Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Ajit Kumar Mohanty has inaugurated the world’s first Hydrogen Production Facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) Thermochemical Cycle utilizing nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
The facility has been established as a technology demonstrator to validate the production of hydrogen using nuclear energy through the Cu–Cl thermochemical process developed indigenously by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.
The successful integration of nuclear process heat with hydrogen generation marks a pioneering technological breakthrough and opens a promising pathway for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.
Hydrogen is widely regarded as a key energy carrier for the future and is expected to play a pivotal role in the global transition towards clean and sustainable energy systems.
Among the various hydrogen production technologies under development worldwide, the Cu–Cl thermochemical cycle is considered one of the most promising due to its relatively lower operating temperatures and higher thermodynamic efficiency.
By harnessing nuclear heat from fast reactors, the process significantly reduces dependence on fossil fuels and eliminates greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional hydrogen production methods.
The commissioning of the facility represents the culmination of extensive research, process development, engineering design, equipment fabrication, installation, testing and commissioning efforts undertaken jointly by BARC and IGCAR.
The plant will provide valuable operational experience, facilitate further optimization of the Cu–Cl process and support future research aimed at scaling up nuclear-assisted hydrogen production technologies for commercial deployment.
IGCAR, one of India's premier nuclear research institutions under the Department of Atomic Energy, has been at the forefront of the country's Fast Breeder Reactor programme since its establishment in 1971.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a revised framework for identifying Upper Layer Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC-ULs), stating that NBFCs with an asset size of Rs 1 lakh crore and above will automatically be classified in the Upper Layer category.
The central bank's move could strengthen the case for the public listing of Tata Sons, the principal holding company of the Tata Group. With an estimated asset base of around Rs 1.75 lakh crore, Tata Sons comfortably exceeds the threshold and is likely to remain classified as an Upper Layer NBFC.
The RBI's decision narrows the scope for Tata Sons to avoid Upper Layer classification and could reinforce listing-related regulatory requirements to such entities. Tata Sons has been seeking regulatory relief through its application to surrender its registration as a CoreInvestment Company (CIC).
According to the new norms, the RBI will use an asset-size criterion of Rs 1 lakh crore and above to identify NBFCs that may be considered for inclusion in the Upper Layer category. The regulator also said the threshold will now be reviewed every three years, instead of every five years as propose in the draft framework.
The revised norms came into effect on June 24.
Additionally, government-owned NBFCs that meet the eligibility criteria will now be considered for inclusion in the Upper Layer category.
Under the scale-based regulatory framework, entities classified in the Upper Layer are subject to enhanced regulatory oversight and stricter compliance requirements.
Indian shooters topped the medals tally at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Germany with seven gold, finishing the campaign in style through outstanding performances in the pistol and rifle events.
India finished with 24 medals – seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze – to top the standings, ahead of the Individual Neutral Athletes, who claimed 14 medals, including six gold, while Italy finished third with 10 medals, also featuring six gold.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh today released the memoir of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ‘The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts’, in New Delhi.
The book chronicles Group Captain Shukla’s journey from fighter pilot to astronaut and his historic mission to the International Space Station as part of Axiom-4.
It offers a behind-the-scenes account of astronaut selection, intensive training, mission preparation and life in space. The event also commemorated the first anniversary of Group Captain Shukla’s landmark Axiom-4 mission, which was launched on 25 June last year.
Addressing the media, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh emphasised that the book will be a great motivator for the coming generation.
Secretary, the Ministry of Education, Sanjay Kumar IAS and Member (Finance), Department of Space, Seema Jain were also present on the occasion. During the event, Group Captain Shukla also interacted with students from different schools.
Goa’s 14-year-old International Master Ethan Vaz has become India’s 96th Chess Grandmaster after securing his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Sarajevo GM Mix tournament in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ethan won the tournament with finishing ahead of ten Grandmasters. With the achievement, Ethan becomes the third Grandmaster from Goa after Anurag Mhamal and Leon Mendonca.
Born on September 3, 2011, he currently has a live FIDE rating of 2522. Ethan earned his first Grandmaster norm at the GM4 Festival Saha Bijeljina in Bosnia & Herzegovina in October 2025, where he went on to win the tournament.
His second norm came at the GM Mix 11 Fantastico tournament in Serbia in January this year after a final-round victory secured both the title & norm
The young Goan has also recorded several notable performances this year. He won three medals, including two gold medals in the Rapid and Blitz events, at the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
Earlier this month, he remained unbeaten at the 4th Gujarat International Open, finishing ahead of 18 of the 19 Grandmasters in the field.
He also qualified for the 2026 World and Asian Youth Chess Championships after winning silver at the National Under-17 Championship.
Ethan’s latest achievement adds another milestone to Goa’s growing presence in Indian chess.
Two Indian women working far from the spotlight have just taken centre stage globally. At the 2026 Whitley Awards, often called the ‘Green Oscars’, Parveen Shaikh and Barkha Subba were among six winners honoured for their work in protecting endangered species.
The award, given by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature, recognises grassroots conservation efforts and comes with funding, training, and global visibility. But beyond the ceremony in London, their real work is unfolding in rivers and forests back home.
Parveen Shaikh has been working to protect the Indian skimmer, a striking river bird known for its unique way of catching fish by slicing the water surface with its beak.
Once found across parts of South Asia, the bird is now hanging by a thread. Habitat loss, pollution, sand mining, and river projects have pushed it to the edge.
Today, India holds more than 90% of its remaining population.
What makes Shaikh’s work stand out is her approach. Instead of relying only on research, she built a network of local “nest guardians” along the Chambal river. These community members monitor nesting sites, protect eggs, and prevent disturbances.
The results are visible. Nest survival has nearly doubled, and the local population has grown sharply over the past few years. Many guardians now refer to the birds as “our birds”, a small shift in language that signals a deeper change in ownership.
In the Darjeeling hills, Barkha Subba is fighting a quieter battle. Her focus is the Himalayan salamander, a rare amphibian that has survived for millions of years but is now rapidly losing its habitat.
Wetlands are shrinking due to tourism, construction, and land-use changes. Out of dozens of breeding sites, only about 30 remain. Many are not even protected.
Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released a book in New Delhi titled “Sanskritir Ratna Bhandar: Bhaowaiyar Itibritto” (Bhawaiya: A Cultural Treasure and Its Historical Journey). Addressing the gathering, the Vice-President said that the book systematically traces the historical evolution of Bhawaiya and offers a fresh perspective on its origin and development.
Bhawaiya is a traditional folk music genre of North Bengal, Assam and adjoining regions. Mr Radhakrishnan noted that the work highlights the role of folk traditions, religious practices, agricultural customs, seasonal festivals and community life in shaping Bhawaiya as an organic expression of the social and cultural experiences of the people.
He said that Bhawaiya, which emerged from the soil of North Bengal and adjoining regions, has for generations reflected the emotions, aspirations, struggles and wisdom of ordinary people.
The book has been authored by Lok Sabha MP Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy and Sangita Roy.
Gujarat Police signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with multi-state cooperative society Sahkar Taxi Co-operative Limited, which operates the ‘Bharat Taxi’ platform, to integrate digital safety features aimed at strengthening passenger security and urban transport across the state.
The agreement provides for integrating an SOS service within the Bharat Taxi mobile application with the Gujarat Police control room mechanism, enabling passengers to seek immediate assistance during emergencies.
The initiative aims to improve commuter safety, with particular emphasis on women and senior citizens.
Under the partnership, all drivers joining the Bharat Taxi platform will undergo official police verification (KYC) by Gujarat Police to help ensure passenger safety.
The agreement also provides for special awareness programmes for drivers on traffic regulations and road safety, as well as joint public awareness campaigns to promote safe travel among citizens.
Goldman Sachs has upgraded India's macroeconomic outlook for calendar year 2026 following the recent US-Iran peace deal, raising its real GDP growth forecast while lowering its inflation and current account deficit projections, citing easing oil prices and improving domestic economic conditions.
In its latest report titled ‘India: Improved macro outlook after the US-Iran deal’, the global investment bank said it has revised its forecasts after the sharp decline in crude oil prices reduced risks to the Indian economy.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed the National Indicator Framework (NIF) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in consultation with concerned Ministries and Departments, NITI Aayog, UN Agencies, and other stakeholders to facilitate the monitoring of SDGs at the national level.
The NIF provides a comprehensive mechanism for tracking progress on the SDGs and serves as an important evidence base for policy formulation and programme implementation. The report is compiled based on the data for the indicators received from line Ministries/Departments. MoSPI has been releasing these reports on 29th June every year.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority has facilitated the first commercial export of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Rewa Sundarja Mangoes from Madhya Pradesh to the United Arab Emirates. Commerce and Industry Ministry said that this is a significant step in promoting India’s unique agricultural products in global markets.
It said that the export consignment comprised one metric tonne of premium-quality GI-tagged Rewa Sundarja Mangoes. The Ministry said that the commercial export is expected to provide significant economic benefits to mango growers in the Rewa region.
The successful export highlighted the importance of Geographical Indication registration in creating a distinct identity for region-specific agricultural products in international markets.
Indian Naval Ships Udaygiri, Kavaratti and Shakti of the Eastern Fleet have reached Sattahip in Thailand as part of their operational deployment to the South-East Asia region.
The Ministry of Defence said the port call aims to further strengthen camaraderie, mutual cooperation and bilateral maritime ties between India and Thailand.
It added that the visit is part of India’s continued maritime engagement with South-East Asian nations and reflects the close and long-standing maritime partnership between the two countries.
The visit will include professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, operational interactions, sporting engagements and community outreach activities aimed at strengthening navy-to-navy cooperation and interoperability.
OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh as Managing Director for India, one of the company's top-priority markets.
Mr. Singh will be OpenAI's "most senior leader" in India, with responsibility for performance across consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement, and operations.
His focus will include building partnerships and supporting India's wider AI ecosystem, while helping more consumers, businesses, institutions and government bodies benefit from AI.
OpenAI can confirm that Prabhjeet Singh will join as Managing Director for India in September. He will report to Kiran Mani, Managing Director for APAC (Asia Pacific).
The latest appointment is part of OpenAI's continued investment in India, one of the top priority markets for the company.
Mr. Singh joins OpenAI from Uber where he served as President of India and South Asia, and led its mobility business across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
He is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad.
India’s external debt rose by $26.3 billion to $762.8 billion by March 2026 from a year earlier, while the external debt-to-GDP ratio increased to 20.8 per cent from 19.8 per cent, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The US dollar remained the dominant currency in India’s external debt composition, accounting for 55.5 per cent of the outstanding stock at the end of March. Debt denominated in the Indian rupee constituted 29.4 per cent, followed by the Japanese yen at 6.4 per cent, Special Drawing Rights (SDR) at 4.3 per cent and the euro at 3.7 per cent.
The increase in external debt was partly offset by valuation effects arising from the appreciation of the US dollar against the Indian rupee and other major currencies. The valuation impact amounted to $24.6 billion during the year. Excluding this effect, external debt would have increased by $51 billion until March 2025.
Long-term external debt--with an original maturity of more than one year--stood at $613.5 billion at the end of March 2026, up $11.6 billion from a year ago. Its share in total external debt declined marginally as short-term borrowings grew at a faster pace.
The share of short-term debt, with an original maturity of up to one year, increased to 19.6 per cent of total external debt at the end of March 2026 from 18.3 per cent a year earlier. The ratio of short-term debt to foreign exchange reserves also rose to 21.6 per cent from 20.1 per cent during the period.
On a residual maturity basis, which includes long-term debt maturing within the next 12 months, short-term debt accounted for 42.9 per cent of total external debt at the end of March 2026, compared with 41.2 per cent a year ago. The ratio of such debt to foreign exchange reserves increased to 47.3 per cent from 45.4 per cent.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended its pilot Benchmark Issuance Strategy (BIS) for state government securities to 10 more jurisdictions, including nine states and the Union Territory of Delhi,
While indicating that states and UTs are expected to raise ₹3.19 trillion through market borrowings during the July-September quarter of the current financial year, lower than market expectations of ₹3.4 trillion-Rs 3.5 trillion.
The Indian women’s cricket team has become one of the first sides to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. However, the men’s team will have to finish as Asia’s highest-ranked side in the ICC Men’s T20 rankings by the end of this year to secure direct qualification.
The International Cricket Council today confirmed that India, alongside Australia, Great Britain and South Africa, has booked its place in the women’s T20 competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The direct qualification places were capped at one team from each continent. Unlike the men’s event, the women’s competition does not use ICC rankings to determine the first four qualifiers. Instead, ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup serves as the primary qualification tournament, with the best-performing eligible team from each of the four continents earning an Olympic berth.
The men’s qualification pathway follows a different route. Four direct Olympic berths will be awarded through the ICC Men’s T20 International rankings, with the highest-ranked eligible National Olympic Committee (NOC) from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania qualifying automatically.
The rankings at the end of this year will determine the four continental representatives, meaning India must finish as Asia’s highest-ranked eligible side to secure a direct ticket to Los Angeles. Cricket will return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 after a gap of 128 years, with six teams each competing in the men’s and women’s T20 events.
FIFA has suspended the All Nepal Football Association, or ANFA, with immediate effect over violations of FIFA statutes involving third-party interference in its governance.
The suspension, effective from June 24, means Nepal’s national teams and clubs are barred from all FIFA and AFC competitions until further notice.
ANFA, its officials and member bodies will also lose access to FIFA and AFC funding, development programmes and training opportunities. FIFA stated that the suspension will remain in place until the issues are resolved and may be lifted before the next FIFA Congress if conditions are met.
In Badminton, Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth secured the silver medal in the men’s singles event at the US Open today after finishing as runner-up in the final.
Srikanth went down against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang in a hard-fought three-game contest, losing 15-21, 21-16, and 9-21 in the finals. The defeat also extended Srikanth’s wait for a BWF title, as his last international title came at the French Open in 2017 during the BWF Superseries era.
The Asian Development Bank has approved a USD 42.2 million small-expenditure financing facility to develop the bamboo industry in India's northeastern states, boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening rural livelihoods, and reducing dependence on imports.
The facility will support community-based projects that enhance the growth, usage, and management of bamboo resources across Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura through multiple subloans financing a range of activities, including those ensuring the participation and employment of women across the value chain, the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
It will also establish at least one women-led manufacturing facility in each state.
Despite holding 39 per cent of the world's forest bamboo, India's bamboo value chain remains underdeveloped and reliant on imports.
Aligned with the National Bamboo Mission, the small expenditure financing facility (SEFF) will strengthen bamboo cultivation, production, and marketing to increase incomes of producers and expand access to finance for private investors and entrepreneurs.
IIT Madras, in collaboration with Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd., has launched India’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) on plant cell fermentation technology, a dedicated facility aimed at advancing translational research and innovation in plant cell fermentation.
A release said the CoE, inaugurated on June 22 at IIT Madras Research Park, will serve as a national hub for research and development in plant cell fermentation, enabling the sustainable and scalable production of herbal biomass, enriched herbal extracts and high-value phytochemicals.
It will integrate advanced upstream cultivation systems with downstream processing and metabolomics platforms to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and industrial applications.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has taken a significant step towards upgrading its heaviest operational rocket, successfully test-firing a semi-cryogenic engine powerhead at 175 tonnes of thrust, the highest level achieved in the programme so far.
The test, the eighth in a series, was conducted on, June 24, at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. It ran the engine's Power Head Test Article (PHTA) — a configuration that includes all engine systems except the thrust chamber — at 88% of the SE2000 engine's full rated capacity. Previous tests in the series had topped out at 60% thrust
ISRO said all engine parameters performed as expected. The main turbopumps, which drive fuel and oxidiser into the combustion system at high pressure, delivered outlet pressures of 400 and 500 bar respectively.
In a statement released on, June 27, the space agency said the results gave it confidence to proceed to a full-power demonstration at 200 tonnes — a milestone that would pave the way for the engine's eventual integration into an upgraded version of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
The SE2000 is under development to power the SC120, a new propulsion stage that will replace the LVM3's existing L110 core stage. The L110 burns a combination of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide — fuels that are highly toxic and require careful handling.
The SE2000, in contrast, uses liquid oxygen and isrosene, a purified form of kerosene developed by ISRO. These are cleaner, less hazardous propellants that also offer better fuel efficiency.
Paired with an uprated cryogenic upper stage, the SC120 integration is expected to increase the LVM3's payload capacity, strengthening ISRO's position in the commercial satellite launch
Team India delivered a strong performance at the Global Skills Challenge (GSC) Australia 2026, winning 5 medals— 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze — marking another significant milestone in India's journey towards the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai later this year.
The international competition, held from 23–29 June 2026, brought together nearly 600 competitors, experts, translators, and officials representing 16 WorldSkills member nations, including India alongside Australia, Austria, China, the USA, Japan, France, Korea, and more.
