The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Labour & Employment to enhance the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from Rs.15,000 to Rs.25,000 per month.
The decision is expected to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees within the ambit of mandatory EPFO coverage, significantly widening social security protection for workers.
The EPFO wage ceiling remained unchanged throughout the decade from 2004 to 2014, before being substantially enhanced to Rs.15,000 in September 2014.
At present, a fresh employee joining employment at a wage above Rs.15,000 per month is not automatically covered under the EPF framework and may remain outside mandatory provident fund, pension and associated insurance protection.
The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will undertake Special Campaign 6.0, being observed by the Government of India from 2nd October to 31st October 2026, with a focus on Swachhata and reducing pendency in Government offices.
During the previous Special Campaign 5.0, DARE/ICAR undertook sustained efforts towards the disposal of pending references on a monthly basis and strengthened its focus on timely redressal of public grievances. During the campaign, the Ministry disposed of the maximum number of Public Grievances and Public Grievance Appeals,
reflecting its continued efforts towards reducing pendency and improving grievance redressal.DARE/ICAR also continued its efforts towards paperless functioning through the e-File system. During the campaign, targets relating to the disposal of physical files and review and closure of e-Files were achieved as part of record-management practices.
The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in collaboration with Current AI and Kalpa Impact, hosted the finale of the VYOMA Innovation Challenge at IIIT-Delhi, bringing together researchers,
students and startups developing practical applications of open-source AI hardware for diverse Indian contexts.
The challenge invited participants to build on Suno Sutra, an open-source, multilingual handheld AI reference design co-developed by BHASHINI and Current AI, and explore how AI hardware and
software can be adapted for public-interest applications and localised deployment.
The VYOMA Innovation Challenge brought together 10 finalist teams to demonstrate their working prototypes at the finale. The solutions addressed a range of high-impact areas including healthcare, agriculture, welfare access, legal services and accessibility.
Veteran Actor Anant Nag will be presented with the prestigous Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 for his contribution to Indian cinema and an illustrious cinematic journey that has inspired generations. The award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22nd of this month in Kevadia, Gujarat.
Mr Nag’s effortless performances, remarkable versatility and brilliance have left a very strong mark on Indian cinema that for several decades.The veteran actor has always brought rare depth and authenticity in his performances.
Twenty National Cadet Corps (NCC), girl cadets have successfully completed the ‘Aparajita-ParangLa 2026’ High Altitude Long Trek in Ladakh. The cadets covered approximately two hundred fifty kilometres over 30 days and the route passed through high-altitude terrain, including glaciers, snowfields and river valleys.
The team completed the trek from Kibber in Himachal Pradesh to Karzok in Ladakh, accompanied by officers, instructors, medical staff, and support staff.
The expedition was flagged in at Karzok, Ladakh, today by Director General NCC, Lieutenant General Virendra Vats, and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Dipti Mohil Chawla.
The opening ceremony of the 22nd edition of the India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ was held at Auli in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
The ceremony was conducted at the Auli Foreign Training Centre, with contingents of 600 personnel each from the two countries participating.
The exercise is being conducted at Auli as well as the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
Akashvani correspondent reports that the exercise aims to enhance the capabilities of both armies to conduct joint military operations in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, with special emphasis on infantry-based operations.
During the exercise, the two armies will exchange operational methods and strengthen joint planning and operations.
The training will include the use of drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Modern weapon systems will also be demonstrated at the Mahajan Field Firing Range.
Stock brokers could prefer netbanking over Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for large fund transfers once a new merchant discount rate (MDR) of 0.02 per cent on capital market transactions takes effect on October 15.
To put things in perspective, a 2 basis points (bps) or 0.02 per cent MDR on UPI for a Rs.1 lakh transaction will incur a fee of Rs.20 for a broker. This is more expensive than accepting a payment through netbanking, which costs Rs.8 to Rs.12 on average for the same transaction.
PhonePe and Visa unveiled a partnership to create one of India’s most comprehensive cardless payment experiences, spanning online purchases, in-store transactions and overseas travel. Announced at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 in Mumbai, the collaboration introduces Tap to Pay, Cross Border Scan to Pay and Smart Accept,
while positioning PhonePe as the first app in India to offer Visa’s cross-border QR payment capability. The partnership brings multiple Visa capabilities into the PhonePe ecosystem, allowing consumers to move between online, in-store, and international payments without a physical card. It also extends to micro-merchants,
who can use their smartphones to accept card payments without investing in a separate Point-of-Sale (POS) machine.
The announcement builds on Visa Device Tokenisation, introduced on PhonePe in February 2025, and reflects a joint effort to simplify how consumers can use cards across payment environments. Instead of relying on a physical card,
users who save a Visa card on PhonePe can access payment experiences through their smartphones, from online checkouts and contactless in-store purchases to QR-code payments while travelling overseas. The partnership comes as India’s digital payments ecosystem evolves beyond peer-to-peer transfers and merchant QR transactions to a more integrated model.
India's largest lender,State Bank of India, has announced an aggressive expansion into the Rs.2.4 lakh crore wealth management market, aiming to serve affluent customers more effectively while creating new sources of shareholder value beyond traditional lending.
Growth strategy: The bank plans to leverage its 23,000+ branch network, long-standing customer relationships, and digital capabilities to attract high-net-worth and affluent clients.
Chairman - C. Sreenivasulu Setty
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) impounded the bank accounts of Prrsaar Sampada Private Limited and its related entity, Chaubara Eats Private Limited, amounting to ₹28 crore for price manipulation between October 2025 and June 2026.
Prrsaar and Chaubara have been observed to be prima facie involved in the repetitive cross-segment price manipulation using stock futures and stock options during the examination period across the top 13 scrip and top 10 scrip days, by profit, respectively.
PM Vishwakarma Scheme has completed three years. Launched in 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the scheme has achieved the milestone of registering thirty lakh beneficiaries under it. The objective of the scheme is providing end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople engaged in eighteen identified trades.
The Scheme seeks to strengthen the traditional skills of Vishwakarmas by providing them with institutional support, modern tools, and access to finance, skill upgradation and market linkages. It also enables them to enhance their productivity, income and entrepreneurial potential.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will celebrate the third anniversary of the scheme in Kolkata today. The event will be attended by Union Minister for MSME Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated SEMICON India 2026 on 17 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention and Expo Centre), Dwarka, New Delhi, marking the launch of the fifth edition of India's flagship semiconductor conference and exhibition.
The three-day event (17–19 September) is organized by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and SEMI.
Theme: "Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem."
Participating countries - 52
World Patient Safety Day is observed every year on 17 September to raise global awareness about patient safety and reduce avoidable harm in healthcare. It was established by the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2019 through Resolution WHA72.6 – "Global action on patient safety."
Theme: Safe care for noncommunicable diseases
Slogan: Safe care for life!
The 2026 campaign focuses on ensuring safe care for people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases—who require lifelong interactions with health systems and are more vulnerable to preventable harm such as medication errors, delayed diagnosis, infections.
World Athletics has officially selected Nairobi, Kenya, as the host city for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making it the first African city ever to host the world's premier track and field championship. The decision was announced by the World Athletics Council during its meeting in Budapest, Hungary.
Championship Year: 2029
Governing Body: World Athletics. The World Athletics Championships have been held since 1983, but until now they had never been hosted in Africa.
Nairobi's successful bid was strengthened by:
-The successful organization of the World U18 Championships (2017).
-Hosting the World U20 Championships (2021).
Nairobi, Kenya-1st African city to host the Championshionship
The UEFA Executive Committee announced the host venues for the next Champions League finals.
2028 Final – Munich, Germany
Venue: Allianz Arena (Munich Football Arena)
City: Munich, Germany
Munich was the sole applicant and will host the final again after previously staging it in 2012 and 2025.
2029 Final – Barcelona, Spain
Venue: Renovated Spotify Camp Nou
City: Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona's bid defeated Wembley Stadium (London).
The final will be the first Champions League final at Camp Nou since 1999, when Manchester United famously defeated Bayern Munich.
The 2028 final reinforces Munich's reputation as a trusted host for major European football events.
The 2029 final showcases Barcelona's newly redeveloped Camp Nou ahead of Spain's co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Last UCL Final at Camp Nou -1999
IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as the first woman Inspector General of Central Reserve Police Force’s CoBRA, the paramilitary force’s special jungle warfare commando unit.The CRPF raised CoBRA in 2008-09 to tackle left-wing extremism in multiple Indian states and insurgency in certain Northeast states.
Her appointment comes amid a growing presence of women officers in senior CRPF operational roles, with women Inspector Generals also heading formations covering the Rapid Action Force, Jammu, North-east region, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The news refers to Engineers' Day being elevated to a State-level event, along with the government's decision to allow qualified engineers to use the prefix "Er." before their names. A State government has announced that Engineers' Day will henceforth be celebrated as an official State event,
giving greater recognition to the contributions of engineers in infrastructure, technology, and public development. The government has also permitted eligible engineers to use the professional prefix "Er." before their names. Engineers' Day, observed annually on 15 September, will now be organized as an official State-level celebration.
Engineers' Day in India - 15 September
