The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya-GSV have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to train youth in broad areas of Aviation, including Aviation Engineering and Aviation Management. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said, the agreement was signed by DGCA Faiz Ahmed Kidwai and Vice Chancellor of GSV Prof Manoj Choudhury.
During the signing ceremony, Minister of Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and other senior officials from DGCA, Railways and GSV were present. Country has seen tremendous success in the last 5 years, especially in terms of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MROs), which have increased from around 160 to more than 240.
In closing remarks Mr Vaishnaw reiterated that the GSV has already earned its worldwide reputation and entered in collaboration with sixty two industry partners to produce industry ready professionals. He called upon to establish a centre of excellence for precision manufacturing engineering in GSV to support the initiative of Viksit Bharat.
The government left interest rates unchanged for various small savings schemes, including PPF and NSC, for the seventh straight quarter beginning October 1, 2025.
The rates of interest on various Small Savings Schemes for the third quarter of FY 2025-26, starting from 1st October, 2025 and ending on 31st December, 2025 shall remain unchanged from those notified for the second quarter (1st July, 2025 to 30th September, 2025) of FY 2025-26.
As per the notification, deposits under the Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme will attract an interest rate of 8.2 per cent, while the rate on a three-year term deposit remains at 7.1 per cent prevailing in the current quarter.
The interest rates for popular Public Provident Fund (PPF) and post office savings deposit schemes, too, have been retained at 7.1 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.
The interest rate on the Kisan Vikas Patra will be 7.5 per cent, and the investments will mature in 115 months.
The interest rate on the National Savings Certificate (NSC) will remain at 7.7 per cent for the October-December 2025 period.
Like the current quarter, the monthly income scheme will earn 7.4 per cent for investors during the third quarter of the current fiscal.
With this, the interest rates on small savings schemes, mainly operated by post offices and banks, have been left unchanged for the sixth consecutive quarter. The government had last made changes in some schemes for the fourth quarter of 2023-24.
The government notifies interest rates on small savings schemes every quarter.
The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the annual publication “Energy Statistics India 2026”. The publication is available at the website of Ministry.
The Publication comprises integrated dataset containing diverse key information about reserve, capacity, production, Consumption and import/export of all the energy commodities (like Coal, Lignite, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Renewable Energy, etc.) of India.
The publication also contains different tables (like Energy Balance), graphs (like Sankey Diagram), and Sustainable Energy Indicators as per International Standards.
Insurance regulator IRDAI has approved amendments mandating insurers to prepare and present financial statements in accordance with applicable Indian Accounting Standards effective April 1, 2026.
The implementation of Ind AS will be applicable to all categories of insurers — life, general, stand alone health insurers and reinsurers.
The amendment sets out the regulatory framework governing the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial statements under Ind AS.
Introduction of Ind AS aims to enhance consistency, transparency and comparability in financial reporting across the insurance sector, in alignment with globally accepted standards, IRDAI said, announcing approval for the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Actuarial, Finance and Investment Functions of Insurers) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.
The regulations provide for parallel reporting for a period of two years, or as specified by IRDAI, comprising financial statements prepared in accordance with Ind AS alongside financial information under the existing accounting framework.
For insurers facing challenges in immediately shifting to Ind AS, a provision has been made to grant forbearance for one-year.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI) have welcomed the adoption of Ind AS and expressed their readiness to support insurers, auditing professionals and actuaries.
The CSIR–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Science City of Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) to strengthen science communication and promote collaborative research in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy.
This collaboration aims to advance evidence-based policymaking, enhance public understanding of science through science communication initiatives, and foster a robust scientific ecosystem through joint initiatives in research, training, and outreach.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Geetha Vani Rayasam, Director, CSIR-NIScPR and Sri Venkateswarlu Kesineni, CEO, Science City of Andhra Pradesh (SCAP), in the presence of Sri M.T. Krishna Babu, Special Chief Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh and senior officials from both institutions.
In continuation to the approvals of 46 applications for Rs 54,567 crore announced earlier, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has further approved 29 proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) with projected investment of Rs 7,104 crore, projected production of Rs 84,515 crore.
The current approvals include manufacturing 16 products, which have cross sectoral application such as mobile manufacturing, telecom, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, automotive and IT hardware products.
The details of 16 products are as follows:
-1 sub-assemblies: Display Modules
-11 bare components: Antennas, Capacitors, Connectors, Heat Sinks, Li-ion Cells, Relays, Resistors, Transducers, SMD Passives, Flexible PCB and Inductors
-3 supply chain items: Laminates, Metallized films for Capacitors and Rare Earth Permanent Magnets
-Capital Goods and their parts
These approvals include country’s 1st SMD passive plant for Tantlum based capacitors, 1st Flexible PCB plant and 1st Rare Earth Permanent Magnet facility.
These approvals are expected to enhance domestic value addition by strengthening local supply chains, reducing dependence on imports of critical electronic components, and enabling the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities within India.
With these approvals, overall, 75 applications have been approved under ECMS amounting to expected investment of Rs 61,671 crores and expected direct employment for 65,040 persons.
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under Ayush Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with Anuvadini AI, a platform designed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the Ministry of Education.
In a significant step toward making information about evidence-based Ayurveda accessible across linguistic barriers, the initiative aims to expand public access to evidence-based Ayurveda knowledge across India.
Under this MoU, Anuvadini AI will facilitate the translation of CCRAS's research outputs and educational materials into 13 regional languages, including Hindi, ensuring that evidence-based Ayurveda knowledge reaches every corner of the country.
Professor Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS, stated that the collaboration reflects CCRAS's commitment to ensuring that the outcomes of Ayurveda research benefit not only the academic community but also citizens across the country in respective languages.
CCRAS, with its network of 30 institutes across 25 states in India, conducts and publishes scientific research in Ayurveda sciences.
Under the MoU, Anuvadini AI will facilitate translation of these research outputs and educational resources into 13 regional languages, helping extend the reach of authentic Ayurveda knowledge to a wider range of the population and reduce the risk of misinformation.
The Reserve Bank of India deferred the implementation of acquisition finance guidelines by another three months to July 1 this year, following stakeholder feedback.
The central bank stated that it has also revised the "Amendment Directions on Capital Market Exposures" framework, first announced on February 13.
The RBI had come out with the guidelines after a consultative process, allowing domestic lenders to fund acquisitions.
On a review, based on further discussions with the stakeholders and on a review, it has been decided to extend the effective date of the said Amendment Directions by three months to July 1, 2026.
The tweaks announced include the definition of acquisition finance, which has been modified to include mergers and amalgamations, limiting the lending for acquiring a non-financial entity alone and allowing the acquiring company to avail acquisition finance for on-lending to a subsidiary incorporated in India or overseas for the acquisition of a target company.
Refinance of acquisition finance can take place only when the acquisition finance has been concluded in all aspects and by the establishment of control of the target company by the acquiring company.
Other objectives for issuing the guidelines had included rationalising the limits for lending by banks to individuals against shares, units of REITs, InvITs, etc. and putting in place a more principle-based framework for lending to capital market intermediaries (CMIs).
The RBI imposed a Rs 31.8 lakh penalty on Airtel Payments Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions related to disclosure in financial statements.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it had conducted a statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of the bank with reference to its financial position as of March 31, 2025.
After considering the bank's reply to the notice and additional submissions, the RBI said it has found that the charge against Airtel Payments Bank regarding non-disclosure of certain complaints in its annual financial statements for the financial year 2024-25 was sustained, warranting imposition of a monetary penalty.
It also said that the penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.
Suriname's former President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, an ex-police commissioner who investigated the 1982 killings of more than a dozen political opponents that deeply scarred the South American country, has died. He was 67.
Santokhi, who was also known as "Chan,” led the troubled country as President from 2020 to 2025, and previously served as Minister of Justice and Police from 2005 to 2010.
In February 2023, hundreds of demonstrators stormed Suriname's Parliament to protest high fuel and electricity prices as they demanded Santokhi's resignation.
Santokhi's success as a police officer and later as a Minister paved the way for him to claim the chairmanship of the Progressive Reform Party in 2011 following the resignation of then-chairman Ramdien Sardjoe.
The Punjab Cabinet led by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took several key decisions, including paving the way for the launch of the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna across Punjab, ensuring a monthly financial assistance of ₹1000 to all other women and ₹1500 to women from Scheduled Castes, benefiting more than 97% of women in Punjab.
Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna (State Scheme) will be launched in the State. The Scheme makes a provision of a cash benefit of ₹1000 per month to all other women and ₹1500 per month to women from Scheduled Castes.
This scheme will have a monumental effect on the upliftment of women by making them independent and empowering them.
The scheme is expected to benefit more than 97% of women, making it one of the most comprehensive women-centric social protection initiatives in the country.
The scheme has been designed as a Direct Benefit Transfer initiative, under which financial assistance will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
There will be no restriction on the number of eligible women in a family who may avail benefits under the scheme, and existing social security pensioners will also continue to receive full financial benefits under this scheme in addition to their pensions, significantly enhancing its reach and impact.
Women aged 18 years or above, registered as a voter in Punjab and possessing a valid Aadhaar card reflecting Punjab residency along with a valid Voter ID issued by the Election Commission of India, shall be eligible to be enrolled as a beneficiary under the scheme.
In a significant milestone for indigenous defence manufacturing, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) delivered three frontline Naval platforms – Dunagiri, Sanshodhak, and Agray – to the Indian Navy. Dunagiri is capable of striking designated targets with missiles.
Sanshodhak will primarily carry out surveys along the coast and other areas and Agré is designed to destroy enemy submarines. With these delivery GRSE has reached the milestone of building 118 warships, including 80 delivered to the Indian Navy.
The delivery of these warships was formally accepted on behalf of the Indian Navy by Rear Admiral Gautam Marwah and by Cmde Shishir Dixit.
GRSE is currently executing multiple defence and commercial shipbuilding projects, including one Project 17A frigate, four ASW-SWCs, four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels, and 30 other vessels, including 13 for export markets.
Aiming to enhance detection and surveillance capabilities along the borders, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a major capital acquisition contract with state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two mountain radars, including associated equipment and required infrastructure, for the Indian Air Force, at a cost of around ₹1,950 crore.
The mountain radar is indigenously designed and developed by the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation and will be manufactured by the development partner, BEL.
They are likely to be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland in the north-eastern region to secure the skies, which are being challenged by a swarm of missiles and drones, as visible in modern-day warfare, including in the ongoing US-Israel and Iran standoff.
The contract, under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of senior officials of MoD and BEL in New Delhi on the last day of the financial year 2025-26.
These are likely to be Arudhra radars, modified for high-altitude operations to detect a wide range of incoming aerial threats — from helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to high-speed fighter aircraft — at a range of 400 km.
Arudhra is a sophisticated 4D surveillance radar equipped with Active Aperture Phased Array Radar technologies and capable of operating in both staring and rotation modes, providing comprehensive coverage for target detection and tracking.
According to the DRDO, the radar has a detection range of up to 400 km and can identify aerial objects with a radar cross section (RCS) as small as 2 square meters at ranges of up to 300 km.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Kaynes Technology semiconductor plant in Sanand, Gujarat, marking the commencement of production at the facility.
The Prime Minister remakred that today's milestone truly embodies the mantra of 'Make in India, Make for the World.' With the facility supplying Intelligent Power Modules to a California-based company and a large share of its output already booked for export, he noted that a new bridge has effectively been built between Sanand and Silicon Valley.
Detailing the progress of the mission, the work is underway on 10 projects worth over ₹1,60,000 crore across six states, with the Kaynes and Micron projects being integral components. Also, the development of the indigenous Dhruv 64 microprocessor, which provides a secure processor platform for 5G infrastructure, automotive electronic and industrial automation.
The PM highlighted India's efforts to build a future-ready workforce, noting that the target of training over 85,000 design professionals will be achieved very soon. He also spoke about the Chips to Startup programme, under which nearly 400 universities & startups have been given access to modern design tools, resulting in the design and manufacture of over 55 chips.
Citing industry estimates, the Prime Minister noted that India's semiconductor market currently stands at approximately $50 billion and is projected to cross $100 billion by the end of this decade.
The Prime Minister spoke about India's parallel efforts to secure a resilient raw material supply chain, including India's membership in Pax Silica and the launch of the National Critical Minerals Mission.
He highlighted the 1,500-crore scheme for mineral recycling and the announcement of a Rare Earth Corridor connecting coastal states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Dr Thomas Pucadyil has been appointed Director of Biotechnology Research Innovation Council-National Centre for Cell Science (BRIC-NCCS), Pune. Dr Pucadyil started his independent research career at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune where he is currently a Professor in the Department of Biology.
Dr Pucadyil’s research focuses on understanding membrane integrity-disrupting proteins in cells. He was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in 2018 and is a Fellow with the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Academy of Sciences.
While the transition is underway, Dr Pucadyil will assume charge from Dr Manisha Inamdar who had been serving as the interim director. Prior to that, Dr Sharmila Bapat held the position of Additional Director from April 2024 until December 2025, after which she superannuated.
The Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, released the book ‘Tides of Time: Bharat’s History through Murals in Parliament’, a Lok Sabha Secretariat publication authored by Smt. Sudha Murty, Member of Parliament(Rajya Sabha), at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, the Vice President expressed his pleasure on the occasion and lauded Smt. Sudha Murty for capturing “the timeless beauty and profound symbolism of the parliamentary murals,” as well as for her efforts in bringing history closer to people across generations.
He highlighted that from Vaishali in the north to the Kudavolai system in the south, democratic practices in India have been continuous, inclusive, and deeply rooted in society.
Describing the book as a remarkable tribute to Bharat’s civilizational journey, the Vice President noted that it brings history to life through descriptions of 124 mural panels.
He highlighted that the book spans from the Indus Valley Civilization to the wisdom of great thinkers like Maharishi Valmiki and Chanakya, and the spiritual teachings of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha.
He added that it also highlights India’s early democratic traditions, the achievements of rulers like Ashoka and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the cultural richness reflected in monuments such as the Konark Sun Temple and movements like the Bhakti movement.
He further noted that the book pays homage to India’s freedom struggle, including movements like the Dandi March and the leadership of icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose.
