Cabinet Approved Railways and Highway Projects worth Rs 13,041 Crore Across 5 States
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved 5 key infrastructure projects worth Rs 13,041 crore, including 4 multi-tracking railway projects with an estimated cost Rs 9,450 crore and 4-Laning of of National Highway (NH-22) in Bihar at an estimated cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore.
President Droupadi Murmu Assent to Taxation & Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Laws, 2026
President of India (PoI) Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026, and another law to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act of 2007, paving the way for changes in taxation rules and the framework governing charges on electronic payments.
UNHCR, SICCI & Ethiraj College Join Hands to Advance Refugee Education and Inclusion
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in education, research, and community engagement for promoting refugee self-reliance and inclusion in India.
NCW Organises ‘Yashoda AI’ Programme in Jalandhar to Promote Women’s Digital Empowerment
National Commission for Women (NCW) organised the “Yashoda AI – Women’s Path to AI Empowerment” programme at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar, Punjab, to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy, digital empowerment, cyber safety and greater participation of women in emerging technologies.
Overview of COAS General Dhiraj Seth’s 3-Day Official Visit to Nepal
General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Indian Army (IA) undertook a three-day official visit to Nepal from August 17 to August 19, 2026, at the invitation of Ashok Raj Sigdel, COAS of the Nepal Army.
- The visit aimed at further strengthening defence cooperation and military-to-military ties between the two countries.
Paul Merchants Finance Becomes India’s First NBFC to Set Up Exclusive Silver Loan Branches
Paul Merchants Finance Private Limited (PMFPL), a diversified Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) and part of the Paul Merchants Group, launched its Loan Against Silver product and became the first NBFC in India to establish exclusive branches dedicated to silver loans.
- The initiative follows the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025, which brought lending against eligible silver collateral into the formal regulated lending framework.
Paramotor Digital Partners with NSDL Payments Bank to Issue Prepaid Cards
Paramotor Digital Technology Limited , a financial technology (fintech) company, entered into a co-branded partnership agreement with NSDL Payments Bank Limited to issue co-branded prepaid cards across India.
- The collaboration will combine Paramotor’s technology capabilities with NSDL Payments Bank’s banking infrastructure and prepaid card issuance services to provide secure and compliant prepaid payment solutions.
Ind–Ra Raised India’s FY27 Economic Growth Forecast By 10 Bps To 6.8%
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fitch Group, raised India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast by 10 basis points (bps) to 6.8% for Financial Year 2026-27(FY27), from its previous estimate of 6.7%, due to lower crude oil prices.
RIL Collaborated with Rolls-Royce to Develop Indigenous Engine for India’s AMCA Programme
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) entered into a strategic partnership with British luxury car company, Rolls-Royce Limited to design, develop and manufacture and deliver a sovereign indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
Indian-origin Lakshmanan Meyyappan becomes World’s Youngest Male CA at 16 Years
Indian-origin Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based finance professional Lakshmanan Meyyappan was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the World’s Youngest Male Chartered Accountant (CA) after achieving the feat at the age of 16 years and 141 days (in June 2021).
Dr. Eluri Sreedhar Appointed as Honorary Advisor to BRICS CCI
Dr. Eluri Sreedhar was appointed as an Honorary Advisor to the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI), with the appointment letter presented by Sameep Shastri, Chairman of BRICS CCI and grandson of former Prime Minister (PM) of India Lal Bahadur Shastri.
- BRICS CCI also appointed Yogesh Sharma as National Advisor.
LIC Gets RBI Approval to Increase Stake up to 9.99% in HDFC Bank
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to acquire an aggregate holding of up to 9.99% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights of HDFC Bank Limited, one of India’s leading private-sector banks.
- LIC currently holds a 4.11% stake in HDFC Bank as per the latest beneficial position on 14 August 2026.
CCI Approved Prudential’s Proposed Majority Stake Buy in Bharti Life Insurance
Competition Commission of India (CCI), under Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), approved the proposal of Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited (Acquirer), subsidiary of British financial firm, Prudential plc, to acquire a majority stake in Bharti Life Insurance Company Limited (Target), an Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI)-licensed insurer.
- However, the acquisition remains subject to other applicable regulatory and statutory approvals.
Google Acquires Spirit Airlines’ Business Data for AI Development
Alphabet Inc.’s Google emerged as the winning bidder in a bankruptcy auction with a USD 10 million bid to acquire a portion of Spirit Airlines internal enterprise data and software assets for product development and Artificial Intelligence (AI) model training. The proposed sale remains subject to approval by a United State of America(USA) bankruptcy court.
AkinAnalytics Launches Indigenous NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone for Farmers
Hyderabad (Telangana)-based women-led DeepTech and Defence Technology startup AkinAnalytics launched its indigenous NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone to provide technology-driven solutions for farmers and field-intensive industries.
Himalayan Bloom names ‘Impatiens nimspurjae’ to Honours Mountaineer Nirmal Purja
Himalayan plant species was named Impatiens Nimspurjai to honour of legendary Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja for his outstanding contributions to mountaineering and high-altitude environmental conservation.
- The species was discovered in Myagdi district of Nepal by researchers Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti and Rita Ale.
- The species was formally described in a 57-page study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE and was first encountered in western Myagdi district of Nepal in 2011.
World Mosquito Day 2026 – August 20
World Mosquito Day (WMD) is annually observed across the globe on 20 August to commemorate the discovery by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.