Mumbai’s long-stalled pagdi (cess buildings) redevelopment ecosystem is headed for a major overhaul, with the Maharashtra government planning a dedicated regulatory framework aimed at breaking the deadlock between tenants and landlords, accelerating construction, and potentially unlocking more than 13,000 long-stalled projects across some of the city’s most congested pockets.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday told the legislative assembly that a dedicated set of rules would be introduced to “free Mumbai from the pagdi system”, ensure fair redevelopment, and protect the rights of both protected tenants and landlords. Pagdi or cess buildings—largely pre-1960 structures—have long been trapped in disputes.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella together with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, unveiled MahaCrimeOS AI – the country’s first AI-powered platform to fast-track cybercrime investigations. The platform designed to augment officers with AI tools that help them to resolve cases faster and more efficiently, combining human expertise with responsible innovation, has been developed by CyberEye, a partner independent software vendor (ISV) of Microsoft, with the Maharashtra Government’s Special Purpose Vehicle MARVEL, and Microsoft India Development Center (IDC). It is built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Foundry.

While Nadella showcased a video illustrating how MahaCrime AI OS helped deliver justice to a cybercrime victim in Nagpur, CM Fadnavis, while addressing the media, said, “Our collaboration with Microsoft began with solving complex cybercrime challenges, but its potential is far greater.” MahaCrimeOS AI was launched on Friday, currently, it is live in 23 police stations across Nagpur, and it is proposed to be rolled out to all 1,100 police stations across the state.

The “Architects of AI” were named TIME magazine's person of the year for 2025 on Thursday (December 11, 2025).

The magazine cited 2025 as the year when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view" with no turning back.

“For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME 's 2025 Person of the Year,” TIME said in a social media post.

India and Liberia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on pharmacopoeia to promote shared quality standards and regulatory alignment.

The Health Ministry informed that the agreement was signed in the presence of the Ambassador of India to Liberia, Manoj Bihari Verma and Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr Louise M. Kpoto.

The Ministry added that this MoU will support improved access to safe and affordable medicines.

India and Liberia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on pharmacopoeia to promote shared quality standards and regulatory alignment.

The Health Ministry informed that the agreement was signed in the presence of the Ambassador of India to Liberia, Manoj Bihari Verma and Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr Louise M. Kpoto.

The Ministry added that this MoU will support improved access to safe and affordable medicines.

The Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) rolled out a month-long Delhi metro campaign at the Sultanpur metro station, focusing on women's and girls' health and well-being.

The campaign will run through December and January, delivering messages on women's safety, mental health support, digital inclusion, Pre-Conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT), and tuberculosis awareness across metro trains and select stations.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that leveraging the Delhi metro will ensure that these critical messages reach millions of daily commuters, strengthening awareness and empowering women and girls across the capital city.

After the Telangana government accorded administrative sanction of Rs 1,000 crore to upgrade infrastructure at Osmania University, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday announced that the historic institution would be transformed into a world-class, premier centre of higher education.

Addressing students on the university campus, the chief minister urged them not to fall prey to political traps and instead focus on their studies and career building. Students, he said, must also cultivate leadership qualities and grow into leaders capable of steering the state’s future.

Launching a sharp attack on the previous BRS government, he alleged that Osmania University had been deliberately neglected for a decade. While BRS leaders built farmhouses on hundreds of acres, not a single Dalit family received the promised three acres of land under the previous regime, he said.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University, was conferred the CII Industry-Academia Partnership Award in the Platinum Category at the CII Industry-Academia Partnership Summit held on December 5, 2025, in New Delhi. Dr. Harish Kumar S, Director - Corporate Relations, received the award on behalf of MAHE.

The Summit brought together leaders from industry, academia, government bodies, startups, technology innovators, and venture capital communities. Organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the event served as a collective platform for science leaders, business pioneers, policy makers, and emerging entrepreneurs.

The CII Global Summit on Industry - Academia Partnership 2025 aims to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and government. It showcases path-breaking innovations, highlights transformative partnership opportunities, and recognizes institutions demonstrating excellence in industry-aligned research and innovation.

INR 1 Crore Seed Funding Support or More to be Awarded to Each Winner Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (NewsVoir) The Technology Innovation Hub for Translational Research on IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay is set to host ATMAN 3.0, an eight-week accelerator designed to transform early-stage HealthTech ventures into investment-ready businesses. The initiative will culminate in a Demo Day on January 9, 2026, at Novotel, Mumbai International Airport, where participating startups will pitch before investors, industry leaders, and members of the investment committee. The current cohort of 13 startups was chosen from a competitive pool of 173 startups that pitched their ideas to TIH IIT Bombay. Each winning participant will be awarded funding support of INR 1 crore or more, based on startup evaluation.

Backed by the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and DST (Department of Science and Technology), Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at IIT Bombay was established as a Section 8 not-for-profit company to advance translational research and technology-driven entrepreneurship. The Hub works across sectors such as healthcare, BFSI, agriculture, Industry 5.0, smart infrastructure, and education, translating innovation into practical outcomes that serve both industry and society.

The National Biodiversity Authority on Thursday released Rs 6.2 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to support the conservation of the endangered Red Sanders and strengthen livelihoods of farmers and forest-dependent communities in five states, the Environment Ministry said.

The ABS funds have been released to state forest departments, state biodiversity boards and Red Sanders growers, who "continue to play a pivotal role in protecting this endemic and globally valued species", the ministry said in a statement.

Of the Rs 6.2 crore, Rs 17.8 lakh will go to farmers in Telangana and Rs 1.1 crore to farmers in Andhra Pradesh.