Government Clarifies UPI Will Remain Free for Citizens, Possible MDR Only for Limited Merchant Transactions
P2P payments to remain free; any future merchant discount rate will be threshold-based, nominal and decided by NPCI-led steering committee
Kautilya
Bihar’s GI-Tagged Mithila Makhana Makes First Sea Voyage to Australia in Major Export Milestone
The 18-metric-tonne consignment, sourced directly from Makhana growers in Darbhanga district, was processed and packed at the BIADA Industrial Area in Bihta, Bihar, before beginning its journey to Australia.
Control Freak USA: Sanctions, Dollars and Foreign Funding as Tools of American Influence Vs India’s FCRA
A government does not necessarily need to occupy another country to alter its choices. Access to financial markets can be restricted. Banks can be threatened with exclusion from the dollar system. Defence purchases can trigger sanctions. Development assistance can be conditioned. Technology can be withheld. Foreign civil-society organisations, media institutions and advocacy networks can be financially supported.
India Steps Up Effort to Join FCAS Sixth-Generation Fighter Programme
The Ministry of Defence has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that it has initiated “concerted” efforts to co-join the sixth-generation fighter development programme. The latest disclosure marks a progression from India’s earlier consideration of both Europe’s FCAS and the UK-Italy-Japan Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
AjnaLens: The Made-in-India AI Smart Glasses Giving Delhi Police Real-Time Facial Recognition
More recently, AjnaLens devices were also reported among the surveillance technologies deployed by police personnel around Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in July 2026, bringing the technology back into public attention — this time accompaginning to move out of police control rooms and CCTV monitoring centres and directly onto the faces of officers in the field.
IIT Guwahati Develops ₹3,500 ‘E-Eye’ Device to Detect Toxic Metals and Contaminants in Water
Designed as a point-of-care testing system, E-Eye uses optical sensing and digital electronics to analyse colour changes produced during chemical reactions. Based on the Beer-Lambert principle, the device converts these optical changes into digital measurements showing the concentration of contaminants.
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth Becomes IAF’s First Woman Fighter Combat Leader
TACDE is frequently described as the Indian Air Force’s equivalent of the US Navy’s famous “Top Gun” school, although “Top Gun” is not its official designation. The establishment is one of the IAF’s premier institutions for advanced operational and tactical training.
Coal India Begins Commercial Operations of 200 MW Solar Capacity at Khavda in Gujarat
The new capacity became commercially operational from 00:00 hours on August 8, 2026, according to a regulatory disclosure made by the Maharatna public sector company to the stock exchanges on August 7.
Rural Tap-Water Coverage Crosses 82%, Marking Major Expansion of Jal Jeevan Mission
According to the latest figures reported by states and Union Territories, around 15.89 crore of India’s 19.36 crore rural households had access to tap-water supply as of July 18, 2026. This represents national coverage of 82.09 per cent.
India Expands Domestic Pilot-Training Network as Aviation Sector Prepares for Rapid Growth
Eleven Flying Training Organisations have become operational under the Airports Authority of India’s liberalised policy for flight-training institutes. The initiative is intended to increase flying capacity, reduce delays faced by student pilots and help India train a larger share of its future aviation workforce within the country.