Nitai Roy Chowdhury sworn in as cabinet minister in Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government.
[Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)]
Key Updates:
- Nitai Roy Chowdhury is the only Hindu minister in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's cabinet.
- He was elected MP from Magura-2 on a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ticket, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami rival.
- Chowdhury previously served as Minister of Youth and Sports for about three months from September 1990 in Hussain Muhammad Ershad's government.
- He is Vice Chairman of BNP's Central Committee and a senior advisor and strategist to the party leadership.
- Chowdhury is an alumnus of University of Dhaka and studied law there after early education at Magura Government College.
- His daughter Nipun Roy Chowdhury is an active BNP member and has held district-level leadership positions.
Similar Coverage
- André Béteille died in New Delhi on Tuesday night after a prolonged age-related illness at the age of 91.
- He was born in West Bengal to a French father and an Indian mother and completed his MA at Calcutta University before joining the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) in 1959.
- Béteille taught at DSE from 1959 until his retirement in 1999 and was known for never missing classes except for a few visiting fellowships abroad.
- His major books include Caste, Class and Power (1965), Society and Politics in India (1991), and Equality and Universality: Essays in Social and Political Theory (2002).
- He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contribution to literature and education.
- After retirement, he was associated with the Indian Council of Social Science Research and served as Chancellor of Ashoka University from 2014 to 2017.
- Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), won two parliamentary seats: Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6.
- BNP and its allies secured at least 212 of the 299 contested seats in the 13th Parliamentary elections.
- Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad.
- The elections were held on February 12, with 127.7 million eligible voters and a 59% turnout reported by 2pm.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman on BNP’s victory.
- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies secured a two-thirds majority in the 13th parliamentary election held on 12 February 2026.
- A simultaneous national referendum was conducted to approve the July National Charter (Constitutional Amendment) Implementation Order, 2025.
- The proposed reforms include transitioning the country from a unicameral to a bicameral parliamentary system with a 100-seat upper house.
- The July National Charter introduces a 10-year (two-term) limit for any individual serving as the Prime Minister.
- The reform package seeks to reinstate the caretaker government system, which was previously abolished in 2011.
- The core constitutional principles of Bengali nationalism, democracy, socialism, and secularism are to be replaced by equality, human dignity, social justice, and religious freedom.
- The official nationality of citizens will be changed from Bengali to Bangladeshi under the proposed constitutional framework.
- New fundamental rights proposed in the charter include the right to uninterrupted internet access and the protection of personal information.
- The referendum mechanism was reinstated by a High Court ruling in 2024 following the removal of the previous administration.
- Bangladesh has previously held three national referendums in the years 1977, 1985, and 1991.
- The charter proposes the establishment of two new administrative divisions named Comilla Division and Faridpur Division.
- Article 70 of the Constitution, which prohibits members of parliament from voting against their party line, is proposed to be abolished.
- The number of reserved seats for women in the lower house of parliament is proposed to be increased to 100.
- Vice President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book at the Vice President’s Enclave.
- The book is authored by former Secretary to the Government of India Shri Surendra Kumar Pachauri.
- The Supreme Court verdict of 2019 on Ram Janmabhoomi was described as a historic turning point by the Vice President.
- The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust mobilised over ₹3,000 crore through a crowd-funded campaign.
- The Dhwaja-rohan ceremony of 25 November 2025 was recalled as a deeply emotional national moment.
State Bank of India (SBI) notes cash in circulation hit record Rs 40 lakh crore in January 2026.
[State Bank of India (SBI)]
Key Updates:
- Currency in circulation reached Rs 40 lakh crore in January 2026, 11% higher than January 2025.
- UPI transactions touched Rs 28.33 lakh crore in January 2026, up over 20% year-on-year.
- SBI attributes the cash spike to tax enforcement, lower interest rates boosting consumption, and high precious-metal prices prompting households to sell gold and silver.
- 18,000 Goods and Services Tax (GST) notices served to small vendors on UPI dealings coincided with higher ATM withdrawals in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala.
- Rs 2,000 notes share fell to 0.02% by volume after withdrawal of Rs 3.56 lakh crore worth from 19 May 2023; share of Rs 100, 200 and 500 notes increased.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks in April 2025 to raise Rs 100/200 notes in ATMs and ensure 96% of ATMs dispense these denominations by end-March 2026.
- Cash-to-GDP ratio declined to 11% in FY26 from 14.4% in FY21.
Similar Coverage
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) for September 2025 stands at 516.76.
- The RBI-DPI was 465.33 in September 2024 and 493.22 in March 2025.
- The index captures digitisation of payments across the country with March 2018 as the base year.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reported that India’s foreign exchange reserves reached a record high of $709.4 billion for the week ended 23 January 2026.
- The total reserves increased by $8.05 billion during the reporting week, comprising a $5.6 billion rise in gold reserves and a $2.37 billion increase in foreign currency assets.
- Gold prices surged by 8.5% to reach $4,987 per ounce during the week, which significantly contributed to the growth in reserves.
- The previous record for forex reserves was $704.89 billion, which was established in September 2024.
- The reserves were also supported by the settlement of a matured Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) position worth approximately $3 billion in the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market on 16 January 2026.
- The Indian rupee closed at a record low of 91.99 against the US dollar on 30 January 2026 due to trade uncertainties and persistent capital outflows.
- India will start sharing and receiving cross-border cryptocurrency transaction data from April 1, 2027 under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) led Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).
- India is a signatory to the CARF which mandates automatic exchange of crypto transaction information between tax authorities.
- From April 1, 2026, non-submission of prescribed crypto transaction statements will attract a daily penalty of ₹200.
- Inaccurate reporting or failure to correct errors will draw a flat penalty of ₹50,000 per the budget documents.
- The government had introduced a 30% tax on gains and 1% tax deducted at source on crypto transactions in 2022.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves jumped by $392 million to $687.19 billion in the week ended January 9, 2026.
- Foreign currency assets (FCAs) fell by $1.124 billion to $550.87 billion.
- Gold holdings rose by $1.568 billion to $112.83 billion.
- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) edged down by $39 million to $18.739 billion.
- India’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund fell by $13 million to $4.758 billion.
All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) Reports 2.01 Lakh Tonnes Sugar Exports till February 2026
[All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA)]
Key Updates:
- India exported 2,01,547 tonnes of sugar through February in the 2025-26 marketing year.
- The central government approved a total export quota of 2 million tonnes for the 2025-26 marketing year, including a recent addition of 500,000 tonnes.
- White sugar accounted for 163,000 tonnes of total shipments, while refined sugar made up 37,638 tonnes.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the top destination with 47,006 tonnes, followed by Afghanistan with 46,163 tonnes, Djibouti with 30,147 tonnes, and Bhutan with 20,017 tonnes.
- India's sugar production is estimated to rise by 13 per cent to 29.6 million tonnes in the 2025-26 marketing year, excluding diversion for ethanol.
- The All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) noted that the additional 500,000-tonne export allocation is on a pro-rata basis and cannot be swapped between mills.
Similar Coverage
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated ₹1,62,671 crore to the agriculture sector in Union Budget 2026-27, a 7% rise from 2025-26’s revised estimate of ₹1,51,853 crore.
- The government will support high-value crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa, cashew, agarwood, walnut, almond and pine nut under dedicated programmes for rejuvenating old orchards and expanding high-density cultivation.
- A new coconut promotion scheme targets replacing non-productive trees with improved varieties in major coconut-growing states, benefiting around 30 million people including nearly 10 million farmers.
- A dedicated programme for Indian cashew and cocoa aims to make India self-reliant in raw material production and processing and to establish these products as premium global brands by 2030.
- Sandalwood cultivation will receive focused support through partnerships with state governments to promote scientific farming and post-harvest processing.
- The Budget proposes integrated development of 500 reservoirs and water bodies to strengthen the fisheries value chain, with emphasis on market linkages and support to startups, women-led groups and fish farmer producer organisations.
- A credit-linked subsidy programme will be introduced for animal husbandry to promote entrepreneurship, modernise livestock enterprises and scale up integrated value chains across dairy, poultry and livestock sectors.
- The government announced the launch of Bharat Vistar, a multilingual AI tool integrating AgriStack portals and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) practices to deliver customised advisory support and boost farm productivity.
- Nigeria added USD 179 million in exports and contributed over 14 per cent to total export growth during the first eight months of this fiscal year.
- Brazil recorded an increase of nearly USD 100 million in exports during April-November FY26.
- India's pharmaceutical exports rose by 6.5 per cent to USD 20.48 billion during April-November 2025-26.
- The US remains the single largest destination, accounting for over 31 per cent of exports in April-November 2025.
- The Netherlands added over USD 58 million in exports, reflecting India's strengthening integration into European pharmaceutical distribution networks.
- Indian Micro-Fertilisers Manufacturers Association (IMMA) will hold the 6th National Crop Nutrition Summit & B2B Expo on 5 and 6 February 2026 at National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai.
- The summit theme is 'Converge, Collaborate & Co-create' and will focus on crop nutrition, specialty fertilisers, biologicals, micronutrients, and India’s role in global agri-input manufacturing.
- Minister of Marketing & Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, will inaugurate the summit.
- Agriculture Commissioner, Government of India, Dr P. K. Singh, will attend as Guest of Honour and outline government perspective on agri-input reforms, ease of doing business, export competitiveness and specialty crop nutrition products.
- Participants include senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), national research institutions, State Agriculture Departments, and Commissioners of Agriculture from several states including Maharashtra.
- Day 1 themed 'Converge & Collaborate' will feature inaugural session, policy dialogue on One Nation, One License proposal, farmer recognition program, roundtable on integrating micronutrients and biologicals into fertiliser policy, 'Media Speaks' session, startup pitch platform, and industry networking sessions.
- Day 2 themed 'Co-Create' will focus on structured B2B meetings, masterclasses on international trade, institutional and government business, fundraising, and sessions on manufacturing, data analytics and digital technologies.
- The summit will conclude with an Industry–Government–Startup Conclave and a closing policymakers’ interaction.
- IMMA will highlight policy priorities such as implementation of One Nation, One License, faster approval processes for micronutrients, biologicals and specialty fertilisers, differentiation between subsidised and non-subsidised agri inputs, export-oriented regulations, and stronger enforcement against counterfeit and sub-standard products.
- Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released the first advanced estimates of production of main Kharif crops.
- Total food grain production estimated to increase by 3.87 million tonnes to 173.33 million tonnes.
- Kharif rice production is estimated at 124.504 million tonnes, which is 1.732 million tonnes more than last year.
- Kharif maize production is estimated at 28.303 million tonnes, 3.495 million tonnes more than the previous year.
- Total Kharif coarse cereals production projected at 41.414 million tonnes and pulses at 7.413 million tonnes.
- Total Kharif oilseed production estimated at 27.563 million tonnes, with soybean at 14.266 million tonnes and peanut at 11.093 million tonnes.
- Sugarcane production estimated at 475.614 million tonnes, an increase of 21.003 million tonnes over last year.
- Cotton production estimated at 29.215 million bales (170 kg each); Patson and Mesta at 8.345 million bales.
- ICAR denied bias allegations in evaluation of gene-edited rice lines Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 Kamala under AICRPR multi-location trials.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry reports India’s January trade deficit at 3-month high of $34.68 billion
[Ministry of Commerce and Industry]
Key Updates:
- India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to a three-month high of $34.68 billion in January 2026, up from $23.43 billion in the same month the previous year.
- Total merchandise imports for January rose by 19% to reach $71.24 billion, while merchandise exports grew by 0.6% to $36.56 billion.
- Gold imports during the month increased more than fourfold to $12.07 billion, while silver imports rose by 127% to reach $2 billion.
- Services exports are estimated to reach a record high of $43.9 billion in January, marking a 26.3% year-on-year increase.
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry projects overall exports to reach nearly $860 billion in the current fiscal year, with services exports expected to exceed $410 billion.
- Cumulative exports, including both merchandise and services, rose by 6.15% to $720.76 billion during the April-January period.
- India’s imports from China were recorded at $108.18 billion during the April-January period of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
- Key drivers for goods exports included engineering goods, petroleum products, meat, dairy, and iron ore.
- The primary export destinations for Indian goods were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, United Kingdom (UK), Italy, and the Netherlands.
- Exports to the United States (US) fell by 21.7% to $6.59 billion in January, attributed to the impact of tariff barriers.
- Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports contracted by 0.24% to $32.78 billion in January.
- According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), total merchandise exports for the April 2025 to January 2026 period fell by 4.4% to $36.6 billion.
Similar Coverage
- Goldman Sachs has raised India’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for calendar year 2026 by 20 basis points to 6.9 per cent.
- The upward revision follows the United States (US) reducing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the previous 25 per cent.
- The revised 18 per cent tariff rate aligns India with other Asian economies that face US tariff rates ranging between 15 per cent and 19 per cent.
- India’s bilateral goods trade surplus with the US doubled from approximately $20 billion in CY2015 to about $40 billion in CY2025 year-to-date.
- The expansion in trade surplus was primarily driven by higher surpluses in electronics, pharmaceutical products, and textiles.
- American crude oil accounted for 7 per cent of India’s crude imports by volume in Financial Year 2026 (FY26) up to November 2025, compared to 4 per cent in FY25.
- 75% of India’s agricultural exports to the United States will now attract zero tariff, according to a State Bank of India (SBI) report.
- USD 1.36 billion worth of Indian agricultural commodities will receive zero additional US duty access.
- India holds a USD 1.3 billion agricultural trade surplus with the United States.
- Key products set to benefit include rice, spices, oilseeds, tea, coffee and fisheries.
- India commands a 24.7% share in US global rice imports, valued at USD 341 million out of USD 1.378 billion total US rice imports.
- India’s share in US coffee, tea, mate and spices imports is 2.8%, worth USD 396 million out of USD 14.026 billion total US imports in the category.
- India holds a 9.6% share in US fish and aquatic invertebrate imports, supplying USD 1.817 billion out of USD 18.848 billion total US imports.
- India’s share in US edible fruit and nuts imports is only USD 39 million out of USD 21.522 billion total US imports.
- India’s share in US edible vegetables and certain roots imports is USD 109 million out of USD 12.402 billion total US imports.
- India’s share in US prepared vegetables, fruit and nuts imports is USD 192 million out of USD 13.774 billion total US imports.
- Across selected categories, India’s agricultural exports to the US total USD 2.894 billion, representing a 3.5% share of overall US imports of USD 81.950 billion.
- India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose over 18% in April-September to USD 35.18 billion.
- FDI equity inflow during April-September stood at USD 16.55 billion.
- Inflows from the US more than doubled to USD 6.62 billion in April-September.
- Services sector accounted for 16% of total FDI equity inflow, amounting to USD 5.10 billion.
- Maharashtra received the highest share of FDI equity inflow at 31%, totaling USD 10.57 billion.
- Karnataka and Gujarat followed with 21% and 15% of FDI equity inflow respectively.
- Indian exports to China rose to USD 19.75 billion in 2025, up USD 5.5 billion from the previous year.
- Chinese exports to India increased 12.8% to USD 135.87 billion in 2025.
- The India-China trade deficit widened to a record USD 116.12 billion in 2025, crossing the USD 100-billion mark for the second time since 2023.
- In 2024, the trade deficit stood at USD 99.21 billion with China’s exports at USD 113.45 billion and India’s exports at USD 14.25 billion.
- China’s global trade surplus reached almost USD 1.2 trillion in 2025, up 20% from 2024, with exports at USD 3.77 trillion and imports at USD 2.58 trillion.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grants Payment Aggregator (PA) licences to In-Solutions Global Ltd (ISG)
[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), In-Solutions Global Ltd (ISG)]
Key Updates:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted final authorisations to In-Solutions Global Ltd (ISG) to operate as a Payment Aggregator (PA).
- The authorisations cover three specific categories: Online (PA-O), Physical/Offline (PA-P), and Cross-Border (PA-CB).
- The combined licences will enable ISG to provide a unified onboarding and settlement environment for online transactions, in-person payments, and cross-border flows.
- The company also holds an International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) licence and international regulatory permissions to activate global payment corridors.
Similar Coverage
- Transcorp International Limited received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to participate in Centralized Payment Systems (CPS).
- The approval enables the company to build and operate its payment ecosystem with RTGS and NEFT capabilities.
- Transcorp will hold and operate a bank account at RBI and be allotted its own IFSC Code.
- The Board of Directors reviewed the development at its meeting held on 04 February 2026.
- The company recorded 49% growth in profitability during the quarter ended 31 December 2025 compared to the previous quarter.
- Profitability for the nine-month period ended 31 December 2025 grew 67% over the corresponding period of the previous year.
- Transcorp fully repaid all public Fixed Deposits under its Public Fixed Deposit scheme and has NIL outstanding public Fixed Deposits.
- The company operates with the lowest average debt utilisation, resulting in reduced finance costs.
- Digital payments and Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) business achieved record high payment volumes monthly.
- Mumbai-based fintech EximPe received final PA-CB authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- The licence enables global merchants and payment platforms to collect payments from India via UPI and other local payment methods.
- Before the authorisation EximPe facilitated over USD 500 million in bank-led cross-border trade payments across key Asia corridors.
- EximPe targets USD 1 billion in annualised UPI payments within the next 24 months.
- EximPe raised USD 5 million in a 2022 seed round led by Leo Capital.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted a Payment Aggregator licence to PB Pay Private Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of PB Fintech.
- The Certificate of Authorisation was issued by the RBI on 6th February and became effective immediately.
- The final approval follows an in-principle nod granted by the central bank to the subsidiary in early 2024.
- PB Fintech is the parent organisation of the online insurance marketplace Policybazaar and the lending platform Paisabazaar.
- Innoviti Technologies received RBI Certificate of Authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregator under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- The authorization now covers both online and physical in-store payment transactions.
- Innoviti already processes over ₹80,000 crore annually across 2,000+ cities and 50,000+ merchants.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approves Bain Capital's acquisition of up to 41.7% stake in Manappuram Finance
[Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bain Capital, Manappuram Finance]
Key Updates:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted final approval on 13 February 2026 for the acquisition of up to 41.66 per cent of the paid-up equity capital of Manappuram Finance by Bain Capital.
- The acquisition will be executed through Bain Capital affiliates, BC Asia Investments XXV Ltd and BC Asia Investments XIV Ltd.
- Bain Capital committed to an investment of approximately ₹4,385 crore to acquire an initial 18 per cent stake through preferential allotment of equity shares and warrants at ₹236 per share.
- The transaction includes a mandatory open offer for an additional 26 per cent stake from public shareholders at ₹236 per share, as per the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.
- Upon completion, Bain Capital will be classified as a promoter and will jointly control Manappuram Finance with the existing promoters.
- The existing promoters will retain a 28.9 per cent stake in the gold loan financier on a fully diluted basis post-investment.
- V P Nandakumar serves as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Manappuram Finance.
Similar Coverage
- Shriram Finance will issue 47.11 crore equity shares at ₹840.93 apiece to Japan’s MUFG Bank.
- MUFG Bank will hold a 20% minority stake in Shriram Finance on a fully diluted basis.
- The deal requires approvals from shareholders and regulators including the Reserve Bank of India and the Competition Commission of India.
- An extraordinary general meeting is scheduled on January 14, 2026, to seek shareholder approval for the preferential issue.
- MUFG will be classified as a public shareholder upon completion of the transaction.
- MUFG will pay a one-time non-compete and non-solicitation fee of $200 million to Shriram Ownership Trust.
- Shriram Finance shares rose 2.62% to ₹892.70 apiece on the BSE after the announcement.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allows banks to finance acquisitions up to 20% of their tier-1 capital, doubling the earlier draft cap of 10%.
- Aggregate capital market exposure (CME) of a bank must not exceed 40% of its eligible capital base on both solo and consolidated basis.
- Direct capital market exposure, comprising investment exposures, capped at 20% of eligible capital base on solo and consolidated basis.
- Banks can fund up to 75% of the acquisition value for both listed and unlisted entities.
- Debt-equity ratio of 3:1 required for the acquiring company together with the target on a consolidated basis.
- Acquisition must result in acquirer gaining control of the target through a single transaction or interconnected transactions completed within 12 months.
- Loan-to-value ratios set at 75% for mutual funds, 60% for loans against shares and NCDs, and 85% for debt mutual funds.
- Banks permitted to lend against government securities, sovereign gold bonds, loan against shares, NCDs, mutual funds, ETF units and InvITs.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved Blackstone’s acquisition of up to 9.99 per cent stake in Federal Bank.
- Competition Commission of India (CCI) had cleared the proposal in December 2025.
- Federal Bank will issue up to 272.97 million warrants convertible into equity shares of face value ₹2 at ₹227 per share.
- Blackstone will invest ₹6,196.51 crore through its affiliate Asia II Topco XIII Pte Ltd.
- Post-transaction, Blackstone can nominate a director if its shareholding remains at or above 5 per cent.
- Upon full conversion, Blackstone will become the single largest shareholder in Federal Bank.
- Federal Bank reported a 9 per cent YoY rise in Q3 FY26 net profit to ₹1,041 crore.
- Gross NPAs declined to 1.72 per cent and net NPAs to 0.42 per cent in Q3 FY26.
- Net interest income rose 9 per cent YoY to ₹2,653 crore; net interest margin improved to 3.18 per cent.
- The RBI has approved the application for ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited (ICICI Prudential AMC), along with group entities of ICICI Bank, to acquire an aggregate holding of up to 9.95% in eight banks.
- The lenders covered under the approval are Bandhan Bank Limited, City Union Bank Limited, Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited, Federal Bank Limited, IDFC First Bank Limited, HDFC Bank Limited, The Karur Vysya Bank Limited, and RBL Bank Limited.
- ICICI Bank, the second-largest private sector lender in India, must complete the acquisition of paid-up equity capital or voting rights within one year from the date of the RBI letter.
- The permissions were granted under the consolidated Master Direction on acquisition and holding of shares or voting rights in banking companies.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) clears Rs 11,000 crore highway projects in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana
[Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana]
Key Updates:
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved highway projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana.
- In Maharashtra, the Ghoti–Trimbak (Mokhada)–Jawhar–Manor–Palghar stretch of National Highway-160A will be rehabilitated and upgraded at a cost of Rs 3,320.38 crore.
- The 154.635-km NH-160A project in Maharashtra will be executed under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
- In Gujarat, the CCEA approved four-laning of the 107.67-km Dhamasiya-Bitada/Movi and Nasarpore-Malotha sections of National Highway-56 at a cost of Rs 4,583.64 crore.
- The NH-56 four-laning project in Gujarat is designed for 100 km per hour speed and is expected to cut travel time by 40 per cent.
- In Telangana, the CCEA cleared widening of the 80.01-km Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar stretch of National Highway-167 at a cost of Rs 3,175.08 crore.
- The NH-167 widening project in Telangana will be executed under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) through the National Highways (Original) [NH(O)] scheme.
Similar Coverage
- Union Cabinet approved Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund to support urban infrastructure projects over five years.
- Cities must raise at least 50% of project cost from market through municipal bonds, bank loans, and public-private partnerships.
- Fund provides 25% Central assistance for projects where 50% cost is market-raised, covering projects worth Rs 4 lakh crore.
- Operational period is 2025-26 to 2030-31, extendable up to 2033-34.
- Projects identified via challenge-based framework covering urban mobility, water supply, sewerage, and legacy infrastructure retrofitting.
- Credit repayment guarantee scheme of Rs 5,000 crore approved for north-east/hilly states and cities below 1 lakh population, offering Central guarantee up to Rs 7 crore or 70% of loan amount for first-time borrowers.
- Administrative control of projects remains with state governments and urban local bodies.
- The Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department has proposed a first-of-its-kind North-South corridor project to improve connectivity for 20 districts.
- The chief minister’s office has approved six stretches connecting various cities along the North-South corridor.
- The total length of this North-South corridor is 2,340 km.
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) operationalised PAIMANA (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation-building) portal to monitor central sector infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above, replacing OCMS-2006.
- As of December 2025, 1,392 ongoing projects with a revised cost of Rs 35.10 lakh crore are reported on PAIMANA portal.
- Cumulative cost overrun for these projects is Rs 5.42 lakh crore, with revised cost at Rs 35,10,920 crore against original cost of Rs 29,68,248 crore.
- Out of 1,392 projects, 585 are 'mega' projects (Rs 1,000 crore and above) with revised cost of Rs 31.44 lakh crore, and 807 are 'major' projects (Rs 150 crore to Rs 1,000 crore) amounting to Rs 3.66 lakh crore.
- Transport & Logistics sector accounts for 896 projects with revised estimates of Rs 17.70 lakh crore.
- 469 projects have achieved over 80 percent physical progress and 221 projects have crossed 80 percent financial completion.
- PAIMANA is integrated with DPIIT's Integrated Project Monitoring Portal (IPMP/IIG-PMG), enabling automatic information sharing and reducing manual data entry with about 60 percent of projects updated automatically.
- The Bhoramdev Corridor project has been approved under the Central Government's Swadesh Darshan Yojana.
- An amount of Rs 148 crore has been sanctioned for the project to develop the 1,000-year-old Bhoramdev Temple corridor.
- Development work will be carried out here for Rs 148 crore, which includes the launch of a tribal corridor and a convention centre.
- Chhattisgarh has 219 projects worth Rs 7.83 lakh crore across 18 sectors now advancing rapidly since November 2024.
- These initiatives are poised to generate over 1.5 lakh jobs across 26 of the state's 33 districts.
- Of the total investment, nine marquee projects valued at Rs 6,063 crore are already operational, while 109 projects, representing Rs 2.10 lakh crore and 87,132 jobs, are in advanced stages of construction.
BEL AI Policy and CoE-AI launched to boost indigenous defence innovation
[Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)]
Key Updates:
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Missile Integration facility at Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bengaluru.
- He flagged-off the Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems and unveiled the Mountain Fire Control Radar.
- Singh remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) in Pune and formally launched BEL’s AI Policy.
- BEL was commended for progress in electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro-optics, and tank electronics.
- Indigenous air defence and anti-drone systems developed by BEL were utilised during Operation Sindoor.
- The minister urged BEL, other Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and industry partners to advance AI and quantum computing for real-time decision-making, autonomous systems, cyber defence, and precision operations.
Similar Coverage
- The Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have implemented technology-driven measures to prevent elephant-train collisions.
- The AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) uses Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) and optical fibre to detect elephant locomotion signatures in real-time.
- The IDS is currently operational across 141 route kilometres at critical locations within the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
- Sanctioned IDS projects include NFR (403.42 km), East Coast Railway (ECOR) (368.70 km), Western Railway (WR) (115 km), and North Eastern Railway (NER) (99.18 km).
- Additional sanctioned IDS works cover Southern Railway (SR) (55.85 km), South Eastern Railway (SER) (55 km), Northern Railway (NR) (52 km), and East Central Railway (ECR) (20.3 km).
- Infrastructure measures include the construction of underpasses, ramps, fencing, and the installation of Honey Bee buzzer devices to act as a deterrent.
- The Railways is trialling thermal vision cameras for night-time detection and has installed solar-powered LED lighting in forest areas to improve visibility.
- Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated that an average of 16 elephant-train collision incidents have been reported annually over the past five years.
- Indian Railways (IR) has rolled out an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to safeguard wildlife, including elephants, lions, and tigers, on railway tracks.
- The technology utilizes a Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) to detect animal presence and alert loco pilots and control rooms 0.5 kms in advance.
- The AI-enabled system generates real-time alerts for loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms to facilitate swift preventive action.
- Initially implemented across 141 RKms on the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the system is being expanded by 981 RKms to achieve a total coverage of 1,122 RKms.
- The initiative follows a collision in the Jamunamukh - Kampur section under the Lumding Division of NFR involving the Sairang - New Delhi Rajdhani Express.
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry into the death of seven elephants resulting from the train collision.
- East Coast Railway (ECoR) introduced the humanoid robot ‘ASC Arjun’ at Visakhapatnam Railway Station, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in Indian Railways.
- The robot supports security, passenger assistance, crowd management, cleanliness monitoring and safety awareness.
- ASC Arjun uses Face Recognition System (FRS) for intrusion detection and sends IoT-enabled alerts to Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.
- It delivers autonomous public announcements in English, Hindi and Telugu and performs semi-autonomous platform patrol with obstacle avoidance.
- The robot provides fire and smoke detection with instant alerts and interacts with passengers using cultural gestures such as Namaste and salute to RPF officers.
- Designed and developed indigenously in Visakhapatnam over more than one year, ASC Arjun integrates real-time IoT connectivity with RPF control rooms.
- Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned in Gujarat’s first Bajwa(Vadodara)–Ahmedabad section(96-km).
- The project covers 17 stations and includes robust infrastructure such as 23 towers, 20 Kavach buildings/huts, 192 km of optical fibre cable, and installation of 2,872 RFID tags.
- Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system of Indian Railways, designed to provide the highest level of operational safety.
- It is a highly technology-intensive system certified to Safety Integrity Level–4 (SIL-4), one of the highest safety standards in signalling systems.
- Kavach assists Loco Pilots by automatically applying brakes in situations where prescribed speed limits are exceeded or when safety is compromised.
- Key enhancements in Kavach 4.0 include improved location accuracy, better signal aspect information in large and complex station yards, station-to-station Kavach interface through optical fibre cable, and direct integration with existing electronic interlocking systems.
Department of Posts (DoP) Releases Puppets of India Commemorative Stamp Series
[Department of Posts (DoP)]
Key Updates:
- The Department of Posts (DoP) issued a special set of eight commemorative postage stamps titled Puppets of India on 13 February 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
- The stamps were formally released by Ms. Vandita Kaul, Secretary (Posts), to honour the master puppeteers and the diverse puppetry heritage of India.
- The commemorative set features eight regional traditions: Kathputli (Rajasthan), Yakshagana Sutrada Gombeyatta (Karnataka), Daanger Putul (West Bengal), Kathi Kundhei (Odisha), Benir Putul (West Bengal), Pavakathakali (Kerala), Ravanachhaya (Odisha), and Tolu Bommalatta (Andhra Pradesh).
- The denomination of each stamp in the set is 500 paise (₹5), with the complete set comprising eight stamps.
- The stamp set and associated philatelic products were designed by Shri Sankha Samanta with artistic and textual inputs from Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
- The stamps are available at Philatelic Bureaus across the country and through the official online portal www.epostoffice.gov.in.
Similar Coverage
- A special commemorative postal cover was launched to honour Dr Ramdas R Pai.
- Dr Ramdas R Pai is the Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).
- The postal cover celebrates Dr Ramdas R Pai's 90th birthday.
- Ramesh Prabhu, superintendent of Indian Postal Service, Udupi division, formally unveiled the special postal cover.
- The commemorative cover honours Dr Pai's lifelong dedication to advancing education, healthcare, and community development.
- Dr Ramdas Pai's contributions elevated the city and Manipal Academy of Higher Education to national and global prominence.
- Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, also called Suvaran Maran, was a 7th-8th century feudatory of the Pallavas who ruled central Tamil Nadu from Tiruchirappalli.
- The Mutharaiyar dynasty built cave and structural temples, expanded irrigation and patronised Shaivite scholars, leaving inscriptions across Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Perambalur districts.
- The stamp release fulfils a long-standing demand of Tamil Nadu’s Mutharaiyar community and is part of the Centre’s drive to honour pre-Islamic Indian rulers from SC/ST/OBC backgrounds.
- India Post issued a special postage stamp to mark IIT Kharagpur's platinum jubilee celebrations.
- The stamp release was conducted simultaneously across 1,64,987 post offices nationwide.
- IIT Kharagpur, established in 1951, is India's first Indian Institute of Technology.
- Antarctic Day is observed globally on Dec 1.
- Antarctic Day recalls the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is the country’s nodal institution for polar science.
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established on April 5, 2000.
- India’s permanent research stations include Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati in Antarctica; Himadri in the Arctic; and Himansh in the Himalayas.
Eastern Naval Command (ENC) inaugurates MILAN Village ahead of International Fleet Review 2026 in Visakhapatnam
[Eastern Naval Command (ENC)]
Key Updates:
- Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), inaugurated the MILAN Village at the ENC base in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
- The MILAN Village is set up at the ENC Sailors’ Institute and will serve as the social and cultural hub for Exercise MILAN 2026 and the International Fleet Review.
- The village features stalls from various Indian States and participating foreign navies, displaying traditional handicrafts, artwork and cultural exhibits.
- The International City Parade on RK Beach Road, Visakhapatnam, is scheduled for 19 February 2026 evening with over 70 countries participating.
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will attend the parade as chief guest.
- The parade will begin at 4 p.m. with an aerial display by Indian Naval fighter aircraft and helicopters.
- Marching contingents and military bands from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard will participate, along with ceremonial units from foreign navies.
- Cultural troupes and thematic tableaux highlighting India’s maritime legacy and the traditions of visiting nations will be part of the event.
- The evening will conclude with synchronised fireworks, a laser light show and a drone display, with illuminated warships anchored off the Visakhapatnam coast.
Similar Coverage
- The CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) Shore-Based Regional Centre was inaugurated by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at Visakhapatnam.
- The facility cost ₹32 crore and is located on 3.25 acres of a 4-acre campus at Yendada Village, Rushikonda.
- Construction began in November 2024 and was completed by December 2025, executed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
- The built-up area is 4,550 square metres in a G+1 configuration.
- Andhra Pradesh’s coastline exceeds 1,000 km, forming part of India’s nearly 11,000–12,000 km coastline.
- The Eastern Coastal Margin is noted for hydrocarbons, seabed minerals, oil and natural gas potential due to heavy sediment deposits from Himalayan rivers.
- CSIR-NIO collaborates with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Oil India and supports sectors including pharmaceuticals, ports, thermal power projects and fisheries.
- The centre identifies potential fishing zones, promotes seaweed cultivation and predicts harmful algal blooms to aid livelihoods and public health.
- The Visakhapatnam facility will serve as a hub for capacity building, skill training and nurturing startups for the marine sector.
- The 17th edition of the trilateral exercise 'DOSTI' is being held in Male, involving the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
- The harbour phase of the exercise includes collaborative Marine Pollution (MARPOL) exercises, joint Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) drills, and pollution response demonstrations.
- A four-member delegation from the ICG, led by Director General Paramesh Sivamani, is participating in the exercise to foster reciprocal learning and capacity augmentation.
- The exercise features tabletop exercises and the implementation of cross-boarding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance interoperability.
- Originally started as a bilateral exercise between India and the Maldives in 1991, DOSTI transitioned into a trilateral framework in 2012 with the addition of Sri Lanka.
- The trilateral engagement reflects India's 'Security and Growth for All in the Region' (SAGAR) vision and its 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
- Indian Navy First Training Squadron (1TS) departed Belawan, Indonesia on January 23 after a three-day port call.
- Ships of 1TS included INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi.
- Professional interactions, cultural exchanges, training visits and friendly sports meets were held with Indonesian Navy personnel.
- Capt Tijo K Joseph, Senior Officer 1TS, met Laksamana Muda (RAdm) Deny Septiana, Commander of Naval Area Command I (Komando Kodaeral I).
- An onboard reception co-hosted by 1TS and Consulate General of India, Medan, was attended by senior dignitaries of Kodaeral I with Kolonel Wirawan Aby P, Chief of Operations, as Chief Guest.
- Indian naval trainees visited Komando Daerah Angkatan Laut I facilities to understand regional command roles.
- Joint yoga sessions and friendly sports were organised fostering camaraderie between the two navies.
- Ships were opened to local school children, generating excitement and curiosity through guided tours.
- The visit advances India's Act East Policy and strengthens maritime cooperation with Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) member Indonesia under the MAHASAGAR vision.
- India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and multi-mission stealth frigate Udaygiri have arrived in Colombo for an international fleet review to mark the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka Navy.
- In a display of naval cooperation, three warships representing Bangladesh and India made port calls in Colombo on November 25 and 26, for the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2025, scheduled to be held on November 30.
- This also marks INS Udaygiri 's first foreign visit since its commission on August 26, 2025.
- India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, arrived in Colombo for her maiden participation in Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) IFR 2025.
- The state-of-the-art Project 17A multi-mission stealth frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri were commissioned at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam on August 26 this year.
- Udaygiri, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai, and Himgiri, constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata, showcase the nation's growing shipbuilding prowess.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Missile Integration facility at Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bengaluru
[Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL)]
Key Updates:
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Missile Integration facility at Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bengaluru.
- He flagged-off the Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems and unveiled the Mountain Fire Control Radar.
- Singh remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) in Pune and launched BEL's AI Policy.
- He was briefed on indigenous defence technologies including AI-based solutions developed by Indian start-ups.
- BEL showcased ongoing R&D aligned with programmes such as Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Systems (QRSAM), Light Combat Aircraft Mark II (LCA Mk II), Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Project Kusha (MR SAM/LR SAM), Counter Drone Systems, and Naval Weapon Control Systems.
- Indigenously developed air defence and anti-drone systems were effectively utilised during Operation Sindoor.
Similar Coverage
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) has modernised its Soviet-era Pechora Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system through an indigenous overhaul led by Bengaluru-based Alpha Design Technologies Ltd (ADTL).
- The Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a contract worth approximately ₹591.3 crore to ADTL for the digitisation and refurbishment of the system.
- The upgrade features full digitisation of radar and tracking infrastructure, replacing legacy valve and transistor-based electronics with advanced digital chips and modern radar transmitters.
- Successful user trials of the enhanced Pechora system were conducted at the Pokhran range from November to December 2025 to validate reliability and accuracy.
- The upgraded system is integrated into Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which is India’s initiative to develop a multi-layered air defence shield against drones and fighter aircraft.
- The project forms part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat strategy, aimed at achieving self-reliance in defence production by modernising ageing military platforms.
- The overhaul includes a redesigned operator station with modern visual displays and health-monitoring tools to reduce crew workload and improve situational awareness.
- India successfully carried out a test launch of the Agni-III intermediate-range ballistic missile on 06 Feb 2026.
- The missile was fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.
- The launch met all mission objectives and validated operational and technical parameters.
- The test was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate a medium-calibre ammunition facility built by Solar Industries in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
- The facility is part of the government’s push to modernise the Indian Army and boost indigenous defence production.
- During the visit, Singh will also tour Economic Explosives Limited, another defence-related unit in Nagpur.
- The aerospace division of Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) has secured contracts of around Rs 300 crore under the ongoing Emergency Procurement – VI framework of the government.
- The contracts cover a range of indigenous unmanned systems, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and loitering munitions for the Indian Army and Indian Navy.
- The contracted platforms, namely Omega One, Omega Nine, Bayonet, and Cleaver, are developed to meet urgent operational requirements across diverse terrains and mission profiles.
- The Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded BFL a Rs 1,661 crore contract for the supply of over 2.55 lakh units of Close Quarter Battle (CQB) Carbines to the Indian Army.
UIDAI expands Aadhaar into offline private verification with new app amid privacy concerns
[Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)]
Key Updates:
- Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched a new Aadhaar app and offline verification framework in late January.
- The app allows selective data sharing, such as confirming age without revealing full date of birth, to services like hotels, housing societies, workplaces, and payment devices.
- Ahmedabad City Crime Branch became the first police unit in India to integrate Aadhaar-based offline verification with its guest-monitoring platform PATHIK for hotels and guest accommodations.
- UIDAI is integrating Aadhaar with Google Wallet and discussing similar integration with Apple Wallet, in addition to existing support on Samsung Wallet.
- The new Aadhaar app overtook the older mAadhaar app in monthly downloads, with combined installs rising from nearly 2 million in October to nearly 9 million in December.
- Aadhaar has issued over 1.4 billion identity numbers and handles about 2.5 billion authentication transactions monthly.
- Civil liberties groups warn the expansion risks reintroducing private-sector Aadhaar use barred by a 2018 Supreme Court judgment and raises concerns over data protection and consent.
Similar Coverage
- Odisha and Delhi signed MoU with the health ministry for implementation of AB-PMJAY, leaving only West Bengal outside the scheme’s coverage.
- Ayushman Vay Vandana cards provide free treatment benefits up to Rs 5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status.
- An Android-based ‘Ayushman app’ launched by National Health Authority enables self-verification and supports face-auth, OTP, IRIS, and fingerprint modes for Ayushman card creation.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), launched the new Aadhaar App on 28 January 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
- The application was developed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as a core component of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure vision.
- The budget outlay for the new Aadhaar App was not specified in the article.
- The app targets residents across India, allowing them to manage up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device linked to the same mobile number.
- Security features include biometric lock and unlock, facial authentication, encrypted Quick Response (QR) code-based verification, and selective attribute sharing.
- The app enables digital storage of Aadhaar, address and mobile number updates, contact card QR codes, and logs of usage and authentication history.
- The Pathik App, an Aadhaar-enabled guest verification system by the Gujarat Police in collaboration with UIDAI, was also highlighted for contactless Know Your Customer (KYC) and hotel check-ins.
- UIDAI records 231 crore Aadhaar authentication transactions in November, marking an 8.47% rise over the same month last year.
- Face authentication transactions rose to 28.29 crore in November 2025, up from 12.04 crore a year earlier.
- November recorded 47.19 crore e-KYC transactions, a rise of more than 24% compared with November 2024.
- Nearly 60% of all Digital Life Certificates issued to pensioners in November used Aadhaar's face authentication tool.
- The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced a new Aadhaar mobile application for iOS and Android devices.
- The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, offering users a digital option to carry their Aadhaar and use it for instant verification.
- The authority has announced an early access that will allow residents to test the service and share feedback before its final rollout.
- Users can share their Aadhaar digitally, removing the need for physical copies, with details shareable using a QR code or as verifiable credentials.
- Shared Aadhaar data is masked, so users do not reveal the full 12-digit number.
- Up to five Aadhaar profiles can be added on one device if they are linked to the same registered mobile number.
- The app includes biometric locking and unlocking, ensuring biometric data remains secure until intentionally unlocked or disabled.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovers new Diplura hexapod species Lepidocampa sikkimensis in eastern Himalayas
[Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)]
Key Updates:
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified the new Diplura species Lepidocampa sikkimensis near Ravangla in Sikkim.
- Additional specimens of Lepidocampa sikkimensis were later found in Kurseong in Bengal.
- The findings were published on 7 January 2026 in the international taxonomic journal Zootaxa.
- The study provides the first DNA barcode data for an Indian Lepidodcampa species.
- The research team rediscovered the rare sub-species Lepidocampa juradii bengalensis after nearly five decades.
Similar Coverage
- The orchid was found in Kanthalloor, Marayoor, in Idukki district, located in the southern ranges of the Western Ghats.
- The species belongs to the Diplozentrum genus, which is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, and has been scientifically named Diplozentrum papillosum.
- The orchid grows on rocks and tree branches, using strong roots to anchor itself and withstand high wind conditions in its natural habitat.
- It is characterised by unbranched flower clusters, pink and white fragrant blooms, and uniquely shaped petals that distinguish it from other Diplozentrum species.
- The discovery highlights the ecological richness and endemic plant diversity of the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot.
- DNA analysis and morphometric study proved that this a new species not only for J&K but the whole India
- The animal was found to match with Brandt’s Hedgehog which presently has been reported from the countries of Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen but has not been reported in India until now
- The discovery shows that the species has expanded its distribution
- The confirmation of the presence of Brandt’s Hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas) is a noteworthy addition to the biodiversity of UT of Jammu and Kashmir
- The study suggests a potential range expansion for the species, which could be attributed to various ecological factors such as climate change, habitat connectivity, and food availability
- The discovery of Brandt’s Hedgehog highlights the need for targeted conservation efforts to be initiated with clear objectives and conservation strategies
- To ensure the habitat availability and the extent of sites with suitable habitat, a detailed habitat analysis is to be done
- Further studies are recommended to monitor the population dynamics of hedgehog species in the area
- Botanical Survey of India (BSI) scientists identified the new species Dicliptera pakhalica in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahbubabad district, Telangana.
- The species belongs to the Acanthaceae family and was formally described in the journal Brittonia on 29 January.
- The plant was found along stream banks and rocky areas near waterfalls within the sanctuary.
- Dicliptera pakhalica differs from related Eastern Ghats species by adpressed deflexed stem hairiness, unkeeled bracts, absence of glandular hairs on floral parts and fruit, obovoid capsule, and echinate seeds.
- The genus Dicliptera contains over 220 species worldwide; 29 taxa are recorded in India.
- Flowering occurs from November to January and fruiting from December to March.
- The species is currently known only from its type locality and is classified as Data Deficient under IUCN guidelines.
- Researchers from Nagaland University (NU) have discovered a new plant species named Hoya nagaensis in the Phek district of Nagaland.
- The species was identified in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest, a high-altitude community-protected area in the Eastern Himalaya.
- The research team was led by Principal Investigator Gyati Yam from the Department of Forestry at NU, alongside researchers Vieneite-o Koza and Joynath Pegu.
- The findings regarding the new species were published in the Kew Bulletin, a peer-reviewed international journal for plant and fungal taxonomy.
- Hoya nagaensis has been provisionally assessed as critically endangered due to its restricted distribution and threats from shifting cultivation and forest disturbance.
- The discovery highlights the effectiveness of traditional forest stewardship practiced by local Naga communities in conserving biodiversity.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) clears Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project
[National Green Tribunal (NGT)]
Key Updates:
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) special bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, upheld the environmental clearance for the Rs 81,000-crore Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project.
- The project covers 166 sq km and involves the construction of a transshipment port, an integrated township, a civil and military airport, and a 450-MVA gas and solar power-based plant.
- The development requires the diversion of 130 sq km of forest land and the felling of nearly one million trees on Great Nicobar Island.
- A High-Powered Committee (HPC) headed by former environment secretary Leena Nandan was constituted to review the project environmental clearance (EC) and compliance.
- The NGT confirmed that the project adheres to the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) notification, 2019, and does not fall within prohibited coastal areas.
- The tribunal mandated specific conservation measures for endemic species, including the leatherback sea turtle, Nicobar megapode, saltwater crocodiles, robber crab, and Nicobar macaque.
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) reported that no coral reefs exist within the immediate project area and recommended the translocation of scattered coral reefs.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is directed to prevent shoreline erosion and protect sandy beaches used as nesting sites for turtles and birds.
Similar Coverage
- Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated an Integrated Command & Control Centre to enhance security infrastructure in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- The Home Minister chaired the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), focusing on the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU).
- The visit included the inauguration of nine major projects and laying the foundation for two more, totaling Rs 373 crore.
- An exhibition on the Naveen Nyaya Sanhita was inaugurated as part of the developmental initiatives on the islands.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved India’s first underwater road-cum-rail tunnel to be built under the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
- The 33.7-km long project includes a 15.8-km twin tube tunnel under the river and will be developed at a cost of ₹18,662 crore in Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode.
- The tunnel will connect Gohpur on NH-15 and Numaligarh on NH-715, reducing the distance between the two Assam cities from 240 km to 34 km and travel time from six hours to 20 minutes.
- The project alignment integrates with Rangia-Mukongselek Railway Section under Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Gohpur side and Furkating-Mariani loop line section under Tinsukia Division of NFR on Numaligarh side.
- The Cabinet also approved three Railways multi-tracking projects at a cost of ₹18,509 crore and three highway projects at a cost of ₹11,079 crore.
- GAIL (India) Ltd (GAIL) has completed the 694-kilometre Mumbai-Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline (MNPL) built along the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway.
- The pipeline has a capacity of approximately 16.5 million standard cubic metres per day and features bi-directional flow capability.
- The project marks India's first major integration of a high-capacity pipeline into a dense transport corridor under the PM-GatiShakti framework.
- Around 675 km of the 24-inch high-capacity gas line was installed within a utility strip just three metres wide.
- The MNPL will enable city gas distribution networks in 16 districts, supporting piped natural gas for an estimated 95 lakh households and over 1,700 CNG stations.
- The project reached completion after delivering 18.7 million safe man-hours and navigating clearances across 10 districts covering 56 km.
- The pipeline is designed to support industrial growth in sectors such as power generation, fertilisers, chemicals, and manufacturing.
- The Zonal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Chennai, is organizing the Regional Conference on Environment, 2025 on the 6th and 7th of December 2025.
- The conference will include three Technical Sessions; The First session will address "Environmental Law Enforcement & Biodiversity Conservation Role of Regulatory Authorities".
- The second session will discuss "Solid Waste and Biomedical Waste Management Policy Overview".
- The Third session will focus on "Challenges in Protecting Coastal Zones".
India tops Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 with 94 medals
[Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship, Delhi]
Key Updates:
- India finished the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship, New Delhi 2026, at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range with 94 medals: 51 gold, 23 silver, 20 bronze.
- On the final day India added six gold, three silver, four bronze medals.
- Amanpreet Singh won 25m centre fire pistol gold with 589-24x; Gurpreet Singh took silver with 584-20x; Ankur Goel claimed bronze with 570-11x; the trio secured team gold.
- Suraj Sharma won 25m Pistol Junior gold with 585-25x; Mukesh Nelavalli secured silver with 582-21x; Abhinav Deshwal took bronze with 573-17x; the trio also won team gold.
- Sift Kaur Samra won 50m Rifle Prone women senior silver with 623.2; Tejaswani Sawant claimed bronze; Yelizaveta Bezrukova of Kazakhstan won gold; Sift, Tejaswani and Manini Kaushik combined for team gold.
- Dhavalika Devi Nyamurus secured 50m Rifle Prone women junior bronze with 614.1; Prachi Gaikwad, Anuskha Thokur and Devi combined for team gold.
Similar Coverage
- Esha Singh won the 10m air pistol women’s final at the Asian rifle and pistol championship held in New Delhi.
- India secured gold in the women’s 10m air pistol team event.
- Samrat Rana won individual bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol event.
- Indian men’s air pistol team of Samrat Rana, Sharvan Kumar and Varun Tomar secured team silver.
- Vladimir Svechnikov of Uzbekistan won the men’s individual gold and Valeriy Rakimzhan took silver.
- Uzbekistan won the men’s team gold in 10m air pistol.
- Vietnam took silver and Chinese Taipei bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol team event.
- The Asian Championship for rifle and pistol events was held in New Delhi.
- Aakriti Dahiya won the silver medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event.
- Olympian Anjum Moudgil secured the bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event.
- Sofiya Shulzhenko of Kazakhstan won the gold medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions with a new world record score of 358.2.
- The Indian women’s team, comprising Aakriti Dahiya, Anjum Moudgil, and Aashi Chouksey, won the silver medal with a total score of 1756-86x.
- Prachi Gaikwad won the gold medal in the junior women’s 3P final with a score of 353.3.
- Tomiris Amanova of Kazakhstan won the silver medal in the junior women’s 3P final with a score of 351.4.
- Anushka Thokur won the bronze medal in the junior women’s 3P final with a score of 341.1.
- Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod, a Ranking Points Only (RPO) athlete, topped the qualification chart with 590 points.
- India achieved its most successful campaign at the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), winning 102 medals.
- The medal tally for the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) included 36 gold, 28 silver, and 38 bronze medals.
- A 99-member Indian contingent, comprising 61 men and 38 women, competed in eight sports during the fifth edition of the Games held from December 10 to 13.
- Athletics was the most successful discipline for India, accounting for 48 medals, including 17 gold, 13 silver, and 18 bronze.
- Swimmer Abdul Quadir Indori opened India's medal account with a gold in the 50m backstroke and a bronze in the 50m butterfly multi-class events.
- The 2025 performance surpassed India's previous records of 44 medals at Dubai 2017 and 37 medals at Manama 2021.
- Around 1500 athletes from 35 national federations competed across 11 disciplines at the continental meet.
- Badminton and swimming also recorded double-digit medal hauls for the Indian team.
- Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker won the silver medal in the 25m pistol final at the Asian Shooting Championships 2026 held in New Delhi.
- Thuy Trang Nguyen of Vietnam secured the gold medal after defeating Bhaker in a shoot-off, following a tied score of 35.
- India's Esha Singh finished the competition in the third position to claim the bronze medal in the 25m pistol event.
- Meghana Sajjanar won a bronze medal at the same championships while competing in her eighth month of pregnancy.
- Bhaker qualified for the final with a score of 584 and used a new pistol from the Italian manufacturer Pardini.
- Bhaker previously won two bronze medals in the 25m pistol event at the 2021 and 2023 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cups.
- Bhaker finished in seventh place in the 10m air pistol final five days prior to winning the silver medal.
- The qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics is scheduled to commence on 31 July 2026.
- The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was the body associated with the event's documentation.