A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 01-07-2025 between the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to foster collaboration in knowledge sharing, capacity building, and interdisciplinary research in the power and energy sector.
Key Objectives of the MoU:
Capacity Building: Enhance knowledge and technical capabilities of CEA personnel through short-term project work and access to IIT Roorkee’s online courses.
Collaborative Research: Promote joint studies and projects on critical issues related to India’s electricity and energy landscape.
Sustainable Development: Advance interdisciplinary research on decarbonization, energy efficiency, water neutrality, and just transition frameworks.
Energy Transition: Support India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 or earlier.
The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has officially been renamed as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, reflecting its evolving role and greater focus on region-specific, mission-driven support for the development of women and children across India.
In a significant move aimed at strengthening outreach and regional capacity-building, a new Regional Centre in Ranchi, Jharkhand is to be inaugurated on 4 July,2025. This Centre will address the specialized training and research requirements of the Ministry’s flagship programmes—Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0
with a particular focus on the Eastern region covering Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal. Previously, training needs of these States were partially catered through Regional Centres located in Guwahati and Lucknow, posing logistical challenges for many functionaries due to long travel distances.
The new Regional Centre will also offer the Advance Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling and will facilitate better accessibility for frontline functionaries in these states. It is estimated that over seven lakh functionaries operate under the Ministry’s missions across the four states, spread across 115 districts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked 10 years of the Digital India initiative, highlighting its role in transforming governance, empowering citizens, and building a robust digital economy.
In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores.
Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages.
India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years.
India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India.
Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over Rs. 44 trillion has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving Rs. 3.48 trillion in leakages.
Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty.
ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers.
Union Minister of Steel, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy met with H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE’s Minister of Economy, as part of a high-level engagement to advance India-UAE industrial cooperation under the India-UAE CEPA framework. The meeting was focused on trade expansion, resource security, and collaborative innovation in steel and aluminium.
The meeting also highlighted the active role of India’s CPSEs in anchoring the India-UAE industrial partnership:
SAIL, a Maharatna CPSE, currently imports approx. 2.5 million tonnes of low-silica limestone annually from Ras Al Khaimah’s Stevin Rock LLC.
The company is exploring long-term supply tie-ups and the potential to serve the UAE’s infrastructure and industrial sectors with premium Indian steel.
NMDC, India’s largest iron ore producer, is keen to collaborate with UAE-based entities in developing the mining value chain.
MECON, India’s premier engineering consultancy, aims to contribute to oil & gas, steel plant development, and smart infrastructure projects across the Gulf.
All three CPSEs: SAIL, NMDC, and MECON have recently inaugurated international offices in Dubai, establishing a permanent platform for trade coordination, joint ventures, and technology exchange.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of shares of Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited by Viggo Investment Pte. Ltd.
The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of 2.143% shareholding in Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited (Groww) by Viggo Investment Pte. Ltd. (GIC Investor) pursuant to the execution of, inter alia,
a Deed of Adherence and Share Subscription Agreement dated 28th April 2025.
GIC Investor is an investment holding vehicle and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Enterprise Holding Pte. Ltd., which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of GIC (Ventures) Private Limited.
Groww is a company incorporated in India, which through its affiliates operates an online trading platform and mobile application called “Groww”, which allows investors to invest in stocks and mutual funds and other financial instruments. It is also engaged in the business of, inter alia; (a) software designing, customization, testing and benchmarking,
designing and development of computer software and solutions, and providing, building, and organizing of software tools; (b) marketing and innovation of licensed software; and (c) providing management and consultancy services to its group companies.
The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of certain equity shares in NACL Industries Limited by Coromandel International Limited.
The Proposed Combination comprises acquisition of certain equity shares in NACL Industries Limited (NACL) by Coromandel International Limited (CIL).
CIL is a public listed company that is an agri-solutions provider, offering diverse products and services across the farming value chain. The key business verticals include: (i) crop nutrition (fertilizers and specialty nutrients); (ii) crop protection (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, bioproducts); (iii) active ingredients;(iv) retail outlets.
NACL is a public listed company which operates in the agro-chemical sector. It offers crop protection products and active ingredients. As part of its crop protection business, NACL supplies insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and plant growth regulators / nematicides.
Pakistan said it has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July 2025.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and multiple local media reports, this is Pakistan’s first presidency since 2013.
An official statement by the country read that the Presidency will convene two high-level signature events in July – an open debate on July 22, on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes", and a briefing on “Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and Sub-Regional Organisations" on July 24.
The Scheme for the Prime Minister’s Awards forExcellence in Public Administration 2025 is notified to Central Ministries/Departments, States and Districts on1st July, 2025 by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances.
2. The web portal for registration and submission of nominations on PM’s Awards will be formally launched from 2nd October, 2025,
and nominations can be submitted thereafter.
3. The Awards scheme has been notified to promote greater efforts forholistic development of India, with focus on saturation approach, collation of data/ documentary evidenceand focussing on Good Governance and Qualitative aspects with respect to the implementation of 11 priority sector schemes,
which will be evaluated collectively under the Scheme.
4. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the entire concept and format of the PM's Excellence Award has undergone a revolutionary change since 2014. The objective of the Scheme is to encourage Constructive Competition, Innovation, Replication and Institutionalization of Best practices.
The Award Scheme, this year, aims to recognize the performance of the District Collector through targeted individual beneficiaries and implementation with a saturation approach. With this focus, the applications for Awards would be evaluated on three parameters, Good Governance, Qualitative and Quantitative.
5. It is expected that all the districts participate in this Scheme of Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2025.
6. For the year 2025, the Scheme for Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration aims to recognize the contribution of civil servants under three categories :
Category I- Holistic Development of Districts under 11 priority sector programmes. Under this category, 5 awards would be conferred.
Category II- Aspirational Blocks Programme. Under this category, 5 awards would be conferred.
Category III- Innovations for Central Ministries/Departments, States and Districts.Under this category, 6 awards would be conferred.
7. The Period of consideration is 1st April 2022 to 30th September, 2025 for the Category-I (Holistic Development of Districts) and 01st April, 2023 to 30th September, 2025 for Category-II (Aspirational Blocks Programme) and Category III (Innovations).
8. The evaluation process would include (i) Short-listing of Districts/Organizations by Screening Committee (first andsecond stage), (ii) Evaluation by Expert Committee and (iii) Empowered Committee. Prime Minister’s approval will be taken on the recommendations of the Empowered Committee for the Awards.
9. The PM’s Awards, 2025 will consist of: (i) Trophy, (ii) Scroll and (iii) an incentive of Rs. 20 lakh to the awarded District/organization to be utilized for implementation of project/programme or bridging resources gaps in any area of public welfare.
Well-known hypnotist, magician and personality development expert BV Pattabhiram passed away after suffering a heart episode at his residence in Hyderabad. He was 75 years old.
Widely recognised for his work in personality development as a psychologist, illusionist and writer, Dr Pattabhiram was known for conducting workshops across India, as well as in the US, Australia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Arab countries. He was well known for helping people overcome their stress and fears, and encouraging them to achieve their desired success.
He started the first-ever Magic School in India, which is recognised by the Limca Book of Records, and received numerous awards.
The University of Florida awarded him an Honorary Doctorate for his work on hypnosis in 1983, and the mayors of Nashville and New Orleans in the US gave him honorary citizenship.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director of RBI with effect from July 1.
Prior to being promoted as Executive Director, Kesavan Ramachandran was serving as Principal Chief General Manager in Risk Monitoring Department. Ramachandran has experience of over three decades in areas relating to currency management,
Banking and Non-Banking supervision, training and administration.
He also served as Principal of the Reserve Bank Staff College during his career. He served as, RBI's nominee on the Board of Canara Bank for over five years and on the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board of ICAI for two years.
Previously, in March, the RBI appointed Indranil Bhattacharyya as executive director (ED). As executive director, Bhattacharyya will look after the Department of Economic and Policy Research, the RBI said in a statement. The appointment is effective from March 19.Prior to his promotion as ED, Bhattacharyya was serving as Adviser in the Monetary Policy Department of the RBI.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions dipped 1.5 per cent in June to 18.4 billion, compared to the record 18.68 billion last month. Transaction value declined 4 per cent to Rs 24.04 trillion, compared to Rs 25.14 trillion in May.
Transactions in June grew 32 per cent from the year before and their value was up 20 per cent, according to data provided by NPCI.
After State Bank of India (SBI) and Canara Bank, state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) will also no longer charge penalties for failing to maintain the minimum average balance (MAB) in all savings accounts. PNB has also reduced the interest rates on savings accounts across all balance slabs.
This customer-first initiative (waiver of charges for non-maintenance of MAB), effective from July 1, 2025, aims to support priority segments, including low-income households, women, and farmers, by making banking services more accessible and easier to use without the burden of balance maintenance penalties.
SBI has waived the requirement for maintaining a minimum balance in all savings accounts since 2020; there is no penalty if the minimum balance in the savings account is not maintained.
In May 2025, Canara Bank also announced a waiver of the average monthly balance (AMB) requirement for all types of savings bank accounts, including regular savings accounts, salary accounts,
and NRI savings accounts.
The average monthly balance (AMB) is the minimum balance that a customer is required to maintain in his/her bank account. If the balance in the bank account falls below the required amount, then banks levy a penalty for failing to maintain AMB. The penalty varies based on the type of savings account.
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved SPREE 2025 (Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees)—during its 196th ESI Corporation Meeting held in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, under the chairmanship of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports.
