The central government has extended a one-time option for employees who joined service between April 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025 to migrate from the National Pension System (NPS) to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), the Finance Ministry said.
The UPS was notified earlier this year on January 24, 2025.
The decision follows recent clarifications and developments in the scheme.
Employees covered under the extension will now have time until September 30, 2025 to exercise the option, which is also the last date prescribed for other eligible categories of employees and past retirees under the NPS to shift to the UPS.
The ministry said the initiative is aimed at giving central government staff “an informed choice” in securing their post-retirement financial future. Employees opting for the UPS will still have the flexibility to switch back to the NPS at a later stage if they wish.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on July 28, 2025, the Finance Ministry informed that as of July 20, 2025, a total of 31,555 employees had chosen the scheme. The government has given an extension of three months, until September 2025, from the earlier deadline of June 30, 2025 for employees to exercise their option.
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the UPS has been introduced as an option under the NPS for central government employees covered by the NPS, with the objective of providing assured payouts.
CSC e-Governance Services India (CSC SPV) has crossed a milestone of Rs 3,000 crore in loan disbursals since July 2023, an official release said.
The disbursal numbers mark a significant stride for financial inclusion under the Digital India initiative. By supporting rural households and small businesses, the initiative has also promoted entrepreneurship, strengt
"The programme has shown rapid growth, with disbursals of Rs 86 crore in FY 2023-24, Rs 1,631 crore in FY 2024-25, and Rs 1,300 crore till August 2025 in FY 2025-26," it said.
So far, nearly 70,000 people have benefitted, of which many are first-time borrowers, seekers of small-ticket loans, and individuals from unbanked segments.
Using the network of over 5.8 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) and in partnership with Piramal Finance, CSC said it has enabled timely and affordable credit for underserved and marginalised communities in remote rural areas, through loans that are cheaper and more accessible compared to local lenders.
Sanjay Kumar Rakesh- MD and CEO, CSC SPV.
Fintech firm Razorpay integrated with Apple Pay as a payment method to support international payments for Indian merchants.
The Bengaluru-based company claims to be the first online payment aggregator in the country to enable Apple Pay for cross-border transactions.
Razorpay said it will power Apple Pay for merchants such as Mokobara, Akasa Air, Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, Sabyasachi, Nish Hair, and the House of Masaba.
Apple Pay has over 500 million global users and more than nine of 10 merchants in the US accept payment via the transaction method.
It added that early pilots on the payments method has enabled a 58 per cent increase in conversion rates, a 45 per cent faster checkout, and a 12% per cent increase in average order value from Apple Pay users.
Apple Pay on Razorpay is currently available for eligible Indian merchants onboarding customers in supported geographies and is designed to operate in compliance with India’s cross-border payment regulations.
The World Life Insurance Report 2026, published by the Capgemini Research Institute and LIMRA, reveals that while 68% of adults under 40 acknowledge life insurance is essential for healthy financial future, most are not buying it. Instead, they see today’s products as misaligned with their lifestyle (32%), too expensive (28%), and lacking immediate, tangible benefits (25%).
The study, which surveyed 6,100 individuals aged 18-39 across 18 global markets, highlights how younger generations are redefining milestones. About 63% reported no immediate plans for marriage, and a striking 84% said they don’t intend to have children soon. Without these life events, the psychological push to buy life cover weakens.
The Union Government has released XV FC grants for Rural Local Bodies during FY 2025–26, disbursing the 1st installment of untied grants amounting to Rs.127.586 crores for Tamil Nadu of the financial year 2025-26 (covering 2901 eligible Gram Panchayats, 74 eligible Block Panchayats, and 9 eligible District Panchayats) and,
Rs.214.542 crores for Assam of the financial year 2024-25 (covering all 2192 eligible Gram Panchayats, 156 eligible Block Panchayats, and all 27 eligible Zilla Parishads).
Government of India through Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) recommends release of XV-FC grants to States for Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) / Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), which are then released by Ministry of Finance.
The allocated grants are recommended and released in 2 installments in a financial year. While the Untied Grants will be utilized by RLBs/ PRIs for location-specific felt needs, under the Twenty-Nine (29) subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs.
The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched the new uniform, Corporate Salary Package (CSP), and enhanced ex-gratia benefits for Coal India employees.
These measures are aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Workers First” and “Workers’ Welfare”.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, commemorates the third anniversary of the National Logistics Policy (NLP), launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 17th September 2022.
Over the past three years, NLP has catalysed reforms across the logistics ecosystem, driving improvements in digital integration, skill development, policy alignment, and infrastructure planning. These initiatives have contributed significantly to enhancing efficiency and reducing logistics costs across domestic and international supply chains.
Key achievements under the National Logistics Policy (2022–2025) includes the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) which has facilitated secure API integration across more than 30 digital systems, enabling over 160 crore digital transactions as of August 2025.
The Logistics Data Bank has tracked over 75 million EXIM containers across 101 Inland Container Depots (ICDs), providing real-time visibility and streamlining logistics operations.
The Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index assesses logistics performance across States and Union Territories.
The Logistics Excellence, Advancement, and Performance Shield (LEAPS) initiative recognizes innovation in logistics by MSMEs, startups, and academia, while promoting green logistics and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, announced the launch of the 7th edition of the Prime Minister’s Mementos E-Auction, organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi. The announcement was made by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at NGMA.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that over 1300 gifts received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be auctioned online from on 17th September 2025.
The first auction was held in January 2019. Since then, thousands of unique gifts presented to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have been auctioned,
raising more than ₹50 crore in support of the Namami Gange Project. Shri Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister of India to dedicate all mementos he receives towards this noble cause.
This year’s edition will feature over 1,300 items, available for bidding on the official portal from September 17th to October 2nd, 2025.
The collection reflects the cultural diversity of India, ranging from traditional art, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, and tribal artifacts, to ceremonial gifts of honour and respect. Some of the highlights include:
CCI approves proposed acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited by PNC Infratech Limited.
The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of minimum 95% and maximum up to 100% of Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) by PNC Infratech Limited (PNC Infratech/Acquirer),
or through a special purpose vehicle company that the Acquirer may incorporate in the future as its wholly owned subsidiary to acquire JAL. JAL is currently undergoing corporate insolvency resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of up to 75% shareholding in Akzo Nobel India Limited (Target) by JSW Paints Limited (Acquirer)
The proposed transaction relates to the acquisition of up to 75% shareholding in the Target by the Acquirer through a (i) share purchase agreement, and (ii) mandatory open offer (Proposed Combination).
The Acquirer is a public unlisted company that is engaged in the manufacture and sale of decorative paints and industrial coatings in India. The Acquirer belongs to the JSW Group that has presence in various sectors including steel, energy, infrastructure, cement, paints, realty, and sports.
Vaishali Rameshbabu has won the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament for the second time in as many editions, sealing her victory with a final-round draw against former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi in Uzbekistan. The 24-year-old Indian grandmaster finished the tournament with 8 points from 11 rounds, enough to clinch the title for a second consecutive year.
With this win, Vaishali secured direct qualification for the prestigious 2026 Candidates Tournament. With this victory, Vaishali becomes the third Indian woman to qualify for the 2026 Candidates, joining Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh.
In the previous edition, India had swept both the men’s and women’s titles at the FIDE Grand Swiss, with Vidit Gujrathi winning the latter.
India has scripted history by winning two gold medals at the Speed Skating World Championships in China.
While 22-year-old Anandkumar Velkumar won the country’s first-ever senior gold medal at the World Championships, Krish Sharma claimed the junior 1,000M sprint gold.
It was a double victory for Velkumar as he clinched a historic bronze in the 500M sprint at the same championships in Beidaihe, clocking 43.072s and a day later claimed the gold medal in senior men’s 1,000M sprint with a timing of 1:24.924.
The accomplishment follows weeks after he set a new record for India by winning another bronze in the 1000M sprint at the World Games .
Velkumar has been making steady progress on the global scene. He first gained the spotlight, after winning silver at the Junior World Championships in 2021. His accomplishments, which include two unprecedented bronzes in a single month, represent a turning point for Indian speed skating and a promising future for the sport.
