Project Seabird is an initiative of the Indian Navy aimed at strengthening India’s naval infrastructure and maritime capabilities. Project Seabird Phase IIA focuses on expanding INS Kadamba naval base at Karwar, Karnataka. Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani and the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs inaugurated key utility infrastructure and residential facilities at the naval base. The naval base is located on India’s western coast along the Arabian Sea. The project spans over 11,000 acres, making INS Kadamba one of the largest naval bases in the Eastern Hemisphere.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, which measures innovation performance across economies worldwide. The 19th edition of the index ranks 139 economies and identifies the world’s top 100 innovation clusters. First published in 2007, the GII is considered a leading global reference for measuring innovation. The index tracks global innovation trends and evaluates the performance of economies in science, technology and innovation. India ranked 38th out of 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026. India ranked 1st among 36 lower-middle-income economies and 1st among 11 economies in Central and Southern Asia.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 in New Delhi. The three-day festival features 10 theatre groups presenting 11 plays at venues including the National School of Drama’s Abhimanch auditorium, LTG, Kamani and Shri Ram Centre. The festival is organised to promote cultural exchange, artistic expression and global harmony through theatre. It brings together theatre directors, artists, scholars, diplomats and representatives of BRICS member and partner countries. Participating countries are India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam, Iran, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia.

Robert Hall and Michael Woodford, both American economists, won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Economics for their work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation, according to the supplied report. The award is formally known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The prize carries an award amount of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately US$1.2 million, as reported). It was first awarded in 1969 and was established by Sweden’s central bank, rather than being one of the original five Nobel Prizes created under Alfred Nobel’s will.

The Indian Army launched ‘Bharat Rice’ to improve the quality and delivery of rations supplied to soldiers, including those stationed in remote areas of Ladakh and the Northeast. The initiative is spearheaded by the Directorate General of Supplies and Transport and involves coordination among the Army, Food Corporation of India (FCI), NAFED and the Department of Food and Public Distribution. The agreement will strengthen military logistics through additional storage, rapid mobilisation and forward positioning of essential supplies and equipment. The initiative follows lessons from Operation Sindoor and reflects a whole-of-government approach to strengthening operational preparedness and national security.