From April 1, Central government employees with at least 25 years of service will be eligible for a fixed pension equal to 50 per cent of their average basic salary from the last 12 months before retirement under the new Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).

The government is introducing the UPS to offer more financial security after retirement to at least 23 lakh Central government employees, particularly for those who prefer a stable and predictable income instead of a market-linked pension.

Employees, who have served for more than 10 years but less than 25 years, will receive a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 per month. In case of the pensioner’s death, their family will be entitled to 60 per cent of the last pension drawn as a family pension.

India’s stock market recorded the highest monthly gain among the world's ten largest equity markets in March, rising 9.4 per cent in dollar terms, as per latest stock exchange data.

This marks the strongest rally in four years, following five consecutive months of decline.

According to the exchange data, the total market capitalisation of all listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) surged to approximately $4.8 trillion, up from around $4.39 trillion at the end of February.

This is the biggest monthly jump since May 2021. India outperformed other major markets, with Germany following at a distant second with a 5.64 per cent rise in market capitalisation to over $2.81 trillion.

The domestic benchmark indices opened higher on Monday amid positive global cues, as US President Donald Trump signalled potential reciprocal tariff flexibility.

Buying was seen in the PSU bank and realty sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.32 am, Sensex was trading 414.98 points or 0.54 per cent up at 77,320.49 while the Nifty climbed 137.80 points or 0.59 per cent at 23,488.20.

Nifty Bank was up 393.45 points or 0.78 per cent at 50,987.00 The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 52,375.50 after adding 524.75 points or 1.01 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 16,423.40 after climbing 238.45 points or 1.47 per cent.

The upcoming Q4 FY25 earnings reports are also expected to show robust results, potentially lifting the overall sentiment, said market watchers, adding that the underlying trend of Nifty continues to remain positive.

The crash of Sri Lankan Air Force's China-made K-8 trainer jet in the Wariyapola area on Friday has raised serious concerns about the safety and operational readiness of the remaining aircraft in service.

The incident took place during a training exercise with the Chief Training Instructor Pilot and the trainee pilot ejecting from the aircraft before the crash. Both are currently undergoing treatment at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, local media reported.

Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force, has appointed a seven-member Special Investigation Committee to determine the cause of the accident.

However, no decision has been made on the remaining operational K-8 trainer jets following the crash,

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has been honoured with the

prestigious CBIP Award for "Best Maintained Project (only functional structures-minimum age 50 Years)" Category for its iconic Bhakra Nangal Project in recognition of BBMB's exceptional efforts in maintaining this monumental infrastructure project for over 50 years. This esteemed accolade was presented at the CBIP Day Celebrations and Award Presentation Ceremony, held on March 21st, 2025 at New Delhi.

The Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) confers these awards in its continuous endeavour to promote excellence across the Water, Power, and Renewable Energy sectors and to acknowledge the remarkable contributions of organizations, stakeholders, and professionals in these fields.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced that the state will vehemently oppose the unfair, faulty and undemocratic delimitation being done by the BJP led Union government to muzzle the voice of the opposition parties.

“This shameful act of BJP to reduce the seats in the states where they can’t win is undemocratic and we won’t allow the saffron party to succeed in its nefarious designs to weaken the democracy”, said the Chief Minister while participating in a conference organized by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

The Indian stock markets witnessed a strong rebound this week, with benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex surging over 4 per cent -- best weekly performance in four years -- and the rally was fuelled by improving investor sentiment, improvement in foreign flows and positive global developments, experts said on Saturday.

The Nifty gained over 4 per cent, the highest weekly since February 2021. The Sensex also surged 4 per cent, the most since July 2022.

The resurgence in market sentiment was fuelled by the comeback of FIIs amid a strengthening Indian rupee. Additionally, the steep correction in many stocks over recent months created opportunities for value buying, attracting investors looking to capitalise on lower valuations.

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.