Maratha Military Landscapes of India has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.

This global accolade celebrates India’s enduring cultural legacy, showcasing its diverse traditions of architectural brilliance, regional identity, and historical continuity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis lauded the historic milestone and congratulated the people of India for this achievement. This decision was taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee.

Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, Maratha Military Landscapes of India is an extraordinary network of twelve forts that demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.

The Union environment ministry has issued a notification to extend the validity of infrastructure projects cleared under the Islands Protection Zone (IPZ) notification 2011 that applies to areas in the Andaman and Nicobar islands as well as Lakshadweep, while also making way for splitting or transfer of IPZ clearances among entities.

The notification issued on July 4 states that the clearance accorded to projects under this notification will be valid for 10 years. The period may be extended by a maximum period of a year, if an application is made during the validity of the clearance along with the recommendation of the Coastal Zone Management Authority concerned. The notification states that the objective of the amendment is to make the validity of make the validity of IPZ clearances in IPZ 2011 uniform with provisions of the environment impact assessment notification 2006 that is implemented across the country.

To increase awareness of global population issues, World Population Day is observed annually on July 11. People from all over the world gather on this day to talk about and solve the problems brought on by the growing population. India, the world's second most populous nation, is important to this discussion. Analysing population growth in India's various states, determining which is the most populated, and determining the causes of this growth are crucial as 2025 draws near.

The United Nations predicts that by 2030, India will have 1.5 billion people, making it the world's most populous nation. India is home to more than 1.3 billion people, representing a diverse population with a wide range of customs, languages, and cultures. The population distribution among its states also reflects this diversity.

The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is home to the nation's largest population. With an estimated 230 million people, Uttar Pradesh is more populated than many nations worldwide, according to recent estimates.

In Dubai, your dinner might soon come with a side of source code.

WOOHOO, a restaurant that bills itself as “dining in the future”, is set to open in September in central Dubai, a stone’s throw from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Food at WOOHOO will be assembled by humans, for now, but everything else – from the menu to ambience to service – will be designed by a culinary large-language-model called “Chef Aiman.”

Aiman – a portmanteau of “AI” and “man” – is trained on decades of food science research, molecular composition data and over a thousand recipes from cooking traditions around the world, said Ahmet Oytun Cakir, one of WOOHOO’s founders.

In a major push towards empowering tribal students, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has unveiled a series of initiatives to enhance education, life skills, and employability for students studying in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across the country.

On July 9, NESTS signed landmark agreements with UNICEF India, Tata Motors Limited, and the Ex-Navodayan Foundation to roll out programmes that will support over 1.3 lakh tribal students in their academic and professional journeys.

At the centre of these efforts is TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub), an innovative national platform launched in partnership with UNICEF. TALASH aims to strengthen both academic learning and personal development by helping students discover their strengths, build essential life skills, and plan clear career pathways.

The Indian Railways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) to enhance train safety with the installation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based inspection systems. The Ministry of Railways has termed this a significant step toward adopting cutting-edge technologies to improve service efficiency and automate the maintenance of rolling stock. The MoU was signed for the installation of a Machine Vision-Based Inspection System (MVIS) for monitoring the health of rolling stock. MVIS is equipped with technologies that capture high-resolution images of the under-gear of moving trains and automatically detect any hanging, loose, or missing components. On the detection of anomalies, the system generates real-time alerts to facilitate prompt response and preventive action. DFCCIL will be responsible for the procurement, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of four MVIS units. The technology is expected to significantly enhance the safety of train operations, reduce manual inspection, and help avoid potential accidents and service disruptions.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and BITS-Pilani have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch professional development programs in cybersecurity for professionals across government, public sector and industry. The Ministry has termed this initiative a significant step towards further strengthening the country’s cyber defense capabilities and building a skilled cyber security workforce. The collaboration aims to address the growing demand for structured, high-impact capacity building in cyber security in view of the evolving digital threats and cyber security challenges. The program will begin on 19th July and is open to professionals.

India sprinter Animesh Kujur smashed the 100m national record with an incredible timing of 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting in Greece on Saturday.

Sprinting in the second heat of the competition, the 22-year-old Kujur became the first ever Indian to register a sub-10.20 second timing in 100m, bettering Gurindervir Singh's earlier 100m national record of 10.20 seconds in the meet at Vari, a suburb of the Greek capital Athens.

Sotirios Garagganis of Greece (10.23s) and Samuli Samuelsson (10.28s) were second and third respectively in the World Athletics Continental Tour silver label meet.

The Kerala Fisheries department has awarded Kasaragod district the Fisheries department Excellence Award 2025, recognising its achievements in the fisheries sector under the Popular Fish Farming Project.

Kasaragod was adjudged the best district in the State, while two local fish farmers also securing awards in individual categories. Ravi P.P. from Padanna won the second place in the Best Backwater Fish Seed Production Farmer category and Sea Pearl Aquafarm of Kumbala secured the third place for Best Innovative Fish Farming.

The awards are part of the annual State Farmer Awards, instituted to honour exceptional contributions in aquaculture across Kerala.

Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G Kishan Reddy today released operational guidelines of ‘Aspirational DMF Programme’ for the convergence of DMF initiatives with the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Block Programmes (ABP). These guidelines are designed to strategically align District Mineral Foundation (DMF) planning and implementation with the development priorities identified under ADP and ABP, which focus on improving socio-economic indicators in India’s most underserved regions. This was launched at the ‘National DMF Workshop’ held at New Delhi today.

The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Shri G Kishan Reddy, and Union Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, with participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Mines, other concerned Ministries, representatives from DMF districts, State DMF Nodal Officers, and officials from line Ministries. A total of 152 DMFs were represented in the event. 62 District collectors attended the workshop.