The eighth edition of the India-UK Joint Military Exercise “AJEYA WARRIOR-25” commenced today at the Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. The 14-day bilateral exercise is scheduled from 17 to 30 November 2025.
The exercise brings together 240 personnel with equal representation from Indian Army and the British Army.
The eighth edition of the India-UK Joint Military Exercise “AJEYA WARRIOR-25” commenced today at the Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. The 14-day bilateral exercise is scheduled from 17 to 30 November 2025.
The exercise brings together 240 personnel with equal representation from Indian Army and the British Army.
The Indian Army is being represented by troops of the Sikh Regiment.
Conducted under a United Nations mandate, the exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environment.
Held biennially since 2011, AJEYA WARRIOR has evolved into a flagship engagement between the Indian Army and the British Army.
The Indian Army is being represented by troops of the Sikh Regiment.
Conducted under a United Nations mandate, the exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environment.
Held biennially since 2011, AJEYA WARRIOR has evolved into a flagship engagement between the Indian Army and the British Army.
Training over the next two weeks will include joint mission planning at Brigade level,integrated tactical drills,simulation-based scenarios and company-level field training exercises replicating real-life counter-terror contingencies.The exercise also aims to share best practices, enhance tactical proficiency and develop coordinated responses for managing complex operation.
The Indian Navy has unveiled the crest of Mahe, the first ship of the indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), ahead of its upcoming commissioning in Mumbai.
This marks an important milestone in the ship’s journey from design to induction, celebrating India’s growing self-reliance in naval shipbuilding and the symbolic identity that binds the ship’s heritage, design, and operational role.
Named after the coastal town of Mahe on India’s western seaboard, the ship reflects India’s enduring maritime traditions and coastal spirit.
The ship’s crest draws inspiration from the cultural and martial legacy of the region, depicting an ‘Urumi’ - the flexible sword associated with Kalarippayattu and a symbol of Kerala’s martial heritage, rising from the sea.
The ship’s motto, “Silent Hunters,” embodies stealth, vigilance and unwavering resolve - qualities that define anti-submarine warfare ethos.
5 institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences have been formally brought under a single umbrella by merging five separate Societies into one single called "Earth System Sciences Council" (ESSC).
In continuation of approval of seven applications for ₹ 5,532 crore announced earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has approved 17 more proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS).
These approved projects span across the country with a total investment of Rs 7,172 crore, cumulative projected production of Rs 65,111 crore, and creation of 11,808 direct employment opportunities.
The approved units are spread across 9 states—Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, reinforcing the government’s commitment to balanced regional growth and creation of high-skill jobs beyond metropolitan clusters.
The Sixteenth Finance Commission (XVIFC) was constituted by the Hon’ble President of India in pursuance of clause (1) of article 280 of the Constitution.
The XVIFC, headed by Chairman Dr. Arvind Panagariya, submitted its Report today to the Hon’ble President of India. Members of the XVIFC, Smt. Annie George Mathew, Dr. Manoj Panda, Shri T. Rabi Sankar and Dr. Soumyakanti Ghosh and the Secretary to the XVIFC Shri Ritvik Pandey accompanied the Chairman.
Thereafter, the XVIFC also presented a copy of the report to the Prime Minister and to the Union Finance Minister.
As per the terms of reference (ToR), the XVIFC was mandated to give its report covering a period of five years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026 making recommendations on the distribution of the net proceeds of taxes between the Union and the States,
as well as the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds, grants-in-aid to States, review arrangements on financing Disaster Management initiatives, etc.
Accordingly, during its tenure, the XVIFC analysed the finances of the Union and States in detail and has come up with a report after wide-ranging consultations with the Union Government,
State Governments, Local Governments at different tiers, Chairpersons and Members of previous Finance Commissions, academic institutions of eminence, multi-lateral institutions, Advisory Council to the Commission, and other domain experts.
This report has been organised in two volumes where Volume I contains the recommendations as per the TOR and the accompanying annexures are in Volume II.
The report shall be available in the public domain once it is tabled in the Parliament by the Union Finance Minister under Article 281.
The government has decided to revise the rates of advertisement by 26%. The media rates for print media per sq.cm. for one lakh copies of dailies in the black and white advertisement have been enhanced from Rs. 47.40 to Rs. 59.68, an increase of 26%.
The Government has also agreed to the recommendations of the Committee relating to premium rates to be offered for colour advertisements, preferential positioning.
Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) is a nodal Media Unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for undertaking publicity campaigns on behalf of various Ministries/Departments of the GOI,
in various media vehicles, including Print media, empanelled with CBC for this purpose. The rates for release of advertisements in Print media by CBC were last revised by the Ministry on the basis of the recommendations of the 8th Rate Structure Committee (RSC) on 09.01.2019, which were valid for a period of three years.
Committee Evaluates Print Media Costs
The 9th Rate Structure Committee under the chairmanship of AS&FA (I&B) was constituted on 11th November, 2021 for making recommendations regarding revision in rates for Government advertisements in print media.
The Committee during its proceedings between November, 2021 and August, 2023 considered the representations from various newspaper associations of small, medium and big category newspapers viz. Indian Newspaper Society (INS), All India Small Newspapers Association (AISNA), Small-Medium-Big Newspapers Society (SMBNS) and other stakeholders.
The Committee also deliberated on the various parameters having an impact on the rates of advertisements in print media, such as WPI inflation in respect of Newsprint, wage, rate of inflation, trend of imported newsprint prices, processing cost, etc. The Committee submitted its recommendations on 23 September, 2023.
Boost Revenue and Reinforce Print Media Ecosystem
Increasing the rates for Government advertisements in print media will yield several significant benefits, both for the government and the media landscape. Higher rates for government advertisements will provide essential revenue support to print media, especially in an era of competition from various other media platforms,
and in view of the escalation in cost in the last few years. This can help sustain operations, maintain quality journalism, and support local news initiatives. By boosting financial stability, print media can invest in better content, thereby serving the public interest more effectively.
The 67th Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), was chaired by Director General Shri. Rajeev Kumar Mital. The EC deliberated on various issues for the rejuvenation of river Ganga, focusing on pollution abatement and research.
EC also focused on rejuvenation of the Yamuna in Delhi through safe and efficient conveyance of treated sewage to the river, and educational public outreach to school children in Delhi.
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), for the very first time, organised its state-of-the-art pavilion at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The pavilion was formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
Dr. Mandaviya stated that the pavilion is not merely a display of services but a demonstration of EPFO’s commitment to becoming “Future-Ready, Member-Centric, and Technology-Driven.” He remarked that the pavilion illustrates how digital public services can empower individuals, support enterprises, and strengthen trust between citizens and institutions.
In a historic development, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced that Indian PSU oil companies have successfully concluded a one-year structured contract to import around 2.2 MTPA of LPG from the US Gulf Coast for the contract year 2026.
This represents close to ten percent of India’s annual LPG imports and marks the first such structured US LPG contract for the Indian market. The Minister described the decision as a historic development, noting that one of the world’s largest and fastest growing LPG markets has now opened up to the United States.
Shri Puri highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PSU oil companies have ensured the provision of LPG at the lowest global prices to households across the country. Even as global LPG prices surged by more than 60 percent last year, Ujjwala beneficiaries continued to receive cylinders at a subsidised price of about Rs. 500–550,
despite the actual cost exceeding ₹1100. The Government of India absorbed the burden, incurring an expenditure of over ₹40,000 crore in the previous year to shield families—especially mothers and sisters—from the impact of rising international LPG prices.
A Memorandum of Understanding between Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was signed on November 17, 2025 in New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Samir V. Kamat (Chairman – DRDO, and Secretary of Defence R&D). GSV and DRDO joined hands to develop smart technological solutions for national security.
The MoU shall be a medium for collaborative studies and R&D directed toward the areas of Logistics Management, Operational logistics at tactical, operational and strategic level for analysis of concepts and validation of operational logistics plan, Chip Design & Hardware Security and Homomorphic / Block Chain based Encryption.
The university already has strong collaboration with all the 3 defence forces viz. Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy for Logistics and Supply chain research and education. Therefore, the MOU with DRDO enables GSV to enhance its value proposition for the sector through cutting-edge research.
Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), India’s first University in the Transportation and Logistics sector, was established as a Central University by the Act of Parliament in 2022. Working under the Ministry of Railways (Govt. of India), the University covers the entire transportation sector.
The university is headed by Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw as the University Chancellor.
DPDP Rules notified on 14 November 2025 after nationwide consultations.
Consultation process received 6,915 inputs shaping the final Rules.
Rules give full effect to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) on Wednesday projected India's GDP to grow at 7.2 per cent in the second quarter of the current fiscal, with private consumption being the leading growth driver.
The Indian economy had expanded 5.6 per cent in the Q2 (July-September) of 2024-25 fiscal.
India's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to have grown at the fastest pace in five quarters at 7.8 per cent in the April to June period of the current fiscal.
In a statement, Ind-Ra said it expects GDP growth to remain robust at 7.2 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of FY26.
The United Arab Emirates has completed its first government financial transaction using the Digital Dirham, marking a significant milestone in its transition towards a fully digital economy.
The Ministry of Finance and Dubai Finance carried out the transaction in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE,
confirming the country’s leadership in advancing next-generation financial technologies.
Part of the Central Bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme, the pilot phase of the Digital Dirham aims to accelerate digital payment adoption and strengthen the UAE’s position as a global financial hub.
The first pilot transaction was executed through the government payments platform mBridge, which facilitates instant settlements using central bank digital currencies.
The initiative reflects the UAE’s commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies that promote integration and innovation across the public and private sectors.
The General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/77/8, proclaiming 18 November of each year as the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence.
The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is a violation of human rights and a public health problem with significant consequences for global health and development.
In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the dignity of children and their right to live free from violence is placed as a priority of the international development agenda through the implementation of the range of goals and targets of the 2023 Agenda relevant to ending exploitation, abuse, trafficking, torture and all forms of violence against children.
World AMR Awareness Week is an annual global campaign observed from November 18-24 to increase understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and promote best practices to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens. The theme for 2025 is "Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future," which stresses the urgent need for global action on AMR.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change and become resistant to antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics.
This makes infections harder or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of severe illness, death, and the spread of disease.
