The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan panel and the Nandan Nilekani committee for institutionalising reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and improving NEET exam processes.
The CPI(M) has strongly opposed the Union government's proposal to levy charges on UPI transactions, calling it a "breach of public trust" and demanding the immediate withdrawal of the legislation. The party highlighted that the government had previously promoted UPI as a free public utility, encouraging widespread adoption, and now seeks to monetise this infrastructure. They also linked this move to a broader trend of increasing banking charges.
Boleng in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang district will host the Asian Rafting Championships 2026 in October, boosting the state's adventure sports and tourism profile. Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Minister Ojing Tasing are reviewing preparations for the event, which will showcase the state's rivers and landscapes to an international audience.
The Education Ministry will focus on training teachers in the use of Artificial Intelligence tools over the next three to four months to support classroom teaching, lesson planning and student assessment, a senior official said.
Bajaj Finance reported a strong Q1 FY27 performance with 24 per cent year-on-year AUM growth and a 28 per cent rise in consolidated profit after tax, driven by significant increases in consumer financing, gold loans, and commercial vehicle loans, alongside a strategic focus on digital transformation and AI.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in India is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into government processes to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accuracy. Initiatives include AI-enabled solutions for salary processing, grievance handling, and training content development, with a focus on data security and ethical use.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has launched the 'Shaktidoot 2.0' statewide sports scheme, significantly increasing financial assistance for athletes up to Rs 50 lakh. The initiative also focuses on identifying grassroots talent, supporting differently-abled players, and inaugurating sports complexes and libraries worth over Rs 388 crore. The scheme introduces a transparent, performance-based selection process and immediate aid for exceptional non-scheme players.
Researchers from IIT Bhubaneswar and Virginia Commonwealth University have theoretically predicted a new two-dimensional material, a FeCl3 monolayer, exhibiting i-wave altermagnetism. This discovery holds significant potential for developing faster, more compact, and energy-efficient electronic devices, including applications in high-density memory, spintronics, and quantum technologies.
Astrobase Space Technologies, a Bengaluru-based startup, has unveiled 'EVEREST', India's first privately built full-flow staged combustion (FFSC) LOX-Methane rocket engine. This advanced engine, designed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles, aims to enhance India's position in the global space economy by providing high-performance propulsion systems for future satellite deployments.
A year after the devastating AI-171 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad, forensic scientists recount the immense emotional and scientific challenges faced in identifying the 260 victims. The director of Gujarat Directorate of Forensic Sciences, H P Sanghvi, shared the indelible image of a severed hand, symbolising the terror and the team's dedication.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Prayagraj, emphasising that India's youth are its greatest strength. He raised concerns about the lack of employment opportunities, the declining value of educational credentials, and issues like exam paper leaks, urging youth to bring change through love and affection.
'If a student can get a good teacher, quality content and mock tests at no cost, it becomes very hard for a mid-tier coaching centre to keep charging for the same lecture.'
The 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2026 is set to begin in Pune, featuring 30 teams across three divisions. The tournament, running until August 23, will determine national champions and facilitate promotion and relegation between divisions, offering a crucial platform for young talent.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has championed the use of artificial intelligence for good governance, highlighting its potential to improve government services and build an inclusive and efficient India.
MiniMines Cleantech Solutions has secured an Indian patent for its Hybrid Hydrometallurgy technology, which efficiently recovers critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and electronic waste. This innovative process, developed in India, supports sustainable battery recycling and strengthens resource security for the nation's growing demand for critical minerals.
Bengaluru-based electric air taxi startup Sarla Aviation has received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a crucial step towards commercial production of its indigenous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company also inaugurated its new headquarters and announced partnerships, highlighting India's growing capabilities in advanced aerospace technology.
The Payments Council of India has confirmed that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services will continue to be free for consumers and small merchants, despite a recent Lok Sabha Bill. This clarification addresses concerns about potential charges, emphasising that while a sustainable financial model for UPI infrastructure is being developed, transaction charges will not be passed on to users or small businesses.
Researchers have developed a lightweight, wearable polygraph system that adheres to the chest and measures heart activity, breathing patterns, sweat response, blood flow, and temperature to provide a real-time, whole-body view of stress.
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.
Astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot encountered unexpected delays during a spacewalk to replace a critical space-to-ground antenna on the International Space Station. Despite successfully removing the failed antenna, they ran out of time to install the replacement, rescheduling the task for a future spacewalk. Menon, of Indian origin, and Adenot, the first French woman to spacewalk, faced challenges with tight connectors and bolting during the six-hour mission.
A new study projects that by the end of the century, hot days could experience an additional four hours of extreme heat, with low and middle-income countries being disproportionately affected. The research highlights that traditional daily temperature metrics often overlook shorter, intense periods of heat, and hourly assessments are crucial for effective heat risk management and public health planning in a warming climate.
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh states that the Indian hockey team has overcome its past late-game vulnerabilities against Pakistan, attributing this to significant improvements in fitness, game awareness, and decision-making. He notes that matches against Pakistan are no longer as challenging as they once were, though he stresses the need for defensive discipline against stronger European teams in the upcoming World Cup.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, the IAF chief, has strongly advocated for India to achieve greater self-reliance in unmanned aerial systems and other critical defence technologies, stating, "Technology delayed is technology denied." He stressed the importance of indigenous development to avoid dependency on other countries for components.
IdeaForge Technology Ltd has announced a partnership with Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP) to develop next-generation AI drones, aiming to enhance autonomous capabilities and expand into the Japanese market.
'All these reports and announcements by the US seem like attempts to gain a lever in trade deal negotiations with India.'
Indian IT stocks experienced a significant downturn following OpenAI's acquisition of consulting firm Tomoro, intensifying fears that global AI companies are encroaching on traditional IT service models through end-to-end consulting and implementation services.
EY India has launched its Cyber Performance Management (CPM) platform, an integrated solution designed to help enterprises quantify and manage cyber risk in real-time. This platform leverages AI and cybersecurity to provide decision intelligence, enabling organisations to identify and address threats proactively and translate cyber exposure into financial insights.
A new study based on satellite observations of a brown dwarf orbiting a star suggests the possible first detection of an exomoon. Researchers are debating its classification as an 'exoplanet' or 'exomoon' due to a lack of definitive systems, but refer to it as an 'exosatellite' with a mass similar to Jupiter.
Air India is significantly embracing artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, improve customer services, increase revenues, and reduce costs as part of its ambitious transformation plan under the Tata Group.
FedEx and ServiceNow have expanded their collaboration to develop an AI-powered supply chain solution aimed at optimising workflows and enhancing customer experiences. The partnership was announced at the Knowledge 2026 AI conference in Las Vegas.
PV Sindhu believes badminton's new 15-point scoring format will favour attacking players but will also be physically and mentally demanding. The BWF's approved system will be implemented from January 2027.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has launched a new digital platform in partnership with World Tennis Number, creating a unified ecosystem for Indian tennis. This platform will streamline registrations, tournament entries, and provide access to rankings, aiming to modernise the sport's administration and player experience.
Researchers have developed an AI-enabled framework to help retailers understand and respond to changing consumer sustainability preferences. The framework uses machine learning to identify consumer segments in real time and translate analytics into business strategies.
The pilot-in-command of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop last week has tested positive for a psychoactive substance, identified by sources as marijuana, in a confirmatory test. This development comes as Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu met with Air India executives to discuss the serious incident, which left 24 people injured.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated the State Cooperative Bank on successfully migrating its core banking system to the 'Finacle 10.2.25' platform. This upgrade aims to provide faster, more transparent, and secure financial services, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency across its 262 branches.
A youth was detained in Meerut for flying an unauthorised drone near an event attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, raising security concerns. The drone operator claimed ignorance of regulations, stating blogging as his hobby. Police are investigating the incident and scrutinising his social media profiles.
Chandigarh is set to launch the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), or digital rupee, for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) on August 14. This initiative makes Chandigarh the first Union Territory to fully roll out CBDC-based DBT for food subsidy, enhancing transparency and efficiency in welfare delivery. The digital rupee, issued by the RBI, will be purpose-bound for purchasing foodgrains from authorised merchants.
Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed an inexpensive and efficient catalyst for producing hydrogen from water, a crucial step for the National Green Hydrogen Mission and the transition to sustainable energy. The catalyst uses nickel salt and an anthracene-based organic molecule, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-derived hydrogen.
Supreme Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna stated that judicial independence in the modern era is not just freedom from external power, but also from algorithmic influence, while speaking at a conference in Bengaluru.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei emphasized India's crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by AI, including autonomous behavior, misuse potential, and economic displacement, during his address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
