India, China agree to advance talks on boundary

India and China have agreed to advance discus-sions on "an early and substantial harvest of boundary delimitation", according to an eight-point outcome document released by both countries on Wednesday.

Meghalaya House passes resolution against mining and processing of uranium

The Meghalaya Assembly on Wednes-day adopted a resolution opposing uranium mining and the establish-ment of any uranium ore-processing facility in the State.

ITA calls for targeted invention to safeguard 'troubled' Darjeeling and Dooars tea industry

Seeking a revival and sustainable development of the tea industry in North Bengal, the Indian Tea As-sociation (ITA) on Wednes-day published two White Papers on Darjeeling and Dooars and Terai tea industry. The Darjeeling White Paper, in particular, high-lighted the sharp decline in production -from 14.49 million kg in 1990 to 5.6 million kg in 2025 - and called for urgent, targeted intervention to safeguard the globally recognised GI heritage of Darjeeling tea.

The high cost of India's private health-care boom

The country needs private capital to expand health care, but investment cannot be allowed to shape clinical decisions, pricing and access in ways that make care unaffordable or unnecessarily intensive

Making India's food system climate-proof cannot wait

India's food security journey is undoubtedly one of the most significant agricultural transformations in the world. From dependence on food aid in the 1960s, the country has emerged as a major food producer, built substantial buffer stocks, and created a legal entitlement to subsidise foodgrains for around 800 million people through the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

Restoring lakes by going beyond quick fixes

Covering nearly 6% of the planet's surface, wetlands - including urban lakes - are among -the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They store a disproportionately large share of the world's carbon, often outperforming terrestrial forests per unit area. Beyond carbon sequestration, they contribute immensely to biodiversity, climate regulation, and human well-being.

How can States use disaster funds for heatwaves?

On August 4, the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Lok Sabha that heatwaves and lightning had been added to India's list of notified natural calamities, taking the total list to 14.

The change follows a recommendation by the Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC-XVI) and operational guidelines issued on June 30. Along with the 2024 amendment to the Disaster Mitigation Fund guidelines, the update means heatwaves are now eligible for the full State Disaster Risk Management Fund pool.

India, China agree to advance talks on border delimitation

India and China have agreed to advance discussions on "an early and substantial harvest of boundary delimitation", according to an eightpoint outcome document re-leased by both countries on Wednesday.

India sends 10 tonnes of essential supplies in first tranche to Nepal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called Nepal Prime Minister Ba-lendra Shah and offered "all possible humanitarian assistance" to the country as it deals with a devastating flash flood that started at the Nepal-China border and went on to affect town-ships and tourism spots downstream of the Bhote Koshi river, including Rasuwa and Chitwan.

Western disturbance linked to Nepal flood

A western disturbance that brought rain to parts of northern India, and subse-quently moved eastwards towards the Himalayas, may have contributed to the weather conditions preceding the devastating flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday, according to a senior India Meteorologi-cal Department official.

Centre plans integrated command centres to step up border security

The Union Home Ministry is developing a technology-driven command-and-control system for India's land borders that will integrate sur-veillance inputs from the field through a network of command centres stretching from forward areas to New Delhi, according to a senior government official.

India rejects rights abuses allegations of UN committee

India rejected a report issued by a UN body on Wednesday that alleged various ethnic and religious groups in the country faced discrimination.

Gross FDI hit 15-year high of $30.7 billion in April-June 2026

India attracted a total of $30.7 billion as gross foreign direct investment in the April-June 2026 quarter, the highest level in at least 15 years. This strong inward flow overshadowed outflows, resulting in net FDI in the quarter rising to its highest level since June 2022.

Trump submits civil nuclear agreement with Saudi for review

U.S. President Donald Trump has submitted to Congress for review an agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering the kingdom's civilian nuclear programme, but continues to insist that it won't move forward if Saudi Arabia doesn't normalise relations with Israel, according to a Trump administration official.

Why India's R&D system needs a map of where funds really go

A recent report by the NITI Aayog, about 'Ease of Doing R&D in India' revealed some uncomfortable truths about the research and development ecosystem in the country. Together with a companion survey with inputs from more than 400 institutional leaders and 850 scientists, the report said that close to 80% of funding under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) - the flagship research funding body - is concentrated in the IITs. This is despite the ANRF's mandate to support a wider base of universities and research bodies than the traditional funding model has managed.