Business
Govt to further strengthen Jan-Dhan Yojana as it completes 7 years of implementation
Government proposes to further strengthen its national mission on financial inclusion under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) by extending facilities for micro insurance including life and accident cover for all account holders under the scheme.
In its eighth year of operation, the Union government is set to further enrich the scheme by bringing account holders under digital transaction platform by including RuPay debit card usage amongst PMJDY accountholders through creation of acceptance infrastructure across India.
Also, improved access will be provided to PMJDY account holders to Micro-credit and micro investment such as flexi-recurring deposit, etc.
The enhanced are being looked at for extending the reach of this financial inclusion programme that has grown in size over the years with total PMJDY accounts standing at 43.04 crore as of August 18. Out of this, 36.86 crore (85.6 per cent) accounts with only 8.2 per cent PMJDY accounts being zero balance accounts.
The total deposit balances under PMJDY Accounts stand at Rs 1,46,230 crore. Deposits in these have increased about 6.38 times with an increase in accounts 2.4 times between August 2015 and August 21.
“The journey of PMJDY-led interventions undertaken over a short span of 7 years has in effect, produced both transformational as well as directional change thereby making the emerging FI ecosystem capable of delivering financial services to the last person of the society-the poorest of the poor. The underlying pillars of PMJDY, namely, Banking the Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured and Funding the Unfunded has made it possible to adopt multi-stakeholders’ collaborative approach while leveraging technology for serving the unserved and underserved areas as well,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on the seventh anniversary of PMJDY.
PMJDY, which is one of the biggest financial inclusion initiatives in the world, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on 15th August 2014. While launching the programme on 28th August, the Prime Minister had described the occasion as a festival to celebrate the liberation of the poor from a vicious cycle.
Going ahead the government is looking at further strengthening the scheme with new additions. “Endeavour is to ensure coverage of PMJDY account holders under micro insurance schemes. Eligible PMJDY accountholders will be sought to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (life cover) PMJJBY and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (accident insurance) PMSBY,” a finance ministry statement said.
Jandhan provides an avenue to the poor for bringing their savings into the formal financial system, an avenue to remit money to their families in villages besides taking them out of the clutches of the usurious money lenders. PMJDY has brought the unbanked into the banking system, expanded the financial architecture of India and brought financial inclusion to almost every adult, the statement added.
As informed by banks, about 5 crore PMJDY accountholders receive direct benefit transfer (DBT) from the Government under various schemes.To ensure that the eligible beneficiaries receive their DBT in time, the finance ministry takes active role in identification of avoidable reasons for DBT failures in consultation with DBT Mission, NPCI, banks and various other Ministries. With close monitoring in this regard through regular VCs with banks and NPCI, the share of DBT failures due to avoidable reasons as a percentage of total DBT failures has decreased from 13.5 per cent (FY 19-20) to 5.7 per cent (FY 20-21), the finance ministry said.
Business
Govt asks Meta to review Facebook and Instagram recommendation systems

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked technology giant firm Meta to review the content recommendation and ranking systems that power Facebook and Instagram, stepping up regulatory scrutiny of how social media algorithms amplify information in India, according to multiple reports.
In an advisory issued to the company, the ministry had asked Meta to ensure that its recommendation systems do not lead to the disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives and instead provide greater access to diverse, relevant and credible information, according to them.
The ministry also directed Meta to strengthen mechanisms for rapidly identifying, reviewing and escalating content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems when such material has the potential to contribute to public confusion, violence or disruption of public order.
Apart from that, the US-based company has been asked to implement the measures immediately and inform the government of the action taken.
The advisory specifically highlights photographs, videos and graphics related to ongoing public events where the authenticity, timing, location or surrounding circumstances may be unclear.
It calls for additional context where old or unrelated visuals are presented as current, where footage has been selectively edited or where unverified claims are made regarding emergencies, police action or other official measures.
Additionally, this marks the latest escalation in the government’s scrutiny of Meta’s moderation and recommendation systems.
Earlier in August, government officials questioned Meta executives over content recommendation algorithms, deepfakes, synthetic media and safeguards against unlawful content.
Meta has separately tightened content and advertising safeguards following concerns related to child sexual exploitation material.
The company said earlier this month it deployed new AI-driven advertising review systems and removed 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content in India during January-June 2026, with more than 98% detected proactively.
Business
Sensex, Nifty open flat amid mixed global cues

Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a flat note on Monday tracking mixed global cues and momentum from last week’s gains.
Sensex opened at 74,849.30, up 120.03 points or 0.16 per cent, while Nifty began trading at 23,150.85, up 4.70 points or 0.02 per cent.
Sectorally, Nifty PSU Bank led gains and rose over 1 per cent, followed by Nifty Oil & Gas which surged 0.6 per cent.
In contrast, Nifty Private Bank, Nifty IT and Nifty Chemicals dropped up to 1 per cent.
Market experts said momentum from Nifty’s 2.8 per cent surge last week and good results from banking majors after better-than-expected IT earnings could keep the market resilient.
“However, escalation of tensions in Hormuz and consequent surge in Brent crude to $109 will act as a strong headwind,” according to them.
They further said that attractive large-cap valuations and rupee appreciation turned FII stance slightly positive, though unlikely to sustain at high crude prices. Large-caps outperforming mid and small-caps is likely to continue, with stock-specific action on Q2 results.
For Nifty, immediate support is placed at 22,950–23,000, while resistance is seen at 23,250–23,300, the experts said and added that RSI strengthened to 52.81 above its average of 34.70, while PCR stood at 1.08.
In the previous session on October 16, FIIs turned net buyers after 15 straight sessions of selling, buying equities worth about Rs 1,166 crore, while DIIs ended their 45-session buying streak with net sales of around Rs 3,661 crore.
On commodities, Brent crude traded nearly 2 per cent lower at around $107.76 per barrel, while US WTI declined about 1 per cent to $100.43.
In Asia, markets were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei traded 0.84 per cent lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and South Korea’s KOSPI rose up to 0.83 per cent. Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite fell over 5 per cent.
Business
India-EFTA trade pact opens new opportunities for Norwegian investment across key sectors

India’s strong economic growth trajectory and the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) are creating significant opportunities for Norwegian investors, particularly in manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, financial services and the digital economy, according to industry insights.
With GDP growth projected to remain around 6.5 per cent annually through 2030, India is widely expected to become the world’s third-largest economy by the end of the decade, according to EY India report.
Analysts attribute this outlook to strong domestic consumption, rising investments, ongoing infrastructure development and reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business.
The India-EFTA TEPA, which came into effect in October 2025, is being viewed as a major milestone in India-Norway economic relations.
The agreement seeks to promote trade liberalisation, facilitate investment flows and deepen cooperation in areas such as innovation, sustainability and advanced technologies.
The pact includes investment commitments of $100 billion over 15 years and is expected to support the creation of one million direct jobs in India, aligning with the country’s broader goals of expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening its position in global value chains.
Industry experts believe the agreement creates a strong framework for Norwegian companies to expand their presence in India by combining Norway’s expertise in technology, sustainability and capital-intensive industries with India’s large market and growth ambitions.
Several sectors have been identified as priority areas for collaboration, including manufacturing, renewable energy, oil and gas, maritime services, seafood processing, information and communication technology (ICT), fintech and financial services. These industries are expected to benefit from increasing bilateral cooperation under the TEPA framework.
The rapid expansion of India’s digital economy and digital payments ecosystem is also creating opportunities for Norwegian companies seeking exposure to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.
At the same time, India’s policy measures aimed at attracting foreign investment are expected to provide a supportive environment for long-term investors, as per the report.
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