The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry, achieved a historic milestone by being officially recognised by Guinness World Records for the most viewers of an Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare lesson live stream on YouTube.
The Union Health Ministry informed that the record was achieved through the successful implementation of a nationwide online training programme on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. The programme was designed specifically for registered medical practitioners across the country.
In a significant step towards abatement of road dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed among the Public Works Department (PWD)/Urban Development Departments of NCR States (Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan), CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI)
and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, in the august presence of Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi.
The MoUs are in line with the standard framework for paving and greening of urban roads issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), along with the detailed guidance document dated 07.01.2025.
The total road length communicated by NCR States for coverage under this initiative includes approximately 10,099 km in Delhi, 10,133 km in Haryana, 6,891 km in Uttar Pradesh and 1,747 km in Rajasthan. Implementation shall be undertaken in a phased manner, with development of targeted action plans over a three-year horizon.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, launched the upgraded RAJMARG PRAVESH web portal for hassle free obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for fuel stations, wayside amenities, private properties, rest area complexes, connecting roads, and other such facilities along National Highways.
The Ministry has developed this improved portal to make the process of getting permissions simpler, faster, and more transparent, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving ease of doing business. The portal can be accessed at http://rajmargpravesh.morth.gov.in.
Through the new RAJMARG PRAVESH portal, citizens, businesses, and organizations can apply online in a simple way for permissions related to access from National Highways for private properties, industries, and wayside facilities.
The portal can also be used by Government and private organizations to obtain permissions for laying utilities such as water pipelines, gas pipelines, optical fibre cables, electrical lines, and other services along or across National Highways.
Nidhi Chhibber, Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office, has been given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog following the completion of BVR Subrahmanyam’s three-year term.
A 1994-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, who previously served as Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Chhibber holds a Master’s degree in History and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), and is proficient in both English and Hindi.
Meanwhile, Subrahmanyam, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, has held several key assignments over the past three decades across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu & Kashmir, in addition to a stint at the World Bank.
To mark the 40th Foundation Day of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences; and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched “SUJVIKA” AI driven Biotech Product Data Portal, developed in collaboration with Industry partners ABLE.
SUJVIKA is a Trade Statistics Digital Intelligence Platform that presents authenticated biotechnology product import data in a structured and accessible format. The portal provides sector-wise insights into biochemical products, industrial enzymes, and other biotechnology imports.
It enables researchers, startups, and industry to identify high-value and high-volume imports, assess import dependency and prioritise indigenisation and R&D efforts. The next industrial revolution will be biotechnology-driven and India is steadily moving towards building a $1 trillion bioeconomy by 2047 under the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Aviation watchdog DGCA announced a raft of strict measures for non-scheduled operators, including intensive audits and a safety ranking mechanism, amid safety concerns raised in the wake of recent aircraft accidents.
While announcing the slew of measures for NSOPs, the watchdog stressed that accountable managers and senior leadership of NSOPs would be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances, and stressed that "safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots".
The 7th All India Conference of Government Railway Police Chiefs, convened by the Railway Protection Force concluded successfully at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The high-level conference, presided over by Director General, RPF, Ms Sonali Mishra, witnessed the participation of DGPs, ADGPs, and senior officers from the GRP of various states and union territories.
The conference was graced by the presence of Chairman-cum-CEO, Railway Board, Shri Satish Kumar as well as Members of the Railway Board.
Comprehensive and constructive discussions were held to formulate a coordinated programme of action and procedural framework aimed at strengthening the security of passengers and railway infrastructure.
The conference emphasized leveraging modern technology like FRS based CCTV cameras, AI-enabled video analytics and drone surveillance. The DG/RPF highlighted the new technological tools that are being adopted by RPF in its field operations for better identification of criminals and detection of crime.
One of the major highlights of the conference was the deliberation and formulation of a roadmap to curb the menace of drug trafficking as the railway network is vulnerable for the transport of drugs and narcotic substances.
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) today commenced the celebration of its 75th Year of Service at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking over seven decades of dedicated service to workers and their families across the country. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, delivered the keynote address at the event.
ESIC began its journey in 1952 with around 1.2 lakh beneficiaries and a single dispensary, and has today expanded to serve more than 15 crore beneficiaries through a vast network of 166 hospitals, 17 medical colleges and nearly 1,600 dispensaries.
In recognition of the Platinum Jubilee, a Commemorative Coin of denomination marking ESIC@75 was formally released, symbolizing the Corporation’s remarkable 75-year journey of service to the nation, along with the launch of the ESIC@75 Coffee Table Book showcasing its legacy, milestones, and transformative initiatives.
The Swasthya Rath Initiative was also launched to strengthen outreach and bring healthcare services closer to beneficiaries. In addition, Annual Health Check-up Camps were rolled out in alignment with the provisions of the Labour Codes to promote preventive healthcare and facilitate early detection of occupational diseases among workers aged 40 years and above.
The R&D Centre of NMDC, Responsible Miner has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), a significant step towards shaping the future of India’s mineral and metals sector.
The MoU was signed by Shri Sanjeev Sahi, ED (R&D), NMDC, and the Dean (Sponsored Research & Consultancy), IIT Hyderabad, in the presence of Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, aimed at advancing indigenous technology in mineral processing and allied areas.
This partnership represents a strong collaboration between field expertise and academic excellence. Together, NMDC and IIT Hyderabad will drive research in iron ore beneficiation and agglomeration, green steelmaking technologies, alternate ironmaking using indigenous raw materials, and advanced modeling and simulation of mining and metallurgical processes.
The collaboration will also chart new pathways in the extraction of critical and rare earth minerals from primary and secondary sources, strengthening India’s mineral security and resource resilience.
Aligned with the rapid digital transformation of the mining sector, the MoU will drive research and pilot initiatives in autonomous vehicle movement, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Mining 4.0 frameworks, and drone-enabled surveying and monitoring.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed a MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) to collaborate on joint studies, research, and technical contributions in advanced telecom technologies and global standardisation activities.
The partnership aims to develop India-specific standards in future network technologies such as 6G, Optical communication, NTNs along with Joint collaboration in telecom technologies such as Passive Optical Network technology, Advanced Antenna Systems, MIMO technologies for 5G and future wireless networks, EMF monitoring solutions, etc.
The partnership also aims to enhance India’s participation in International Telecommunication Union’s Standardization sector (ITU-T) & other Global forums.
In a major step towards strengthening India’s digital public infrastructure and enhancing transparency in subsidy delivery, the Government of India will launch a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Food Subsidy Distribution Pilot under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in the Union Territory of Puducherry on 26th February 2026.
The pilot will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi, in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Shri K. Kailashnathan; Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri N. Rangasamy; and other dignitaries.
On the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the IndiaAI Mission and the Business Sweden signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies and to promote trade and investment engagement between India and Sweden.
The Statement of Intent provides a structured framework for collaboration on the development, application and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions, with emphasis on real-world industrial and societal outcomes.
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, today signed a MoU with the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Government of Nepal, to promote bilateral cooperation in the areas of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change, including restoration of wildlife corridors and interlinking areas.
India and Nepal are endowed with rich biodiversity and natural heritage and have established extensive networks of Protected Areas in their respective territories. Both countries are also Parties to several multilateral environmental agreements and conventions.
In view of the shared ecosystems and transboundary wildlife habitats, a need was felt to further strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two Governments in the fields of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change.
The MoU envisages cooperation in formulation of biodiversity conservation strategies at the landscape level with emphasis on key species such as elephant, Gangetic dolphin, rhinoceros, snow leopard, tiger and vultures. It also provides for strengthened forest and protected area management; restoration of corridors.
In a significant step to widen India’s inter- parliamentary engagement with the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries.
The move reflects a conscious effort by the Parliament to deepen dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across continents and to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction.
Some of the countries with whom Parliamentary Friendship Groups have been constituted include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Maldives, the USA, Russia, the EU Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and the UAE.
The idea behind the initiative is to allow lawmakers to speak directly to their counterparts abroad, share legislative experience, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange best practices to further strengthen bilateral relations and promote greater mutual understanding.
