The Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned 25 road projects measuring 65.38 km length under the Road Connectivity component of PM-JANMAN, with an estimated investment of Rs. 68.67 crore for Tripura.
Veteran socialist leader and prominent activist Dr Baba Adhav, a towering figure in Maharashtra's labour and social justice movements, passed away in Pune at the age of 95. He was undergoing treatment at Poona Hospital.
Adhav, revered across the state for his decades-long work for the deprived, unorganised and marginalised communities, dedicated his life to securing rights and dignity for hamals, rickshaw drivers, construction workers, labourers and other informal-sector groups.
He was instrumental in creating major worker-led initiatives, including the Hamal Panchayat, and championed transformative campaigns such as 'One Village - One Water Source'.
Deeply influenced by Shiv, Phule, Shahu, and Ambedkarite ideology, as well as the Satyashodhak tradition, Adhav continued working for public causes even in his final months.
Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) had partnered with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) under the “Niveshak Didi” program to promote financial literacy through 1110 camps reaching over 68738 beneficiaries across India. Niveshak Didi Phase II has been launched on 7th April, 2025 for expanding the reach and outcome of this initiative at PAN India Level.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, chaired a high-level meeting on the ‘Collaborative Initiative for Big Cat Conservation’, under the framework of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), in New Delhi.
The meeting brought together Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Big-cat range countries, alongside senior officials from Government of India.
As India would be hosting the Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi in 2026, the Minister invited all big-cat range countries to share strategies, experiences and best practices for conserving big cats and their habitats.
The Minister informed that IBCA has now entered its next phase. With its Secretariat established in New Delhi, 18 countries have formally joined the Alliance, 3 countries have Observer Status, and several international organizations are contributing to the shared mission.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen knowledge-sharing, capacity building and collaborative action among all big-cat range nations. India reaffirmed its resolve to work with global partners to secure a sustainable future for the world’s seven big cat species and their habitats.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has undertaken several community-driven initiatives to promote cleaner and greener cities and towns under various schemes and campaigns.
The major schemes include the Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) for developing forest/green spaces in urban and peri-urban areas; and the School Nursery Yojana (SNY), which engages students in understanding the importance of plants and is implemented in recognized public and private schools. So far 620 nos. of Nagar Vans are established in 28 States and 3 UTs across the country.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on ‘Growing Retail Digital Payments (The Value of Interoperability)’ dated June 2025 had recognized Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as the world’s largest retail fast-payment system (FPS) by transaction volume.
Further, as per ACI Worldwide report on ‘Prime Time for Real-Time’ 2024, UPI has around 49% share in the global real-time payment system transaction volume.
In order to support small scale merchants in adopting digital payment systems including UPI, various initiatives have been taken up by the Government, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and,
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) from time to time. These inter alia, include incentive scheme for promotion of low value BHIM-UPI transactions,and the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) which provides grant support to the banks and fintechs for deployment of digital payment infrastructure (such as POS Terminals and QR codes) in tier-3 to 6 centers
The Government has been constantly engaging with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other concerned Regulators/stakeholders to curb the operations of unauthorized digital loan apps in the country. For public information, RBI has operationalized a directory ‘Digital Lending Apps (DLAs)’on its website with effect from 01.07.2025,consisting of all DLAs deployed by
Regulated Entities (REs) of RBI. The directory aims to aid the customers in verifying the claim of a DLA’s association with a RE. In the case of unauthorized digital loan apps being identified, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is empowered to issue directions for blocking of information for public access under Section 69A of Information Technology,
(IT) Act, 2000 after following the due process as provided in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.Further, the Government and RBI have been taking up various initiatives from time to time to protect citizens from exploitation by unauthorized loan apps. These inter-alia, includes:
RBI has issued Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 on May 8, 2025. These directions have detailed provision regarding recovery, data privacy, and customer grievance redressal mechanisms which are mandatory for the REs, the Lending Service Providers (LSPs) engaged by them and the Digital Lending Apps (DLAs).
Proactively engaging with the major internet intermediaries and messaging platforms to review the operations of unauthorised loan apps.
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been proactively analysing the digital lending apps. In order to facilitate the citizens to report cyber incidents including illegal loan apps,
MHA has launched a National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) as well as a National Cybercrime Helpline number “1930”. The banks through the public facing platform ‘SACHET’ portal and the inter-regulatory State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) facilitate the citizens for lodging of any complaints against,
specific entity related to deposit/ collection of money illegally.RBI and banks have been taking up awareness campaigns through short SMS, radio campaign, publicity on prevention of ‘cyber-crime’. Further, RBI has been conducting electronic-banking awareness and training (e-BAAT) programmes which focuses on awareness about frauds and risk mitigation.
India Post inaugurated a first-of-its-kind Gen Z Post Office extension counter at CMS College, Kottayam, Kerala, redefining how the new generation interacts with essential postal services. The facility was inaugurated by Shri N.R. Giri, Director Postal Services (DPS), Kerala Central Region.
Conceived with the core philosophy ‘Of the students, by the students, for the students’, the entire space was imagined, planned and co-created by the students of CMS College in collaboration with India Post officials, representing a perfect fusion of creativity, sustainability and service.
As part of the ongoing Operation Sagar Bandhu, which was launched to provide urgent Search & Rescue and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) support to Sri Lanka, Indian Navy has deployed four more ships INS Gharial, LCU 54, LCU 51 and LCU 57 for supplying HADR stores to cyclone-affected regions of Sri Lanka.
INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri and INS Sukanya had earlier rendered relief assistance and heli borne SAR support.
The three LCUs (Landing Craft Utility) arrived at Colombo on the morning of 07 Dec 2025 and handed over critical relief material to the Sri Lankan authorities.
NS Gharial is scheduled to arrive at Trincomalee on 08 Dec 2025 to continue the humanitarian assistance mission.
With a 1000 tons of supplies for providing succour, this deployment of ships underscores the strong people to people ties between India and Sri Lanka and Indian Navy's commitment to providing timely humanitarian assistance to our IOR neighbours.
According to a NITI Aayog report (August 2024), India ranks first globally in the production of rice bran oil, castor seed, safflower, sesame, and niger.
National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO) aims to strengthen the country’s oilseed ecosystem and achieve Atmanirbharta in edible oil production.
The NMEO–OP (Oil Palm) aims to bring 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation by 2025–26 and increase crude palm oil production to 28 lakh tonnes by 2029–30.
By November 2025, 2.50 lakh hectares have been covered, bringing the total coverage of oil palm in the country to 6.20 lakh hectares.
Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production has risen from 1.91 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 3.80 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
NMEO–OS (Oil Seeds) aims to increase oilseed production from 39 to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030–31 through cluster-based interventions and improved seed systems.
India’s total edible oil production was recordedat 12.18 million tonnes during 2023-24.
By its resolution 69/323 of 29 September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.
9 December 2022 marks the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, as well as the 74th anniversary of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”), the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly.
NMDC Steel Limited (NSL), India’s youngest integrated steel plant, has concluded November 2025 with an exceptional set of operational milestones across its value chain. Demonstrating strong process stability, operational excellence, and rising capacity utilization, NSL has delivered its best-ever monthly performance in several key production areas.
In the month of November, Raw Material Handling System (RMHS) witnessed record achievements with the day highest wagon tippled i.e 616 Nos. on 21st November, 2025. The plant also achieved the highest-ever monthly Base Mix production of 5,18,886 tons.
The plant also achieved the highest-ever monthly Base Mix production of 5,18,886 tons.
At Sinter Plant, NSL continued its upward trajectory with day and monthly sinter production records, reaching 15,590 Tons in a single day on 30th November, 2025 and 4,14,271 Tons for the month, operating at over 105% of rated capacity utilization.
On 31 October 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and requested that the Secretary-General designate the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as the secretariat for the Convention’s Conference of States Parties (resolution 58/4).
The Assembly also designated 9 December as International Anti-Corruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005.
