PIB Current Affairs 15 September 2026

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

Department of Justice holds Tele-Law awareness workshop at Nuh, Haryana under DISHA 2.0

•The Department of Justice held an officer-level Tele-Law awareness workshop at the Mini Secretariat, Nuh, Haryana, on 15 September 2026 under DISHA 2.0.
•About 150 participants attended, including CSC representatives, Village Level Entrepreneurs, panel lawyers and Nyaya Sahayaks.
•The Tele-Law Portal and the AI-enabled Nyaya Setu chatbot were demonstrated live.

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Agreements & MoUsMediumquizQuiz

NSTFDC–HPCL MoU: computer labs and smart classrooms for 29 Eklavya schools in Rajasthan

•NSTFDC and HPCL signed an MoU to set up integrated Computer Lab-cum-Smart Classroom facilities in 29 functional EMRSs across 11 districts of Rajasthan.
•HPCL's Board has approved ₹16.01 crore from CSR; the project is to be finished within six months of signing.
•Each school gets four smart classrooms, a networked computer lab, 10 tablets with competitive-exam coaching material and one year of internet.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

CSIR-NIScPR adopts ANRF's SARAL AI to turn journal research into short videos

•CSIR-NIScPR is using SARAL AI, an ANRF tool, to convert research published in its journals into short, accessible videos.
•The institute held a hands-on SARAL AI workshop for over 90 journal editors and researchers.
•The videos are released through a dedicated YouTube playlist aimed at students and the public.

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InternationalLowquizQuiz

Indian delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman at 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Cape Town

•Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh leads India's delegation at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, 12-19 September 2026.
•32 Presiding Officers and 18 Secretaries from State/UT legislatures, all CPA members, are also attending.
•Harivansh addresses the General Assembly on 'New Leadership Opportunities for the Commonwealth: Parliamentary Action to Strengthen Democracy and International Law'.

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EconomyLowquizQuiz

Five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals in Gujarat; salt freight train flagged off from Shivlakha to Mithapur

•Railway Minister inaugurated Shivlakha GCT (Kachchh), dedicated Bhimasar, Devaliya and Chandisar GCTs, and laid the foundation stone for Linch GCT (Mahesana).
•A salt-loaded freight train from Shivlakha to Mithapur was flagged off, using new lightweight stainless steel salt containers.
•150 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have now been commissioned nationwide.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

Defence Accounts Department normalises all 1,45,182 discrepant Air Force and Navy pension cases on SPARSH

•In a special drive, the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) normalised all 1,45,182 discrepant Indian Air Force and Indian Navy pension cases on SPARSH.
•Air Force accounted for 1,12,638 cases and Navy for 32,544, both cleared in full.
•For the Army, 3,90,336 of 3,94,779 discrepant cases (98.8%) have been normalised.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of assault and public humiliation of woman in Banswara, Rajasthan

•NHRC took suo motu cognizance of a media report that a woman was beaten, had her hair cut and was paraded semi-nude by her husband and relatives in Banswara, Rajasthan, on 1 September 2026.
•Notices went to Rajasthan's Chief Secretary and the Banswara Superintendent of Police for a report within two weeks.
•The report must cover the investigation status and any compensation paid to the victim.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

Government Approved Test Centre network grows to 51 under Legal Metrology framework

•The Department of Consumer Affairs has recognised 51 Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), with fresh applications under process.
•Amended GATC Rules cover 23 categories of weighing and measuring instruments, including fuel dispensers for petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG and hydrogen.
•Several States have notified their own GATC Rules in line with the amended central framework.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

National Dam Safety Authority reviews Dam Safety Act compliance in Jharkhand

•An NDSA team reviewed implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 with Jharkhand's Water Resources Department on 8 September 2026.
•NDSA sought Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluations, Emergency Action Plans on the DHARMA portal, and a plan to rehabilitate Category-II dams.
•It asked Jharkhand to make its State Dam Safety Organisation a dedicated body and directed Nalkari Dam (Patratu) to set up a Dam Safety Unit.

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EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

CAQM's 139th Enforcement Task Force meeting: 150 inspections in 15 days, 28,547 units inspected so far

•CAQM's Enforcement Task Force held its 139th meeting on 14 September 2026, reviewing 150 inspections made between 24 August and 7 September 2026.
•Proposed actions include closure of 3 C&D projects and 1 industrial unit and sealing of 25 DG sets.
•Cumulatively, CAQM Flying Squads have inspected 28,547 entities, issuing 1,829 closure directions and 1,479 resumption orders.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

22nd India-US Exercise Yudh Abhyas begins at Auli and Mahajan Field Firing Range

•The 22nd edition of India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas opened on 15 September 2026 at the Auli Foreign Training Node, Uttarakhand.
•It runs simultaneously at Auli and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, with 600 personnel from each side.
•Focus: employing Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain, plus drones and autonomous systems.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

Fourth Hanle Dark Sky Reserve Star Party held at Indian Astronomical Observatory, Ladakh

•The fourth Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) Star Party was held from 7 to 12 September 2026 at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Ladakh.
•It was organised by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics with Ladakh's Department of Wildlife Protection, BARC and TIFR; an Open Night drew over 1,200 visitors.
•HDSR, notified by the Government of Ladakh in December 2022, combines curbing light pollution with community astro-tourism.

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NationalLowquizQuiz

Rs 10,998-crore Varuna Elevated Corridor to link NH-31 with Varanasi Ring Road

•The 43.218-km, Rs 10,998-crore Varuna Elevated Corridor will connect NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna River.
•NHAI will build the predominantly elevated 6/4-lane corridor, including an iconic cable-stayed bridge.
•Travel time from NH-31 to Kashi Railway Station is expected to fall from about 40 to about 20 minutes.

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Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

Rural Development Department and PFRDA sign MoU to create 'Pension Sakhis' through DAY-NRLM cadre

•The Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) signed an MoU on 14 September 2026 to create community-level 'Pension Sakhis'.
•Pension Sakhis will be drawn from the DAY-NRLM network, including Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhis and other trained community resource persons.
•They will give pension awareness, financial literacy, enrolment and post-enrolment support to SHG members, rural women and Lakhpati Didis.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Coal India lays out shift from conventional to smart mining, with Rs 1,900 crore R&D plan to FY30

•The Ministry of Coal set out Coal India Limited's move from conventional to technology-led 'smart' mining across exploration, open-cast and underground operations.
•CIL aims to raise underground output to around 100 MT using Continuous Miner, Longwall and Highwall technology.
•Of 92 planned First Mile Connectivity projects, 46 are commissioned (about 432 MTPA capacity); the ~Rs 27,800 crore programme targets 994 MTY mechanical loading by FY 2029-30.

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EnvironmentHighquizQuiz

India hosts World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar, a first for South Asia

•The Union Environment Minister and the Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar on 15 September 2026; it runs to 18 September.
•The theme is 'Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity', and this is the first WCEF hosted in South Asia.
•It is jointly organised by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, MoEF&CC, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

12th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad reviews Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 rollout

•The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, held the 12th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad by video conference to speed up Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 implementation.
•Six districts — Shahdol, Samba, Hooghly, Dhamtari, Fatehgarh Sahib and North and Middle Andaman — presented best practices on source sustainability, behaviour change, grievance redressal and convergence.
•Districts were told to hand completed schemes to Gram Panchayats through the Jal Arpan programme after the prescribed trial run, and to use the Decision Support System for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge planning.

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NationalMediumquizQuiz

India flags off largest-ever 70-member contingent for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

•The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship held the send-off for India's WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 contingent at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.
•Seventy competitors — India's largest-ever team — will contest 63 skill categories at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai from 22 to 27 September 2026.
•India enters 11 skill categories for the first time, including Unmanned Aerial Systems, Aircraft Maintenance, Optoelectronic Technology and Software Testing.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

SHREYAS Reports Rs 3,509 Crore Spent on 1.18 Lakh SC and OBC Students Since 2014-15

•Cumulative expenditure under the four components of SHREYAS from 2014-15 to 2025-26 stands at about Rs 3,509.39 crore.
•The cumulative beneficiary count over the same period is 1,18,248 SC and OBC students.
•The four components are Free Coaching, Top Class Education for SCs, the National Overseas Scheme and the National Fellowship for SC Students.

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Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

SPROUT Facility Opens at BRIC-NIPGR as SpeedSeed Cuts Chickpea Cycle to 40 Days

•The SPROUT facility - SpeedSeed Phenotyping and Resource Optimization for Unified Trait Analysis - was inaugurated at BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi.
•It is a season-independent, controlled-environment facility for high-throughput phenotyping and precision stress screening, with chickpea as its major focus crop.
•NIPGR's separate SpeedSeed technology can cut the chickpea generation cycle to about 40 days.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

VIMARSH 2026: DRDO Opens Source Codes to Licensees and Hands Over Nine Technology Transfers

•Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh unveiled a framework at VIMARSH 2026 to lower technical and financial entry barriers for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups in defence R&D.
•A standardised, secure framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with licensee industries was launched.
•Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners.

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Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

CCPA Fines Rapido Rs 10 Lakh for Confirm Shaming and Interface Interference

•The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which operates the ride-hailing platform Rapido.
•CCPA found two dark patterns: 'confirm shaming' in prompts urging riders to raise their fare, and 'interface interference' in a colour-coded pricing slider.
•It held that a tip is voluntary and paid after a service, and cannot be presented as a condition for the ride being provided.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

India's August 2026 Exports Reach $82.68 Billion as Trade Deficit Narrows to $9.41 Billion

•Total exports of merchandise and services in August 2026 are estimated at US$ 82.68 billion, a growth of 25.41 per cent over August 2025.
•The overall trade deficit for the month narrowed to US$ 9.41 billion from US$ 11.62 billion a year earlier.
•Cumulative exports for April-August 2026-27 stand at US$ 399.27 billion, up 15.55 per cent, against imports of US$ 459.65 billion.

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Ranks & ReportsMediumquizQuiz

PLFS August 2026: LFPR Rises to 55.6 Per Cent, Rural Unemployment at 4.1 Per Cent

•The overall Labour Force Participation Rate for persons aged 15 and above rose to 55.6 per cent in August 2026 from 55.4 per cent in July.
•Worker Population Ratio reached 52.8 per cent, the highest since March 2026, driven by rural areas.
•Rural unemployment fell to 4.1 per cent, its lowest since January 2026, while the overall rate held at 5.0 per cent.

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Schemes & CommitteesLowquizQuiz

NISD's TAPAS online platform records 6,866 enrolments in social-defence courses

•TAPAS, the online learning platform of the National Institute of Social Defence, recorded 6,866 enrolments from 2021 to 2026, including 733 in 2026.
•It offers five self-paced certificate courses with 48 modules on elderly care, social defence, drug-abuse prevention, transgender issues and dementia care.
•Courses follow a four-quadrant approach: video lectures, reading material, discussion forums and self-assessment.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

Special Campaign 6.0 set for October 2026 with e-waste disposal focus; DARPG launches portal

•Special Campaign 6.0 to institutionalise Swachhata and cut pendency runs 2–31 October 2026 across 84 Ministries/Departments, after a 16–30 September preparatory phase; its focus is collection, segregation and disposal of e-waste.
•Across five editions (2021–2025) and monthly Secretariat Reforms up to July 2026: 24.20 lakh sites covered, 180.48 lakh files weeded out/closed, over ₹5,102.91 crore earned from scrap.
•The Department of Higher Education reviewed 95.2% of physical files and 87.46% of e-files under Special Campaign 5.0.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Nuakhai harvest festival of western Odisha and Jain Samvatsari observed on 15 September

•The Prime Minister greeted the nation on Nuakhai, the new-rice harvest festival of western Odisha, with 'Nuakhai Juhar'.
•He also greeted Jains on Samvatsari, the day of forgiveness that closes Paryushana, with 'Michhami Dukkadam'.
•Nuakhai centres on offering the first grain (nabanna) to Goddess Samaleswari at Sambalpur.

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Important DaysLowquizQuiz

PM pays tribute to Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary

•The Prime Minister paid homage to Bengali novelist Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary (born 15 September 1876).
•He noted that Saratchandra's works, translated into every Indian language, depict rural Bengali society, and cited his commitment to social reform, women's rights and nationalism.
•His novel Pather Dabi was proscribed by the British government in 1927 for sedition.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Department of Posts issues commemorative postage stamp on Bhakti saint Sant Malukdas

•Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia released a Department of Posts commemorative stamp honouring Sant Malukdas at a Sant Samagam held in his memory.
•Malukdas (1574–1682) was a Bhakti poet-saint devoted to Lord Ram, born at Kara near Prayagraj.
•The stamp was released alongside the inauguration of a Shri Ram Katha, with office-bearers of the Shri Maluk Peeth Seva Sansthan Nyas present.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Institute of Archaeology trains 53 new ASI conservation assistants with revamped curriculum

•The Culture Secretary opened a one-month induction programme for 53 newly recruited ASI Senior Conservation Assistants and Conservation Assistants at the Institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida.
•The revamped curriculum adds GFR, administrative law, establishment rules and departmental inquiries to core archaeology.
•The Institute is being repositioned beyond its 15-student PG Diploma into a large training centre; refresher courses for ASI and state archaeology staff will follow.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

ICWA marks 25 years as an Institution of National Importance under the 2001 Act

•Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, ex-officio President of ICWA, addressed its 25th anniversary as an Institution of National Importance at Sapru House, New Delhi.
•ICWA, founded in 1943, was declared an institution of national importance by the Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001.
•He set four priorities: research on Neighbourhood First, Act East, Global South and Indo-Pacific; cyber, space, critical technologies and supply chains; university outreach; and an Indian-perspective knowledge repository.

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EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

Jal Shakti Ministry releases anthem for 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari – Catch the Rain'

•The Ministry of Jal Shakti released an anthem for 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari – Catch the Rain', sung by Shankar Mahadevan.
•It carries the campaign slogan 'Catch the Rain – Where It Falls, When It Falls' and targets young people as water-conservation ambassadors.
•Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari aims to turn rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge into a people-led movement.

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Banking & FinanceMediumquizQuiz

New UPI Framework Keeps P2P Free and Applies MDR Above Rs 2,000 to Merchants

•All person-to-person UPI transactions remain free of Merchant Discount Rate, whatever the amount transferred.
•MDR applies only to person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, leaving about 96 per cent of merchant transactions unaffected.
•Small merchants receiving up to Rs 1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes continue to pay nothing.

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Polity & GovernanceHighquizQuiz

Six States Sign Kishau Multipurpose Project Agreement on the Tons River

•The Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement on 15 September 2026.
•The project involves a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, storing 1,562 million cubic metres.
•It has been declared a National Project, with the Centre bearing about 90 per cent of the cost and the partner states 10 per cent.

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Science & TechHighquizQuiz

SEMICON India 2026 Opens as Three Approved Chip Units Reach Commercial Production

•SEMICON India 2026 runs from 17 to 19 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, on the theme 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'.
•Twelve semiconductor projects have been approved across six states with investment commitments above Rs 1.64 lakh crore; three units are already in commercial production.
•Semicon India 2.0, approved in July 2026, carries an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore against Rs 76,000 crore for the 2021 programme.

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Current Affairs Pulse

PIB Current Affairs — 15 September 2026

Department of Justice holds Tele-Law awareness workshop at Nuh, Haryana under DISHA 2.0

NSTFDC–HPCL MoU: computer labs and smart classrooms for 29 Eklavya schools in Rajasthan

CSIR-NIScPR adopts ANRF's SARAL AI to turn journal research into short videos

Indian delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman at 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Cape Town

Five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals in Gujarat; salt freight train flagged off from Shivlakha to Mithapur

Defence Accounts Department normalises all 1,45,182 discrepant Air Force and Navy pension cases on SPARSH

NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of assault and public humiliation of woman in Banswara, Rajasthan

Government Approved Test Centre network grows to 51 under Legal Metrology framework

National Dam Safety Authority reviews Dam Safety Act compliance in Jharkhand

CAQM's 139th Enforcement Task Force meeting: 150 inspections in 15 days, 28,547 units inspected so far

22nd India-US Exercise Yudh Abhyas begins at Auli and Mahajan Field Firing Range

Fourth Hanle Dark Sky Reserve Star Party held at Indian Astronomical Observatory, Ladakh

Rs 10,998-crore Varuna Elevated Corridor to link NH-31 with Varanasi Ring Road

Rural Development Department and PFRDA sign MoU to create 'Pension Sakhis' through DAY-NRLM cadre

Coal India lays out shift from conventional to smart mining, with Rs 1,900 crore R&D plan to FY30

India hosts World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar, a first for South Asia

12th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad reviews Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 rollout

India flags off largest-ever 70-member contingent for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

SHREYAS Reports Rs 3,509 Crore Spent on 1.18 Lakh SC and OBC Students Since 2014-15

SPROUT Facility Opens at BRIC-NIPGR as SpeedSeed Cuts Chickpea Cycle to 40 Days

VIMARSH 2026: DRDO Opens Source Codes to Licensees and Hands Over Nine Technology Transfers

CCPA Fines Rapido Rs 10 Lakh for Confirm Shaming and Interface Interference

India's August 2026 Exports Reach $82.68 Billion as Trade Deficit Narrows to $9.41 Billion

PLFS August 2026: LFPR Rises to 55.6 Per Cent, Rural Unemployment at 4.1 Per Cent

NISD's TAPAS online platform records 6,866 enrolments in social-defence courses

Special Campaign 6.0 set for October 2026 with e-waste disposal focus; DARPG launches portal

Nuakhai harvest festival of western Odisha and Jain Samvatsari observed on 15 September

PM pays tribute to Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary

Department of Posts issues commemorative postage stamp on Bhakti saint Sant Malukdas

Institute of Archaeology trains 53 new ASI conservation assistants with revamped curriculum

ICWA marks 25 years as an Institution of National Importance under the 2001 Act

Jal Shakti Ministry releases anthem for 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari – Catch the Rain'

New UPI Framework Keeps P2P Free and Applies MDR Above Rs 2,000 to Merchants

Six States Sign Kishau Multipurpose Project Agreement on the Tons River

SEMICON India 2026 Opens as Three Approved Chip Units Reach Commercial Production