Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar announced India's ambitious plan to rank among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and top five by 2047. He highlighted the central government's commitment to sports development through initiatives like Khelo India, increased budget allocation, and a special fund for sports equipment and technology, emphasising sports as a tool for nation-building and youth empowerment.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar announced India's ambitious plan to rank among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and top five by 2047. He highlighted the central government's commitment to sports development through initiatives like Khelo India, increased budget allocation, and a special fund for sports equipment and technology, emphasising sports as a tool for nation-building and youth empowerment.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) is hosting the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 Time Trials in New Delhi, a talent hunt offering aspiring racers a chance to enter professional motorsport with a significant prize pool and a driver development fund.
Andhra Pradesh's "Drone City" in Kurnool district will host a national roundtable on drones on August 18, with the Civil Aviation Minister and up to 40 drone companies expected to attend. This initiative aims to boost the drone sector, which is projected to create 40,000 jobs.
G.D. Goenka School, Dwarka and Bharti Public School have clinched their maiden boys' and girls' titles, respectively, at the fourth edition of the Oriental Cup. The tournament also introduced a scholarship programme for 10 student-athletes, recognising their outstanding performances.
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.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has renewed its partnership with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) for another three years, extending their collaboration until March 2029. This agreement will see IIS continue to support WFI's national wrestling programmes across all levels, focusing on high-performance training, sports science, and athlete development.
Sahdev Yadav, President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, has been unanimously elected as the head of the South Asian Weightlifting Federation (SAWF). He aims to strengthen cooperation and improve weightlifting standards in the region.
Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary (Information and Publicity), Maharashtra, highlighted the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in journalism and encouraged women journalists to embrace this technological shift to enhance their skills and drive positive change.
Young Indian cyclist Harshita Jakhar has made history by becoming the first Indian woman to participate in the Tour de France Femmes. The 19-year-old led a pack of international cyclists during a ceremonial start at Stage 2 of the prestigious race, an opportunity provided by the UCI World Cycling Talent programme. Jakhar, who aims for medals in future Asian Games, expressed her gratitude for the chance to ride in her dream event.
rediffGURU Pankaj Vyavahare, career counsellor and life coach at the Bhagirath Counselling Centre, counsels students on how to make informed career choices.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is undertaking a significant restructuring of its national hockey programme following a dismal performance in the FIH Pro League, where the team failed to win any matches, including two losses to India. The PHF plans to hire foreign coaches and trainers from countries like Australia, Netherlands, or Germany to develop players at all levels and modernise the sport in Pakistan.
Haryana is revamping its 2015 Sports Policy to focus on long-term talent development for future Olympians, moving beyond just prize money and jobs. Key initiatives include 'Mission Olympics-2036 Vijayee Bhavah' for young athletes and the 'Khelo Haryana App' for integrated athlete services. The state aims to strengthen athlete welfare, infrastructure, and institutional support.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is preparing to announce the hosts for its three World Cup events in 2027, which will include the first-ever Doubles World Cup. This new event is being introduced to align with the return of doubles to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, aiming to boost player participation and interest in the category.
Air India is significantly embracing artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, improve customer services, increase revenues, and reduce costs as part of its ambitious transformation plan under the Tata Group.
Hyderabad-based Nexon Geochem has partnered with Russia's Giredmet to establish integrated rare-earth processing and downstream facilities in India. This collaboration aims to bridge critical gaps in India's rare earth value chain, focusing on producing NdFeB permanent magnets essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defence systems, reducing reliance on imports.
Accel and Google's AI Futures Fund have announced the five startups selected for the 2026 Atoms AI Cohort, focusing on enterprise, voice, and industrial AI solutions, with each startup receiving significant investment and resources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated 11 years of the Digital India initiative, highlighting its role in redefining governance, empowering citizens, and accelerating all-round development. He emphasised its impact on digital payments, direct benefit transfers, and expanding digital public infrastructure, making technology a powerful instrument for 'Ease of Living' across India, including tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
The Supreme Court has directed the Reserve Bank of India to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within four weeks to deal with bank accounts linked to cyber frauds, including mule accounts. This directive is part of a broader effort to strengthen responses to cyber-enabled financial frauds, with the court also urging states and UTs to adopt and operationalise grievance redressal and money restoration modules.
How did hundreds of errors slip through multiple stages of drafting, editing, proofreading, expert review and final approval before making their way into classrooms?
The FIFA-AIFF Telangana Academy, a new high-performance football training centre for boys and girls, has been launched in Hyderabad. This initiative, a collaboration between FIFA, AIFF, and the Telangana government, aims to nurture young talent with comprehensive support, including residential facilities and medical care. It marks India's first girls' football academy of its kind.
The Haryana government is launching an initiative to equip its employees with artificial intelligence (AI) skills through the iGOT Karmayogi platform, aiming to enhance governance and public service delivery.
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian descent, is embarking on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station. A former US Space Force colonel and emergency medicine physician, Menon will conduct vital experiments on the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight, develop in-space medical technologies, and research semiconductor crystal production, contributing significantly to future deep-space missions and advanced technology.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is conducting an ISSF 'B' judges course for rifle and pistol disciplines in Surajkund, bringing together 31 technical officials. The programme, led by international and Indian experts, aims to enhance officiating knowledge and skills according to the latest ISSF rules, contributing significantly to the development of shooting sport in India.
Karnataka is prioritizing the AVGC sector in its AI-driven creative economy, emphasizing IP creation, responsible AI adoption, and large-scale skilling, according to Minister Priyank Kharge.
JNS Cloud Solutions, in partnership with upGrad Enterprise, has launched the Africa AI Skilling Initiative to accelerate digital transformation and address the skills gap in Africa.
The H-1B visa once symbolised the American Dream for Indians, but today's students are increasingly asking whether they need America at all. In 1995, the question was: How do I get to America? In 2026, it may be: Do I need to?
Concerns have emerged about the impact of AI adoption on young workers, particularly those seeking their first job in high-skilled occupations.
TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad has signed an agreement with the University of Pretoria, South Africa, for research collaboration in critical minerals, rare earth element processing, recycling, extraction technologies and advanced mining innovation.
'He wanted to know what products I'd brought along, so I showed him jackfruit flour, which research has linked to managing type 2 diabetes.' 'Then jackfruit seed flour, a strong source of protein that rural households have eaten for generations without it ever becoming a commercial product. I gave him ripe jackfruit chips too.'
Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) to formalise cooperation in geospatial technologies.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Groww Foundation have launched a semiconductor skill development programme to train the next generation of talent, with a focus on encouraging participation from women and young students.
Education experts are advocating for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) education in schools, emphasizing the need for age-appropriate implementation, data privacy awareness, and the use of vetted AI tools within secure school environments.
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with two Russian cosmonauts, has embarked on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. This marks Menon's first spaceflight, where he will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations focused on human space exploration, microgravity effects, and in-space production of advanced materials.
Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut has opened online registrations for its 2026-27 academic session, offering new undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma programmes in sports, including direct admission for elite athletes and a 10% reservation for outstanding sportspersons.
Jamco Interiors, a global supplier of aircraft cabin systems, has opened a Centre of Excellence (COE) in Pune. This strategic move aims to meet the increasing demand for advanced cabin interiors in India's rapidly growing commercial aviation market and leverage local engineering talent for global aerospace programmes.
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is inviting applications for 12 full time post graduate certificate courses in the ICT domain for August 2026 batch.
Meghalaya has shown significant progress in digital transactions and financial inclusion, recording 32.76 crore digital transactions and nearly 10 lakh Jan Dhan accounts by 2025-26. Efforts like the JAM Trinity and financial literacy programmes have expanded banking access, with a high percentage of bank account holders adopting digital modes. The next phase focuses on enhancing financial literacy and cyber resilience, especially in rural areas.
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.
A week-long mental health training programme, 'Psychological Risk Assessment, Health Awareness and Resilience' (PRAHARI), has commenced for jail staff at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The initiative aims to equip prison personnel with skills to identify and manage mental health risks among inmates and to support their own mental well-being.
