Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He assumed the new responsibility on July 31, 2025, following his tenure as Director General Operational Logistics & Strategic Movement at the Army Headquarters.

Commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in December 1987, Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh brings with him over 38 years of rich experience in operational and strategic roles across the Indian Army.

An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow University, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, the General Officer has served in several key operations including OP PAWAN, OP MEGHDOOT, OP ORCHID, and multiple tenures in OP RAKSHAK.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on Friday. The flag officer, after his appointment, paid solemn homage to the brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation, by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Pune, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan was commissioned into the Navy on January 1, 1988. A specialist in gunnery and missile systems, he has held a wide range of command, operational and staff assignments over his distinguished naval career spanning more than three decades.

At sea, he has served onboard various frontline warships, including as the commissioning crew of the Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mysore, INS Nishank and pre-commissioning crew of Coast Guard OPV CGS Sangram. He also served as the executive officer of INS Mysore.

State-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIM Jammu to strengthen deeper academic collaboration and Mutual Learning. The MoU focuses on Industrial exposure and training for IIM Jammu students, as well as leadership and management development programs for HPCL employees.

This collaboration marks a significant step towards building future-ready professionals and nurturing leadership excellence.

The agreement was signed during the VC Meeting on 1st August 2025. Further, the event was attended by Ms Sapana Shrikanth, CGM-Capacity Building and Mr. Prabhat Kumar, Senior Manager HR, Capacity Building.

Bangladesh’s first National Multidimensional Poverty Index uncovers harsh realities for children and the people living in the country, especially in the eastern divisions, said UNICEF in a press release yesterday.

With almost three out of ten children (28.9%) living in multidimensional poverty­, which is significantly higher than the rate for adults (21.44%), children are disproportionately impacted by deep-rooted challenges of poverty in Bangladesh.

According to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released yesterday by the General Economics Division (GED), with support from UNICEF and the European Union (EU). The report underscores the urgent need to address child-specific deprivations in health, education, and living standards that continue to undermine children’s rights and potential.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to develop a roadmap for building Russia’s high-speed rail network by March 31, 2026. Russian President also ordered the government and Russia’s largest lender to outline plans for utilising 300 billion rubles allocated from the National Wealth Fund as initial funding for the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed rail line. The Moscow-St. Petersburg route will be Russia’s first high-speed railroad, a specialised electrified double-track line on which trains can travel at speeds from 200 to 400 kph. Trains are expected to cover the distance between the two cities in two hours and 15 minutes.

Indian women wrestlers delivered an impressive performance at the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships in Athens yesterday, securing a total of five medals, including two gold, two silver, and one bronze.

The historic campaign was kick-started by Rachana, who made headlines by winning India’s first-ever gold in the women’s 43 kg freestyle category with a commanding 3-0 victory over China’s Xin Huang. Soon after, Ashvini Vishnoi added to the glory by clinching another gold in the 65 kg category, defeating Uzbekistan’s Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova 3-0.

In the 57kg category, Moni took silver after a close loss to Kazakhstan’s Madkhiya Usmanov, a 5-6. India’s second silver came from Kajal, who put up a strong fight in the 73kg final but lost to China’s Wenjin Qiu. In the 49kg category, Komal Verma secured a bronze, defeating Anhelina Burkina of UWW 8-3.

The Haryana Council of Ministers on Friday approved a uniform rate of inter-state mineral transit fee levied on all mineral laden vehicles entering Haryana.

Also, the rate of royalty levied on stone, boulder and gravel which was increased by the Council of Ministers on June 26 from ₹45 to ₹100 per metric tonne was reduced to ₹80 per metric tonne. Royalty means dues payable to the land owner (the state government) for mining rights.

An official spokesperson said now all vehicles entering Haryana and laden with minerals will have to pay a fee of ₹80 per metric tonne irrespective of the destination or point of consumption of the minerals transported. The fee will be deposited through the departmental web portal.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the merger of New India Co-operative Bank with the largest urban co-operative bank, Saraswat Co-operative Bank.

The merger will be effective from August 4, 2025. Consequently, Saraswat Bank will assume all assets and liabilities of New India Co-operative Bank, and all its branches will operate as Saraswat Bank branches.

Customers, including depositors of New India Co-operative Bank, will be treated as customers of Saraswat Bank from August 4, 2025, with their interests fully protected.

The Scheme of Amalgamation was approved by the shareholders of Saraswat Bank at its Special General Meeting held on July 22, 2025. It was also approved by the shareholders of New India Co-operative Bank at their Annual General Meeting and subsequently sent to the RBI for approval.

India and Morocco have signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in judicial and legal spheres. The agreements aim to reinforce institutional linkages, facilitate legal modernization, and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, shared this information in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. He said that the partnership would allow the legal communities of both nations to share knowledge, build institutional capacity, and contribute to the rule of law through structured legal engagement.

The MLAT focuses on civil and commercial matters, enabling both countries to cooperate in the service of judicial documents, the taking of evidence through Letters of Request, and the execution of judicial judgments, decrees, settlements, and arbitral awards.

The winners of the 71st National Film Awards have been announced, celebrating the best in cinema from 2023. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting revealed the winners on Friday at a press conference in New Delhi. 

The 71st National Film Awards recognises films certified by the censor board from January 1 to December 31, 2023.

Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani won big at the recently held ceremony. It bagged the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Next the award for Best Choreography for Dhindhora Baje Re! went to Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani again. Vaibhavi Merchant had choreographed the song.