Month: January 2026

The Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) observed Rural Tourism Day on Friday by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary at an event organised at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) office in New Delhi. The annual observance seeks to promote sustainable rural development rooted in Gandhian ideals of village self-reliance. The event was attended by ITRHD Chairman S.K. Misra, agritourism pioneer Pandurang Taware, architect and urban planner A.G. Krishnan Menon, and development professional Maureen Libel. Pandurang Taware, widely regarded as the Father of…

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An intense geomagnetic storm that recently impacted Earth has drawn scientific attention to the underestimated role of subtle solar eruptions, challenging the long-held belief that only massive solar blasts can significantly disturb space weather. Researchers say the storm was triggered by a series of relatively weak coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—clouds of magnetised plasma released from the Sun—that, despite their modest appearance, interacted in a way that amplified their impact on Earth’s magnetosphere. The event led to temporary disturbances in satellite operations, radio communications, and navigation systems, while also enhancing auroral activity…

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In a major boost to India’s clean-energy research, Indian scientists have developed a self-charging energy storage device that can directly harvest and store solar energy, eliminating the need for separate solar panels and batteries. The innovation is expected to pave the way for compact, efficient and sustainable power solutions for future electronics and off-grid applications. The device has been developed by researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Described as a photo-rechargeable supercapacitor, the technology combines energy conversion…

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Indian Railways has significantly accelerated the deployment of its indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, Kavach Version 4.0, by commissioning 472 route kilometres (RKm) across three key sections of the network in a single rollout. This marks the largest commissioning of Kavach in one phase, underscoring the Railways’ push to strengthen operational safety on high-density routes. The newly commissioned sections include the Vadodara–Virar section (about 344 km) on Western Railway, a critical part of the Delhi–Mumbai corridor; the Tughlakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section (around 35 km) on Northern Railway; and the Manpur–Sarmatanr section (about 93 km) on East Central Railway, which lies…

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India has achieved a major milestone in its digital connectivity journey, with overall tele-density reaching 86.76%, reflecting widespread access to telecommunication services across the country. In a significant boost to next-generation connectivity, 5G services are now available in 99.9% of districts, marking near-universal coverage. This rapid expansion of telecom infrastructure underscores the Government’s continued focus on strengthening digital inclusion, enhancing service delivery, and supporting economic growth through robust connectivity. The widespread rollout of 5G services is expected to enable high-speed data access, support emerging technologies, and accelerate innovation across sectors such as…

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In a major engineering milestone for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, Indian Railways has successfully completed a 100-metre-long “Make in India” steel bridge in the Ahmedabad district as part of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. The bridge, weighing 1,098 metric tonnes, was constructed over the underground metro tunnel between Kalupur and Shahpur, where conventional viaduct design could not be used due to safety concerns for the metro infrastructure. To prevent load transfer to the metro tunnel, engineers redesigned the structure as a steel truss bridge with extended span length. Assembling the bridge on temporary trestles at 16.5 metres above ground, the team…

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In a major boost to rail infrastructure and freight movement in Chhattisgarh, the Ministry of Railways has approved the construction of a fourth railway line between Baikunth and Urkura at an estimated cost of ₹426.01 crore. The project falls under the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone and covers a length of 26.40 km. The Baikunth–Urkura section forms part of the Bilaspur–Raipur–Nagpur route, a crucial segment of the Mumbai–Howrah high-density corridor, one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. The route is currently operating near saturated capacity, handling heavy passenger traffic along with large volumes of freight. According to…

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