Minister for Mines and Excise Kollu Ravindra on Sunday announced that the construction of Machilipatnam port would be completed by December 2026.

Export, import, logistics and other operations would begin immediately after the completion of Phase I.

Speaking at a review meeting with stakeholders at the Zilla Parishad Convention Hall in Machilipatnam, Minister Kollu Ravindra said the port would generate employment for thousands through port-based industries.

South Asia has achieved its highest-ever immunization coverage for children, with notable progress in India and Nepal, according to new data released on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for 2024.

India reduced its number of zero-dose children — those who have not received a single vaccine — by 43%, from 1.6 million in 2023 to 0.9 million in 2024. Nepal achieved a 52% reduction, from 23,000 to 11,000, a WHO statement said.

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday paid rich tributes to Adikabi Sarala Das, a 15th century poet and scholar of Odia literature on his 600th birth anniversary, and presented the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024 to Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Addressing the birth anniversary celebrations of Das, organised by the Sarala Sahitya Sansad at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Murmu said Adikabi enriched Indian literature by composing the Mahabharata.

Stating that the Indian epics have been written in many languages, Murmu said, “Our diversity is like a rainbow. Our unity has been very strong for ages. We have many languages but the sentiment is one. The world remains amazed at how India remains united and integrated amidst so many languages and so many religions.”

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana”, or PMDDKY, to enhance agricultural productivity and increase adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the country.

The scheme was announced in the Budget earlier this year. Talking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Centre has merged 36 schemes of 11 Ministries into the PMDDKY, which will have an outlay of ₹24,000 crore per year for six years beginning 2025-26. “This scheme will help 1.7 crore farmers,” he said.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCEA has approved a special exemption for NLC India Limited (NLCIL) from the prevailing investment guidelines applicable to Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprises. Briefing the media about the cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, this strategic decision enables NLCIL to invest seven thousand crore rupees in its wholly owned subsidiary, NLC India Renewables Limited. He said, the exemptions aim to support NLCIL’s ambitious target of developing 10 GigaWatt of Renewable Energy capacity by 2030. Mr Vaishnaw highlighted that India has crossed 50 per cent landmark in green energy capacity and India is on track to fulfil its commitment under COP26.

The CCEA has also approved enhanced delegation of power to NTPC from the extant guidelines of delegation of power to Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises. It will enable NTPC to invest in NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGIL). NTPC’s subsidiary company NGIL is subsequently investing in NTPC Renewable Energy Limited and its other Joint Ventrues. This is beyond the earlier approved prescribed limit of seven thousand 500 crore rupees upto an amount of 20 thousand crore rupees for renewable energy capacity addition to achieve 60 Giga Watt renewable energy capacity by 2032. The Minister said, the enhanced delegation given to NTPC and NGEL will facilitate accelerated development of renewable projects in the country.

In a significant step towards global healthcare innovation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a technical brief titled "Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine", acknowledging India's pioneering efforts in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with traditional medicine systems, particularly Ayush systems.

The WHO release follows India's proposal on the subject, leading to the development of WHO's first-ever roadmap for applying AI in traditional medicine, the Ayush Ministry said in a release.

As per the release, India's efforts to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to advance and amplify the strengths of its Ayush systems reflect the broader vision

Marking a significant leap in its mission to redefine higher education, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, has announced the launch of a futuristic AI+ Campus in Amaravati, alongside a series of transformative initiatives unveiled during its 2025 convocation.

Spearheaded by Chancellor Kumar Mangalam Birla, BITS Pilani has announced a Rs 1,219 crore investment under Project Vistaar to expand and modernise existing campuses, and the formal rollout of BITS Pilani Digital, its dedicated EdTech platform for flexible, industry-aligned learning.

Speaking on the occasion, Birla said, “This is a pivotal moment in the journey of BITS Pilani. These bold steps are aimed not just at expansion but at shaping a transformative learning ecosystem that nurtures innovation, empowers learners, and contributes to India’s knowledge economy in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of a trillion-dollar academic sector.”

Veteran television actor and producer Dheeraj Kumar passed away on Monday at the age of 79 after suffering from pneumonia. He had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital after being admitted in critical condition. He was also placed on ventilator support in the ICU. He was known for his work across Hindi and Punjabi cinema as well as in television.

His family and production house had previously issued a statement requesting privacy while he was in the hospital. “Dheeraj Kumar is under the close supervision of doctors and is undergoing treatment. The family is praying for his speedy recovery and also requests everyone to maintain his privacy during this difficult time,” the statement read.

In a major step towards battlefield modernisation, the Ram Division of the India Army conducted a high-impact demonstration titled 'Prachand Shakti' at the Kharga Corps Field Training Area, in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut on Monday.

The exercise focused on the employment of disruptive technologies by infantry units in Strike Corps operations, showcasing the Army's technological transformation in real-time combat scenarios.

According to the Indian Army, this event highlighted the changing dynamics of warfare, where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), AI-enabled systems, loitering munitions, and autonomous platforms are playing a pivotal role in redefining operational capabilities.

South Africa batter Aiden Markram and West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews were announced as the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards respectively for June 2025.

Markram won the men’s award ahead of teammate Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka for his Player of the Match effort in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at Lord’s.

The 30-year-old opener struck a solid 136 off 207 balls and featured in a 147-run third-wicket stand with captain Temba Bavuma in a successful chase of 282. The five-wicket victory helped South Africa win an ICC title for the first time in 27 years. Markram also picked up a wicket each in both innings.