Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited difference present at birth. In almost all types of albinism, both parents must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves.
It is observed on 13 June every year.
Demanding our rights: Protect our skin, Preserve our lives.
The 2025 theme highlights the urgent need to prevent skin cancer in persons with albinism through awareness, screenings, and sunscreen access.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) chaired the 137th meeting of the Offshore Security Coordination Committee (OSCC) in New Delhi on June 12, 2025. The meeting aimed to review the preparedness & effectiveness of the security of India's offshore installations and enhance joint response mechanisms.
The committee further underscored the imperative of enhancing joint responses to safeguard vital energy infrastructure. A special emphasis was placed on strengthening coordination amongst agencies to address emerging challenges and ensure the security of offshore assets.
The OSCC was constituted in 1978 to ensure the effective functioning of offshore security arrangements. Since then, the committee has contributed effectively in framing policies and providing guidance and resolution to Offshore Defence Area related issues.
Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed the Kisan Sammelan in Bardoli, Gujarat on the 15th and last day of the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan'.
This nationwide 15-day campaign started in Odisha on 29 May, after which the Union Agriculture Minister visited various states and interacted with farmers through Kisan Chaupals, conferences and padyatras. Under this campaign, Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Odisha, Jammu, UP, Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttarakhand, MP, Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Gujarat.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed regulated entities to continue allowing transactions for individual “low-risk” customers, while ensuring their Know Your Customer (KYC) details are updated by 30 June 2026 or within one year of falling due, whichever is later.
Reserve Bank of India has allowed trading of state government securities in 'separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities or STRIPS, a format that allows bond traders to strip principal and coupon payments and sell them separately.
In a notification, the RBI said decision is based on the consultation with the individual state governments and Union Territories and market feedback.
STRIPS trading has been permitted in eligible central government securities since April 2010.
The RBI said that all fixed coupon bonds issued by the state government with residual maturity of up to 14 years and minimum outstanding of ₹1,000 crore are eligible for STRIPS. However, these securities must be eligible for meeting bank's statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) requirements.
Travel fintech platform Scapia has announced a new credit card in partnership with Federal Bank called the Scapia Federal RuPay Credit Card.
The card will offer both VISA and RuPay for online, offline, UPI and international transactions in a single credit card statement. Through the dual network card, the user can manage both credit and UPI spends via RuPay in one place.
The card will also have zero forex markup on all international transactions. It will provide access to unlimited domestic lounge access and complimentary dining, shopping, and spa across all airport outlets. Users will be able to earn rewards on eligible transactions and earn travel benefits on the Scapia app.
Anil Goteti, Founder and CEO of Scapia.
Founded in 2022, the Bengaluru-based company in April this year, raised $40 million in Series B funding led by Peak XV Partners, with participation from existing investors, Elevation Capital, Z47, and 3STATE Capital. In 2023, Scapia launched a co-branded credit card with Federal Bank which is based on the VISA network.
Tata Asset Management has set a new benchmark in India’s digital investment landscape with the launch of its innovative all-in-one investment app, designed to offer users a comprehensive and intelligent financial management experience.
Unveiled in Mumbai, this first-of-its-kind mobile app aims to redefine how India invests by providing a unified digital platform that combines simplicity, intelligence, and personalisation under the brand promise: “One App. One View. Infinite Opportunities.”
Unlike conventional investing apps, the Tata mutual fund app integrates a robust suite of intelligence tools that guide users through every stage of their investment journey, from onboarding and learning to investing and tracking their progress.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s long-awaited memoir, A Different Kind of Power, is finally out. With her signature warmth and candour, the former New Zealand Prime Minister shares her journey from a small-town upbringing to global leadership, all while navigating motherhood, crises, and burnout.
When Ardern announced her resignation, on January 19, 2023, she explained that she “no longer had enough in the tank.” But, she writes in the book, she also believed that her party would fare better in the upcoming elections without her, and that perhaps New Zealand would become “calmer, less polarized.”
The PM Modi-led Cabinet approved two multitracking projects — the Koderma–Barkakana doubling in Jharkhand and the Ballari–Chikjajur doubling in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the work will be completed within the next three years.
Together, the plan will expand the Indian Railways network by 318 km, at a total estimated cost of Rs 6,405 crore.
India’s first underwater museum and artificial coral reef will be developed around the decommissioned warship INS Guldar near Nivati Rocks at Vengurla in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today attended the initiation of the project virtually.
The initiative, supported by the central government, aims to boost marine conservation and tourism, offering scuba diving and future submarine tours. The Union Tourism Ministry has approved 46.91 crore rupees for the project.
The ship, weighing 1,120 tons, was decommissioned in January 2024.
It has been officially handed over by the central government to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation for conversion into a submerged museum. Environmental cleaning of the ship is complete, and it will soon be scuttled at the designated site to begin the coral reef formation.
India has been ranked 131 out of 148 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 with an overall gender parity score of 64.4%, a relative drop from 2024, when the country was placed at 129 out of 146 nations. This has been attributed to “performance of other economies”, even as the Indian economy’s overall performance improved in absolute terms by +0.3 points.
India has witnessed a historic surge in social protection coverage, with the International Labour Organization (ILO) noting an increase from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, marking the fastest expansion globally. The ILO’s ILOSTAT database confirms that over 94 crore Indians are now covered by at least one social protection benefit.
This leap in coverage positions India second globally in terms of the number of beneficiaries. The achievement stems from a decade of welfare reforms and targeted labour-centric schemes under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, reflecting the government’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ vision.
The ILO acknowledged India’s efforts and officially published the updated data on its dashboard, praising the country’s rights-based and inclusive approach to social security. Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that this achievement is a testament to India’s digital governance and social commitment.
The present figure represents Phase I of the data pooling exercise, covering the Central sector and women-centric schemes across eight states. With further phases underway, India’s social protection coverage is expected to surpass 100 crore beneficiaries. This progress is set to support India's international negotiations for Social Security Agreements (SSAs).
Groww Mutual Fund has launched the Groww Nifty India Internet ETF, the first-ever exchange-traded fund that aims to track the Nifty India Internet Index. The New Fund Offer opens on June 13.
The fund aims to invest in internet-first businesses across sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, online travel, digital payments, stockbroking, and entertainment.
These sectors are increasingly becoming central to the consumption and service economy.
The Nifty India Internet Index, which serves as the underlying benchmark, currently consists of 21 listed companies. It seeks to represent companies that derive a significant portion of their revenues from internet-based business models.
The index composition spans across six broad sectors: e-retail and e-commerce (36 per cent), financial technology (26 per cent), internet-enabled retail (19 per cent), stockbroking (8 per cent), digital travel (10 per cent) and online media (1.5 per cent).
Over 83 per cent of the portfolio comprises mid and large-cap stocks.
Lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar has been awarded the prestigious Dostoevsky Star Award. Javed was chosen for the honour in ‘recognition of his remarkable influence on cultural heritage and literary dialogue.’
Considered as one of the greatest screenwriters in the history of Hindi Cinema, Javed has won numerous awards in the course of his decades-long career as a lyricist,
poet and screenwriter. He has won five National Film Awards for Best Lyrics. He was also honoured by the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999, and the Padma Bhushan in 2007. He went on to win India's second highest literary honour- the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection Lava.
He is also the only Indian to receive the prestigious Richard Dawkins award, in 2020.
