THE INDIAN EXPRESS NEWSPAPER 27 Oct. 2026

A Group of 21 news publishers has challenged India's privacy law in court, arguing it would trample investigative work and let New Delhi identify journalists' sources, documents show.

The government last year announced implementation of a privacy law to protect digital personal data of users, raising compliance requirements for platforms like Meta and Google. The publishers have said that since media outlets were not exempt, the law was an invasion of press freedom.

Keralam House passes Bill to protect senior citizens' rights

The Keralam Legislative Assembly passed on Monday the Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, India's first state-level legal frame-work aimed at elder welfare.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who piloted the Bill in the Assembly, said he considered the legislation "as the first realisation of the fact that our world is changing".

Parliaments have responsibility to listen to young voices: Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said Parliaments have the responsibility to "listen to young voices", underlining the importance of "harnessing the aspirations of the youth" in the process of nation-building. 

Drones to multi-role helicopters: Govt clears Rs 2.12-lakh cr defence procurement

In a major defence acquisition push, the government on Monday cleared procurement of a range of military platforms and weapon systems, including light multi-role helicopters, long-range Kamikaze drones and radars, at a cost of Rs 2.12 lakh crore, to boost the combat prowess of the defence forces.

'Aatmanirbharta 2.0': Rajnath calls for top-end, state-of-the-art defence tech

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India's bid to achieve 'aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defence is entering the "second phase" as he called on all associated stakeholders to develop top-end and state-of-the-art technologies in the sector.

To ease energy transition, ramp up storage, strengthen transmission

The face of the Indian power sector is changing. From perpetual deficit, we have moved to a situation of glut at least for certain hours of the day, specifically the solar hours. Both scenarios are painful, though as far as the consumers go, the first was far worse. The situation of glut and the way we are dealing with it is a national waste, but an individual consumer does not really feel the pinch. It is the sector that is suffering.

'Godzilla' El Niño effects to be felt next year too: Decoding WMO warning for India

The Prevailing El Niño conditions are set to peak towards the end of the year, with forecasts suggesting off-the-charts warming. On October 21, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the effects of the phenomenon would be felt even in 2027.

El Niño refers to the abnormal warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. It suppresses monsoon rainfall, spikes temperatures and causes heatwaves.

Govt notifies E100 as auto fuel

Amid the ongoing debate over the use of E20 fuel, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) Monday notified a key change in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules. allowing flex-fuel vehicles to run on up to E100 or nearly pure ethanol. This does not mean that every petrol car can use E100 now. The new regulation expands the range of fuels that can be used in vehicles and paves the way for the manufacturing and supply of more flex-fuel vehicle components, ethanol production infrastructure, and the deployment of such vehicles on the road.

Relief scheme gets extension as low-margin exporters struggle

Commerce and Industry Ministry Monday extended a relief scheme for exporters dealing with the West Asia region till March 2027, citing continued geopolitical disruptions in West Asia and their impact on maritime logistics across the Gulf and adjoining regions. The scheme came into effect in March this year, and eligible destinations under the scheme include 10 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Iran, among others.