The Government of India has invited 100 beneficiaries of PM Vishwakarma from the Delhi-NCR region as ‘Special Guests’ to witness the 80th Independence Day Ceremony at the Red Fort, Delhi, on 15th August, 2026. The beneficiaries will attend the national celebration along with their spouse/companion.
As part of their participation, the PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries will also be presented with souvenirs as a token of recognition and appreciation, followed by an interaction with officials of the Ministry of MSME on 14 August 2026 at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi,
recognising their contribution to India’s traditional crafts and cultural heritage.
India Optel Limited (IOL), a Mini Ratna Category-I Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Department of Defence Production, has launched the indigenous ‘GARUD’ High Resolution Binoculars for the civil market. Developed and manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Dehradun,
a unit of India Optel Limited, GARUD embodies the spirit of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ through indigenous design and manufacturing. With a rich legacy of precision optical manufacturing dating back to 1943, GARUD combines proven defence-grade expertise with modern technology to deliver reliable, high-quality optical performance for civilian users.
Weighing approximately 610 grams, GARUD combines portability with dependable performance in a compact design. It is suited for a wide range of applications, including birdwatching, wildlife observation, nature exploration, travel, sports, forestry, marine activities and security-related applications.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation organised a Tiranga Rally as part of the Independence Day celebrations under the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign 2026. Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, flagged off the rally in the presence of Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol;
Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri Samir Kumar Sinha and officers and staff of the Ministry.The rally proceeded from Udaan Bhawan to Aviation Park at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, with Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Shri Murlidhar Mohol and Shri Samir Kumar Sinha leading the participating contingent.
The celebrations commenced with the inauguration of a Digital Video Wall by Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Shri Murlidhar Mohol, followed by the rendition of “Vande Mataram” by the dignitaries and participants.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved major financial allocations for Rajasthan and Telangana under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PMRKVY) and the Krishonnati Yojana.
Considering the progress, expenditure status and interests of farmers in both states, Rajasthan is being allocated Rs 340.59 crore, while Rs 265.12 crore is being released to Telangana. Shri Chouhan also congratulated the Telangana Agriculture Minister for the state’s new model for Farmer ID and fertiliser distribution.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will release the autobiography of former President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, titled “Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles”, at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion.
The release of the autobiography by the Prime Minister will mark a significant occasion celebrating the life and contributions of one of India’s most distinguished public figures. The autobiography offers a deeply personal account of Shri Ram Nath Kovind’s remarkable life journey, tracing his experiences, struggles
and achievements from his early years to his distinguished public life and eventual service as the 14th President of India. The book provides insights into the values, experiences and circumstances that shaped his journey and public service.
The Hon’ble Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan held a warm and substantive meeting with the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses M. Wetang’ula, EGH, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, who is leading a Parliamentary Delegation from Kenya on a bilateral visit to India.
During the meeting, the Vice-President highlighted the close parliamentary ties between India and Kenya and expressed India’s readiness to share its experience in technology solutions and digital technology, including the use of digital technology leading towards a paperless Parliament.
He noted the presence of an Indian-origin Member of Parliament in Kenya’s Parliamentary Friendship Group and recalled with appreciation the proposal to install a bust of Mahatma Gandhi within the premises of the National Assembly of Kenya.
Airtel Business and ITI have entered into a strategic collaboration to help enterprises in India fast-track their digital transformation and unlock new opportunities for growth, resilience, and innovation. As enterprises across the country advance their digitization in line with the nation's digital growth and development agenda,
the collaboration will combine the complementary strengths and engineering excellence of ITI Limited and Airtel Business, to help businesses modernize legacy systems, improve operational efficiency, strengthen security, and respond faster to changing business demands.
Through an integrated suite of future-ready and scalable digital solutions across
enterprise connectivity, data center & sovereign cloud services, IoT, AI-powered solutions, LEO satellite services, cybersecurity, and more, the partnership will enable businesses to overcome legacy complexity, strengthen digital resilience, and build for the future to unlock new growth opportunities.
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) on Monday said it has launched India's first-of-its-kind accreditation scheme for mobile food testing laboratories.
The initiative aims to expand access to reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked food testing services closer to communities
The scheme, developed by NABL, establishes a framework for mobile food testing laboratories to provide reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked testing services closer to communities.
By extending accredited food testing beyond conventional laboratory settings, the initiative is expected to strengthen food safety surveillance, improve
access to quality testing, support faster regulatory interventions and enhance consumer confidence.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoS, EFCC), Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, presided over the national celebrations of World Elephant Day 2026 at Visakhapatnam today. Shri Konidala Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister (Andhra Pradesh), graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
The event saw participation of Shri Tanmay Kumar, Secretary (EFCC), Shri Sushil Kumar Awasthi, DG (Forest) and Special Secretary; Shri Ramesh Pandey, ADG (Wildlife), besides senior officers of the Ministry, and Andhra Pradesh Forest Department. Officers from the Ministry of Railways, State Forest Departments, scientific institutions and other stakeholder
and other stakeholders were also present during the event.
V O Chidambaranar Port Authority in Thoothukudi has become the first major port in India to be recognised as a Scope-2 emission-free port and the first in the country to receive ISO 50001:2018 certification for its Energy Management System.
The recognition was conferred by Bureau Veritas, a global certification body, marking a milestone in the port’s efforts to improve energy efficiency and promote sustainable operations.In 2025-26, renewable energy sources accounted for 93.89% of the port’s total electricity consumption.Port Authority chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit said ISO 50001:2018
enables systematic management of energy consumption across cargo-handling equipment, lighting systems, buildings, pumps, workshops and other facilities. It also covers energy monitoring and metering, preventive maintenance, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and shore-to-ship power systems.
The port currently has 1.04 MW of rooftop solar, 6 MW of ground-mounted solar, and 2 MW of wind power capacity. It is also establishing a 2 MW ground-mounted solar plant, an 8 MW wind farm integrated with a 5-MWh battery energy storage system and a 9 MW wind farm.The port has also established a Green Hydrogen Hub with a 10 Nm³/hr pilot project
and is setting up a 3 MW green hydrogen production plant, besides developing a green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility with two 750-m³ tanks.
PMS Bazaar, India's leading alternative investments platform, has announced its collaboration with NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML Accreditation Agency) to facilitate the SEBI Accredited Investor certification process for eligible investors and entities.
The collaboration aims to make Accredited Investor certification simpler, faster, and more accessible through end-to-end assistance. As India's alternative investment ecosystem continues to evolve, PMS Bazaar believes wider adoption of the Accredited Investor framework will broaden investor participation and improve access to sophisticated investment
opportunities for eligible investors.
Under SEBI's Accredited Investor framework, eligible investors may benefit from lower minimum investment thresholds across Portfolio Management Services (PMS), Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), and other alternative investment products, along with access to sophisticated investment opportunities
and related regulatory flexibilities available to Accredited Investors.
Upon receiving all the required documents, PMS Bazaar initiates the application immediately, with certificates typically issued by the NDML Accreditation Agency on a T+1 basis, subject to proper documentation and payment completion.
During the announcement of the collaboration at the PMS Bazaar Bengaluru Conclave, several participants successfully applied for and received their Accredited Investor Certificates within a few hours on the same day, demonstrating the efficiency of the overall process.
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of the current financial year is estimated to be 8 per cent, according to a State Bank of India (SBI) Research report published . This estimate is higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) own projection of 7 per cent.
. “Robust consumption and demand indicators exhibit continued resilience of the Indian economy. Except for a few indicators, India’s industrial growth is quite satisfactory,” states the report. “Services sector, the largest contributor to economic growth, revealed that except freight and passenger traffic all are in favour of an impressive growth for Q1.
