The Congress party has strongly refuted government claims that its MPs on the Parliament Standing Committee on Finance supported a fee on high-value UPI payments. Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tewari, stated that the "UPI tax" proposal was not specifically discussed by the committee, accusing the Modi government of diverting attention from public backlash and appeasing US companies. The government, however, cited the committee's report which pressed for a tiered Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed AI Manthan 2.0, advocating for the comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across all university subjects rather than as a standalone course. She urged universities to develop clear, time-bound AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, and agriculture, emphasising indigenous AI development, employment creation, and the importance of "Safe and Trusted AI." The event also saw the formation of an AI Policy Advisory Group and an AI Implementation Group to drive these initiatives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, highlighted technology and innovation as central to India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He called for India to lead in emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and space, announcing a massive AI skilling initiative for one crore youth. Modi stressed the importance of becoming a global innovation hub, bolstering energy security with nuclear power, and strengthening cybersecurity.
An Indian-origin engineer couple, Anuradha and Vikas Sinha, have donated $20 million to the University of North Texas (UNT) to establish the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. This significant gift aims to create new opportunities for students and faculty, focusing on building and deploying intelligent systems and understanding their operation within human contexts. The donation underscores the couple's belief in education and immigrant contributions to the American dream, supporting leadership, scholarships, professorships, research, and entrepreneurship.
The Congress party has criticised the government's recent notification regarding UPI transactions, alleging it paves the way for users to be charged fees, particularly for transactions above Rs 2,000. The party claims the government lacks transparency and questions if the move is to benefit American firms. The government, however, states that charges are necessary for the system's sustainability and infrastructure upgrades, with the Finance Minister clarifying that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applies to merchants, not customers.
A new Accenture report reveals that nearly half of all global cybersecurity positions remain vacant, primarily due to a critical shortage of professionals with both technical expertise and essential business acumen. The report highlights a significant gap between the skills required for modern cybersecurity and what the labour market currently offers, exacerbated by poor retention and underinvestment in upskilling.
Over 14,000 members of the academic and scientific community have petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking intervention against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's "gau mutra expert" remark concerning IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti during parliamentary proceedings. The petition calls for the withdrawal of the derogatory expression, arguing it undermines the dignity of an eminent scientist and the institution he leads, and urges for respectful democratic discourse.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for the defence of competition, policy autonomy, and the long-term sustainability of its payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI transactions, a move GTRI suggests should not be influenced by foreign trade complaints.
Andhra Pradesh and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed an MoU to establish the PNB Quantum Finance Hub at Amaravati Quantum Valley. This initiative aims to foster innovation and adopt next-generation technologies like AI and Quantum Computing in the banking sector, focusing on cybersecurity, fraud detection, and customer experience.
"Our endeavour is to bring headline inflation in line with the target over the medium term," said RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, addressing concerns about the central bank's policy stance and economic outlook.
The Indian government has ordered the removal of three Chinese mobile applications - BAT-BMS, Lossigy, and Epoch-i-ion - from app stores, citing their alleged misuse to remotely disable battery-operated vehicles in India, amid heightened cybersecurity concerns.
The Supreme Court has stated it will consider the recommendations of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force regarding the online conduct of the NEET examination, emphasising the need for additional safeguards in cybersecurity and database protection. This follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam due to an alleged paper leak and subsequent re-test.
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has dismissed recent media reports of an alleged cybersecurity incident and data breach as "incorrect and unverified." Officials clarified that investigations found no evidence of an active cyber attack or data exfiltration, stating that any leaked data is unclassified, outdated, and fabricated by threat actors for financial gain.
Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran has stressed the urgent need for India's financial sector to proactively address the safety and security risks of artificial intelligence, stating that waiting for problems to materialise is not an option.
The Payments Council of India has confirmed that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services will continue to be free for consumers and small merchants, despite a recent Lok Sabha Bill. This clarification addresses concerns about potential charges, emphasising that while a sustainable financial model for UPI infrastructure is being developed, transaction charges will not be passed on to users or small businesses.
Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato has called for the formulation of a more effective and stringent policy to curb cybercrimes, fraud, and digital scams. He highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence, which simplifies life but also presents serious challenges through misuse. Various experts and MLAs at a workshop emphasised the importance of cybersecurity education, personal digital responsibility, and empowering legislators to strengthen institutional resilience against cyber threats.
EY India has launched its Cyber Performance Management (CPM) platform, an integrated solution designed to help enterprises quantify and manage cyber risk in real-time. This platform leverages AI and cybersecurity to provide decision intelligence, enabling organisations to identify and address threats proactively and translate cyber exposure into financial insights.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is undergoing significant reforms, including the removal of over 50 staff members and the onboarding of new leadership and domain specialists. This comes after recent issues like errors in UGC-NET papers, leading to re-tests, and the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026. The Education Ministry has directed a complete overhaul of exam protocols and a thorough audit of all processes to ensure integrity.
'The government has to act as one unit since the threat from these newer models will soon scale up.'
Making UPI payments fee-based for some transactions could enhance mental reservations against digital payments -- which have largely been overcome -- once more. Do we want to regress?, asks R Jagannthan.
Global technology giant Google has announced the selection of 20 Indian AI startups for its 2026 Google for Startups Accelerator programme, marking the 10th anniversary of its accelerator initiatives.
A 19-year-old self-described ethical hacker who exposed the alleged security gaps in CBSE's on-screen marking system (OSM) was recruited by IIT-Kanpur's cybersecurity research hub, an official said on Thursday.
In the next 36 months nearly 25 to 40 per cent of jobs will be under threat from AI and job losses are inevitable.
The Indian government has clarified that consumers will not be charged for UPI transactions, and most merchant transactions will also remain free. This comes amidst speculation following an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Any future merchant discount rate (MDR) would be nominal, threshold-based, and aimed at ensuring UPI's long-term sustainability and infrastructure development.
'It's not about individuals operating the mule accounts being more or less skilled. Instead, 'lower-level' refers to the role the individual account plays in the broader mule network.'
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for competition, policy autonomy, and a sustainable payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI, and the US has criticised India's digital payment systems, raising concerns about the future of India's digital payment landscape.
Oracle has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh State Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) to provide free digital skills training in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and data science to 300,000 students and professionals by 2029, aiming to enhance employability and build a future-ready workforce.
Highly capable professionals frequently lose out to candidates with similar qualifications simply because their applications are better structured, more relevant, and easier for both AI and recruiters to interpret, says Chetan Mangalwedhe, founder of TalentiFi-X.
'Hiring within IT services firms is going to be very specialised.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly acknowledged India's significant support, directly refuting American Vice President J D Vance's assertion that the US was Israel's only powerful ally. Netanyahu highlighted India's 1.4 billion people and the "tremendous support" received, including on social media, while also noting Israel's strong relationships with other nations seeking its cybersecurity and AI expertise.
Bank fraud is no longer just an external cyber threat -- insiders with legitimate access can exploit banking systems, trusted credentials and institutional blind spots to quietly siphon money.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced a 'Sapta Dhara' (seven-stream) reform framework, aiming to propel India into a developed nation by 2047. This comprehensive plan focuses on key sectors including manufacturing, agro-food processing, technology, logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power, leveraging the nation's youth potential.
The technology services sector in India will continue to remain relevant to global enterprises transformation in the artificial intelligence (AI) era, the Nasscom US CEO Forum said, even though there will be changes in how services are delivered and scaled up. Chief executive officers of Indian technology companies, who attended the discussion, also said AI will expand the addressable market opportunity across enterprise modernisation, data, AI governance and intelligent operations.
A report indicates that mid-tier banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) entities in India are highly exposed to cyberattacks due to aggressive digitisation coupled with insufficient cybersecurity investments.
The launch comes a day after a CBSE official told ANI that the portal, originally scheduled to go live on June 1, had encountered technical issues and would start soon. The delay had sparked concern among students and parents, particularly after reports of glitches during the answer-sheet access process earlier this month.
'...A new challenge has emerged in the form of Mythos.'
Cognizant reported a 1.4 per cent year-on-year dip in net profit for the April-June quarter to $636 million, while revenue grew 4.5 per cent to $5.5 billion. The company has also cut the top end of its annual guidance, citing a slowdown in macroeconomic conditions and rising uncertainty.
Artificial intelligence major Anthropic has reinstated access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after the US government lifted export controls imposed due to national security concerns over a "jailbreak" vulnerability. The company has implemented new safeguards and is collaborating with major tech firms to develop a framework for addressing AI model vulnerabilities. India, a significant market for Anthropic, will see Fable 5 available globally, while Mythos 5 access expands under Project Glasswing.
Recognising the growing use of AI/ML models by regulated entities across business and decision-making processes, the RBI said weaknesses in governance, oversight, risk management, and controls could expose institutions to financial, operational, compliance, and reputational risks.
Malicious cyber activity has disrupted technology at water and wastewater facilities in at least seven US states, forcing utilities to revert to manual operations, with authorities actively probing whether Iranian-linked hackers are responsible.
