Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) members on Monday to discuss opportunities in his country, especially in the mining sector. The Taliban, who now control Afghanistan, is seeking to repair its ties with New Delhi, and is hopeful of Indian public and private sectors increasing investments in the mining and power sector, and greater trade and commerce.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ethiopia on a bilateral visit, engaging with Ethiopian leadership to strengthen partnerships in various sectors. He was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and participated in cultural events, highlighting the strong ties between the two nations.
The government on Thursday said it has cancelled the auction of Tamil Nadu's Nayakkarpatti tungsten mineral block which is near the Arittapatti Biodiversity site and a number of cultural heritage sites. Tungsten is a critical and strategic mineral.
The share of services in gross value added (GVA) in 2023-24 was the highest in Chandigarh (88.8 per cent), followed by Delhi (84.1 per cent), said a NITI Aayog report released recently.
China accounts for about 70 per cent of global rare earth mining and nearly 90 per cent of rare earth magnet production, making it a dominant player and giving it significant leverage in global supply chains.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special postage stamp and a commemorative coin featuring Bharat Mata to mark the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Lieutenant Colonel C Dwarakesh is the only completely blind officer to continue in the Indian Army after losing his eyesight while in service. In his remarkable journey after disability, he enhanced his education qualification, scaled the Siachen Glacier and found purpose in sport.
Trump made the announcement in response to what he described as China taking "an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade" by sending "an extremely hostile letter to the world."
The changes were made to several regulations in a coordinated manner by the environment ministry, the tribal affairs ministry and the mines ministry over a year.
The MEA release said that the embassy of India in Kabul will further augment India's contribution to Afghanistan's comprehensive development.
Pakistan has approached the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a USD 7 billion loan to upgrade a major railway line after China apparently declined to support the project. The development of Mainline-I (ML-I) railways between Peshawar and Karachi is stuck due to a lack of funds.
At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 injured in the attack on Saturday.
Amid a furore over 26 per cent profit-sharing with locals under the proposed new mining law and demands for watering down the provision for PSUs, the Mines Ministry said its final draft will go with the recommendations of the Group of Ministers.
The government on Tuesday proposed to launch a mission to give fillip to the domestic output of critical minerals like copper and lithium, their recycling as well as acquisition of such assets abroad. Presenting Union Budget for 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said the government will launch the auction of the first round of offshore mining blocks.
'We have created massive infrastructure in the past six years.'
'Despite assurance from China, none of the companies have received supplies from Chinese sellers.'
India sent an aquanaut 5,000 metres deep into the ocean in a first-of-its-kind expedition in partnership with France, as part of preparations for India's ambitious Deep Ocean Mission.
The 71st National Awards were presented at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The government plans to establish a fully indigenous manufacturing ecosystem with an annual production capacity of up to 6,000 tonnes. The scheme is expected to run for seven years, according to official documents.
To expedite mining activities in the country and address shortcomings in the mine auction process, the Centre has proposed the introduction of intermediary timelines for acquiring mining leases and composite licences. The government has outlined timelines for various activities involved in the process, accompanied by penalties for delays attributable to the bidder. According to the Ministry of Mines notification dated February 9, the penalty for surpassing specified timelines in any activity within a milestone would lead to deductions from the performance security deposited by the bidder.
'The heat shield technology for re-entry vehicles was first mastered in DRDO for the Agni missile.' 'This is why the Americans were so opposed to Agni in the 1980s, unlike other missiles -- it was a re-entry vehicle.'
In response to US criticism of India's oil imports from Russia, the Indian Army shared a 1971 news clip highlighting the US's role in arming Pakistan.
India has strongly criticized the US and EU for their 'unjustified and unreasonable' targeting of New Delhi for its procurement of Russian crude oil, pointing out their own continued trade relations with Russia.
The mines ministry on Friday said it has sought the law ministry's advice on how to go about granting leases till the proposed new mining Bill, having provisions for auctioning of mines, is passed.
State-owned NMDC has reported a 15 per cent rise in its iron ore production and 3 per cent growth in sales of the mineral in April.
The Railway Ministry will deliver the advanced locomotives to the African nation over the next three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first locomotive for export on Friday.
A Group of Ministers is expected to soon clear the proposal that companies share 26 per cent of profits from their mining projects with the displaced people, a Mines Ministry official said.
The Centre is likely to plead before the Supreme Court that there should not be a blanket ban on iron ore mining in Bellary in Karnataka and that only the violating companies should be dealt with, when it presents its interim report this week.
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said India has not been a good trading partner and announced that he will raise the tariffs on New Delhi 'very substantially' over the next 24 hours because it is buying Russian oil.
South Korean steel giant Posco's wait for a mining licence in Orissa has got a little longer.
The Union mines ministry on Wednesday said its profit sharing plans are not focussed on any corporate houses like Tatas and Jindals, but aims at providing compensation to the people displaced by mining projects.
On Friday, during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked about media reports that some Indian oil companies have stopped taking oil from Russia, had said India has made clear its approach on the issue.
The Centre will invest around Rs 200 crore over five years for the exploration and development of these mines.
President Trump addresses questions about US imports from Russia and India's stance on purchasing Russian oil, hinting at potential tariffs.
Amid UPA Chief Sonia Gandhi voicing concern over land acquisition norms, a Group of Ministers (GoM) will meet this week to take a view on the new mining bill, which seeks that miners share 26 per cent of profits with those affected by the project.
'There is a clear relationship between the Char Dham road widening and these landslides.' 'The situation has further worsened with the massive influx of tourists whose number are running into several lakhs per month.' 'No parameters have been laid down to control tourist inflow and the result is that the Char Dham yatra has seen a sharp escalation in accidents and loss of lives.'
The Bill also envisages ushering in a regime of royalty concessions for the first time in the country.
India is already negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US. The two countries are aiming to finalise the first phase of the pact by fall (September-October) of this year.
Rao is now just the Minister of State for Coal.
