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NPCI International partners with Magnati to expand UPI acceptance in UAE.

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) announced a partnership with UAE-based payment solution provider Magnati to advance QR-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) merchant payments via point-of-sale (POS) terminals in the Middle East.

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NPCI International partners with Magnati to expand UPI acceptance in UAE.

The collaboration aims to expand QR-based merchant payment network in UAE by enabling more merchants to provide UPI as a payment method to Indian travellers, NIPL, the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

UPI is recognised as one of the world's most successful real-time payment systems, processing over 16 billion transactions in Dec 2024.

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NPCI International partners with Magnati to expand UPI acceptance in UAE.

With this partnership, NIPL can provide seamless payment options to more than 12 million Indians travelling to Dubai and the UAE annually.

The partnership will initially offer UPI acceptance across Dubai Duty Free, enhancing the shopping and payment experience for Indian tourists, it said, further pave the way for future expansion across key merchant categories.

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Indian Armed Forces to conduct Exercise Devil Strike from January 16-19.

The Indian Armed Forces are set to conduct Exercise Devil Strike from January 16 to 19, a joint exercise involving the elite airborne soldiers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

The exercise will occur at the training areas and firing ranges, validating critical drills and enhancing operational readiness in a challenging environment.

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Indian Armed Forces to conduct Exercise Devil Strike from January 16-19.

The exercise comprises complex airborne operations on various aircraft including troop and equipment insertion in hostile terrain. The exercise focuses on assessment and refinement of the logistic sustenance strategies ensuring troops remain well-equipped and operational in extremely challenging conditions.

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Smriti Mandhana Smashes India’s Fastest Women’s ODI Century.

Smriti Mandhana waltzed her way to the fastest century by an Indian while Pratika Rawal compiled her maiden hundred as India amassed 435/5, their highest-ever total in the 50-over format, in the third and final women's ODI against Ireland in Rajkot.

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Smriti Mandhana Smashes India’s Fastest Women’s ODI Century.

The stand-in skipper Smriti's scintillating 135 (80 balls),her 10th ODI century, came off just 70 deliveries, set the tone for India breaching the 400-run mark for the first time, joining Australia and New Zealand in that elite list.

It was also the fourth-highest total in women's ODI,and Smriti also surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur's 87-ball hundred mark against South Africa LY.

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Smriti Mandhana Smashes India’s Fastest Women’s ODI Century.

Smriti reached her 31st ODI fifty in 39 balls, her second half-century of the series and the southpaw was not afraid to take the aerial route over the 'V' and clear the 30-yard circle in an innings studded with seven sixes and 12 fours.

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Singapore confers Honorary Citizen Award on former CII head Tarun Das.

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam conferred the country’s Honorary Citizen Award on former confederation of Indian industry (CII) head Tarun Das for his outstanding contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.

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Singapore confers Honorary Citizen Award on former CII head Tarun Das.

The Honorary Citizenship Award is the highest recognition by the Singapore government for a non-Singaporean. It is awarded to individuals who have made significant impact in fields such as business, science and technology, education, health, arts and culture, and community service.

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Singapore confers Honorary Citizen Award on former CII head Tarun Das.

Highlighting Das’s role as one of Singapore’s “strongest advocates in India”, Singapore’s ministry of foreign affairs said that Das first led a delegation of Indian industrialists to Singapore in 1993 as part of India’s “Look East” policy.

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Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) for the Indian Navy at a cost of approximately Rs 2,960 crore. The contract was inked by the officials of MoD and BDL in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on January 16, 2025.

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Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The MRSAM system is a standard fit, onboard multiple Indian Naval Ships and is planned to be fitted on the majority of the future platforms planned for acquisition. The contract marks a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to bolster India’s defence capabilities and indigenise advanced military technology.

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Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

With the emphasis on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the missiles would be supplied by BDL under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category with largely indigenous content. The contract would generate employment of approx. 3.5 lakh mandays in the defence industry, including various MSMEs.

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DPIIT enters into strategic partnership with ITC to bolster India’s startup ecosystem and innovation.

In another significant development to further promote entrepreneurship and innovation in a big way, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with ITC Limited, one of India’s leading diversified conglomerates.

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DPIIT enters into strategic partnership with ITC to bolster India’s startup ecosystem and innovation.

This collaboration charts a shared vision to accelerate startup growth and technological advancement besides creation of viable market opportunities for startups across the country.

Notably, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets the tone for a dynamic partnership where ITC’s vast experience and expertise with extensive market network will complement DPIIT’s initiative,

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DPIIT enters into strategic partnership with ITC to bolster India’s startup ecosystem and innovation.

for supporting startups across the country.

Under this partnership, ITC is looking to deploy startup solutions in key areas such as digital platforms for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), integrating renewable energy opportunities for manufacturing locations, energy storage systems, etc.

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Shri Vineet Joshi assumes charge as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Shri Vineet Joshi assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Higher Education in Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.

Before this appointment, he served as the Chief Secretary of Manipur. He has held several prominent positions in the education sector, including Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and

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Shri Vineet Joshi assumes charge as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education, among others.

Shri Joshi holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

Spacetech startups Pixxel and Digantara have launched their satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Pixxel has launched the first three satellites of its Firefly constellation. These satellites are equipped with hyperspectral imaging technology,

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

offering a resolution of five metres and covering over 150 spectral bands.

This launch marks the first phase of Pixxel’s commercial constellation, with three additional Firefly satellites scheduled to launch in Q2 2025. Together, these satellites will deliver comprehensive, real-time data collection and analysis, equipping industries and governments with insights,

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

to address global concerns, manage resources responsibly, and drive climate action.

Founded in 2018 by Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel is building a constellation of hyperspectral earth satellites to offer imaging services to clients in sectors such as agriculture, mining, and environment, among others.

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

The company already launched three successful demo hyperspectral satellites before this launch and raised $95 million in funding, making it the most well-funded hyperspectral imaging space startup globally. Last year, it completed a total raise of $60 million in its Series B funding round from the likes of Google, Radical Ventures, Accenture, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures,

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

and growX.

Digantara launched its Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT) satellite. This satellite is designed for space surveillance and is capable of tracking objects as small as 5 cm in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat and Tanveer Ahmed, Digantara is building an end-to-end space operations infrastructure that plans,

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Pixxel, Digantara launch groundbreaking satellites aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12.

to support stakeholders across a spacecraft mission’s entire value chain and life cycle.

SCOT will be deployed in a sun-synchronous orbit, enabling it to track objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) more efficiently than existing sensors, which are constrained by weather conditions, geographic limitations, and restricted fields of view (FoV).

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Odisha announces monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for people imprisoned during Emergency.

Odisha government announced a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for people who were imprisoned during the Emergency of 1975, imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The pension scheme, effective from January 1, follows chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi's pledge on Independence Day to recognise them.

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Odisha announces monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for people imprisoned during Emergency.

This decision allows Odisha to join several other states, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Assam, who have similar pension schemes in place for Emergency detainees. A home department resolution said the state govt will also cover all medical expenses for the Emergency detainees.

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Odisha announces monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for people imprisoned during Emergency.

All those arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, Defence of India Rules (DIR), and The Defence and Internal Security of India Rules during the Emergency from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, will be eligible to apply for the pension.

Additionally, benefits from the person will be withdrawn if found to be involved in anti-national or criminal activities

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Odisha announces monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for people imprisoned during Emergency.

and punished by the court of law. Those claiming benefits by producing false documents will face prosecution. Money paid to them will be recovered with an annual 12% interest.

The government constituted state-level and district-level committees to select the beneficiaries.

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National Startup Day | 16 January

On National Startup Day January 16, we come together to celebrate the innovators, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future with bold ideas and transformative solutions. These dynamic individuals and startups are driving change across industries, challenging the status quo, and creating new pathways for growth, sustainability, and progress.

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National Startup Day | 16 January

As India's startup ecosystem continues to expand, National Startup Day is a great day to reflect on the vital role these ventures play in shaping the future of the country's economy, providing employment opportunities, and contributing to the India growth narrative.

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8th pay commission's formation approved by PM Modi.

In a major development for government employees, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the formation of eighth central pay commission.

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8th pay commission's formation approved by PM Modi.

The move has been awaited by over one crore central government employees and pensioners, who are anticipating the formation the commission to help revise their basic pay, allowances, pension, and other benefits.

Making the announcement, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the commission will likely be formed by 2026.

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8th pay commission's formation approved by PM Modi.

He further reiterated that the recommendations of the seventh pay commission have already been implemented. The government will later inform about other details of the commission, including that of the members.

The Seventh Pay Commission brought significant changes to the salary structure, allowances, and pensions of central government employees, ensuring pay parity,

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8th pay commission's formation approved by PM Modi.

and benefiting both active employees and retired pensioners.

The 7th Pay Commission, constituted by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 28, 2014, submitted its report on November 19, 2015, with recommendations implemented starting January 1, 2016.

Based on this timeline, the 8th Pay Commission could be expected to take effect from January 1, 2026.

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Arjun Erigaisi stuns Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana to win online chess event.

India’s number one and chess grandmaster, Arjun Erigaisi won the online chess tournament Titled Tuesday Weekly Blitz which was conducted by Chess.com. He registered 10 points out of 11 by defeating World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomiatchhi and Fabiano Caruana.

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Arjun Erigaisi stuns Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana to win online chess event.

His only loss in the tournament came against the American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, which came in the seventh round. Nakamura also finished the tournament with 10 points, but the Indian grandmaster had better tiebreaks. He defeated Magnus Carlsen with black pieces in round 10 and after that, he defeated Fabiano Caruana in the 11th and last round.

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Arjun Erigaisi stuns Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana to win online chess event.

The Titled Tuesday is an online competition for titled chess players who have legal accounts with Chess.com. The players are asked to make themselves available on Zoom calls due to fair play reasons. The Chess players utilise these competitions to remain consistent in the game. More than 900 players participated in the latest edition of the Titled Tuesday.

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