Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat at Jind railway station in Haryana. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone and dedicated development projects worth around 14,700 crore rupees, including National Highway projects including Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which will reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra to about six hours. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said Indian Railways has undergone a major transformation over the past twelve years and described the hydrogen train as a historic milestone that has given Jind a special place in India’s history. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Railway Minister Ashwani vaishnav were also present on this occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Railways Minister Vaishnaw called the launch of the country’s first hydrogen-powered train a historic achievement, saying it reflects India’s resolve to develop indigenous hydrogen technology.

Among the projects, Prime Minister Modi dedicated to the nation include a 157.92 km four lane fully access controlled Delhi Amritsar Katra Expressway developed at a cost of around rupees 9680 crore rupees. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the 33.81 kilometer long four lane partially access controlled Ambala-Kala Amb highway on NH- 7 and NH-344. Another project was the 40-60 km long Jind -Gohana Greenfield highway on NH-352A.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on Friday unveiled a draft framework for rejuvenating small rivers, saying they require a distinct approach from large river conservation programmes such as Namami Gange.

The draft Small River Rejuvenation (SRR) Framework was presented at a national workshop attended by experts, scientists, government officials, researchers, representatives of state governments and civil society organisations.

Delivering the keynote address, NMCG Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital said the challenges facing small rivers are fundamentally different from those confronting medium and large rivers and, therefore, require a separate template for their rejuvenation.

India’s Rafale fighter aircraft and C-17 transport aircraft have reached Australia to participate in the Royal Australian Air Force’s premier multinational air combat exercise, Pitch Black 2026. The deployment marks another step in expanding defence cooperation between India and Australia.

The High Commission of India in Canberra announced the arrival of the Indian Air Force contingent in a social media post. The contingent comprises four Rafale fighter aircraft, two C-17 transport aircraft and over 120 Air Warriors.

The High Commission said the deployment reflects India’s commitment to strengthening defence partnerships and enhancing operational coordination with friendly countries. It said the Indian Air Force personnel will train alongside their counterparts from participating nations over the next three weeks.

In a major boost to India's clean energy mission, the country's first and deepest geothermal wells were commissioned at Puga Valley in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Friday.

The two geothermal wells, executed by the ONGC Energy Centre, were commissioned by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.

The wells are critical to the implementation of the 1 MW pilot geothermal power project at Puga, which will be India's first demonstration-scale geothermal power project.

“The commissioning of the two 1000-metre-deep wells, at a high altitude of over 14,000 feet, would significantly advance Ladakh's journey towards becoming a clean energy hub, powered by renewable sources, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Saxena said.

India's private space sector reached a defining milestone on Saturday as Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota.

The rocket not only aced the launch but also satellite deployment, with all four stages performing nominally on first attempt.

The landmark mission, named Mission Aagaman, marks the arrival of Indian private industry into the orbital launch business, placing the country among a select group where commercial companies have independently developed and launched orbital rockets

A new species of monkey with distinctive orange lips and a deep roaring call has been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Colobus congoensis, known to local people as Likweli, is just the fifth new monkey species scientists have identified in Africa in the last 75 years, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE Wednesday.

The monkey has a glossy black coat, long fur, a sweeping tail and striking orange-cream facial markings, said researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the City University of New York Graduate Center in statements on Wednesday.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government is making the skill development system completely digital and transparent while equipping the youth with skills.

In this sequence, at the state-level celebration of World Youth Skills Day-2026 held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Kapil Dev Aggarwal, on Wednesday inaugurated two significant digital initiatives.

Minister Kapil Dev Aggarwal inaugurated the digital portal ‘Kaushal Setu’ by pressing the launch button. Kaushal Setu is the digital portal of the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM), which makes the entire process of registration and empanelment of Training Partners online, paperless and transparent.

India should shift from fragmented biotechnology programmes to six mission-driven national initiatives covering healthcare, agriculture, industrial biotechnology and disease surveillance to achieve its goal of building a USD 691 billion bioeconomy by 2035, according to NITI Aayog's newly released bioeconomy roadmap.

The roadmap proposes six National BioMissions aimed at strengthening India's capabilities in advanced therapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, synthetic biology, pandemic preparedness, marine biotechnology and next-generation biopharmaceuticals. It says a mission-mode approach will be essential to translate research into large-scale manufacturing and globally competitive products.

"These are designed to build sovereign capabilities across advanced therapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, synthetic biology platforms, pandemic preparedness, blue-economy innovation and next-generation biologics," the roadmap said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, welcomed the Trophy Tour of the 135th Durand Cup to Imphal on Wednesday as the tournament's three iconic trophies arrived in the state.

Held at the City Convention Centre, Imphal, the grand ceremonial function was attended among others by Lieutenant General Gambhir Singh, Chief of Staff, HQ Eastern Command and Puneet Kumar Goel, Chief Secretary.

Senior civil and military officials, representatives of participating clubs and members of the football fraternity were also present.

In his remarks, Ajay Kumar Bhalla said the return of the Durand Cup to the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium is far more than a sporting event.

The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), on Thursday launched a guidebook aimed at helping Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand their presence in global markets.

Titled ‘Going Global: A Practical Guide for Indian MSMEs’, the publication has been designed as a one-stop resource to help businesses identify export opportunities, understand market access requirements, leverage trade intelligence tools, comply with international standards and sustainability norms, and strengthen export readiness.

The guidebook addresses key challenges faced by MSMEs, including limited access to market information, lack of knowledge about overseas buyers, compliance with international standards and certifications, and maintaining price competitiveness. It also provides practical guidance on market analysis, identifying buyers and using freely available tools to reduce the cost of market research.