Padma Shri Ram Sahay Pandey, a legendary figure in Rai folk dance, passed away at 92 after a prolonged illness. He died in a private hospital in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. His final rites will be held in Kanera Dev village. Pandey’s contributions to Rai dance left a lasting impact. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav paid tribute, recognizing his dedication to folk art and global recognition of Rai dance. He recognised Pandey’s immense contributions as a cultural pioneer and expressed sorrow for the irreplaceable loss to Madhya Pradesh and the art world.

Pandey fought against societal stigma, especially since Rai is linked to the marginalized Bedia community, once targeted by the Criminal Tribes Act. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 for his work in preserving and promoting Rai dance. He also received the title ‘Nritya Shiromani’ and was appointed to the Tribal Folk Art Council by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Ace basketball player and former captain of the Indian team Hari Dutt Kapri has passed away at his residence here. He was 83 and breathed his last on Wednesday. Kapri is survived by his wife and two sons.

His mortal remains were consigned to flames at Rameshwar Ghat on Thursday.

He was conferred with the Arjuna award in 1969. Kapri was born in Chiiriyakhan village of Muwani area of Pithoragarh district in the year 1942.

It was under his stewardship that the Indian basketball team rose from the 7th to the 4th position in Asia in the year 1969.

Piramal Finance Limited (formerly known as Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd.), a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), has partnered with ICICI Bank to improve credit accessibility for middle and low-income borrowers, especially in rural and semi-urban regions, focusing on Home Loans and Loan Against Property. This collaboration strengthens Piramal Finance Limited's position in India's semi-urban regions, reinforcing its commitment for providing easy and affordable credit solutions to the borrowers.

Through this partnership, Piramal Finance Limited combines its innovative 'High Tech + High Touch' approach with the financial and banking expertise of ICICI Bank. Additionally, Piramal Finance Limited's strong presence across 510+ branches in 13,000 pin codes, serving 4.5 million customers in 26 states, will further bolster outreach and accessibility.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font started a week-long visit to India, accompanied by business leaders and authorities, who sought to increase trade and collaboration between both countries.

Business associations and representatives from the agrifoods, innovation, services, and film industries met with Indian counterparts to share experiences and knowledge, with the goal of strengthening trade and cooperation.

Among them was the Indian Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Forum chairman Vinod Kumar, who made a presentation about trade and collaboration opportunities between local and Chilean companies. He was followed by representatives of the states of Gujarat and Kerala, who presented opportunities in their territories.

The latest Annual Report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), shows a marginal improvement in labour force indicators across both rural and urban regions of the country. The data, based on the first visit of the PLFS conducted from January to December 2024, presents calendar year-wise estimates of labour market indicators under both Current Weekly Status (CWS) and Principal and Subsidiary Status (PS+SS).

According to the report, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) under the Current Weekly Status in urban areas increased for both men and women. Among urban males, LFPR rose from 74.3% in 2023 to 75.6% in 2024, while for females, it saw a modest rise from 25.5% to 25.8%. This led to an overall increase in urban LFPR from 50.3% to 51.0%. However, the all-India LFPR under CWS remained unchanged at 56.2%, indicating only slight variations across different categories.

India’s goods and services exports have crossed a record $820 billion in financial year 2024-25, which represents a close to 6 per cent increase over the corresponding figure of $778 billion for the previous financial year, despite the economic uncertainties in global markets, according to data compiled by the Commerce Ministry.

The figures were revealed at a meeting held by Commerce and Industry Minister (CIM) Piyush Goyal with the Export Promotion Councils and industry bodies here to discuss the emerging trade scenario.

The minister complimented the exporters for the all-time high achievement in exports in spite of multiple headwinds, including the Red Sea crisis, Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over to the Gulf region, continuation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and slow growth in some developed economies. The Minister lauded the exporters for their resilience and efforts.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, announced the launch of the Inter-AIIMS Referral portal, developed indigenously by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to revolutionize healthcare management and patient referral systems across the country.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Inter-AIIMS Referral portal will leverage cutting-edge technologies, including facial recognition systems and automated workflows, to ensure seamless, secure, and transparent referral processes. It will significantly reduce waiting times, minimize manual errors, and create a more patient-centric healthcare experience. "By harnessing the power of technology, we can transform the medical sector and enhance the lives of millions," said JP Nadda, emphasizing the government's commitment to advancing healthcare innovation.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu, today inaugurated the cutting-edge Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder (DFDR & CVR) Laboratory at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) at Udaan Bhawan in New Delhi. Widely referred to as the “Black Box Lab,” this state-of-the-art facility has been established with an investment of ₹ nine crore.

The inauguration witnessed the presence of senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indian Air Force, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Airports Authority of India, and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority. Chiefs of Flight Safety from all major scheduled airlines also attended this landmark event.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized the significance of this new facility in bolstering aviation safety. He stated that this achievement brings India one step closer to a safer aviation ecosystem by enabling the identification of root causes of incidents more effectively and ensuring accountability, which remains the cornerstone of aviation safety. The Minister highlighted that only through effective and independent investigations can future accidents be prevented.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launched a dedicated digital portal developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to invite private investment in infrastructure development on National Waterways.

With a ceremonial click, the Minister formally inaugurated the initiative, which is aimed at facilitating ease of doing business (EODB) and encouraging private investment in inland water transport (IWT) in the country. The launch follows the introduction of the National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025, which lays out a framework for private players to invest in the construction and operation of jetties and terminals across India’s national waterways network.

As per the newly notified National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025, any entity — including private players — can now develop or operate an inland waterway terminal on a National Waterway by securing a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NoC) from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). The regulations apply to both existing and new terminals, whether permanent or temporary.

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) on Wednesday signed an agreement to set up its Dubai branch campus at the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and the commencement of the full-time one-year master’s in business administration (MBA) programme in September 2025.

IIMA director Bharat Bhasker signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai’s department of economy and tourism in Mumbai on Tuesday for the establishment of the IIMA Dubai campus. The MoU was signed in the presence of commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai who is on his first official visit to India as the crown prince.