SEBI rolled out UPI-based instant IPO allotment and refunds for retail investors, reducing the listing cycle from T+6 to T+3 days. The system uses RBI's pre-authorisation mandate framework to lock funds and ensures refunds within 60 seconds of non-allotment. Over 12 crore demat account holders are expected to benefit.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2026, which brings 28% of India's unclassed and deemed forests under statutory protection. The Act mandates compensatory afforestation at a 3:1 ratio for diverted forests and criminalises unauthorised commercial extraction from notified tiger corridors and eco-sensitive zones.
DRDO successfully tested the Astra Mk-III beyond visual range air-to-air missile from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter off the Odisha coast, achieving a 180 km intercept against a high-speed aerial target. The missile features ramjet propulsion, a dual-pulse rocket motor, and a solid-state AESA radar seeker, and will equip Tejas MK1A and AMCA aircraft from 2027.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship inaugurated 350 PM Kaushal Pragati Kendras under PMKVY 5.0, prioritising Aspirational Districts and Blocks. Each Kendra will train 3,000 youths annually in emerging trades including AI prompting, drone piloting, EV servicing, and green hydrogen operations, targeting 10.5 lakh certifications by FY27.
The third India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) ministerial meeting concluded in New Delhi, adopting roadmaps across five working groups: semiconductors, quantum technology, digital connectivity, clean and green tech, and strategic trade. The EU pledged €12 billion in investment over five years under the Global Gateway and India-EU Connectivity Partnership.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released NAP-AMR 2 (2026-30) with a Rs 4,500 crore outlay. The plan adopts a One Health approach integrating human, animal, and environmental surveillance through ICAR, ICMR, and WII. It targets a 50% reduction in inappropriate antibiotic use in livestock and mandates hospital-level AMR stewardship committees.
The IIT Bombay Centre of Excellence in Nanoelectronics unveiled an indigenous EUV actinic mask inspection tool capable of detecting defects at the 3 nm process node. Developed under the IndiaSEMI programme with Rs 280 crore support, the tool reduces foreign dependency by 60% and will be commercialised via IndiaSEMI Ltd for deployment at the upcoming Dholera fab.
Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta took over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, from Vice-Admiral Sanjay Singh. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Vice-Admiral Dasgupta previously served as FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters. He will oversee maritime operations along India's western seaboard.
Survey of India, in partnership with IIT Guwahati and NESAC, released the Brahmaputra Basin Flood Atlas covering 580,000 sq km across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya. Based on 50 years of satellite data and LiDAR surveys, the atlas identifies 340 highly flood-prone villages for targeted mitigation under the National Flood Plain Zoning Bill.
Archaeological Survey of India excavators uncovered a complex of 14 rock-cut Buddhist caves from the 1st century BCE near Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. The caves contain Brahmi inscriptions referencing trade guilds (nigama), votive stupas, and residential viharas, offering new evidence of early Mahayana traditions under the Satavahana dynasty in the Deccan.