NATIONAL NEWS

India Added Record 6.05 GW Wind Power Capacity in FY 2025–26

India added a record 6.05 Gigawatt (GW) of wind power capacity in Financial Year 2025–26, marking the highest-ever annual wind capacity addition in the country’s history.

The addition represents a 46% increase compared to FY 2024–25, indicating strong momentum in the renewable energy sector.

With this achievement, India’s total installed wind power capacity crossed 56 GW, strengthening its global position in clean energy leadership.

The new milestone surpassed the previous peak addition of 5.5 GW recorded in FY 2016–17.

The growth supports India’s progress toward achieving the 500 GW non-fossil fuel energy capacity target by 2030.

Key policy measures supporting wind energy expansion include: Concessional customs duty on wind turbine components, Waiver of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges till 2028 and Improved grid connectivity and transmission readiness

The top contributing States to wind energy capacity addition include: Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra

India is among the leading wind energy producers globally, supported by:

A robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem

Strong institutional support from the National Institute of Wind Energy

Increasing private sector participation

India’s wind energy development journey began in the early 1990s, and continued policy support has enabled consistent long-term sectoral growth toward achieving 2030 sustainability targets

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov Visits India

First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Denis Manturov, undertook a two-day official visit to India, aimed at strengthening India–Russia bilateral relations across key sectors.

During the visit, he co-chaired the India–Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) along with Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in New Delhi.

The IRIGC-TEC is a key institutional mechanism for reviewing and enhancing strategic economic cooperation between India and Russia.

Both sides discussed strengthening cooperation in trade, industry, energy, fertilizers, connectivity, mobility, and emerging technologies.

Special focus was given to collaboration in innovation, technology, and critical minerals.

The leaders also reviewed progress on implementing outcomes of the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit (December 2025).

A high-level bilateral meeting was also held between both sides to further deepen economic and strategic engagement.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission Launches ATL Sarthi

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) under its Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched two new initiatives: ATL Sarthi and the Mentor India Academy at Vardhaman College of Engineering, Hyderabad (Telangana).

The initiatives align with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aiming to strengthen school-level innovation and entrepreneurship.

The ATL Sarthi programme is a capacity-building initiative for Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) in-charges and educators to improve innovation guidance in schools.

The Mentor India Academy is an advanced training platform for mentors under the AIM Mentor India initiative, focused on developing strong mentorship networks.

The programme will provide structured mentorship and institutional support to 379 ATLs in Telangana.

The key objective is to empower students with hands-on experience in emerging technologies and structured problem-solving skills.

Under the initiative, ATLs will be grouped into regional clusters, each supported by a nodal institution for guidance and coordination.

Vardhaman College of Engineering has been designated as the nodal institution for Telangana, providing technical support, teacher training, mentorship, and incubation assistance.

The initiative aims to create a strong school-to-innovation pipeline, enabling students to transform ideas into scalable solutions and startups.

It focuses on shifting from access to innovation resources towards continuous engagement and sustained mentorship.

The programme will strengthen teacher capacity building and ensure innovation becomes a continuous process within schools.

The rollout supports AIM’s larger mission of building one of the world’s largest student innovation ecosystems, with over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs operational across India.

 

BANKING

Department of Financial Services Secretary Unveils Bank of Baroda’s AI-Based Multilingual Platform ‘bob SAMVAD’

Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched bob SAMVAD, an AI-powered multilingual conversational platform, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The platform was inaugurated by Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance.

bob SAMVAD is an industry-first initiative aimed at transforming customer interactions in bank branches.

It enables seamless communication between customers and staff in different languages, helping to eliminate language barriers.

The platform uses AI-driven speech and language technologies to provide real-time, low-latency, two-way communication.

It supports 22 languages, ensuring contextual accuracy and natural fluency, reflecting India’s linguistic diversity.

Customers can speak or type queries in their preferred language, which are instantly translated for bank staff and vice versa.

The system offers both text display and optional voice mode (text-to-speech), making it accessible and user-friendly.

The initiative enhances customer experience, inclusivity, and service efficiency in banking operations.

In the first phase, bob SAMVAD will be rolled out in 250 branches across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

A phased nationwide rollout is planned across the entire Bank of Baroda branch network.

The launch also aligns with BoB’s broader initiatives like bob Earth, Green Deposits, Green Bonds, and bob Forest, supporting sustainability and ESG goals.

RBI Keeps Foreign Portfolio Investor Investment Limits in Government Securities, State Government Securities and Corporate Bonds Unchanged

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) investment limits in Government Securities (G-Secs), State Government Securities (SGSs), and Corporate Bonds unchanged for FY 2026–27.

The limits remain at 6% for G-Secs, 2% for SGSs, and 15% for corporate bonds of the outstanding stock of securities.

The RBI confirmed that the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) will continue, allowing unrestricted investment in specified government securities by eligible FPIs.

The allocation of incremental changes in G-Sec limits between General and Long-term sub-categories has been retained at a 50:50 ratio for FY 2026–27.

Any increase in State Government Securities (SGS) limits will be fully allocated to the General category

The RBI has also retained the investment framework harmonisation, bringing the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) in line with the General route limits.

The limit for Credit Default Swaps (CDS) sold by FPIs has been capped at 5% of corporate bond outstanding stock.

An additional limit of ₹3.30 lakh crore has been set for CDS exposure in FY 2026–27.

The total permissible FPI debt investment for April–September 2026 is ₹15,51,646 crore, increasing to ₹16,32,640 crore for October 2026–March 2027.

The RBI’s decision ensures policy continuity, market stability, and a predictable foreign investment framework in India’s debt market.

RBI Cancels Licence of The Shirpur Merchants’ Co-operative Bank Limited

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the licence of The Shirpur Merchants’ Co-operative Bank Ltd., Shirpur and the bank ceased operations from April 06, 2026.

The action was taken under Section 22 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 due to non-compliance with regulatory norms.

The bank was found to have inadequate capital and weak earning prospects, violating provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

It also failed to comply with multiple requirements under Section 22 (3)(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of the Act.

The RBI stated that continuation of the bank would be prejudicial to depositors’ interests and against public interest.

The bank is now prohibited from carrying out banking activities, including accepting and repaying deposits.

Following licence cancellation, the bank will undergo winding up and liquidation, with a liquidator to be appointed by Maharashtra Cooperative authorities.

Depositors are protected under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC)

Each depositor is eligible for insurance cover up to ₹5 lakh, as per the DICGC Act, 1961.

Around 99.7% of depositors will receive the full insured amount of their deposits.

As of January 31, 2026, DICGC had already paid ₹48.95 crore towards insured deposits based on eligible claims.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Shri Narendra Bhooshan Takes Over as Secretary, Department of Land Resources

Shri Narendra Bhooshan (IAS, 1992 batch, Uttar Pradesh cadre) has assumed charge as Secretary, Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.

He possesses over three decades of vast and diversified administrative experience at both Central and State Government levels.

Prior to this role, he served as Additional Chief Secretary (Energy, Additional Energy and Technical Education) in the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

He has held key positions as Principal Secretary in departments such as Science & Technology, PWD, Infrastructure, Industry, NRI Affairs, IT & Electronics.

He also served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Greater Noida Authority.

At the Central Government level, he served as Deputy Director General (Joint Secretary equivalent) at UIDAI under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

He held the position of Mission Director, National Food Security Management (NFSM).

He also served as Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation.

Additionally, he worked as OSD to the Minister and Joint Secretary at India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

At the State level, he served as Secretary (Finance Department), Managing Director of State Transport Corporation, and Special Secretary (Industries Department).

He has extensive field administration experience as District Magistrate (DM) of Mathura, Firozabad, and Udham Singh Nagar.

 

MoUs & AGREEMENTS

India and Russia Signed MoU to Establish UAV

India and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Satellite Laboratory at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), Kanpur.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with: Geoscan Group, Indo-Russia Innopraktika Technology Hub and Kalam SPS Research Centre

The collaboration aims to promote drone design, UAV technology, and satellite applications through joint research, certification courses, and skill development programmes.

The initiative will support training of students, engineers, and researchers, contributing to the development of a skilled workforce in advanced aerospace and drone technologies.

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov described the initiative as a landmark step in India–Russia technological partnership.

The collaboration focuses on applications of UAV and satellite technologies in: Agriculture, Defence and Disaster management

The MoU includes the launch of drone and satellite certification courses at the CSJMU campus.

The initiative forms part of the broader India–Russia technological partnership strengthened during the State Visit of Vladimir Putin to India in December 2025.

The partnership emphasises human resource development and talent pipeline creation for advancing bilateral technological cooperation between India and Russia.

The establishment of the UAV and Satellite Laboratory represents a significant milestone in strengthening academic collaboration, technology transfer, and innovation capacity between the two countries.