MHA requests input from stakeholders and suggests a CEO and more CEO positions for I4C.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited comments from stakeholders on a proposal to create new senior leadership positions in the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The proposal includes one Chief Executive Officer (CEO) post and three Additional Chief Executive Officer (Additional CEO) posts to strengthen India's cybercrime prevention and response system. According to the draft recruitment rules, the CEO post will be at Pay Matrix Level-15 (equivalent to Additional Secretary rank), while the three Additional CEO posts will be at Pay Matrix Level-14 (Senior Administrative Grade). These positions will function under the Cyber and Information Security (CIS) Division of the MHA and are expected to improve strategic planning, coordination, and administration within I4C. The MHA has asked all stakeholders to submit their suggestions and comments by August 14, 2026. After reviewing the feedback, the ministry will finalize the recruitment rules. The appointments will be made on a deputation basis under the Non-Central Staffing Scheme and will not come under the jurisdiction of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Instead, the appointments will be approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) based on recommendations from a Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by the Union Home Secretary. The proposed eligibility criteria require candidates to have a bachelor's degree along with significant experience in areas such as cyber security, cybercrime investigation, cyber forensics, information and communication technology (ICT), or internal security. The move is intended to strengthen I4C's leadership structure and enhance India's capacity to tackle the growing threat of cybercrime through better coordination and expert management.  

Indias New Ambassador to North Korea is Sanjeev Jain.

The Government of India has appointed Sanjeev Jain as the country's next Ambassador to the North Korea. The appointment was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on 7 July 2026. Jain is expected to assume his new diplomatic responsibilities in Pyongyang shortly.Sanjeev Jain is a 2008-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Before this appointment, he was serving as India's Ambassador to the Cabo Verde. During his diplomatic career, he has handled several important international assignments, giving him extensive experience in foreign policy, bilateral relations, and multilateral diplomacy.His appointment comes at an important time for India's engagement with North Korea. Although India maintains limited diplomatic and economic relations with Pyongyang because of international sanctions and security concerns, New Delhi has continued to keep diplomatic communication channels open through its embassy in the North Korean capital.India's embassy in Pyongyang resumed normal diplomatic activities after a prolonged disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. The appointment of a new ambassador reflects India's intention to maintain a regular diplomatic presence while carefully balancing its broader strategic interests in the Korean Peninsula.The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Sanjeev Jain will take up the assignment shortly. His role will include managing India's diplomatic relations with North Korea, monitoring regional developments, assisting Indian interests, and representing India on political and humanitarian issues wherever required.India continues to support peace, stability, and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula while maintaining stronger economic and strategic partnerships with South Korea. The appointment of Sanjeev Jain underscores India's commitment to sustaining diplomatic engagement with all countries in the region despite complex geopolitical challenges.  

Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, Receives a One Year Extension

The Central Government has approved a one-year extension for Vikram Misri as India's Foreign Secretary, allowing him to continue in office until July 14, 2027. The decision was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) under the provisions of Fundamental Rule 56(d), which permits extensions for select senior government officials in the national interest. Vikram Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, assumed charge as Foreign Secretary in July 2024. During his tenure, he has overseen India's diplomatic engagements on several critical global issues, including relations with neighboring countries, strategic partnerships with major powers, and India's participation in multilateral forums. His extension reflects the government's confidence in his leadership and diplomatic experience. Before becoming Foreign Secretary, Misri served as Deputy National Security Adviser and held ambassadorial assignments in China, Spain, and Myanmar. He is particularly recognized for his expertise on China and played a significant role in managing diplomatic engagement following the India-China border tensions after the Galwan Valley clashes. His long diplomatic career has earned him a reputation as one of India's most experienced foreign policy experts. One of the unique aspects of Misri's career is that he has served as Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers—I. K. Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi. This rare distinction highlights the trust successive governments have placed in his administrative and diplomatic capabilities. The extension comes at a time when India is navigating an increasingly complex international environment marked by geopolitical competition, regional security concerns, and expanding global partnerships. Maintaining continuity in the leadership of the Ministry of External Affairs is expected to help sustain ongoing diplomatic initiatives and negotiations across multiple regions.  

The CBDT has reappointed Ravi Agrawal as chairman, extending his term to December 2026.

The Union Government has reappointed Ravi Agrawal as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), extending his tenure until December 31, 2026. The decision was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), ensuring that Agrawal will continue to lead India's apex direct tax administration body for another six months on a contractual basis. Ravi Agrawal, a 1988-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, first assumed charge as CBDT Chairman on July 1, 2024. Although he had reached the age of superannuation, the government has continued to retain his services through successive extensions, highlighting its confidence in his leadership and experience. The CBDT plays a crucial role in formulating direct tax policies, administering the Income Tax Department, strengthening tax compliance, and improving taxpayer services. Under Agrawal's leadership, the department has focused on expanding digital tax administration, simplifying compliance procedures, and enhancing transparency in tax collection. The latest extension comes at a time when the government is working to sustain strong growth in direct tax collections and improve the efficiency of tax administration. Retaining the existing leadership is expected to ensure continuity in ongoing reforms, including the use of technology, data analytics, and taxpayer-friendly initiatives. Officials believe that extending Agrawal's tenure will help maintain stability in policymaking as the government pursues broader fiscal and revenue objectives. His continued leadership is also expected to support the implementation of pending tax reforms and strengthen coordination between the CBDT and the Ministry of Finance. The reappointment reflects the Centre's emphasis on continuity and experienced leadership in one of India's most important financial institutions. With his tenure now extended until the end of December 2026, Ravi Agrawal will continue to oversee the country's direct tax administration and contribute to policies aimed at improving tax compliance, boosting revenue collection, and enhancing taxpayer services.  

Siddaramaiah became a member of the CWC

New Delhi: Siddaramaiah, the departing chief minister of Karnataka, was named a member of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday night by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. His appointment occurred just one day before his replacement, DK Shivakumar, took the oath of office as chief minister of Karnataka, indicating the party leadership's desire to make fun of him.Siddaramaiah's record-long tenure of more than eight years across two terms as chief minister came to an end mere days after he resigned. On the eve of DK Shivakumar, his longtime competitor and now-former deputy, taking the oath of office as the new chief minister, he was also appointed as a member of the CWC. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah engaged in a protracted internal conflict over the position, frequently making subtle jabs at one another.  

The Supreme Court will now have 37 judges after adding five new members

additional Delhi: The Supreme Court will now have 37 judges, one less than the revised sanctioned strength of 38, with the appointment of five additional judges on Monday.Senior Supreme Court lawyer Venkita Subramani Mohana, Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar of the Bombay High Court, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Chief Justice Arun Palli of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court have all been promoted as top court judges, according to separate notifications released by the Union Law Ministry's Department of Justice on Monday morning. Last month, the government issued an order that amended a law to boost the supreme court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. Although there were already two open positions, the apex court now has six open positions after the sanctioned strength was expanded.The nominations were made in four days after the Supreme Court Collegium suggested the five candidates on May 27. PTI  

Senior Advocate V Mohana is among the five new judges recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium

XFollowing the recent increase in the court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by the Honorable Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has proposed the appointment of the five new judges to the highest court. Senior counsel V Mohana and the four Chief Justices of the High Court have contributed to this recommendation. After Justice Indu Malhotra, V Mohana will be the second woman directly selected from the bar to the Supreme Court, making her elevation genuinely historic.The number of Supreme Court judges has increased to 38. The Honorable President recently issued an act expanding the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38. The action was intended to address the Increasing the number of pending cases The burden of judges Quicker case resolution The collegium has suggested the five new appointments to cover the extra openings as a result of this enlargement. The Supreme Court will have 37 judges instead of just 32 if it is accepted, leaving just one vacancy.Which Judges Are Suggested? The following names have been suggested by the collegium: Sheel Nagu, Justice Senior Advocate V. Mohana, Justices Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, and Arun Palli  

The Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions has appointed Raghav Chadha as its chairman

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been appointed chairman of the Committee on Petitions after the Upper House reconstituted the panel. The move gives the young parliamentarian a significant parliamentary responsibility in India’s legislative framework.The Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions will now be chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha. The Upper House reorganized the committee and gave the Raghav Chadha significant legislative authority before making its judgment.After Rajya Sabha head C. P. Radhakrishnan reconstituted the committee, Raghav Chadha was named head of the Committee on Petitions. Chadha now has a significant parliamentary function in managing citizen petitions pertaining to legislative and public policy issues. Parliamentary committees are crucial to democratic accountability and legislative scrutiny, which makes this development significant. One of the key parliamentary committees is the Committee on Petitions, which reviews citizen petitions pertaining to legislation, public complaints, policy issues, and things that need the attention of the Parliament. Among its primary duties are the Examining petitions submitted to the Rajya Sabha Analyzing citizen complaints related to government Suggestions for remedial actions Encouraging public involvement in parliamentary democracy Increasing governance's responsibility The committee serves as the official avenue through which citizens can bring up matters with Parliament directly.  

At tomorrows 19th Rozgar Mela, PM Modi will hand out more than 51,000 appointment letters.

At the 19th Rozgar Mela tomorrow morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will use video conference to deliver over 51,000 appointment letters to recently hired youth in various government ministries and organizations. On this occasion, Mr. Modi will also speak to the crowd. There will be 47 locations nationwide during the 19th Rozgar Mela. The Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Financial Services, Department of Higher Education, and other Ministries and Departments of the Government of India will employ the recently recruited candidates, who were chosen from all over India. The Rozgar Mela is a significant effort to make this vision a reality, in keeping with the Prime Minister's pledge to prioritize creating jobs. Approximately 12 lakh recruiting letters have been sent out through 18 Rozgar Melas held nationwide since the program's founding.  

India Ambassador to Oman is Prashant Pise

Prashant Pise, a seasoned diplomat, has been named India's new ambassador to Oman. Currently holding the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, he is an officer in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).Prashant Pise, a prominent diplomat from India, has been named ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. Currently holding the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Prashant is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official.Prashant Pise has been appointed as India's next ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1995 batch who would take Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas' seat. India's envoy in Muscat is Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas, a prominent diplomat from the 1993 IFS batch.Prashant Pise is a highly experienced diplomat with decades of experience in Indian foreign policy and international relations. His diplomatic career includes important overseas assignments and policy roles. His first overseas posting was in Cairo, Egypt, from 1997 to 2000, where he gained early diplomatic experience in a crucial geopolitical region. He then served in Tripoli, Libya, until 2004, further expanding his engagement in the Middle East and North Africa before returning to New Delhi and serving as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs from 2004 to 2006. He has held important policy positions and international deployments during his diplomatic career. From 1997 to 2000, he got his first overseas assignment in Cairo, Egypt, where he acquired early diplomatic experience in a significant geopolitical area. Later, he expanded his involvement in the Middle East and North Africa while serving in Tripoli, Libya, until 2004. He returned to New Delhi and served as the Ministry of External Affairs' Deputy Secretary from 2004 to 2006.He led the Indian delegation at the 8th Ministerial Consultations of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in Dubai in February 2026, demonstrating his ongoing involvement in labor mobility and international migration diplomacy. Prior to this new appointment, he served as Additional Secretary (Emigration Policy and Welfare) in the Ministry of External Affairs. This role is significant because it deals with overseas areas like Indian welfare, migration frameworks, and worker protection issues that are closely linked to Gulf nations where sizable Indian communities reside and work. This position is crucial because it deals with international issues that are closely related to the Gulf nations where sizable Indian communities reside and work, such as worker protection, Indian welfare, and migration frameworks. He headed the Indian delegation to the 8th Ministerial Consultations of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in Dubai in February 2026, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to international migration diplomacy and labor mobility.  

Indias Ambassador to Oman is Prashant Pise.

Prashant Pise, a seasoned diplomat, has been named India's new ambassador to Oman. Currently holding the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, he is an officer in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).Prashant Pise, a prominent diplomat from India, has been named ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. Currently holding the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Prashant is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official.Prashant Pise has been appointed as India's next ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1995 batch who would take Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas' seat. India's envoy in Muscat is Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas, a prominent diplomat from the 1993 IFS batch.Prashant Pise is a highly experienced diplomat with decades of experience in Indian foreign policy and international relations. His diplomatic career includes important overseas assignments and policy roles. His first overseas posting was in Cairo, Egypt, from 1997 to 2000, where he gained early diplomatic experience in a crucial geopolitical region. He then served in Tripoli, Libya, until 2004, further expanding his engagement in the Middle East and North Africa before returning to New Delhi and serving as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs from 2004 to 2006. He has held important policy positions and international deployments during his diplomatic career. From 1997 to 2000, he got his first overseas assignment in Cairo, Egypt, where he acquired early diplomatic experience in a significant geopolitical area. Later, he expanded his involvement in the Middle East and North Africa while serving in Tripoli, Libya, until 2004. He returned to New Delhi and served as the Ministry of External Affairs' Deputy Secretary from 2004 to 2006.He led the Indian delegation at the 8th Ministerial Consultations of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in Dubai in February 2026, demonstrating his ongoing involvement in labor mobility and international migration diplomacy. Prior to this new appointment, he served as Additional Secretary (Emigration Policy and Welfare) in the Ministry of External Affairs. This role is significant because it deals with overseas areas like Indian welfare, migration frameworks, and worker protection issues that are closely linked to Gulf nations where sizable Indian communities reside and work. This position is crucial because it deals with international issues that are closely related to the Gulf nations where sizable Indian communities reside and work, such as worker protection, Indian welfare, and migration frameworks. He headed the Indian delegation to the 8th Ministerial Consultations of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue in Dubai in February 2026, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to international migration diplomacy and labor mobility.  

Govt Very Much With Startups, Fintechs: FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday assured the startup community of the central government's unwavering support amidst regulatory scrutiny faced by some of the country's leading startups in recent times.Addressing concerns raised by startups, particularly in the Fintech sector, during a media event in Bengaluru, Sitharaman stressed the importance of regular support and clarifications from regulators to facilitate innovation without being bogged down by governance and compliance issues. Sitharaman revealed that she had a meeting with combined representatives of many startups a “couple of days ago” to understand the concerns after they wrote a letter to the FM. She acknowledged the anxieties expressed by startups during a recent interaction and said, “I’ve had an interaction with startups, particularly the Fintech ones, to understand with what anxiety they wrote that letter to me. It was a fantastic conversation.” She said that there was a need for startups to have dedicated support teams for compliance matters, ensuring that innovation efforts remain unhindered. “I was very glad they voiced the concerns and they may indirectly come out of what is happening. But the regulators were all there with me and they have really understood and they've connected with them,” Sitharaman remarked. “Let me be upfront and say the concerns were not emanating from Paytm’s issues. It was more on regular support that they may need from the regulators, clarifications, which are periodically required, because their core business is not governance and compliance related issues,” she added.It is believed that this meeting had happened in the wake of the RBI’s action against Paytm Payments Bank, which has heightened attention on regulatory compliance within the fintech startups in India. The meeting saw representatives from various prominent entities in both the private and public sectors in attendance. Among those representing the private sector were individuals from notable companies such as Policybazaar, MakeMyTrip, Razorpay, PhonePe, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, CRED and venture capital firm PeakXV. Additionally, key figures from the public sector, including SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara and officials from NPCI, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda, were reportedly also present. During the Bengaluru event, the Finance Minister said she had proposed practical solutions to address startup concerns, suggesting monthly virtual conferences with regulators like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Sitharaman said, “I did tell the RBI that once in a month on a dedicated day, they should do a virtual conference with startups, particularly Fintechs, so that they can answer questions and after that put that as a FAQ, so that others who did not attend, can (still) benefit from it.” Sitharaman reassured startups that the government stands firmly behind them and said, “The government is very much with these startups. We want you to be assured that you will be given all assistance." She ended by stressing on the need to simplify compliances and provide necessary assistance to ensure a conducive environment for startups to thrive. Earlier on Wednesday, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced an elaborate framework for a 'regulatory sandbox,' aimed at creating a secure environment for emerging fintech startups to experiment with their product ideas before launching them in the market. In a statement issued by RBI, the central bank said that a sandbox setup will enable regulatory authorities to collaborate with startups and formulate regulations that foster innovation, thereby facilitating the provision of cost-effective financial products. The oversight of this sandbox initiative will be under the purview of the fintech division within the RBI.