The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a portable water desalination gadget to meet the drinking water requirements of a small group of soldiers in the field.

Christened Sea Water Desalination System (SWaDeS), it can be operated manually or run by an engine. Developed by the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, in response to the requirements projected by the Tri-command services, it can also be used by the civil sector in fresh water stressed areas.

According to scientists, the system is suitable for naval operations and coastal installations for purifying seawater as well as for inland use in areas like the Pangong Tso, a huge saline water lake in Ladakh near the border with China where a sizable troop concentration is maintained.

Sanskaar Shaala, a programme designed for children aged 4 to 14, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Lohia Lions Auditorium in Guwahati by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.

Addressing the people assembled on the occasion, the Governor said that goodwill and good wishes are integral to India's cultural ethos and value system.

Quoting "Sanskarah hi gunanam moolam", he stated that values are the foundation of all virtues and play a crucial role in shaping both individual personality and societal harmony.

The government has removed the condition of three-year existence for deep-tech startups to avail recognition under DSIR’s Industrial Research and Development Promotion Program.

Addressing the 41st Foundation Day event of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) in New Delhi, Science and Technology Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, said that the removal of the three-year condition is a significant incentive to help deep-tech startups scale faster, even before they are fully on their own. He said the reform reflects the Government’s trust in the country’s innovators and its confidence in their sustainability and intent.

Dr Singh added that the government has taken several path-breaking decisions under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, including the opening up of the nuclear sector and space sector to private players. He said that to gear up for these new domains, the government would accelerate their initiative.

A team of scientists from Mizoram, in collaboration with Russian, German and Vietnamese researchers, has identified a new species of reed snake.

The new species has been named Calamaria Mizoramensis, after the state. The discovery has corrected a longstanding misidentification and expanded India's known reptile diversity.

The findings, published in Zootaxa, are based on extensive morphological and DNA analysis.

According to HT Lalremsanga, a professor at the Mizoram University's Zoology Department and the research lead, specimens were first collected in 2008 but were previously considered part of a widely distributed Southeast Asian species.

Hyderabad has now become the home to India’s first commercial-scale tropical Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)-based Rainbow Trout farm and research institute.

The facility, established by Smart Green Aquaculture Ltd at Kandukur Mandal in Ranga Reddy District, Telangana, shows that high-value cold-water species can be farmed year-round in tropical climates using precision engineering and advanced water recirculation technologies, an official statement said.

Projects supported under the government's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme are scaling rapidly, with 16 tape-outs, 6 ASIC chips, 10 patents, over 1,000 engineers engaged, and over 3x private investment leveraged.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme under the Semicon India Programme aims to build a self-reliant, globally competitive chip design ecosystem.

As many as 24 DLI-supported chip design projects target strategic sectors, including video surveillance, drone detection, energy metering, microprocessors, satellite communications, and IoT SoCs, according to a press release by the Press Information Bureau on Sunday.

The government has removed the condition of three-year existence for deep-tech startups to avail recognition under DSIR’s Industrial Research and Development Promotion Program.

Addressing the 41st Foundation Day event of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) in New Delhi, Science and Technology Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, said that the removal of the three-year condition is a significant incentive to help deep-tech startups scale faster, even before they are fully on their own. He said the reform reflects the Government’s trust in the country’s innovators and its confidence in their sustainability and intent.

Dr Singh added that the government has taken several path-breaking decisions under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, including the opening up of the nuclear sector and space sector to private players. He said that to gear up for these new domains, the government would accelerate their initiative.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has announced the winners of four creative challenges under the Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav campaign. The challenges were organised in collaboration with the MyGov platform.

Under the campaign, citizens were invited to share their personal experiences and creative expressions reflecting the country’s transformation over the last 11 years under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, the campaign witnessed enthusiastic participation from citizens belonging to diverse age groups and backgrounds. With a wide range of creative formats, participants highlighted the impact of transformative governance and rapid development across sectors.

The Telangana Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed four Bills, including the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which abolishes the long‑standing “two‑child norm” that barred candidates with more than two children from contesting local body elections.

Introducing the Bill, State Panchayat Raj minister Anasuya Seethakka recalled that the restriction was enacted in 1994 to tackle population surge concerns of the 1980s and 1990s, like threats to food security, jobs and poverty reduction.

The Minister noted that the total fertility rate in rural Telangana has now declined to 1.7 children per woman, and maintaining the current fertility rate of 1.7 may adversely affect the State’s demographic dividend in the future. The Assembly also passed the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, renaming ‘Jaintirumalapoor’ in Wanaparthy mandal as ‘Jayanna Tirumalapur’.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has established a Live Events Development Cell (LEDC) to facilitate the expansion of the “concert economy”, boosting employment and tourism in the country.

India’s live events industry is witnessing rapid expansion and is emerging as a key contributor to the media and entertainment ecosystem, an official said. The organised live events market was valued at ₹20,861 crore in 2024, registering a growth rate of 15%, outpacing several traditional media segments.

With an expected CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 18%, the sector is poised to position India among the leading global live entertainment destinations by 2030, as per government estimates.