The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Four projects of Ministry of Railways with total cost of Rs. 24,634 crore (approx.).
The Government of India recently unveiled the logo of the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, set to take place on February 19–20 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The logo for the Summit was selected through the Logo Design Contest, hosted on the MyGov platform from May 28 to June 12 2025.
The final entries were reviewed by the Emerging Technologies team under MeitY, who undertook the process of winner selection. MyGov received a total of 599 entries, out of which the winning design was submitted by Shri Ajith P. Suresh.
The winning design reflects India’s ambition to lead the global movement on responsible AI innovation for humanity’s greater good.
The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) scheme has achieved a significant milestone in empowering households with clean and affordable solar energy. As of September, 2025, Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have sanctioned over 5.79 lakh loan applications, amounting to Rs.10,907 crore, augmenting the financial support to the beneficiaries in installing rooftop solar systems.
The implementation of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) is actively supported by streamlining the credit delivery process, facilitating collateral-free affordable loans at lower interest rates and simplified financing through PSBs.
The loans are processed through the JanSamarth Portal, integrated with the National Portal for PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (pmsuryaghar.gov.in), ensuring an end-to-end seamless digital application process, enhanced user experience and data-driven decision making for beneficiaries.
The model loan scheme offers key benefits including, Loans up to ₹2 lakh at competitive interest, without collateral, longer tenor for repayment in line with the electricity cost saving, 6-month moratorium period from disbursement, lower margin contribution by the applicant and a digital sanction process based on self-declaration.
The Department of Financial Services in coordination with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, actively reviews the progress of loans under the scheme, strengthening implementation through collaboration with State Level Bankers Committees and Lead District Managers, thereby driving faster adoption better outreach and penetration of the scheme.
In another step towards streamlining Customs procedures and enhancing trade facilitation, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has introduced system-based auto-approval for IFSC code registration to enhance Ease of Doing Business.
As per the new initiative, the system will automatically approve requests for registration of the same incentive bank account and IFSC code for a particular Importer Exporter Code (IEC) at multiple Customs locations, provided the same combination has already been approved at any one location.
A High-Level Committee (HLC), under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, has approved Rs. 707.97 crore of additional Central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, affected by flood, landslides during year 2024.
This Central assistance has been provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), subject to an adjustment of 50% of the opening balance for the year available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Out of the total amount of Rs. 707.97 crore, Rs 313.69 crore has been approved for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat.
The World Bank raised India’s FY26 gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to 6.5 per cent from 6.3 per cent in June and revised downwards the growth forecast for FY27 by 20 basis points (bps) to 6.3 per cent owing to the higher-than-expected tariffs imposed on India’s exports by US President Donald Trump.
India, however, is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy, underpinned by continued strength in consumption growth, the World Bank said in its South Asia Outlook.
The Bank has forecast the growth for South Asia to reach 6.6 per cent in 2025 but may slow down to 5.8 per cent in 2026, partly due to US tariffs on India.
The World Bank also said that India is expected to be the world’s fastest-growing source of energy demand in the medium term. It would surpass China to become the single largest source of energy demand by 2050.
The Bank said real GDP growth in the April-June quarter exceeded expectations, accelerating to 7.8 per cent.
SBI General Insurance has launched ‘Health Alpha’, a first-of-its-kind customizable health plan designed to give customers total control over their coverage — from choosing benefits to adjusting limits and even modifying waiting periods.
The launch, coming right after the GST 2.0 health reform, signals a new era of “do-it-yourself” health insurance, with over 50 coverage options and innovative features that allow buyers to build a policy around their specific needs and lifestyle.
Unlike traditional one-size-fits-all health plans, Health Alpha allows policyholders to select and stack optional covers, ensuring they pay only for what they need.
Key highlights include:
Unlimited Sum Insured – No upper cap on hospitalization expenses (subject to policy terms).
10x Cumulative Bonus – For every claim-free year, policyholders can earn up to 10x their base sum insured.
Endless Sum Insured – A one-time lifetime benefit that covers hospitalization beyond the base limit.
Gym & Sports Injury Cover – An industry-first feature that covers injuries from workouts or hobby sports, including OPD consultations, diagnostics, and physiotherapy.
Plan Ahead Add-on – Transfers waiting period benefits to a new spouse or newborn within 120 days of marriage or birth.
State co-operative banks and central co-operative banks will come under the ambit of the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021, from November 1, the central bank said.
The RBI has issued a notification in this regard.
With this enhancement, the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme would cover all commercial banks, regional rural banks, state co-operative banks, central co-operative banks, scheduled primary (urban) co-operative banks, and non-scheduled primary (urban) co-operative banks with a deposit size of Rs 50 crore.
All non-banking financial companies -- excluding housing finance companies, which are authorised to accept deposits or have a customer interface, with an asset size of Rs 100 crore and above -- are covered under the scheme.
Credit information companies are also covered under the scheme.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released draft norms on Expected Credit Loss (ECL)-based provisioning for commercial banks’ stressed loans and securities. This will replace the current incurred loss-based norms banks use to make provisions.
The RBI intends to roll out a new provisioning regime from April 1, 2027. Banks will get four years, that is, till March 31, 2031, to make additional provision on the existing book.
Three United States-based scientists, John Clarke, Michel H Devoret, and John M. Martinis, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement.
The Academy said that a major question in physics is the maximum size of a system that can demonstrate quantum mechanical effects. “This year’s Nobel Prize laureates conducted experiments with an electrical circuit in which they demonstrated both quantum mechanical tunnelling and quantised energy levels in a system big enough to be held in the hand,” it said.
The total prize amount of 11 million Swedish kronor will be shared equally among the laureates.
Winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics
John Clarke: Born in 1942 in Cambridge, UK. Earned his PhD in 1968 from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, US.
Michel H Devoret:Born in 1953 in Paris, France. Received his PhD in 1982 from Paris-Sud University, France. Serves as a Professor at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and at the University of California, Santa Barbara, US.
John M Martinis:Born in 1958. Obtained his PhD in 1987 from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently a Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, US.
The Academy said that this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including,
quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors.
The Nobel Prize is a set of prestigious international awards given annually to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was added in 1968.
The nation is celebrating the 93rd anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 8th October 2025. Established on the 8th of October in 1932, this momentous occasion marked the beginning of a vision for air power that would shape the nation’s defence for decades to come.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi arrived at the Hindon Airbase to mark the occasion.
Judo player Linthoi Chanambam created history by winning India’s first-ever medal at the Judo Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru today. 19-year-old Chanambam clinched the bronze medal in women’s 63 kilogram category with a win over Netherland’s Joni Geilen.
Earlier, Chanambam had lost in her final Group D match to Japan’s So Morichika. She made her way into the medal match through the repechage route after Morichika reached the women’s 63 kilogram final.
