The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India & Punjab National Bank (PNB), have signed a MoU to collaborate on advancing multilingual AI solutions for inclusive banking & citizen-centric financial services through the BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan initiative
The collaboration aims to leverage BHASHINI's indigenous multilingual AI ecosystem to enable language-inclusive banking services by integrating AI-powered language technologies across PNB's digital banking ecosystem.
Legendary West Indies cricketer Garfield Sobers has passed away at the age of 89. Widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game, Sobers featured in 93 Tests, scoring 8032 runs at an average of 57.78, and one ODI between 1954 and 1974.
Born and raised in Barbados, Sobers was known for his versatility as a left-arm bowler, bowling both orthodox and wrist spin as well as medium pace. He made his first-class debut aged 16 and his international debut aged 18. Sobers showcased his batting prowess by converting his maiden Test century into a then-record 365 against Pakistan in 1958.
It remained the highest score in Test cricket until Brian Lara's 375 in 1994 and remains the highest maiden Test century.
The innings also marked the beginning of a Bradmanesque run as Sobers piled up 500+ runs in each of the subsequent five series, with the cover-drive and hook standing out among an array of other shots.
Padma Shri awardee Moozhikkal Pankajakshi, the veteran folk artist who revived and popularised Nokkuvidya Pavakali, a traditional puppetry form of Kerala, passed away at her residence in Monippally in Kottayam district on July 15, 2026.
Ms. Pankajakshi had practised Nokkuvidya Pavakali, which involves balancing a three-foot-long wooden rod carrying puppet figures on the artist’s philtrum, for over eight decades. Through the rare art form, Ms. Pankajakshi narrated stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata to generations of audience.
Her husband, the late Sivarama Panicker, used to compose songs and provide background support for her performances.
Over the decades, Ms. Pankajakshi performed the art form in numerous venues, including major cultural festivals in Paris.
She had received numerous distinctions, including the Kerala Folklore Academy Award and Fellowship.
Akasa Air and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in India, strengthening the country's SAF ecosystem and supporting aviation decarbonisation.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will establish a framework for the supply and offtake of SAF-blended Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) at designated airports across India.
The collaboration also aims to strengthen long-term supply readiness by sharing indicative demand forecasts, supporting production planning and facilitating a phased increase in SAF blending as the domestic ecosystem develops.
The partnership will also focus on knowledge sharing, policy advocacy and engagement with government and industry stakeholders to support the growth of India's SAF ecosystem while aligning with global aviation sustainability frameworks, including the International Civil Aviation Organization's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
Akasa Air said sustainability has been integral to its operations since launch. The airline operates a Boeing 737 MAX fleet, which it says delivers around 20 per cent lower fuel consumption and emissions compared to older-generation aircraft.
It has also implemented the SkyBreathe fuel management platform to improve operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, while discontinuing ceremonial water-cannon salutes at route inaugurations, conserving more than 530,000 litres of water to date.
Vishvanath Suresh (50kg) and Ganga (55kg) clinched gold medals as India concluded its Asian U-19 and U-23 Boxing Championships with strong performances in the finals in Jakarta.
In the U-23 men’s finals, India delivered an impressive showing with two gold medal finishes. Vishvanath, the reigning senior Asian champion, registered 3-2 victory over Japan’s Daichi Iwai in the men’s 50kg event while Ganga edged past Kazakhstan’s Bexulatn Boranbek by a similar margin.
Vanshaj in 65kg fought valiantly in the final but settled for silver after a 4-1 loss to Uzbekistan’s Ilkhomjon Ergashev.
In the U-19 men’s finals, Indian boxers put up spirited efforts but finished with silver medals.
Aditya in 55kg weight class went down to Uzbekistan’s Elyor Rustamov by 5-nil, while Shubham Rajput in 90kg lost to Uzbekistan’s Asadbek Sultanboev by a similar margin.
The Centre has reportedly selected Fairfax Holdings as the successful bidder for the IDBI Bank privatisation, paving the way for one of India's biggest disinvestment deals. According to multiple media reports, the Canadian investment firm has revised its offer to ₹81 per share, higher than its earlier bid of ₹75, prompting the government to move ahead with the stake sale.
If completed, the transaction will see Fairfax acquire a 60.72% stake jointly held by the Government of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in a deal valued at nearly ₹53,000 crore ($5.5 billion). The acquisition is expected to become the largest foreign investment in an Indian bank.
The government finalised Fairfax after discussions held at the Finance Ministry. At the revised offer price of ₹81 per share, the government could raise around ₹26,620 crore by selling its 30.48% stake in IDBI Bank.
LIC, which owns just under 50% of the lender, is also expected to divest 30.24%, generating nearly ₹26,440 crore.
Following the acquisition, Fairfax will also be required to make an open offer to public shareholders under SEBI regulations.
The deal follows a temporary suspension of the privatisation process in March 2026 after initial bids reportedly fell below the government's reserve price.
Before the transaction is completed, Fairfax will need to obtain several regulatory clearances. These include approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under its 'fit and proper' criteria, as well as clearance from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and other statutory authorities.
Fairfax already owns a 40% stake in CSB Bank through its Indian subsidiary. Market participants expect regulators to examine the implications of Fairfax holding significant stakes in two Indian banks before granting final approval.
IDBI Bank share price closed at ₹86.54 on the NSE on Tuesday, up 2.9% for the day. The stock has gained around 42% since its March 31 low, reflecting investor optimism surrounding the privatisation process.
Policybazaar has appointed actor Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador and launched a new campaign, Parivaar Sabse Pehle, focused on raising awareness about health and term insurance.
The campaign features a series of films in which Bachchan plays an elder family member encouraging people to avoid delaying decisions related to financial protection. The films will be released across television, digital platforms, OTT services and social media.
In line with IRDAI's vision of Insurance For All by 2047, awareness movement would encourage every Indian family, across every corner of the country, to prioritise financial protection and secure their future.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved the guidelines for the PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivisation of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions) Scheme.
This scheme aimed at replacing older, highly polluting trucks and buses operating in the National Capital Region (NCR) with cleaner Bharat Stage (BS)-VI-compliant or electric vehicles.
The scheme, with a total outlay of Rs 9,585 crore, including budgetary support of Rs 5,041 crore from the Centre, was approved by the Union Cabinet on June 3.
With the guidelines now in place, the scheme is ready to be operationalised. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will implement the scheme, while the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) will provide funding, reflecting the government's integrated, region-wide approach to tackling vehicular air pollution across Delhi-NCR.
Building on earlier measures to curb the movement of polluting heavy vehicles through Delhi, the scheme marks another step towards cleaner air and a more sustainable NCR.
In a step towards implementation, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi have issued notifications granting a 10-year Motor Vehicle Tax concession and registration fee waiver on new vehicles purchased under the scheme.
On industry participation, 11 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), accounting for more than 95 percent of the commercial vehicle market, have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with MoRTH to extend discounts to eligible beneficiaries under the scheme.
The scheme will be implemented through an integrated digital platform that will interface with VAHAN, V-Scrap, DigiELV, the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), participating lenders and fuel voucher systems to ensure transparent, efficient and end-to-end digital delivery of benefits.
Social Democrat leader Mindaugas Sinkevicius became Lithuania's new prime minister after parliament approved his government's programme, paving the way for his cabinet to take office.
Lithuania, a member of both Nato and the European Union, shares borders with Russia and Belarus.
The Baltic nation is Nato's highest defence spender as a share of its economy, with an estimated 5.33% of its gross domestic product (GDP) allocated to defence this year.
Presenting his government's programme, Sinkevicius pledged to maintain defence spending above 5% of GDP, continue seeking the presence of US troops in Lithuania as a deterrent against Russia, and sustain support for Ukraine.
In the 141-member parliament, 72 lawmakers voted in favour of the government's programme, while 29 opposed it and four abstained. The remaining members were absent. Lithuania's next parliamentary election is scheduled for October 2028.
Nandini Azad, president of the Working Women’s Forum (India) (WWF-I) and the Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW), was honoured with the ‘Bharat Samman-2026’ award for her outstanding contribution to women empowerment and uplift of economically disadvantaged women.
The International Institute of Education and Management and the Economic Growth Foundation, New Delhi, presented the award to her on June 21 at Dehradun.
The WWF-I and ICNW are women-led grassroots movements, that bring together more than 6 lakh members in four southern States.
Both organisations have received global recognition as models for inclusive development, with their ‘gender and equity model’ addressing barriers such as caste, class, and gender discrimination. They help poor women turn self-reliant with financial inclusion, collective action, entrepreneurship, and social empowerment.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated July 10, 2026, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5.80 lakh (Rupees Five Lakh Eighty Thousand only) on Muthoot Finance Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of ‘Reserve Bank of India Know Your Customer (KYC) Directions’.
This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under section 58G(1)(b) read with section 58B(5)(aa) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated July 13, 2026, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹3.10 lakh (Rupees Three lakh ten thousand only) on PAN Emami Cosmed Limited (formerly known as Midkot Investments Private Limited) (the company) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Credit / investment concentration Norms’.
This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under Section 58G(1)(b) read with Section 58B(5)(aa) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025.
Based on the supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The company had breached the prescribed regulatory limit for credit exposure to single group of parties.
This action 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 company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
pi-labs, an Indian AI company focused on regional security operations and digital governance, announced a strategic collaboration with Google Cloud to accelerate the delivery of secure, scalable, and mission-ready AI solutions for India.
By leveraging on premise Google Distributed Cloud Tactical Appliance alongside pi-labs' indigenous AI capabilities, the partnership aims to support the evolving needs of public sector organisations, critical enterprise infrastructure, and government institutions.
As governments and enterprises increasingly rely on AI to process growing volumes of data, there is a growing need for solutions that combine global-scale infrastructure with locally developed solutions.
While secure infrastructure provides the foundation, effective AI systems must also understand local languages, regulatory frameworks, operational workflows, and contextual realities.
Through this partnership, Google Cloud provides the secure, scalable, and resilient infrastructure required to host robust AI workloads, while pi-labs delivers localised AI models and capabilities purpose-built to align with India's governance ecosystem.
The partnership is designed to help organisations address challenges such as secure threat detection, regional language processing and assistive security analytics.
pi-labs is a Cyber Forensics, Cyber Security and Intelligence company building Sovereign AI solutions. With the largest deployment of deepfake solutions in LEA, it is on a mission to help India build its own cybersecurity stack right from scratch, promoting sovereign AI.
Gujarat has emerged as the country’s leading investment destination after securing the top position among major States in NITI Aayog’s first-ever Investment Friendliness Index 2026, according to the report released by the Chief Minister’s Office on July 18, 2026.
The State scored 56.6 points, ahead of Maharashtra (53.7) and Tamil Nadu (53.3), in an assessment of 17 major States. The index evaluates States across 84 indicators under eight pillars covering the entire investment lifecycle, including policy and governance, infrastructure, business facilitation and fiscal management.
The e-VSP Portal of Vidhi Sahitya Prakashan of the Legislative Department was launched by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent charge) for Law and Justice, at a function held at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi on 15th July, 2026.
The event marked a milestone in expanding Digital Access to Legal knowledge by making important judgments of Hon’ble Supreme Court and High Courts, legal journals, reference books and other legal literature in Hindi language accessible online to lawyers, judicial officers, teachers, students and citizens across the world.
Addressing the officers of Legislative Department including the Official Languages Wing and the Vidhi Sahitya Prakashan on the occasion, Hon’ble Law Minister emphasised the need for the use of simple, lucid, and citizen-friendly Hindi in the legal domain.
The Hon'ble Minister also underscored the importance of preserving and promoting India's rich cultural heritage and civilizational values. He remarked that legal literature is not merely a repository of statutes and legal principles but also reflects the nation's constitutional ethos, cultural traditions, and collective wisdom.
Through this portal, law students, teachers, advocates, members of the judiciary, researchers, and other stakeholders in the legal fraternity will be able to conveniently access and download legal publications, law journals, and other reference materials published by the Vidhi Sahitya Prakashan (VSP) from a single digital platform.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) marked its 98th Foundation Day in New Delhi. Addressing the event, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled a roadmap for ‘Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan’ as a core pillar of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Chouhan announced several key targets: setting up 100 Climate Smart Villages, extending ICAR technologies to 100 million farmers, launching ‘One Institute-One Grand Innovation’, creating an ICAR Open Digital Knowledge Platform, tightening laws against fake seeds and pesticides, and making ICAR financially self-reliant through innovation and tech commercialisation.
Chouhan warned against complacency and said the next phase of agri-growth must follow “Quality over Quantity” to improve public health and boost global competitiveness. Citing El Niño and climate change risks, he called for faster action on climate-resilient farming, district-specific plans, and agri risk management.
He also set a target for ICAR and its institutes to develop at least 100 Climate Smart Villages before ICAR’s 100th year.
Chouhan set a 2-year target under "One Institute-One Grand Innovation" for every ICAR institute to deliver one breakthrough - a new crop variety, vaccine, digital tool or climate-smart solution with national impact.
He also said ICAR should reach 100 million farmers with its technologies by its centenary, calling it a key step toward Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan in Viksit Bharat 2047.
At the Foundation Day celebrations, ICAR released 43 new crop varieties, 17 technologies and products, and 14 publications, including high-yielding and disease-resistant crop varieties, nutrient-rich crops, livestock and fisheries vaccines, and digital agriculture solutions.
India will host the 12th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad from today. The two-day meeting will bring together labour and employment ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries under India’s BRICS chairship theme, Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
Union Labour and Employment Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair the meeting. The ministers will deliberate on four priority areas, including advancing social security and formalisation of labour markets and enhancing women’s participation and inclusion in the workforce.
The meeting will also consider and adopt a draft declaration prepared by the Employment Working Group. It aims to strengthen cooperation among BRICS countries on labour market policies, worker welfare, skills development and inclusive employment, while promoting resilient and sustainable growth in the changing world of work.
Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated annually on July 18, commemorating the birth anniversary of South Africa’s first Black president and anti-apartheid revolutionary.
Every year, Nelson Mandela International Day honours the legacy of a man who transformed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st.
It is a moment to renew our commitment to the values that guided him: justice, human rights, dignity, equality, dialogue and solidarity.
In times of turbulence, Nelson Mandela reminds us of the power of resisting oppression, choosing justice over inequality, dignity over humiliation, and forgiveness over hatred.
As the world advances the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and faces new challenges, let us recall the humanism that defined his life: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
World Chess Day is celebrated annually on July 20 to commemorate the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924. First established by FIDE in 1966, the global observance was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2019 to promote peace, solidarity, and intellectual development.
The United Nations recognizes that sports, the arts and physical activity have the power to change perceptions, prejudices and behaviours, as well as to inspire people, break down racial and political barriers, combat discrimination and defuse conflict.
The idea to celebrate the International Day of Chess was first proposed by UNESCO, and it has been celebrated as such since 1966 after it was established by FIDE. In 2013, International Chess Day was celebrated in 178 countries according to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the then President of FIDE.
On 12 December 2019, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the day.
The General Assembly declared International Moon Day, a United Nations-designated international day to be observed annually on 20 July, in its resolution 76/76 on “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” in 2021.
International Moon Day marks the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969.
The celebrations will also consider the achievements of all States in the exploration of the Moon and raise public awareness of sustainable Moon exploration and utilization.
A month after completing their historic flyby of the Moon (1–11 April 2026), the astronauts from NASA’s Artemis II mission landed at UN Headquarters in New York with a message that sounded like a reminder: humanity is capable of extraordinary things when it acts together.
