The festival of Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna is being observed across the country with religious fervour today. On the occasion, devotees observe fast, perform ceremonies and visit temples. Sweets and other foods associated with Krishna are prepared and offered to Lord Krishna. Devotional songs and chanting is performed through the day and often late into the night. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have extended their greetings on the occasion of Janmashtami.

In Gujarat, grand celebrations and special religious rituals are underway at major Krishna shrines including the world-famous Dwarkadhish, Dakor, and Shamalaji temples.

In Uttar Pradesh, the streets of Mathura and Vrindavan are reverberating with the chanting of Jay Shri Krishna. All temples are decked up with flowers petals and colorful lights for midnight celebration.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has stated that Belgium will work towards strengthening maritime cooperation with India and announced that a full Belgian delegation from the maritime and port sector would visit India in February next year, with steps to be taken towards undertaking concrete work in this area. He was addressing the India-Belgium high-level discussions on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement held in Mumbai today. He said the Free Trade Agreement is a symbol of strategic openness, trust and mutual respect and expressed confidence that it would further strengthen the economies of both India and the European Union and help them remain resilient amid global uncertainty.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever asserted that at a time when the world is witnessing increasingly violent conflicts, strengthening trade relations between strong partner countries is the only answer. He stressed that safe and reliable maritime supply chains have become twice as important in such circumstances, and that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement comes at a particularly crucial time. He expressed confidence that the agreement would provide a foundation on which many major initiatives could be built in the future. He also criticised countries that impose unilateral and unfair tariffs on others.

President Droupadi Murmu has called upon teachers and educators to continually update their knowledge, embrace technology, and adopt innovative teaching methods.

In her message on the occasion of Teachers’ Day today, the President said teachers and educators play a vital role in nurturing talent and strengthening character through their guidance and mentorship.

She said, dedicated and caring teachers can recognise the unique potential of students, inspire them, and encourage them to strive for excellence. President Murmu also urged teachers to promote independent thinking and cultivate a spirit of enquiry among students.

Expressing gratitude to all dedicated teachers for their contributions, the President wished them continued success in nurturing enlightened generations who will take the nation to greater heights.

An 18-metric-tonne consignment of four varieties of NPOP-certified ethnic rice from Tripura has been flagged off for export to Austria and the Netherlands, opening new international market opportunities for farmers and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in the northeastern state.

The consignment, facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), comprises Aromatic Kali Khasa Rice, Aromatic Harinarayan Rice, Biron Rice, a white sticky variety, and Maimi Hanga Rice, a black rice variety.

The rice has been aggregated from FPCs supported by the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency (TSOFDA) and is being exported by Pratithi Organic Foods, Sonepat, an exporter of Indian organic agricultural products.

The Government has announced the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for the year 2024. The awards recognise outstanding achievements by individuals in the field of adventure and seek to promote a spirit of endurance, risk-taking, teamwork and quick and effective decision-making in challenging situations. The awards are given in four categories, which are Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure and Lifetime Achievement. Each awardee will receive a statuette, a certificate and award money of 15 lakh rupees. The awardees are Baljeet Kaur and Skalzang Rigzin in Land Adventure category, Rimo Saha in Water Adventure category and Shiv Prasad Chamoli in the Life Time Achievement category.

The selections were made following the recommendations of the National Selection Committee. The Committee evaluated the nominations and recommended the awardees for conferment of the national honour.

The awards seek to promote among the youth a spirit of courage, endurance, discipline, risk-taking and cooperative teamwork, while encouraging the ability to respond with speed and effectiveness in challenging situations. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards along with the National Sports Awards 2025. The date of the award ceremony will be announced later.

India is set to host the Hyundai World Archery Para Series (WAPS) for the first time, which will bring together over 100 athletes from 20 countries for five days, from September 5 to 9, 2026, at the iconic Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, according to a Gujarat CMO release.

The landmark event, organised by the Archery Association of India (AAI) with the support of the Government of Gujarat, Sports Authority of Gujarat and Sports Authority of India (SAI), will see some of the world's leading Para Archers compete across the Recurve Open, Compound Open, W1 and Visually Impaired categories.

The event will be formally inaugurated on September 4, 2026, at The Forum - Hotel & Convention, near Club O7, Shela, Ahmedabad. The ceremony will be graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) and Intel India have launched two Agentic AI skilling programmes aimed at expanding access to industry-aligned training and preparing India's workforce for an increasingly AI-driven economy, according to an official release.

The programmes were launched as part of the NIELIT-Intel India Agentic AI Skilling Initiative at a National Leadership Dialogue on “Preparing the Future Workforce for the Agentic AI Era”, organised by NIELIT under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The initiative will offer training through two programmes -- Agentic AI for Everyone and Engineering Agentic AI Systems -- with the aim of taking practical Agentic AI learning closer to institutions and learners across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to legendary Gujarati music composer, arranger and singer Gaurang Vyas, who passed away in Ahmedabad at the age of 87.

Vyas was one of the prominent names in Gujarati film, folk and light music. The son of renowned Gujarati music composer Avinash Vyas, he carried forward his family’s rich musical legacy through a career spanning several decades.

PM Modi shared a picture with Vyas on X and remembered his significant contribution to Gujarati music. He said Vyas had carved out a distinct place for himself in the field while carrying forward the musical tradition of his father.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Gaurang Vyas, a renowned musician in the Gujarati music world. Carrying forward the rich musical tradition of his father Avinash Vyas, he had carved out a unique place for himself in the field of Gujarati music,” PM Modi said.

A Hyderabad-based defence technology startup has built an interceptor drone capable of hitting speeds no other multirotor UAV has reached in India. Apollyon Dynamics, incubated at BITS Pilani Hyderabad, announced on its official X account that its electric multirotor interceptor Ahuti Mk II had touched 498 kmph, calling it "a new benchmark for multirotor speed in India."

The company said in its post that the figure surpasses the previous recorded benchmark of 325 kmph "by a significant margin," and confirmed the feat has now been "officially recognised by the India Book of Records."

Apollyon founder Jayant Khatri said the interceptor went through a complete overhaul to reach this speed. According to a TOI report, the drone's frame, propulsion system and motor configuration were reworked through about ten iterations before the final design was arrived at.

India and Belgium signed an agreement to deepen cooperation in renewable energy and clean technology, targeting key sectors such as green hydrogen, offshore wind, and critical mineral recycling. The accord was finalized during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to New Delhi, where both nations pledged to accelerate decarbonization efforts and strengthen industrial supply chains.

The Belgian prime minister is on a three-day visit to India starting Wednesday.

The framework builds upon a decade of bilateral climate dialogue, expanding joint initiatives to include advanced energy storage, bioenergy, and pumped hydro systems. Speaking at a joint press briefing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that reliable supply chains and a clean energy transition remain shared strategic priorities, pointing to growing joint ventures in green ammonia and defence manufacturing.