A frozen phone screen, a fake customer-care call, a screen-sharing request or even a duplicate SIM can give cybercriminals a route into your bank account.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that investigating agencies cannot impose a blanket debit freeze on a person's bank account during cybercrime investigations. The court stated that restraint must be proportionate to the suspected proceeds of crime, directing banks to de-freeze accounts beyond the disputed amount. This ruling aims to protect innocent account holders from complete financial deprivation due to minor disputed transactions.
Former BJP leader K Annamalai has criticised the Centre for its handling of the NEET issue, alleging a lack of accountability despite three question paper leaks and questioning the delay in engaging with student protesters.
How well is your country's healthcare system staffed? We compare the density of essential healthcare professionals across countries, based on figures from World Population Review.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the strong health cooperation within BRICS, emphasising the critical role of digital health and artificial intelligence in ensuring continuity of care. Speaking at the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' meeting, she noted shared challenges among member nations and showcased India's advancements in digital health infrastructure and AI strategy.
Security has been increased at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi ahead of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's visit to meet activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on a hunger strike protesting NEET irregularities. Kejriwal has expressed support for the protest and its demand for the Union Education Minister's resignation.
'Let the world know that India's Gen Z has now moved out of their social media world and is ready to face the lathis, the tear gas shells or the spiked-dandas of cops.'
Top Meta India executives, including chief Arun Srinivas, appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for the second time in a week regarding alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) related advertisements on its platforms. Meta has committed to reporting child safety matters directly to India's I4C cybercrime portal, a significant shift from its previous practice of reporting to a US-based centre. The government is pushing for stronger safeguards and accountability from social media platforms to ensure online child safety.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for enhanced accountability and safeguards for artificial intelligence, particularly as it integrates into critical sectors like finance. Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest, she highlighted the dual nature of AI, capable of accelerating transactions but also amplifying fraud and cyberattacks. Sitharaman stressed the need for human and institutional responsibility in AI-driven decisions, urging regulators and companies to scrutinise high-risk AI applications. She also proposed a federated industry platform for Indian tech companies to navigate international regulations and ensure tax compliance globally.
NPCI International and Uzbekistan's NIPC have partnered to enable UPI payments across Uzbekistan, allowing Indian tourists, business travellers, and students to make instant merchant payments using the UZQR code. This agreement, approved by RBI and CBU, integrates UPI with Uzbekistan's national payment system, HUMO, facilitating direct P2M payments from Indian bank accounts and reducing reliance on foreign exchange or international cards.
Investors opening new brokerage accounts must choose a broker suited to their style.
Digital money is gradually starting to behave like software. It's no longer inert -- sitting passively in accounts. In the not-so-distant future, your money could become 'smart' and 'active,' understanding your preferences, paying your bills automatically, optimising your returns, and managing your risks -- all without you having to manage the details.
Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar has called for an independent review of the National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) coaching appointments, citing concerns about transparency, eligibility criteria, and potential conflicts of interest. The NRAI, however, asserts that appointments are merit-based and views Kumar's concerns as 'sour grapes' after his own non-selection.
Meta on Tuesday published a detailed blog outlining its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material across its apps, citing AI-powered detection, ad review systems and large-scale enforcement actions, days after the government issued a notice to the social media giant over reports of Instagram advertisements promoting such content.
The company's India head, Arun Srinivas, has been summoned by the child rights body on Thursday.
In her address to the nation on the eve of the country's 80th Independence Day, the president stressed that just as government and society remain united to ensure national security, everyone must contribute through joint and concerted efforts to safeguard the present and future of students.
The challenge for India lies in navigating complex landscape to its best advantage. The BRICS Summit will test its navigation skills, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF) has appointed Gauravjit Singh as managing partner to lead its global capital formation efforts. Simultaneously, PB Fintech's payment aggregator platform, PB Pay, has gone live, offering consolidated payment acceptance for merchants. In a move to enhance trade efficiency, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has introduced open API integration for Certificate of Origin, allowing exporters to streamline their application processes.
Arundhati Bhattacharyya, Salesforce President and CEO for South Asia, highlighted how cloud and AI are democratising capabilities, offering India a unique opportunity to leapfrog in the technology revolution. Speaking at the IMC Chamber of Commerce, she emphasised that AI will create more jobs by addressing unmet business demands and could significantly boost India's GDP, with NITI Aayog estimating a USD 500-600 billion addition by 2035. She urged Indian businesses to transform using technology, focus on data, redesign work, and invest in skills, stressing that AI is not just for large corporations.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Modi government of quietly paving the way for imposing fees on UPI transactions, alleging it's a surrender to American pressure. The government's recent notification exempts charges only up to Rs 2,000, sparking concerns that higher value transactions and eventually all UPI payments could incur fees. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, clarified that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applies to merchants, not customers, and supports digital infrastructure.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, though person-to-person (P2P) transfers and small P2M payments remain free. The charges aim to bolster investment in UPI infrastructure, with specific exemptions and caps for essential sectors.
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.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced new features for India's digital payment ecosystem, including UPI tap-to-pay for PIN-less transactions up to 5,000 and multi-currency capabilities for forex on Bharat Connect, supporting Euro, British Pound, and other major currencies.
Government sources state that Meta, due to its algorithmic amplification of content, can no longer be considered a "simple intermediary" but rather a "service provider," implying greater responsibility and potential loss of legal immunity. This shift comes as Meta commits to directly reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement, amidst increasing government scrutiny over harmful online content and algorithmic bias.
India's fertiliser ministry has introduced a new analytical tool and a national-to-retail dashboard to monitor fertiliser dispatches, movement, and inventories in real time, aiming to prevent localised shortages and ensure equitable access for farmers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new investment platform, based on the New Development Bank (NDB), to fund projects in trade, infrastructure, logistics, and technology across BRICS nations, emphasising that the grouping's expanding economic cooperation is not 'against anyone' but aims to advance members' national interests.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is reviewing its internal processes and protocols following lapses in three papers of the UGC-NET June 2026 examination, leading to re-tests for English, Commerce, and Sociology. The agency stated it proactively identified issues and is taking corrective measures to ensure fair and error-free examinations, amidst strong criticism from opposition leaders.
Student organisations across India are protesting the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to re-conduct the UGC-NET examinations for three subjects, citing repeated lapses that jeopardise students' academic and career plans. They are demanding the NTA be scrapped or held accountable for its failures.
BRICS leaders, in their New Delhi Declaration 2026, have called for wider access to Artificial Intelligence resources and stronger international cooperation to ensure the technology is safe, secure, inclusive, and reliable. The declaration outlines a broad technology agenda covering AI, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, telecom, quantum technologies, and advanced manufacturing, committing to implement the grouping's statement on 'Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence'.
Arundhati Bhattacharya, Salesforce President and CEO for South Asia, stated that cloud and AI are democratising capabilities, offering India a unique opportunity to leapfrog in technology. Speaking at the IMC Chamber of Commerce, she emphasised that AI will create more jobs and urged Indian businesses to transform using technology, rather than merely digitising. She also highlighted the significant economic potential of AI adoption for India.
Can your money be protected against online frauds like hacking, digital arrests, etc?
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
Their message is blunt: Public scientific wealth should not be transferred at what they describe as 'throwaway prices'.capability, recruitment, promotional avenues and the voice of its employees.
The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that adults, including those in non-heterosexual relationships, should be allowed to nominate partners for medical decision-making in cases of incapacity. This submission comes in response to a petition seeking recognition of same-sex partners as medical representatives, with the government stating this approach aligns with existing legal and ethical frameworks, respecting patient autonomy and ensuring continuity of care.
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) Director-General Anant Kumar highlighted the need for a collective effort from all stakeholders in the Indian sports ecosystem to reduce doping incidents. He made these remarks during a National Roundtable on Doping Prevention in Sports, which discussed various factors contributing to doping and strategies for prevention.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) "is distributed only amongst the UPI ecosystem, to further invest into infrastructure resilience, innovation, cybersecurity (protecting the UPI infrastructure with banks and non-banks) and customer service."
The government is introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends the zero-MDR regime, aiming to fund UPI infrastructure and sustainability, as the previous government subsidy was insufficient to cover operational costs. Payments between individuals and most everyday merchant transactions will remain free.
It is important to understand that the rupee's appreciation, driven by the 2013 special swap scheme, reduced India's import costs for petroleum, oil, and gold, points out Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convenor, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch.
SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey stated that cybersecurity is now a board-level concern, not just an IT challenge, emphasising the need for caution when deploying artificial intelligence in critical infrastructure. He highlighted that AI for cybersecurity must be secure, governed, and accountable, and also addressed the emerging risks from quantum computing, urging collective resilience and sharing of best practices among regulators.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is reportedly 'close' to approving the National Stock Exchange's (NSE) initial public offering (IPO) draft documents, with an expected market debut by early next month. Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey also emphasised the regulator's focus on enhancing market resilience against evolving risks, including technology failures and the impact of artificial intelligence.
