In answer to a question posed in Parliament, March 2025, details of India's forest cover, were highlighted, state-wise. Madhya Pradesh, with its enviable 11 national parks and plethora of flora and fauna, is the Indian state that boasts the most forest cover. Arunachal Pradesh, however, has the highest percentage of forest.
India comes second only to the US, according to World Population Review, in the length of its road network, boasting totally 6.37 million km. Which states have the best highways?
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has called for the state to become a hub for Indian futsal, producing players capable of leading the national team to the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Speaking at a felicitation for Tlangnuam Futsal Club, he emphasised nurturing talent for international success and highlighted government investment in sports infrastructure.
India has asserted that the state of its border with China directly impacts the broader bilateral relationship, emphasising the critical importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Ministry of External Affairs also firmly rejected China's claims over Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating its status as an integral part of India. This stance was reiterated during a recent Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meeting, where both sides agreed to continue using diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding issues.
The Indian fencing team achieved remarkable success on the third day of the Commonwealth Championship in Lagos, Nigeria, securing three gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in senior individual events. This impressive performance boosted India's overall medal tally to 29, including 8 gold, 7 silver, and 14 bronze, showcasing the nation's growing dominance in the sport.
Indian fencers continued their strong performance at the U-23 Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos, Nigeria, securing seven additional medals on the second day. This haul included one gold, two silver, and four bronze, bringing India's total medal count to 24. Notable winners include Tanishka Khatri (gold in Women's Epee), Aakhari (silver in Women's Sabre), and Tejas Patil (bronze in Men's Foil).
The Union home ministry directed all the states and Union territories on Monday to adhere to the Flag Code, underlining that while flags made of paper may be waved by the public on occasions of important national, cultural and sports events, those should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the events.
Indian benchmark indices closed marginally higher, with the Sensex gaining over 43 points and the Nifty remaining flat, as a spike in crude oil prices due to geopolitical uncertainties tempered risk appetite.
Indian golfer Rayhan Thomas finished Tied-71st at the Pinnacle Bank Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, while Indian-American rookie Mahanth Chirravuri secured a Tied-19th finish, his best on the tour. Frankie Harris won the title with a remarkable 59 and a playoff victory.
Eleven-year-old Indian karting sensation Atiqa Mir has achieved impressive top-10 finishes in Round 4 of the FIA European Championship, becoming the youngest Indian to do so. She secured ninth and J10th place in heat races, qualifying P11 just 0.13 seconds off the fastest time. Her father, Asif Mir, believes she exceeded expectations and is poised for a full championship challenge next year.
Despite aggressive expansion, India's solar power sector faces significant hurdles from rising regional disparities in installed capacity and a looming manufacturing glut due to overcapacity in domestic solar equipment production, potentially leading to consolidation and pricing pressures.
'Our biggest opportunity lies with the younger age-group teams.' 'If you look at the senior national team, our chances are about 50-50.' 'The gap becomes smaller as you move down the age groups.' 'At the Under-20 level, it's closer to 60-40.' 'By the Under-17 level, it's around 80-20. That's where I feel we have our best chance.'
TRAU FC defeated Indian Navy FT 2-1 in their final Durand Cup Group D fixture, thanks to a brace from Afridi Buyamayum and a strong performance by goalkeeper Tajuddin. Despite the victory, both teams were eliminated from the tournament, with FC Raengdai advancing as group winners.
Unseeded Indian men's doubles pair Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy defeated the sixth-seeded Thai duo to reach the second round of the Korea Masters Super 300 badminton tournament. However, other Indian participants faced early exits in various categories.
A new report by FICCI, BCG, and IBA outlines that India's banking sector must grow significantly faster than nominal GDP to support a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047, requiring banking assets of USD 45 trillion. The report highlights the sector's current strength, challenges in digitisation, and the need to enhance resilience against fraud and cyber threats, proposing a 13-point agenda for stakeholders.
Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha has advanced to her maiden BWF World Tour singles final at the Korea Masters Super 300, defeating compatriot Rakshitha Ramraj. Chaliha, returning from injury, will now face China's Han Qianxi for the title, marking a significant achievement for Indian badminton.
An Indian-origin chief financial officer of a US spinal implant company has been sentenced to a four-month jail term for his role in a scheme to bribe surgeons. Aditya Humad conspired to pay over USD 540,000 in sham consulting fees to surgeons to induce them to use SpineFrontier's products, leading to millions in revenue for the company and undermining healthcare safeguards.
NITI Aayog's inaugural Investment Friendliness Index, scoring 36 states and Union Territories on 84 indicators across eight pillars, revealed that no state or UT reached a score of 60 out of 100, indicating significant room for improvement in attracting investment.
The Indian Racketlon team, captained by Vikramaditya Chaufla, is set to defend its title at the Racketlon World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The six-member squad, including last year's champions, will compete in the Challenge Cup, aiming to showcase India's growing prowess in the unique multi-racket sport.
Rising Indian badminton star Tanvi Sharma, fresh from her Taipei Open win, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Masters Super 300 tournament. She is joined by compatriots Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Ashmita Chaliha in the women's singles. In men's doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy also secured a quarterfinal spot, while other Indian campaigns in mixed doubles, women's doubles, and men's singles concluded.
Descendants of a Madhya Pradesh businessman are seeking repayment from the UK government for a Rs 35,000 loan made during World War I. The UK Debt Management Office has responded, asking for further documentation to examine the claim, which the family estimates to be worth crores today with interest.
The Indian Army celebrated the exceptional performance of its athletes at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, where a contingent of 20 Army athletes secured 16 medals, including eight gold. This achievement highlights the Army's dedication to fostering world-class sporting talent and advancing India's athletic ambitions, particularly through initiatives like Mission Olympics 2036.
Arun Vasu, president of the Surfing Federation of India, has been elected as the new head of the Asian Surfing Federation (ASF) after a supervised voting process. He succeeds Atsushi Sakai of Japan and aims to build on the legacy while promoting surfing and SUP across Asia.
Indian golfers Pranavi Urs and Aditi Ashok delivered strong performances at the PIF London Championship, finishing tied 19th and tied 17th respectively. Meanwhile, Canada's Anna Huang secured her fourth Ladies European Tour title, becoming the youngest player to achieve this feat after a dramatic final round.
Indian pharmaceutical companies are not rushing to relocate manufacturing to the United States despite former President Donald Trump's renewed threat of tariffs up to 200 per cent on imported generic drugs. Instead, they are leveraging existing US plants, contract manufacturers, and making selective investments in complex products while maintaining India as their primary production hub.
Indian table tennis players showcased exceptional performance at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, with all eight men's and women's singles paddlers advancing to the semifinals. The women's team achieved a clean sweep, guaranteeing an all-Indian final, while the men also secured all four semifinal spots after overcoming tough international and domestic competition.
Indian table tennis players, including top seed Manush Shah and Harmeet Desai, showcased strong performances at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, with a majority of home players advancing to the pre-quarterfinals in both men's and women's singles, despite a few setbacks.
The Indian Navy football team secured their first victory in the Durand Cup, defeating NEROCA FC 2-0 in a Group D fixture. Goals from Roshan Panna and E Muhammed Inayath sealed the win, moving the Navy to second place in their group.
Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda defeated compatriot Devika Sihag in straight games to secure her spot in the Taipei Open semifinals. Hooda, the third seed, won a tightly contested first game before dominating the second to close out the match.
The upcoming 2026 Ladakh Marathon will feature a record prize pool of Rs 1 crore, aiming to attract over 10,000 visitors globally. This high-altitude event, scheduled from September 10 to 13, is set to welcome participants from 28 Indian states, six Union Territories, and all six inhabited continents, reinforcing its growing international stature.
Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has been awarded the prestigious COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal for 2026. She is the fourth Indian and first woman scientist from the country to receive this honour, recognised for her outstanding contributions to space research.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Soman Rana has highlighted the critical need for increased corporate support and permanent jobs for Indian para-athletes. He stressed that financial security is vital for athletes to focus on training and achieve consistent international success, including at events like the Paralympics and Para Asian Games. His views were echoed by PCI president Devendra Jhajharia and M3M Foundation chairperson Payal Kanodia, who noted the growing recognition and support for the Paralympic movement in India.
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa of India secured the top spot in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, scoring 12 out of 18 points.
Indian golfers Diksha Dagar, Aditi Ashok, Avani Prashanth, and Pranavi Urs are set to compete in the USD 2 million PIF London Championship on the Ladies European Tour. Diksha seeks her third LET title, while Aditi aims for improved results. The tournament, hosted at Centurion Club, features a strong international field including world No. 6 Charley Hull.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has lauded the state's athletes for their stellar performance at the Commonwealth Games, where India secured 16 medals on a single day, climbing to fourth in the overall standings.
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.
Indian shuttler Rounak Chouhan successfully navigated the qualifying rounds of the Taipei Open Super 300, securing his spot in the men's singles main draw with two impressive victories. However, it was a challenging day for most other Indian participants across various categories, who faced defeats in their respective qualifying and opening matches. HS Prannoy and Unnati Hooda are set to lead the Indian contingent in the main draw.
Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh delivered a strong performance at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland, carding a 3-under-par 69 despite challenging, windy conditions. He recovered from an early double bogey to finish T-11, showcasing his skill on the European Legends Tour. South African Darren Fichardt leads the tournament.
Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar believes India's women pugilists are a stronger bet for an Olympic medal than their male counterparts and should be prioritised in the overall planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, following their record-shattering Commonwealth Games performance.
India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, has clarified that the recent amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) are primarily aimed at enhancing transparency and ensuring accountability in foreign financial flows.
