The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will introduce a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on selected UPI transactions from October 15, 2026. A 0.4% charge will apply to person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments above ₹2,000, capped at ₹300 per transaction. Payments involving railways, telecom, insurance and fuel will attract a flat ₹5 MDR above ₹2,000. Person-to-person (P2P) transfers and merchant payments up to ₹2,000 will remain free. Small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh monthly through UPI QR codes are also exempt. The MDR is intended to support the sustainability and infrastructure of India’s digital-payment ecosystem. 

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a public health alert against two Pakistan-made cosmetic products: Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream. Testing found both products were unauthorised for sale in India, lacked the required import registration certificates and contained heavy metals above specified limits, which could pose health risks, including toxic effects. CDSCO has advised consumers not to purchase or use the creams and directed sellers, distributors and other establishments not to sell, distribute or advertise them. Authorities have also been asked to prevent their sale. Consumers should check licence and registration details on imported cosmetics. (PC: Unsplash)

Eighty-one-year-old Asgar Ali Vora, a former schoolmate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has regained possession of a disputed 2,810-square-metre plot in Navghar, Bhayandar East. Vora had alleged that the land, purchased in 1989, was encroached upon and that forged documents were used to alter its ownership. He met PM Modi on September 8 and sought intervention in the long-running dispute. Days later, BJP MLA Narendra Mehta announced that he would relinquish possession of the disputed property, surrender its construction permission and withdraw a police complaint against Vora following a settlement. Maharashtra government officials also held a meeting involving both sides. (PC: India Today)

Kalyan Bainsla, the accused driver in the Gurugram hit-and-run case involving a woman biker on Golf Course Road, allegedly tried to escape police custody on Tuesday. Police said Bainsla sought permission to urinate and then attempted to flee, but fell and suffered minor injuries before being caught. He was given first aid at a hospital and taken back into custody. Bainsla, 33, was arrested a day earlier from Rajasthan along with his cousin. Police have added an attempt-to-murder charge against him after reviewing CCTV footage, alleging he intended to hit the woman with his car. 

The government will levy a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI payments to merchants above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. The finance ministry clarified the charge applies only to person-to-merchant transactions and will be capped at Rs 300 for payments of Rs 75,000 and above. Consumers will not be charged. Essential sectors like railways, telecom, insurance, fuel, and education fees will pay a flat Rs 5 per transaction instead. Payments below Rs 2,000, rural and semi-urban QR transactions remain fully exempt. Officials say only about 4% of merchant transactions will actually attract the new fee. (PC: X)

An IndiGo flight from Agartala to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow on Tuesday after a “smoke warning” was reported in the cargo area. Flight 6E6504 landed safely at Lucknow Airport at 6:29 pm. The flight was carrying 103 passengers and six crew members. Emergency teams were deployed after landing, and all passengers received assistance. No untoward incident was reported. IndiGo has not yet issued an official statement. The incident comes days after another IndiGo flight made an emergency landing in Ahmedabad after a note claiming there was a bomb was found onboard. The bomb threat was later investigated.  

The government has announced a new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for select UPI transactions, under which merchants will pay a fee on person-to-merchant (P2M) payments above Rs 2,000, while consumers will continue to use UPI free of charge. The new framework will take effect from October 15, 2026. Under the standard P2M structure, a 0.4% MDR will apply to UPI transactions above Rs 2,000. For transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, the MDR will be capped at Rs 300 per transaction. The charge will be paid by merchants to acquiring banks and cannot be passed on to customers. Thus, consumers will not bear the fee directly when making UPI payments. (PC: Getty Images)

A 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) may be charged on UPI payments above ₹2,000 made to merchants, according to a new proposal. The move is aimed at helping banks and payment companies cover the cost of handling UPI transactions. The proposed charge would apply to merchant payments, while person-to-person transfers would remain free. The government has not yet taken a final decision on introducing the charge. UPI has become one of India’s most widely used payment methods, with millions of transactions made every day. The proposal could affect businesses that receive large-value payments through UPI.

Gurugram Police have arrested Kalyan Bainsla, the driver accused of ramming his car into woman biker Shivani Chauhan (Sia) on Golf Course Road, along with his cousin Lavnish Gurjar. Both were detained in Dausa, Rajasthan, on Tuesday, days after Sunday's incident went viral. CCTV footage showed Bainsla's white sedan swerving into Sia's Aprilia RS 457, throwing her off the bike. Police added an attempt-to-murder charge, carrying up to 10 years in prison. Bainsla had earlier claimed he didn't know the rider was a woman, a claim Sia has strongly disputed, alleging the attack was deliberate and premeditated. (PC: HT)

Pakistan has raised its bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar from PKR 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh, listing him as a fugitive in its 2026 Red Book of most-wanted terrorists. India has dismissed the move as a "phoney announcement", calling it a smokescreen timed ahead of the FATF plenary in October to avoid the grey list. New Delhi says Indian intelligence assessments over the past six months show Azhar is actually hiding in Nawabshah, Sindh, contradicting Pakistan's long-standing claim that he fled to Afghanistan. Azhar remains wanted for the Parliament attack, 26/11, Pathankot and Pulwama bombings.