In an unprecedented action to strengthen user fee collection, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Thursday debarred 14 user fee collection agencies for irregular activities at toll plazas.

‘Performance Securities’ worth over Rs. 100 crore of the defaulting agencies have been forfeited and are being encashed for breach of the contract.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, raids at the Atraila Shiv Ghulam Toll Plaza in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh was conducted by UP Special Task Force.

Based on the FIR, NHAI took prompt action and served ‘Show Cause Notice’ to the defaulting agencies.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Thursday announced a net addition of 17.89 lakh members in January this year, which represents an increase of 11.48 per cent over the corresponding figure for December 2024.

Further, the year-on-year analysis reveals a growth of 11.67 per cent in net payroll additions compared to January 2024, signifying increased employment opportunities and heightened awareness of employee benefits, bolstered by the EPFO’s effective outreach initiatives, according to an official statement.

The EPFO enrolled around 8.23 lakh new subscribers in January which reflects a growth of 1.87 per cent over the same month in the previous year.

India's energy efficiency improved by 1.9 per cent between 2000 and 2023, which is faster than the global average of 1.4 per cent, according to a study carried out by an RBI research team.

The report also stated that India was far ahead of the other BRICS countries which averaged 1.62 per cent. However, India's energy efficiency lagged developed markets, like the US and Germany, which witnessed an over 2 per cent rise during this period,

During 2012-22, India's energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 706 million tonnes. The main contributor was economic growth, with a smaller impact from the change in the fuel mix of the economy. However, gains in energy efficiency, structural changes, and improvements in the emission intensity of electricity due to increased use of renewables helped curb emissions by close to 450 million tonnes, according to the study.

An S&P Global Ratings report on Thursday projected India's GDP to expand by 6.7 per cent in fiscal 2025 (year ending March) -- the fastest growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Stressing that India's low US exposure reduces trade tariff risks, the report mentioned that domestic focus and strong fundamentals bolster Indian companies’ defences.

"Most of our rated Indian firms can withstand temporary earnings slowdowns. Improvements in operating and financial strength over the last few years provide more cushion to help absorb such pressures. Firms in the country also benefit from a growing economy, supported by strong infrastructure and consumer spending," the report emphasised.

It further stated that Indian companies are protected by robust growth and strengthened credit quality and most will fund o

The Chief Ministers of northeastern states on Wednesday hailed the return of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and the Crew-9 astronauts to the Earth after spending nine months in space, saying that her resilience, dedication and pioneering spirit motivate millions of people.

In separate posts on their 'X' accounts, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream, and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday partnered with DigiLocker to help investors track their securities holdings and reduce unclaimed financial assets.

This initiative, outlined in the SEBI’s circular titled "Harnessing DigiLocker as a Digital Public Infrastructure for Reducing Unclaimed Assets in the Indian Securities Market," aims to enhance investor protection and streamline access to financial holdings.

By integrating DigiLocker with the securities market, the SEBI is ensuring that investors can store and retrieve details of their demat accounts and mutual fund holdings securely.

DigiLocker, which already provides access to bank account statements, insurance policies, and National Pension System (NPS) details, will now serve as a centralised platform for investors to manage their securities information.

According to the government, a key feature of this initiative is the nomination facility.

In an effort to curb rising digital frauds, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is reportedly in early discussions with banks to eliminate ‘pull transactions’ on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Most frauds are happening through the pull method, and NPCI is exploring the possibility of removing this feature altogether to reduce fraudulent activities.

A 'pull transaction' happens when a merchant sends a payment request to a customer, while a 'push transaction' occurs when a customer directly makes the payment using a QR code or other methods.

By removing 'pull transactions', fraud cases could decline, but some bankers fear that genuine transactions may also be affected, potentially lowering efficiency, according to a report by NDTV Profit.

However, NPCI, which operates retail payment and settlement systems in India, has not commented on this development yet.

America's Harvard Kennedy School of Global Leadership AAP MP Raghav Chadha participated in the program. Raghav Chadha has been selected as 'Young Global Leader' in a program organized by Harvard University. On this occasion, Raghava Chadha has tweeted in which Chadha said that the Harvard experience was transformative. Is. My time here has helped me gain new global perspectives. It has also strengthened my commitment to public service. Thanks for this successful knowledge and new friendship. Along with this, MP Raghav Chadha said that Learning, unlearning, and growing—one class at a time!

The Reserve Bank of India has won the Digital Transformation Award 2025, instituted by Central Banking, London.

The RBI has been selected for the award for rolling out digital initiatives, including Pravaah and Sarthi systems, that have reduced the use of paper-based submissions to transform its internal and external processes.

Central Banking, in a press statement said that the two initiatives have been key to this work.

Sarthi, the Hindi word for ‘charioteer,’ digitised all the RBI's internal workflows. It went live in January 2023, helping employees to store and share documents securely, improving record management and increasing the options for data analysis through reports and dashboards.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday envisioned that the Principals/ Teachers abroad are acting as a catalyst of the Education Revolution in the state by further improving the standard of education to benefit the common man.

Interacting with the teachers after flagging off a batch of 72 teachers for teachers training in Finland here at his official residence, the Chief Minister said that education, health and power had acquired a centre stage in the political agenda of the parties due to the concerted efforts of AAP and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal. He said that prior to this none of the political parties had ever bothered about these core sectors that have been most important for a common man. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Punjab has hitherto sent 234 principals/education officers for a five day Leadership Development Programme to Singapore and 72 Primary Cadre Teachers to Turku, Finland.