DRDO develops new generation Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for mine countermeasure missions

A new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) has been successfully developed by the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for mine countermeasure missions. The system comprises multiple AUVs equipped with Side Scan Sonar and Underwater cameras as primary payloads for real-time detection & classification of Mine-Like Objects. The onboard deep learning based target recognition algorithms enable autonomous classification, significantly reducing operator workload and mission time.

Additionally, a robust underwater acoustic communication has been integrated to facilitate inter-AUV data exchange during operations ensuring enhanced situational awareness.

The recently-concluded field trials at NSTL/Harbour have successfully validated salient systems parameters and critical mission objectives. Multiple industry partners are involved in system realization and the system will be ready for production in next couple of months.

Mrs. S. Radha Chauhan assumes charge as Chairperson, Capacity Building Commission

Mrs. S. Radha Chauhan assumed charge as the Chairperson of Capacity Building Commission, in New Delhi. She is a retired IAS officer of UP Cadre (1988 batch). She has served in various capacities in the State and Centre Government. She is also the former Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). She took charge from Shri Adil Zainulbhai, who served as Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission since April, 2021.

Constituted on 1st April 2021, by the Government of India, the Capacity Building Commission has been mandated to drive standardisation and harmonisation across the Indian civil services landscape. As the custodian of civil services capacity building reforms, the Commission’s role is central to the overall institutional framework of Mission Karmayogi.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan assumes charge as the 47th Vice chief of the Naval Staff

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS). On assuming charge, the Flag Officer paid solemn homage to the Bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation, by laying a floral wreath at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.

An alumnus of the 71st course National Defence Academy, Pune, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1988. A specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, he has held a wide range of command, operational and staff assignments over his distinguished naval career spanning more than three decades.

At sea, the Flag Officer has served onboard various frontline warships, including as the Commissioning crew of the Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mysore, INS Nishank and pre-Commissioning crew of Coast Guard OPV ICGS Sangram. He also served as the Executive Officer of INS Mysore. He has commanded Coast Guard ship C-05, Missile Vessels INS Vibhuti and INS Nashak, Missile Corvette INS Kuthar and Guided Missile Frigate INS Sahyadri (Commissioning Commanding Officer). In Feb 2020, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, and led numerous operational deployments and exercises during a time of heightened maritime activity, post events at Galwan.

A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Goa and the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi, the Flag Officer has also excelled in key strategic and policy-oriented Staff roles. His appointments at Naval Headquarters include Joint Director and Director of Personnel (Policy), Director Naval Plans (Perspective Planning) and Principal Director Naval Plans.

On promotion to Flag Rank in Feb 2018, he served as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) prior to Commanding the Eastern Fleet. For his exceptional leadership and meritorious service of very high order, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021. Thereafter, he served as the Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy and later, in Dec 2021, he was appointed as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command (ENC). In this capacity, he steered ENC's operational readiness, personnel development and infrastructure augmentation.

Cabinet approves the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” for a period of six years, beginning with 2025-26 to cover 100 districts. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme and first of its kind focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.

The Scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit. It is in pursuance of Budget announcement for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts under “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana”. The Scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, other State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.

100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. The number of districts in each state/UT will be based on the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings. However, a minimum of 1 district will be selected from each state.

Committees will be formed at District, State and National level for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. A District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be finalized by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will also have progressive farmers as members. The District Plans will be aligned to the national goals of crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors as well as expansion of natural and organic farming. Progress of the Scheme in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored on 117 key Performance Indicators through a dashboard on monthly basis. NITI will also review and guide the district plans. Besides Central Nodal Officers appointed for each district will also review the scheme on a regular basis.

As the targeted outcomes in these 100 districts will improve, the overall average against key performance indicators will rise for the country. The scheme will result in higher productivity, value addition in agriculture and allied sector, local livelihood creation and hence increase domestic production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat). As the indicators of these 100 districts improve, the national indicators will automatically show an upward trajectory.

16th Census to be Held in Two Phases Beginning from 1st October, 2026

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued the notification for 16th Census (Population Census-2027) to be conducted in two phases along with the enumeration of castes. The reference date for Population Census-2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March 2027. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00.00 hours of the first day of October 2026.

It will be India's first digital Census (using mobile applications) and will include an enumeration of castes for the first time in Independent India. Very stringent data security measures would be kept in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission and storage. It will be the sixth national Census since its inception and the eighth since India's independence.

The phase one is House listing Operation, in which the housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected. In the second phase which is Population Enumeration, the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household will be collected. In this Census, Caste enumeration will also be done. For Census activities, about 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1-3 lakh Census functionaries will be deployed.

Prime Minister conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’, during his one-day state visit to the African nation. The award was presented by the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, at a special ceremony, marking a new milestone in the ties between the two nations. Accepting the award, the PM dedicated it to the 1.4 billion people of India and to the historic and enduring partnership between India and Namibia. “I accept this honour with deep gratitude, and I dedicate it to the people of India and the timeless bond our two countries share,” the Prime Minister said, expressing his heartfelt thanks to Nandi-Ndaitwah and the people of Namibia. PM Modi is the first Indian leader to receive this honour. Established in 1995, the award recognises distinguished service and leadership. It is named after the Welwitschia Mirabilis, a unique desert plant found only in Namibia that symbolises resilience, longevity and the enduring spirit of its people.

PM Modi conferred Brazil's highest civilian award- Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Brazil’s highest civilian honour — the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross. This marks the 26th international award received by Prime Minister Modi since he assumed office in May 2014. The award was presented by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in recognition of PM Modi’s contributions to strengthening bilateral ties and advancing India–Brazil cooperation across major global platforms.

Established in 1822 by Emperor Pedro I, the National Order of the Southern Cross (Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) is Brazil’s highest honor bestowed exclusively upon foreign nationals. It recognizes individuals who have rendered exceptional service to Brazil or made significant contributions to strengthening Brazil’s international relations. The Grand Collar is the most distinguished rank within the order.

Over the years, the Grand Collar has been awarded to numerous eminent global leaders, including former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, former French President Charles de Gaulle, former Argentine President Juan Perón, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, former Spanish King Juan Carlos I, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.