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First wooden satellite developed by Japan aims to reduce space debris and prevent it from re-entering Earth (Credit: Kyoto University) Wood has entered low Earth orbit in a form rarely seen before. In December 2024, five CubeSats were released from the International Space Station, including LignoSat, a small satellite built largely from magnolia timber. The…
France is stepping up its academic engagement with India, with President Emmanuel Macron announcing a sweeping push to make it easier for Indian students to study in the country. Speaking in New Delhi during his official visit from February 17 to 19, 2026, Macron said France will simplify visa and sourcing procedures while expanding English-taught…
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday proposed revised guidelines for the Lead Bank Scheme (LBS) to streamline operational processes and enhance the effectiveness of the programme introduced in 1969 to coordinate development activities at the district level, PTI reported.The Lead Bank Scheme is aimed at coordinating the activities of banks, governments and other…
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals as part of a nationwide database clean-up exercise aimed at preventing identity misuse and fraud, the government informed Parliament.The move is part of efforts to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar ecosystem, which remains…
A full moon is seen shining over NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Sam Lott/NASA via AP) The wet dress rehearsal for NASA’s Artemis II concluded early Tuesday morning. The SLS (Space Launch…
The government plans to introduce the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the second half of the Budget session beginning March 9, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, adding that the parliamentary committee examining the proposed law has already submitted its report.The proposed changes are aimed at further improving timelines and effectiveness of insolvency…
Government aims at raising Rs 80,000 crore from divestment and asset monetisation in 2026-27, a sharp increase from the revised estimate of nearly Rs 34,000 crore.While govt has moved away from mentioning a specific target for asset sales in state-run firms, the realisations from divestment are mentioned under what is called the miscellaneous capital receipts.Economic…
The Centre on Wednesday revised customs duties on display-related products to support domestic electronics manufacturing and fix the existing duty structure. The Union finance ministry raised the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on flat panel displays to 20%, while reducing the duty on open cells and key components to 5%. The changes are aimed towards strengthening…
The Centre has completed the implementation of several major direct tax reforms announced in recent Union Budgets, with an aim to boost investment certainty and reduce the compliance burden for taxpayers. As the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 approaches, the ministry of finance shared details of the legislative changes through a post on X.A…
The Securities and Exchange Board of India on Monday floated a proposal to introduce a regulatory framework for ‘Significant Indices’, a move aimed at strengthening governance standards and improving transparency among index providers in the securities market, PTI reported.In a consultation paper, Sebi defined ‘Significant Indices’ as those administered by an index provider and used…
