The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, facilitated the first export consignment of GI-tagged Tezpur Litchi from Assam to Dubai on 7 June 2026, marking a significant milestone in expanding international market access for agricultural products from the North Eastern Region.
The one-metric-tonne consignment comprised GI-tagged Tezpur Litchi is one of Assam's most celebrated horticultural products, renowned for its exceptional sweetness, bright-red appearance, distinctive aroma and superior eating quality.
The region cultivates several notable varieties, including Bombaya, Bilati, Elaichi, Piyaji and Sahi, which are widely appreciated for their distinctive flavour and quality characteristics.
The Geographical Indication (GI) status has strengthened the identity and market recognition of Tezpur Litchi, enhancing its appeal among international buyers and creating new opportunities for premium agricultural exports from Assam.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 MW Solar Power Project with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Sitapur (Ex-Cantonment), Uttar Pradesh, on approximately 850 acres of vacant defence land.
This is the first-of-its-kind project undertaken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), involving the development of a large-scale solar power generation facility with integrated BESS support on defence land.
The initiative reflects the Government’s commitment towards clean energy, sustainability and reduction of dependence on conventional energy sources.
NTPC Limited is implementing the project through a competitive bid process to realise the most optimal energy pricing and savings for defence establishments. The project will be implemented in close coordination with Integrated HQ of MoD (Army) and Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE).
The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, signed a reform-linked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State of Sikkim.
The reform‑linked MoU mandates a Gram Panchayat‑led, service‑based and community‑centred model of rural water governance, aligned with the objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0.
It seeks to ensure that every rural household receives drinking water in adequate quantity and prescribed quality on a regular basis through strengthened community participation (Jan Bhagidari) and structural reforms for the sustainable operation and maintenance of rural water supply systems.
The Government is undertaking sustained reforms to strengthen India's standing as a leading destination for global investment. To deepen the capital market, it has introduced a series of reforms to increase Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) participation in Government Securities (G-Secs).
The Kerala Forest Department has launched the e-court integration feature for its ‘HAWK’ (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) system. This initiative makes Kerala the first State in India to achieve a fully digitised, judiciary-integrated wildlife offence management system.
By establishing a direct digital link between the Forest department and the District Court Management System (DCMS) via an Application Programming Interface (API), the State has effectively eliminated the need for physical paperwork in wildlife crime prosecution.
The system, developed in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and supported by NTT Data, helps to monitor the real-time lifecycle of every case file while ensuring unprecedented institutional transparency.
Beyond tracking criminals, the HAWK platform operates as a robust ecological intelligence suite.
It consolidates data on wildlife mortality, illegal weapon seizures, vehicle involvement, and the movement of repeat offenders. By mapping crime seasonality and geographic hotspots, the department can now deploy enforcement resources more strategically.
Jose Louies- CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India.
The Reserve Bank said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 41.8 lakh on Canara Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions, including those related to Know Your Customer norms.
After a supervisory evaluation (ISE 2025) of the bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2025, the RBI found that Canara Bank did not upload KYC records of certain customers onto Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) within the prescribed timeline.
The bank also classified certain accounts as inoperative, despite the last customer-induced transaction being less than one year old in such accounts.
A penalty of Rs 3.1 lakh has also been imposed on Puran Associates Pvt Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions of the RBI directions on 'asset classification'.
In both cases, the RBI said penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entities with their customers.
GRASA Millets & Foods Pvt. Ltd. -- India's first food-led metabolic recovery system, built on the science of millets, fermentation, and gut health -- walked onto the stage at Bharat Mandapam to receive the Rashtriya Ratna Samman 2026: Emerging Health Tech & Nutrition Innovation Startup of the Year.
GRASA, the precision nutrition arm of MediCAPS, has been incubated within IDC India -- Innovation Development Council led by Chairman Dr. Arun Chaudhary through its flagship startup incubation ecosystem, COSMINNOX.
Its clinical outcomes and food science have since been studied and documented by scholars of IDCIJST -- IDC India's peer-reviewed International Journal of Science and Technology -- with findings accessible at idcijst.com. The award, presented by actress and Member of Parliament Smt. Kangana Ranaut.
National Award-winning Malayalam actor Salim Kumar passed away in Kochi. He was 57. Salim Kumar, who initially gained attention through mimicry stages and television comedy shows, entered cinema in 1996 through the movie ‘Ishtamanu Nooruvattam’ directed by Siddique Shameer.
In a career spanning three decades, he acted in around 350 films.
By presenting humour-centric characters in his unique style, Salim Kumar gave them a distinct dimension. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the State Film Award in 2010 for his performance in the movie ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’. Salim Kumar, who won the State Award for Best Supporting Actor for ‘Achanurangatha Veedu’ and Best Comedian for ‘Ayalum Njanum ‘.
He also acted in Tamil films Appavin Meesai, Nedunchalai, and Maryan. He also acted in the Odia film ‘Oonga’ and the Bengali film ‘Mayabazar’.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal launched the BHAVYA Portal in New Delhi, marking a significant step towards the operationalisation of the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA).
Announcing details of the scheme, the minister said BHAVYA aims to develop 100 industrial parks across the country to promote large-scale job creation through greater investments. He said the parks would be developed in different sizes, ranging from 25 acres in hilly regions, smaller Union Territories and Northeastern states to between 100 and 500 acres,
in mid-sized states and regions, and up to 1,000 acres in locations closer to cities and towns.
He said land for the parks would be provided by state governments, while the Government of India would support infrastructure creation through the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), which would partner with states under a 51:49 model.
The minister said efforts would be made to establish modern testing facilities in partnership with institutions such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Export Inspection Agency (EIA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Goyal said the Rs. 34,000 crore earmarked by the Central Government for the development of 100 industrial parks would catalyse substantial investments, generate direct and indirect employment, strengthen Centre-State partnership and support industrial growth across the country.
The minister informed that applications received between June 1 and July 31 would be considered for the first phase of 20 parks, while a further 30 parks would be taken up based on applications received up to September 30. Subsequent phases would be implemented based on the experience and learnings from the initial rounds.
Rapido has partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to support nationwide awareness and citizen participation for the government's Rahveer Scheme, an initiative aimed at encouraging timely assistance to road accident victims during the critical 'Golden Hour' following an accident.
India was the fifth largest military spender in the world, with an expenditure of $92.1 billion in 2025, according to a report by an international think-tank, which also mentioned the "unusually severe military crisis" that erupted between India and Pakistan last year (2025).
In its annual assessment report launched, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also said that India has approximately 190 nuclear warheads as of January 2026, compared to Pakistan's estimated stockpile of 170.
Kimi Antonelli is writing his place in Formula 1 history at record speed.
Antonelli replaced Hamilton at Mercedes last year, and only won his first race in March. He now has five wins in a row and a vast lead of 66 points over Hamilton.
Hamilton was second as a raft of penalties and investigations meant other positions weren't immediately clear. Isack Hadjar was on the podium in third for Red Bull after battling engine problems but was one of those under investigation.
9 June 2026 marks World Accreditation Day (#WAD2026), a global initiative established to promote the value of accreditation. On WAD 2026, we celebrate the vital role accreditation plays in driving innovation, trust and sustainable development.
World Accreditation Day was established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) following a joint decision in 2007 to create a dedicated global day recognising the value of accreditation.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Gallantry Awards to the personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State and Union Territory Police during the Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
On 7 June 2024 the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/78/286, declaring 10 June the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
Proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 80 countries, the resolution emphasizes that all civilizational achievements constitute "the collective heritage of humankind."
The International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the value of the diversity of civilizations and promoting dialogue, mutual respect and global solidarity, fostering a more harmonious and interconnected world.
