Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has assured farmers that there is no need to panic over the possibility of El Niño affecting the 2026 Southwest Monsoon, emphasizing that the government is fully prepared to safeguard farmers’ interests through timely planning and coordinated action. During a high-level review meeting at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, Shri Chouhan assessed monsoon forecasts, water availability, seed preparedness, crop strategies, and the readiness of states to tackle potential weather-related challenges. He directed central ministries and state governments to intensify monitoring and ensure swift action in districts likely to experience low…
Author: Aditi
The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education has launched applications for the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme 2026, a flagship initiative aimed at attracting accomplished Indian-origin researchers, scientists, technologists, and professionals from leading global institutions to contribute to India’s growing research and innovation ecosystem. The scheme seeks to connect global Indian talent with premier government higher education institutions, national laboratories, and research centres across India. It focuses on strengthening research and technological advancement in 13 priority sectors, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, cybersecurity, biotechnology, healthcare, energy, climate change, advanced materials, space and defence, manufacturing, agri-tech,…
India is steadily positioning itself as a global leader in the bio-economy and bio-based agricultural inputs sector, driven by its strong scientific capabilities, rich biodiversity, and rapidly expanding start-up ecosystem. This vision was highlighted by Shri Tejveer Singh, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, during the valedictory session of BIOPSF 2026 held in New Delhi. The two-day symposium-cum-workshop, BIOPSF 2026, was organized by the Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT), Gurugram, an autonomous institution under the DCPC. Held at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), the event focused on the theme “Next Gen Bio-Inputs…
India’s seafood exports reached an all-time high in FY 2025–26, with shipments touching 19.72 lakh metric tonnes (MT) valued at ₹73,890.46 crore (USD 8.46 billion), according to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). The achievement comes despite challenging global market conditions and highlights the growing international demand for Indian marine products. Frozen shrimp continued to dominate India’s seafood export basket, contributing ₹49,037.93 crore (USD 5.62 billion), accounting for over 66% of total export earnings and 40% of export volume. Shrimp exports recorded healthy growth in both value and volume, driven by strong demand from key markets. The United States…
India and Oman have officially launched the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking a major milestone in bilateral economic relations and opening a new era of trade, investment, and strategic cooperation. Signed in Muscat in December 2025 and effective from June 1, 2026, the agreement aims to strengthen economic integration between the two countries while expanding India’s access to Gulf and East African markets. The CEPA grants duty-free access to 99.38% of India’s exports to Oman, covering sectors such as agriculture, marine products, textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, footwear, and automobiles. The agreement is expected to boost exports,…
India will host the second BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on June 4–5, 2026, as part of its BRICS Chairship for 2026. The announcement was made by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal during a press conference in New Delhi attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). The two-day meeting will bring together representatives from BRICS member nations to strengthen cultural cooperation and promote dialogue under India’s BRICS 2026 theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The discussions will focus on three key priority…
The Ministry of Education marked World No Tobacco Day by recognising schools that demonstrated outstanding efforts in promoting tobacco-free environments under the “Towards a Tobacco-Free Generation: School Challenge 2025.” The National Meet, organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) in New Delhi, brought together education officials, school leaders, and representatives from states and union territories. Secretary of School Education and Literacy, Sanjay Kumar, presented awards to the winning schools and praised their commitment to creating healthy, substance-free learning environments. More than 17,000 schools from across the country participated in the challenge, highlighting growing awareness and engagement in…
India will host the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum in New Delhi on June 11–12, 2026, bringing together ministers, policymakers, urban experts, and senior officials from BRICS member nations to discuss sustainable and inclusive urban development. The announcement was made by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal during a pre-event press conference. Held under the theme “Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures,” the forum is a key ministerial event under India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026. The event aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Humanity First” and the Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience,…
The Government of India has reassured citizens that essential supplies, food security, fuel availability, fertilizer stocks, and maritime operations remain stable despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. During an inter-ministerial media briefing in New Delhi, officials from multiple ministries outlined measures being taken to safeguard the economy and maintain uninterrupted supply chains. A key announcement was the approval of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 by the Union Cabinet. The scheme aims to provide additional liquidity support to businesses affected by the West Asia crisis, with a targeted credit flow of ₹2.55 lakh crore, including ₹5,000…
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF), hosted the High-Level Roundtable of the India Skills Accelerator (ISA) in New Delhi under the theme, “From Insight to Action: Closing Skills Gaps for Growth.” The event brought together senior representatives from government, industry, academia, international organizations, and development partners to discuss strategies for addressing India’s evolving workforce needs. Launched in January 2026 following Union Cabinet approval, the India Skills Accelerator is part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Accelerators Network and is hosted by MSDE. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between the…