🇮🇳 National News
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, represented India at the G20 Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.
He appreciated South Africa’s leadership under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, advocating for a unified, fair, and planet-conscious world.
- As the Paris Agreement marks its 10th anniversary, many nations including India are already achieving their NDCs ahead of schedule
- Emphasized bridging the gap between ambition and action
- Upheld the principle of CBDR-RC (Common but Differentiated Responsibilities)
- Stressed that climate finance to developing countries is a duty, not a privilege
The Government of Uttarakhand, in partnership with the India AI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is organizing the Uttarakhand AI Impact Summit 2025 in Dehradun at Hotel Ramada.
Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for MeitY and Commerce & Industry, will inaugurate the summit alongside senior government officials.
- To be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from 19–20 February 2026
- First global AI forum hosted in the Global South
- Motto: “AI for All”
The Dehradun summit emphasizes inclusive and responsible AI adoption, driving innovation, governance improvements, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth.
India has been elected unopposed to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term—marking its seventh tenure.
The election was held at the UN General Assembly, where India received unanimous support from member nations.
P. Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, expressed gratitude and reaffirmed India’s dedication to protecting human rights and freedoms.
- First elected in 2006 (year of HRC’s inception)
- Advocacy of inclusive multilateralism
- Support for South–South cooperation
- Promotion of education, healthcare, and digital equity
- Opposition to politicization of human rights
Indian Railways plans to launch a ticket rescheduling feature on the IRCTC portal, enabling passengers to change travel dates or trains without incurring cancellation charges.
Passengers will only pay the fare difference, if applicable—introducing flexibility never before seen in Indian train travel.
Current: 25% fare deduction within 24 hours; 50% or no refund within 4 hours
New: Log in → Access confirmed booking → Select new date/train → Pay only fare difference
Such flexibility mirrors Japan, Europe, and UK’s rail systems.
Aadhaar-authenticated users will get exclusive access to book general reserved tickets for the first 15 minutes after opening of bookings.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri docked at Busan Naval Harbour, South Korea, on 13 October 2025 for the inaugural India–South Korea Naval Bilateral Exercise (IN–RoKN).
The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) hosted the event, underscoring growing strategic and defence cooperation.
Harbour Phase: Cross-deck visits, professional exchanges, sports activities, courtesy calls
Sea Phase: Joint naval manoeuvres and tactical coordination between INS Sahyadri and ROKS Gyeongnam
INS Sahyadri, an indigenously built Shivalik-class stealth frigate, commissioned in 2012, operates under the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam.
💼 Business & Economy
Muse Wearables, a startup incubated at IIT-Madras, unveiled Ring One, a groundbreaking smart ring that combines health tracking with contactless payment capabilities.
The ring uses advanced tokenisation technology to facilitate secure transactions. Users can simply tap the ring on NFC-enabled terminals—no phone, wallet, or card needed.
- Link RuPay debit/credit cards via Muse App
- Secure Element (SE) chip with bank-grade encryption
- Payment function activates only when worn
- Also serves as a health and fitness tracker
- Available in 40+ countries, supports 600 banks
The system operates on India’s first Secure Element Tokenization Platform, aimed at advancing a sovereign digital wallet ecosystem.
Curie Money has made its UPI plus investment app publicly available after securing approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
The app integrates UPI payments and automated investments, channeling idle funds into liquid mutual funds and instantly redeeming them for payments when required.
- Withdraw up to ₹50,000 instantly or 90% of invested value
- Partners: ICICI Prudential MF & Bajaj Finserv AMC
- Founded in 2022 by Arindam Ghosh & Tushar Choudhary
- Raised $1.2 million in seed funding (December 2024)
Meanwhile, Lxme, a women-centric financial platform, has introduced LxmePay, a UPI payment service exclusively for women with digital gold rewards, cashbacks, and budget tracking tools.
Indian travellers visiting Japan will soon be able to make UPI-based payments, following a new partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and NTT DATA Japan.
Under this MoU, both organisations will enable UPI payments across Japanese merchants, allowing Indian visitors to scan QR codes and pay directly in INR—eliminating the need for foreign cards or currency conversion.
NTT DATA, which manages CAFIS (Japan’s largest card transaction processing system), will oversee the merchant–bank–ATM integration.
UPI is already operational in Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and UAE, with plans or pilots underway in Qatar, Oman, and the UK.
The RBI published comprehensive FAQs on Indian currency—the Indian Rupee (INR), subdivided into 100 paise.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| ₹1+ coins legal tender | Up to ₹1,000 per transaction |
| 50 paise coins | Up to ₹10 per transaction |
| Banknote printing | Nasik, Dewas, Mysuru, Salboni |
| Coin minting | Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Noida |
| Currency chests | 2,691 (as of Feb 28, 2025) |
| Small coin depots | 2,299 (as of Feb 28, 2025) |
- ₹500 & ₹1000 (old series) demonetised on 8 November 2016
- ₹2000 notes remain legal tender per RBI notice (1 September 2023)
- RBI operates through 19 Issue Offices across India
- RBI does not trade in old coins or notes
🌐 International News
The 16th Annual Meeting of the WHO–International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO–IRCH) took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 14th–16th October 2025.
The conference focused on strengthening international collaboration to ensure quality, safety, and efficacy in herbal medicine.
- Represented by Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda) and Deputy Director General (I/c), Ministry of Ayush
- India reaffirmed its commitment to global standards and harmonizing regulatory practices
A major highlight was the release of the Proceedings of the WHO–IRCH Workshop on Safety and Regulation and Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines.
🔬 Science & Technology
A bilateral meeting was held between India’s Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers) and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals.
| Country | Representative |
|---|---|
| India | Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, Dept. of Chemicals & Petrochemicals |
| Saudi Arabia | H.E. Eng. Khalil bin Ibrahim bin Salamah, Vice Minister of Industry and Minerals |
The dialogue aimed to enhance cooperation in chemicals, petrochemicals, and industrial sectors, fostering trade, investment, and technology exchange between the two nations.
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