Driven by rapid digitisation, rise of fintech and increased government support, the rural lending landscape in India is undergoing a significant transformation, creating new opportunities for structured and efficient lending models and ensuring that credit reaches those who need it most, according to a new report.

The government initiatives such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and subsidised loan schemes continue to play a crucial role in supporting farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

The government has increased the subsidized KCC loan limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, benefiting approximately 7.7 crore farmers, including fishermen and dairy farmers

Actress Nushrratt Bharuccha has opened up about her 'extraordinary' experience working on the ‘Chhorii’ franchise.

As the much-anticipated sequel to the hit horror film is set to release soon, Bharuccha is excited for audiences to experience a whole new world in “Chhorii 2.” On Wednesday, the makers released a new poster featuring the actress on social media and captioned it, This time... It is darker and deeper...#Chhorii2 - Trailer out tomorrow #Chhorii2OnPrime, April 11.”

Expressing her excitement, Nushrratt said, “This film has been a journey like no other. I’m incredibly grateful for all the love Chhorii received, and I can’t wait for audiences to witness a whole new world of Chhorii 2!”

Ride-hailing major Uber on Wednesday announced the launch of a new service called ‘Uber for Teens’ in India, which, the company claimed, is designed to offer safe and reliable transportation options for teenagers aged 13 to 17 years in the country.

This service has been rolled out across 37 cities in the country, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, among others.

The service comes with a set of strict safety protocols, including GPS tracking, real-time ride tracking, and an in-app emergency button. “This is to ensure that both teens and their parents feel secure while using the service,” claimed the company.

Amid social media debate on Cyanocobalamin, a synthetic form of Vitamin B12, being toxic for humans, experts on Wednesday deemed Cyanocobalamin safe, and stressed the need to not miss the key vitamin linked to the brain, joints, and skin health.

A recent viral post on social media has raised alarm over the use of cyanocobalamin in Vitamin B12 supplements. The post claims that it is harmful due to its breakdown into cyanide -- a toxic substance -- and suggests using Methylcobalam instead. Methylcobalamin is a natural form of vitamin B12 and contains a methyl group.

Even as the post went viral, it raised several concerns, especially as consumption of Vitamin B12 is high in India.

In a major breakthrough, police in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam have arrested Firoz Khan, a fugitive terrorist wanted in connection with the Jaipur serial blast conspiracy, officials said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a Rs 5 lakh reward for information leading to his capture.

The arrest was made on the night of April 1 after intelligence indicated that Firoz Khan had returned home to celebrate Eid. A police team led by ASP Rakesh Khaka apprehended him and immediately informed the NIA.

The Jaipur serial blast conspiracy came to light on March 30, 2022, when Rajasthan Police arrested three terrorists -- Fakir Mohammed, Altamas Khan, and Sarfuddin alias Sefulla -- in Nimbahera. They were caught transporting 12 kg of RDX, allegedly meant for carrying out a series of explosions in Jaipur.

Actor Suriya has completed dubbing for his portions in director Karthik Subbaraj’s explosive action entertainer ‘Retro’.

On Wednesday, the makers of the film released a small video clip of Suriya making the announcement in a light-hearted way.

The clip, shot in the dubbing room, has Suriya saying,”Retro dubbing mudinchiduchu. Cut and Right! (Retro’s dubbing is done. Cut and Right!”

In no time, the clip went viral on social media.

The government has received a record Rs 74,016 crore as dividends from Central public sector enterprises in financial year 2024-25 which is 16 per cent higher than the corresponding figure of Rs 63,749.3 crore in 2023-24, according to the latest data compiled by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

The total dividend that has accrued to the Centre in the financial year ended on March 31, 2025, has also shot past the Budget's revised estimate of Rs 55,000 crore.

The highest contributors were Coal India Ltd at Rs 10,252 crore, followed by upstream giant Oil and Natural Gas Corp with a payment of Rs 10,002 crore and downstream oil marketing company Bharat Petroleum Corp with Rs 3,562.47 crore at the third position.

In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has averted a possible terror attack in the state with the arrest of an operative linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and recovered one hand grenade from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Jaiveer Tyagi, alias Jawed, a resident of Baroli Village in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP), who is currently residing in Ludhiana.

Returning to Indian Premier League (IPL) action after a gap of two years, former India pacer Prasidh Krishna has played a key role in Gujarat Titans' 36-run win over Mumbai Indians in their previous match and is excited about Wednesday's clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Another reason for Prasidh Krishna being so excited about the upcoming clash with RCB is that it will take him to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, his hometown and the ground on which he grew up. "It's great to come back home and play in the stadium that you've grown up playing in. It is exciting. The first game in Bangalore as well, so we're looking forward to how it's going to play out," said Prasidh in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

"The team is excited about how the tournament has started. We've done quite a few things well, we are trying to get better at a few things. So yeah, it is going to be exciting," said Prasidh Krishna, who claimed 2-18 in their last match against the Mumbai Indians.

Amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) of Ferozepur has busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 3.5 kg heroin from his possession, Director General of Police said on Tuesday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Sukhdev Singh, alias Sukhi, a resident of Mohan Ke Uttar village in Ferozepur district.

Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded his motorcycle, which he was riding.

DGP Yadav said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the accused was in direct contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler, who was using drones to drop drug consignments from across the border.

Further investigation is underway in this case, he added.