25 per cent reduction in landing, parking charges across major airports for domestic flights effective immediately
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has ordered a 25 per cent reduction in landing and parking charges at all major airports for domestic flights for a period of three months, following directions issued by the Central Government. The order, dated 7 April 2026, comes in response to prevailing conditions linked to the […]
Over 1,500 unauthorised colonies to be regularised in Delhi on ‘as-is where-is’ basis, 45 lakh people to benefit
The Government has announced the regularisation of over 1,500 unauthorised colonies in Delhi on an “as-is where-is” basis, a move aimed at conferring legal recognition and enabling planned urban development for lakhs of residents. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 1,511 unauthorised colonies out of a total 1,731 identified colonies will be […]
RBI holds repo rate at 5.25 per cent amid rising global uncertainty, flags inflation risks from energy prices
The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday, 8 April, kept the benchmark policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent, marking a pause in its monetary policy cycle as global uncertainties and energy price risks intensify. In its first policy decision for FY27, the six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which met from 6-8 April 2026, […]
Strong industry response as 25 companies participate in pre-bid meet for ₹7,280 crore rare earth magnet scheme
The Ministry of Heavy Industries has received strong industry interest for its ₹7,280 crore scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of sintered rare earth permanent magnets, with at least 25 companies participating in a pre-bid conference held on Tuesday, 7 April 2026 in New Delhi The pre-bid conference was organised to engage prospective bidders and provide […]
Bank of baroda launches AI-powered ‘bob SAMVAD’ to enable multilingual customer interaction across branches
Bank of Baroda has launched ‘bob SAMVAD’, an AI-powered multilingual conversational platform aimed at transforming in-branch customer interactions and improving accessibility across its network. According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance, the platform was formally launched by M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), in Mumbai on 28 March 2026. The platform […]
India to test eletronic warfare capability at sea with Bay of Bengal GNSS jammer trials from 11-12 April
India has issued a navigational warning regarding scheduled Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jammer trials in parts of the Bay of Bengal. According to alerts published on the National Hydrographic Office portal (hydrobharat.gov.in), the trials are scheduled from 9:00 AM on 11 April to 7:00 PM on 12 April (IST). The trials will take place […]
With 22 existing and 20 under construction pit lines, North Western Railway targets near doubling of train operations
The North Western Railway has initiated a mission to significantly enhance its train operations by strengthening maintenance infrastructure, with a focus on expanding pit line capacity across its network. According to NWR Chief Public Relations Officer Amit Sudarshan, the zone is implementing a comprehensive plan to expand its train maintenance capabilities, which are critical for […]
Explained: what first criticality of India’s 500 MWe PFBR at Kalpakkam means for nuclear energy strategy
India’s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attained first criticality on 6 April 2026 at 08:25 PM, marking the start of a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction and a key milestone in the country’s nuclear energy programme. The Department of Atomic Energy stated that the milestone was achieved after meeting […]
Main carriageway settlement on NH-32 section in Tamil Nadu triggers traffic diversion, toll halt; notices issued to concessionaire, engineer
Traffic has been diverted and toll collection suspended after a major carriageway settlement was reported on the four-lane Poondiyankuppam (Km 67)-Sattanathapuram (Km 123.8) stretch of NH-32 in Tamil Nadu on 6 April 2026, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. As per the ministry, the incident occurred on the right-hand side (RHS) carriageway […]
India moves closer to thorium-based nuclear energy future as 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor achieves criticality
India has achieved a significant milestone in its civil nuclear programme with the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu attaining its first criticality, marking the initiation of a sustained nuclear chain reaction. In a statement on Monday, 7 April, Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman, Atomic […]