Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India and Mr. Thinley Namgyel, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL), Royal Government of Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Thimpu to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors.
It will serve as a framework for collaboration in various areas outlined in the MoU including agricultural research and innovation, livestock health and production, post-harvest management, value chain development, and the exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise.
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth inaugurated MILMEDICON-2025: “International Conference on Physical and Mental Trauma in Military Settings” organized by the Directorate General of Medical Services (Army) at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 28th August, 2025.
The two-day conference is focusing on innovations, challenges and reforms in military medicine globally. In alignment with the Indian Army’s Year of Reforms, MILMEDICON-2025 is more than a scientific gathering’. It is a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening international cooperation and enhancing trauma care capabilities in military operational settings.
In addition, the conference also commemorates a historic milestone: the Centenary of the Military Nursing Service, honoring 100 years of exceptional service and the unwavering spirit of Nari Shakti in combat medical care.
As per the revised calendar, the Quick Estimate of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) will now be released on 28th of every month (or next working day if 28th is a holiday). The index is compiled with data received from source agencies, which in turn receive the data from the producing factories/ establishments.
These Quick Estimates will undergo revision in subsequent releases as per the revision policy of IIP.
Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed executive director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government said.
The announcement came almost four months after former chief economic adviser (CEA) Krishnamurthy V Subramanian’s term was cut short at the Bretton Woods institution and he was recalled by the government.
Patel has been appointed to the post for a period of three years by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
A monetary economist, Patel had replaced Raghuram Rajan as the RBI governor in 2016. Before that, he served as deputy governor of the central bank for over three-and-a-half year.
He resigned from the post of RBI governor in 2018 citing personal reasons, making his stint as one of the shortest ones. Patel, during his tenure, was seemingly at loggerheads with the government on various issues, including his stance on keeping rates high even when inflation was falling, which went on to hit 1.5 per cent.
Later, Patel took over as the chairman of National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in 2020. He had earlier held the post of vice president for investment operations in South Asia at the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as well.
Indian-origin banker Piyush Gupta has been appointed as an Alternate Member of the Council of Presidential Advisers in Singapore for four years.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made the appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the President's Office said in a media release.
Now a Singapore citizen, the 65-year-old has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad.
Gupta, from Meerut, was awarded the Public Service Star by the Singapore President for his meritorious services to the nation in 2020.
He is a recipient of the 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honour conferred by the Indian government on the country's diaspora.
Gupta was the Chief Executive Officer and Director of the DBS Group from November 2009 to March 2025. Under his leadership, the DBS Group underwent a significant and successful transformation, and had set up DBS Bank in India.
Prior to joining DBS, Gupta had a 27-year career at Citigroup, where his last position was Chief Executive Officer for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Gupta is a term trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA).
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University, Chairman of the Mandai Park Holdings Board, and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Keppel Ltd.
Gupta was named one of the world's top 100 best-performing chief executives in Harvard Business Review - 2019 edition of "The CEO 100".
Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh (August 27, 2025) launched the country's first National Biofoundry Network, describing it as a step towards making biotechnology a driver of India's economy, environment and employment.
The Minister said the National Biofoundry Network comprises six institutions to help scale up proof-of-concept developments,enhance indigenous biomanufacturing, and create employment opportunities.
At the State level, the Department of Biotechnology has initiated centre-state partnerships,including an MoU with Assam to establish BioE3 Cell with an action plan for the state.
On the global front, India's missions in 52 countries have shared inputs on the BioE3 policy, with DBT and the Ministry of External Affairs working on follow-up actions.
Infosys announced a partnership with Mastercard to offer financial institutions enhanced access to Mastercard Move, its portfolio of money movement capabilities.
It has integrated with Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys,
and will play a role in creating a pathway for financial institutions to access Mastercard Move's cross-border capabilities within a short span of time without the intensive resourcing traditionally needed for integration projects.
Mastercard Move provides direct disbursers, banks, non-bank financial institutions and their customers with fast, secure money transfer solutions, both domestically and internationally.
The portfolio reaches more than 200 countries and 150+ currencies, with access to more than 95 percent of the world’s banked population.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya felicitated the young footballers of Minerva Academy Football Club, Mohali, in New Delhi, terming their victories across Europe as a new beginning for Indian football and going forward.
The Under 14 and 15 squad of 22 players scripted history in July and August this year by completing a never before achieved European treble, winning the Gothia Cup in Sweden, the Dana Cup in Denmark, and the Norway Cup in Norway.
J&K Bank said its board has approved the appointment of S Krishnan as non-executive chairman of the bank for a period up to March 26, 2028.
His appointment would be effective from the date of approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), J&K Bank said in a regulatory filing.
Krishnan, currently an independent director on the board of Srinagar-headquartered bank, served as MD & CEO of state-owned Punjab & Sind Bank.
Subsequent to superannuation and pursuant to the approval of the appointment by the RBI, Krishnan took charge as MD & CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank in September 2022.
National Sports Day commemorates the birth anniversary of one of the greatest field hockey players, Major Dhyan Chand. National Sports Day is celebrated annually on August 29th, to emphasise the importance of sports and physical activities and serves to honour Major Dhyan Chand’s legacy in Indian hockey.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will lead Fit India’s Pan-India Sports Movement till the 31st of this month across the nation. The movement honouring hockey legend Major Dhyanchand will commence on the occasion of National Sports Day.
The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, in a statement, said that the three-day nationwide sports and fitness movement is being observed under the theme of ‘’Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main’.
Some of the leading life insurance companies have reported a sharp decline in the number of lives covered in FY25, largely due to a slowdown in credit-linked life insurance policies. Stress in the microfinance segment has reduced loan disbursements and, in turn, the flow of new customers to insurers.
n a net basis, the top four insurers reported a drop of around 14 million lives covered — across both retail and group segments — in FY25 compared to FY24.
Data from insurers’ annual reports show ICICI Prudential Life Insurance covered 91.74 million lives in FY25, down from 96.91 million in FY24.
HDFC Life Insurance slipped to 50 million from 66 million, while SBI Life stayed flat at 80.2 million.
State-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), however, bucked the trend, reporting an increase in the number of lives covered to 92 million in FY25, from 84.8 million a year ago.
The Reserve Bank of India has been regularly conducting Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH). The September 2025 round of the survey is being launched. The survey aims at capturing subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, based on their individual consumption baskets, across 19 cities, viz., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar,
Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The survey seeks qualitative responses from households on price changes (general prices as well as prices of specific product groups) in the three months ahead as well as in the one year ahead period and quantitative responses on current, three months ahead and one year ahead inflation rates. The results of this survey provide useful inputs for monetary policy.
The Reserve Bank of India has been regularly conducting Urban Consumer Confidence Survey (UCCS). The September 2025 round of the survey is being launched. The survey seeks qualitative responses from households, regarding their sentiments on general economic situation, employment scenario, price level, households’ income and spending.
The survey is conducted regularly in 19 cities, viz., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Thiruvananthapuram. The results of this survey provide useful inputs for monetary policy.
On 2 December 2009, the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 29 August the International Day against Nuclear Tests by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35. The resolution calls for increasing awareness and education “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or,
any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.” The resolution was initiated by the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with a large number of sponsors and cosponsors with a view to commemorating the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test site on 29 August 1991.
2010 marked the inaugural commemoration of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. In each subsequent year, the day has been observed by coordinating various activities throughout the world, such as symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, lectures, media broadcasts and other initiatives.
