DoSJE and WB Host Seminar on Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Groups

29 Apr 2025 CW Team

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE), Government of India, in collaboration with the World Bank, hosted a seminar Headlined ‘Hard to Reach Population – SMILE (Beggary)’ on twenty-fifth April 2025 in New Delhi.

The event aimed to deliberate on strategies for rehabilitating beggars, the homeless, and the destitute. National and international experts participated, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on strengthening India's social protection systems.

Chief Guest Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), highlighted the importance of hearing directly from individuals who have transitioned out of begging to better understand root causes and the effectiveness of support systems.

Benedicte Leroy De La Briere, Lead Economist at the World Bank, emphasised the value of authentic field data and the importance of foundational documentation such as registered addresses and bank accounts for effective rehabilitation.

Key updates included identification of approximately eighteen thousand individuals under the SMILE initiative, with one thousand six hundred twelve already rehabilitated. Global examples from Ethiopia and Brazil and initiatives from Indian states were shared, focusing on community-based models.

The Department reaffirmed its commitment to promoting collaboration and innovation for inclusive societal development.

Source: Press Information Bureau Delhi

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..