India and the UAE successfully convened the third meeting of the Joint Committee under the India–UAE CEPA in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Ajay Bhadoo and Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, UAE, H.E Juma Al Kait.
Both sides welcomed the strong growth in bilateral trade, which crossed USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024–25, reflecting a robust increase of 19.6% and reaffirming the UAE’s position as one of India’s key trading partners. The India-UAE Joint Commission serves as the primary institutional mechanism to review progress, address challenges, and implement the CEPA.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility located at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park - SEZ, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. This new facility of Safran, according to PM, will help establish India as a Global MRO Hub.
The MRO facility is set to boost India's aviation sector as it targets engines that power the renowned Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This is the first time a global engine manufacturer has set up MRO operation in the country.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (November 26, 2025) approved Phase 2 of the Pune Metro Rail project, at a total estimated cost of Rs. 9,857.85 crore.
Under this phase, Line 4 (Kharadi–Hadapsar–Swargate–Khadakwasla) and Line 4A (Nal Stop–Warje–Manik Baug) would be completed.
Together spanning 31.636 km with 28 elevated stations, Line 4 and 4A will connect IT hubs, commercial zones, educational institutions, and residential clusters across East, South, and West Pune.
The project will be implemented by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro), which will carry out all civil, electrical, mechanical, and systems works.
It will be completed within five years at an estimated cost of Rs.Rs.9,857.85 crore, to be jointly funded by the Government of India, Government of Maharashtra, and external bilateral/multilateral funding agencies, an official statement said here.
These lines are a vital part of Pune’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) and will seamlessly integrate with operational and sanctioned corridors at Kharadi Bypass and Nal Stop (Line 2), and Swargate (Line 1). They will also provide an interchange at Hadapsar Railway Station and connect with future corridors towards Loni Kalbhor and Saswad Road,
ensuring smooth multimodal connectivity across metro, rail, and bus networks, it said.
According to projections, the daily ridership on Line 4 and 4A combined is expected to be 4.09 lakh in 2028, rising to nearly 7 lakh in 2038, 9.63 lakh in 2048, and over 11.7 lakh in 2058.
The Commonwealth Games will return to India after a gap of 20 years, with Ahmedabad hosting the 2030 centenary edition.
Commonwealth Sport (CS) made the announcement from Glasgow through a physical-cum-virtual press conference after its General Assembly ratified the Executive Board’s October 15 proposal in favour of Ahmedabad ahead of the Nigerian capital city of Abuja.
The opportunity would give a boost to India’s ambition to bid for the 2036 Olympics.
CS president Dr. Donald Rukare said the decision followed a “robust evaluation process.”
The Indian delegation, including Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha, underlined that the Games would be athlete-centric and sustainable.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF have announced a new agreement that it said will make the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccines significantly more accessible and affordable, paving the way to protect more children.
The deal, backed by Gavi and executed by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is expected to generate up to $90 million in savings for Gavi and countries,
equivalent to more than 30 million additional doses — enabling the full vaccination of nearly seven million more children against malaria over the next five years. The deal is financed by Gavi through an advance payment enabled by the innovative International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) mechanism.
The lower price of the vaccine — at $ 2.99 per dose — is anticipated to take effect in approximately one year.
UNICEF is the world’s largest buyer of vaccines, delivering nearly three billion doses of vaccine every year, enough to vaccinate almost half of the world’s children.
WHO has prequalified two malaria vaccines to-date: R21/Matrix-M (co-developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant technology] and RTS,S/AS01 (developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), PATH and partners).
Rohit Sharma, who captained reigning champions India to glory at the previous Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, has been named the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Rohit was prolific for India in T20Is, finishing with 4231 runs at an average of 32.01 and a strike-rate of 140.89.
He is one of the few players to have been part of two successful Men’s T20 World Cup campaigns, the first of which came in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, while the latter came in the latest edition of the tournament in 2024.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played from 7 February-8 March, 2026.
Belagavi-based Rani Channamma Mahila Cooperative Bank has won the Best Profit-Making Bank Award. The award was presented at the 72nd All India Cooperative Week 2025 organised by Karnataka State Urban Cooperative Banks Association.
Bank president Preeti K. Doddawad and vice-president Roopa J. Munavalli were felicitated at the award ceremony in Haveri recently.
The bank has demonstrated remarkable performance in the financial year 2024-2025. As on March 31, 2025, its deposits stood at ₹402.78 crore, loans ₹252.79 crore and the net profit reached ₹8.94 crore.
These achievements reflect a strong leadership of the board of directors and the management, the unwavering dedication of the bank’s staff and the continued trust and support.
Actor and former MP Vyjayanthimala Bali received the Dr. Mrs. YGP Award for Cultural Excellence at the birth centenary celebrations of educationist Dr. (Mrs.) YGP organised by Bharat Kalachar in Chennai.
Founder of Vels University, Ishari K. Ganesh, credited her guidance for starting Vels schools across the world.
Mrs. YGP, who passed away in 2019, was a prominent journalist, educationist, and social worker who founded the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) Group of Schools and emphasized the integration of Indian culture and values into modern education. She was also a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2010 for her services to education and literature.
Markets regulator SEBI on November 24, 2025 proposed a review of the facility for ‘Basic Services Demat Account’ (BSDA) to improve financial inclusion, suggesting that Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) bonds should be excluded from the portfolio value calculation used to determine BSDA eligibility.
The proposal, if implemented, would support the twin objectives of ease of investment and ease of doing business, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in its consultation paper.
IIM Ranchi has received an international accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA). This accomplishment, according to the Institute, reaffirms its position among the top two per cent of global business schools that meet the most rigorous global standards in management education.
Largest Constitution Outreach: The ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign mobilised over one crore citizens through 13,700+ events nationwide, marking the 75th year of India’s Constitution with unprecedented public participation.
Grassroots to Digital Connectivity: Extended reach to 2.5 lakh+ Gram Panchayats, Aspirational Districts, and remote communities while engaging lakhs more through MyGov pledges, quizzes, and creative contests.
Indian table tennis players made a strong debut at the ITTF World Youth Championships in Romania, returning with a haul of two medals, a silver and a bronze.
The Under-19 Boys squad produced the standout performance, reaching the final with confidence before going down 0-3 to Japan.
The title clash opened with a tense five-game battle, where Ankur Bhattacharjee pushed Ryuusei Kawakami to the limit before losing 17-15, 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-13. Japan then extended its lead as Kazaki Yoshiyama beat Abhinand 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, followed by Tamito Watanabe’s straight-games 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 win over Priyanuj Bhattacharyya to seal the gold.
Earlier, India entered the final with a thrilling 3-2 win over Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.
The Under-15 Girls added to India’s impressive debut by reaching the semifinals and earning a bronze medal. In the Under-19 Girls event, India fell narrowly 2-3 to Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals despite a spirited showing.
