Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) has announced a scheme providing relaxation in Performance Incentive (PI) and offering Cash Discount to power sector consumers for the first quarter of Financial Year 2026–27 (April–June 2026).
The scheme shall be applicable to all eligible power sector consumers covered under Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA), including those under the Flexi-Linkage scheme. The incentives will be linked to actual coal offtake through Rail, Road and RCR modes and will be implemented based on the proportion of offtake against the Quarterly Quantity (QQ) under defined slabs.
Under the scheme, for coal offtake below 120% of QQ, PI shall be applicable only on raw coal as per existing FSA provisions and no Cash Discount shall be admissible. Washed Power Coal (WPC) shall not be considered for PI calculation.
For offtake between 120% and 140% of QQ, PI shall not be applicable on quantities exceeding 90% of QQ.
In addition, a Cash Discount of 5% shall be provided on coal lifted beyond 100% of QQ. The discount shall be applicable only on raw coking coal and WPC, subject to quality confirmation, and will be issued through credit notes for adjustment against future supplies.
For offtake exceeding 140% of QQ, PI shall similarly not be applicable beyond 90% of QQ.
A Cash Discount of 10% shall be extended on quantities lifted beyond 100% of QQ, applicable only to raw coking coal and WPC.
BCCL has advised all eligible consumers to maximise the benefits under the scheme by planning higher coal lifting, particularly through rail mode, while also ensuring adequate offtake through road and RCR modes.
The Government of India has significantly expanded procurement operations under the PM-AASHA scheme, with the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) playing a central role in Chhattisgarh,
while also launching Bihar’s first-ever structured pulse procurement initiative under the Atmanirbhar Pulses Mission.
In a major development, NCCF has initiated organised procurement of masoor (lentil) in Bihar for the first time, marking a key step towards self-reliance in pulse production.
The government has expanded eligibility criteria of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme to include final-year graduate and post-graduate students.
Under the expanded eligibility criteria, final year students between 18-25 years of age can now apply to paid internships in top companies through the PMIS portal.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs said that students are required to submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective educational institutions during the application process stating participation in the internship will not interfere with academic requirements.
The Ministry said that the move is expected to unlock early access to structured internship opportunities in top companies across the country for students.
The Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia released the revised guidelines for the Technology Development and Investment Promotion (TDIP) Scheme of the Department of Telecommunications,
aimed at strengthening India’s participation in global telecom standardization and accelerating the development of indigenous telecom technologies. Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani; Secretary (Telecommunications) and Chairman, Digital Communications Commission, Shri Amit Agrawal also attended the event.
Outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) registered a strong double digit growth for the first time in 2025-26 (FY26). The remittances grew 19.06 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in February 2026 to $2.34 billion supported by healthy growth in remittances across segments.
In February 2025 the remittances under the scheme stood at $1.96 billion.
According to the monthly data, international travel which accounted for over 55 per cent of the total outward remittance by Indians grew 19.8 per cent Y-o-Y to $1.31 billion against $1.09 billion in February 2025.
Remittances for deposits saw 10.23 per cent Y-o-Y growth to $56.9 million in the month. Purchase of immovable property grew by 78.6 per cent to $51.36 million. Investment in equity or debt market related remittances rose 53.01 per cent to $265.99 million.
Remittances for maintenance of close relatives rose 13.27 per cent to $266.18 million and for ‘gift’ remittances increased 6 per cent to $202.09 million.
On the other hand, overseas education-related remittances continue to be under pressure, with those slipping nearly 4 per cent Y-o-Y to $175.68 million from $182.17 million.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Vivek Tripathi as whole-time director (executive director) of AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) for a term of three years, the lender said.
Tripathi, currently the bank’s chief credit officer, will join the board at a time when AU SFB is positioning itself for its next phase of growth, including a transition towards becoming a universal bank.
Tripathi has been associated with AU SFB since 2014 and has held leadership roles across commercial banking, wholesale banking, credit, and strategy.
Tripathi brings over two decades of experience in financial services, having previously worked with ICICI Bank, Reliance Capital, and the Aditya Birla Group. He is an alumnus of IIM Lucknow and has completed executive education at ESCP Business School, Paris. He also holds an MTech from VJTI, Mumbai.
Veteran politician Nadenla Bhaskar Rao, who founded the Telugu Desam Party along with legendary Telugu actor N T Rama Rao in 1982 and served as the chief minister of erstwhile combined Andhra Pradesh for one month in 1984, died at 90 in Hyderabad after a prolonged illness.
He joined hands with N T Rama Rao (NTR) to launch the TDP in March 1982 and was considered NTR’s co-pilot with regard to the party. After TDP came to power in January 1983, he joined NTR’s cabinet as finance minister.
Bhaskara Rao briefly served as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1984 for 31 days, from August 16 to September 16. His tenure came during the political episode known as the ‘August Crisis’, when he assumed office with Congress’ support while NTR was in the United States for heart surgery.
Jio Financial Services (JFSL) and Germany's Allianz Group have signed a binding agreement to set up a 50:50 primary insurance joint venture focused on the general and health insurance segment, tapping into a Rs. 3.34 lakh crore market. The agreement formalises a partnership first announced in July 2025.
The venture will look to deliver innovative and accessible products tailored to Indian consumers, leveraging technology-led distribution.
The venture will use JFSL's digital distribution capabilities with Allianz's underwriting expertise. Operations will begin after regulatory approvals are secured.
JFSL and Allianz are also working toward a separate binding agreement for life insurance business in India, Jio said.
Mukesh D Ambani- chairman, Reliance's Industrie
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 80,000 on Ebix Payment Services for non-compliance with certain directions, according to a release.
The penalty was imposed by an order dated April 17, 2026, as company had failed to carry out risk categorisation of its customers, the RBI said.
The central bank also imposed Rs 80,000 penalty on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagari Sahakari Bank and Rs 1 lakh on Hardoi Jilla Sahkari Bank.
In a separate release, the RBI approved amalgamation of The Mekhar Urban Co-op Bank with Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank. The Scheme will come into effect from April 24.
All branches of The Mekhar Urban Co-op Bank will function as branches of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank with effect from April 24, the RBI said in the release.
The India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held productive discussions towards enhancing bilateral defence cooperation during its 11th meeting in Cairo, Egypt, which concluded. The Defence Ministry said that during the discussion, both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made since the previous committee meeting and,
charted out a forward-looking roadmap for defence engagement.
It said that they agreed on a bilateral defence cooperation plan for 2026-27, focusing on expanding Structured Military interaction mechanisms, strengthening Joint training exchanges, enhancing maritime security cooperation,
increasing the scope and complexity of military exercises and promoting collaboration in defence production and technology. The Ministry said that the two sides also agreed to work together to develop a defence industry cooperation plan.
The Defence Industry collaboration is emerging as a key pillar of India-Egypt defence ties, with both sides exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production in the field of defence manufacturing.
24 to 30 April is World Immunization Week.
World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
Through its convening power, WHO works with countries across the globe to raise awareness of the value of vaccines and immunization and ensures that governments obtain the necessary guidance and technical support to implement high quality immunization programmes.
The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, observed annually on April 24, reinforces the UN Charter's commitment to resolving disputes through diplomacy and collective action. Adopted in 2018 (resolution A/RES/73/127), it promotes multilateral decision-making over unilateral action to address global security, sustainable development, and human rights.
The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security.
