Punjab & Sind Bank MD and CEO Swarup Kumar Saha clarified that merchants cannot pass on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges to customers for UPI payments, ensuring consumers only pay the displayed price. The new MDR structure, effective October 15, applies a 0.4% charge on P2M transactions above Rs 2,000, with specific flat rates for certain sectors, but small-value transactions remain free.
Parveen Hooda and Chen Nien-chin's final bout highlighted the respect and camaraderie that exists in the sport of boxing.
India concluded its campaign at the World Archery Para Series Stage III with an impressive tally of 15 medals, including four gold, three silver, and eight bronze, finishing second in the overall medal standings. The event served as a crucial preparatory test for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games.
Indian para-shooter Mona Agarwal has secured a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games by winning a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the WSPS World Championships in Changwon, South Korea. While Avani Lekhara won bronze in the same event, only the top two finishers secured quotas. Agarwal and Lekhara also combined to win a team gold.
Former NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar has urged the government to maintain zero-fee UPI transactions for several more years, arguing that the benefits of UPI as a public good outweigh the costs. This comes amidst the government's recent decision to introduce a 0.4% fee on person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, a move that has drawn criticism.
India's foreign exchange reserves have surged by a record USD 44.903 billion to a new lifetime high of USD 785.706 billion for the week ended September 4, driven by the Reserve Bank of India's concessional forex swap initiatives.
Hindustan Copper Limited CMD Anupam Misra spoke at the 85th CSIR Foundation Day, advocating for workplace safety, employee welfare, and scientific excellence. He stressed the importance of continuous learning, innovation, and bridging research with industrial applications to support Viksit Bharat 2047. CSIR-NML Director Dr. Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury also highlighted CSIR's legacy and its role in India's technological self-reliance.
India's Asian Games athletics team has been trimmed to 74 members, with prominent athletes like javelin thrower Annu Rani, long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, and sprinter Nithya Gandhe dropped due to performance or medical reasons. The decision followed a confirmatory event, while some injured national record holders were cleared to participate.
Indian wrestling coach Virender Dahiya and wrestler Antim Panghal have expressed strong confidence in the national team's preparation and potential for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Dahiya believes the team will significantly improve on its previous medal tally, while Panghal highlights the strong team cohesion and gold medal aspirations. The squad features a mix of experienced and young talent, aiming to overcome strong regional competitors.
India's total goods trade with BRICS nations more than doubled from FY21 to FY26, reaching USD 417.5 billion, but a significant surge in imports, particularly from China and Russia, has caused India's trade deficit with the bloc to more than triple, reaching USD 226.1 billion.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has called on her team to maintain simplicity and trust their inherent strengths as they prepare to face Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup final, aiming to avenge their previous defeat.
Indian teen archer Kumkum Mohod, 17, made history at the Asian Games by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold, alongside a team gold and mixed silver.
Pakistan has welcomed an Indian delegation's visit to Islamabad for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, marking the first such visit after a significant gap. The visit is seen as a positive step towards regional peace and cooperation, with Pakistan also commenting on other international and domestic issues.
Mumbai International Airport is set to reduce 265 weekly international flights from October 25 to facilitate the redevelopment of Terminal 1. This move, impacting 46 airlines including IndiGo and Air India, has raised concerns among carriers and global aviation bodies like IATA, who advocate for collaborative planning over mandated relocations.
Gautam Gambhir visited Guwahati's Kamakhya temple before meeting selectors to discuss India's New Zealand tour squads, as the team prepared to seal the ODI series against West Indies.
The Indian women's cricket team, after winning their eighth Asia Cup title against Sri Lanka, declined to accept the trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, continuing a trend seen with the men's team last year. This incident highlights an ongoing impasse regarding trophy presentations involving the Pakistani official.
The Indian junior women's hockey team played a goalless draw against China in their final elite pool match of the Junior Asia Cup. This result secured India the top spot in their pool due to a superior goal difference, setting up a quarter-final clash against Pakistan.
An urban map of the largest cities in the world, by population, in the early 1700s looked almost empty by today's standards.
Apple Pay has officially launched in India, integrating with CCAvenue and partnering with Axis Bank to bring secure and convenient mobile payment solutions to millions of iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users across a vast network of merchants.
Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches in India are estimated to have grown by approximately 21 per cent to 4.60 lakh units in September, with major carmakers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, M&M, and Hyundai all reporting double-digit growth, driven by increased supplies for the upcoming peak festival season and healthy demand.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi for talks focusing on the West Asia situation, bilateral relations, and BRICS cooperation. The meeting, Pezeshkian's first visit to India as president, comes amidst heightened tensions in West Asia due to new US sanctions on Iran and concerns over global oil supplies from the Strait of Hormuz. Both leaders emphasised regional stability and economic resilience.
India's Women's Junior Hockey team delivered a dominant performance, defeating Pakistan 19-0 to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Women's Junior Asia Cup. The team showcased relentless attacking prowess, scoring consistently throughout the match and converting multiple penalty corners.
Aviation security watchdog BCAS is conducting trials of full body scanners at Bengaluru and Cochin airports. The trials aim to collect data to refine algorithms, addressing privacy concerns and ensuring the technology is suitable for Indian passengers before wider deployment across airports.
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting has won a gold medal in the women's 60kg boxing category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, two years after facing a gender-eligibility dispute at the Paris Olympics. Lin was cleared to compete earlier this year and defeated China's Yang Chengyu. The article also highlights India's Lovlina Borgohain winning gold in the 75kg category.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 lineup is set to cost 20 to 43 per cent more in India, primarily due to rising global memory component costs and a depreciating rupee, while the new foldable iPhone Duo will be priced between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh, matching the cost of some hatchback cars.
Soha Sadiq and Parth Aggarwal caused significant upsets at the Fenesta Open National Hard court championships by defeating higher-seeded players. Meanwhile, top seeds Manish Sureshkumar and Vaidehee Chaudhari began their campaigns with comfortable straight-sets victories, showcasing strong performances in their respective draws.
All-rounder Deepti Sharma has downplayed concerns about India's fielding ahead of the Women's Asia Cup T20 final, stating that dropped catches are 'a part of the game' and the team remains focused on a strong all-round performance.
India is actively integrating payment system harmonisation into its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, especially with countries hosting a large Indian diaspora. This strategy aims to leverage India's growing fintech ecosystem, facilitate cross-border financial services, and position India as a global hub for financial services exports, particularly through platforms like GIFT City.
The Indian IPO market recorded its highest monthly fundraising in September, with 34 mainboard companies raising 39,309 crore, despite a significant decline in the Nifty 50 index.
Bangladesh has confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not attend the upcoming BRICS Summit in India, clarifying that the invitation was extended to him as the BIMSTEC Chair, not as Bangladesh's Prime Minister. The nation is prioritising bilateral visits and discussions, while also addressing national interests like the expiring Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
West Bengal's Dhruv Singh, Anish Halder, Subha Mita Karmakar, and other young talents have advanced in the All India Sub-Junior (Under-13) Ranking Badminton Tournament held in Kolkata, showcasing strong performances against competitors from across 28 states and five union territories. The tournament features a significant prize purse, encouraging young badminton players.
Virat Kohli's unbeaten 139 against West Indies, his 55th ODI century, lifted him to second in the latest ICC rankings, behind India teammate Shubman Gill.
IndiGo will have 74 of its 224 weekly international departures affected while Air India will relocate 33 of its 100 departures.
Sanju Samson discusses how the Indian cricket team is maintaining focus and team spirit despite incessant rains disrupting their training and matches in Japan ahead of the Asia Games semifinal. He highlights the team's constant meetings and gym sessions to stay "switched on" and ready for the crucial match against Sri Lanka, while also acknowledging the depth of Indian cricket talent.
New Zealand batter Mark Chapman has opted for a "casual contract" with New Zealand Cricket for the 2026-27 season to play in the Australian Big Bash League. Despite this, he will remain available for selection for the upcoming home series against India. This decision has opened up a central contract spot for fast bowler Matthew Fisher.
Prince Kurisinkal Noble and Manu Francis secured India's first-ever Asian Games silver medal in men's skiff sailing. Hailing from Kochi, their journey is deeply connected to the sea, with Noble overcoming personal tragedy after losing his fisherman father in the 2018 Kerala floods. Their decade-long partnership and debut Asian Games performance mark a significant achievement for Indian sailing.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has voiced concerns over significant delays in inducting new combat jets, including the Tejas aircraft, which are impacting the Indian Air Force's depleting fighter squadron strength. He stressed the need for annual induction of 36-40 jets to address the gaps and discussed ongoing procurement plans like the MRFA deal and future strategies for combat aircraft and theatre commands.
Indian cyclists experienced early eliminations in the men's omnium, women's sprint, and women's madison events at the Asian Games. Harshveer Singh Sekhon finished 10th in the men's omnium points race, while Keerthi Rangaswamy Chikka and Celestina failed to advance past the 1/16-final repechages in the women's sprint. The women's Madison team also did not finish their event.
Hissi Besra, a promising young golfer, secured the US Kids India (North) title in the Girls 11-12 section with an outstanding round of 5-under 67. The tournament also saw strong performances from other junior golfers like Nihal Cheema, Rayirth Jain, and Drona Singh Dhull, showcasing emerging talent in Indian junior golf.
The Supreme Court stated it has not approved any modifications to Form 6, used for electoral roll inclusion, during the Special Intensive Revision. This observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging alleged unilateral decisions by the Chief Election Commissioner regarding changes to Form 6 and electoral roll revisions in states like Goa and West Bengal, without the concurrence of his colleagues. The court issued notice on the plea, highlighting concerns over collective decision-making within the Election Commission.
