September 15, 2026 - IndiaVerve

Six states sign Kishau project agreement; Centre to bear 90% financial burden

September 15, 2026 by India Verve Desk

New Delhi: The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana on Tuesday signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil, marking a major step towards implementation of the long-pending project.

The agreement provides for the construction of a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River, which flows along the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The project will have a water storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic metres, irrigate 97,000 hectares of land and generate 1,476 million units of clean hydropower, according to an official statement.

Addressing the meeting, Shah said the agreement was historic and expressed confidence that its completion would become an important chapter in history. He said the project would benefit Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi in one way or another.

Shah said the most important aspect of the agreement was that all six states had given their consent and signed it. He congratulated the chief ministers of the six states and Patil for playing an important role in bringing the project to this stage.

The Union home minister said the Union government and the six chief ministers of the Yamuna basin states were committed to completing the project at the earliest.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government has declared the Kishau Multipurpose Project a National Project, Shah said.

The Centre will bear approximately 90% of the financial burden of the project, while the remaining 10% will be borne by the participating states in accordance with the 1994 agreement.

Shah said the Uttarakhand government had certain difficulties and that the government of India had assured the state that efforts would be made to accommodate its demands under the schemes of the Union government. He added that the Centre would also assist Uttarakhand in bearing the financial burden that may fall upon the state.

Shah further said Delhi would be the biggest beneficiary of the Kishau Multipurpose Project.

He said that when the waters of the Yamuna were allocated, the environmental flow of the river was not calculated and all the available water was distributed among the states, leaving no water for the river itself.

According to Shah, 25% of the water will become available through the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement, which he said would be highly beneficial for both Delhi and the Yamuna and would also contribute to environmental conservation.

Shah said continuous work had been underway to clean the Yamuna since Rekha Gupta became Chief Minister of Delhi under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed confidence that the goal of a clean Yamuna would be achieved by 2029.

He said the Yamuna eventually merges with the Ganga at Prayagraj and, therefore, the dream of a clean Ganga would remain incomplete until the Yamuna was cleaned.

Shah said that since Modi became PM, this was the tenth water dispute that was now set to be resolved.

He added that the government had undertaken an initiative to resolve serious disputes that had continued for the past 50 years.

According to Shah, the dispute over the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project was resolved in August 2018, while the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project dispute was also settled in the same month.

In 2019, the dispute over the Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project in the Upper Yamuna Basin was resolved. In 2021, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reached an agreement on the Ken-Betwa Link Project, benefiting the water-stressed Bundelkhand region.

The revised Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal River Link project moved forward in 2024, while the scheme for transferring water from Hathinikund to the Yamuna through an underground pipeline was approved in February 2024.

The dispute over the rehabilitation of families displaced by the Narmada Project was resolved in July 2026, while the dispute over water sharing between Bihar and Jharkhand in the Son Basin was settled in August 2026.

Shah said the period from 2018 to 2026 under Modi’s leadership would be remembered as a period in which almost all water disputes, from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh, were resolved.

He said the foundation for these resolutions was laid in meetings of the Zonal Councils, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti efficiently took the agreements forward.

CCPA fines Rapido Rs 10 lakh over misleading pricing prompts

September 15, 2026 by India Verve Desk

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which operates the ride-hailing platform Rapido, for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, unfair contract terms, and dark patterns in the way riders were prompted to pay more before their rides were confirmed.

The action followed a sector-wide examination of cab and bike-taxi aggregator platforms operating in India to examine practices related to pre-ride tipping and dynamic pricing, according to an official statement.

During its examination, the CCPA found that the Rapido app displayed prompts including “Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride” and “Captains aren’t accepting at Rs 60. Try adding +10, +20, +30” while a rider’s booking was still being processed.

The CCPA said Rapido’s algorithm first quoted a fare to the rider and, after the rider booked at that fare, prompted the rider to pay more on the grounds that Captains were not accepting the original price.

According to the authority, the practice created a false impression that a rider’s chances of getting a ride quickly depended on paying an additional amount, at a stage when the rider had already committed to the booking and had limited scope to negotiate.

The CCPA held that the practice amounted to “Confirm Shaming”, a dark pattern identified under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. The authority said the practice created a sense of urgency and fear of losing the ride if the consumer did not agree to pay more.

The authority also examined Rapido’s “Set your price” slider and found that its colour coding influenced riders’ pricing decisions.

According to the CCPA, raising the price displayed “higher chance of getting a ride” in green, while lowering the price triggered a red or orange warning. The slider also provided more room to increase the price than to decrease it.

The CCPA held that this amounted to a second dark pattern, “Interface Interference”, as the design of the interface visually steered consumers towards paying a higher amount, independent of the accompanying text.

The authority also said the fare displayed to a rider at the time of booking already takes into account factors including distance, time, traffic, tolls and the amount payable to the captain.

In this context, the CCPA found no justification for subsequently suggesting that the rider pay an additional amount for the same ride before the ride had commenced. It observed that a tip is ordinarily a voluntary payment made after a service has been rendered and should not be presented as a condition for the service to be provided.

The CCPA also referred to the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which require that any tipping feature be made available only after completion of the ride and not at the time of booking or during the ride.

Rapido had argued that tipping is voluntary, that its matching algorithm continues to operate irrespective of whether a rider pays an additional amount, and that the prompts merely reflected real-time negotiation similar to an offline conversation between a rider and a driver.

The CCPA rejected these submissions, holding that the timing and design of the prompts placed pressure on the rider at the point when the rider was most dependent on the platform.

The authority further noted that Rapido had not placed any data on record demonstrating that paying an additional amount actually increased the likelihood of a rider getting a ride. The claim was therefore held to be unsubstantiated and misleading.

The action against Rapido forms part of the CCPA’s wider scrutiny of advance-tip and dark-pattern practices across ride-hailing and bike-taxi platforms.

The CCPA had earlier issued notices to platforms including Uber, Ola, Rapido and Namma Yatri, directing them to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, and submit self-declarations regarding compliance.

The CCPA’s examination of Uber and Ola in this regard is currently ongoing.

Western Odisha celebrates Nuakhai as top leaders extend greetings

September 15, 2026 by India Verve Desk

Bhubaneswar: A host of top leaders extended greetings to the people on Tuesday as western Odisha celebrated Nuakhai, the region’s major agrarian festival.

Nuakhai marks the arrival of the new harvest and is celebrated with the offering of newly harvested rice, or Nabanna, to presiding deities before families partake of the new crop.

In Sambalpur, Nabanna was offered to Maa Samaleswari at the Samaleswari Temple during the auspicious ritual timing fixed for the festival.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, extended his greetings on Nuakhai and described it as a festival celebrating farmers, the harvest and the spirit of togetherness.

“Nuakhai Juhar!

Warm greetings on Nuakhai, a festival that celebrates our farmers, the harvest and the spirit of togetherness. May this special occasion strengthen bonds of harmony and bring happiness and prosperity in our society.

ନୂଆଁଖାଇ ଜୁହାର୍‌ !

ଆମ କୃଷକ, ଫସଲ ଏବଂ ଏକତାର ପର୍ବ ନୂଆଁଖାଇର ଅନେକ ଅନେକ ଶୁଭକାମନା । ଏହି ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ଅବସର ଆମ ସମାଜରେ ସଦ୍ଭାବନାର ବନ୍ଧନକୁ ସୁଦୃଢ଼ କରୁ ଏବଂ ଖୁସି ଓ ସମୃଦ୍ଧି ନେଇ ଆସୁ ।” he said in his post.

President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her greetings to the people, particularly those in Odisha. She described Nuakhai as an agrarian mass festival and said its traditions of community feasting and meeting friends and relatives represented social and familial affection.

She expressed confidence that the festival would further strengthen mutual harmony and goodwill and wished everyone happiness, peace and prosperity.

Governor of Odisha Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati extended Nuakhai Juhar to the people, describing the festival as a symbol of the rich culture and traditions of western Odisha.

He invoked Maa Samaleswari’s blessings for the happiness and well-being of all.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also greeted the people on the occasion, describing Nuakhai as an agrarian mass festival.

He prayed to Maa Samaleswari for the lives of people to be filled with happiness, peace and prosperity.

Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan marked the occasion by visiting Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur. He said he was privileged to have the opportunity to seek the goddess’s darshan and prayed that Nuakhai would bring happiness, peace and prosperity to everyone.

Nuakhai brings families and communities together through traditions centred on the new harvest. After the newly harvested rice is offered to the presiding deity, families come together to share the new crop and prepare traditional delicacies.

Younger members seek blessings from elders through Nuakhai Juhar, while relatives, friends and community members exchange greetings and take part in Nuakhai Bhetghat.

The festival also sees people living and working away from their hometowns return home to celebrate with their families. Homes are filled with traditional pitha and other festive delicacies, while community gatherings and cultural programmes add to the celebrations.

Nuakhai holds a special place in western Odisha, where the festival remains closely linked to agriculture, the new harvest, family ties and community traditions. Celebrations are taking place across districts including Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Subarnapur.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveils new DRDO industry initiatives

September 15, 2026 by India Verve Desk

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-industry collaboration should no longer be limited to production and must extend across research, design, testing, certification and manufacturing to transform India into a global hub for defence manufacturing.

Addressing ‘VIMARSH’, a DRDO-Industry Synergy Meet in New Delhi on Tuesday, Singh unveiled key policy initiatives aimed at lowering technical and financial entry barriers for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups.

The initiatives provide for direct funding, incubation support and dedicated access to DRDO testing facilities, according to an official statement.

The government also launched a standardised, secure framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source code with licensee industries. The framework is aimed at accelerating software-defined defence capabilities and addressing obsolescence management.

Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners in the presence of the minister, enabling commercial production of state-of-the-art systems.

Strategic Memoranda of Understanding were also formally exchanged with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and Laghu Udyog Bharati to expand industry outreach and encourage grass-roots participation.

DRDO also signed a contract with the Quality Council of India for the System for Advance Manufacturing Assessment and Rating version 2.0. The system will help benchmark the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.

Singh said the combined strengths of DRDO, industry, start-ups and the country’s youth could accelerate India’s defence capabilities. He noted that DRDO brings knowledge and technology, industry provides scale and manufacturing capability, start-ups contribute innovation and agility, while the youth carry the vision of a New India.

The minister also said the goal of Viksit Bharat was not limited to building an economically strong nation, but also included technological self-reliance, social inclusiveness, environmental sustainability and strategic security.

He further said India must achieve self-reliance in critical technologies by 2047, substantially increase indigenous content, achieve multi-fold growth in defence exports and establish a robust presence in global supply chains.

Singh also highlighted reforms undertaken in the defence sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including the Positive Indigenisation Lists, Make in India initiative, iDEX, ADITI and the decision to allocate 25% of the defence R&D budget to the private sector.

He said these measures were aimed at reducing import dependence and advancing self-reliance.

He noted that start-ups were receiving grants through the Technology Development Fund and that several technologies had already reached the production stage.

He also highlighted the role of iDEX in creating a defence innovation ecosystem in which start-ups develop solutions based on actual operational requirements.

Describing start-ups and MSMEs as new flag-bearers of innovation, Singh said they play a pivotal role in achieving Aatmanirbhar Bharat by developing components, sub-systems and advanced technologies for major defence systems.

He stressed the need to integrate them into the defence supply chain alongside large industries.

The new policy initiatives, according to Singh, focus on industry-led R&D, funding and mentorship for start-ups and MSMEs, academia-industry collaboration and investment in futuristic technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonics and directed energy.

Singh said India’s transition from a defence importer to an exporter offered significant opportunities for MSMEs and start-ups in areas including drone technology, AI and cyber security.

He stressed that MSMEs must maintain a consistent focus on quality, delivery, innovation and global standards while expanding partnerships with large companies.

He further said that technological self-reliance must become an integral part of India’s character and approach. Companies investing in emerging technologies today, he added, would be positioned to become tomorrow’s leaders, as technological leadership would determine strategic advantage in future warfare.

Speaking at the same venue, Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO Rajesh Kumar Singh said VIMARSH 2026, themed ‘Varta se Vikas’, had been designed to align cutting-edge commercial innovation with national defence readiness and systematically integrate private-sector capabilities into the defence ecosystem.

Blue Cloud joins IndiaAI Centre of Excellence as industry partner in Bhubaneswar

September 15, 2026 by Deepak Acharya

Bhubaneswar: Blue Cloud Softech Solutions Limited has received formal confirmation from Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), of its association as an Industry Partner for the IndiaAI Centre of Excellence (AI-CoE) proposed to be established in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

STPI has informed Hyderabad-based Blue Cloud that the proposal for setting up the AI-CoE in Odisha, which was recommended by the Odisha government, has received in-principle approval from MeitY.

STPI has also confirmed Blue Cloud’s association as Industry Partner and asked the company to initiate the process for executing a definitive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The proposed MoU will include Blue Cloud’s financial contribution of Rs 4 crore towards development of the Centre, along with its role in providing industry leadership, mentorship and strategic support to emerging AI startups.

The proposed AI-CoE is envisaged as a global platform for applied artificial intelligence innovation, startup incubation, capacity building and deployment of responsible and scalable AI solutions. Its priority sectors will include healthcare, governance, disaster management, education and industrial use cases.

On the advice of MeitY, the Centre will also focus on areas linked to Odisha’s geographical and developmental strengths, including oceanography, coastal fisheries, tidal and ocean energy, and women and child development.

STPI has earmarked approximately 10,000 square feet of built-up space, along with supporting infrastructure, exclusively for establishing and operating the Centre.

The Centre is being developed under the IndiaAI Mission, the Indian government’s national programme administered by MeitY to build sovereign AI compute infrastructure and a broad-based AI innovation ecosystem across the country. STPI has previously established sector-focused Centres of Excellence in emerging technologies in partnership with state governments and industry across India.

Blue Cloud’s role as Industry Partner will build on platforms it already operates across several of the Centre’s priority sectors. These include BluHealth, its non-invasive camera-based vitals screening platform for healthcare; Blura SAGA and SOCEYE for public safety and governance; and its Access Genie sovereign AI and 5G digital infrastructure stack.

The company said it intends to make these platforms, its engineering talent and its enterprise and government customer network available to startups incubated at the Centre. This is aimed at helping solutions developed in Bhubaneswar reach users at scale across India as well as Blue Cloud’s international markets.

Blue Cloud Group Chairman Tejesh Kumar Kodali said Odisha offered the kind of environment where applied AI could address real-world challenges in areas such as healthcare, disaster management, coastal fisheries and the ocean economy. He said the company’s commitment to the Centre would extend beyond its financial contribution, with Blue Cloud planning to provide its platforms, engineers and mentorship to startups coming through Bhubaneswar.

Kodali also said the company was honoured by the confidence placed in it by MeitY, STPI and the Government of Odisha.

Blue Cloud Managing Director and Group CEO Vinod Babu Bollikonda said the Centre of Excellence was a natural extension of the company’s existing work under the IndiaAI Mission and with governments across India and Africa. He said Blue Cloud would move quickly to execute the definitive MoU with STPI and expressed confidence that Bhubaneswar could become a reference point for industry, government and startups working together to build responsible AI.