Indian Navy's indigenously designed and constructed Survey Vessel Large (SVL) INS Sandhayak made her maiden port call at Port Klang, Malaysia, for hydrographic cooperation, from 16 - 19 Jul 2025. This visit demonstrates India’s growing role in regional hydrographic capacity building under the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) and the,
National Hydrographic Office framework.
INS Sandhayak, the first of the indigenously designed and built Sandhayak-class hydrographic survey ship, was commissioned in Feb 2024.The ship has full‑scale coastal and deep‑water surveying capacity, oceanographic data collection and capable of Search and Rescue (SAR)/humanitarian operations with onboard helicopter hospital function
The key activities during the visit include in-depth knowledge exchange sessions, official receptions and events designed to foster international goodwill and elevate awareness of the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. The visit reaffirms India’s commitment to regional maritime cooperation.
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation development projects worth over Rs 5,400 crore in Durgapur, West Bengal.
Prime Minister laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects catering to Oil and Gas, Power, Road and Rail sectors.
In a major boost to Oil and Gas infrastructure in the region, Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia district of West Bengal worth around Rs 1,950 crore.
INS Nistar, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth in Visakhapatnam on July 18, 2025. The ship, which is the first of the two Diving Support Vessels being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited,
is designed to undertake complex deep sea saturation diving and rescue operations – a capability select Navies possess across the globe.
INS Nistar is installed with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment such as Remotely Operated Vehicles, Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Life Boat, Diving Compression Chambers. It can undertake diving and salvage operations upto 300m depth.
It would also serve as the ‘Mother Ship’ for deep submergence rescue vessel to rescue and evacuate personnel, from a dived submarine in distress well below the surface.
The commissioning of the 118m ship, with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, upholds the Indian Navy’s resolve towards continuously strengthening its maritime capabilities in the Underwater Domain.
With participation of 120 MSMEs and incorporating over 80% indigenous content, INS Nistar is a statement to India's ability to build complex ships at par with international standards.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior Naval officials, distinguished civilian dignitaries, the crew of erstwhile Nistar and representatives of Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
The National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) (NIEPID) and the Jai Vakeel Foundation (JVF) today in Mumbai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to roll out structured and uniform education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities (CwID) across the country.
With signing this MoU,NIEPID DISHA Curriculum is set to become a comprehensive education model for holistic development for all CwDs across India.The MoU brings together NIEPID’s Expertise in training and research with JVF’s on ground implementation experience creating an uniform, scalable curriculum design to meet the unique needs of children with Intellectual Disabilities
Through this collaboration, key resources developed by JVF, including NIEPID DISHA Assessment Checklist for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), the NIEPID DISHA Multisensory Curriculum, NIEPID DISHA Digital Portal and Teacher Training will be made available nationally to schools, centres, and organizations serving CwIDs.
Swedish fund EQT has completed the acquisition of Niwas Housing Finance Limited, formerly known as Indostar Home Finance, from IndoStar Capital Finance Limited, according to a company statement.
EQT will invest Rs 500 crore ($58 million) as growth capital to support geographic expansion and enhance digital capabilities of Niwas.
Founded in 2017, Niwas provides affordable mortgages to retail customers in tier 2 to tier 4 cities in India and has supported over 47,000 low income homeowners and small businesses, it said.
Niwas has AUM of over Rs 3000 crore as of 31 March 2025, comprising granular, retail, and secured loans.
India will require USD 1.5 trillion investment by 2030 across key areas to address the climate challenge at scale, according to a Deloitte India report.
The investments will be driven by India's efforts towards renewable energy, biofuels, decarbonisation and sustainable infrastructure to combat climate change, the report,
'The climate response: Tapping into India's climate and energy transition opportunity', said.
The report highlighted water security, sustainable agriculture, sustainable transport infrastructure, circular economy, waste management and digital systems and platforms as critical areas of investment that drive India's climate and energy transition initiative.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated July 11, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.00/- lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on The Mandvi Nagrik Sahakari Bank Limited, Mandvi, Dist. Surat, Gujarat (the bank) for non-compliance with the certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Management of Advances - UCBs’.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated July 14, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.10 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh Ten Thousand only) on Thane District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Thane, Maharashtra (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’.
Minister for Culture Saji Cherian announced the Kerala State Kathakali, Pallavur Appu Marar Vadya Puraskaram, and the Keraleeya Nritta-Natya Puraskaram for 2023.
Kuroor Vasudevan Namboothiri (Kathakali chenda) and Kalamandalam Sankara Warrier (Kathakali Maddalam) were chosen for the State Kathakali award.
The Pallavur Appu Marar Puraskaram has gone to Chenda exponent Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar, while the Keraleeya Nritta-Natya Puraskaram has gone to Koodiyattam artiste Kalamandalam P.N. Girijadevi.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutes 2.0 (NSCSTI 2.0) at the Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI) in Delhi. Developed by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC),
this revamped framework marks a significant step toward building a future-ready civil service, aligning with the Modi government’s vision of integrating best practices from both public and private sectors.
The NSCSTI 2.0 framework introduces a streamlined and inclusive approach to civil services training.
It reduces evaluation metrics from 59 to 43 for greater clarity and outcome-focused assessments. Developed through consultations with over 160 Civil Service Training Institutes (CSTIs), assessors, and domain experts, the framework addresses real-world training challenges. It is adaptable for training institutes at all government levels, including Central, State, and ULBs.
Embracing modern learning trends, NSCSTI 2.0 integrates hybrid learning models and AI-driven training mechanisms. It incorporates progressive elements such as Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), the Karmayogi Competency Model (KCM), and the Amrit Gyaan Kosh (AGK), aligning with India’s goal of creating a competent, citizen-centric civil service.
