Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) a Central Sector Scheme through National Bee Board (NBB).
The objectives of National Beekeeping and Honey Mission are to promote scientific beekeeping for holistic growth of beekeeping industry,
increasing production of honey and beehive products, income & employment generation, providing livelihood support to farm and non-farm households, women empowerment through beekeeping, to strengthen beekeepers by developing institutional framework through collective approach and to enhance agriculture/ horticulture production.
So far 7 world class honey testing labs, 66 mini labs to check adulteration, 83 honey processing units and 90 collection, branding & packaging units have been established. These support efficient storage and marketing. 81 Quality Nucleus Stock Development Centres have been supported for producing quality queen bees and colony multiplication so far.
Production of Honey increased from 80,530 MT in 2014–15 to 1,51,690 MT as per Horticulture Crops Statistics (2nd Advance Estimates 2025-26) in 2025-26.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
The Government has undertaken a range of measures to strengthen food safety enforcement across the country through enhanced testing infrastructure, capacity building, regulatory oversight and consumer awareness initiatives.
These efforts aim to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for consumers and strengthen compliance with food safety standards.
Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, today held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Bhutan, H.E. Lyonpo Gem Tshering, in New Delhi.
The meeting reaffirmed the special and enduring partnership between India and Bhutan in the power sector, which has been a cornerstone of the close bilateral relationship between the two countries. The Ministers reviewed the progress of ongoing cooperation and discussed avenues for further strengthening collaboration across the energy sector.
They also reviewed the progress made under the bilateral institutional mechanisms established to facilitate regular engagement and enhance cooperation in the power sector. Among the key hydropower projects discussed were Punatsangchhu-I, Punatsangchhu-II, Sankosh and Chukha.
The Government has informed the Lok Sabha that caste-wise population data of various Scheduled Castes, along with the caste-wise Scheduled Caste population attending educational institutions in States and Union Territories, is available from the Census 2011 conducted by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale shared these details in a written reply to question by Shri Tariq Anwar in the Lok Sabha.
The written reply further stated that, as per the policy instructions issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), reservation of 15 per cent is provided to Scheduled Castes,
in posts and services under the Central Government.
As on 1 January 2026, the overall representation of Scheduled Castes in Central Government services stood at 17.14 per cent, reflecting representation above the prescribed reservation percentage.
The Government, however, clarified that data on caste-wise representation within the Scheduled Castes category is not maintained centrally.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has introduced ‘Poshan Tracker’ application as an ICT based governance tool. It provides facility for monitoring and review of all services provided to the beneficiaries at Anganwadi Centres and also at their home.
Poshan Tracker has enabled the Ministry, as well as States and UTs to continuously review the implementation of the Mission on various parameters and to make course correction.
An outcome-based evaluation study of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 was conducted by Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog (2025).
As per the study, digitalization through Poshan Tracker Application has a multi-dimensional impact on nutrition monitoring, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), beneficiary authentication, and service delivery efficiency.
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has just become the first woman to graduate from the Indian Air Force's (IAF) elite "Top Gun" school. Back in 2021, Bhawana Kanth was already making history - the first woman fighter pilot to march the Republic Day parade, one of India's original pioneering trio in the cockpit.
Squadron Leader Kanth has completed the punishing fighter combat leader course - 20 weeks of the most advanced combat flying training the IAF offers. Only about one in 100 pilots is even chosen to attempt it.
Squadron Leader Kanth flies the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter, having graduated to the premier jet after having flown the legacy MiG-21.
Rewind a decade. In 2016, Squadron Leader Kanth was one of three women commissioned as India's first-ever women fighter pilots - alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh - stepping into a cockpit no Indian woman had entered before.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a list of 17 large (upper layer or UL) non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), which included Tata Sons; subjecting them to enhanced regulatory requirements for at least five years and mandatory listing within three years of identification.
The banking regulator released the list of NBFC which has been categorised as Upper Layer NBFC (NBFC-UL) for the year 2026-27; even as it said the status of Tata Sons would depend on the outcome of its de-registration application.
SBI Life and J&K Bank partner to bring comprehensive life insurance solutions closer to families across India. Under this strategic corporate agency tie-up, over 1,000 branches of J&K Bank will offer the entire suite of SBI Life's protection, savings, retirement, and child plans.
According to a press release, the corporate agency agreement was signed by Budhaditya Banerjee, Regional Manager - Institutional Alliances (Chandigarh Region), and Masood Ahmad Lankar, DGM Cross Selling at J&K Bank.
Standard Chartered has received in-principle approval to offer wealth management products to clients from India's tax-neutral financial hub, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the bank said in a statement.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), the regulator for the international financial services hub, granted the in-principle approval, and Standard Chartered expects to roll out its retail wealth management offerings over the next few months.
Standard Chartered, the first foreign bank to commence operations in GIFT in 2020, joins HSBC in offering wealth products via the hub. The lender was earlier tapped by policymakers to manage U.S. dollar clearances for a foreign currency settlement system set up in the country's tax-neutral zone.
Indian Bank approved close to Rs. 500 crore MSME loans in a credit outreach programme held in New Delhi as a part of its 120th Foundation Day fortnight celebrations.
Sanction tickets were handed over to 128 beneficiaries by Indian Bank MD&CEO Binod Kumar, reaffirming Bank’s commitment towards the growth of MSMEs.
Indian Bank is also holding a series of mega loan melas, CSR initiatives, digital banking programmes and customer outreach activities across the country to observe 120th Foundation Day fortnight celebrations.
The programme also witnessed the launch of the Unified MSME Portal, a digital platform aimed at providing a seamless and integrated banking experience for MSME customers.
Five slender-billed vultures bred in captivity at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)’s conservation facility in Assam were released into the wild, marking the first such release anywhere in the world.
The birds, along with five captive-bred white-rumped vultures, were transported from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani near Guwahati and released at the Jatayu Soft Release Centre in the Biswanath Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
He said the 10 scavengers were shifted from the Rani centre three months ago for acclimatisation at a vulture-release aviary in Biswanath’s Tewaripal area. They were released in the presence of Assam’s Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, senior Forest Department officials, and others.
The population of Gyps vultures in India has declined by 99% over the last 20 years due to the use of veterinary painkillers. Although the Centre banned four such drugs—diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, and nimesulide—pesticide poisoning remains a threat to vultures in Assam.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 05th August,2026 at at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.
DPIIT is the nodal department for the registration and legal protection of Geographical Indications in India under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999,
while Ministry of MSME is the nodal ministry for steering the growth, financial health and overall development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, traditional industries and artisans across the country.
Both sides recognise that while the legal registration of GIs protects regional identity, maximising their economic value requires a coordinated effort to transition these products from localised crafts into scalable, commercially viable and export-ready enterprises.
As joint initiatives, both organisations will work towards integrating ODOP in their programme design and interventions, collaboratively facilitate the onboarding of GI collectives and authorised users onto the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) under a dedicated “Bharat GI” banner,
co-sponsor dedicated GI Pavilions at national and international trade expos, buyer-seller meets and exhibitions for domestic and global marketing of GI products.
APEDA facilitated the first-ever export of 1 Metric Tonne of Mustard Honey by Dergang Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) from Tripura to Dubai. The export marks a new milestone for the FPO and the region by creating an opportunity for local beekeepers and farmers to access international markets through organised export-oriented production.
The shipment represents the first-ever export of Mustard Honey from the area and opens new avenues for diversification of Tripura's honey value chain. The initiative is expected to encourage local farmers and FPOs to explore export opportunities and strengthen their participation in international agricultural markets.
The initiative was supported and hand-held by M/s Salt Range Foods Pvt. Ltd. which has been working with Dergang FPO to strengthen bee production and facilitate the development of export-oriented honey supply.
The export of Mustard Honey demonstrates the potential of FPO-led aggregation and industry collaboration in connecting farmers with international markets. It is expected to encourage more FPOs and farmers in Tripura and the wider North Eastern Region to explore value addition, quality improvement and export opportunities.
Since inception of Jiyo Parsi scheme in the year 2013, cumulative year-wise number of beneficiaries of Parsi Community provided with the financial assistance for treatment of infertility issues, childbearing, childbirth and Post Natal Care under the Medical components is 582.
In addition, since the year 2018-19 cumulative year-wise number of beneficiaries provided with financial assistance under the Health of Community component of the scheme is 1055. The total expenditure incurred in the scheme since its inception is Rs. 37.43 Cr. Total 534 births have been reported in the community since the year 2014-15.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics and Science Foundation (IDEAS), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata for undertaking Research Studies.
This collaborative initiative is an innovative, knowledge sharing platform between MoSPI and IDEAS, wherein MoSPI will provide financial assistance & data support and IDEAS will develop a desktop-based software tool to do GDP Nowcasting and a harmonised indicator framework linking administrative data on government health,
and well-being schemes with household-level NSS data.
This collaboration aims to deep dive into the various statistics released by MoSPI and provide harmonisation with other data sources, emphasising the data-driven decision-making initiative by the Government of India for Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Eminent oceanographer and distinguished scientist Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala officially assumed charge as the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India. He takes over from Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, who had been handling the responsibilities of MoES under an additional charge.
The position was previously held on a full-time basis by Dr. M. Ravichandran.
Dr. Tummala’s appointment marks a pivotal and strategic transition for the Ministry of Earth Sciences as India aggressively scales up its flagship Deep Ocean Mission, enhances climate modeling capabilities, and fortifies its multi-hazard early warning infrastructure to protect coastal communities and advance the national Blue Economy agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended IIT Delhi's 57th Convocation Ceremony as chief guest. He presented prestigious awards to graduating students for their academic achievements. PM Modi also inaugurated an AI-powered supercomputing facility at the Sonipat campus.
The Prime Minister presented the institute's most prestigious honours, including the President's Gold Medal, Director's Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal, and Perfect Ten Gold Medals, to meritorious students graduating this year.
Harish Salve, Chairperson of IIT Delhi's Board of Governors, and Institute Director Prof Rangan Banerjee felicitated PM Modi and Union Minister Prahlad Joshi at the ceremony.
Reserve Bank of India latest Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) has raised both real GDP growth and retail inflation projections for FY27 by 10 basis points (bps), while its FY28 forecasts suggest that the economy could move closer to a “Goldilocks” phase of steady growth and moderating inflation.
The RBI’s 101st SPF, conducted in July 2026, pegged FY27 real GDP growth at 6.6 per cent, up from 6.5 per cent projected in the 100th SPF conducted in May 2026.
At the same time, it increased the retail inflation forecast by 10 bps to 5 per cent from 4.9 per cent.
In its bi-monthly monetary policy review , the RBI also revised its FY27 growth forecast upwards by 10 bps to 6.7 per cent. However, it lowered its retail inflation projection by 10 bps to 5 per cent. As a result, the RBI’s growth projection for FY27 is now 10 bps higher than that of the SPF, while both have converged on the same inflation estimate.
Growth drivers and Inflation concerns :
In his monetary policy statement , RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra noted that economic growth continues to be supported by resilient domestic demand, sustained expansion in manufacturing and services, and robust exports, reaffirming India’s position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
FY28 outlook
The latest SPF raised its FY28 real GDP growth forecast by 10 bps to 7 per cent, compared with 6.9 per cent in the previous survey. Meanwhile, it retained the retail inflation projection at 4.5 per cent.
The revised FY28 forecasts indicate a near “Goldilocks” scenario, with economic growth remaining robust while inflation gradually moves closer to the Monetary Policy Committee’s medium-term target of 4 per cent.
IndusInd Bank announced the launch of the EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card on the RuPay network.
The Bank stated that this lifetime-free card brings Rs 21,495 every year, including Rs 18,000 in annual extra dining savings through payments on the EazyDiner app, a complimentary BookMyShow 'Buy One Get One' movie ticket every month worth Rs 2,400 annually, and a three-month complimentary EazyDiner Prime membership worth Rs 1,095.
Indel Money Ltd said its foreign exchange division, Indel Remit, has received RBI approval to offer trade remittance services.
“With the new license, Mumbai-headquartered Indel Remit is authorized to undertake any non-trade current account transaction permissible under the (Foreign Exchange Management) Act, other than gift and donation and foreign trade transactions up to Rs 25 lakh per transaction.
“It has also strengthened the company’s role in India’s evolving cross-border payments mechanism. Traders can now make fast, secure, and reliable payments up to ₹25 lakh per transaction through the Indel Money arm,” per an Indel Money statement.
Umesh Mohanan, ED & CEO, Indel Money, said the company’s focus is on making international transactions more accessible, efficient, and transparent while maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance and customer service.
