Today is National Energy Conservation Day. This day is annually observed to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation and to highlight the nation’s achievements in energy efficiency.

On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu felicitated the winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 and National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025 in New Delhi.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that energy conservation is no longer just an option but a necessity of the present time. President Murmu emphasised that every unit of energy saved reflects a sense of responsibility towards nature and demonstrates care and sensitivity for future generations.

November helped offset the losses recorded in October, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, as India’s merchandise trade deficit narrowed to a five-month low of $24.53bn on the back of a rebound in exports.

The country's merchandise imports stood at $62.66bn in November, while exports were at $38.13bn, according to government data. In this period, merchandise exports to the US, India's largest export market, also rose over 21% year-on-year to $6.98bn against $5.70bn last year.

"November has helped offset the losses recorded in October, and the overall trade position for the first eight months of the year appears to be on a steady footing," Agrawal notes while presenting the data.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is set to pause its usual government operations next week as it prepares to celebrate two of its most significant annual occasions. Citizens and residents will have the opportunity to honor the nation’s progress and leadership, as the government announces official public holidays for National Day and the Accession Day of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, issued a circular confirming that all ministries, government departments, and public institutions will be closed on Tuesday, December 16, and Wednesday, December 17, 2025. The announcement applies to every government agency, public authority, and institution across the Kingdom.

This circular formalizes the observance of the holidays, ensuring that both days are recognized nationwide for all government operations.

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a major change in India’s insurance rules by allowing full foreign ownership in insurance companies. The decision aims to bring more capital, improve competition, and strengthen customer services across the sector.

The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025 is expected to be introduced in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament, which ends on December 19. A Lok Sabha bulletin lists it among the key legislative items planned for discussion.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier proposed raising the foreign investment limit from 74% to 100% as part of wider reforms in the financial sector.

India’s retail inflation rose to 0.71 per cent in November this year on an annual basis, up from a record low of 0.25 per cent recorded in October. According to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, inflation in rural areas edged up to 0.1 per cent, and to 1.4 percent in urban regions. The food inflation rate, based on the All India Consumer Food Price Index, witnessed narrower deflation of 3.91 per cent last month as compared to deflation of five per cent recorded in October. It stayed in negative zone for the sixth consecutive month.

The corresponding food inflation rate for rural areas also decelerated to 4.05 percent. Meanwhile, deflation in urban areas moderated to 3.6 percent during last month. According to the Ministry, the decline in headline inflation and food inflation during the month of November is mainly attributed to increase in inflation of Vegetables, Egg, Meat and fish, Spices and Fuel and light.

The Department of Posts (DoP), Ministry of Communications and the stock exchange BSE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in line with the Budget 2025-26 announcement, which emphasised leveraging India Post's vast postal network as a catalyst for economic activity in rural and semi-urban regions.

With its extensive presence across the country, India Post continues to play a pivotal role in deepening financial access and enabling inclusive growth. This "strategic partnership" enables India Post to act as a distributor of mutual fund products through its vast postal network, significantly benefiting citizens in rural, semi-urban and underserved regions, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement Friday.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved a proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027, allocating ₹11,718.24 crore for what will be the world’s largest administrative and statistical exercise.

The Census will be carried out in two phases: Houselisting and Housing Census from April to September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. In Ladakh, and the snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Population Enumeration will be conducted earlier, in September 2026. Nearly 30 lakh field functionaries will be deployed to complete the massive nationwide exercise.

The allocation of ₹11,718.24 crore would be spent to fund the two phases of Census, said Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday who briefed reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Amazon Seller Services in New Delhi to boost online market access for artisans enrolled under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme. Under the agreement, the e-commerce service will facilitate onboarding of eligible Vishwakarma artisans onto its e-commerce platform, while the Ministry will support them in obtaining necessary approvals, registrations and clearances. It will also promote handmade products through its Karigar initiative, which highlights India’s traditional craftsmanship and supports artisans in adopting digital tools.

The Ministry underlined that the partnership will help artisans enhance product visibility, improve sales, and reach customers across the nation. The PM Vishwakarma Scheme, launched in September 2023, offers end-to-end support including skill training, modern toolkits, credit access and market linkages for artisans engaged in traditional trades such as carpentry, pottery, metalsmithing, tailoring, goldsmithing, locksmithing, toy and doll making, basket and mat making, garland making and cobbler work.

Brookfield Asset Management, the largest commercial real estate owner/operator in the country with assets over $12 billion, is investing a whopping $1 billion to build Asia’s largest global capability centre (GCC) in the tony Powai area of the megapolis.

The 2-million sqft campus will come up on a six–acre plot in Powai which is also the home of the famed IIT Bombay, and is set for 2029 completion. It is expected to create over 30,000 high-skilled jobs and will house a multinational bank's GCC for a 20-years lease, said the New York-based global alternative asset manager, which is the infrastructure arm of the Canadian investment major.

The proposed GCC is being developed through an agreement between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and a venture led by Brookfield along with its partner BS Sharma.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the National Makhana Board in Purnea, Bihar - a move first announced in the Union Budget 2025 that the government says will help scale up production, processing and exports of makhana, also known as fox nut. The Centre has approved a development package worth nearly Rs 475 crore for the sector.

What The Board Will Do

The board is expected to focus on raising production standards, improving post-harvest management, introducing new technologies, expanding value addition and strengthening marketing and export linkages. Officials say the body will also support farmer-producer organisations and help makhana farmers access relevant central schemes.