Indian physicist Deepak Dhar, a professor at ICTS-TIFR in Bengaluru, has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal for his significant contributions to statistical mechanics. He shares the honour with three other physicists for their work on understanding complex systems, with applications in diverse fields like biology, finance, and AI. Dhar is particularly recognised for his "sandpile model" and has previously received the Padma Bhushan and Boltzmann Medal.
Japan is deepening its defence relationship with India while simultaneously expanding its economic, infrastructure and security engagement with countries around India -- particularly Bangladesh. The result is an emerging Japanese conception of South Asia in which India remains the strategic anchor, but the geography surrounding India is becoming increasingly important, points out Varun Arya.
Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has uncovered a Rs 1.5 crore WhatsApp fraud, leading to the arrest of two key SIM and OTP suppliers in West Bengal. The investigation revealed a sophisticated international cybercrime network spanning China, Pakistan, India, and Hong Kong, operating a "boss scam" and utilizing a "Cybercrime as a Service" model. Police recovered a significant portion of the defrauded amount and secured thousands of devices.
India's trade deficit reached a six-month high of $31.98 billion in July, driven by a sharp increase in imports, particularly crude oil, electronic goods, coal, and fertilisers. Both merchandise exports and imports recorded their second-highest levels during the same period.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced declines in early trade due to a significant surge in crude oil prices, exacerbated by escalating tensions in the West Asia. Track how Sensex, Nifty fared on July 23.
As of December 2025, India had 880 Fast-Track Courts with 1.39 million pending cases, despite disposing of 1.33 million cases during the year.
Premature surrender and withdrawal of life insurance policies in India have surpassed maturity payouts over the past five years, indicating a growing trend of policyholders exiting long-term policies before their full tenure, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for competition, policy autonomy, and a sustainable payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI, and the US has criticised India's digital payment systems, raising concerns about the future of India's digital payment landscape.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) plans to invest approximately Rs 1 trillion in petrochemical projects over the next five to six years, aiming to significantly increase its petrochemical intensity and production capacity to meet growing domestic demand.
The Lok Sabha has passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, authorising the government to permit banks and service providers to levy charges on UPI and other electronic payment modes. This move aims to create a sustainable revenue model for the digital payments ecosystem, shifting from the current exemption of UPI transactions from such charges.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for the defence of competition, policy autonomy, and the long-term sustainability of its payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI transactions, a move GTRI suggests should not be influenced by foreign trade complaints.
Central tax authorities detected input tax credit (ITC) fraud worth Rs 74,781.56 crore across 30,162 cases in FY26, more than doubling the number of cases from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
India's markets regulator, Sebi, has issued a warning to listed companies and regulated entities about an emerging cyber fraud known as the "Boss Scam." This scam involves fraudsters impersonating senior officials like CEOs or MDs to trick finance teams into transferring funds, often using advanced AI tools or malicious software. Sebi advises organisations to verify requests independently and report incidents to prevent financial losses.
Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar announced that the TVK regime, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, will take steps to ensure fair financial devolution from the Centre, including pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court. The government also plans to conduct a 'Social Justice Survey' and address the state's severe financial deterioration.
A sophisticated cross-bank syndicate is systematically defrauding non-resident Indians (NRIs) and elderly citizens by exploiting their fixed deposits through forged documents and fictitious loans, often involving colluding bank employees and real estate deals.
AI4Bharat at IIT Madras and Josh Talks AI have launched 'Voice of India', a multimodal AI evaluation platform designed to assess AI systems against Indian conditions, languages, accents, and dialects. This platform aims to provide scientifically rigorous, India-specific evaluations, covering areas like Voice AI, large language models, document processing, safety, cultural appropriateness, and Indian legal reasoning, to build trust and enable informed deployment decisions.
Public-sector banks (PSBs) have reported a substantial increase in non-interest income for Q1FY27, primarily driven by the sale of Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs) backed by their rapidly expanding gold loan portfolios. This strategy has allowed several lenders to book significant profits by exceeding priority sector lending targets.
NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) have successfully integrated the Maldives' instant payment system 'Favara' with India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This enables real-time fund transfers from Maldives to UPI-enabled Indian bank accounts, marking a significant step in cross-border digital financial connectivity and bilateral economic cooperation.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed higher, primarily driven by bank stocks and encouraging US inflation data, which fuelled expectations of a less aggressive Federal Reserve monetary policy. However, escalating US-Iran hostilities tempered investor sentiment, leading to some profit-taking.
The number of individuals reporting a gross total income of 100 crore or more in their income tax returns has quadrupled to 576 in Assessment Year 2025-26, up from 142 in AY 2021-22, according to data shared in Parliament.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it about the possibility of setting up an SIT to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and cautioned the litigants not to politicise the issue.
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and high jumper Basant Kumar Meghwal, both recent World Athletics U20 Championships medalists, are now setting their sights on podium finishes at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve their personal bests.
State Bank of India has launched a suite of AI-powered digital innovations on its YONO platform, enhancing both retail and business banking services. These new features include a 3-in-1 digital onboarding process, a sustainability tracker, integrated trade finance, and an AI virtual assistant, aiming to provide intelligent and future-ready banking experiences for its 53 crore customers.
A suspected operative of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was arrested in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, and investigators believe he could be part of an ISI-backed network tasked with collecting intelligence on VIPs including BJP leaders, recruiting operatives and laying the groundwork for possible terror activities in the state.
A new white paper released by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government reveals that Tamil Nadu's direct debt has nearly doubled to an alarming 10 trillion in the past five years, exposing significant fiscal strain and a substantial debt burden on every citizen.
HDFC Bank's board has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on its Managing Director and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan, CFO Srinivasan Vaidyanathan, and Group Head (Retail Assets) Arvind Vohra for divergence from RBI directions in the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) case.
The Supreme Court on Monday took note of setting up of a four-member SIT headed by IGP Kiran S to probe alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to also include a forensic auditor in the probe team.
Understanding the most common mistakes during market downturns can help you protect your investments and stay focused on your long-term financial goals, says Ramalingam Kalirajan
The Indian government has clarified that consumers will not be charged for UPI transactions, and most merchant transactions will also remain free. This comes amidst speculation following an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Any future merchant discount rate (MDR) would be nominal, threshold-based, and aimed at ensuring UPI's long-term sustainability and infrastructure development.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty saw a significant rebound in early trade, driven by softer-than-expected US inflation data which has reinforced expectations of a less aggressive monetary policy stance from the Federal Reserve, providing relief to global risk assets.
FIFA has issued a clarification regarding its FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, stating it would 'never entertain' selling football to private parties and aims to ensure meaningful commercial ownership for all member nations, following strong criticism and boycott threats from UEFA and CONCACAF.
LIC is the only brand in the Brand Finance India 100 2026 report that has a top five rank in both brand value and brand strength.
Police in Udham Singh Nagar have arrested two inter-state arms dealers accused of supplying weapons to a terror associate linked to Al Badr. The investigation revealed suspicious financial transactions and a wider network of illegal arms smuggling.
India's passenger vehicle industry is poised for a record-breaking year in 2026, propelled by robust dispatches in the first half of the calendar year and strong demand for utility vehicles, despite facing several economic challenges.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty extended their losses for the fourth consecutive session, with the Sensex declining 363.66 points and the Nifty dipping 126.65 points, primarily due to a sharp jump in Brent crude oil prices to USD 98.32 per barrel amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has conducted a nationwide crackdown on wildlife trafficking, seizing over 440 endangered animals and 15 kg of ivory, and arresting 33 individuals involved in organised crime syndicates.
With political divisions dominating conversations, can couples with opposing views stay together?
RBI says polymer notes have a significantly longer lifespan, potentially reducing printing costs and replacement frequency.
The number of individuals who declared a gross income of Rs 100 crore or more in their income-tax returns had risen to 301 in 2022-23, moderated slightly to 284 in 2023-24, then climbed to 415 in 2024-25.
Parliament was informed that UPI has onboarded 55.49 crore users by June 2026, with transactions reaching 24,162 crore in volume and Rs 314 lakh crore in value in FY 2025-26. The platform, operated by NPCI, is expanding internationally through NIPL, facilitating cross-border payments and assisting other nations in building similar systems. Significant efforts are also underway by the Government, RBI, and NPCI to enhance the security and transparency of UPI transactions, including risk-based limits, security frameworks, and public awareness campaigns against cyber-crime.
