The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), apex meet for policy deliberation for the promotion and propagation of inland waterways in India, witnessed major announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways, a release said on Friday.

According to the release, the second meeting of IWDC, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for the development of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), announced investments of more than RS 50,000 crore in the next five years. A series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterway States were announced worth more than Rs 1400 crore, on the occasion. The meeting was presided over by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.

The IWDC began with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony by the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma along with the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal at Kohora in Kaziranga.

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), has achieved a significant milestone by launching a dedicated Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell. This initiative underscores SECL’s commitment to ensuring the welfare and convenience of its retired employees.

The PRB Cell, acting as a single window, consolidates various post-retirement services under one roof, streamlining the process for retired employees. Previously, retirees were required to liaise with multiple departments—such as Personnel, Finance, and Medical, to address matters related to pensions, provident funds, medical facilities, and other benefits.

This fragmented approach often resulted in delays, miscommunication, and undue stress for the retirees. The newly launched PRB Cell resolves these issues by offering a centralized platform where retired employees can access all their post-retirement benefits and services seamlessly.

Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, inaugurated the newly expanded building of the Guna Head Post Office and Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) on Saturday. This building has been constructed in an area of 1,154 square feet at a cost of Rs 43.18 lakh.

He gave detailed information about the history and importance of the Department of Posts, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the technology based India Post Payments Bank as well as the upcoming projects including the complete technology base modernisation of the department. The Union Minister, while explaining the importance of the Postal Department, highlighted its transformation of the Postal Department done by him while being the Minister of State in the year 2008.

Govind Singh Rajput, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and in-charge minister of Guna, Pannalal Shakya, MLA, and VineetMathur, Chief Postmaster General, Madhya Pradesh Postal Circle, along with other dignitaries attended the inauguration event.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday unveiled the 'Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform', which the Centre described as an "initiative designed to enhance India's cleantech value chains in the solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage sectors".

The unveiling came as part of the Bharat Climate Forum 2025 organised in New Delhi. Addressing the gathering, Goyal emphasised on the negative impact of subsidies and Product Linked Incentives (PLIs) in the long run, saying such benefits "are detrimental to long-term growth and development of the clean energy sector".

According to an official press release, he also urged the attendees to come up with innovative solutions aimed at scaling manufacturing activities in the country. The Minister said that the launch of the Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform will provide an opportunity for Indian firms to collaborate and co-innovate. As per the communique, Goyal also said that the initiative will help provide a platform for financing and the exchange of ideas, technologies, and resources.

India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) in 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced at the CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting in Guernsey.

The event will focus on the use of artificial intelligence and social media in parliamentary processes.

In his address, Birla highlighted India’s economic progress and technological advancements, including its growing role in sectors like agriculture, fintech, artificial intelligence, and research. He invited attendees to experience the blend of India’s cultural heritage with modern development during the upcoming conference.

Birla discussed the role of parliaments in tackling global challenges like climate change, terrorism, and cybercrime. He emphasized the need for inclusive and transparent parliamentary practices and highlighted the importance of dialogue among parliamentary leaders to address shared issues.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh will inaugurate the Mega Entrepreneurship Development Conclave in Pune tomorrow. During the event, Mr Singh will inaugurate 40 livestock projects worth more than 545 crore rupees. The objective of this conclave is to unite policymakers, federations, cooperatives, industry associations, entrepreneurs and financial institutions to unlock the potential of the livestock sector. It also provides a platform for the stakeholders to discuss challenges, share solutions and promote entrepreneurship to catalyze growth for the sector.

Maha Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious congregation, commenced on Monday in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj district as a huge gathering of devotees took a dip in the Ganga river on the first 'Shahi Snan' on the occasion of Pauh Purnima.

Visuals from the temple town of Prayagraj showed devotees assembling on several ghats of the city and taking a dip at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythological Saraswati rivers to wash away their sins and attain salvation (moksha).

As per the government data, at many as 60 lakh devotees took a dip in the Triveni Sangam at 8 am on Monday.

Two satellites came as close as three metres during a trial attempt for space docking and are now moving back to a safe distance, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Sunday.

Providing an update on the SpaDeX Docking Mission, ISRO took to X, saying, “A trial attempt to reach up to 15 m and further to 3 m is done. Moving back spacecraft to safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further.”

Earlier, the space agency said that the SpaDeX satellites were holding position at 15 metres and “capturing stunning photos and videos of each other!” The agency also shared images taken by the satellites at various distances.

This trial precedes the main docking experiment. During the attempt, the SpaDeX satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) — approached each other up to a distance of three metres before being moved apart for safety. ISRO emphasized that the docking process would only proceed after detailed analysis of the collected data.

The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), the apex body for policy deliberation on inland waterways network in the country, on Friday, announced investments of more than Rs 50,000 crore over the next five years.

The announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways (NWs) were made at the second meeting of IWDC, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), at Kaziranga, a statement said. They include a series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterways, worth more than Rs 1,400 crore.

Presided over by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, the meeting mooted a major policy initiative in the form of the Riverine Community Development Scheme to improve the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities by developing infrastructure, promotion of trade and tourism, providing skill enrichment training and upgrading traditional knowledge of river of the communities.

Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) has been chosen by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to establish South India’s first Infectious Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (IRDL).

The laboratory will allow infectious disease research to be conducted within Bengaluru, eliminating the need to send samples to other states. The facility will focus on diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites, enabling quicker diagnostics and improved management of such conditions.

Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, while announcing the development, highlighted that this initiative aims at strengthening research infrastructure in medical institutions and build capacity for advanced diagnostics and treatment. “IRDL project is part of a larger initiative by the Union Government to establish specialised laboratories in medical colleges nationwide. Under this project, focus will be given to capacity building in areas like – bacteriology, mycology, and parasitology,” he said.