The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for introducing The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 for increasing the number of Judges of the Supreme Court of India by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0. The scheme aims to provide credit guarantee coverage of 100% for MSMEs and 90% for non-MSMEs as well as airline sector,
to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for the amount in default under the additional credit facility extended to the eligible borrowers to tide over any short-term liquidity mismatches in view of West Asia Crisis.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the development of a state‑of‑the‑art Ship Repair Facility at Vadinar, Gujarat, marking a major expansion of the national ship repair ecosystem.
The project will be jointly implemented by Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), with a combined investment of Rs.1,570 crore.
The project is planned as a brownfield facility with a 650 metres jetty, two large floating dry docks, workshops and associated marine infrastructure.
Vadinar’s natural deep draft, connectivity to major shipping routes, and proximity to key ports such as Mundra and Kandla make it an optimal location for repair operations, particularly for large commercial and foreign‑flagged vessels.
Impact:
The Vadinar Ship Repair Facility will directly address a critical gap in India’s ship repair infrastructure, as the country currently lacks adequate domestic capacity to repair large vessels exceeding 230 m in length.
By enabling repair of vessels up to 300 m, the facility will allow high‑value repairs of large vessels within India. This will significantly reduce dependence on foreign shipyards and curb foreign exchange outflow.
Enhanced turnaround times and strengthened repair capability on the western coast will improve the overall competitiveness of Indian ports.
To institutionalize performance monitoring and strengthen governance reforms in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), the Department of Financial Services (DFS) had introduced a three-year Viability Plan covering FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25. The framework has been instrumental in improving financial performance and strengthening monitoring mechanisms across RRBs.
In view of emerging financial sector challenges and the need for continued oversight, DFS has now approved a revised Viability Plan 2.0 for a further period of three years from 2025-26 to 2027-28, aimed at enhancing financial sustainability and long-term competitiveness of RRBs.
The Viability Plan 2.0 comprises a defined set of 30 performance parameters anchored around four main key pillars viz. operational excellence, asset quality, profitability, and growth.
The key critical metrics across these four pillars include CRAR, credit-deposit ratio, digital adoption, NPA levels, recovery performance, profitability ratios and performance in implementation of Government of India schemes.
In short, the Viability Plan 2.0 provides a balanced and comprehensive framework to assess and monitor the overall health and efficiency of RRBs.
The initiative is expected to strengthen financial stability and improve operational efficiency across all 28 RRBs and also ensure that RRBs remain aligned with national priorities of rural credit expansion, digital inclusion, and financial outreach.
Shri Harivansh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, on 5th May addressed the gathering at the release of a special commemorative issue of ‘Sanchar Madhyam’, the flagship research journal of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), marking the 200-year journey of Hindi journalism in India.
Highlighting the rich legacy and evolving role of Hindi journalism in nation-building Shri Harivansh said that In an era marked by rapid transformation, the very definition of literate and illiterate has evolved beyond the traditional boundaries of reading and writing.
Vice Chancellor of IIMC Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur noted that the special issue of ‘Sanchar Madhyam’ brings together contributions from leading academics and media professionals, reflecting on key milestones in the evolution of Hindi journalism over the past two centuries.
NITI Aayog today launched the Central Prabhari Officer (CPO) Portal, which is aimed at strengthening real-time governance, improving coordination among stakeholders and accelerating last-mile delivery under the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme (ADP/ABP).
Through this portal, Central Prabhari Officers would submit their observations and recommendations from the field in real time via mobile. Once submitted, the data goes live after which the Districts can view the suggestions provided by their CPO, take appropriate action and accordingly submit their responses.
In this process, the State Planning Secretaries would gain a bird’s-eye view, coordinating across Departments to implement suggestions and record their feedback. Simultaneously, Officers at NITI Aayog and Line Ministries and Departments would be able to monitor these inputs.
The CPO Portal serves as a unified digital interface that bridges the gap between field observations and administrative action. By enabling instant visibility, structured monitoring, and accountability, the platform is expected to significantly improve implementation efficiency and responsiveness in Aspirational Districts and Blocks.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published a number of standards for medical assistive technologies as a part of the NLEAP (National List of Essential Assistive Products) initiative brought about by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The NLEAP document aims to serve as a guideline for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the concerned stakeholders for provision of assistive products as well as support the development of assistive technologies across the country.
US President Donald Trump said the US Navy will start guiding foreign stranded ships to safety through the Strait of Hormuz and warned Iran that any interference in the process would be dealt with forcefully.
Trump said 'Project Freedom' was aimed at helping foreign ships that are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz as "innocent bystanders" and in no way involved in the developments in West Asia.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea route between Oman and Iran that transports one-fifth of the global oil supplies, has been effectively closed since February 28, when the US and Israel launched the war with Iran.
The US has also imposed an economic blockade targeted at Iran by denying any ships to transit to and from ports of the Persian gulf nation.
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) launched Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs) as a new segment, in a bid to create a more transparent and efficient price discovery of the yellow metal.
The move is expected to bridge the age-old gap between physical gold and the financial markets by offering a regulated, secure, and technologically-advanced platform for trading in the precious commodity, the exchange said in a statement.
EGRs are dematerialised securities representing ownership of physical gold, which is securely stored in Sebi-accredited vaults and held electronically through depositories. Each EGR is fully backed by physical gold and is tradable on the exchange, integrating gold into the formal financial system.
Two Indian journalists have won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for an art reporting project exposing cybercrime in India.
Anand RK and Suparna Sharma, along with Natalie Obiko Pearson, were announced as the winners in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category for the report they produced for Bloomberg.
Another Indian journalist, Devjyot Ghoshal, was a finalist in the same category for an expose of cybercrime and trafficking in Southeast Asia, in which criminals use people from several countries, including India, who are held as prisoners in camps and forced to scam victims in other countries. He is based in Bangkok.
Aniruddha Ghosal, a Hanoi-based reporter, was a winner in the International Reporting category for an investigation into the US Border Patrol’s secret use of mass-surveillance tools originally created in Silicon Valley and further developed in China.
The highest journalism awards in the US, the Pulitzer Prizes, are administered by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism here.
Anand is a Mumbai-based illustrator and visual artist who has won several awards, and Suparna Sharma is a freelance investigative journalist in India.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday appointed Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster.
A celebrated lyricist, writer and communications expert, Joshi brings with him decades of experience across literature, cinema, advertising and public messaging.
Joshi has previously served as Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification since 2017, where he balanced creative freedom with regulatory responsibilities. He also held key leadership roles in the advertising industry, including CEO of McCann World Group India and Chairman of McCann World Group Asia Pacific.
Additionally, Joshi has been associated with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts as a trustee since 2016.
Established under the Prasar Bharati Act of 1990 and operational since 1997, Prasar Bharati functions as India’s autonomous public broadcaster, overseeing All India Radio and Doordarshan.
The 3rd Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Healthcare between India and Japan was held at Bharat Mandapam. The meeting was co-chaired by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda and Ms. Kimi Onoda, Minister in charge of Healthcare Policy, Japan.
Shri Nadda highlighted the long-standing and multifaceted relationship between India and Japan, rooted in over a century of engagement across sectors, and reiterated India’s commitment to inclusive development under the guiding principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”
During the Joint Committee Meeting, detailed presentations and discussions were held across key priority areas:
Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Supply Chain Resilience and Access to High-Quality Medical Products and Services.
Digital Health.
Human Resource Development and Exchange.
