DSC A24, the fifth ship of five Diving Support Craft (DSC) Project was launched today at Titagarh, Kolkata. The Ministry of Defence said that these ships offer superior stability, enhanced deck area, and improved sea-keeping characteristics, which make them suitable for undertaking Diving operations. It added that the ship has been designed and built in accordance with the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping.

The Ministry further said that with induction of these ships, Indian Navy’s capabilities in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage assistance and coastal operational deployment will be augmented. It highlighted that with 70 percent of main and auxiliary equipment sourced from indigenous manufacturers, Diving Support Craft are proud flag bearers of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of Government.

India plans to invest as much as ₹45,000 crore ($4.7 billion) into railway upgrades along its borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to people familiar, marking one of its most significant strategic infrastructure pushes amid shifting regional dynamics.

The spending — set to unfold over the next 18 to 24 months — will help build new tracks, platforms and network strengthening across Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and several northeastern states, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.

The border-state program represents about 22% of all railway infrastructure outlay planned over the next two years, underscoring the scale of the effort, the people said. The latest plan shows that the Narendra Modi-led administration’s vision to build border-area infrastructure goes beyond the $3.4 billion spending Bloomberg News had reported in September for constructing rail lines, including bridges and tunnels, in the northeastern parts of the country.

Lok Sabha has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill aims to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, for increasing the number of Judges of the Apex Court from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). In May this year, President Droupadi Murmu had promulgated an ordinance to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges from 33 to 37.

When the House met after the second adjournment at 2:00 PM, Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform is being effectively implemented. The Minister said that the Bill is an important step in that ongoing reform process within the judicial sector. Mr Meghwal said, the bill has been brought in view of the rising number of pending cases in the Supreme Court and to make the judicial system more efficient and effective. He said, this step will further strengthen judicial capacity, expedite the effective disposal of cases, and mark an important milestone in ensuring timely justice for citizens.

The Ministry of Ayush and the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the Ayush sector, with a focus on research, digital innovation, medicinal plants, drug administration and capacity building.

Under the agreement, the Ministry of Ayush will onboard the AIKosh platform and share eligible health research artefacts, including datasets, metadata, AI models, toolkits and relevant use cases. The integration is expected to foster collaboration, encourage innovation and support the responsible development of AI-based solutions for the Ayush sector.

The partnership will also enable access to GPU-based high-performance computing infrastructure through the IndiaAI initiative at subsidised rates, subject to applicable service-level agreements. Officials said the advanced computing resources would help address critical infrastructure needs and support the development and scaling of AI applications in healthcare and traditional medicine.

Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, with AC Milan saying their former captain's "example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA".

Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career with the club from 1977 until he retired in 1997, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups/Champions Leagues.

Regarded as one of the greatest defenders to play the game, Baresi captained Milan for 15 seasons, making 719 appearances and scoring 33 goals.

He was capped 81 times by Italy and was part of the squad which won the 1982 World Cup. He played and was captain in the 1994 final, which Italy lost to Brazil.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the ‘Samudra Manthan’ National Offshore Exploration Scheme, a central sector initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore to be implemented through FY2030-31.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “The Cabinet’s approval of ‘Samudra Manthan’ marks a transformative leap towards strengthening India’s energy security and unlocking our vast offshore potential. By combining investment, cutting-edge technology, skilled human capital and modern infrastructure, Samudra Manthan will give fresh momentum to ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

The scheme aims to accelerate offshore oil and gas exploration, strengthen India’s energy security, enhance domestic production and promote technological innovation in the upstream energy sector.
According to the government, the initiative reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of a modern-day “Samudra Manthan”, articulated during his Independence Day address in 2025, to unlock India’s offshore energy potential and advance the goal of Viksit Bharat.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31. Addressing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishanw said, a total financial outlay of 3.15 lakh crore rupees has been approved for this Scheme during the period of five years. Mr Vaishnaw said, the approval reiterates the Government’s commitment that the prosperity of farmers forms the foundation of the nation’s prosperity. He said, through the PM-KISAN Scheme, timely and transparent income support is being provided to eligible farmer families through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Mr Vaishnaw informed that more than 4.47 lakh crore rupees have been transferred directly into farmers’ bank accounts through 23 installments so far. He said, the assistance provided under PM-KISAN has enabled farmers to make timely investments in seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, agricultural machinery and other agricultural requirements.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) for the development of floating solar photovoltaic projects with Energy Storage Systems. Addressing media in New Delhi after the Union Cabinet meeting today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the scheme has been approved with a total outlay of 5,070 crore rupees. He said, the scheme envisages the development of 5000 for productive  Mega Watt of Floating Solar Photovoltaic projects with co-located Energy Storage Systems having a minimum storage capacity of two hours  totalling ten thousand MWh. Mr Vaishnaw said that for this no additional land acquisition is required and it will create an opportunity for productive use of existing reservoirs, canals and industrial ponds. The duration of the scheme will of five years. 

The Government of India has appointed Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, presently serving as the Director General Medical Services (Air), as the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) with effect from the afternoon of August 31.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Defence, he will assume the appointment upon the retirement of the incumbent DGAFMS Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin.

An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja was commissioned in December 1986. He obtained his MD in Medicine in 1997 and his DM in Gastroenterology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in 2005, where he was awarded the Best DM Student Award. An outstanding military professional, he secured an 'A' grading in all military courses and is an alumnus of the National Defence College.

Indian Judoka Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh created history by winning the historic Commonwealth Gold Medal at Glasgow today. Asmita Dey clinched country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games Judo gold, defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach 2-1 in the women’s 48kg final. After the match was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Asmita secured a decisive Yuko with a leg tangle into the golden score period, sealing a memorable victory in extra time.

In Mens 60kg event, Harsh Singh secured gold medal after beating Joshua Katz of Australia in the final. A brilliant half-arm throw in the final minute earns him a Waza-ari sealing India’s second consecutive judo gold in Glasgow.

India’s medal tally at the Commonwealth Games has risen to 19, including five gold, nine silver and five bronze medals.