The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Regional Office, Barkatpura, a continuation of the Hyderabad Regional Office functioning since 1952, has reaffirmed its leadership in social security administration through remarkable achievements in service delivery, digital transformation, and financial recovery during the year 2024–25.
Serving as a critical hub for EPF and pension-related services across six districts of Telangana, the Barkatpura office oversees 34,241 establishments, manages 27.47 lakh accounts, and provides services to 6.77 lakh contributing members and 1.14 lakh pensioners.
The President of Cyprus, H.E. Nikos Christodoulides conferred upon Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Cyprus’s honour – the "Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III”.
Accepting the honour on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, Prime Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the President, the Government, and the people of Cyprus.
He dedicated the award to the longstanding warm ties between India and Cyprus which are built on shared values and mutual trust. He further noted that the award was a recognition of India’s age-old philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or "The World is one Family” that guides its vision for global peace and progress.
The annual rate of inflation based on All India WPI number is 0.39% (provisional) for the month of May, 2025 (over May, 2024). Positive rate of inflation in May, 2025 is primarily due to increase in prices of manufacture of food products, electricity, other manufacturing, chemicals and chemical products, manufacture of other transport equipment and non-food articles etc.
Month-over-Month Change in Major Groups of WPI:
Primary Articles (Weight 22.62%): - The index for this major group decreased by 0.05 % to 184.3 (provisional) in May, 2025 from 184.4 (provisional) for the month of April, 2025. Price of minerals (-7.16%) and non-food articles (-0.63%) decreased in May, 2025 as compared to April, 2025.
Fuel & Power (Weight 13.15%): - The index for this major group declined by 0.95% to 146.7 (provisional) in May, 2025 from 148.1 (provisional) for the month of April, 2025. Price of mineral oils (-2.06%) decreased in May, 2025 as compared to April, 2025. The price of coal (0.81%) and electricity (0.80%) increased in May, 2025 as compared to April, 2025.
Manufactured Products (Weight 64.23%): - The index for this major group remained unchanged at 144.9 (Provisional) in May, 2025. Out of the 22 NIC two-digit groups for manufactured products, 10 groups witnessed an increase in prices, 9 groups witnessed a decrease in prices and 3 groups witnessed no change in prices.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the results of Independent Drive Tests (IDTs) conducted in April 2025, covering nine cities and highway corridors in seven Licensed Service Areas (LSAs). The nine cities and highway corridors fall under Palakkad, Varanasi, Delhi (City & Highway),Cuttack, Jodhpur, Patna, Gangtok and Pakyong with surrounding districts.
‘Achal’, the fifth Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) in a series of eight being constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), was ceremoniously launched on June 16, 2025, in Goa by Smt. Kavita Harbola in the presence of Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), Additional Director General Anil Kumar Harbola.
Designed and constructed under stringent dual-class certification from the American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping, the FPV features over 60% indigenous content. The vessel measures 52 meters in length and 8 meters in breadth, with a displacement of 320 tons. Powered by a CPP-based propulsion system, the vessel can reach a top speed of 27 knots.
Built at a total cost of Rs 473 crore, the project has also provided a significant boost to local industry by generating substantial employment and supporting MSMEs engaged in production activities at various factories and within GSL.
The ceremony was attended by Chairman & Managing Director, GSL, Shri Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, along with senior officials.
India has achieved a significant milestone in the realm of global animal health and biosecurity with the recognition of the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, as a Category A Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The announcement was made during the 92nd General Session of the WOAH held in Paris on 29th May 2025, where Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and India’s WOAH Delegate, was formally presented with the certificate of designation by the Director General and President of WOAH.
India formally submitted its application for RHF status in 2019. A joint inspection of ICAR-NIHSAD was conducted in March 2025 by international experts appointed by FAO and WOAH. Following a comprehensive evaluation, the institute has now been officially approved as a Category A RHF for a one-year term, in recognition of its robust biosafety protocols,
effective inventory management, and state of readiness for emergency situations. This recognition places India among a distinguished group of only six facilities worldwide entrusted with the critical responsibility of securely holding rinderpest virus material.
Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki has been appointed as an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Droupadi Murmu, becoming the first woman officer from the Indian Navy to hold the prestigious position.
The President of India chooses five ADCs - one from the Navy, one from the Air Force, and three from the Army.
Yashasvi Solanki hails from Haryana, and joined the Indian Navy in 2012. She has served under the Short Service Commission in the Logistics Branch.
She joins the ranks of pioneering women, like Squadron Leader Manisha Padi, who was appointed as ADC to the Governor of Uttarakhand in 2023;
Lt. Gen. Punita Arora, the first woman to hold the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army and also Vice Admiral in the Navy; and Air Marshal Padmavathy Bandopadhyay, the first woman Air Marshal and aviation medicine expert.
The Central government issued a gazette notification for the caste census, which will begin in 2027. It will be India's 16th census.
The notification said that the census proceedings will begin on October 1, 2026, in snow-bound areas like Ladakh. For the rest of the country, the mega exercise will commence on March 1, 2027.
The latest census will be carried out after a gap of 16 years. The last census was conducted in 2011.
The government's statement said that the census, which is conducted to collect population-related data, will be carried out by 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries armed with digital devices.
The exercise will be conducted in two phases – Houselisting Operation (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE). Under HLO, data on the housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected. Under PE, data about the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household will be collected.
The office of the registrar general of India (ORGI) has already developed a web-based portal called Self Self-Enumeration (SE) Portal, which allows respondents to view and update the information of their household members. The SE portal, according to officials, will be closed for changes a few days before the census exercise start date.
Sri Lanka is celebrating the sacred Poson Poya festival today, marking the historic arrival of Buddhism over 2,000 years ago. Observed on the June full moon, the festival commemorates the first sermon preached by Arahat Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, to King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale, marking the arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Thousands of devotees have gathered at the Mihintale Hill and other sacred sites such as Anuradhapura, which are central to the celebrations. Streets, homes, and public places have been adorned with paper lanterns and decorations.
Observed annually on June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a global initiative launched in 2006 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA). It was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011.
2025 Theme: Addressing Abuse of Older Adults in Long Term Care Facilities: Through Data and Action.
This theme underscores the critical need for reliable data collection and enhanced staff training in long-term care settings to prevent abuse and neglect.
India’s Yajik Hillang won Gold medal at the 15th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships 2025 at Thimphu in Bhutan. She secured 1st position in the Women’s Model Physique upto 155 cm event. Yajik hails from Arunachal Pradesh and she has became the first female Physique Sports athlete from the state to win a Gold medal at an international event.
Organised by South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation, the 5-day championship will conclude. The competition has witnessed participation from several South Asian nations and it is also recognised by the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to constitute a committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing such incidents that occurred during the IPL victory celebrations of RCB in Bengaluru. The decision was taken during BCCI’s 28th Apex Council Meeting.
The committee will be led by Devajit Saikia as Chairperson, while it will also comprise of Prabhtej Singh Bhatia and Rajeev Shukla. This committee will formulate the guidelines within 15 days.
Furthermore, BCCI’s Domestic Season 2025-26 was also approved during the Apex Council Meet.
South Africa have clinched their first ICC title in 27 years, beating Australia to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. Aiden Markram slammed a memorable century, and captain Temba Bavuma fought through injury to score a fifty, as South Africa chased down a daunting target of 282 on Day 4.
It is the first WTC title for the Proteas. Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball, taking nine wickets in the match.
Gold loan-focused non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) are likely to get a major boost following the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) new framework on gold loans, which has raised the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio ceiling, Crisil Ratings said in a note.
“The benefit will play out despite the change in LTV computation for bullet repayment loans, which now need to also factor in the accrued interest payable at the time of maturity, rather than just the initial disbursed principal amount. The increase in LTV ceiling will help offset this impact,” the note said.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and data privacy across the country’s rapidly growing digital payments sector.
The collaboration was formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in the recent past, at a time when the adoption of digital transactions, including UPI, is surging and the need for robust cybersecurity measures is more critical than ever.
In addition to training and certification, the partnership will see IDRBT extending its advanced threat intelligence platform, सचेत (IBCART 3.0), to NPCI and its partner organisations. This platform will deliver real-time, contextualised threat intelligence feeds, enabling organisations to anticipate, identify, and mitigate cyberattacks,
before they impact the digital payment network. By leveraging such advanced cyber-intelligence tools, the collaboration aims to foster a culture of security awareness and proactive risk mitigation across both rural and urban payment ecosystems.
Dilip Asbe- MD and CEO of NPCI.
