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World Bank Raises India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 7.1% for Current Fiscal

/ Governance Community

The World Bank has upgraded its forecast for India’s economic growth in the current financial year to 7.1 per cent, compared with its earlier projection of 6.6 per cent made in April. The upward revision comes after the Indian economy recorded stronger-than-anticipated growth, expanding 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of FY27. According to the World Bank, robust private consumption and investment are expected to remain key drivers of economic activity. Increased public investment, along with favourable financial and policy conditions, is also likely to support growth. Stronger-than-expected export performance could provide an additional boost, although uncertainties surrounding global trade and geopolitical developments may affect private investment. Industrial activity has also surpassed expectations, with infrastructure and construction-related goods, along with electricity generation, registering healthy growth. However, below-normal southwest monsoon rainfall has weakened the agricultural outlook and could have a moderate impact on rural demand. Meanwhile, India’s services sector continues to grow at a strong pace, although its expansion has moderated compared with the previous year’s elevated base. Source: News on AIR

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AICTE Releases IIC 7.0 Ratings, Announces Results of Innovation Challenges

/ Education Community

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has released the annual performance and star ratings for the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) 7.0 for the academic year 2024-25, recognising institutions for their efforts to foster innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship across campuses. The ratings were announced by AICTE Chairman Yogesh Singh and Member Secretary Shyama Rath through a post on X. The IIC ratings assess the performance of AICTE-affiliated institutions in promoting innovation-driven activities among students and faculty members. AICTE Chairman Prof. Yogesh Singh and Member Secretary Prof. @rath_shyama announced two significant milestones in India’s innovation ecosystem: 🔹 Annual Performance & Star Ratings of Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) 7.0 for the Academic Year 2024–25, recognising institutions for their efforts in nurturing innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. 🔹 2nd Round Results of YUKTI Innovation Challenge (YIC) and AICTE Productization Fellowship (APF) 2025, showcasing promising ideas and innovations with the potential to move from concept to meaningful solutions. These initiatives reflect AICTE’s continued commitment to building a culture where innovation goes beyond ideas—towards solutions that create real value for society. Congratulations to all the institutions, innovators, faculty members and students whose dedication continues to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem. #AICTE #Innovation #IIC #IIC70 #YUKTI #YIC2025 #APF2025 #InnovationEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #HigherEducation #ViksitBharat — AICTE (@AICTE_INDIA) October 6, 2026 Alongside the IIC ratings, AICTE also declared the second-round results of the YUKTI Innovation Challenge (YIC) and the AICTE Productization Fellowship (APF) 2025. Both initiatives are aimed at identifying promising student innovations and helping innovators move their ideas beyond the conceptual stage towards practical applications and market-oriented solutions. AICTE said these initiatives form part of its broader efforts to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in higher education. The council also congratulated participating institutions, faculty members, students and innovators for their contributions to advancing India’s innovation landscape. Source: AICTE   

AICTE Releases IIC 7.0 Ratings, Announces Results of Innovation Challenges Read More »

GST Council May Consider Input Tax Credit on Employee Insurance Premiums

/ Human Resource Community

The GST Council is expected to consider a proposal to allow employers to claim input tax credit (ITC) on GST paid for insurance policies provided to their employees at its meeting on October 7. Under the current Goods and Services Tax framework, individuals purchasing life or health insurance for themselves or their families are eligible for GST exemption. However, when companies purchase insurance coverage for employees, GST is currently levied and businesses are generally unable to claim input tax credit on the premium. At present, an 18% GST is applicable to group life and health insurance policies purchased by employers. The proposed change could allow businesses to offset the tax paid on such premiums through ITC, potentially reducing the overall cost of providing insurance coverage to employees. Sources said the move could make employee insurance more affordable for employers and encourage wider coverage across the organised workforce. Since group insurance is a common employee benefit offered by organised-sector companies, lower costs could also support greater adoption of insurance products. The proposal, if approved, could have implications for both employers and the insurance industry by reducing the effective cost of providing employee health and life cover. Source: PTI

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Arijit Singh Announces Nine-City India Tour to Mark 20 Years of Music

/ Media Entertainment & Art Community

Popular playback singer Arijit Singh has announced a nine-city India tour in 2027 to celebrate two decades of his musical journey. The stadium-scale tour will run from January to May and will mark his biggest India tour to date. The tour will begin in Ahmedabad on January 9, followed by Chandigarh on January 23 and Jaipur on February 7. Singh will then perform in Mumbai on February 20, Bengaluru on March 13, New Delhi on March 27, Pune on April 10, Indore on May 1 and Hyderabad on May 15. The singer said he was grateful to have spent 20 years making music and credited listeners for giving his songs a life of their own. He said he was looking forward to travelling across India and connecting with audiences through live performances. Produced and promoted by Team Innovation, with tickets available exclusively through thumpN, the tour will feature large-scale stadium productions. Organisers said the performances will include a custom multi-tiered stage with an extended runway, 360-degree spatial audio, panoramic screens, kinetic LED installations, laser arrays and stadium-scale pyrotechnics. Singh rose to prominence after appearing on the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005 and went on to become one of the most prominent playback singers in Hindi cinema. His popular songs include Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, Gerua, Kesariya, Apna Bana Le, Jhoome Jo Pathaan, Chaleya, Sajni and several others. The announcement comes after Singh revealed earlier this year that he was stepping away from playback singing to focus more on solo artistic pursuits. His recent work includes Jai Jai Ram from the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Ramayana. Source: PTI  

Arijit Singh Announces Nine-City India Tour to Mark 20 Years of Music Read More »

Education Ministry Approves Five Centres of Excellence for Classical Indian Languages

/ Education Community

The Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence dedicated to the study and preservation of classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Marathi, officials said. The centres will focus on strengthening academic research, digitising linguistic resources and preserving, promoting and disseminating the rich literary and cultural heritage associated with these languages. The Centres of Excellence will be established at five institutions across the country. Tezpur University in Assam will host the centre for Assamese, while Visva-Bharati University will undertake studies related to Bengali. The Central University of Odisha will house the Centre of Excellence for Pali, the Central University of Gujarat will focus on Prakrit, and the Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute in Pune will host the centre dedicated to Marathi. Welcoming the initiative, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the significance of the Pali centre at the Central University of Odisha. He said the initiative would strengthen the study, preservation and promotion of Pali, which has played an important role in India’s intellectual, spiritual and cultural traditions. The proposed centres are expected to create stronger academic ecosystems around the five classical languages through research, digital preservation and wider dissemination of linguistic and cultural knowledge. The initiative marks an institutional effort to support the preservation of India’s diverse linguistic heritage while creating greater opportunities for scholarly research and education in classical languages. Source: PTI

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AHPI Seeks Balanced Drug Pricing, Opposes Uniform 16% Margin on Medicines

/ Health & Wellness Community

The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) has called for a balanced and evidence-based approach to the pricing of medicines and medical consumables, cautioning against applying a uniform 16% margin across all drugs. The healthcare providers’ body’s statement follows recent observations by the Supreme Court regarding steep markups on cancer medicines by hospitals and its suggestion of a standard 16% margin on medicines. While AHPI acknowledged that a uniform margin could improve transparency and affordability, it said a single pricing formula may not adequately account for differences in the supply chains and operational requirements of various medicines. According to the association, fast-moving chronic medicines, low-volume lifesaving drugs, cold-chain products and high-cost specialty medicines have significantly different storage, distribution and inventory requirements. Applying the same margin to all such products, it said, could make some medicines commercially difficult to stock. AHPI also highlighted the role of medicines and consumables within the broader healthcare delivery system. It said hospitals often provide treatment through bundled packages under private insurance and government health schemes, where medicines and consumables are not separately charged to patients. For patients receiving care outside such arrangements, AHPI said hospitals and retailers generally dispense medicines at the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) printed by manufacturers, subject to applicable regulations. The association noted that the MRP is determined by manufacturers rather than independently fixed by hospitals. Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General of AHPI, said hospitals provide more than medicines, covering round-the-clock clinical services such as drug stocking, preparation, quality checks and safe administration. He said the pricing of medicines and consumables therefore needs to be considered alongside the overall responsibilities and costs involved in delivering safe and effective patient care. AHPI has consequently called for a pricing framework that considers the varied characteristics of medicines while balancing affordability, transparency, availability and the operational requirements of healthcare providers. Source: Economic Times

AHPI Seeks Balanced Drug Pricing, Opposes Uniform 16% Margin on Medicines Read More »

Asian Games 2026: Indian Women’s Compound Archery Team Retains Gold, Equals World Record

/ Media Entertainment & Art Community

India’s women’s compound archery team successfully defended its Asian Games title on Wednesday, defeating China 238-234 in the final. Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam produced a composed performance to secure the gold medal and equal the world-record score. President Droupadi Murmu led the congratulations for the Indian trio, praising their precision, composure and teamwork. Several Union ministers, including Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, also hailed the team’s performance. Mandaviya noted that the Indian archers matched the world-record score of 238 set by South Korea at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The Indian team had earlier overcome South Korea in the semifinal before defeating China in the gold-medal contest. The victory marked India’s seventh gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games and took its overall medal tally to 54, comprising seven gold, 21 silver and 26 bronze medals. The latest triumph adds to India’s strong record in the women’s compound team event. The country had won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2014 before claiming gold at the previous edition and successfully retaining the title in 2026. The result also underlined the consistency of India’s compound archery contingent on the Asian Games stage, with the trio combining accuracy and composure to deliver another landmark performance. Source: IANS

Asian Games 2026: Indian Women’s Compound Archery Team Retains Gold, Equals World Record Read More »

Government Notifies New CAFE Norms for Passenger Vehicles from 2027

/ Governance Community

The government has notified a new set of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) norms for passenger vehicles, replacing the existing regulations from April 1, 2027. The new framework will remain in force until March 31, 2032 and will cover passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India. The revised norms are aimed at providing greater regulatory certainty to the automobile industry while encouraging investments in fuel-efficient technologies and supporting India’s transition towards lower fuel consumption. Under the new framework, fuel-efficiency targets will become progressively stricter each year. The benchmark will tighten from 3.9 litres per 100 km in 2027-28 to 3.32 litres per 100 km by 2031-32, amounting to an improvement of more than 16% over the five-year period. The revised target structure also adopts a flatter, weight-sensitive approach. Lighter vehicles will face relatively less stringent targets, while heavier vehicles will be required to achieve greater improvements in fuel efficiency. The government said manufacturers will have flexibility to meet the targets through cleaner technologies, alternative fuels and other innovative solutions. The framework also encourages the adoption of technologies such as solar-reflective paints, advanced glazing and high-efficiency air-conditioning systems to improve vehicle efficiency. The new CAFE norms are expected to encourage technological innovation while contributing to India’s broader objectives of energy security, reduced fuel consumption and environmental sustainability. Source: News on AIR    

Government Notifies New CAFE Norms for Passenger Vehicles from 2027 Read More »

Govt Plans National Quality Grading System for Public and Private Hospitals

/ Health & Wellness Community

The government is working on a national framework to assess and grade public and private hospitals on healthcare quality, patient safety and clinical outcomes, with the system expected to follow international benchmarks. The initiative, being developed with the involvement of NITI Aayog, is aimed at giving patients access to clearer information when choosing healthcare providers while encouraging hospitals to improve standards of care. Officials indicated that the framework could be finalised by the end of this year, with hospital grading potentially beginning in the next financial year. NITI Aayog recently held a stakeholder consultation led by its member M Srinivas to discuss the proposed framework. The discussions focused on creating a credible and sustainable system centred on patient safety, quality of care, clinical outcomes and patient experience across different categories of hospitals. The proposed indicators could include patient-reported outcomes and experiences, hospital readmission rates and medication errors. Specialty-specific measures may also be considered, including post-transplant survival rates and postoperative mortality associated with oncology procedures. Healthcare experts said a standardised grading system could help patients make more informed decisions while allowing hospitals with stronger clinical outcomes and quality systems to distinguish themselves. It could also provide insurers and other healthcare payers with more objective data for designing outcome- and quality-linked products. At present, private hospitals can seek accreditation under the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), which sets standards for patient safety and clinical quality. However, detailed quality and outcome data are not routinely available to the public. The proposed framework could address this information gap by making hospital performance more transparent. Similar systems are already used in countries such as the UK, where the National Health Service publishes and audits various clinical quality and outcome indicators. The government also expects greater transparency and internationally benchmarked quality standards to strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem and potentially support the country’s medical tourism ambitions. Source: Economic Times

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India, France Explore IIT Campus in Nice, Expand Higher Education Cooperation

/ Education Community

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held talks with France’s Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste, on Monday, focusing on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in education, research and innovation. During the meeting, Joshi proposed exploring the establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Nice, while also discussing ways to build on the momentum of Bharat Innovates 2026. The two ministers discussed expanding mobility opportunities for students, faculty and researchers, along with strengthening institutional partnerships and creating more avenues for joint academic programmes and research collaborations. The discussions also covered the revision of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) agreement between India and France. Both sides explored greater cooperation in areas including life sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as the exchange of best practices in digital education and the use of technology to improve access to quality learning. French higher education institutions were also encouraged to consider setting up branch campuses in India, including in Gujarat’s GIFT City and locations with a significant presence of French companies that require skilled technical professionals. The meeting further highlighted ongoing collaborations through initiatives such as SPARC, GIAN and the Franco-Indian Campus in Life Sciences and Health, with both countries seeking to deepen academic and research ties. Source: PTI

India, France Explore IIT Campus in Nice, Expand Higher Education Cooperation Read More »