The Government of India has announced the winners of the 29th National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026, recognizing 17 outstanding digital governance initiatives across seven award categories. The awards celebrate excellence in leveraging technology to improve public service delivery, enhance transparency, and strengthen citizen-centric governance.

This year's awards include 10 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, and 1 Jury Award, showcasing innovative projects from central ministries, state governments, local bodies, public institutions, and gram panchayats.

Among the prominent winners are Agri Stack by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, e-Jagriti by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Mahakumbh 2025 by the Prayagraj Mela Authority, and the AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support System integrated into the eSanjeevani telemedicine platform by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Amendment Regulations, 2026, making it mandatory for all approved vegan food packages to display a specified 'Vegan' logo. The regulation, aimed at ensuring standard compliance and boosting consumer trust, will come into effect from July 1, 2027.

According to the notification, published in the Gazette of India on May 25, 2026, every package of vegan food will now be required to carry the specified green "VEGAN" logo featuring a leaf symbol, once approval is granted.

Detailed diagrams specifying the logo, including size, placement, and colour standards, were provided in the notification to guide manufacturers.

The Andhra Pradesh government has finalised the arrangements for its first semiconductor project under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The groundbreaking ceremony for the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility, proposed by M/s. Advanced System In Package Technologies Private Limited, is scheduled for June 8.

The project, proposed at Tarluvada village of Anandapuram mandal in Visakhapatnam district, envisages a total investment of ₹2,387.81 crore. The investment will be executed in two phases. The first phase will involve an outlay of ₹542.19 crore, followed by ₹1,845.61 crore in the second phase.

“To ensure the rapid grounding of this high-tech facility, the State government has approved the allotment of 30 acres of land to the firm at a nominal rate of ₹1 per acre. This is a special case and a maiden project sanctioned to the State under the Union government’s India Semiconductor Mission,” a higher official told The Hindu on Wednesday (June 3, 2026)

J&K Bank has won a Gold award at the Finacle Innovation Awards 2026 for its Data Insights and Analytics Platform, a recognition that highlights the lender’s efforts to expand the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics in its operations.

The award was presented in the category “Modern Technologies-led Innovation – Data Insights & Analytics Platform” at a ceremony organised by Infosys Finacle in Mumbai.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Amitava Chatterjee received the award along with General Manager (Strategy and IT/CIO) Mohammad Muzaffar Wani. The awards drew nearly 500 nominations from financial institutions across the banking ecosystem, according to the organisers.

Former Lok Sabha Secretary General and constitutional expert Subhash C. Kashyap passed away in New Delhi yesterday following a prolonged illness. He was 97. Dr Kashyap was part of the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to prepare a legal framework on simultaneous elections. Author of over 100 books, he served as the secretary general of Lok Sabha from 1983 to 1990.

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has expressed grief at the passing of Dr Kashyap. In a social media post, Mr Radhakrishnan said that Dr Kashyap made invaluable contributions to the understanding of India’s Constitution and parliamentary democracy through his scholarship, writings, and public service. The Vice President further added that his intellect, clarity of thought, and unwavering commitment to democratic institutions earned him the respect and admiration of generations.

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, will be on a 3-day visit to India beginning today. He is visiting India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During the visit, Mr Khanal will meet Dr Jaishankar in New Delhi. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry of Nepal said that the two sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people-to-people ties.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Neelkanth Mishra as Executive Director, World Bank Headquarters, Washington, DC, for a tenure of three years. The Department of Personnel and Training informed that the tenure of Parameswaran Iyer has also been extended till the new incumbent assumes charge.

French-Iranian author, illustrator, director and activist Marjane Satrapi, best known for her graphic novel series and film Persepolis, has died aged 56, the Élysée Palace in Paris has confirmed.

She "captivated a global audience with Persepolis", the palace said, calling her "a leading figure in French culture and an artist devoted to freedom, whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international renown".

Persepolis, first published in 2000, follows the story of young Marjane growing up amid the Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution. Eight years later, the film adaptation was nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars, having been co-directed by Satrapi.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the demise of eminent poet, writer and playwright Jagannath Prasad Das. The former IAS officer breathed his last at his residence here on Thursday. One of the most distinguished figures in modern Odia literature, Das was celebrated for his remarkable contribution to poetry, fiction, drama, criticism and art history. Born in Puri district in 1936, he emerged as a powerful literary voice during the 1970s and went on to shape contemporary Odia literature through his innovative and deeply humanistic writings.

Das authored several acclaimed collections of poetry, short stories and plays. His poetry collection ‘Ahinik’ received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1991, but he did not accept the honour. The Akademi went on to publish it in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and English. An MA in Political Science and PhD in Art History, Das penned ‘Desha, Kala, Patra,’ a historical novel that gave a rare view into Odisha’s transition from a traditional society during the colonial rule. Considered his seminal work, it went on to be published in all Indian languages. Apart from literature, Das made significant contributions to the study of Odisha’s traditional art and culture through works like ‘Puri Paintings’ and ‘Chitra-Pothi’.

A 10-time national champion between 1981 and 1992, Dhaliwal dominated Indian shot put for over a decade. He won bronze at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and went on to clinch silver (1983), gold (1985) and bronze (1987) at the Asian Athletics Championships.

One of his career highlights came in 1986 when he set an Asian record of 18.71m at an international meet in New Delhi. His achievements earned him the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award (1983) and the Arjuna Award (1987).

Dhaliwal, who began with Punjab Police before joining Tata Steel as assistant sports officer in 1983, later dedicated himself to coaching and mentoring young athletes, including a stint as athletics coach at PU from 2016 to 2024.