The Election Commission of India has initiated EVM-VVPAT commissioning for the upcoming Tamil Nadu and West Bengal phase-1 assembly elections scheduled for 2026, marking the formal start of election machinery preparation. The process is being conducted in the presence of candidates or their authorised representatives alongside General Observers, per ECI's release. EVM-VVPAT commissioning is a standardised pre-election procedural step in which electronic voting machines and voter-verifiable paper audit trail units are tested, verified, and allocated to specific polling stations under multi-party observation. The multi-stakeholder presence is designed to establish transparency and prevent post-election disputes over machine integrity. Candidate representatives can flag irregularities on the spot, creating an early checkpoint before deployment. The phase-1 West Bengal and Tamil Nadu polls represent two of India's most electorally significant states by seat count and voter base, making the integrity of this commissioning phase a closely watched procedural benchmark ahead of formal campaign escalation.
India's government plans to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act to restore UPI merchant discount rates, ending the zero-MDR regime in place since January 2020.
India's government has introduced the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing changes to payments regulation, income tax, and the Finance Act to attract FDI and support Make in India. The Bill's final shape will depend on parliamentary debate and committee review.
The government's Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes to replace the blanket UPI MDR ban with a system allowing the Centre to notify which payment modes stay fee-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 5,000 crore Bhogapuram greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh, built under a public-private partnership model. He also laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in the state, signalling a broad investment push for the region.
