Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda on Monday said the state budget for 2026-27 will be prepared in accordance with public expectations, keeping in mind the basic spirit of democracy.

To make the 2026-27 budget more public-friendly, practical, and result-oriented, the state government organised 'Budget Dialogue Programme' in which economists, budget experts, intellectuals, and experts from various fields participated.

Interacting with experts for the upcoming budget, Deva said, "As an innovation, indicative budget estimates for 2027-28 and 2028-29 are also being prepared along with the budget estimates for 2026-27. Thus, Madhya Pradesh will become the first state in the country to initiate the preparation of a rolling budget for the next three years." Rolling budgets are one of the methods of budget analysis that has gained popularity in recent years.

INS Sindhughosh, the lead submarine of her class with the Indian Navy, has been decommissioned after 40 years of glorious service to the nation, the Western Naval Command said on Saturday.

The decommissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, in the presence of WNC's Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOCINC) Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.

"INS Sindhughosh, the lead submarine of her class in service with the Indian Navy, was decommissioned at sunset on 19 Dec 25, after 40 years of glorious service to the nation, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, in the presence of VAdm Krishna Swaminathan, FOCINC WNC," WNC posted on X.

India on Tuesday announced a USD 450 million reconstruction assistance package for Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, reaffirming its role as a first responder and close neighbour under its Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR policies.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is in Colombo as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conveyed the assistance during his meetings with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. The assistance was formalised through a letter from Prime Minister Modi, which builds on India’s First Responder role and commits a reconstruction package of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka. The package includes USD 350 million in concessional Lines of Credit and USD 100 million in grants and is being finalised in close consultation with the Sri Lankan government.

On a review of current liquidity and financial conditions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) announced to conduct Open Market Operation (OMO) purchase auctions of Government of India securities for an aggregate amount of ₹2,00,000 crore (USD 22.34 billion) and Dollar Rupee (USD/INR) Buy/Sell Swap auction of $10 billion for a tenor of 3 years to inject liquidity into the banking system.

While the government securities purchases will be conducted in four tranches of ₹50,000 crore each to be held on December 29, 2025, January 05, 2026, January 12, 2026, and January 22, 2026, the Dollar Rupee Swap auction will be held on January 13, 2026, the RBI said.

December 25 marks the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On this occasion, to honour his legacy, PM Modi will inaugurate the Rashtra Prerna Sthal at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh today.

The inauguration will come to pass at 14:30 hours in Uttar Pradesh's capital, Lucknow.

This monument will seek to honour the life and ideals of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Haryana Council of Ministers on Wednesday accorded approval for the creation of Hansi as a new district, a formal decision taken a day after chief minister Nayab Singh Saini made the announcement to make Hansi 23rd district of the state.

The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of chief minister Saini here late on Wednesday evening, decided that the newly proposed Hansi district will comprise 110 villages falling under the Hansi and Narnaund Assembly Constituencies, presently part of Hisar district.

The state re-organisation committee, chaired by development and panchayats minister Krishan Lal Panwar, in its meeting held on December 9, 2025 approved and recommended the creation of district Hansi. The recommendation was thereafter approved by chief minister Saini.

Renowned poet-author and the 2024 Jnanpith winner Vinod Kumar Shukla died in Raipur on Tuesday (December 23, 2025). He was 88-years-old and had been undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur since December 2.

AIIMS spokesperson Dr. Laxmikant Choudhary said he passed away at 4:58 p.m and that the cause of death was multiple organ infection and failure. In an earlier statement on Monday (December 22), the hospital had stated that Shukla had been suffering from severe respiratory illness interstitial lung disease (ILD), along with multiple co-morbid conditions including type-2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan today released the book Sanatan Sanskriti Ki Atal Drishti, authored by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Vasudev Devnani, in New Delhi.

Addressing the event, the Vice-President described the book as a timely and significant contribution, especially as the nation commemorates the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The combined Index of Eight Core Industries increased by 1.8 per cent in November this year as compared to the same month last year. The Commerce and Industry Ministry said that the production of Cement, Steel, Fertilizer and Coal recorded positive growth in November.

The Ministry said that the Coal production increased by 2.1 per cent, Fertilizer production by 5.6 per cent, Cement production by 14.5 per cent and Steel production increased by 6.1 per cent in November this year, as compared to the same month last year. However, the Crude Oil production declined by 3.2 per cent and Natural Gas production also declined by 2.5 per cent in November.

The Index of Eight Core Industries measures the combined and individual performance of the production of eight core industries – Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilisers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. The eight core industries comprise over 40 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production.

Oman has introduced its first polymer one-rial banknote, designed to last longer and stay more secure than previous ones. The new banknote, which will start circulating from January 11, 2026, also highlights the country’s cultural and economic achievements.

The Central Bank of Oman has released the one-rial polymer banknote, the country has first time issued currency in this material. Unlike the traditional cotton based notes, polymer is durable and comes with advanced security features to help prevent counterfeiting.

The note measures 145 by 76 millimetres combining design, heritage, and national pride. The front side features the Oman Botanic Garden, representing the nation’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage. On the rear side, the Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur Cultural Complex appears alongside the Duqm Port and Refinery, showing Oman’s cultural landmarks and economic progress. Together, these images offer a clear picture of the country’s identity and achievements.