The Reserve Bank of India has been selected for the 'Initiative of the Year Award' by Central Banking, London, UK.

The recognition is for launching the '.bank.in' domain, making India the first country globally to mandate a secure and exclusive Internet domain for the banking system.

The transition enhances consumer confidence, helps reduce digital payment frauds and strengthens financial stability. This has been implemented through the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including the Government of India, NIXI, IDRBT, and banks.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh on Thursday laid the foundation stone of India's first dedicated BioFoundry Centre under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) at the National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI), Mohali.

The facility, to be built at a cost of approximately Rs 42 crore over the next two years, will serve as a national platform for developing and scaling advanced biomanufacturing processes — with a focus on smart proteins, bio-inputs, and bio-based products in agri-food biotechnology.

Addressing a gathering of scientists, researchers, industry representatives and innovators at BRIC-NABI, the Minister said the centre would help bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale applications, and strengthen India's fast-growing bioeconomy.

FIFA has announced a new partnership with streaming platform YouTube that will introduce a different digital viewing format during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing official broadcasters to use the platform to show selected live match content and archive footage during the tournament.

Under the arrangement, rights-holding broadcasters will be able to stream the opening portion of matches on YouTube before directing viewers to television or official streaming platforms for the full broadcast. FIFA said the model is aimed at widening digital reach and attracting younger audiences who increasingly follow sport through online platforms rather than conventional television.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the small hydro power (SHP) development scheme for the period FY27 to FY31, with an outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore for the installation of SHP projects of an approximate capacity of 1,500 megawatt (MW).

The scheme will support small hydro projects (between 1 and 25 MW capacity) in different States and will especially benefit hilly and north-eastern States with high potential for such projects, said the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).

In north-eastern States and in districts with international borders, Central financial assistance to the tune of ₹3.6 crore per MW, or 30 per cent of the project cost, whichever is lower, with an upper limit of ₹30 crore per project, will be available.

India is formally considering joining one of Europe's ambitious 'sixth-generation' fighter jet programs, marking the first official indication that the Indian Air Force (IAF) could partner in the development of a next-generation combat aircraft beyond the homegrown 5th-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that the IAF is exploring collaboration with one of two European consortia currently working on sixth-generation fighters: either the UK-Italy-Japan partnership developing the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), previously known as Tempest, or the France-Germany-Spain Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The committee was told that the IAF intends to evaluate joining forces with one of these projects to ensure India does not lag behind in the development of advanced combat aircraft technologies.

The hill area around the historic Kalinjar Fort in Banda district has been declared a National Geo-Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The recognition highlights the region’s rare geological formation known as the Eparchaean Unconformity, which records a long gap in Earth’s geological history.

The site was inaugurated by Rajinder Kumar, additional director general and head of GSI’s Northern Region, who said the rocks found in the Kalinjar area represent geological events that occurred billions of years apart.

According to the press release, the hill exposes nearly 2.5 billion year old Bundelkhand granite overlain by 1.2 billion year old Kaimur sandstone, making it an important record of Earth’s evolution. Experts said the natural rock formations also played a role in providing strategic defence to ancient rulers who built the fort.

India’s Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) met his Vietnamese counterpart to discuss a Memorandum of Cooperation between India’s Tribal Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam, a statement from the Tribal Affairs Ministry said.

After the review of a draft of the Memorandum, “aimed at institutionalising collaboration between the Ministries”, the Vietnamese said the draft had been approved and hoped it would be finalised soon. Mr. Oram was invited to Vietnam for the signing of the final agreement, to which he “responded positively”, the Ministry said.

This came a day after officials from both countries “exchanged perspectives on policy frameworks, development strategies, and best practices concerning tribal and ethnic communities.”

The Meghalaya State Government has extended the term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) for a period of six months amid unrest in the Garo Hills over the participation of non-tribals in the tribal council elections.

The State Cabinet held a meeting in Shillong and decided to extend the current term by six more months following protests and recent ongoing developments. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Prestone Tynsong informed that the extension will provide time for the District Council to discuss and decide on whether existing rules should be amended to disallow the participation of non-tribals in the GHADC elections.

Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content.

A law regulating children's use of social media was approved last year after a scandal involving the alleged sexual exploitation of minors on Instagram, and comes into effect this week.

The hyper-connected nation of 212 million people joins several other countries seeking to protect children from addictive social media algorithms.

Some, like Australia, have outright banned access, while others require stronger age verification measures or parental consent.

Bhumika Shrestha's journey from a young child in Kathmandu struggling with identity to becoming Nepal's first transgender lawmaker marks a defining moment in the country's social and political landscape.

Nepal's Election Commission confirmed the 37-year-old as a proportional‑representation MP from the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) which won a majority in parliament with 182 seats last week. She will sit in the 275‑member House of Representatives elected on March 5.

"I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders," Ms Shrestha, told AFP.