The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of two elevated highway corridors worth Rs 25,446 crore along the rivers Varuna and Ganga in Varanasi. The projects come amid mounting congestion in the city, exacerbated by the government’s push to promote religious tourism.

Varanasi receives around 15 crore tourists annually, placing immense pressure on the city’s mobility system and increasing traffic congestion.

The Cabinet approved the development of a 43-km link corridor connecting NH-31 and Varanasi ring road along the river Varuna and 46-km link corridor between NH-19 and Varanasi ring road along the river Ganga. The projects will be developed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM). The corridor is a major component of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has invited public comments and suggestions on the draft National Health Research Policy, which aims to provide a strategic framework for strengthening and guiding India’s health research ecosystem.

The policy seeks to foster a trusted, inclusive, self-reliant and impact-oriented health research ecosystem that is responsive to the healthcare needs of the people. It aims to promote high-quality, ethical and innovative research while addressing national and emerging health priorities to improve health outcomes and equity. The draft policy proposes the creation of the National Health Research Agenda as the country’s central framework for health research.

The Ministry said the draft policy has been prepared following extensive consultations with various stakeholders and incorporates their suggestions and recommendations. Comments and suggestions on the draft policy have been invited till the 27th of this month.

Madurai Corporation Commissioner Gaurav Kumar on Tuesday distributed safety equipment to sanitary workers under the NAMASTE scheme.

According to a press release, The NAMASTE (National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The scheme aims to enhance the safety, dignity, and livelihood of sanitary workers who clean sewers and septic tanks. To honour these workers, July 14th of every year was celebrated as NAMASTE Day, the press release said.

Jharkhand on Tuesday showcased six Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged handloom products at Bharat Tex 2026, with Industries Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav inaugurating the state’s pavilion at Bharat Mandapam to promote its textile heritage and traditional craftsmanship among domestic and international buyers.

The pavilion features Tassar Silk, Kuchai Silk, Bhagaiya Saree and Fabric, Tumka Chadar, Bhoya Saree and Fabric, and Pancho Saree and Fabric, highlighting Jharkhand’s rich weaving traditions and cultural heritage.

Speaking at the inauguration, Yadav said the state aims to expand the reach of its handloom products beyond domestic markets and create greater livelihood opportunities for local artisans and weavers.

India and the European Union have agreed to significantly deepen cooperation in strategic technologies, clean energy, trade, innovation and resilient supply chains, while outlining an ambitious roadmap to upgrade the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) into a more outcome-oriented platform.

The decisions were taken during the third ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council held in Brussels on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada on the Indian side. The European Union delegation was led by European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva.

The Union Cabinet has cleared India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with an outlay of Rs 1.28 lakh crore on Wednesday, extending the mission's term from five to 12 years.

The move is expected to strengthen India's push to build a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem, with the extended timeline aimed at giving greater policy stability to investors in chip design, fabrication and packaging units.

The Cabinet has also cleared a new Mobile Manufacturing Scheme, with an outlay of Rs 62,500 crore

The Cabinet also approved a new investment policy for the urea sector, along with the continuation of the urea subsidy for FY26.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved two multitracking projects of the Ministry of Railways with a total estimated cost of ₹3,907 crore, aimed at enhancing rail capacity, improving connectivity and strengthening freight movement in Odisha and Jharkhand.

The approved projects are the Paradeep–Haridaspur doubling project and the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi fourth line project. Together, the projects will add around 145 kilometres to the existing Indian Railways network and are scheduled to be completed by 2030–31.

According to the government, the projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on integrated infrastructure planning to improve multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries on Wednesday said it has invited bids through a global tender for the selection of beneficiaries to set up giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing facilities of 10 GWh cumulative capacity under the PLI ACC Scheme.

Under the PLI ACC Scheme, out of the targeted ACC capacity of 50 GWh, 40 GWh capacity has been awarded to domestic manufacturers.

The tender documents are available from 15 July 2026. The pre-bid conference shall be held on 29 July 2026, and the last date for submission of bids is 13 October 2026. Technical bids shall be opened on 14 October 2026.

The Centre on Wednesday launched the eighth tranche of e-auction for 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks across nine states, further expanding India’s efforts to secure essential mineral resources, reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chains for sectors such as clean energy, defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, along with Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, launched the latest round of auctions during the curtain raiser event of India Mining Week 2026. The event was attended by senior government officials, representatives of state governments, industry leaders, public sector undertakings, think tanks, prospective bidders and members of the media.

Addressing the gathering, Reddy said India Mining Week is envisioned as a premier platform that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, technology providers and academia to accelerate the growth of India’s mining sector. He said the launch of the eighth tranche reflects the government’s continued commitment to strengthening mineral security, attracting investments and unlocking the country’s mineral potential to build a globally competitive and future-ready mining ecosystem.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sanctioned a one-time honorarium of Rs 6,000, in addition to the annual remuneration, for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and BLO Supervisors engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several States and Union Territories, including Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

In an order issued on Tuesday night, the ECI cited the volume and nature of the work involved in the exercise. The honorarium will be paid in addition to the officials' annual remuneration.

“I am directed to convey that, considering the volume and nature of the work involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the Commission has approved the grant of a one-time honorarium of ₹6,000 to each BLO and BLO Supervisor engaged in the exercise, in addition to their annual remuneration. The instruction shall be brought to the notice of all concerned for compliance,” the order said.