Semiconductor chip design is a critical value driver across the semiconductor value chain, contributing up to 50% of overall value addition and accounting for approximately 15–35% of the Bill of Materials (BOM) cost of electronic products.Recognising the pivotal role of semiconductor design in the country’s strategic technological ambitions,
the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme is supporting Indian Startups for designing chips for a wide range of strategic and commercial applications. These include satellite communications, drones, surveillance cameras, Defence and Aerospace Systems, Automotive, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, LED drivers, AI systems, Telecom Equipment,
and Smart Meters.
The Prime Minister outlined India's growing sporting ambitions on the world stage: "Bharat's performance in the world of sports is steadily improving, and we are moving forward as strong contenders to host the 2036 Olympics. Bharat is also going to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030."
He noted that the Olympic Games encompass roughly 40 sports and 325–350 events, and stressed the need for India to broaden its participation: "In nearly two-thirds of these 325 events, Bharat does not even participate. We are not present; we do not qualify. We have decided that we want the 2036 Olympics to be held in Bharat.
Bharat must focus on these areas. We also want to launch a talent-hunt campaign." Prime Minister Modi linked this ambition to a long-term talent identification drive: "If we need athletes for 2036, we must focus today on these young boys and girls who are 5, 10 or 15 years old. We must pay attention to our daughters as well.
A talent-hunt campaign will be conducted in villages, cities and schools across the country to identify sporting talent among children aged between 5 and 15."
Children identified through this campaign, he said, would have their abilities assessed and be given specialised training to help them develop into athletes capable of representing the country.
As part of India’s BRICS Chairship for 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) leads and organises the BRICS ICT Track (Information and Communication Technologies Track) in Pune from 17 to 21 August 2026, under the theme “Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future.” This will be a part of a series of meetings on key areas
being held across the country under the BRICS platform. BRICS brings together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries of the world: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.
The five-day ICT Track will bring together Communications Ministers, senior government officials and ICT experts from BRICS member countries to strengthen cooperation in information and communication technologies and advance a secure, inclusive and resilient digital future.
In a significant step towards the preservation, documentation and wider accessibility of India’s traditional medical knowledge heritage, the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, has entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI), Kumaranalloor, Kottayam, Kerala, for the systematic digitization and preparation of a descriptive catalogue of its collection of medical manuscripts.
SEMIRI, run by the Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom, has preserved a vast collection of more than
30,000 manuscripts, including temple records. The MoU marks an important collaborative initiative to safeguard valuable manuscript resources associated with the rich medical and intellectual traditions of Kerala.The initiative assumes particular significance in the context of the Gyan Bharatam Mission and the Government of India’s broader efforts towards
the preservation, digitization and dissemination of India’s manuscript heritage. Dr. C.S. Unni, President, SEMIRI, stressed the importance of the collaboration in bringing out the vast heritage of Kerala, particularly that of the Kumaranalloor and Kottayam region. Dr. Goli Penchala Prasad, Head, CCRAS-NIIMH, spoke on the challenges and the way
forward for manuscriptology, especially in the context of Ayurveda.
The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, is a specialized institute under CCRAS, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, dedicated to research, documentation and preservation of the historical and literary heritage of Indian systems of medicine.
Its activities include literary research, documentation of medical manuscripts, textual studies, digitization and development of resources for the study of India’s medical heritage.
The Sevadhi Museum and Indological Research Institute, located in Kumaranalloor, Kottayam, is a heritage and research facility dedicated to preserving the cultural,
social and administrative history of Central Travancore. It is owned and managed by the Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom, the traditional governing body of the historic Kumaranalloor Devi Temple.
Union Minister Shri Jual Oram and Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, Member, NITI Aayog, Jointly Release National Framework and Operational Guidelines for Strengthening of ITDAs and ITDPs.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister noted that ITDAs/ITDPs have historically served as a critical bridge between government programmes and tribal communities, and that their role has grown even more significant with the scale of interventions under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) and PM-JANMAN.
In a spectacular global celebration of India’s Independence Day, the Suryapath Tiranga, a special initiative under Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 has carried the spirit of the National Flag across the world, following the path of the rising sun from Fiji at 1:30 AM IST to San Francisco at 8:30 PM IST. The unique global relay has connected 54 missions
and posts across countries and continents, turning the movement of the sun into a symbolic journey of the Tiranga across the globe.
Beginning in Suva, Fiji at 1:30 AM IST, the Tiranga moved successively through New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The relay then continued westward through Central and West Asia, including Uzbekistan, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, before reaching Africa and Europe. Each successive flag-hoisting marked another chapter in the unfolding global celebration of India’s Independence Day.
The journey subsequently crossed Ethiopia, Russia, Kenya, Israel, Egypt and South Africa, before moving across Europe through Latvia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Morocco and Iceland. The Tiranga then crossed the Atlantic, reaching the Americas through Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, Argentina, Trinidad & Tobago,
the Dominican Republic, the United States, Colombia, Canada, Jamaica, Peru and Mexico, before the relay's scheduled final stop at San Francisco at 8:30 PM IST.
The Suryapath Tiranga has thus created a remarkable chain of flag-hoisting ceremonies spanning more than 19 hours and 54 missions/posts, geographically linking the Pacific, Asia, Africa,
Europe and the Americas. From the first light of the day in the Pacific to the evening skies of North America, the Tiranga has symbolically travelled with the sun, carrying a message of national pride, unity and India's global presence.
A defining feature of the celebrations has been the collective cultural expression accompanying the hoisting
of the National Flag. Mass singing of India’s National Song, Vande Mataram, and the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, has formed an integral part of the programmes at missions and posts, bringing together members of the Indian diaspora, officials and friends of India in a shared expression of patriotism. The initiative also gives special resonance to 150
years of India’s National Song Vande Mataram, being commemorated this year.
The global relay is part of Har Ghar Tiranga 2026, which is being celebrated with unprecedented participation across India and abroad. The initiative seeks to take the Tiranga beyond geographical boundaries and make it a shared symbol of pride for Indians wherever they may be.
Through Suryapath Tiranga, the National Flag has become the thread connecting celebrations across different time zones—one Tiranga, one journey, a world united in the spirit of India.
The initiative also reflects the growing participation of the Indian diaspora and India's missions and posts abroad in Har Ghar Tiranga. From the Pacific Islands to Europe,
Africa and the Americas, the hoisting of the Tiranga and collective singing of Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana have created a shared moment of celebration, demonstrating the enduring emotional bond between India and its global community.
Suryapath Tiranga stands as a visual and symbolic expression of India's timeless connection with its people.
The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026 on August 15, a national cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hackathon designed to test and recognise human judgment in cybersecurity assessment.
The hackathon was formally launched by Prof. (Dr.) M. M. Tripathi, Director General, NIELIT and Vice Chancellor, NIELIT Deemed to be University, as the official parallel technical track of the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026).
In a unique celebration of patriotism, public service and technological innovation, the Department of Posts delivered the National Flag, the Tiranga, through a drone from Mandi Head Post Office to Rehardhar Branch Post Office in Himachal Pradesh, marking the first-ever drone delivery of the Tiranga by India Post.
The initiative was inaugurated and carried out virtually by the Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, on the eve of Independence Day. Witnessing the live drone take-off from Mandi Head Post Office, the Union Minister interacted with postal officials and the drone operator.
The drone subsequently landed at Rehardhar Branch Post Office, where the postal team received the parcel carrying the Tiranga and formally handed it over to an army veteran, adding a special significance to the occasion.In line with the vision of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for a technologically advanced, inclusive and connected Viksit Bharat,
the Department of Posts has planned the deployment of drone-based mail transmission across 150 identified routes in Himachal Pradesh and Assam. The initiative is aimed at strengthening connectivity and facilitating efficient mail delivery across difficult terrains and reflects the enduring ethos of “Dak Sewa, Jan Sewa” and its continuing endeavor to use
innovation and technology to connect citizens and serve the nation.
As the nation prepares to celebrate the 80th Independence Day, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship rural drinking water programme of the Government of India, is set to complete seven years of transformative progress in improving the lives of rural households across the country. Launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 15 August 2019,
Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide every rural household with safe and adequate drinking water through a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) on a regular and long-term basis.
Zhu was China’s Premier from 1998 to 2003 under President Jiang Zemin. He was a major economic reformer, restructuring inefficient state-owned companies, controlling inflation and strengthening government finances.
His biggest international achievement was helping negotiate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001/2002,
, which accelerated China integration into the global economy and contributed to its rapid economic growth.
He was known for being direct, outspoken and tough on corruption, but his reforms also caused large-scale job losses as state industries were restructured.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed a revamp of its settlement framework, including a simpler formula for calculating settlement amounts, lower additional charges for refiling withdrawn applications, and allowing applicants to seek settlement at the appellate stage before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) and the Supreme
Court.
The proposals are part of Sebi's consultation paper on the review of the Sebi (Settlement Proceedings) Regulations, 2018, and the draft Sebi (Settlement of Proceedings) Regulations, 2026.
The Government has decided to remove the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels.
The advertisement duration cap for Television was introduced in the year 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. Since then, the TV broadcasting sector has undergone significant changes. In 2006, there were only 62 TV channels,
compared to more than 900 channels at present.
At that time, Cable TV, the main platform for delivering TV channels, was analog and had limited carriage capacity, offering consumers very limited choice. Following the complete digitization of the Cable TV sector, all TV distribution platforms, including DTH, Cable TV, HITS and IPTV, are now digital.
These platforms currently carry 300 and 500 channels or more, meeting diverse consumer needs and enabling greater variety. Consequently, there is now adequate competition in market dynamics.
In view of the changes that have occurred in the TV broadcasting sector, a need was felt to revisit the stipulations relating to advertisement duration.
. In India, the sector is heavily dependent on advertising, irrespective of whether a channel is ‘pay’ or ‘free-to-air’. Furthermore, there was a non-level playing field for traditional TV channels vis-à-vis digital media, where no such stipulation on advertisement cap regulation exists.
The decision shall come into effect from the date of notification of the amendment in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 in the Gazette.
The Prime Minister gave a call from the Red Fort for seven streams of strength, “Sapt Dhara”, to take India to new heights and give the country new momentum in the coming five-seven years. The seven streams are:
•Manufacturing Power: India must develop the complete value chain, from components and design to manufacturing of complete products, and become
a trusted centre of the global supply chain. The Prime Minister stressed cost, quality and scale, competitive factories, user-friendly products, attractive packaging and zero-defect precision manufacturing. Calling for no compromise on quality, he said, “Quality, Quality, Quality” should be the mantra of Indian manufacturing.
