MHI Amends PM E-DRIVE; e-2W Incentive Capped at Rs 5,000 Till FY28
Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) amended the Prime Minister’s Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, reducing the incentive for electric two-wheelers (e-2W) to Rs 2,500 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (capped at Rs 5,000 per vehicle) for April 2025–March 2028.
10 Years of GeM: Union Minister Piyush Goyal Awards Top buyers and Sellers on GeM platform in New Delhi, Delhi
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) awarded top buyers from various central ministries and departments and state government departments, and leading sellers for their exemplary contribution to strengthening the public procurement ecosystem on the occasion of 10th foundation day celebration of Government e Marketplace (GeM), organised at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.
PLFS Released Quarterly Bulletin (April-June 2026), Unemployment Rate at 5.4%
National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoS&PI) released the Quarterly Bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April-June 2026.
- The Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above rose to 5.4% in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 0.4% from the previous quarter.
Ministry of MSME and DPIIT Sign MoU to Accelerate Commercialisation of GI Products; Launch ‘Bharat GI’ Banner
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MoC&I), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi, to accelerate the commercialisation, quality standardisation and market access of India’s Geographical Indication (GI) products.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches NSP-Based Scholarship & Fellowship Disbursement Initiative for Agriculture Students
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW), released scholarship and fellowship funds for agriculture students through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), Pusa, in New Delhi, Delhi.
- Under the initiative, Rs 21.35 crore was disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly to the bank accounts of more than 6,000 students.
NABL Launches India’s First Accreditation Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) , launched India’s first Accreditation Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories under the Integrated Assessment Programme.
- The scheme was launched during the “Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony” held at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi, Delhi.
MoSPI Signs 2 MoUs with IDEAS, ISI Kolkata to Strengthen Data-Driven Statistical Analysis
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics and Science Foundation (IDEAS), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) to undertake research studies and strengthen data-driven statistical analysis.
- The MoU was signed by Agnimitra Biswas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IDEAS, and Prasoon Verma, Director, Training Unit, Capacity Development Division, MoSPI.
India Donates Five Peacocks to UNOG Including Rare White-Feathered Male
Government of India (GoI), through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), donated five peacocks to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Geneva, Switzerland, reviving a historic tradition linked to Ariana Park and UN heritage.
- The initiative highlights India’s natural heritage and commitment to global environmental stewardship, with the group comprising four blue peafowl and one white-feathered male symbolizing the UNs blue and white colours.
Airtel Business Partners ITI Limited for Enterprise Digital Transformation Solutions in India
The partnership combines Airtel Business’s enterprise connectivity and digital technology capabilities with ITI Limited’s engineering and manufacturing expertise to deliver scalable solutions.
Digital Ecosystem: The collaboration will provide solutions across enterprise connectivity, data centres, sovereign cloud services, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services.
Adani Airport City, Step Down Subsidiary of AEL Incorporates AACL Global IFSC
Adani Airport City Limited (AACL), a step down wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), incorporated AACL Global IFSC Limited as a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL).
- The new entity was originally incorporated on July 15 2026, while Adanu Airport City received the certification of incorporation on August 5 2026.
Padma Bhushan Awardee Physicist Deepak Dhar wins Dirac Medal 2026
Indian theoretical physicist Professor Padma Bhushan Deepak Dhar was awarded the 2026 Dirac Medal by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) for his outstanding contributions to theoretical and statistical mechanics.
- He became the first Indian physicist to receive the Dirac Medal
- He shared the award with Bernard Derrida of France, Marc Mézard of Italy, and Haim Sompolinsky of Israel and the United States.
V.O. C Port Becomes India’s First Port to Receive ISO 50001:2018 Certification for Energy Management
V.O. Chidambaranar (V.O.C.) Port Authority, located in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu (TN), became the first port in India to receive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001:2018 certification for Energy Management System (EnMS) by the Indian Register Quality Systems (IRQS).
- The port was also accredited by Bureau Veritas as a Scope-2 Emission-Free Port, with renewable sources meeting 93.89% of its electricity needs in the Financial Year (FY26).
Vietnam’s VinSpace Signs SpaceX Launch Deal for 2027 Transporter Rideshare Mission
VinSpace, the aerospace unit of Vingroup, Vietnam, signed a launch agreement with SpaceX, to deploy its first satellites via a Transporter Rideshare Mission in 2027, supporting Vietnam’s space capability development through cost-effective shared launches.
World Steelpan Day 2026 – August 11
The United Nations (UN’s) World Steelpan Day is observed annually across the world on 11 August to recognise the cultural and historical importance of the Steelpan, the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), and its contribution to sustainable development.
- 11 August 2026 marks the 4th edition of World Steelpan Day.