In a significant move to enhance accessibility and ease of examination for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has decided to allot the ‘Centre of Choice’ to all PwBD candidates for its examinations.
Recognising the logistical challenges and special requirements often faced by these candidates, the Commission decided to ensure that every PwBD applicant is allotted the examination centre they indicate as their preferred choice in the application form.
ndian Junior Men's Hockey Team scripted history, securing their first ever bronze medal at the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 in Chennai. The hosts recorded a sensational 4-2 comeback win against Argentina, scoring four goals in eleven minutes to secure third place in the tournament.
With four goals in eleven minutes, India completed a sensational comeback to secure the bronze medal at the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025.
Following this historic win, Hockey India announced INR 5 lakh each to players and INR 2.5 lakh to the support staff.
The India–Italy Business Forum was held in Mumbai on 11 December 2025 during the visit of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister. This visit marked a significant milestone in advancing bilateral economic cooperation between India and Italy.
Organised as part of the official visit of H.E. Mr. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, the Forum brought together senior government leaders, industry associations, unicorn founders, and more than 150 Indian and Italian companies.
The Business Forum highlighted India and Italy’s shared commitment to strengthening industrial collaboration across priority sectors including Automotive, Waste-to-Energy & Renewables, Sport Technologies, Agri-food, and Connectivity, in alignment with both nations' focus on technology-driven growth and sustainable industrial development.
The Forum also featured a large-scale B2B matchmaking session with over 100 business interactions between Indian and Italian companies across manufacturing, renewables, food processing, sports innovation, and transportation systems.
The defining outcome of the engagement was the formal signing of the Agreed Minutes of the 22nd session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC). This signing operationalizes the productive discussions held during the JCEC sessions and establishes a concrete roadmap for future economic collaboration between the two nations.
The meeting between the two Ministers and the signing of the 22nd JCEC minutes reflects the concrete resolve to translate the Strategic Partnership into tangible economic outcomes that benefit the people and businesses of both nations.
The Indian Navy will commission DSC A20, the first vessel of the indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Craft (DSC), at Kochi on 16 Dec 2025 under the aegis of Southern Naval Command. The ship will be formally inducted into service in presence of Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.
The event will mark the addition of a key operational asset to the Navy’s inventory, enhancing its diving and underwater support capability.
DSC A20 is the lead ship in a series of five Diving Support Craft being built by M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata.
Purpose-built for a wide spectrum of diving and underwater missions in coastal waters, the vessel is equipped with advanced, state-of-the-art diving systems that meet the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency.
Featuring a catamaran hull form, the ship offers superior stability, enhanced deck area, and improved seakeeping characteristics, and has a displacement of approximately 390 tons. Designed and built in accordance with the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS),
DSC A20 underwent extensive hydrodynamic analysis and model testing at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
The commissioning of DSC A20 marks a milestone in India’s pursuit of Aatmanirbharta and exemplifies success of ‘Make in India’ initiative in the maritime domain.
The platform represents seamless collaboration between the Indian Navy, the indigenous shipbuilding industry, and national research organisations in delivering specialised, technologically advanced vessels.
DSC A20 will be based at Kochi and operate under Southern Naval Command.
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released Rs. 6.2 crore to beneficiaries on 11.12.2025 under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. It will support the conservation of the endangered Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) and strengthen the livelihoods of farmers and forest- dependent communities in five states.
“FICCI’s Annapoorna Interfood event is a window into the potential of India’s food processing industry to transform agriculture, livelihoods, and consumer experience,” said Avinash Joshi, IAS, Secretary, MoFPI in Mumbai at the 17th edition of the Annapoorna Interfood Exhibition, organized by FICCI in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
The Annapoorna Interfood event which drew a large gathering of stakeholders from across India, Africa, US, Europe, UAE and Australia, featured participation from leading food-processing companies, buyers, and trade professionals, with representation from 17–18 countries exploring India’s dynamic market.
Under flagship schemes such as the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and the PMFME Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises), MoFPI provides extensive assistance including capital subsidies for small and micro enterprises, financial support of 35%–50% for setting up cold-chain facilities, food-testing labs,
Incubation centers, and processing units in agricultural clusters, as well as special incentives and seed funding for self-help groups, particularly women-led SHGs, to begin food-processing ventures. “
National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) at Kundli, Haryana and Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu which are autonomous institutes under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries have collaborated with several educational and research institutions including in Karnataka to strengthen academics, research and capacity-building initiatives,
in the food processing sector. NIFTEM-Thanjavur has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shimoga, CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru and other Universities in the State of Karnataka.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U 2.0), Central Share (CS) of funds are released to the States/UTs on the basis of receipt of action plans under its various components i.e. Toilet Construction (IHHL/CT/PT), Used water management, Solid Waste Management, Information Education Communication & Behaviour Change (IEC&BC) and,
Capacity Building & Skill Development (CB&SD), duly approved by State Level Technical Committee (SLTC). These action plans are finally approved by the National Advisory and Review Committee (NARC) before the Central share funds are released to the States/UTs.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann felicitated the members of the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup winning Team India from Punjab and inaugurated stands named after World Cup winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and 2011 World Cup winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Rs 11 lakhs were given to World Cup-winning players, skipper Harmanpreet, Harleen Deol and Amanjot Kaur while Rs 5 lakhs were given to Indian fielding coach Munish Bali. The event was ahead of the second T20I between India and South Africa.
he Coca‑Cola Company today announced that its board of directors has elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Henrique Braun as CEO, effective March 31, 2026. Braun will succeed James Quincey, who will transition to Executive Chairman after serving as CEO for nine years.
The board also plans to nominate Braun, 57, to stand for election as a director at the company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareowners.
Quincey, 60, will step down as CEO after a highly successful tenure. He has led the transformation of the business as a total beverage company, driven by a focus on staying closely connected to consumers.
DBS has been named Global Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, part of the Financial Times Group, at the publication’s annual Bank of the Year awards announced on December 4. This is the bank’s third win in the category after 2018 and 2021.
The Singapore-headquartered lender also secured Asia Bank of the Year, Singapore Bank of the Year, Investment Bank of the Year – Asia, and Investment Bank of the Year for Financial Institutions Group. The awards were decided from submissions by 294 banks globally.
DBS recently crossed $100 billion in market capitalisation in 2024, the first Singapore-listed company to do so, and passed $100 billion in June, reaching close to $120 billion as The Banker went to press. For FY24,the bank recorded 11% growth in net profit and 11% growth in Tier-1 capital, with return on equity at 18%, cost-to-income ratio at 39.9%, and NP loan ratio 1.1%.
Veteran Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his home in Latur, Maharashtra. He was 90.
He entered state politics soon after, serving two terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1979.
During this period, he held several key responsibilities, including Deputy Minister for Law and Judiciary, Irrigation and Protocol, and later Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the state Assembly.
Patil entered national politics in 1980, winning the Latur Lok Sabha seat, which he went on to retain for seven consecutive terms until 2004.
He served as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 and later became Union Home Minister in the UPA government from 2004 to 2008.
He resigned after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, taking moral responsibility for the security lapses. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
India has emerged among the top 10 countries globally for crypto transactional use, led by a surge in stablecoin adoption and consistent retail activity, according to the World Crypto Rankings 2025 report by Bybit and DL Research.
Reserve Bank of India today issued revised norms to provide greater flexibility to banks for opening and maintaining cash credit accounts, current accounts and overdraft accounts. These accounts are predominantly used for business and commercial transactions.
The revised direction has a new chapter — Maintenance of Cash Credit Accounts, Current Accounts and Overdraft Accounts — to strengthen credit discipline and facilitate better monitoring of transactions and utilisation of funds. These accounts may be used as transaction accounts by customers, which raises concerns relating to credit monitoring by lenders.
