India and the European Union have agreed to significantly deepen cooperation in strategic technologies, clean energy, trade, innovation and resilient supply chains, while outlining an ambitious roadmap to upgrade the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) into a more outcome-oriented platform.

The decisions were taken during the third ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council held in Brussels on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada on the Indian side. The European Union delegation was led by European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva.

The Union Cabinet has cleared India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with an outlay of Rs 1.28 lakh crore on Wednesday, extending the mission's term from five to 12 years.

The move is expected to strengthen India's push to build a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem, with the extended timeline aimed at giving greater policy stability to investors in chip design, fabrication and packaging units.

The Cabinet has also cleared a new Mobile Manufacturing Scheme, with an outlay of Rs 62,500 crore

The Cabinet also approved a new investment policy for the urea sector, along with the continuation of the urea subsidy for FY26.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved two multitracking projects of the Ministry of Railways with a total estimated cost of ₹3,907 crore, aimed at enhancing rail capacity, improving connectivity and strengthening freight movement in Odisha and Jharkhand.

The approved projects are the Paradeep–Haridaspur doubling project and the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi fourth line project. Together, the projects will add around 145 kilometres to the existing Indian Railways network and are scheduled to be completed by 2030–31.

According to the government, the projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on integrated infrastructure planning to improve multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries on Wednesday said it has invited bids through a global tender for the selection of beneficiaries to set up giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing facilities of 10 GWh cumulative capacity under the PLI ACC Scheme.

Under the PLI ACC Scheme, out of the targeted ACC capacity of 50 GWh, 40 GWh capacity has been awarded to domestic manufacturers.

The tender documents are available from 15 July 2026. The pre-bid conference shall be held on 29 July 2026, and the last date for submission of bids is 13 October 2026. Technical bids shall be opened on 14 October 2026.

The Centre on Wednesday launched the eighth tranche of e-auction for 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks across nine states, further expanding India’s efforts to secure essential mineral resources, reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chains for sectors such as clean energy, defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, along with Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, launched the latest round of auctions during the curtain raiser event of India Mining Week 2026. The event was attended by senior government officials, representatives of state governments, industry leaders, public sector undertakings, think tanks, prospective bidders and members of the media.

Addressing the gathering, Reddy said India Mining Week is envisioned as a premier platform that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, technology providers and academia to accelerate the growth of India’s mining sector. He said the launch of the eighth tranche reflects the government’s continued commitment to strengthening mineral security, attracting investments and unlocking the country’s mineral potential to build a globally competitive and future-ready mining ecosystem.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sanctioned a one-time honorarium of Rs 6,000, in addition to the annual remuneration, for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and BLO Supervisors engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several States and Union Territories, including Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

In an order issued on Tuesday night, the ECI cited the volume and nature of the work involved in the exercise. The honorarium will be paid in addition to the officials' annual remuneration.

“I am directed to convey that, considering the volume and nature of the work involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the Commission has approved the grant of a one-time honorarium of ₹6,000 to each BLO and BLO Supervisor engaged in the exercise, in addition to their annual remuneration. The instruction shall be brought to the notice of all concerned for compliance,” the order said.

In a major diplomatic push for regional stability, NSA Ajit Doval is set to host the fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers’ meeting in New Delhi on July 16. The high-level summit brings together key representatives from member nations—including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—to forge a united front against shared security challenges across the Bay of Bengal region. By gathering the top security minds of these seven nations, India aims to leverage the BIMSTEC platform to drive its “Neighbourhood First" and “Act East" foreign policy frameworks, transforming diplomatic alignment into robust, practical security cooperation.

Building on foundations laid in previous ministerial engagements, NSA Doval is expected to place collective counter-terrorism actions at the top of the agenda. Top government sources indicate that India will actively advocate for more effective, real-time intelligence-sharing mechanisms and highly coordinated responses to neutralise cross-border threats. Beyond the traditional scope of counter-terrorism, discussions will focus heavily on dismantling transnational organised crime networks that directly threaten regional peace, including drug trafficking, illicit arms smuggling, and human trafficking operations.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar on Tuesday inaugurated the 31st edition of the Divya Kala Mela at Ravindra Sadan in Kolkata, describing the event as a national movement promoting self-reliance, dignity and economic empowerment for persons with disabilities (Divyangjan).

Addressing the gathering, the minister said, “When equal opportunities are provided, talent knows no boundaries,” adding that the Mela reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas” by enabling Divyangjan to become equal partners in building an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The eight-day event, being held from July 14 to 22, is the first Divya Kala Mela to be jointly organised by the Centre and the West Bengal government. Around 40 stalls, predominantly featuring artisans from West Bengal, have been set up to showcase handicrafts, artwork and other products created by Divyang entrepreneurs.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced eight new structural reforms under the Centre’s ‘Reform Express’ initiative to modernise Indian Railways’ freight ecosystem, taking the total number of reforms implemented so far to 17 as part of the ministry’s target of introducing 52 reforms in 52 weeks.

Addressing the media at Rail Bhawan, Vaishnaw said the latest reforms are aimed at reducing logistics costs, improving supply chain efficiency, encouraging private investment, promoting cleaner freight transportation and accelerating project execution.

“The reforms announced earlier under the Reform Express initiative have already started yielding encouraging results. These new measures will further strengthen the railway ecosystem and build a future-ready freight network,” he said.

India has achieved significant milestones at the 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49) held in Geneva in Switzerland. The session was organised from 6th to 10th of this month. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that the Commission adopted seven Codex standards and guidelines developed under India’s chairmanship andco-chairmanship. It reinforces India’s contribution to the development of science-based international food standards. The Indian delegation, led by Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India participated actively in the Commission’sdeliberations along with technical experts.

In an another major achievement, the Commission approved India’s proposal to undertake new work for the development of a Codex Standard for Cashew Kernels. The Commission also adopted the Codex Standards for Dried Coriander Seeds and Fresh Curry Leaves, both developed under India’s chairmanship. The Standard for Dried Coriander Seeds would facilitate trade in one of the world’s most widely traded spices, while the Standard for Fresh Curry Leaves provides an international benchmark for this regionally important culinary herb. India has also been elected Co-Chair of the Electronic Working Group established regarding New Food Sources and Production Systems. It will review existing regulatory frameworks, identify gaps in Codex risk analysis principles, and consider the need for any future Codex guidance. The Ministry said that India remains committed to working closely with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Food and Agriculture Oganisation, World Health Organisaiton and Member Countries in developing science-based, transparent and globally harmonized food standards that support food safety, consumer protection and fair trade.