The iconic ‘Mohanthal' ‘prasad' (offering) of Gujarat's revered Ambaji temple received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag on the first day of the Navratri festival, officials said on Sunday.

Mohanthal, a sweet made of gram flour, sugar and ghee, is the traditional offering at the famous Durga temple, a prominent Shaktipeeth, in the Banaskantha district.

“The Government of India has granted the GI tag to Mohanthal Prasad, which is considered the signature offering of the Ambaji temple. On behalf of Shri Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust, I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government. The Ambaji temple's offering is a symbol of devotees' faith towards the Goddess and a years-old religious ritual. This GI tag is a matter of pride for all the devotees of the Goddess,” Banaskantha Collector and managing trustee of the Trust Mihir Patel told the media.

In a significant step towards transforming India’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Shareholders’ Agreements (SHAs) have been signed under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.

The agreements cover the upgradation of nine Government ITIs — five in Surat (Gujarat) and four in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) — in partnership with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India).

The country’s first Master of Technology (M.Tech) degree in Defence Technology, instituted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, has been awarded to Army officers who underwent the Tank Technology Course.

Conducted by the Armoured Corps Centre and School at Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra, the course covers advanced automotive, gunnery and mechanical aspects of armoured vehicles. The academic qualification is also expected to enhance the officers’ prospects of post-retirement employment.

“The landmark initiative underscores the Indian Army’s commitment to advanced technical education, professional excellence and technology driven capability enhancement, while strengthening Army-Academia synergy,” a statement by the Army Training Command said.

The Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited has received a Type Certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) model “KOAIR-10L Drone.”

The Type Certificate was issued on October 9 pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Drone Rules, 2021, the company announced to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The KOAIR-10L Drone is a medium-class hexacopter with a 10-litre tank capacity, designed for agrochemical spraying applications in agriculture. The receipt of the Type Certificate marks an important milestone for the company in its drone manufacturing activities, the announcement said.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission has returned safely to Earth after more than seven months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), bringing an end to a 237-day stay in orbit. The four-member crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Los Angeles on October 8, 2026, and is scheduled to discuss its scientific work during a news conference on October 15.

The crew included NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Their spacecraft, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom, returned to Earth at 8:34 am Pacific Daylight Time, after the astronauts travelled more than 100 million miles and completed over 3,792 orbits around the planet.

Recovery teams aboard SpaceX vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew shortly after splashdown. Following routine post-flight medical checks, the astronauts were scheduled to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Delhi's Keya Kumar Badugu won the Ladies title at the IGU Bio-Gen Rotary Southern India Golf Championship for Ladies and Junior Girls, defeating Kolkata's Anaahat Bindra in a playoff at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course in Bengaluru.

Keya and Anaahat finished tied at one-under-par 215 after 54 holes, with Keya returning rounds of 73, 71 and 71, while Anaahat carded 70, 72 and 73. Priya Kumari finished third with an aggregate of 220, following rounds of 75, 70 and 75.

The three-day championship witnessed a closely contested battle between the two leading golfers. Anaahat made an impressive start, taking the opening-round lead with a two-under-par 70, three strokes ahead of Keya. She maintained her lead after the second round with an even-par 72, while Keya moved into second position with a one-under-par 71, reducing the deficit to two strokes heading into the final day.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee said.

In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law — national and international — underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently. Peace requires justice, the Committee said.

The Symposium brings together policymakers, global technology alliances, telecom operators, industry leaders, academia, research institutions and other stakeholders from across the world to advance collaboration towards the development of next-generation communication technologies and India’s 6G ambitions.

The inauguration marked a significant milestone in India’s journey towards building a globally competitive, indigenous and trusted 6G ecosystem, with the exchange of five new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and the release of nine Working Group white papers by the Bharat 6G Alliance.

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to rename the Noida International Airport at Jewar as ‘Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar’ at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Interacting with media persons after the Cabinet meeting, CM Yogi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of his Cabinet for the international airport, which he described as a major gift to Uttar Pradesh.

“The Council of Ministers of Uttar Pradesh expresses its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting the state the Noida International Airport at Jewar. The Cabinet has approved a proposal to name it Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar,” the Chief Minister said.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) honoured six leading American innovators, including Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, Michael Dell and Satya Nadella, with the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, describing the recipients as "national treasures" helping pioneer an "incredible future for America".

Trump presented the medals at the White House's “Science: A New Golden Age Summit”, where he said the honours represented the highest recognition for achievements in science and technology.

“Today we honour six more national treasures who are helping pioneer an incredible future for America by awarding them the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. That's the highest you can get,” Trump said.