India has refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China.
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India is not satisfied with the language of the joint document and there was no mention of cross-border terrorist activities specially recent Pahalgam Terror attack.
The refusal to endorse the document resulted in the conclave ending without a joint communique.
PM Modi inaugurated the centenary celebration of the historic conversation between Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
About Sree Narayana Guru
Sree Narayana Guru was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India.
He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality.
He founded institutions like the Sharada Mutt at Sivagiri to promote education, spirituality, and social upliftment.
His slogan, "One Caste, One Religion, One God for All," is a cornerstone of his philosophy and a widely recognized saying in Kerala.
Recently, an Indian Astronaut with three others from the USA, Hungry and Poland, soared into space aboard the Axiom-4 mission (NASA’s fourth all-private astronaut mission).
How the Axiom-4 Mission Boosts India’s Future Space Programme?
Critical Inputs for Gaganyaan: Axiom-4 involves scientific experiments, team coordination, and real-time problem-solving — skills essential for Gaganyaan, India’s first indigenous crewed mission.
Scientific Collaboration and Innovation: The Ax-4 mission includes over 60 experiments from 31 countries, with India contributing to studies on muscle atrophy and stem cell behavior in microgravity.
These align with ISRO’s growing interest in space medicine and long-duration missions, including diabetes management, muscle health, and cancer research
It is vital for understanding human physiology in space and preparing for future lunar or Martian expeditions.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed priority sector lending (PSL) norms for Small Finance Banks (SFBs).
Small Finance Banks (SFBs)
About: They are operational under the regulation of the RBI in India, under the purview of the apex bank’s Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006, as amended from time to time.
SFBs are registered as public limited companies under the Companies Act, 2013 and governed by Banking Regulations Act, 1949; RBI Act, 1934.
They are subject to RBI's prudential norms for commercial banks, including CRR and SLR.
Objectives: SFBs aim to provide savings vehicles and credit to underserved sectors like small businesses, farmers, micro-industries, and the unorganized sector through cost-effective, technology-driven operations.
Bihar is set to host its first nuclear power plant, making it one of the first six states to benefit from the Government of India’s National Nuclear Energy Mission.
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The announcement comes as part of a broader push to diversify India’s energy mix, strengthen regional energy security, and integrate advanced technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
The Government has also approved a 1,000 MW battery storage capacity project in Bihar, aimed at enhancing grid stability and supporting renewable energy integration.
The government will provide viability gap funding of Rs 18 lakh per MW for this initiative.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 48th PRAGATI meeting focused on accelerating critical infrastructure projects in Mines, Railways, and Water Resources.
Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation(PRAGATI)
It is an interactive platform designed to address citizens' grievances while monitoring and reviewing key government programmes and projects at both Central and State levels.
