KPM Analytics Introduces UCAL™ 5, a Guided NIR Calibration Platform for SpectraStar™ XT Analyzer Users

New NIR calibration platform for SpectraStar™ XT analyzers reviews every calibration against ASTM and ISO recommendations as the user works, builds a comparison calibration automatically, and teaches with built-in lessons. A 30-day free trial of UCAL 5 Pro is available today.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KPM Analytics today announced UCAL 5, a near-infrared (NIR) calibration customization platform for SpectraStar XT Series analyzers. Its patent-pending guided workflow lets users start from KPM calibration libraries with spectra, add their own samples, and publish a calibration for their own products in four steps. As they work, UCAL Insight™ reviews the data, calibration, and validation results using recommendations from ASTM E1655 and ISO 12099 for developing and validating NIR calibrations. It highlights items the user may want to check before publishing the calibration.

UCAL 5 comes in three editions: Lite, currently included with new SpectraStar XT analyzers, which provides guided calibration development with the essential methods and tools; Pro for the analyst who builds and maintains calibrations; and Enterprise for teams that share projects on a company server.

A reviewer, a builder, and a coach inside the platform

In practice, a user imports spectra and laboratory values, builds the calibration in the Workbench, and sees UCAL Insight’s marks on the screen as each step is completed. With UCAL Autopilot switched on, the software builds its own calibration alongside the user’s from the same data, and the two appear side by side with the settings that differ. The lessons open from inside the software whenever they are needed.

UCAL Insight is the reviewer. At each step it checks whether there are enough samples, how well the laboratory values cover the required range, and whether new samples confirm the calibration. Each point is marked green, yellow, or red with an explanation of what it means and what to check. They are suggestions, not rules: the user always decides.

UCAL Autopilot™ is the builder. It tries several methods, presents the best, and lists every setting that differs from the user’s choices. After validation, the user compares the two calibrations property by property and decides which to publish.

Built-in lessons are the coach. Fifteen lessons inside the software explain what a calibration is, how it is judged, and why calibrations go wrong, then walk through the real UCAL 5 screens, from adding spectra to publishing a validated calibration. A separate introduction helps experienced UCAL 4 users move over. No previous calibration experience is needed.

“Most calibrations do not fail because the math is wrong. They fail because the samples did not cover the range, or because nobody checked the calibration against new samples before it went on the instrument,” said Yuegang Zhao, President of KPM Lab Solutions and Chief Commercial Officer at KPM Analytics. “UCAL 5 puts those checks in front of the user at every step, in the language of the standards the industry already trusts.”

Start from a proven KPM calibration

The KPM Analytics Web Store offers over 250 calibrations built and maintained by KPM’s application laboratories for food, feed, and agricultural products, from alfalfa hay and canola meal to cheddar cheese. They are sold by the property measured, such as moisture or protein, or in one of 15 ready-made bundles. A calibration is ready to use: it loads directly onto a SpectraStar XT analyzer, for one instrument or as a single file for a full fleet. Optionally, the same calibration can be bought as a calibration library with its spectra. The library opens in UCAL 5, where users add their own samples and keep the calibration current for their own products. The result is published as the user’s own calibration and loaded onto one analyzer or the whole fleet, like any KPM calibration.

“Our calibration library represents many years of application work with food, feed, and agricultural products,” said Zhao. “UCAL 5 is how a customer takes one of those calibrations and makes it their own.”

Four steps from data to a published calibration

UCAL 5 works in four steps: collect the data; clean the data and build the calibration in the Workbench; validate it against samples it has not seen; and combine and publish the final calibration. Every adjustment is saved apart from the original files, so any decision can be reversed. Users can try different settings on the same data, compare all results in one table, and publish the best result for each property as a single calibration file. Projects can be reopened and updated as crops, suppliers, and processes change. Through KPMLink® cloud-based management software, a finished calibration can be loaded onto every connected SpectraStar XT analyzer in the organization.

Editions for individual users and laboratory teams

UCAL 5 Lite provides guided calibration development: the lessons, UCAL Insight, UCAL Autopilot, and four calibration methods, with up to 500 samples per calibration from the user’s own files and no limit from KPM library files. It is currently included with new SpectraStar XT analyzers, available at an introductory price to other SpectraStar XT owners, and upgrades to Pro with a license key.

UCAL 5 Pro gives one analyst the full toolset: 18 calibration methods, including Modified PLS and three neural networks; advanced tools for sample selection and instrument standardization; and no limit on samples, so laboratories can build from years of historical data.

UCAL 5 Enterprise brings Pro to large teams. It installs on a company server, is used through a web browser, and is licensed per user, so data stays on the organization’s network. Each project can be private or shared.

UCAL 5 opens UCAL 4 files directly, and calibrations already on SpectraStar XT analyzers give the same results, so UCAL 4 users move their work without losing anything; they can upgrade to UCAL 5 Pro at a discount. Pro and Enterprise licenses include yearly maintenance for new versions. All editions are available in 11 languages.

Availability

A 30-day free trial of UCAL 5 Pro, Lite licenses, and calibrations are available today for current SpectraStar XT Series Analyzer users at https://store.kpmanalytics.com/join. Pro and Enterprise licenses are available now from KPM Analytics and its authorized distributors. See UCAL 5 in action at https://www.kpmanalytics.com/lp/ucal-5 or contact sales@kpmanalytics.com. 

About KPM Analytics

KPM Analytics is a global leader in scientific instrumentation, providing analytical and vision inspection solutions to laboratories and industrial operators in the food, feed, agriculture, industrial, and environmental sectors. KPM products have a long history of helping companies secure product quality, optimize production processes, and make confident, data-driven decisions through reliable solutions, supported by dedicated application expertise and local service. Visit https://www.kpmanalytics.com to learn more.

Media contacts:

Andy Dambeck

Product Marketing Manager

+1 774-399-0477

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USTA and IBM Announce Five-Year Renewal of Longstanding Partnership

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The USTA and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a five-year renewal of their longstanding and trailblazing partnership that will see IBM serve as the Official AI and Cloud Partner of the US Open through 2031. The renewal comes following the 2026 US Open which saw record engagement for its IBM-powered digital platforms, reaching more than 270 million total engagements across USOpen.org and the US Open app combined. 

“For 35 years, IBM and the USTA have worked together to redefine how technology can bring fans closer to the game,” said Kameryn Stanhouse, Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Partnerships, IBM. “This renewal builds on that legacy, bringing IBM technology to the next generation of the US Open fan experience. It’s also a powerful example of what’s possible when organizations turn complex data into meaningful experiences that create more value for their audiences.”

From the launch of USOpen.org in 1995 to the introduction of the mobile app in 2009, and this year’s debut of Live Updates, Key Moments, and Serve Quality, IBM and the USTA have collaborated for more than three decades, today delivering a world-class platform that provides unparalleled, first-of-its-kind fan experiences through hybrid cloud and AI technologies.

“Our partnership with IBM has produced decades of groundbreaking innovation for the US Open and for our fans,” said Brian Ryerson, Senior Director, Digital Strategy, USTA. “Every year we utilize cutting-edge technology to not only push the boundaries of digital engagement but to provide our fans the most useful and interesting ways to connect with our sport. We’re grateful for everything our partnership with IBM has produced and I’m very excited to see where our work goes over the next five years.”

The digital results were part of a record-setting year for the US Open. More than 1.2 million fans attended across all three weeks, including more than 300,000 during Fan Week. The USTA reported that the US Open’s owned and operated social channels generated more than 3.9 billion interactions, including engagements and video views, up 26 percent over 2025. ESPN’s coverage across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC achieved its best viewership since 2022, with the women’s and men’s singles championships combining to average 3 million viewers. Worldwide, the US Open also amassed a record 374 million global broadcast viewer hours in 2026.

About the USTA

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media contacts:

Paul Pettas

IBM

paulpettas@ibm.com

Pat Mitsch

USTA

mitsch@usta.com

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Firehawk Defense Tops $1.4 Billion Valuation: NYSE Content Update

NYSE issues a pre-market daily advisory direct from the trading floor.

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today’s NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins. 

Kristen Scholer delivers the pre-market update on October 28th

• Firehawk Defense announces its latest $150 million funding round
  • The Dallas-based startup says that it expects to become the largest producer of artillery motors in the U.S. by the end of 2027.
  • Firehawk plans to produce over 100,000 artillery motors next year.
  • The company will use the funding to expand its Great Plains Arsenal in Oklahoma + integration facility in Mississippi.
• Hex boosts its valuation to $1.2 billion
  • The company also introduced Hex 4.0, which it says is a from-scratch rewrite for the era of agents.
  • Hex adds that it’s coming off the best revenue quarter in its history.
  • Founder + CEO Barry McCardel will join NYSE Live to discuss the company’s next moves.
• BigBear.ai to report its Q3 earnings following Tuesday’s market close
  • The defense tech company posted 31% year over year revenue growth.
  • BigBear.ai raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $150 million to $165 million.
  • CEO Kevin McAleenan will join NYSE Live to deliver his biggest takeaways.

Opening Bell

Blackstone Secured Lending (NYSE: BXSL) celebrates its 5^th anniversary

Closing Bell

Haymaker Acquisition V (NYSE: HYAC U) celebrates listing on the NYSE

For market insights, IPO activity, and today’s opening bell, download the NYSE TV App and check out the NYSE YouTube: TV.NYSE.com and YouTube.com/@NYSEofficial

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IFPA: World Psoriasis Day 2026, Young people speak up against stigma and discrimination

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — More than 100 million people worldwide live with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and one in three develop first symptoms before age of 20. This World Psoriasis Day, October 29, IFPA (the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations) is launching a global campaign, Look Beyond My Skin, to challenge stigma and discrimination against young people with psoriasis.

Uneducated society – part of the problem

“No one in my class wanted to hug me or sit next to me. If I touched something in the classroom, one of the kids would go and clean it,” recalls Daniela Chapman, 29, from Panama, who has lived with psoriasis since infancy. Daniela lives with clinical depression, and those school memories remain difficult to forget.

Christine, 23, from Sweden was diagnosed with psoriasis at six. She also knows what it feels like to be judged because of her condition.

“She came to me and asked: ‘Are you allowed to work here with those things on your arms?'” Christine recalls a customer confronting her at the candy shop where she works. “I tried to explain that psoriasis is not contagious, but she just put her candy bag back on the counter and walked out,” says Christine.

Both Daniela and Christine are active in psoriasis associations in their home countries, educating others about the disease.

“Uneducated society is part of the problem for young people,” says Christine. “That’s why awareness campaigns are so important. Because if you don’t know about something, you can’t understand it either.”

Their stories are among those featured in IFPA’s global World Psoriasis Day campaign, which puts experiences of young people with psoriasis into the spotlight.

“Young people with psoriatic disease have been largely overlooked in global health agenda,” says Frida Dunger, IFPA’s Executive Director. “During these formative years, many face bullying, rejection and discrimination. One in three avoids opportunities for work or study because they fear judgement and exclusion. This comes at a cost, not only to individuals but to society, when young people cannot reach their full potential. With our global campaign ‘Look Beyond My Skin’, we are calling for more inclusive schools, universities and workplaces, where young people with psoriatic disease are treated with respect and have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

The impact on mental health.

Psoriatic disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the skin and joints and is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression and more. The impact on young people’s mental health is concerning. Research shows that young people with psoriasis are more likely to experience depression and suicidal thoughts than their peers without the disease.

“Psoriasis is a tough disease to live with during a vulnerable stage of life, when belonging and self-esteem are so important. Shame, anxiety, bullying, hurtful comments and stares are a daily reality for many. Some start avoiding social situations, creating a vicious circle of isolation and loneliness,” says Tarlan Oskooei, Chair of Young with Psoriasis (Ung med Psoriasis), a Swedish organization representing more than 2,000 members.

Young voices from around the world

For the campaign, IFPA interviewed 20 people aged 18–37 worldwide. Their stories are featured in a series of mini-documentaries. In addition, IFPA launches a global report focusing on young adults living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The report is a unique document providing space to young people to tell their stories.

Through this year’s World Psoriasis Day campaign, ‘Look Beyond My Skin’, IFPA and its member organizations are calling on society and policymakers to end stigma and discrimination against people with psoriasis and make mental health support a routine part of dermatological care.

Read more about the campaign: https://www.ifpa-pso.com/global-actions-overview/world-psoriasis-day

Read the report about young people with psoriasis: https://www.ifpa-pso.com/global-actions-overview/world-psoriasis-day/young-adults-living-with-psoriasis-global-report

About IFPA – International Federation of Psoriasis Associations

IFPA is a global non-profit organization, founded in 1971 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, represents people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis worldwide, advocating for better care, greater awareness and improved quality of life.

www.ifpa-pso.com

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Waters Launches AI-Powered Peak Integration Expanding its Suite of Premium AI Subscription Capabilities for Empower Software

• Advances Waters’ strategy to bring trusted AI, ML, and automation capabilities to the 500,000 Empower™ Software users who run the world’s regulated chromatography labs and support the release of over 80% of medicines globally
• AI-Powered Peak Integration transforms chromatography data processing in regulated environments, using AI to reduce manual interventions by up to 95% while delivering 76% greater accuracy and a 72% reduction in user-to-user variability
• Joins a growing portfolio of premium AI capabilities Waters is building directly into Empower Software, uniquely enabling AI, ML, and automation inside the validated environment where highly protected customer data resides, with no compromise to integrity, traceability, or compliance

MILFORD, Mass., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today announced AI-Powered Peak Integration, the next step in its strategy to build intelligent AI, machine learning, and automation cloud-based capabilities directly into Empower Software, the chromatography data system of record for regulated laboratories worldwide.

“Waters is using AI to help customers bring drugs to market faster and to increase the quality testing of manufactured molecules,” said Tina Wu, Senior Vice President, Waters Analytical Sciences, Waters Corporation. “Our Empower Software has been the system of record for regulated chromatography for decades, holding terabytes of validated data for each customer, inside their own workflows, and under their own control. The potential behind compliant data at scale is one that no other platform can offer as we enable customers to realize the benefits of AI within their regulated workflows.”

Wu continued, “Our customers want the greater speed, accuracy, and productivity that AI brings, without giving up control of their data or the compliant audit trail behind it. That is why it is a central pillar of how we are advancing Empower Software as AI transforms the laboratory. Every one of these premium subscription-based capabilities reaches our large and growing installed base, so each release makes Empower Software more valuable to the laboratories already running it. We have a full pipeline of capabilities ahead as we deliver on our strategy to advance Empower Software into the connected, intelligent platform on which regulated science runs.”

Enabling Unique AI Capabilities Customers Can Use Beyond Research in a Deliberate Strategy Developed in Deep Partnership with Pharma

Waters is collaborating with several large pharmaceutical customers and academic institutions to create autonomous, AI-enabled research, development and QA/QC capabilities that follow the molecule, from discovery to release. This builds on two abilities unique to Waters: 1) supporting research workflows and then subsequently moving them directly into compliant settings on a single platform, and 2) enabling AI inside that compliant environment, so customers realize the benefits of AI without giving up control of their data or the compliant audit trail behind it.

The same approach is advancing in biologics, where Waters is applying AI, automation, and analytical instrumentation to bioanalytical characterization, bringing large molecule workflows more closely toward the compliant foundation customers already expect for small molecules.

Turning Decades of Compliant Data into an AI Advantage for Customers

Designed for high-throughput, compliant applications, where consistency and audit traceability are key, Waters Empower AI capabilities drive significant efficiency and productivity gains by reducing manual effort and variability in pharmaceutical late-stage development and manufacturing QC applications, while improving accuracy of results. Because the capabilities are being built directly into Empower Software, they operate inside the validated environment where highly protected customer data already resides, bringing AI and ML directly to the data, with no compromise to integrity, traceability, or compliance.

Using AI to Automate One of the Most Manual Steps in Chromatography

Manual peak integration is the largest source of variability in chromatographic results and one of the most time-consuming steps in data review. Waters’ AI/ML-powered peak integration automates this step in Empower Software using artificial intelligence and machine learning trained on each laboratory’s own data, removing noise peaks, combining high molecular weight peaks and editing baselines, with explainable outputs that allow analysts to review results quickly and with confidence. Version-controlled, no-drift models maintain consistent performance until the laboratory chooses to retrain and approve a new model.

In a pilot with a large pharmaceutical customer, side-by-side review of 400 chromatograms reduced manual interventions from 90 under current practice to 4 with AI/ML-powered peak integration, a 95% reduction.¹ User testing also showed 50% faster review and 72% lower user-to-user variability, reducing analyst bias and supporting data integrity.²

AI-Powered Peak Integration is a new premium tier capability available to customers on subscription. Waters is enrolling customers now for early access beginning in December 2026, with validated, compliant deployment to follow in mid-2027.

Building on AI-Powered Anomaly Detection, Launched in 2025

Peak integration is the latest step in Waters’ strategy to make Empower Software the connected, intelligent platform on which regulated science runs. The first was AI/ML Anomaly Detection, launched in Empower Software in February 2025, which uses machine learning to compare target results across chromatography data, surface deviations for review, and explain the attributes contributing to each anomaly.

About Waters Corporation:

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~15,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide. For more information, please visit www.waters.com/about.

Waters and Empower are trademarks of Waters Corporation or its affiliates.

References:

1. Waters internal pilot study with a global pharmaceutical partner, 2025. Data on file, Waters Corporation.
2. Waters Immerse Research Lab customer evaluation, 2026. Data on file, Waters Corporation.

Contact:

Molly Gluck

Director, Product and Thought Leadership Communications

Waters Corporation

+1.508.498.9732

pr@waters.com

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Vaishnaw Defends India’s Mobile PLI Scheme, Cites ₹3 Lakh Crore in GST Collections

New Delhi, Oct 28: Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has defended the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phone manufacturing, citing significant tax collections and employment generation in response to a Bloomberg analysis questioning the economic benefits of India’s electronics manufacturing strategy.

Representational Image 

In a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, Vaishnaw highlighted the financial contributions of the mobile manufacturing sector, arguing that the incentives provided by the government have been accompanied by substantial revenue generation and job creation.

Mobile PLI stats as follows: Government incentive paid: Rs 19,000 Cr. Direct tax collected: Rs 25,000 Cr. GST collected: Rs 3,00,000 Cr. Electronics manufacturing employs 25 Lakh people; mobile manufacturing alone employs 12 Lakh. Cope harder!!

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 27, 2026

According to figures shared by the minister, the government has disbursed ₹19,000 crore in incentives under the mobile PLI scheme. Meanwhile, direct tax collections from the sector have reached ₹25,000 crore, while Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections have totalled ₹3 lakh crore.

The minister also pointed to the sector’s employment contribution, stating that electronics manufacturing supports approximately 25 lakh jobs across India, including nearly 12 lakh jobs in mobile phone manufacturing alone.

Bloomberg Analysis Questions Economic Returns

Vaishnaw’s remarks came in response to a Bloomberg analysis examining whether India’s efforts to establish itself as a major electronics manufacturing hub can replicate China’s success and deliver broader economic benefits.

The analysis acknowledged India’s growing role in smartphone production, including the manufacturing of Apple’s iPhones, but raised concerns about the country’s continued dependence on imported components.

Key components such as processors, memory chips, batteries and camera lenses are still sourced substantially from overseas suppliers, limiting the extent of domestic value addition in some parts of the manufacturing chain.

The report also questioned whether government subsidies under the PLI programme adequately offset the costs of attracting manufacturers and establishing competitive production operations in India.

India’s Electronics Manufacturing Push

The PLI scheme is designed to encourage domestic manufacturing, attract investment, expand production and strengthen India’s position in global supply chains through financial incentives linked to performance.

India has emerged as an increasingly important production base for smartphones, with a growing share of global iPhone manufacturing shifting to the country. However, the extent to which this expansion translates into domestic component manufacturing and deeper local value addition remains a key issue in assessing the sector’s long-term economic impact.

The figures cited by Vaishnaw underline the government’s case that the programme has generated significant fiscal contributions and employment opportunities. At the same time, the debate highlights the challenge of moving beyond final assembly towards a more comprehensive domestic electronics ecosystem.

The long-term success of India’s manufacturing strategy will depend not only on production growth and job creation but also on strengthening local component supply chains, expanding technological capabilities and increasing value addition within the country.

Union Cabinet Approves INR 7,395 Crore Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM VGSY), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a total outlay of ₹7,395.55 crore for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31.

 Representational Image 

The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots governance, improve the planning and implementation of rural development programmes, and make Panchayats more transparent, accountable and financially self-reliant.

According to the official announcement, the scheme will be implemented during the period of the Sixteenth Finance Commission. Of the total allocation, ₹4,869.48 crore will be contributed by the Centre, while the states will provide ₹2,526.07 crore.

Over 2.55 Lakh Panchayats to Benefit

The scheme will cover more than 2.55 lakh Panchayats and traditional local bodies across all States and Union Territories, including rural local governance institutions in areas where Panchayats under Part IX of the Constitution do not exist.

Around 32 lakh elected representatives, along with Panchayat functionaries and other stakeholders, are expected to benefit directly through capacity-building initiatives, digital support and improved governance practices.

A key objective is to facilitate the preparation of approximately 2.55 lakh comprehensive Gram Panchayat Development Plans every year through the eGramSwaraj Portal. These plans will integrate local priorities with government schemes, departmental interventions and available financial resources.

Focus on Transparency and Financial Accountability

The scheme will promote digital accounting, timely audits and public disclosure of Panchayat finances. It envisages preparing at least 2.55 lakh online audit plans annually and completing the corresponding audits through the AuditOnline platform.

It will also encourage Panchayats to mobilise their own-source revenue, manage available funds more effectively and strengthen accountability in the utilisation of public money.

Capacity-building programmes will help elected representatives and Panchayat officials improve development planning, resource management, communication with citizens and progress towards locally relevant Sustainable Development Goals.

Citizen Participation at the Core

The initiative will use Gram Sabhas, Panchayat forums and existing digital and outreach platforms to improve public awareness of government schemes and encourage informed participation in local development decisions. Each coordinated awareness-generation exercise is expected to reach at least one crore citizens.

The scheme will also support Panchayats in effectively utilising Finance Commission grants and other available resources to address local development needs.

With the Sixteenth Finance Commission recommending approximately ₹4.35 lakh crore in grants for Rural Local Bodies during 2026–27 to 2030–31, the new initiative seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity required to ensure effective planning and utilisation of these funds.

The government has clarified that the scheme will not create permanent posts. However, need-based contractual personnel may be engaged at the state, district and block levels to provide technical and institutional support.

Through improved planning, digital governance and citizen participation, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana aims to build stronger, more accountable and self-reliant Panchayats, advancing the broader goal of inclusive rural development.

Union Cabinet Approves 3% DA Hike for Central Government Employees, Pensioners

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, providing additional financial support to millions of beneficiaries amid rising living costs.

 Representational Image

The revised rates will take effect from July 1, 2026, raising DA and DR from the existing 60% to 63% of basic pay and pension, respectively.

According to the Cabinet announcement, the additional instalment is intended to compensate employees and pensioners for the impact of rising prices. The increase follows the established formula based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Over 1.17 Crore Beneficiaries to Benefit

The decision is expected to benefit approximately 48.54 lakh Central Government employees and 68.71 lakh pensioners, taking the total number of beneficiaries to around 1.17 crore.

The combined annual financial impact of the DA and DR revision on the government exchequer is estimated at ₹10,016.10 crore.

What the DA Hike Means

Dearness Allowance is provided to serving government employees to help offset the impact of inflation, while Dearness Relief serves a similar purpose for pensioners.

With the latest revision, eligible employees and pensioners will receive benefits at the enhanced rate of 63%, effective retrospectively from July 1, 2026. Eligible beneficiaries may also receive arrears for the period between the effective date and the implementation of the revised rates, subject to the applicable government orders.

The decision marks a significant financial measure for Central Government employees and pensioners, helping them manage household expenses amid changing economic conditions.

DERMALOG Strengthens Biometric Security with Independent Face and Fingerprint PAD Validations

Independent security evaluations by Fime demonstrate DERMALOG’s advanced anti-spoofing capabilities, with its facial recognition and fingerprint technologies successfully detecting all 1,500 tested presentation attacks.

– Picture is available at AP –

HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DERMALOG Identification Systems has achieved another milestone in biometric security. Its facial recognition technology and TF60 fingerprint scanner have successfully completed independent Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) evaluations conducted by Fime, an internationally recognized testing and certification provider. Across both evaluations, DERMALOG’s technologies successfully detected all 1,500 tested presentation attacks.

As biometric solutions become increasingly important for digital identity, financial services, and border security, protecting systems against fraudulent authentication attempts is essential. Presentation Attack Detection helps distinguish genuine users from spoofing attempts involving photos, videos, facial masks, or artificial fingerprints.

The independent evaluations, conducted in accordance with international ISO/IEC 30107 standards, confirmed that both DERMALOG technologies meet Fime’s Level 2 requirements for Presentation Attack Detection. Both achieved an Attack Presentation Classification Error Rate (APCER) of 0.00 %. Of particular note, DERMALOG’s facial liveness detection software also achieved a Bona Fide Presentation Classification Error Rate (BPCER) of 0.00 %. This means that every tested presentation attack was detected, while all genuine user presentations were correctly classified during the facial recognition evaluation. These results highlight an exceptional combination of robust security and seamless user authentication under the evaluated test conditions.

“Trust is the foundation of every secure digital identity,” said Günther Mull, CEO of DERMALOG. “These independent results demonstrate our commitment to staying ahead of evolving fraud threats and providing customers with biometric technologies they can rely on.”

With these successful validations, DERMALOG further strengthens its position as a leading provider of biometric identification solutions, helping organizations worldwide protect digital identities while enabling secure and convenient authentication.

Press contact:

DERMALOG Identification Systems GmbH

Sven Böckler

Media Relations

info@dermalog.com

Phone: +49 (0)40 413 227 – 0

www.dermalog.com

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