April 4, 2025: The Indian Public School (TIPS), one of the leading schools in the country which is part of globally renowned education network Globeducate Group, hosted the sixth edition of the South Indian Model United Nations (SIMUN) in Coimbatore, a three-day conference from March 31 to April 2, 2025. Centred on the theme of ‘Navigating a Changing World’, this year’s conference was the largest such MUN ever held in South India. The event brought together 1,135 delegates from 35+ schools around the country, engaged in thought-provoking debates and a true demonstration of student-led diplomacy.

The event was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Dr. S. Pandian IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax, Mr. Jairam Balakrishnan, CEO, Globeducate India, Mr. Sivasankaran S., Director, Globeducate India, and Dr. Sonali Geed, Chief Academic Officer, TIPS, signifying a commitment to fostering leadership, diplomacy, and global awareness among students.

Over the three days, students participated in discussions across 34 international committees, including G20, UNESCO, UNHRC, WHO, UNSC, NATO, and WHC. Through debates, moderated caucuses, and diplomatic negotiations, students explored solutions to contemporary global issues.

Beyond committee sessions, delegates had the opportunity to refine their analytical and leadership skills under the guidance of an esteemed executive board and subject matter experts. An interactive session with Ms. Padmashree Balaram, TEDx Speaker and Mentor at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, provided valuable insights into climate action and sustainability, encouraging students to think critically about global environmental challenges.

Reflecting on the event’s success, Jairam Balakrishnan, CEO of Globeducate India, stated, “SIMUN serves as a dynamic platform where students develop skills essential for leadership in an interconnected world. By participating in this conference, they not only strengthen their ability to think critically and collaborate across cultures, but also gain practical experience in diplomacy and problem-solving skills that are essential for success in higher education and beyond. We are glad to see the kind of participation that this edition of SIMUN received, making it one of the largest ever such student congregations in the country.”

Witnessing the students’ participation in the SIMUN with enthusiasm, Dr. S. Pandian, IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax, added, “Students form an intrinsic part of strong societies and it is critical to inculcate critical thinking in them through avenues such as this MUN. It is heartening to see so many students take part with passion and showcase their knowledge.”

SIMUN 2025 extended beyond traditional debates, incorporating team-building and social engagement activities to create a well-rounded learning experience. Social Night provided a platform for students to interact beyond formal discussions, fostering camaraderie and cross-cultural exchange. The SIMUN Spotlight allowed students to showcase their talents, reinforcing the event’s emphasis on creativity and collaboration.

The event concluded with an awards ceremony symbolising the ’ethos of excellence’, recognizing outstanding delegates across multiple categories, including Best Delegate, Honourable Mention, Best Speaker, Best Leadership Initiative, and Diplomatic Distinction.

India – Taboola, a global leader in delivering performance at scale for advertisers,  today announced a new report based on a survey conducted with Qualtrics, a leading company in experience management working with nearly 20,000 organizations worldwide. 

Performance advertising on social media is rapidly growing—industry forecasts predict that social media ad spend will reach $239 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $273 billion in 2026. However, new research found that despite social media’s dominance in performance advertising, nearly 75% of performance marketers have noticed diminishing returns from their social media ad investments.

Additional key insights from The Pulse of Performance Advertising: Diminishing Returns include:

• Most of these performance marketers indicated that diminishing returns impact over 30% of their spend.

• Marketers focused on performance face diminishing returns on social media due to audience saturation, rising costs, and ad fatigue.

• Over 80% of performance marketers use multiple tactics to combat diminishing returns, with more than half expanding into additional digital channels beyond social media ads.

“While social media accounts for a large portion of performance advertising budgets, many marketers have hit a barrier in the form of diminishing returns,” said Adam Singolda, CEO of Taboola. “More spend just isn’t translating into better results. The findings in this report point to difficulty in sustaining performance over time, with marketers seeking solutions that can help them overcome that barrier.”

The Pulse of Performance Advertising: Diminishing Returns is based on a survey of more than 300 advertisers, from brands and agencies in the US.  

April 4, 2025 – Interest in business education is surging as recent graduates, career changers, and entrepreneurs seek to sharpen their skills and stay competitive in an AI-driven world.  It is in this backdrop that the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a non-profit organization leveraging its wide and long-standing connections with leading business schools, today announced the global launch of Advancery, an innovative platform designed to guide candidates through their business education journey, with future expansions in development.

Business school candidates and professionals recognize the need to adapt—whether to accelerate career growth, pivot industries, or build businesses that anticipate evolving market demands—yet many struggle to navigate the overwhelming array of options and make informed decisions. As business schools evolve to meet the demands of the modern workplace with a wide range of programs on offer to support professional career advancement—from MBA, master’s, online programs, certificates to one-off courses, it can be hard for people to identify the best program to meet their career goals. This is where Advancery comes in. The new tool delivers a holistic, personalized approach that connects career ambitions, program selection, and application strategy in a unified experience.

“Choosing the right business school can be one of the most consequential decisions in one’s lifetime, and Advancery aims to make it informed and effortless for all the candidates out there contemplating taking the next step,” said Adam Witwer, chief product officer of GMAC. “With over 70 years of expertise in data science and offering solutions to connect talent with the right business schools for them, we’re excited to introduce Advancery—a powerful, user-friendly tool that empowers business school candidates to easily identify, plan, and achieve their educational and career goals.”

To be ready for the business education of tomorrow, GMAC is committed to continuously evolving to meet the needs of candidates, with new resources to better serve them. As the authoritative source for global business education data, GMAC’s Advancery platform offers:

• Verified Program Data – Up-to-date, AI-validated insights from business schools worldwide.
• Real Conversations, Real Insights – Analysis of millions of online discussions from applicants, students, and alumni on program types, formats, length, and return on investment.
• Personalized Skills Assessment – Step-by-step guidance to help candidates identify key competencies and match with programs aligned to their career goals.
• Advanced Search and Comparison – Ability to explore programs based on location, cost, scholarships, online vs. in-person formats, and time commitment, then compare them side by side.
• Streamlined Application Management – A smart, all-in-one platform that transforms the application process into an organized, step-by-step journey, keeping candidates on track with built-in tools and deadlines.

“This tool is kind of perfect. I don’t have to maintain an Excel sheet or another document to just go through the schools I’m targeting or what each one is looking for,” said Siddhant D., an early adopter of the tool.

“There is no doubt that the global pipeline for higher education is changing, with millions of business-minded students and professionals looking to upskill, reskill, or change careers,” said Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. “As GMAC and the global business school community adapt to meet the growing demand for quality education in today’s skills-driven economy, we believe Advancery will help candidates maximize success in their educational and career trajectories.”

04th April, 2025: Bank of Baroda (BoB), one of India’s leading public sector banks, has announced a strategic realignment of its zonal structure with the creation of 3 new zones that will help the Bank drive sustainable business growth, enhance customer service and improve operational efficiencies. Effective 1st April, 2025, the Bank has established the following new zones:

• Surat Zone (earlier part of Baroda Zone)
• Varanasi Zone (earlier part of Lucknow Zone)
• Jodhpur Zone (earlier part of Jaipur Zone)

The 3 zones were virtually inaugurated by Shri Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO, Bank of Baroda, along with the Bank’s Executive Directors.

With the formation of 3 new zones, the Bank now has a total of 25 zones. This move is part of the Bank’s aspiration to create a more agile organisation that ensures better control through decentralisation, faster growth and reinforces the Bank’s ability to serve customers better.

Shri Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO, Bank of Baroda said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of 3 new zones. The objective is to have more compact zones – this will ensure more effective control and administration, provide a superior banking experience to our customers as well as enable the Bank to grow faster. The new zonal structure will also foster the growth & development of our employees.”

 04 April 2025: From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production to rising sea levels increasing the risk of catastrophic flooding, climate change’s impacts are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. A comprehensive study by Primus Partners titled “The Cost of Climate Change: Young Voices in a Warming World” has highlighted significant findings on the effects of climate change on the mental health of young adults aged 15-24.

 Key Findings of the Study:

• Mental Health Impact on Youth: Anxiety and stress are the most prevalent climate-induced mental health issues, affecting 26% of respondents in this age group. Of the 46% who reported experiencing mental health issues owing to climatic changes, only 33% are aware of available support services
• Economic Implications: Climate-induced mental health challenges in the 15-24 age group could lead to a potential annual financial loss of approximately USD 13.7 billion, equating to 0.35% of India’s current GDP. This loss is part of a broader 6% GDP reduction associated with health complications
• Global Context and Public Health Concerns: According to the WHO, climate change could contribute to an additional 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050 due to extreme weather events’ impact on mortality and morbidity. A 2020 Royal College of Psychiatrists study found that 60% of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the UK’s NHS had seen a patient distressed about environmental and ecological issues
• Awareness Levels: 56% of respondents aged 15-18 and 60% of those aged 19-24 express significant awareness of climate change’s mental health implications, with 39% and 44%, respectively, feeling its significant impact on their mental well-being

 The Road Ahead:

Dr. Naveen Kumar, Head of Community Psychiatry, NIMHANS, emphasized, “Policies need to integrate mental health support with climate resilience strategies, particularly for children and adolescents. This could involve integrating climate-change education in school curricula, developing targeted psychosocial support services, and ensuring that disaster response mechanisms are child-sensitive.“

 As a strategic response, the study recommends:

• Developing a national policy integrating climate-related mental health strategies into the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP)
• Specialized training for school counselors on climate change-induced psychological stress and establishing effective referral mechanisms
• Strengthening outreach for mental health services by enhancing Tele-MANAS and increasing awareness through government-led campaigns involving Community Health Officers (CHOs), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs)

Prof. Dr. Sanjay Zodpey, President of PHFI, stated, “Through a multidisciplinary lens, this document delves into the scientific, psychological, and policy dimensions of climate-induced mental health challenges.”

Nilaya Varma, Co-Founder & CEO, Primus Partners, highlighted, “This study will lay the foundation for further research in this field and serve as a guiding framework for policy development to address the growing crisis of climate change and its impact on mental health. The findings highlight the urgent need for integrating mental health considerations into climate policies, ensuring that young people, who are among the most affected, have access to adequate support mechanisms. By strengthening outreach, enhancing awareness, and embedding climate resilience into public health strategies, we can take proactive steps toward mitigating the long-term socio-economic consequences of climate-induced mental health challenges.”

Vivek Tandon, VP, Health Practice, Primus Partners, further informed that “the study shreds light on the disproportionate effect of climate change on gender, with more females reporting its impact than men. This paves the path for further research on this from a gender lens.”

April 4, 2025 – Alcon, the global leader in eye care dedicated to helping people see brilliantly, today announced the launch of wavelight plus, India’s first fully personalized Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) treatment.¹ Alcon is a leader in refractive vision correction and its next-generation wavelight plus technology introduces a new era of precision in refractive surgery, with unprecedented levels of personalization offering patients outstanding visual outcomes with minimal risk and excellent predictability.^1,3,4∞ Wavelight plus has received Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) India approval, CE Mark and recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.¹²

Myopia is the most common refractive error, and globally, more than 30% of the population currently suffers from myopia. This number is expected to grow to nearly 50% by 2050.⁶ In India, cases of refractive errors are steadily increasing because of factors like increased screen time, reduced outdoor activities and lifestyle changes.^9-11 Alcon’s latest refractive technology is an advanced LASIK solution that addresses the growing need with a highly personalized and sophisticated vision correction.⁶

“Today’s generation embraces an active lifestyle, fuelled by diverse passions and ambitious aspirations from an early age. However, wearing glasses can sometimes feel like an obstacle on their journey to fully realize their potential,” said Amar Vyas, Country Head, Alcon India. “Wavelight plus is a breakthrough in personalized vision correction, designed for the younger generation who refuse to be limited by spectacles. We are excited to offer Alcon’s latest innovation in vision correction in India. This launch also marks a new chapter in Alcon’s longstanding commitment to laser eye surgery, as we enable surgeons in India for the first time to deliver a fully personalized procedure, tailored to every patient’s complete eye system.^1-2“

Unlike conventional Lasik treatment, wavelight plus uses Ray Tracing Technology to create a Digital Eye Twin, a highly detailed 3D model of each patient’s eye.^3,4 This allows surgeons to simulate, test and optimize a fully customized treatment plan before surgery, ensuring a high level of accuracy and personalized vision correction.^1-4 By considering the complete optical system rather than just the cornea, this innovation enhances surgical precision, safety and visual outcomes, often enabling patients to achieve vision beyond 20/20.^4-5∞ For more information about this innovative technology, please visit https://www.myalcon.com/in/lasik/

“Many patients come with high expectations for their vision—they are young professionals, athletes, artists who don’t want to be held back by glasses. Whether it’s swimming, adventure sports, dancing, or simply wanting sharper vision for daily activities, they seek the best possible results from LASIK surgery. With Alcon’s latest technology, it is now possible to offer them a truly personalized treatment that is unique to their optical system ensuring the highest level of precision without compromising safety. This advanced technology has transformed the way we approach LASIK, giving the patients 20/20 vision or better, helping them see the world with newfound clarity and confidence,” said a leading Eye Care Professional from Wavikar Eye Institute, Thane, who has completed 100 procedures with wavelight plus.

The real-world clinical evidence of 200 patients who underwent wavelight plus LASIK found that the technology delivered visual acuity results that raised the bar for refractive outcomes, which is in line with Alcon’s clinical study. Key results from Dr. Chandra Bala’s study include:^5*

• 100% of myopic eyes achieved uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20 at 3 months^5*
• 89% of myopic eyes achieved postoperative UDVA of 20/16 and 50% achieved 20/12.5 at 3 months^5*
• 98% of eyes achieved postoperative UDVA within 1 line of their preoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) by 3 months^5*
• 94% of eyes achieved the same or better postoperative CDVA than their preoperative CDVA by 3 months^5*

Since LASIK became widely available in India, the technologies have continually advanced from keratometry and refraction to corneal tomography and wavefront aberrometry.⁷ Wavelight plus builds on these advancements, using Sightmap diagnostic technology to analyze and refine treatment plans before surgery, offering patients outstanding visual clarity.³

The decision to undergo refractive surgery is personal and Alcon’s latest technology in refractive surgery can help people reach 20/20 vision and beyond to live free from glasses^1,2,4. This information is for educational purposes only. Please consult a medical practitioner for further details.

Wavelight plus was first launched in China. It is available in several markets in Europe, Asia, and has recently received approval in the U.S.

ATTENTION: Refer to the wavelight plus Operator’s Manual for a complete listing of indications, warnings and precautions.