In a major push to youth empowerment, the Delhi government has announced a significant hike in cash awards for the medal winners of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to 7 crore rupees from the current 3 crore rupees. This decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in New Delhi yesterday, under the newly-launched Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana. Under the Scheme, Olympic and Paralympic medalists will receive 7 crore rupees for a gold medal, 5 crore rupees for silver, and 3 crore rupees for bronze. In addition, athletes who have won Olympic gold and silver medals will now be eligible for Grade A government posts. Similarly, Asian and Paralympic Games gold medallists will be given 3 crore rupees, while silver medallists will get 2 crore rupees and bronze medallists 1 crore rupees.

Addressing a press conference, Education Minister Ashish Sood said that the Delhi Cabinet has also approved a major initiative to enhance digital infrastructure in government schools by establishing fully equipped computer laboratories. The Minister also said that under the newly launched Mukhyamantri Digital Education Scheme, 1,200 high-achieving Class 11 students in government schools will receive free laptops based on their Class 10 board performance.

The National Cybersecurity Exercise - Bharat NCX 2025 was officially inaugurated on Monday with the aim to strengthen India's cyber defence posture.

The Bharat NCX 2025 was inaugurated by Deputy National Security Advisor T. V. Ravichandran, in the presence of Bimal N. Patel, Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). It was organised by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in collaboration with RRU.

According to the statement by NSCS, the event was held under the theme Enhancing the Operational Preparedness of Indian Cyberspace. The two-week national-level cyber drill brings together cybersecurity professionals, defence personnel, policymakers, and industry leaders.

In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, Chinese researchers have developed a method to convert methanol into white sugar, bypassing the need to grow sugar cane or sugar beets. Using a biotransformation system, the team claims that captured carbon dioxide can be converted into food.

The team at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology has developed an in vitro biotransformation (ivBT) system that synthesises sucrose from methanol, a low-carbon chemical that is derived from industrial waste or carbon dioxide. By utilising enzymes to convert methanol, researchers have presented a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture.

"Artificial conversion of CO2 into food and chemicals offers a promising strategy to address both environmental and population-related challenges while contributing to carbon neutrality," the study published in the Science Bulletin highlighted.

In a significant boost to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Fellowship Programme, the state government has signed an MoU with IIT Bombay to offer a Certificate Course in Public Policy to participating fellows.

The agreement was signed today in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who emphasized that the collaboration would enhance the capabilities of young fellows, allowing them to work more effectively in governance and public service. CM Fadnavis said that when young minds from diverse fields join hands with the administration, they introduce new thinking and creativity, leading to more effective policy implementation and meaningful change in society.

The course will include 20 days of classroom training, 90 hours of online learning over a year, and direct interaction with senior IIT professors, retired civil servants, and domain experts.

In a major step towards developing a skilled workforce for India’s growing creators’ economy, the Government of Maharashtra has signed an MoU with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Cultural Affairs Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar, and FTII Chairman and actor R. Madhavan.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that today, even a common citizen is a content creator. He said that the creators’ economy, which recently jumped from 92,000 crore to one lakh crore rupees in just 100 days, demands technically trained talent and proper certification.

He said this collaboration between FTII and the Maharashtra Film, Theatre and Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC) aims to bring training and certification to youth across the state, especially in rural areas.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) reported its highest-ever net member addition in a single month, with 20.06 lakh new members joining in May 2025 — the best growth since tracking began in April 2018. This figure represents a 4.8 percent increase compared to April and a 2.8 percent rise over May 2024, signaling robust formal employment trends.

In a post on X, Union Minister Mansukh Mandavia said,” India’s employment engine powered by PM Modi’s reforms breaks all records! EPFO Records an All-Time High Net Member Addition in May 2025. Under the dynamic leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India’s formal employment ecosystem is witnessing unprecedented growth. This historic surge reflects the success of pro-youth, pro-worker policies and the government’s unrelenting push towards ease of doing business and economic empowerment.”

India will host the Chess World Cup 2025, scheduled for October 30 to November 27. Announcing it today, the world body for the sport, FIDE said that the announcement of the host city will be released in due course.

The top three finishers of the 2025 World Cup will earn direct qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The FIDE World Cup 2025 will feature 206 players competing in a knockout format, a dynamic and unpredictable system, where the losing player in each round is eliminated for the coveted title and qualification spots in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, attributed to health reasons, has left the Opposition in disbelief and fuelled a flurry of speculation in political circles. Despite interacting with several senior leaders just hours before his announcement, Dhankhar gave no indication of any health concerns or plans to step down.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who has often sparred with Dhankhar in the Rajya Sabha, revealed that he spoke with the 74-year-old on the phone two hours before the resignation news broke. Ramesh said Dhankhar was with his family and appeared to have no immediate concerns, planning to continue discussions the following day.

Earlier in the day, around 5 pm, Ramesh, accompanied by Pramod Tiwari and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, met Dhankhar. According to Ramesh, the meeting appeared routine, with no indication of the impending resignation. Dhankhar had even mentioned an upcoming business advisory committee meeting scheduled for 10 am on Tuesday, suggesting all was normal.

Bihar has become the first state in the country to ensure that all polling stations have fewer than 1,200 electors, a move aimed at reducing overcrowding and enhancing voter convenience. The Election Commission has added 12,817 new polling stations across the state, raising the total number of polling stations from 77,895 to 90,712.

This development follows the State Instructional Representation (SIR) order issued on June 24, 2025, which revised the earlier ceiling of 1,500 electors per polling station to 1,200. The model is expected to serve as a template for other states and Union Territories ahead of future electoral exercises.

In preparation for the publication of the Draft Electoral Rolls on August 1, 2025, electoral officers at various levels—Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Electoral Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Booth Level Officers (BLOs)—have held extensive consultations with representatives of all 12 major political parties.

The Ministry of Tourism has rolled out operational guidelines for the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale’ (SASCI) scheme, aimed at transforming select tourist destinations into globally competitive attractions.

Under the scheme, the Centre intends to provide funding support for comprehensive development of iconic sites, with a focus on enhancing the end-to-end tourist experience. This includes strengthening the entire tourism value chain—from infrastructure to branding, sustainability, and operations.

Project proposals submitted by state governments were evaluated based on parameters such as site connectivity, ecological sustainability, existing tourism infrastructure, carrying capacity, management models, potential impact, and marketing plans. Final selection and approval of projects have been made in line with the institutional framework laid out in the SASCI guidelines.