of the following information on the accessible toilets managed by various government departments which have been suspended due to repair or other reasons in the past three years: the names and addresses of the public toilets in which they are located, and the total number of days suspended;
(6) of the respective average daily usage of various public toilets of the Government that have been installed with the Smart Public Toilet System and the accessible toilets in these public toilets in the past three years; and
(7) of the number of complaints received by various government departments about the use of accessible toilets in public toilets under their management in the past three years, as well as the major subject matters of such complaints; whether the Government has formulated clear guidelines and provided relevant training for frontline cleaning staff to improve the management of these public toilets; if so, of the details of the relevant training (including the training contents as well as the number of training and participants); if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities, so as to enable them to have a barrier-free access to premises and make use of the facilities and services on an equal basis with others, thereby enabling them to live independently and fully integrate into the community.
At present, the provision of accessible toilets is a statutory requirement under the Third Schedule to Regulation 72 of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F), while the provision of power-operated doors for accessible toilets is a recommended best practice under Division 11 of Chapter 4 of the Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008 (2024 edition) (Design Manual). The Buildings Department commissioned a consultant in February 2024 to review the Design Manual (including the design requirements for accessible toilets) with the objective of enhancing the standards of barrier-free facilities in private buildings by integrating universal design concepts to meet the latest needs and international trends, and ensuring that the standards are feasible and pragmatic for implementation in the local context. The consultancy study is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
The Government does not maintain a consolidated list of public toilets and accessible toilets managed by various bureaux and departments. That said, the vast majority of public toilets and toilet facilities (including accessible toilets) provided for public use in public venues are managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Having consulted the relevant bureaux/departments, I set out below a consolidated reply to the Member’s question:
(1) At present, the numbers of public toilets, accessible toilets and the latter equipped with power-operated doors managed by the AFCD and the FEHD are as follows:
| Department | Number of public toilets under its management | Number of public toilets with accessible toilets (number of those equipped with power-operated doors) |
| AFCD | 64 | 54 (0) |
| FEHD | 812 | 402 (7) |
The LCSD also provides about 1 100 toilets in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities for use by service users. The vast majority of which are furnished with accessible toilets, and among these accessible toilets, about 40 are equipped with power-operated doors.
(2) The expenditure and estimates of the construction of public toilets (including conversion and refurbishment projects) under the AFCD and the FEHD in 2024-25 and 2025-26 are as follows:
| Department | Expenditure on the construction of public toilets (including conversion and refurbishment projects) ($ million) |
|
| 2024-25 (Revised estimate) |
2025-26 (Estimate) |
|
| AFCD | 20.35 | 83.00 |
| FEHD | 88.81 | 173.77 |
When developing new or renovating existing leisure, sports and cultural facilities, the LCSD will provide barrier-free ancillary facilities as appropriate, including accessible toilets. The relevant construction costs are part of the overall project estimates, and the LCSD does not maintain breakdown figures.
(3) and (4) According to the Design Manual, the installation of power-operated doors in accessible toilets is a recommended best practice rather than a mandatory requirement. That said, it is the established policy of the Government to follow the recommended best practices in the Design Manual, and where practicable, achieve a higher standard than the statutory requirements in the provision of barrier-free facilities. When considering whether to install power-operated doors in accessible toilets, the departments concerned will take into account a basket of factors, including the usage rate of public toilets, power supply and whether the physical environment (such as location in the suburbs) allows stable operation of power-operated doors. The departments concerned will continue to timely review the usage of accessible toilets and the needs of users, and install power-operated doors in accessible toilets as appropriate. In general, the existing cost of installing each power-operated door is about $50,000 to $60,000.
(5) Information on the accessible toilets managed by the AFCD, the FEHD and the HAD that had been temporarily suspended for maintenance in the past three years are at Annexes 1 to 3 respectively.
Regarding the accessible toilets provided by the LCSD in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities, being part of the facilities/venues, they will not be available for use when the facilities/venues concerned are undergoing repair, renovation and maintenance, etc. The LCSD does not maintain information on the temporary suspension of accessible toilets due to maintenance.
(6) The average daily usage of public toilets installed with the Smart Public Toilet System and the accessible toilets in these public toilets managed by the FEHD in the past three years are at Annex 4.
​Besides, the LCSD has also installed smart systems in the toilets provided in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities, of which seven are located in Kowloon Park and two in Tsuen Wan Sports Centre and Hong Kong Cultural Centre respectively. The LCSD does not maintain information on the average daily usage of these toilets.
(7) In the past three years, the number of complaints about accessible toilets received by the AFCD, the FEHD, the HAD and the LCSD are as follows:
| Department | Number of complaints about accessible toilets received between 2022 and 2024 |
| AFCD | About 20 |
| FEHD | About 480 |
| HAD | 2 |
| LCSD | About 10 |
The complaints were mainly about damaged facilities, insufficient facilities, cleanliness, etc. The departments concerned will follow up the complaints and urge cleansing service contractors to deliver the services, and arrange and provide relevant training for their frontline cleansing staff in accordance with the contractual requirements (including the level of cleanliness and service frequency). Site inspections and surprise checks will also be conducted by the departments concerned from time to time to better monitor the contractors’ service performance and ensure service quality. Besides, the FEHD has added new clauses in the dedicated contract for cleansing and management services for public toilets, requiring contractors’ toilet attendants to have received relevant vocational training and possess recognised qualifications.
LCQ21: Promoting student mental health
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Elizabeth Quat and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (April 16):
Question:
According to a research publication released by the Legislative Council Secretariat in October last year, the number of student deaths by suicide in Hong Kong has almost tripled in 10 years to reach at least a decade high of 32 cases in 2023. In addition, it has been reported that from the beginning of the current school year until last month, there have been nearly 20 fatal suicide cases involving students under the age of 19. Regarding the promotion of mental health among students, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of primary, secondary and university students who planned or attempted suicide in the past three years, and among them, the respective numbers of those with special educational needs or a history of mental health issues; whether it has studied the reasons behind these students’ suicide plans or attempts, with a breakdown by primary, secondary and university students;
(2) whether, in response to the reasons behind the suicide plans or attempts mentioned in (1), the Government will strengthen relevant targeted measures or support services to reduce the likelihood of student suicide; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) given that in the reply to a question from a Member of this Council on June 5 last year, the Government indicated that it would engage a consultant to evaluate the effectiveness of the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, of the results of the evaluation; given that the mechanism is set to expire at the end of this year, whether the Government will explore regularising the mechanism; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as there are views that “schooling problems”, “family relationships” and “interpersonal relationships” are the main reasons for student suicides, (i) whether the Government will study promoting education reform or developing quantifiable indicators for schools to formulate appropriate school-based assignment policies, so as to reduce the learning pressure on students in the long term; and (ii) what targeted measures the Government has in place to combat bullying in schools, in order to safeguard the mental health of students;
(5) whether it will conduct studies to improve the Three-tier Support Model (i.e. the three levels of “Universal”, “Selective” and “Indicated”) which the Education Bureau has encouraged schools to adopt to promote student mental health, including organising an off-campus support network through cross-departmental, cross-professional and cross-sectoral co-operation to enhance support for schools; and
(6) whether it will deploy additional school-based professional counsellors to provide immediate consultation and referral services, and encourage community members, parents and other stakeholders to show greater concern for the issue of student suicide, thereby widening the support available to schools?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to the mental health of students, and has been proactively providing support for schools in adopting the Whole School Approach at three levels, namely “Universal”, “Selective” and “Indicated” (Three-tier Support Model), to promote student mental health and enhance support for those with mental health needs (including those with suicidal risks). The EDB also collaborates with other bureaux/departments and different stakeholders to take care of students with mental health needs and provide them with support in different aspects through cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. In consultation with the Health Bureau, our reply to the question raised by the Hon Elizabeth Quat is as follows:
(1) As indicated in relevant international and local studies, suicide (including suicidal attempts) is a complicated issue caused by the interplay of multiple factors which are interconnected. These factors are mainly related to interpersonal relationships (including family, social and relationship problems) and personal issues (such as learning and school adjustment, depressed mood and mental illness). Therefore, suicide should not be attributed to any one single factor (such as special educational need or mental illness). The EDB has all along been requiring primary and secondary schools to report suspected fatal suicide cases of students in order to provide appropriate professional support to the schools concerned. However, it is not mandatory for schools to report attempted or planned suicide cases of students, and the EDB does not collect information on cases involving university students.
(2) to (6) Cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration
The Government has been supporting student mental health through cross-departmental and cross-sector collaboration, and established the Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH) in December 2017 to advise the Government on mental health policies. Among others, the EDB, the Department of Health (DH) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have also appointed representatives as ex-officio members of the ACMH to enhance cross-departmental collaboration and facilitate information sharing and co-ordination among departments, with a view to enhancing synergy.
At school level, based on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Student Suicides, the EDB adopts the Three-tier Support Model through the Whole School Approach and multi-disciplinary collaboration to promote mental health and provide support for students with mental health needs. The Government continues to allocate additional resources to enhance the guidance services in schools. Apart from strengthening teachers’ training, schools have also set up multi-disciplinary teams (including school-based educational psychologists, guidance personnel and school social workers) to provide appropriate support for students with mental health needs. If students are found to be emotionally disturbed, teachers will refer them to professionals in a timely manner. Starting from the 2016/17 school year, the School-based Educational Psychology Service has covered all public sector ordinary primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. In addition, the EDB and the SWD have been implementing the “one school social worker for each school” and “two school social workers for each school ” measures in primary and secondary schools respectively. Each school may, according to its circumstances and students’ needs, flexibly deploy related resources, pool together other school resources, or make better use of community resources and professional support, to employ qualified student guidance personnel or procure related services from organisations to enhance the support for students.
Implemented in all secondary schools in Hong Kong since December 2023, the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism (the Mechanism) is one of the Government’s measures to promote cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. The Mechanism aims to, through collaboration among schools, parents and other stakeholders in society, pool together the schools’ multi-disciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services to achieve early identification and offer support to students at higher suicidal risk. After reviewing relevant circumstances and gauging the views of the sector, the Government decided to extend the implementation period of the Mechanism to the end of 2025 and enhance the related arrangements including strengthening cross-departmental collaboration. The Government has commissioned a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mechanism, and would closely monitor the overall operation and sustainability of the Mechanism by making reference to the evaluation results.
Three-tier Support Model
Under the Three-tier Support Model, the EDB continues to enhance the curriculum, information dissemination, activities, training and professional support on an ongoing basis to promote student mental health. Measures being implemented in the 2024/25 school year include:
- Implementing the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (the Charter) to promote mental health in schools in a more comprehensive and systematic manner. As at the end of March 2025, more than 690 schools have participated in the Charter, with a number of partner organisations providing various activities. Schools participating in the Charter also make a pledge to join the Whole School Health Programme taken forward by the DH, thereby taking care of the health of students and school personnel in a comprehensive manner.
- Launching the Mental Health Literacy resource packages for students at different learning stages, as well as the one-stop student mental health information website, “Mental Health@School” (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk), to facilitate teachers, students, parents and the general public to select appropriate resources and strategies.
- Collaborating with the SWD to arrange for non-government organisations to visit secondary schools in need to organise mental health-related activities since February 2024, with a view to enhancing students’ awareness of mental health and help-seeking. In addition, the EDB has collaborated with the Shall We Talk Initiative to arrange athletes to visit secondary schools to share the themes of positive thinking and perseverance so as to promote students’ resilience.
- Organising about 40 additional thematic teacher training workshops to introduce practical skills, counselling techniques and intervention strategies in supporting students with mental health needs. The EDB also regularly shares the latest information and relevant resources through the “Mental Health@School” Teacher Professional Network, as well as organises thematic workshops for the Teacher Professional Network.
- Promoting parent education through organising the “Caring for Their Heart and Soul, Growing along with Your Children” Parent Education Talk Series for parents of primary and secondary school students in the 2024/25 school year, so as to assist parents to acquire the knowledge and skills in supporting the healthy development of their children and taking care of their children’s mental health.
School curriculum and assignments
The aim of education is to foster proper values and positive attitude in students, while leading a healthy lifestyle is one of the learning goals of school curriculum. The EDB released the Primary Education Curriculum Guide (PECG) in 2024, in which clear guidelines and recommended measures for optimising the school assignment policy are provided. The PECG emphasises that schools should adopt the principle of “quality rather than the quantity that matters” in the design and arrangement of homework. Schools should formulate a school-based mechanism to avoid assigning excessive homework to students and monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the mechanism, with a view to creating more space for students. Schools should also arrange a tutorial session in the afternoon as far as possible for students to finish some or all of their homework under teachers’ guidance. The Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017) also stresses the importance of prioritising quality over quantity in homework, suggesting that balanced development and healthy lifestyle of students should be schools’ major concerns in setting their homework policy. Excessive homework should be avoided so that students could have enough time for rest, play and leisure. The EDB also reminds schools to review their prevailing assessment policies, including the frequency of dictations, tests and examinations, as well as the contents, scopes and modes of assessment. Measures include replacing traditional written tests and examinations with flexible and diversified modes of assessment; arranging less dictations, tests and examinations, or cancelling term examinations for individual year levels, particularly Primary One, where diversified modes of assessment instead of tests and examinations should be adopted in the first school term. Assessment at different key stages should be planned and arranged in a progressive manner to alleviate the academic pressure on students.
Apart from the enhanced School Development and Accountability framework to promote self-improvement of schools in related areas, the EDB has also been promulgating the above messages and good practices to schools with a view to creating space for students and promote their physical and psychological well-being through various channels, such as the Charter, circulars, letters, featured articles, video and comic series, and onsite workshops for teachers.
School bullying
The EDB has all along been adopting a “zero tolerance” policy on school bullying and has been promoting a caring and harmonious school culture. In addition, we adopt a multi-pronged approach to implement the policy of preventing and handling school bullying, which includes providing schools with resource packages and teaching materials on the prevention of school bullying, helping schools develop school-based Peer Support networks, as well as launching the Peer Mediation Training Project for Peace Ambassadors and the Harmonious School Net. To further support students and parents in handling student peer conflicts or school bullying issues, the EDB has been providing the “Harmonious School: One-Stop Hotline and Counselling Services” since May 2024, for which registered social workers provide advice, counselling and case referral services for students and parents through the hotline and instant messaging software, as well as on-site support services for primary and secondary schools in need.
WAVES Cosplay Championship Finalists Announced — A Celebration of Creativity and Fandom Culture
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 16 APR 2025 2:01PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 16 April 2025
Last Saturday, the city of Hyderabad witnessed an explosion of creativity & fandom as the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) Cosplay Championship Meetup unfolded at Mindspace Social. Organized by MEAI, Indian Comics Association, and Creators Street, powered by Epiko-con, and in collaboration with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, TVAGA and Forbidden Verse, the event was a massive success, becoming a trending topic across cosplay communities and anime forums throughout the weekend.
Now, after an intensive nationwide hunt and a series of high-energy meetups across Hyderabad and Mumbai, the organizers have unveiled 29 of the most talented cosplayers who have earned their place on the final stage of the WAVES Cosplay Championship. These finalists will showcase their skills and creativity at Creatosphere during WAVES 2025.
Ajay Krishna, Founder of Forbidden Verse and one of the organizers for the Cosplay event, said that what makes this championship different from other such contests is that it is specially designed to shift the focus to Indian mythology and pop culture apart from the other popular characters that are portrayed regularly in other such events.
The next in line before the main championship at WAVES is the Mumbai Wildcard Meetup on 19th April. At this event, a select number of Wildcard Entries will be added to the finalists, bringing unexpected talent and raising the competition to an entirely new level. Prepare for a championship filled with surprises, intensity, and world-class cosplay!
Official Finalists:
- KaizadSheshbaradaran – Mumbai
- Puneeth V – Bengaluru
- Shaikh Sameer Kalim – Latur
- Tejal Sanjay Mulik – Mumbai
- Anup Bhatia – Pune
- Navdeep Singh Pannu – Mumbai
- Akashi Gautam – Lucknow
- Aditya Kalebere – Pune
- Swaraj Kalebere – Pune
- Shreeharsh Narwade – Pune
- Vivek Dilip Mane – Pune
- Esha Joshi – Mumbai
- Kedar Pandit – Mumbai
- ArshyDeori – Guwahati
- Marshy Deori – Guwahati
- Md Piyal Shaikh – Mumbai
- Pranay Panpatil – Mumbai
- Gaurav Vishwakarma – Pune
- Akhil – Hyderabad
- Staya – Hyderabad
- Nupur Munda – Hyderabad
- Nakshatra – Hyderabad
- Ruchira Corolin – Hyderabad
- Sonali – Hyderabad
- Neeraj Kumar – Hyderabad
- Sravani – Hyderabad
- Akhil C.H. – Hyderabad
- Nayana Sai Sree – Hyderabad
- Leeladhar – Hyderabad
The finalists were selected based on their craftsmanship, originality, performance, and dedication to character authenticity.
About WAVES
The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, a milestone event for the media & entertainment sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.
Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.
WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).
Have questions? Find answers here
Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES
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LCQ18: Supporting development and application of technologies by small and medium enterprises
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ18: Supporting development and application of technologies by small and medium enterprises
Regarding the support for the development and application of technologies by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will the Government inform this Council:
| Funding scheme(2) apart from the 15 funding schemes mentioned in (1)(a) to (o), whether the Government has other funding schemes to support SMEs in developing innovative technologies or applying technologies to enhance productivity, and whether it has evaluated the effectiveness of such schemes?
Reply:
|