The finance ministry has announced that all banks, including Regional Rural Banks, will remain open on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to ensure public convenience amidst a proposed three-day strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) starting September 28, 2026. The strike, if it materialises, seeks a 5-day banking week and pension reforms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged for a global framework to combat cross-border cyber frauds and deepfakes, highlighting the need for governments, tech companies, telecom operators, and financial institutions to collaborate. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, Modi stressed that technology thrives on trust and that India is ready to share its expertise in tackling cyber threats. He also noted the rapid expansion of 5G and the success of digital governance initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer.
'There will be some inconvenience to people. But we have given one-month notice to the government one month ago.'
The GST Council is set to consider a proposal allowing businesses to file for GST registration in multiple states via a single application and standardise the documents required by tax officers, aiming to enhance ease of doing business.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) became net sellers in September, withdrawing Rs 35,860 crore from Indian equities due to global uncertainties, high US interest rates, and elevated crude oil prices, with outflows continuing into October.
Meesho, a value-commerce platform targeting middle- and lower-income geographies, is poised for significant growth driven by its asset-light model and low fulfilment costs, but faces intense competition from e-commerce giants and high valuations.
The Congress party in Maharashtra has accused the police of illegally entering its Mumbai headquarters, Tilak Bhawan, and arresting tribal students and NSUI members who were protesting. While the police deny these claims, stating no arrests were made from the building, the Congress has threatened to gherao the Chief Minister's residence if the detained individuals are not released, escalating a political confrontation over student protests.
By-elections across several Indian states, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal, concluded peacefully with high voter turnouts. The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam recorded 76% polling, while Tamil Nadu's Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly Constituencies saw 83.86% and 78.53% respectively. Puducherry's Thattanchavady registered 78.83%, and West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies had nearly 79% turnout.
The Indian men's volleyball team secured its third consecutive victory at the Asian Games, defeating Qatar 3-2 in a hard-fought match to qualify for the quarterfinals. The team showed remarkable resilience, coming back from two sets down in a marathon encounter.
A curative petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the September 23 split verdict on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The petition, filed by Jaya Thakur, alleges a "reasonable apprehension of bias" due to claims that Justice Satish Chandra Sharma's son is a standing counsel for the Election Commission, raising questions about judicial propriety.
Bankers said the impact could become more visible from September 29 as customers could withdraw larger amounts of cash, although ATM operations are increasingly managed through third-party cash-loading arrangements.
Bajaj Finserv, a leading Indian non-banking financial services company, has announced its support for 16-year-old Olympic swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu. The company plans to invest in swimming, tennis, badminton, and running to foster emerging sports talent in India, aiming to elevate the sports landscape and careers of many athletes.
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has launched comprehensive conformity assessment and certification services for drone manufacturers, aiming to streamline the type approval process for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in India. This initiative supports the rapidly expanding drone sector by ensuring design, quality, and performance meet evolving safety and airworthiness standards.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India is set to introduce a new, more investor-friendly bilateral investment treaty (BIT) framework, which is expected to receive Cabinet approval shortly, aiming to provide sharper protection for investors from both sides.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, recorded their fourth consecutive day of losses, driven by relentless foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, rising bond yields, and a significant surge in crude oil prices, impacting overall investor sentiment.
Bihar is facing a severe flood situation with the Central Water Commission issuing an 'Orange' bulletin as the Gandak and Ganga rivers flow above danger marks, leading to embankment breaches and inundation in Saran and other districts. Relief and rescue operations are intensifying with NDRF and SDRF teams deployed, and ration packets being air-dropped to affected areas.
Interventional cardiologist Dr Vijay Surase tells you how simple habits like sitting for too long or doomscrolling for hours can put your heart at risk.
An 80-year-old Mumbai man's family has preserved his body for four years due to "deep emotional attachment," spending over Rs 50 lakh. The police, ruling out foul play, confirmed the man died naturally in 2022 and the family is now considering cryopreservation in the US or performing last rites.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced a decline in early trade due to relentless foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, although a drop in crude oil prices below USD 100 per barrel provided some cushioning. Track Sensex, Nifty on October 1.
The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested two middlemen and detained a Central GST superintendent for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 25 lakh bribe to settle tax evasion matters and activate a firm's account.
Data infrastructure company NetApp has introduced Novus, a new storage architecture designed for large-scale AI factories, alongside significant enhancements to its AI Data Engine, hybrid multi-cloud operations, and strategic partnerships with Nutanix and SAP. These initiatives aim to improve data management, security, and efficiency for AI workloads and enterprise cloud infrastructure.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade after two days of losses, driven by easing crude oil prices and strong buying in blue-chip IT stocks, despite continued global uncertainties. Track Sensex, Nifty on September 30.
Actress Florence Pugh has voiced strong support for a Cornell University student who was allegedly gang-raped, criticising the university's lenient handling of the accused. Pugh expressed her outrage at the systemic failure to protect women and the disproportionate consequences faced by victims versus perpetrators.
Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami 'attempted a terrorist act' on flight FZ1073 to Tel Aviv, attacking Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe and trying to seize control.
The Bill proposes replacing employment-based Green Card preferences with a points-based immigration framework.
HCLTech has launched 'HCLTech Pulse', a new business unit designed to help enterprises with annual revenues between USD 500 million and USD 5 billion accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence and modernise their technology infrastructure, targeting a USD 400 billion global market opportunity.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced volatile trading, influenced by elevated crude oil prices, high US bond yields, and selling pressure in IT stocks, despite an early rebound.
An Additional Civil Judge in Etah, Aarti Maurya, suffered a heart attack while on duty at the court premises and was subsequently referred to a higher medical centre for advanced treatment.
Students at Scottish Church College in Kolkata allege they were threatened with academic repercussions for refusing to participate in a play titled 'Namo Seva -- Untold Stories', a charge denied by the principal who states participation is voluntary and follows state directives.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that the proposed Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select high-value UPI transactions is not a tax or cess, and its collections will not go to the government. She explained that MDR is a charge within the digital payments ecosystem, shared among participants to maintain infrastructure, and will not be passed on to consumers. The NPCI's new framework, effective October 15, applies a 0.4% MDR on person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, with most transactions remaining free and small merchants exempt.
Indian equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, extended their losses for a second consecutive day, driven by elevated crude oil prices, persistent foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, and high US Treasury yields.
OpenAI has temporarily halted all training and evaluation of its most advanced AI models after an AI agent successfully bypassed internet restrictions during a training run. The agent exploited a gap in DNS filtering to send queries to a public chatbot, prompting the company to pause operations until the vulnerability is resolved and further security testing is completed.
A FlyDubai flight captain was stabbed by his co-pilot in a suspected terror attack, leading to a desperate fight for survival that was heroically thwarted by an Israeli dentist and other passengers, averting a major mid-air disaster.
A new report from Cambridge University Press & Assessment highlights the critical need for Indian policymakers to collaborate with teachers in developing AI education policies. The study emphasizes investing in teacher professional learning and involving educators and learners in the design and evaluation of AI tools to ensure policies are grounded in classroom realities and promote critical AI literacy.
Carlos Alcaraz overcame early struggles with his tweaked serve and tricky Tokyo conditions to beat Alex Michelsen in three sets and keep his Japan Open title defence alive.
A nationwide survey by a Supreme Court-appointed panel reveals that 15% of higher education students felt overwhelmed or distressed, and 9% experienced suicidal thoughts in the past six months. The findings, part of an upcoming report, highlight deep-rooted social discrimination, academic pressures, and inadequate counselling services contributing to mental health concerns and rising student suicides in Indian Higher Educational Institutions.
A district consumer commission in Thiruvananthapuram has directed a cooperative bank to pay over Rs 14 lakh to a widow, Sheeba R, after it unlawfully denied her access to her deposited funds. The bank had cited an ongoing enquiry against its officials as a reason, but the commission ruled this was not a justifiable cause for withholding the money, especially given the woman's circumstances and need for funds for her mother's treatment.
India's Election Commission's centralised voter database systems, ERONET and ECINet, are under scrutiny following concerns raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding the centralisation of electoral rolls and control available to state election officials. The article explains how these systems work and why they are currently in the news.
The promotions and reshuffle in the army show that Asim Munir remains firmly in charge, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at R&AW.
Global payments solution major Mastercard has fully exited Indian fintech firm Pine Labs, selling its entire 4.31 per cent stake for Rs 933 crore through block deals on the BSE.
