The maiden flight test of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR 120) was conducted successfully at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur on December 29, 2025. The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 kms demonstrating all in-flight manoeuvres as planned. The LRGR impacted on the target with textbook precision.
The flight trial was coordinated by ITR and Proof & Experimental Establishment. The LRGR was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher demonstrating its versatility and providing launch capability of Pinaka variants of different range from the same launcher.
All the deployed range instruments tracked the flight throughout its trajectory. This rocket is designed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and support from Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat.
Bangladesh's first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, died after a prolonged illness, her opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on December 30, 2025.
She won her first term in 1991 and served again from 2001. Her opponent in that election and several since was Hasina.
The BNP is seen as the frontrunner to win the parliamentary election slated to take place in February. Her son and acting chairman of the party, Tarique Rahman, 60, returned to the country last week from nearly 17 years in self-exile and is widely seen as a strong candidate to become prime minister.
Hurun India, in its latest rich list for 2025, has named Jayshree Ullal, President and CEO of Arista Networks, as the wealthiest Indian-origin leader in the world. With this, Ullal has surged ahead of global big tech chiefs such as Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, taking the top spot among Indian-origin executives in the technology sector.
Aryaman Financial Services Ltd (AFSL) said its wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) Aryaman Finance (India) Ltd has received a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to commence the business of a Non-Banking Financial Institution.
Mumbai-based AFSL is a SEBI registered Category-I merchant banker involved in the business of lead management and syndication of Small and Medium Sized (₹10 crore to ₹200 crore) IPO’s, FPO’s, Rights Issues, Composite Issues, QIP’s, PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) deals, VC funding and other forms of fund raising.
AFSL, in a regulatory filing, said its WOS has received the CoR to commence/carry on the business of a Non-Banking Financial Institution (Category: Type II NBFC-Non-Deposit taking-Investment and Credit Company)
Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gujarat will host eight disciplines of the World Police and Fire Games 2029, marking India’s debut as host of this prestigious Olympic-style event for law enforcement and fire service personnel worldwide.
RRU will host Wrist Wrestling, Bench Press, Bodybuilding, Cross Country 10km, Push-Pull Lifting, Muster, Indoor Rowing and Darts on its advanced campus infrastructure, stated the university officials on Saturday. The biennial Games had attracted over 9,000 athletes from numerous countries competing in 60-plus sports at the 2025 USA edition, where India won over 600 medals.
Meanwhile, RRU will also host the 2nd International Olympic Research Conference (IORC) from January 27-30, 2026, at Gandhinagar. This prestigious gathering will bring together global Olympic studies centres, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), sports administrators, researchers, academics and policy makers to advance collaborative research and
knowledge exchange within the Olympic Movement.
The second edition of the conference is themed around ‘Building a Sustainable Olympic Ecosystem through Education, Governance and Research’. The conference will focus on critical themes, including Olympic education, sports development in schools and universities, research methodologies in Olympic studies,
governance and ethics in sport, anti-doping strategies and integrity, transparency and accountability in sporting organisations and affordable sports science innovations for sustainable and accessible performance. A major highlight of IORC 2026 will be an intensive two-day workshop on anti-doping, conducted in collaboration with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey sets T20 world record, becomes first player to take 8 wicket haul.
Bhutan spinner Sonam Yeshey has scripted history by becoming the first bowler to take eight wickets in a men's T20 International match.
The left-arm spinner achieved the unprecedented feat during the third T20I against Myanmar in Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan, on December 26.
The 22-year-old returned remarkable figures of 8 for 7, bowling Myanmar out for 45 in response to Bhutan's 127 for 9.
No bowler had previously taken an eight-wicket haul in any T20 match, international or otherwise.
The previous best bowling figures in T20 Internationals belonged to Malaysia pacer Syazrul Idrus, who claimed 7 for 8 against China in 2023.
Apart from Idrus, only Bahrain's Ali Dawood has taken seven wickets in a T20I, returning figures of 7 for 19 against Bhutan earlier this year.
Netherlands all-rounder Colin Ackermann, who returned figures of 7 for 18 for Leicestershire against Birmingham Bears in 2019, and
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed, who claimed 7 for 19 for Durbar Rajshahi against Dhaka Capitals earlier this year, are the only two players to have achieved the feat in T20s.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) on Friday imposed a Rs. 1 crore penalty on Reliance General Insurance for violation of norms.
Magnus Carlsen claimed his sixth World Rapid Championship title with a score of 10.5/13, finishing a full point ahead of the field. The women’s crown went to Aleksandra Goryachkina, who defeated Zhu Jiner in a blitz playoff.
The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), the apex training institution of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), has entered in a strategic partnership with the IC Centre for Governance (ICCfG). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in New Delhi, institutionalizes a comprehensive framework,
to integrate ethical leadership and moral integrity with technical expertise for EPFO officers.
This alliance comes at a critical juncture as EPFO implements sweeping "Ease of Living" reforms and digital transformations, necessitating a workforce that is not only digitally proficient but also ethically grounded.
The collaboration aims to operationalize the vision of "Mission Karmayogi" by shifting the focus from rule-based compliance to role-based ethical competence. It addresses the growing need for transparency, accountability, and empathy in the administration of social security for millions of Indian workers.
The MoU establishes a tiered, annual training framework. It includes specialized residential programs for Group ‘A’ officers at ICCfG centres focusing on leadership and policy, and dedicated campus-based training for Group ‘B’ officers at PDUNASS centered on professional conduct and citizen-centric service delivery.
Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the thirty first edition of monthly report of NeSDA Way Forward for States/UTs, November 2025 which provides a detailed overview of status of e-service delivery across States/UTs.
The key highlights entailed in the report are as follows:
A total of 23,934 e-services are provided across States/UTs. The majority of e-services (8,463) pertain to the Local Governance & Utility Services sector.
15 new e-services have been added by States/UTs in November 2025.
21 States/UTs viz. Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal achieved over 90% saturation of 59 mandatory e-services Portals providing 100% services are Assam (Sewa Setu), J&K (e-UNNAT), Karnataka (Seva Sindhu), Odisha
(Odisha One), Uttarakhand (Apuni Sarkar) and Kerala (e-Sevanam). Over 90% of services are provided by 4 States/UTs through their identified Unified Service Delivery Portals i.e. e-District Chandigarh, e-District Delhi, Saral Haryana and e-Mitra (Rajasthan)
Comprehensive service delivery portals of Central Government Ministries/Departments, the National Career Service
(NCS) and Shram Suvidha have been highlighted as examples of best practices
As citizen interactions largely occur at the municipal level, this chapter highlights how city level digital platforms are transforming service delivery along with showcasing few best practices from select Municipality Portal of Aizawl and Delhi
Go Digit General Insurance’s board has approved a plan to merge its holding company, Go Digit Infoworks Services, with the listed insurer. This will be the first time an insurance company has merged with a non-insurance holding company after recent changes to insurance laws allowed such deals.
The insurer said its board had approved a scheme of amalgamation under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act. The merger will require approvals from shareholders, creditors and regulators, including the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the stock exchanges and the National Company Law Tribunal.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) announced a strategic collaboration with Sahaj Insurance Services Private Limited to strengthen insurance penetration across rural and semi urban parts of the country.
Under the collaboration, Sahaj’s assisted digital service network will facilitate access to LIC’s life insurance products and services, enabling citizens to understand, enrol in and manage policies, particularly in regions where insurance awareness has traditionally remained low, according to a joint statement.
Sahaj Insurance Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sahaj Retail and part of the Kanoria Foundation initiative. The company recently received a corporate agency licence from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, allowing it to distribute insurance products across the country.
