In a progressive move to enhance digital engagement and streamline access to services for India’s Youth, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched WhatsApp integration with the MY Bharat portal.
The WhatsApp chatbot is now live on the MY Bharat Portal and also accessible directly via WhatsApp (7289001515),
offering users a more seamless, real-time, and user-friendly way to interact with the platform. This release includes core features for all registered MY Bharat users, allowing them to explore Experiential Learning Programs, Volunteering Opportunities, CV creation, Mentorship, Organization Joining/creation, report any issues and access MyBharat Support.
In a significant boost to India’s horticultural exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Punjab,
facilitated the flag-off of the first consignment of 1 metric tonne of rose-scented litchi from Pathankot, Punjab to Doha, Qatar on 23rd June 2025.
In addition, 0.5 metric tonne of litchi was also exported to Dubai, UAE from Pathankot, marking a twin export achievement and reinforcing India’s potential in global fresh fruit markets.
The initiative was facilitated by APEDA in association with the Department of Horticulture, Government of Punjab, Lullu Group, and progressive farmer, Shri Prabhat Singh from Sujanpur, who supplied the high-quality produce.
According to the National Horticulture Board, Punjab’s litchi production for FY 2023–24 stood at 71,490 metric tonnes, contributing 12.39% to India’s total litchi output. During the same period, India exported 639.53 metric tonnes of litchi. The area under cultivation was 4,327 hectares with an average yield of 16,523 kg/ha.
Notably, during FY 2024–25 (April–March), India’s export of fruits and vegetables reached USD 3.87 billion, registering a 5.67% growth over the previous year. While mangoes, bananas, grapes, and oranges continue to dominate fruit exports, cherries, jamun, and litchis are now increasingly finding their place in international markets.
The Sugamya Bharat App (SBA), a flagship initiative of the Government of India dedicated to enhancing accessibility for divyangjan and elderly citizens in India, has been recently revamped to provide a more user-friendly and impactful experience.
The recent revamp of the App introduces several enhanced features, including:
A more intuitive and user-friendly interface
AI-powered chatbot support to assist users in real time
Circulars and notifications about new initiatives related to accessibility
Integration of government schemes and other valuable resources for persons with disabilities
Launched in 2021 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the app serves as an essential platform for citizens to report accessibility issues across public infrastructure, transportation, and information and communication technology (ICT) systems.
The Indian Navy hosted the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Working Group Meeting on Maritime Security (IWG-MARSEC) from 24 to 25 Jun 2025 in New Delhi. The event brought together representatives from 13 IONS member nations: Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand.
As one of the key Working Groups of the IONS construct, the IWG-MARSEC serves as a dedicated platform for dialogue, cooperation, and actionable outcomes.
Over the course of the two-day event, delegates engaged in extensive deliberations aimed at strengthening regional maritime security architecture.
‘Adamya’ the first Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) under the eight FPV Project at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) was inducted in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on June 26, 2025, in Goa. The FPV is the first ship in its class within the ICG fleet to feature Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs) and indigenously developed gearboxes, offering superior maneuverability,
operational flexibility, and enhanced performance at sea.
The vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a 30mm CRN-91 gun, two 12.7mm stabilized remote-control guns with fire control systems, an Integrated Bridge System (IBS), an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), and an Automated Power Management System (APMS).
These advanced systems will empower the ICG to perform its charter of duties with increased precision, efficiency, and responsiveness across India’s extensive maritime domain.
Designed and built entirely by GSL, ‘Adamya’ exemplifies India’s growing shipbuilding capability and represents a major stride towards the nation's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
These FPVs will act as force multipliers in the ICG’s operational fleet, enabling swift response for maritime law enforcement, coastal surveillance, search and rescue operations, and the protection of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presided over the ‘MSME Day 2025 - Udyami Bharat event’ on 27th June, 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and Union Science & Technology Minister laid the foundation stone and performed the Bhumi Pujan of a state-of-the-art "Green Data Centre" - a collaboration between Central Electronics Limited (CEL), a Govt of India PSU affiliated with CSIR under Ministry of Science & Technology and ESDS - at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
The project with 30 MW capacity, entails an investment of about Rs. 1,000 crore.
Green Data Centre is designed and operated with a focus on minimizing environmental impact and maximizing energy efficiency. This involves the use of energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy sources, and sustainable practices to reduce carbon footprint and resource consumption.
The centre will be equipped with a 40 Gbps ring fibre network supported by multiple ISPs and will offer dual 10 Gbps links for seamless cloud integration and disaster recovery replication. In line with green infrastructure principles, it will include rainwater harvesting, reflective roofing, and smart cooling systems —
making it both energy-efficient and environmentally responsible. The centre is designed to attract startups, enterprises, and government agencies, generate skilled jobs, and promote local innovation.
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL), India’s first Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the maritime sector.
Formerly known as Sagarmala Development Company Limited, SMFCL is now positioned to play a transformative role in India’s maritime infrastructure development,
in alignment with the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. SMFCL —a Mini Ratna, Category-I, Central Public Sector Enterprise—has been formally registered as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as of June 19, 2025.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, released the “Science and Technology (S&T) Clusters Annual Report 2024-2025” during a meeting held on June 26, 2025, in New Delhi.
The report highlights several significant outcomes from the Clusters, including the deployment of EV charging infrastructure in Delhi/NCR, the launch of Kalaanubhav.in - an AR/VR-enabled artisan marketplace - and the “One Delhi” digital transit app, which has garnered over 3 lakh users.
The United Nations General Assembly designated 27 June as “Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day” (A/RES/71/279) to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of MSMEs to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2025 Theme: Enhancing the role of Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation.
Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises are key sources of jobs, income, and local growth—especially for women, young people, and vulnerable groups. Their size and flexibility help build strong, fair, and sustainable communities.
The General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/79/294, proclaiming 27 June of each year the International Day of Deafblindness. This day commemorates the birth of renowned author Helen Keller (1880 – 1968), one of the most iconic figures in the deafblindness community.
Deafblindness is a combined vision and hearing impairment of such severity that it is hard for the impaired senses to compensate for each other, and is thus a distinct disability with its own specific challenges, barriers and requirements for support and inclusion, different from those provided to individuals, who are solely deaf or blind.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced new powerplay rules for shortened T20 matches and clearly defined the number of overs allowed upfront with a restricted field in its new Playing Conditions for the shortest format. As per the new rules effective from next month(July), a reduced game of eight overs in an innings, which will have three overs as powerplay,
will now have 2.2 overs of powerplay with only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Similarly, for a five-over innings, 1.3 overs will be of the powerplay. For an innings of 10 overs, three of those will be powerplay overs. 4.3 overs of powerplay have been slotted in the updated ICC table for 15-over innings.
Shortened T20 matches refer to Twenty20 cricket games that are reduced in length due to interruptions, most commonly caused by rain, bad light, or other delays.
Karnataka’s Shaon Ganguly has clinched the gold in the 400 metre Individual Medley as he clocked 4 minutes 24.64 at the 78th Senior National Aquatics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Madhya Pradesh’s Advait came second at 4 minutes 26.90 seconds while Gujarat’s Nehra finished third with a timing of 4 minutes 30.35 seconds.
Ganguly set the new Meet Record and improved on the National Record of 4 minutes 25.62 seconds held by Aryan Nehra, which he set in Hyderabad in 2023. Ganguly also bettered the Indian best in the 200 metre Individual Medley, surpassing Sajan Prakash’s 2023 mark.
In the 100 metre backstroke battle, Maharashtra’s Rishabh Das finished ahead of Utkarsh Patil by 16 microseconds. Rishabh surged ahead to touch in at 56.13 seconds while Utkarsh came second in 56.29. Karnataka’s Akash Mani came third in 56.35 seconds in the event.
Earlier, Rishabh had shattered Srihari Nataraj’s national meet record and best Indian time, in men’s 200 metre backstroke, achieving the World Championships B qualification time.
In the Men’s 100 metre freestyle, Heer Gitesh Shah of Maharashtra clinched the gold medal in 51.29 seconds. Karnataka’s Tanish George Mathew was second in 51.30 seconds,
while Maharashtra’s Rishabh Das came in third with a timing of 51.43 seconds.
Rohit Benediction also made the world championship qualifying time with a 24.11 seconds in 50 butterfly, claiming the gold and another best Indian time in the process.
Overall, Karnataka finished on top of the medals tally with 41 medals — 16 gold, 11 silver, and 14 bronze.
They dominated the women’s section with 10 gold, four silver, and five bronze medals. Tamil Nadu finished second in the standings with 16 medals, including eight gold and five silver medals, while Maharashtra finished third with 17 medals, five of which were gold.
India stamped its authority at the 2nd Asian Squash Doubles Championships with a commanding performance, clinching all three titles, men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles today. In the men’s doubles final, top seeds Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar defeated Pakistan’s Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal 2-1 in an intense match.
The women’s doubles title was secured by the second-seeded pair of Joshna Chinappa and Anahat Singh, who rallied strongly to outlast Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani and Xin Ying Yee in a thrilling 2-1 win.
Completing the sweep, India’s top-seeded mixed doubles team of Abhay and Anahat put the finishing touches on a memorable campaign with a dominant 2-0 victory over Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold and Ameeshenraj Chandaran in the final.
