Reinforcing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Government of India has significantly reduced the country’s dependence on fertilizer imports. In 2025, nearly 73 percent of the country’s total fertilizer requirement was met through domestic production, representing a significant milestone in achieving self-reliance.
These sustained efforts have resulted in a steady and consistent rise in domestic fertilizer production over the past five years. Total domestic production of fertilizers, including Urea, DAP, NPKs and SSP has increased from 433.29 lakh tonnes in 2021 to 467.87 lakh tonnes in 2022, followed by a significant jump to 507.93 lakh tonnes in 2023.
The upward trend continued in 2024 with production reaching 509.57 lakh tonnes, and further accelerated to an all-time high of 524.62 lakh tonnes in 2025. The growth in domestic production has been driven by the establishment of new fertilizer plants, revival of previously closed units, promotion of indigenous manufacturing, and assured availability of raw materials. These
Under Namami Gange Mission Phase II, the operationalisation of 5 sewerage infrastructure projects during the 3rd quarter of FY 2025–26 marks another significant step towards strengthening pollution abatement and river rejuvenation efforts across multiple States. During the FY 25-26, so far 9 projects have been made operational, enhancing sewage treatment capacity.
With the commissioning of these 5 projects, the total STP capacity commissioned under the Namami Gange Programme has reached 3,976 MLD, while the total number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) commissioned now stands at 173.
Accordingly, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has undertaken several initiatives to give impetus to development of food processing sector in the country and has made significant achievements in its schemes during the year of 2025.
Defence Research & Development Laboratory, the Hyderabad-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, has achieved a path-breaking milestone in the development of Hypersonic Missiles. The DRDL successfully conducted an extensive, long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor.
Hypersonic Cruise Missile is capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound, over 6,100 km/hr for extended period. The remarkable feat is achieved through cutting-edge air-breathing engine, which utilises supersonic combustion to sustain long-duration flight. The ground tests conducted at SCPT facility have successfully validated design of advanced scramjet combustor.
In Cricket, the much-awaited 4th season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 begins from 9th Jan 2026. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening clash at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
This edition of the WPL will be played across two venues - Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai and the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Following the completion of the Navi Mumbai leg, the action will shift to the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, which will host the remaining 11 fixtures, including the Playoffs.
Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including major UN agencies, hastening Washington's retreat from multilateral cooperation. Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday directing US departments to end participation in and funding for 31 United Nations entities and 35 non-UN organizations "as soon as possible.
Many of the organizations are UN-affiliated agencies and panels focused on climate, labor, migration, and social policy areas the administration has labelled "woke." The move follows Trump's earlier decisions to quit the Paris climate accord, the World Health Organizatio,n and the UN's cultural organization UNESCO, and to cut funding for UN agencies, including the UNRWA.
Cross-border payments fintech Skydo received final authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to become a payment aggregator – cross-border (PA-CB). The authorisation comes at a time when multiple domestic payment aggregators, including online and offline players, have obtained their own cross-border licences.
At present, the RBI has authorised 19 entities with the PA-CB licence. The firm claims to serve more than 30,000 Indian MSMEs, freelancers and startups across more than 50 cities, supporting collections in over 32 currencies.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to its request to transfer existing authorization as a bank primary dealer to a proposed wholly owned subsidiary for undertaking standalone primary dealer (SPD) business.
The RBI introduced the system of Primary Dealers (PDs) in 1995 to strengthen the infrastructure in government securities (G-Sec) market to make it vibrant, liquid and broad based; and ensure development of underwriting and market making capabilities for G-Sec outside the RBI.
Further, the PDs are expected to improve secondary market trading system, which would contribute to price discovery, enhance liquidity and turnover and encourage voluntary holding of G-Sec amongst a wider investor base; and make them an effective conduit for open market operations (OMO).
In order to broaden the PD system, banks were permitted to undertake PD business departmentally in 2006-07.Further, the standalone PDs were permitted to diversify into business activities other than the core PD business, subject to certain conditions. There are 7 SPDs, including SBI DFHI, ICICI Securities Primary Dealership, PNB Gilts, STCI Primary Dealer and 14 Bank PDs.
Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi launched an Integrated Digital Portal PANKHUDI to strengthen coordination, transparency and structured stakeholder participation in initiatives for Women and Child Development in the country. The portal focuses on thematic areas including nutrition, health, early childhood care and education, child welfare, and women Safety
PANKHUDI is being developed as a single-window digital platform that brings together individuals, Non-Resident Indians, non-governmental organisations, and institutions to support women and children through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
All contributions through the portal are accepted only through non-cash methods. It will improve the infrastructure and services being provided through more than 14 lakh Anganwadi centres, five thousand child care institutions, and nearly 8 hundred One Stop Centres.
PANKHUDI is developed as a single-window digital platform that brings together individuals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributors, corporate entities, and government agencies working in the domain of women and child development.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the Aadhaar mascot, a new resident-facing communication companion to simplify public understanding of Aadhaar services. The Aadhaar mascot, named Udai will be helpful in making Aadhaar-related information more relatable and people-friendly.
To bring this vision to life, UIDAI chose an open and inclusive route by launching national design and name competitions on the MyGov platform. The response was overwhelming. UIDAI received 875 entries from across the country – students, professionals, designers, etc. – each offering a unique interpretation of what Aadhaar represents to them.
The Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being organised from 8 January to 11 January 2026 as a national commemoration marking one thousand years since the first recorded attack on the Somnath Temple in January 1026. The observance has been conceived not as a remembrance of destruction, but as a tribute to resilience, faith and civilisational self-respect.
The year 2026 also coincides with seventy-five years since the present Somnath Temple was reopened to devotees on 11 May 1951, following Independence. These two milestones together form the foundation of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. In January 1026, Somnath faced its first recorded attack by Mahmud of Ghazni.
Somnath is revered as the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The present temple complex comprises the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum), Sabhamandap (assembly hall) and Nrityamandap (dance hall), rising majestically alongside the Arabian Sea. The temple is crowned by a 150-foot Shikhar, with a 10-tonne Kalash at its summit.
India is the world’s largest producer of milk, accounting for 25% of global output. As the sector continues to expand, digital tools are playing an increasingly crucial role in improving productivity, transparency, and farmer welfare. The National Dairy Development Board has been at the forefront of this transformation, developing digital platforms that connect farmer.
Akasa Air, India's youngest airline founded in 2020, announced that the airline has become a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association representing over 360 carriers across the world. Founded by Vinay Dube, late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala had invested $35 million for a nearly 40 per cent stake in the airline.
Members of IATA account for more than 80 per cent of global air traffic. Akasa Air qualified the IATA Operational Safety Audit in December, a major safety milestone, which is a mandatory prerequisite for membership. The airline launched its first commercial flight on August 7, 2022, to support the growing aviation demand across India.
The United Nations has projected India’s GDP growth to moderate to 6.6 percent in 2026 from 7.4 percent in 2025, largely due to 50 percent tariffs imposed by the United States on India’s exports. For 2027, the UN has projected India’s economy to grow at 6.7 percent.
Average consumer price inflation is projected to edge up from an estimated 8.3 per cent in 2025 to 8.7 per cent in 2026, ranging from 3.2 per cent in Nepal and 4.1 per cent in India to 35.4 per cent in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
India’s economic growth in FY26 is expected to remain strong, with gross domestic product (GDP) likely to expand by about 7.5%, carrying a modest upward bias, SBI Research said. The first advance estimates place growth at 7.4%, up from 6.5% in FY25, while Gross Value Added (GVA) is projected at 7.3%. Nominal GDP growth is estimated at 8%.
The second advance estimates, incorporating additional data and revisions, are scheduled to be released on February 27, 2026. Total expenditure is also projected to be lower than budgeted, resulting in a fiscal deficit of Rs 15.85 lakh crore, marginally above the estimate of Rs 15.69 lakh crore.
With the new GDP figure fiscal deficit as % of GDP is likely to remain un-changed at 4.4%. Fiscal parameters remain broadly stable. By the end of November 2025, the fiscal deficit stood at Rs. 9.8 lakh crore, or 62.3% of the budget estimate. The debt-to-GDP ratio has been marginally revised downward by 7 basis points to 56.07%, reinforcing the outlook for fiscal stability.
Neeraj Chaywan’s Homebound has made it to the Top 15 shortlist for the International Feature Film category at the Oscars. Another two films, Rishab Shetty's Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 and Anupam Kher's Tanvi The Great, have taken a strategic approach toward global recognition, joining the list of 201 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 98th Oscars.
In November 2025, the Academy announced the eligible films for the Best Documentary, Animated Feature, and International Feature Film categories, totalling 317 films across all three. The official Oscar nominations will be unveiled on January 22.
A book on the life of President Droupadi Murmu was released by Lakshmamma, a woman sanitation worker who cleans the roads at Andhra University, in Visakhapatnam. Titled, ‘Agni Sarassulo Vikasinchina Kamalam Droupadi Murmu’, the book is authored by Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Parliament and president of the Viswa Hindi Parishad.
