The Vice President, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated ‘MALHAR 2026’, a youth-centric, monsoon-themed celebration of Indian classical music by Antar Hriday Connect, in New Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, the Vice President appreciated Antar Hriday Connect for creating opportunities for young people to experience and engage with India’s rich classical music heritage, particularly through free classical music concerts.He described India’s cultural diversity as “many musical traditions, one shared spirit; many voices, one Bharat.”
He noted that the Malhar family of ragas is traditionally associated with the monsoon and described ‘MALHAR’ as a symbol of renewal, with music having the power to refresh the human spirit, awaken imagination and inspire hope.
The Vice President emphasised that India’s classical music tradition has remained a living tradition because it has continuously
evolved. He urged the youth to become custodians and ambassadors of India’s civilisational heritage and encouraged them to take the country’s classical music and cultural traditions to communities across the world.
He also highlighted music as one of India’s greatest forms of soft power, capable of transcending language and borders and fostering friends
, understanding and goodwill.
India and Brazil reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of BRICS ICT Track Meeting in Pune.The MoU was signed by Union Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and
H.E. Mr. Frederico de Siqueira Filho, Minister of Communications, Federative Republic of Brazil.The MoU establishes a framework for strengthening bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and ICTs and seeks to promote regular exchange of information, experiences and best practices, while exploring mutually beneficial opportunities based on the
principles of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect.
The cooperation envisaged under the MoU covers a wide range of strategic and emerging technologies, including telecommunications policies and regulations, Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G and 6G, Open RAN, Internet of Things (IoT), Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity, Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
satellites and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), spectrum and satellite/orbit management, digital infrastructure, optical fibre and submarine cables and also covers key areas such as cybersecurity, universal and meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, consumer protection, private networks, digital transition and reduction of the environmental impact
of ICTs.
The signing marks an important step towards further strengthening India–Brazil cooperation in telecommunications and ICTs, providing a comprehensive and forward-looking framework for collaboration in emerging technologies, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, connectivity, capacity building and international cooperation.
Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the 25th India – UK Defence Consultative Group (DCG) Meeting with the Permanent Under Secretary (PUS) for Defence of UK Mr Jeremy Pocklington, at New Delhi on Aug 21, 2026. Both countries reviewed the ongoing defence industrial cooperation with emphasis on Research & Development through the
India – UK vision 2035 and the Ten year Defence Industrial Roadmap.
Both sides agreed to expand bilateral exchanges between the armed forces of India and UK through joint exercises, training and capacity building. They acknowledged the robust maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, including establishment of the Regional Maritime Security
Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
The Secretaries exchanged views on issues of regional peace and security and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual security and strategic autonomy. Both sides reiterated that the India-UK Strategic Partnership is based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and
This was Mr Jeremy Pocklington’s first visit to India in his capacity as Permanent Under Secretary for Defence of UK. Prior to the DCG meeting, the UK Defence Secretary laid a wreath at the National War Memorial, and paid homage to the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our nation.
The Territorial Army, in collaboration with CyberPeace, has launched Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 (TCQ 3.0), a national-level hackathon aimed at developing innovative solutions to contemporary defence, cybersecurity and information-domain challenges.
In the third edition of the competition, Indian Army seeks to bring together technical talent from academia,
industry, research institutions, government organisations and the Armed Forces. The initiative will focus on emerging areas including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, threat mitigation and digital awareness, while encouraging development of indigenous solutions relevant to national security.
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $230 million loan to modernise and expand Chennai’s water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
The Government of India’s engagement with ADB for the finalisation of the loan was done under the guidance of Shri Baldeo Purushartha, Joint Secretary (ADB & Japan),
Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance.
Accordingly, the loan documents were signed by Shri Saurabh Singh, Deputy Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India, and Ms. Mio Oka, Country Director, India Resident Mission on behalf of the ADB.
The Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project will improve access to safe and reliable water supply and better sanitation services across Chennai. It will also help strengthen the city’s resilience to climate change, improve public health and quality of life, and support a more efficient and financially sustainable urban water system.
ADB’s latest investment builds on earlier projects in the city to expand access to safe and equitable water and waste management services, in line with the Government of India’s flagship urban development interventions, such as the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 and the Urban Challenge Fund.
The project will construct over 170 km of water supply pipes and sewer pipes, upgrade seven water pumping stations and 38 sewer pumping stations, and strengthen water utility assets and operations management through performance-based contracts. With this, Chennai will become the first Indian city to implement a comprehensive ring-main solution,
a closed-loop plumbing system designed to maintain balanced water pressure and deliver water efficiently across service areas, improving reliability, equity, and resilience to natural hazards in its urban water supply system.
The BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting under India’s Chairship concluded in Jaipur with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026 (Jaipur Declaration), providing a framework for strengthening tourism cooperation among BRICS Member States.The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
It marked the culmination of the BRICS Tourism Track under India’s Chairship in 2026, being taken forward under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The meeting saw participation from nine BRICS Member States. Ministerial participation included Mr. Gustavo Costa Feliciando, Minister of Tourism, Brazil;
Mr. Reza Salehi Amiri, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran; Ms. Patricia De Lille, Minister of Tourism, South Africa; and H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, United Arab Emirates, along with Heads of Delegation from China, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Russia.
The Indian delegation included Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, and Shri Harikishore S., Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, among other officials.
The Jaipur Declaration reflects the work undertaken through the BRICS Tourism Working Group during India’s Chairship around four thematic priorities -Artificial Intelligence and Tourism
Sustainability and Responsible Tourism; Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building; and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI/the Commission) passed an order dated 21.08.2026 under the provisions of Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002 (the Act) imposing monetary and non-monetary sanctions on Agro Input Dealers Association (AIDA), Agro Input Welfare Association (AIWA),
Mr. Manmohan C. Kalantri and Mr. Arvindbhai Jerambhai Patel for indulging in anti-competitive conduct of cartelisation.
In this matter, the Commission determined that AIDA, AIWA, Mr. Kalantri and Mr. Patel have acted in contravention of provisions of Section 3(3)(b) read with Section 3(1) of the Act. Accordingly, the Commission,
in terms of Section 27(a) of the Act, directed the OPs and their respective officials (Mr. Pravinbhai Patel, General Secretary of AIDA and Mr. Sanjay Kumar Raghuwanshi, National Spokesperson, AIDA) who have been found liable in terms of provisions of Section 48 of the Act,
to cease and desist in future from indulging in conduct found to be in contravention of the provisions of the Act.
The Commission, after considering nature and gravity of the contravention along with assessment of mitigating and aggravating factors, also imposed monetary penalty amounting to Rs. 81,889 on AIDA, Rs. 3,92,269 on AIWA,
Rs. 4,98,903 on Mr. Kalantri, Rs. 74,717 on Mr. Arvindbhai Jerambhai Patel, Rs. 9,177 on Mr. Pravinbhai Patel and Rs. 8,622 on Mr. Raghuwanshi, respectively.
Further, the Commission, in terms of Section 27(g) of the Act, also directed the OPs to organise a competition compliance training programme in order to spread awareness about competition laws.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully concluded its participation in two pivotal international flight engagements: Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia and Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 in Malaysia. The dual-nation deployment underscored the IAF’s operational reach, advanced tactical coordination,
and commitment to strengthening strategic defence partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region.
During Exercise Pitch Black 2026, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, the IAF deployed its frontline Rafale aircraft to operate alongside Air Forces from over 20 participating nations. Executing complex Large Force Employment missions in a high-threat,
multi-domain environment, the exercise enabled seamless tactical integration, cross-learning, and enhanced interoperability among coalition partners.
Following the operations in Australia, the IAF contingent deployed directly to Subang, Malaysia, for Exercise Udara Shakti 2026.
IAF aircrew executed high-intensity combat sorties and joint tactical manoeuvres alongside the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), flying with and against Su-30MKM and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. The bilateral engagement focused on refining air combat tactics, subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), and optimizing combined operational flexibility.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), has launched GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort 3, a national-level programme to support aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, students and early-stage startup founders in transforming innovative ideas into technology-driven ventures.
GENESIS EIR 3.0 was launched at the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit, Coimbatore Edition, held on 4 August 2026 at Rathinam Global University, Coimbatore. The Call for Applications is now live and open to the startup and innovation ecosystem.
GENESIS EIR 3.0 is a component of the GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) scheme, aimed at discovering, supporting and accelerating startups, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
The Nagaland government signed a power purchase agreement with a Pune-based firm to develop a 20-megawatt solar power plant at Tizit in Mon district.
The project, to be set up at Lapa Lampong village, will be the first private-sector solar plant.
According to Bhakti Dave, director of Tvaksas Renewable Private Limited, the project under a 25-year agreement will be commissioned within 20 months to supply clean energy to the State’s electricity grid at a fixed tariff of Rs. 4.12 per kWh approved by the Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The project would go a long way in reducing the State’s power import bill. It is part of the government’s plan to enhance power generation to meet the current peak demand of 203MW, which is expected to reach 482MW by 2034-35.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that $72,85 billion [$72,848 million] of foreign exchange has been generated via FCNR(B) Deposits, External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) under the Reserve Bank Swap facility as on August 21, 2026.
The position of forex inflows as reported by Authorised Dealer Banks to the RBI till August 21, 2026 includes $64.40 billion by way of FCNR (B) deposits; $4.86 billion via OFCBs and $2.59 billion by ECBs.The RBI had introduced a special USD-INR Forex Swap facility covering FCNR(B) deposits,
ECB and OFCB inflows on June 08, 2026 to swell it’s forex reserve that was under pressure due to depreciation of the Indian Rupee on account of FPI outflow and high oil import bill.
As already announced on August 14, 2026, the Scheme is open till August 31, 2026, for FCNR(B) deposits, and up to December 31, 2026 for ECBs and OFCBs.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) informed that it has given its green light for the development of approximately 1,800 km of pipeline infrastructure for transporting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Spanning across six States — Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Goa — they are estimated to involve a capital investment of approximately ₹7,000 crore.from Cherlapally (Telangana) to Nagpur (Maharashtra) which is a distance of 556 km, from Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) to Sitarganj (Uttarakhand) which runs approximately 611 km,
and 633 km from Shikrapur (Maharashtra) to Goa & Hubli (Karnataka) Pipeline. State-owned gas distributor GAIL (India) Limited would be developing these projects.
Upon completion, the latest-ratified pipelines are expected to augment the country’s overall LPG network by about 24% from about 7,700 km to about 9,500 km.
In March 2026, the government had eased its FDI rules to allow investments from companies that have up to 10% stake owned by entities based in countries that share a land border with India to enter India through the automatic route, rather than mandatorily needing government approval.
A total of 29 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth ₹4,895.65 crore have been reported to the government under its revised framework, which allows companies with up to 10% Chinese ownership to invest through the automatic route, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
In Chess, India’s 19-year-old Grandmaster Pranesh M emerged as the champion in the prestigious Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary, securing the Group A title with a superb performance. In the ninth and final round of the tournament, Pranesh defeated Vadim Petrovskiy of Germany with white pieces.
Pranesh has a rating of 2673 and is ranked 44th in the latest FIDE Rankings of August 2026.
Pranesh, who hails from Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, finished with seven points from nine rounds, sharing the top spot with three other players. He claimed the title on a better tiebreak with Or Bronstein of Israel, Andrei Volokitin of Ukraine,
and India’s Karthik Venkataraman, finishing second to fourth in that order. The Indian Embassy in Hungary hailed Pranesh for winning the title.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will co-chair the 27th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov in Moscow. He will also meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and
and exchange perspectives on regional and global issues. Under the Strategic Partnership, several institutionalised dialogue mechanisms operate at both political and official levels to ensure regular interaction and follow-up on cooperation activities. The India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) has two divisions – Trade, Economic, Scientific,
Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) and Military & Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).India and Russia have a longstanding and time-tested partnership. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000.
The United Nations General Assembly established this observance in 2019 through Resolution 73/296 to honor people who have suffered or lost their lives due to violence based on their religion or belief. The day also highlights the need to protect freedom of religion or belief as a fundamental human right.
UN message for 2026:
The 2026 observance emphasized solidarity with victims, accountability for perpetrators, and collective efforts to combat religious intolerance and protect the rights of all people, regardless of their faith or beliefs.
Veteran politician Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sworn in as Bangladesh's 23rd President.
Mr. Alamgir, a longtime secretary general of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was administered the oath of office by Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban,
the official office-cum-residence of the head of state.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Cabinet ministers, top army brass and several other officials were present at the oath ceremony.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent for the Asian Games, which will begin next month in Japan. The contingent includes 265 male and 227 women athletes, with athletics accounting for the largest share of 73 participants.
The athletics squad comprises two-time Olympic medallist and star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and 100-metre hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, among others.
India’s 20-member badminton team features established names such as P V Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty.
The squad also includes women’s doubles pair Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, as well as men’s doubles duo Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
The boxing squad has 11 members, including recent Commonwealth Games silver medallists Lovlina Borgohain in the 75-kilogram category, Narender Berwal in the over-90-kilogram category,
and Jadumani Singh in the 55-kilogram category.
