1. 5 new sites and series from India and international proposals added to UNESCO’s tentative list
Five new sites from India , as well as series and international proposals , have been added to UNESCO ‘s tentative list . This brings the number of sites in India to 78. The newly added sites include the Buddhist murals of the Bagh Cave paintings , the Chambal Valley Temple Groups , the Gupta-era Udayagiri Caves , and the tribal heritage of Ginnorgarh . This also includes the Satyagraha Site, a series-class international proposal linking India and South Africa. According to the UNESCO website, the Udayagiri Hills in Madhya Pradesh are a group of rock-cut sacred sites developed primarily under the patronage of the Gupta rulers between the late 4th and early 5th centuries. The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut Buddhist caves located on the southern slopes of the Vindhya Range, along the banks of the Baghni River in western Madhya Pradesh. Ginorgarh Fort, the main fortified capital of the old Raj Gond rulers in central India, and the group of temples in the Chambal Valley in Madhya Pradesh—Bateshwar, Padavali, and Kakarmath—are also included in the list. Before a site is considered for World Heritage status, it is first included in UNESCO’s Tentative List.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday launched the ” PRAGATI-50 ” initiative. Under this initiative , 50 cities across 24 states will be developed as model cities in the field of sanitation . These cities will focus on improving sanitation, solid waste management, wastewater management, hygiene, and citizen participation. This initiative was launched following the Prime Minister’s directives at the 51st PRAGATI meeting. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs identified these 50 cities under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. Work here will be conducted based on established standards and will be continuously monitored using technology. During the event, the ” Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre ” was also launched in Durgapur , in collaboration with CSIR-CMERI . It will serve as a national hub for research, product development, testing, validation, certification, and capacity building of sanitation technologies. The Ministry also launched the third cohort of sanitation startups in collaboration with the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur . 13 startups have joined it, which will develop new technologies and solutions related to sanitation and waste management.
US President Donald Trump has announced that Indian multinational conglomerate Essar Group will invest US$15 billion to build the ” largest steel plant ” in US history in Iowa . The US President made the announcement on Monday in the Oval Office, in the presence of Essar Group co-founder Ravi Ruia and his son, Revant. The new steel plant is being built by Mesabi Metallics, a Minnesota-based company owned by India’s Essar Group. An official at the White House, the official residence and office of the US President, stated that Mesabi Metallics is building the plant with the goal of starting production by 2030. The official said the plant is expected to produce 10 million tons of steel annually and create up to 1,750 permanent jobs in the state. The plant will use iron ore from a new mine being built in Minnesota by the company with a US$2.5 billion investment.
4 Indian Air Force’s ‘Kanyakumari to Kargil’ cycle expedition begins
On September 28, 2026 , the Indian Air Force ‘s ” Kanyakumari to Kargil ” cycle expedition arrived in Jammu. The expedition is being organized to mark the 94th Air Force Day . The cycle rally will begin from Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), the southernmost tip of India, and will continue to Kargil (Ladakh) . During the expedition, Air Warriors from the Air Force are spreading the message of national unity and fitness across the country. Along the way, the team is passing through cities and rural areas in various states. The expedition’s primary objective is to inspire youth to join the Indian Armed Forces. It also promotes environmental protection and the Fit India movement. The Kargil War was fought in 1999 as part of Operation Vijay. The expedition aims to cover a distance of approximately 4,000 kilometers. The rally will begin in Jammu, then travel via Srinagar and the Jolila Pass to reach the Kargil War Memorial.
On September 28, 2026 , the Tamil Nadu government announced the launch of the ” Thai Maaman Thanga Mothiram ” scheme. Under this scheme , newborn babies in the state will be gifted a 1-gram gold ring. The scheme is being inaugurated by state ministers and officials in Madurai. This initiative is part of the state government’s Maternal & Child Welfare schemes. This scheme has been launched to promote deliveries in government hospitals. Previously, Tamil Nadu launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for schoolchildren. This scheme will encourage the registration and health care of newborns.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu unveiled the curtain raiser for ‘ Routes Asia 2027′ in New Delhi . This marks a significant milestone in India’s preparations to host the prestigious international aviation event. The event was attended by representatives from 28 embassies and key aviation sector stakeholders, reflecting the growing international engagement and collaboration opportunities associated with ‘Routes Asia 2027’. The 24th ‘Routes Asia’ will be held from March 16-18, 2027, at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi . It will bring together over 115 major airlines from Asia and beyond, representatives from over 55 countries, airports, tourism authorities and aviation sector stakeholders.
Union Minister for Environment , Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav , today presented India’s first ” Pramana ” certificates under the Indian Forest and Timber Certification Scheme (IFWCS) in New Delhi . These certificates were awarded to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for plantations spread over 3,000 hectares and to a farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA) . The event was organized by the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, the governing body of the scheme. Senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with officials from forest departments of various states, representatives of certification bodies, and industry representatives, attended the event. Prior to certification, detailed field and management audits of the plantations were conducted. “Pramana,” the Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of Sustainable Management Practices for Agroforestry and Natural Forestry Resources, is a nationally accepted format for certification of forests, timber, and non-timber forest products. Its objective is to connect certified forests and agroforestry products to domestic and international markets. The IFWCS-Certificate focuses on promoting the social and ecological values of Indian forests, agroforestry systems and wood-based industries.
8 Sri Charani reigns supreme in the Women’s T20 bowling rankings, setting a new rating record in the ICC T20 bowling rankings.
India’s Shree Charani has set a new record for the highest- ever rating in the ICC Women’s T20 bowling rankings . Following her impressive performance at the Asian Games 2026, the left-arm spinner reached a career-best 817 points . Shree Charani is already the World No. 1 bowler in the T20 International format. She has now broken the record held by Australia’s Megan Shutt (806 rating points), which Megan set in November 2018. Charani played a key role in India’s successful campaign, maintaining her impressive form at the Asian Games to help India retain their gold medal.
9 Asian Games 2026: Indian boxer Narendra Berwal wins bronze in men’s +90kg category
Indian boxers continued their impressive run at the Asian Games . Ankush Panghal defeated reigning 75kg world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev in the men’s 80kg semi-finals to reach the final. Ankush and Parveen Hooda reached the finals in their respective categories, while Narinder Berwal settled for a bronze medal after losing to reigning world champion Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan in the +90kg semi-finals .
10 Asian Games 2026: Neeru Dhanda creates history, wins gold in women’s trap individual event with Asian record score
India has won its fifth gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. Neeru Dhanda , competing in her first Asian Games, created history by winning the gold medal in the women’s trap individual event with an Asian record score of 28 in the final . She is the first Indian female trap shooter to win gold in this event . Neeru topped the qualification with a score of 118. In the final, she set an Asian record with a score of 28, becoming the first Indian woman to win gold in the trap event in Asian Games history. Furthermore, Neeru is the first Indian medalist in the trap individual event at the Asian Games. Yunong Sun of China won the silver medal with a score of 26, while a Kuwaiti shooter won the bronze with a score of 21. This is India’s second gold medal in shooting at this edition of the continental showpiece. Overall, this is India’s fifth gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya. Earlier, Neeru, along with Ashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer, had won the silver medal (score of 328) in trap team shooting . China won the gold with a total of 346, while Kuwait won the bronze with 325 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery here.
11 Women’s 4x400m relay team wins gold at the Asian Games
Indian women athletes performed brilliantly at the Asian Games 2026 , winning the gold medal in the women’s 4x400m relay on Tuesday. The Indian team of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi, and Vithya Ramraj finished first with a time of 3:29.69 . Bahrain won the silver medal with a time of 3:30.21, and China won the bronze medal with a time of 3:31.02. Prachi had previously won the individual bronze medal in the women’s 400m race . The 4x400m relay gold is Vithya Ramraj’s third medal at the Asian Games 2026. She had previously won silver and bronze medals in other events. On Monday, she broke the long-standing national record in the women’s 400m hurdles . The men’s team won the bronze medal in the same 4x400m event. India won the bronze medal in the four times one hundred mixed relay competition.
12 Asian Games 2026: Gulvir Singh creates history by winning three medals
Gulvir Singh has completed a hat-trick of medals at the Asian Games 2026. The Indian sprinter won the bronze medal in the men’s 5000m final at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Tuesday. He completed the race with a timing of 13:32.75 . Bahrain’s Birhanu Balev won the gold with a timing of 13:30.79 , while Japan’s Yamaguchi Tomonori won the silver with a timing of 13:31.43. Gulvir had earlier won silver medals in the men’s 10,000m and 1500m events at the Asian Games 2026. With the bronze in the 5000m, he has won three medals at a single Asian Games . He is the first Indian athlete in the last 40 years to win three medals at a single edition of the Asian Games . Before him, PT Usha had won four medals at the Asian Games 1986 .
13 Asian Games 2026: Pooja wins bronze medal in high jump
National record holder Pooja won the bronze medal in the women’s high jump final at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya , Japan on Tuesday . She finished third with a best performance of 1.84m . Uzbekistan’s Saifullaeva won the gold medal with a personal best of 1.90m, while Kazakhstan’s Kristina Ovchynnikova took the silver with 1.87m. This is India’s first Asian Olympic medal in the women’s high jump since Bobby Aloysius won the silver medal in 2002.
14 Indian women’s compound archery team wins gold medal at Asian Games
The Indian women’s compound archery team won the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 by defeating China 238-234 in the final at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park in Japan today . The Indian team comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikita Taniparthi and Prathika Pradeep had made it to the final by defeating South Korea 234-233 in the semi-finals. India had won the gold medal in the women’s compound team event at the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou. India is now ranked ninth with a total of 53 medals, including seven gold, 21 silver and 25 bronze medals.