The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published a draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, proposing to prohibit the addition of sucrose and fructose in food products intended for infants up to six months of age. The proposed restriction aims to promote appropriate infant nutrition and support healthy growth and development during the crucial first six months of life. The first six months of life represent a critical period for healthy growth and development, making appropriate nutrition particularly important. The proposed restriction seeks to ensure that infant nutrition products meet the nutritional needs of this age group without the unnecessary addition of sucrose and fructose. The measure is also intended to support broader public health efforts to address concerns associated with early exposure to added sugars, including dietary risk factors linked to childhood obesity and related health challenges. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that the draft notification has been published for public consultation, inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 60 days. The representations received within the prescribed period will be considered by FSSAI before finalisation of the amendment.

Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi today dedicated to the nation five major development projects worth around Rupees Three Thousands Three Hundred Fifty Crore (₹3,350 crore) in Ladakh through video conferencing. The five projects will strengthen connectivity, improve energy infrastructure, conserve cultural heritage and enhance water security in the region.

The newly inaugurated projects include the New Passenger Terminal Building at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, the 298-kilometre-long Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road, the nine-megawatt Hanu Small Hydroelectric Project, the 66-kV Double-Circuit Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi Transmission Line, India’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park at Sindhu Ghat in Leh, and 40 water bodies developed across 40 villages under Project Him Sarovar.

The five projects will strengthen connectivity, improve energy infrastructure, conserve cultural heritage and enhance water security in the region. The virtually arranged launch program is organised in all seven districts of UT Ladakh. The main programme, being held at Leh Sindhu Ghat, is attended by Honourable LG Ladakh V K Saxena along with UT Administration officials, Army dignitaries, social and political representatives and the people at large.

Astranova Mobility on Wednesday said its lending subsidiary, NovaFusion Capital, has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

The company is targeting ₹5,000 crore in assets under management (AUM) over the next five years, Astranova Mobility Founder & CEO Kunal Mundra told PTI.

"So with the help of this NBFC, our aspiration really is to deploy ₹5,000 crore worth of financing in the next five years. It will be primarily for electric vehicles and only for commercial operators. That means everyone who earns a livelihood with the help of these assets," Mundra shared.

For more than a century, Gir Forest has been synonymous with Asiatic lions in India. But another forest in Gujarat is emerging as an important habitat for the endangered big cats. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, where lions had disappeared for nearly 144 years, is now home to 17 Asiatic lions, according to recent reports.

A study published in the journal PLOS One has found that Barda offers suitable habitat, adequate prey and environmental conditions that could support a lion population over the long term. The findings strengthen the case for developing the sanctuary as a second home for Asiatic lions beyond Gir, helping reduce the risks associated with concentrating the population in one main landscape.

Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan today inaugurated KAUMARACON-2026 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of AYUSH.

The event is the third international conference on Kaumarabhritya (Ayurvedic paediatrics). It is being held from 15 to 17 October 2026 under the theme “Shaping the Future of Child Health: Global Perspectives, Research Innovations, and Clinical Frontiers in Kaumarabhritya.”

The occasion also marked the Institute’s Foundation Day. It celebrated a decade of progress in Ayurvedic education, clinical services, scientific research and innovation.

Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More became the country's first Greco-Roman silver medallist at the U23 World Championships after losing 12-13 to Georgia's Koba Karumidze in the men's 55kg final on Thursday.

More was close to winning gold but Karumidze edged ahead in the closing seconds to clinch the title. The Indian had already made history by becoming the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach the final at the U23 World Championships.

More, who had won bronze at the previous editions, began his campaign with a narrow 10-8 win over Mexico's Isaac Marin Mata. He then defeated Iran's Armin Shamsipour, the reigning U20 world champion, 8-1 in the quarter-finals. A four-point throw helped More secure the win, with Shamsipour appearing to suffer a shoulder injury during the bout.

The World Bank Group has helped mobilise $36 billion in private capital for development in India over the past four years, including $9.6 billion for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as it steps up efforts to spur private sector-led growth and job creation.

Private capital mobilisation by the Group rose nearly five-fold to $14.5 billion in fiscal 2026 from about $3 billion in fiscal 2022, Manuel Reyes-Retana, IFC's division director for South Asia, said.

The increase reflects growing investor interest in development-linked investments, with guarantees from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) helping reduce investment risks and attract private funding, he said.

An American space technology company plans to sell on-demand sunlight at night at precise locations on Earth by placing massive reflecting mirrors in orbit, using launch services from India’s Skyroot Aerospace.

California-based Reflect Orbital plans to launch a constellation of satellites to provide on-demand sunlight for services such as illuminating disaster zones for search and rescue operations and extending power generation at solar farms.

The start-up has signed a contract with Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace for two launches onboard its Vikram rockets.

“These launches give us assured schedule and capacity alongside our other planned launches from US sites,” Reflect Orbital said in a statement.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme- NSAP for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of 53,428 crore rupees. The approval also includes renaming of this scheme and sub-schemes with revision in eligibility criteria, coverage and rate of assistance for divyangjan pension and continuation of pension schemes for old aged and widows and family benefit scheme in its existing form. The National Social Assistance Programme has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme will now be named as Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, while the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme will become Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana.The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana and while the National Family Benefit Scheme will be called Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.

Briefing media after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishanw said that the amount of assistance under divyangjan pension scheme will now be 375 rupees for the age group of up to 79 yrs and 625 rupees for 80 yrs and above. Mr Vaishanw said that the criteria for benchmark disability will be 40 percent against 80 percent at present for divyangjan. He said, under it , the minimum age criterion for the disability pension will now be since birth. He informed that a total of three crore and 20 lakh beneficiaries across all the 36 States and UTs will be benefitted from this approval.
He said, Pension schemes for old aged and widows and family benefit scheme will continue in its existing form. The guidelines consisting of the change in eligibility criteria, number of beneficiaries and rate of assistance under divyangjan pension will be issued and implemented within three months.

A science-led initiative of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is gaining traction among coastal women, helping them build livelihoods as entrepreneurs in fish farming, ornamental aquaculture and seafood value addition.

The institute’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Hub has facilitated 84 micro-enterprise initiatives across eight districts of Kerala between 2022 and 2026, with the aim of improving livelihoods and creating opportunities for income diversification.

Vipinkumar V.P., Principal Scientist, said the project has directly benefitted 469 people, including 220 women and six transgender persons, with indirect benefits expected to reach around 2,500 others. The impact assessment of the project reveals that household incomes of beneficiaries have increased by 30–35 per cent. The STI Hub extended 141 training programmes that strengthened their technical and entrepreneurial skills.