The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday officially unveiled the logo and key initiatives for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, a landmark event set to position India as a global hub for responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence. This will be the first time a Global South nation hosts the prestigious summit, which will be guided by the principles of People, Planet, and Progress.

The newly unveiled logo draws inspiration from the Ashoka Chakra, representing ethical governance, justice, and India’s constitutional values. Radiating from the chakra are neural network flares symbolizing AI’s power to bridge linguistic, industrial, and geographical divides and create inclusive progress.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced a new design for Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballot papers to improve clarity and voter convenience, beginning with the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

For the first time, ballot papers will feature colour photographs of candidates. The redesigned format also includes larger serial numbers printed in bold, international Indian numerals with a font size of 30, aimed at making them easier to read.

The Commission said the revamp follows revised guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and is part of 28 initiatives introduced in the last six months to streamline electoral processes and make them more voter-friendly.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has unveiled its most sweeping overhaul of foreign investor rules yet, offering 10-year registrations and a single digital gateway to slash red tape.

Cleared by the Sebi board on 12 September, the new Single Window Automatic & Generalised Access for Trusted Foreign Investors (SWAGAT-FI) framework aims to unify investment routes, cut onboarding times, and give investors greater regulatory certainty— a bid to draw long-term global capital into India.

Antim Panghal turned an otherwise lacklustre Indian challenge eventful when she clinched a bronze medal in the 53kg weight category at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, on Thursday. The medal was India's first in the 2025 edition of the prestigious tournament. It was also Antim's second bronze at the Worlds. With this medal, she joined Vinesh Phogat as India's most successful woman wrestler in the World Championships.

The 21-year-old from Haryana, who had a forgetful Olympics in Paris last year, defeated Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren of Sweden 9-1 to pocket the medal. Incidentally, Antim defeated the same opponent in the 2023 edition to win her first bronze at the event. She had defeated the Sweden wrestler 16-6 two years ago.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) signed a defence pact under which any aggression against either country shall be considered as an act of aggression against both, according to media reports.

The ‘Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’ was signed during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he was received by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace, Geo News reported.

According to the Dawn newspaper, a statement from PM Sharif’s office announced the signing of the pact, which stated that any aggression against either country shall be considered an act of aggression against both.

Marium Fatima from Bihar has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the state’s first Woman FIDE Master (WFM). A brilliant chess player from Bihar, Marium, belongs to Muzaffarpur. She has earned several accolades in the sport of chess. Director General of Bihar State Sports Authority Ravindran Shankaran congratulated her for this achievement.

India and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, of the United Nations, have joined hands to build world-class Blue Ports. Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has signed a Technical Cooperation Programme agreement with FAO to strengthen Blue Port infrastructure in India. In line with this, the Department of Fisheries organised the first webinar today.

Addressing the participants of the webinar, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, reiterated the government’s vision of developing ecologically healthy, economically viable, and socially inclusive fisheries systems to strengthen national food and nutritional security. He highlighted the role of advanced technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, automation, and digital platforms in enhancing efficiency and service delivery at fishing ports.

Our correspondent reports that under the Blue Ports framework, the Department of Fisheries is leading the development of Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbours that combine technological innovation with environmental stewardship. Three pilot harbours, namely Vanakbara in Diu, Karaikal in Puducherry and Jakhau in Gujarat, have been approved with a total investment of 369.8 crore rupees.

Ion chromatography, or the process of separating ions from a sample by passing it through a long column, is usually carried out in a laboratory using expensive, sophisticated equipment. Now, scientists at the University of Tasmania in Australia have devised a simpler way to perform the technique out in the field — one that could benefit science classrooms, too.

Working with second-year undergraduate students, the scientists helped them analyse soil pore water, or water in between soil particles, immediately after collecting it using a portable ion chromatograph called Aquamonitrix. The students used it to separate and analyse concentrations of nitrate and nitrite ions in the sample as both these ions are known to be harmful for the environment in high concentrations. Then they took the samples back to the lab and analysed them using a conventional chromatograph.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today inaugurated the Sex Sorted Semen facility established under the “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” scheme being implemented by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying at Semen Station, Purnea, Bihar. This facility has been created with the Central assistance of Rs.10 crore and has capacity to produce 5 lakh doses per year.

In line with the vision of 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' the indigenously developed technology ‘Gausort’ launched by the Prime Minister earlier on 5th October 2024 will be used in sex sorting. Through Gausort technology, Sex Sorted Semen will be available to the farmers of the Eastern and North Eastern region at reasonable rates.

Purnea semen station was established under Rashtriya Gokul Mission with Central assistance of Rs. 84.27 crores. This is one of the largest semen stations in the government sector in the country and first of its kind semen station for the Eastern and North-Eastern States. The semen station is producing 50 lakh doses per annum and playing an important role in development of the dairy sector in the region.

Central Zone overcame a few hiccups to defeat South Zone by six wickets on the final day of their Duleep Trophy summit clash here on Monday.

Needing 65 runs to lay claim to the title, Central lost four wickets but managed to reach the target in the morning session. This was Central’s first Duleep Trophy triumph since the Piyush Chawla-led side took top honours in the 2014-15 edition.

Having posted a massive 511 in the first essay, Central stayed in the driver’s seat for a majority of the match. South will rue an abysmal batting performance on the first day, when it was bowled out for 149 on a batting-friendly pitch.