U.S. trade deal: India still targeting July deadline

U.S. President Donald Trump has extended his tariff pause to August 1, and threatened new hikes for 14 countries; negotiations could extend to that date if deal specifics don't suit India, official says. 

Rare Great Hornbill sighting in Ezhimala sparks renewed calls for biodiversity conservation

In a rare and remarkable sighting, the Malamuzhak-ki Vezhambal (Great Hornbill), Kerala's State bird, was spotted in the coastal belt of Kakkampara, near Ezhimala, in Kannur, an area far from its usual forested habitats. 

The dark signs of restricted or selective franchise

We are now in the second week since the sudden launch of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, on June 24, 2025. By now we all know that this SIR is happening after a gap of over 20 years. But this is only a half truth. The SIR now is fundamentally different from all the earlier SIRs. The ongoing SIR entails a complete reconstruction of the electoral rolls based on the submission of documents by aspiring and applicant electors. 

Grand ambitions, troubling questions

The Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project carries several risks.

The Andhra Pradesh government's ₹81,900 crore Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project, which aims to transfer surplus water from the Godavari river to Banakacherla in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, is in limbo. This is a contentious project as Telangana argues that it violates the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014. 

What will be effect of rising military spending?

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which produces the most comprehensive database on military spending, global military spending was $2,718 billion in 2024. 

NIA to submit progress report on Jiribam killing of women, children in 2024

The Manipur High Court has asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a detailed progress report on the investigation into the abduction and killing of six women and children from the Meitei community amidst the flareup in the ethnic conflict seen in Manipur's Jiribam district last November.

Over 45% Enumeration forms for SIR collected: EC

The Election Commission on Tuesday said the collection of enumeration forms for the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has nearly reached the halfway mark with 3,70,77,077 of the total of 7,89,69,844 registered voters having submitted them. 

Public Accounts Committee tells DGCA to hold a complete safety audit of all aircraft

The Public Accounts Committee headed by senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal sought a complete audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the safety status of all aircraft operating in the country. 

Countrywide survey reveals deficits in student learning

Punjab, Kerala among top performers; Grade-level gaps seen in key subjects such as mathematics and language; PARAKH RS finds that 54% of Class 9 students can identify main points of a text. 

Vitamin D deficiency poses public health challenge: experts

Vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic proportions in India and ignoring it could have serious health consequences, experts said during a webinar on "Vitamin D Deficiency: Myths vs Reality" on Sunday. 

Nearly 600 Eklavya school students cracked IIT-JEE and NEET, says Tribal Affairs Ministry

Close to 600 students from government-run Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal students across 12 States have cleared top entrance examinations this year for undergraduate studies in medicine and engineering across the country, the Tribal Affairs Ministry's assessment of the EMRS' performance for the year showed.

Auto-part industry seeks national strategy on critical materials

Facing potential production losses on account of a shortage of rare earth magnets, auto component industry body ACMA sought a national strategy on critical materials to secure electric vehicle production in the country.