In order to foster inclusive education through capacity building initiatives under ‘Project Inclusion’, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has signed an MoU with Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) in New Delhi.
This collaboration marks a significant step towards achieving the mandate of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, particularly under Sections 16, 17, and 47, which emphasize inclusive education for children with disabilities.
Under the MoU, Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS), through its ‘Rupantar Programme’, will implement ‘Project Inclusion’ via a mobile app and web-based platform. The project will provide training, issue e-certificates upon completion, and promote awareness and innovation in inclusive teaching methods and tools.
SAS will also undertake research and development activities for further enhancing the state of inclusive education in the country. Importantly, the project also intends to expand to geographically challenging regions like Leh, as part of the Leh Inclusion Initiative of this Department.
The second edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index Report (2023-24) was released by NITI Aayog. The Index is developed by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER), with technical support from UNDP.
A high-level meeting was convened on 03.07.2025 to review key issues impacting major infrastructure projects in Gujarat and Rajasthan, with a focus on resolving bottlenecks through the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) mechanism. A total of 22 issues related to 18 critical projects—collectively valued at over Rs. 36,296 crore—were taken up for discussion.
Among the major initiatives discussed was the Transmission System Strengthening Scheme for evacuation of power from solar energy zones in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with a projected investment of Rs. 14,147 crore. The scheme aims to facilitate seamless integration of renewable energy into the national grid by developing high-capacity transmission infrastructure.
In Rajasthan, the scheme targets solar zones in Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Barmer, while in Gujarat, the focus areas include Surendranagar, Patan, and Kutch. These projects are crucial for evacuating solar power from renewable energy-rich regions and delivering it reliably to consumption centres across India.
The meeting also reviewed the 5G/4G network expansion project of Reliance Jio, recognised as a project of national importance. The initiative seeks to extend 5G mobile services to uncovered and remote areas, while also strengthening existing 4G infrastructure. Discussions were held with the State Government to expedite resolution of pending forest-related issues.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has released a new messaging app that doesn’t require an internet connection to work. Bitchat is a new peer-to-peer messaging app that communicates without a centralised server or phone network. This privacy-focused messaging app is only available on TestFlight for iPhone users.
Bitchat operates entirely over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks, allowing smartphones to create localised clusters and share encrypted messages from one device to another. Working over Bluetooth means users don’t need Wi-Fi or a cellular network to send messages.
This will be really helpful in situations when the network is down or in areas with restricted internet access.
Unlike traditional messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, which rely on servers and require creating an account using email or phone number, Bitchat is completely decentralised.
There is no central database; the messages are stored entirely on users’ devices and are deleted after a short period. This design is created to prioritise users’ privacy and censorship resistance.
The beta phase primarily focuses on battery optimisation and relay stability, with plans to expand support for more platforms.
Jack Dorsey shared the whitepaper for the app and the beta invitation publicly. With the final release, the development team plans to introduce the Wi-Fi protocol to enhance bandwidth and enable sharing of rich content like pictures and videos.
BMW Group India has announced a change in personnel at the helm with Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar being appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer effective 1 September 2025.
Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar succeeds Mr. Vikram Pawah who is taking charge as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New Zealand.
Mr. Vikram Pawah has been with the BMW Group since 2017 and has successfully led the company's operations in both India (2017 - 2018 and 2020 - 2025) as well as Australia (2018 - 2020). In recent years, Mr. Pawah strongly fixed BMW Group India's gaze on expanding market share through new opportunities and target groups, and taking electric mobility, digitalization,
retail experience and customer centricity to the next level.
BMW Group India-
With BMW, MINI and Motorrad, the BMW Group has its sight set firmly on the premium sector of the Indian automobile market. BMW India is a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group and is headquartered in Gurugram (National Capital Region).
Ahead of the 17th BRICS Summit, Colombia and Uzbekistan have officially joined the New Development Bank (NDB), expanding the multilateral lender’s membership to 11 countries. Founded in 2015 by the original BRICS nations, the NDB aims to fund infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging economies.
The NDB President Dilma Rousseff emphasized on the bank’s mission to support the Global South, focusing on innovation, science, and technology to help member nations adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, during a press conference following the bank’s 10th Board of Directors meeting.
India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt, and Algeria are members of NDB. Headquartered in Shanghai, the bank has approved over 120 projects covering sectors such as clean energy, transport, environmental protection, water and sanitation, and digital infrastructure.
Indian broadcaster Sanjog Gupta has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Announcing his appointment, the ICC Chairman Jay Shah said that Mr Gupta will bring extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation, which will be invaluable for the ICC.
He further said that the Nominations Committee of the ICC unanimously recommended Sanjog Gupta after considering several exceptional candidates for the post of CEO.
Gupta, who started his career as a journalist, later served at several broadcasting entities and scaled up his sports portfolio with multi-language, digital-first and women-focused coverage.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry, through its WaveX Startup Accelerator Platform has launched the Kalaa Setu – Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat’ Challenge. This nationwide initiative invites India’s leading AI startups to develop indigenous, scalable solutions for the automated generation of audio, video, and graphic content from textual inputs,
with support for multiple Indian languages. The challenge focuses on scalable solutions that support three core areas of AI-driven content generation. First, text-to-video generation. Second, text-to-graphics generation and another, text-to-audio generation.
The world’s first-ever malaria treatment suitable for babies and very young children has been approved for use. Drug manufacturer Novartis has received approval from Swiss authorities for its new malaria drug named Coartem. The development of the drug is very significant, as the overwhelming majority of malaria-related deaths occur in the under-five age group.
Most malaria-related deaths are recorded on the African continent. Malaria accounted for more than half a million deaths worldwide in 2023. Until now, babies were treated with an experimental dosage of the drug meant for older children, putting them at several risks, including overdose and more.
Vietnam and China have agreed to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries during a meeting of the Prime Ministers of both countries on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil. The move came days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with Vietnam that would slap a 20% tariff on all Vietnamese exports to the United States but also,
put a 40% levy on trans shipments through Vietnam from third countries.
In a statement, the Vietnamese government said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Rio de Janeiro and decided to enhance their trade relations along with other strategic cooperation.
The Indian Navy has signed a contract with M/s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru for the implementation of National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project towards strengthening maritime and coastal security. The project will bring in an integrated approach to data collation, analysis and information sharing amongst the various maritime stakeholders.
The project entails upgradation of the existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network to NMDA Network along with incorporation of AI-enabled software. As part of the project, the existing Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurugram, which is the nodal centre of NC3I Network, will also be upgraded into a Multi-Agency NMDA,
Centre hosting representatives from various national agencies. The project will be executed on ‘Turnkey Basis’ and will be administered by the Indian Navy.
World Kiswahili Language Day, celebrated on 7 July each year, honours Kiswahili as one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa and the world, with over 200 million speakers. It is a vital tool of communication and integration across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and serves as an official language of the African Union (AU), SADC, and the EAC.
Recognized by UNESCO as the first African language to be honored with its own international day, Kiswahili embodies the power of multilingualism to promote diversity, tolerance, and sustainable development. As a bridge between communities and civilizations, it plays a critical role in quality education, cultural preservation, and socio-economic progress.
