The International Conference on Dam Safety (ICDS 2026) is being held at the J.N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru from 13th to 14th February 2026 under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & III.
The Conference is being organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India and the Water Resources Department, Government of Karnataka in collaboration with the Central Water Commission (CWC); Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru; and the World Bank.
One of the highlights of the inaugural session was the launch of the DAMCHAT an AI-powered platform developed by International Center of Excellence for Dams(ICED), IIT Roorkee, and the unveiling of the Jal Shakti Data Management platform of the National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC).
Publications of the Advanced Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ACIWRM), Karnataka, and the Guidelines for Design Flood Estimation for Mini and Micro Catchment Area published by the Central Water Commission were also released. These initiatives are expected to strengthen digital decision-support systems and enhance data-driven dam safety management.
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed an agreement with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited, a deep-tech sovereign quantum security company providing comprehensive post-quantum cryptography solutions across both hardware and software domains.
The Agreement aims to jointly develop an automated tool to detect, classify, and report quantum-vulnerable cryptographic algorithms in target devices. The primary objective of this project is to build an automated tool that scans a device and identifies the cryptographic algorithms and security mechanism it uses.
Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur for the acquisition of eight Dornier 228 Aircraft along with Operational Role Equipment for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at a cost of Rs 2,312 crore under Buy (Indian) category.
The programme is expected to generate significant direct & indirect employment by strengthening the HAL’s production ecosystem and supporting a broad network of MSMEs & ancillary industries. It will also create sustained opportunities in Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul and life cycle technical support.
Reliance Industries has acquired a general license from the U.S. to procure Venezuelan oil.
The license would allow the privately-owned refiner to procure oil from the South American country being in compliance with relevant laws.
With this, Reliance, which operates the world's largest single-site refining complex at Gujarat's Jamnagar, would be joining multiple global refiners who have sought to buy Venezuelan oil.
So far, the U.S. has permitted the sale of Venezuelan oil through traders, but now a general license will give authorisation to purchase of oil directly from an entity that has already extracted it from below ground or is in possession of it.
Reliance was a regular buyer of Venezuelan crude before the U.S. slapped sanctions on Mr. Maduro's regime in 2019-20.
Oil India Limited (OIL) has been conferred the prestigious FIPI Award 2025 as the ‘Oil & Gas Production Company of the Year’ (More than 1 MTOE). It is a recognition of OIL’s outstanding performance and contributions to India’s energy sector.
This recognition highlights OIL’s consistent efforts towards enhancing domestic oil and gas production, strengthening operational excellence, and supporting the nation’s vision of a secure and self-reliant energy future.
AU Small Finance Bank, the first SFB in over a decade to receive in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to transition into a universal bank announced RBI's nod for the reappointment of Sanjay Agarwal as its Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.
The reappointment for a further period of 3 years is effective April 19, 2026, the bank said.
This follows earlier approvals from the Board on October 17, 2025, and shareholders on December 26, 2025, subject to RBI's confirmation, it said.
Agarwal first became MD of AU Financiers on February 14, 2008, and subsequently MD & CEO of AU Small Finance Bank on April 19, 2017, when the institution transitioned into a bank, it said.
Since then, each of his terms -including the ongoing one from April 19, 2023 to April 18, 2026, has been approved by RBI, it said.
This latest approval marks his third consecutive RBI-sanctioned term post conversion, underscoring long-term stability, strong governance, and regulatory confidence in his leadership, it added.
The Gujarat government appointed Uday Kotak as the chairman of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Ltd. (GIFT City).
Kotak is one of India’s most prominent bankers and entrepreneurs, widely recognised as the founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, one of the country’s leading private-sector banks.
Under his leadership, the Kotak Mahindra group emerged as one of India’s leading diversified and integrated financial services conglomerates, providing a range of financial solutions covering banking, asset management, alternate asset management, life and general insurance, stock broking, investment banking, private banking, microcredit and asset reconstruction.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan officially launched the State government’s Sthree Suraksha Scheme to provide a monthly pension of ₹1,000 to unemployed women as well as transwomen. The first month’s payment was transferred to 10,18,042 beneficiaries whose applications have been cleared till now.
Women aged 35 to 60, who are economically backward and not drawing benefits from other social welfare pension schemes, and trans women, will now start receiving ₹1,000 per month. The Scheme was part of a range of populist welfare measures aimed at working class voters that the CM had announced in October last year.
The LDF government introduced gender budgeting making Kerala the first State to do so. Under this, every department makes a specific plan allocation focussed on projects for women. Many other initiatives such as the pink police wing were initiated in the past decade. Women safety is not just an election promise for us, but an uncompromising policy.
India's central bank has given approval to ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company and other ICICI group entities to raise their stake in HDFC Bank to as much as 9.95 per cent,HDFC said.
As of February 6, ICICI group entities held a total 4.07 per cent stake in the lender, it said. HDFC Bank, India's largest bank by market value, has a valuation of about $157 billion.
The Reserve Bank of India's approval, which followed an application by ICICI AMC, is valid for one year. ICICI and its group entities must also ensure their holding in HDFC Bank does not exceed 9.95 per cent at all times.
If ICICI group's stake in the lender falls below 5 per cent, it will need fresh RBI approval to raise the shareholding to 5 per cent or more.
As a part of its latest move aimed at tightening loan based guidelines to ensure better recovery of capital and more fair terms for borrowers, RBI recently issued updated draft guidelines to be followed by recognised lenders including banks to recover loans.
As per the draft guidelines issued by RBI, recovery agents must avoid violating borrowers’ privacy, refrain from visits and calls during inappropriate occasions such as weddings and avoid any harsh methods towards recovery.
National Women’s Day in India is observed every year on the 13th of February to mark the birthday of Sarojini Naidu, whose life is an example of beautiful linkages between art and politics. She was most commonly referred to by the title Nightingale of India.
In 1925, she made history by becoming the first woman of Indian origin to preside over the Indian National Congress. This is indeed a significant achievement at such a time when women did not usually hold such powerful posts. She again made history by becoming the first woman Governor of an Indian state, becoming the Governor of the U.P. after India gained its independence.
Researchers have discovered a new species of dragonfly from Kerala and named it Lyriothemis keralensis, recognising the State’s exceptional biodiversity. The species was recorded from Varapetty near Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, where it inhabits vegetated pools and irrigation canals within well shaded pineapple and rubber plantations.
The study was conducted by Dattaprasad Sawant of the Indian Foundation for Butterflies, Bengaluru, A. Vivek Chandran of the Department of Wildlife Science College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Renjith Jacob Mathews of the Society for Odonate Studies, Kerala and Krushnamegh Kunte of the National Centre for Biological Science, Bengaluru.
The findings have been published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
According to Dr. Chandran the newly described dragonfly is seasonally visible only during the Southwest monsoon from later May to the end of August.
He said Lyriothemis keralensis is a small dragonfly with distinct sexual dimorphism.
