Non-government employees who have opted for the National Pension System (NPS) can withdraw up to 80% of their retirement corpus as a lump sum at the time of exit. Under a new set of rules issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), effective December 2025, non-government subscribers whose accumulated pension wealth exceeds the specified monetary thresholds are allowed to withdraw up to 80% either as a lump sum or through a structured withdrawal system. The remaining 20% must be retained in the account and used to purchase an annuity, which provides periodic pension income.

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and ISSF World Cup Final 2025 gold medallist Simranpreet Kaur Brar bagged gold medals in the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi, today.

Manu Bhaker won in the senior women’s 25m sports pistol event, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar won in the junior women’s 25m sports pistol event.

Manu shot 36 in the final to secure the gold, finishing four hits clear of Divya T.S. of Karnataka, who bagged silver. Anjali Choudhary claimed the bronze medal.

In the Junior Women’s 25m Sports Pistol final, Simranpreet Kaur Brar continued her impressive run, shooting 39 to claim the gold medal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) was conferred with Ethiopia's highest award 'The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia' by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali.

The award was conferred upon Prime Minister Modi in a special ceremony hosted at the Addis International Convention Centre on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Modi was conferred with the award for his exceptional contribution towards strengthening India-Ethiopia partnership and for his visionary leadership as a global statesman, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi.

Ethiopia and India have signed three memoranda of understanding. Both countries have decided to enhance cooperation in administrative assistance in customs matters, data centre establishment at the embassy of Ethiopia and cooperation in UN peacekeeping.

These MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, this evening for a day visit to the nation. He held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali on all aspects of India-Ethiopia bilateral ties.

The Prime Minister is expected to attend the community dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, in a short while from now. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Ethiopia, where he will also address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament tomorrow.

Indian Railways has achieved a new milestone in energy conservation. On the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day, Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji, presented the National Energy Conservation Award, 2025 to Miyana Railway Station in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. The award was received by GM WCR, Smt. Shobhana Bandopadhyaya. The station was recognised as the Best Performing Unit in the Transport Category (Railway Station).

The award, given by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), recognises outstanding efforts in energy conservation. Miyana Railway Station was selected for its effective use of LED lighting, BLDC fans, and 30- 70% smart lighting circuit operation systems. These measures have helped the station save 9,687 units of electrical energy, reflecting Railways’ strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainable development.

Indian Railways remains committed to energy saving, cost efficiency, and eco-friendly operations, with Miyana Railway Station emerging as a model of effective implementation and sustainable development.

A new nanoparticle-based therapy developed by Indian researchers could pave the way for a more comprehensive and effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by targeting multiple pathological mechanisms simultaneously, according to a study released on Tuesday.

Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali — an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) — have developed a multifunctional nanoplatform that integrates an antioxidant found in green tea, a neurotransmitter and an amino acid to slow disease progression, improve memory and support functions.

Alzheimer’s disease is an increasing global health challenge, particularly as ageing populations place greater pressure on healthcare systems. Existing therapies typically focus on a single pathological feature such as amyloid plaque formation or oxidative stress, which has limited their clinical success. The researchers noted that Alzheimer’s is a multifactorial disease and therefore requires a treatment approach capable of addressing several disease pathways at once.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is implementing the ASPIRE (A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry, and Entrepreneurship) scheme to promote entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities in rural areas, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

The scheme aims to create an enabling ecosystem for job creation through skill development, incubation and support to micro-enterprises. As of now, 109 Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) have been approved across the country. Under ASPIRE, a total of 1,16,726 beneficiaries have been trained, of whom 18,444 have become self-employed, 13,824 have secured wage employment and 1,141 micro-enterprises have been established.

The ministry has been collecting category-wise (SC/ST/OBC/General) and gender-wise data since 2022. During this period, out of 56,721 beneficiaries trained, 27,970 were women, 8,365 belonged to the Scheduled Caste category and 9,311 to the Scheduled Tribe category.

A workshop on "The Investment Facilitation Landscape: Emerging Trends and Approaches" was organised to examine emerging global trends in investment facilitation and ease of doing business.

It brought together policymakers, experts and industry stakeholders for focused discussions comprising three technical sessions covering India's Approach to Investment Facilitation, International Investment Facilitation Framework Landscape, Investment Facilitation and Ease of Doing Business, and Options for Investment Facilitation Cooperation.

The sessions explored practical ways to align India's domestic reforms with global best practices, and explored practical ways to align India's domestic reforms with global best practices.

India will host the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine from December 17 to 19, bringing global policymakers, scientists, practitioners and Indigenous knowledge holders together to shape the future of holistic health and well-being.

The summit, jointly organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, will be held in New Delhi under the theme “Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being.” The event builds on the inaugural summit held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in 2023.

According to the government, the summit comes at a time when health systems worldwide are facing challenges such as inequitable access, environmental stress and rising chronic diseases. The discussions will focus on reaffirming the role of Traditional Medicine while anchoring it firmly in science, evidence-based practice and ethical governance.

IndusInd Bank said on Tuesday the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved HDFC Bank’s plan to buy up to a 9.50 per cent stake in the private lender.

The approval allows HDFC Bank to become a significant shareholder in IndusInd Bank, which has been facing financial and governance challenges in recent months.

The RBI has asked HDFC Bank to complete the acquisition of a major shareholding within one year from the date of approval, which was granted on December 15. If the bank fails to do so within this period, the approval will be cancelled.

This condition has been put in place to ensure timely compliance with regulatory norms.