The Union Cabinet has approved an expanded Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) with a combined outlay of 36,441 crore rupees for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31. Addressing media in New Delhi yesterday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the decision reaffirms the Government’s commitment to harnessing the power of sports for youth development and nation-building. He said it will ensure every talented youth to get a clear pathway to excellence. Mr Vasihanw said that the scheme will help build pan-India training facilities from grassroots to the Target Podium Olympic Scheme level.

Smt. Varsha Ashok Aglawe has assumed charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), becoming the first woman to head India's premier geoscientific organisation in its 176-year history. She succeeds Shri Asit Saha, who served as Director General from 27th July 2024 to 31st July 2026.

A distinguished geoscientist with more than three decades of professional experience, Smt. Aglawe joined GSI in 1992 after serving with the Indian Bureau of Mines. During her career, she has held several important scientific and administrative positions in GSI's Central, Northern and Eastern Regions, besides serving at Central Headquarters. Prior to assuming the present office, she was Additional Director General & Head of Department, Eastern Region, Kolkata.

An expert in palaeontology and palynology, Smt. Aglawe has made significant contributions to the study of the Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene sediments, K-T boundary, and Satpura-Gondwana basins. She reported the Salbardi–Ghorpend area as a new dinosaur nesting site in Central India, contributed to international research and participated in collaborative palaeontological studies with the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology, USA. She also represented GSI as a member of the Indian delegation to PDAC 2023 in Toronto, Canada.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has launched India’s first sovereign-backed Protection and Indemnity insurance product under Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP). Addressing the launch event in New Delhi today, DFS Secretary Sanjay Lohiya congratulated all stakeholders involved in the process of formulation of the insurance product for achieving this milestone for India’s maritime sector. He also handed over the first Protection and Indemnity policy document to Shipping Corporation of India Limited.

The Ministry of Finance said with the introduction of BMIP, the war risk premium rates have decreased approximately by 35-40 percent, from the levels observed at the height of West Asia conflict. It added that as of yesterday a total of 1 thousand 608 policies covering Cargo War risks and Hull War risks have been issued under the Pool. The Ministry noted that the BMIP mechanism ensures the continuity of maritime war risk insurance coverage, fosters the development of domestic underwriting capacity, and enhances confidence among India’s shipping and trade stakeholders. It added that extending the pool to include Protection and Indemnity coverage would further strengthen India’s maritime risk management framework and improve the resilience of its maritime insurance ecosystem.

State-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Thursday delivered Nipun, the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV), to the Indian Navy, marking another milestone in the country’s indigenous naval shipbuilding programme. The delivery comes nearly a year after HSL handed over INS Nistar, the first Diving Support Vessel, to the Navy.

The acceptance document (D448) was signed by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal, Chief Staff Officer (Technical), Western Naval Command and Chairman, D448 Committee, and Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram, VSM (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of HSL.

Built at HSL’s shipyard in Vizag, Nipun is an 118-metre-long vessel with a displacement of more than 8,560 tonnes. The ship has over 80% indigenous content and is designed to support a range of underwater operations.

India and Bhutan reviewed the progress of New Delhi-supported development projects in the Himalayan nation during a high-level talk, as the two sides signed a concessional line of credit agreement worth Rs 4,000 crore and expanded cooperation in the health sector.

The fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji on Thursday, focused on the implementation of projects under Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan, the Indian Embassy in Bhutan said in a social media post.

The two sides reviewed the progress and implementation of India-supported projects across diverse sectors, it said.

Lovepreet Singh WINS SILVER in Men's 110+kg
Athletics - Seema Kaliramna WINS BRONZE in Women's Discus Throw
Athletics - Tejaswin Shankar (WILL RESUME TOMORROW) in Men's Decathlon (second right now after 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m).
Athletics - Neeraj Chopra (5th), Rohit Yadav (9th) and Yash Vir Singh (10th) into Men's Javelin Throw Final.
Athletics - Praveen Chithravel (2nd) and Selva Prabhu (3rd) into Men's Triple Jump Final
Para Cycling - Lisha Das doesn't qualify for Women's C4-C5 4000m Individual Pursuit Finals

At the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, top-seeded India began its campaign with commanding 3-nil victories in both the men’s and women’s team events today.

The Indian men’s team defeated Zimbabwe 3-nil in its Group A opener at the Thyagraj Stadium.

Commonwealth Games medallist Manav Thakkar beat Taenda Mumvuma 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 before Harmeet Desai overcame Tapiwa Musarurwa 11-5, 11-4, 11-5. Payas Jain sealed the win with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Vikram Singh.

The Indian women also registered a 3-nil win over Maldives in their Group B opener without dropping a game. Sutirtha Mukherjee defeated Fathimath Dheema Ali 11-4, 11-2, 11-5, Yashaswini Ghorpade beat Aishath Rafa Nazim 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, and Swastika Ghosh completed the sweep with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim.

The first-ever air shipment of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka to the Maldives has opened new opportunities for the state's mango growers, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, highlighting the milestone as a step towards expanding the presence of Indian horticultural produce in international markets.

In a post on X, Goyal congratulated the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for facilitating the shipment.

"This milestone unlocks new opportunities for Karnataka's mango growers, encouraging greater participation from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), exporters & agri-entrepreneurs, enhancing their presence in the international markets," Goyal said.

Kangra district is mourning the passing of General VN Sharma, the 14th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), who died at the age of 97. He served as Army Chief from 1988 to 1990.

General Sharma will be cremated on Saturday morning at Brar Square Cremation Ground in Delhi. News of his demise evoked an outpouring of grief across Kangra, where people remembered him not only as an accomplished soldier but also as a humble son of the soil whose achievements inspired generations.

Tributes poured in from his friends and admirers, who recalled his warmth, wisdom and inspiring anecdotes.

Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Seth on Thursday described the newly launched Xtreme Weather Grade (XWG) diesel, developed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), as a "real game changer" for the Indian Army's operations in high-altitude and extreme temperature zones.

At a ceremony in Delhi, he called it a shining example of collaboration between the armed forces and domestic industry.

Addressing the launch ceremony of the fuel, the Army Chief drew from his own background in the Armoured Corps to underline the significance of the development.