RBI raises repo rate to 5.5% amid 'calibrated tightening'

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday raised the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 5.5% and shifted its stance from neutral to calibrated tightening, signalling that rate cuts are off the table in the near term.

Chemistry Nobel for French-Japanese duo who expanded 'mirrored' molecules study

French chemist Henri Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai were on Monday named the winners of the chemistry Nobel Prize for 2026 for their work showing how chemical reactions can amplify small asymmetries in molecules.

From the brink to a comeback, hope for India's wildlife

The current state of some of India's endangered species is encouraging. but sustained conservation, science and local action remain essential

India's stakes in the Global Pandemic Agreement

At the United Nations High Level Meeting (UN HLM), in New York in September 2026, India made official remarks on the Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response (PPPR). The Declaration is part of the emerging global legal regime on pandemics led by the WHO-Pandemic agreement (PA).

India struggles to curb leprosy transmission

India's leprosy programme is falling short of several projec-tions set for 2025-26. The country reported 91,783 new leprosy cases in 2025-26, 41.2% higher than the projected 65,000. New cases among children were 91.6% above the projection while the rate of Grade 2 Disability (G2D) among new cases was 1.34 per million, against a projected one per million.

India's trade caught in the middle

India's trade deficit with China is structural, while rising crude import costs are putting pressure on the rupee and foreign exchange reserves

A U.S. tariff could further widen the external imbalance by reducing export earnings and triggering capital outflows and currency depreciation

India needs to strengthen export growth through a wider product mix and regional diversification, rather than relying heavily on the U.S. market

Two cheetahs released into M.P's third conservation site

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two cheetahs in the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district on Wednesday, marking the expansion of the cheetah conservation project. After Kuno National Park in Sheopur district and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur, the tiger reserve in the Bundelkhand region will be the third cheetah habitat. He also released the Vulture Population Estimation 2026 report and the book Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

New FTAs can cushion tariff blow: RBI chief

A failure to finalise a trade deal between India and the U.S. could have "some negative impact" on the Indian eco-nomy, but a string of re-cent trade agreements and diversification of exports could cushion the fallout from any additional U.S. tariffs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Wednesday.

Serum Institute's HPV shot gets WHO pre-qualification

Serum Institute of India's recombinant Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine Cervavac has received World Health Organization pre-qualification. The vaccine targets HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. It is indicated for girls and boys aged 9- through 26. Inclusion in the WHO list of prequalified vaccines allows Cervavac to be procured by UN agencies. The vaccine was developed in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council along with WHO-IARC and the Gates Foundation.

Iceland courts India for geothermal, CCUS, 'carbon-to-stone' technologies

Iceland is confident about the opportunities emerging in India's evolving geothermal energy land-scape and believes regulatory challenges can be overcome, Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Iceland's Minister for Energy, Environ-ment and Climate.

India's cement footprint stands in its way to net-zero emissions

By 2047, India plans to become an economically developed country. By 2070, it aims at becoming a net-zero emissions economy. Achieving both of these targets requires the Indian government to deal with one of the most important sources of emissions construction.

This sector consumes steel and cement, among other materials, and its footprint contributes 35% to 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

GPS study aims to reduce human-animal conflicts in Assam

GPS study of elephant movements aims at reducing conffilicts in Assam. A five-year satellite tracking study has provided new insights into how wild elephants navigate Assam's forests, tea plantations, agricultural areas, and riverine habitats, yielding "crucial" data for the authorities to strengthen habitat protection and mitigate conflicts with humans.