The drug-resistant fungal species Candida auris is turning more deadly and is spreading globally, according to a study led by Indian researchers.

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen with a unique ability to grow and persist on human skin.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, in collaboration with a team at the National Institutes of Health in the US, showed that invasive fungal infections are spreading across the globe and gaining in virulence, affecting about 6.5 million people per year.

These infections are frequently associated with high mortality rates, often exceeding 50 per cent, even with antifungal therapy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi on Saturday.

The Piprahwa Relics, discovered in the late 19th century, are widely believed to be associated with the mortal remains of Gautama Buddha, enshrined by the Shakya clan. Their repatriation and public display reflect the country’s continued efforts to protect its cultural patrimony and promote the universal values of peace, compassion, and enlightenment embodied in the Buddha’s teachings.

The Culture Ministry said, the event marks an important moment in the country’s cultural and diplomatic history, as the relics on display include repatriated sacred relics of immense historical, archaeological, and spiritual significance, revered by Buddhist communities across the world. The Ministry is organising a landmark cultural exposition titled Lotus Light: Relics of the Awakened One, showcasing the revered Sacred Piprahwa Relics along with significant associated antiquities.

Indian Railways on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) announced the successful completion of the final high-speed trial of the indigenously designed and manufactured Vande Bharat Sleeper Train.

The trial was conducted on the Kota-Nagda section, during which the train achieved a top speed of 180 kmph, according to an official statement.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared a video of the trial run on social media platform X.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor connecting Nashik, Solapur and Akkalkot in Maharashtra at a total cost of ₹19,142 crore.

The 374-kilometre-long project will be developed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll mode and aims to improve regional and inter-state connectivity while strengthening India’s integrated transport infrastructure under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

The proposed corridor will connect major regional centres including Nashik, Ahilyanagar and Solapur, with onward connectivity to Kurnool. It is planned to link with key national highways and expressways, including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near the Vadhawan Port interchange, the Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik, and the Samruddhi Mahamarg near Pangri. Once completed, the corridor will provide seamless connectivity between India’s west and east coasts.

The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC-ITS) at Ahmedabad Civil Medical College has created history by completing 500 kidney transplants in a single year, setting a new national benchmark in the public healthcare sector.

With this achievement in 2025, IKDRC-ITS has emerged as the only public sector hospital in India to perform 500 kidney transplants in one year, reinforcing its position as the country’s leading government-run kidney transplant centre.

Operating under the guidance of the Gujarat government’s Health Department, the institute has become a beacon of hope for economically weaker patients while remaining at the forefront of advanced medical technology. This milestone has earned IKDRC the top rank among public hospitals in India in the field of kidney transplantation.

Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC), the flagship initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a new benchmark, with registrations crossing 3 crore participants as of December 30, 2025, according to the Education Ministry.

The registrations include students, parents and teachers from across the country, marking the highest participation since the programme’s inception. The surge reflects the initiative’s growing reach and its role in addressing issues related to exam stress, mental well-being and positive learning attitudes among students.

Online registrations for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 opened on December 1, 2025, through the MyGov portal. Organised annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, the programme has evolved into a nationwide platform for open dialogue on examinations and education-related challenges.

The Delhi Government has approved the Delhi Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026. Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta informed that the Bill, approved by the Delhi Cabinet, aims to simplify compliance procedures and decriminalise minor violations, reduce the number of cases in the courts and enhance administrative efficiency.

She said that the Bill will be passed in the upcoming winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly starting from the 5th of next month. Mrs Gupta said that through this legislation, the Delhi Government is fully committed to promoting Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.

The Chief Minister said that the Bill is not intended to encourage lawlessness, but to ensure proportionality in punishment. The Bill also proposes an automatic 10 per cent increase in the amount of fines every three years after its implementation, so that penalties remain effective in line with inflation and rising costs.

An international team of researchers has discovered a new method to fight cancers that no longer respond to treatment.

The team, led by Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, used mutations that make tumours drug-resistant to turn them into a potential therapeutic advantage, Xinhua news agency reported.

One of the biggest challenges in cancer care is when a therapy stops working. In many metastatic cancers, drugs that initially show positive results lose their effectiveness over time as cancer cells mutate and continue to grow.

The new study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, proposes a novel way to confront cancer resistance by harnessing the very mutations that allow tumours to evade treatment.

Aryaman Financial Services Ltd (AFSL) said its wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) Aryaman Finance (India) Ltd has received a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to commence the business of a Non-Banking Financial Institution.

Mumbai-based AFSL is a SEBI registered Category-I merchant banker involved in the business of lead management and syndication of Small and Medium Sized (₹10 crore to ₹200 crore) IPO’s, FPO’s, Rights Issues, Composite Issues, QIP’s, PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) deals, VC funding and other forms of fund raising.

AFSL, in a regulatory filing, said its WOS has received the CoR to commence/carry on the business of a Non-Banking Financial Institution (Category: Type II NBFC-Non-Deposit taking-Investment and Credit Company)

Bhutan spinner Sonam Yeshey has scripted history by becoming the first bowler to take eight wickets in a men's T20 International match.

The left-arm spinner achieved the unprecedented feat during the third T20I against Myanmar in Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan, on December 26, according to ESPNCricinfo.

The 22-year-old returned remarkable figures of 8 for 7, bowling Myanmar out for 45 in response to Bhutan's 127 for 9.

"A spell for the ages! Sonam Yeshey’s unbelievable 8/7 in four overs goes down as a world record," Bhutan Cricket posted on their X account.