Fragile U.S.-Iran truce kicks in

The two-week ceasefire announced by the U.S. and Iran hung in the balance on Wednesday with each side offering divergent асcounts of its terms and Israel launching one of its heaviest air strikes on Lebanon since the war began, drawing swift accusations from Tehran of truce violation.

As West Asia war halts, MPC keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.25%

Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media about the conditional temporary ceasefire in West Asia, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to hold the repo rate at 5.25%. It also decided to continue with the neutral stance.

Odisha law panel recommends law against hate speech, hate crime; jail term of up to 7 years

The Odisha State Law Commission has recommended the enactment of a new law to prevent hate speech and hate crimes, after taking suo motu cognisance of the need for such legislation. The commission, headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Justice Biswanath Rath, felt it was high time to bring such legislation in view of the rising cases of hate speech on social media and other public forums.

'Soil Sakhis': the women boosting crop yields in Maharashtra's drought-hit districts

An initiative aimed at helping farmers increase crop yields by enhancing soil health in five drought-prone districts of western Maharashtra - Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Pune is empowering women from marginalised families in the State.

The project started in 2023 to train women to become 'Soil Sakhis' is part of the Mann Deshi Foundation's Agriculture and Climate Action Programme.

Logic may not be the right tool to examine belief systems: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said courts cannot hollow out religion in the name of reform, and that logic may not be the right tool to examine faith and belief systems.

Unmanned space mission launch date to be out soon

The launch date of the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan will be announced soon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairperson V. Narayanan said on Wednesday.

The HLVM3 G1/OM1 mission, which is the first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan, was scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2026.

Over 4,600 objects placed in orbit in 2025 after 315 space launches: report

The year 2025 saw 315 successful space launches globally, with about 4,651 objects placed in orbit. According to the Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for 2025 released on Wednesday, a maximum number of payloads were deployed during 2025.

The report stated that 4,651 objects were launched to orbits and 1,911 re-entered the atmosphere with a net annual growth of 74.5%.

Jan Vishwas 2.0 is all about trust-based compliance

Driven by clarity and proportionality, Jan Vishwas 2.0 will help shift Indian businesses toward a trust-based compliance culture.

At long last

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, achieving first criticality is a genuine cause for satisfaction, albeit a measured one. A Parliamentary Standing Committee reported this year that the project's final cost is ₹8,181 crore, more than twice the sanctioned amount. Criticality itself is at least 16 years behind schedule; the fast reactor fuel cycle facility is expected to be commissioned by 2029, over a decade late.

Why India wants fast breeder reactors

• PFBR at Kalpakkam achieved criticality, the first step in a sustained chain reaction, but commercial operation remains pending.

• Fast breeder reactors use plutonium and depleted uranium to produce more fuel, forming a bridge in India's three-stage nuclear programme aimed at long-term fuel security.

• Despite being technically feasible, FBRs face high costs, operational complexity, and delays, making their economic viability and wider acceptance uncertain.

Cabinet clears draft amendment Bill over women's reservation

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft amendment Bill to implement the Women's Reservation Act by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

India to engage new govt. of Bangladesh constructively: MEA

India will engage constructively with the 'new government' of Bangladesh and the two sides will 'deepen' bilateral ties, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hosted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir in New Delhi.

India welcomes Pakistan-brokered Iran-U.S. ceasefire, stresses dialogue and diplomacy

The Indian government on Wednesday welcomed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan close to the deadline, calling for an early end to the conflict and for "unimpeded" trade flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

India withdraws bid to host climate summit in 2028

India has withdrawn its bid to host the 33rd edition of the Conference of Parties (COP 33) in 2028 the annual United Nations climate talks, according to a report by Climate Home News (CHN) on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India's interest in hosting the COP33 at the COP28 in Dubai in 2023.

India-Turkiye talks hint at a thaw in bilateral relations

In the first sign that India and Turkiye could be working to restore bilateral relations ruptured during the India-Pakistan conflict last year, officials from both countries held the 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) on Wednesday.

Rooftop solar: govt. planning incentive scheme for States

To meet its target of one crore PM Surya Ghar households by March 2027, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is encouraging States to adopt a "utility-led aggregation (ULA)" model, whereby State electricity distribution companies will fund the installation of rooftop solar systems for households that either cannot afford them or lack the infrastructure to install them. Though this scheme has been in force since mid-2025, it has not been popular.

Steps into the past: 1,500-year-old reservoir unearthed on Elephanta Island near Mumbai

The excavation has so far yielded a beautifully built brick structure, which could be a dyeing vat for colouring textiles, a big storage pot, terracotta figurines, glass and stone bangles, beads made of carnelian and quartz and stone anchors. A total of about 3,000 amphorae sherds of Mediterranean origin and torpedo jar sherds from West Asia, including Mesopotamia, have been unearthed. Amphorae and torpedo jars were used for storing wine, oil and fish sauce. Their potsherds showed the is-land's long-distance maritime contacts.

MPC factors in ceasefire to keep repo rate unchanged

Hours after Donald Trump announced on social media about the conditional temporary ceasefire in West Asia, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to hold the repo rate at 5.25%. It also decided to continue with the neutral stance.

West Asia crisis: Centre increases fertilizer sop for kharif season

Amid concerns of a possible rise in fertilizer prices on account of the situation in West Asia, the Union Cabinet here approved an increase of about 12% in nutrient-based subsidy for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the ongoing kharif crop season.

Govt. okays 2 hydro units in Arunachal

In a boost to hydro-electric power in Arunachal Pradesh, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved an investment of 26,069.5 crore in the construction of Kamala Hydro Electric project alongside a sum of 14,105.83 crore to build the Kalai-II hydro-electric project.

Indian scientists find new way to measure distances in deep space

The dense and rapidly spinning remnant cores of dead stars are called pulsars; they emit beams of radio waves that sweep across the earth like light from a lighthouse sweeps across ships at sea; pulsars have an extraordinarily fixed spinning rate, so the pulses arrive very regularly.