The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) created the country's first dedicated wildlife corridor on a national highway in a groundbreaking initiative blending infrastructure development with environmental conservation.

The 12-kilometre stretch, part of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, passed through the buffer zone of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and featured five wildlife overpasses and India's longest underpass to facilitate safe animal movement.

This marked the first time an expressway in India was designed not just for human transport but also to protect the habitat and lives of wild animals, including tigers, bears, and other endangered species.

In a significant boost to India’s biodiversity conservation credentials, Kerala has been declared the best-performing state in the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) 2020–2025 of National Parks and Protected Areas (PAs). Conducted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the report places Kerala at the forefront of ecological stewardship, with a standout performance score of 76.22%—the only state to receive a “Very Good” rating.

Eravikulam National Park in Kerala and Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir emerged as the top-rated protected areas in India, each securing an impressive MEE score of 92.97%. Located in the southern Western Ghats, Eravikulam is celebrated for its rare shola-grassland ecosystem and as the last stronghold of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It also shelters the iconic Neelakurinji flowers, which bloom once every 12 years.

R Praggnanandhaa reached a historic milestone on Friday, June 27 when he became the No.1 ranked Indian chess player in the live rankings. The 19-year-old achieved the feat by beating Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov with Black pieces in the final round of the UzChess Cup Masters.

With the win, Praggnanandhaa's live rating has jumped to 2778.3. This has made the Indian grandmaster No.4 on the rankings, the highest he has achieved in his career so far. The 19-year-old jumped three places to be in the No.4 spot at the moment ahead of his compatriot and World Champion D Gukesh, who has 2776.6 rating points.

The government has appointed senior IPS officer Parag Jain as the next Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for a term of two years. Jain, who is a 1989-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, will succeed Ravi Sinha. The appointment committee of the cabinet has approved the appointment of Parag Jain.

The world pauses on 30 June to look skyward. People mark World Asteroid Day, remembering the massive asteroid explosion over Siberia in 1908. The Tunguska event flattened 2,000 square kilometres of forest. Its force matched nearly 185 Hiroshima bombs, leaving behind a lasting scar on Earth’s history.

The remote location meant the event went unnoticed for years. A scientific team only reached the site 19 years later, in 1927. They found shattered trees and burn marks, clear signs of the asteroid’s impact.

World Asteroid Day raises awareness of space rock risks. It advocates for improved research on the detection and deflection of asteroids. The day also calls for investment in space science and security. This year, the global campaign is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

In a pioneering move, Sense International India, in collaboration with global partners and with support from the Nelumbo Foundation, has launched the Global Deafblindness Resource Hub (GRH) — the first multilingual, inclusive platform offering practical, accessible knowledge for individuals with deafblindness, their caregivers, and professionals.

The launch aligns with a historic moment — the first-ever International Day of Deafblindness, declared by the United Nations and celebrated globally today on Helen Keller’s birth anniversary. With over 15 million people worldwide living with deafblindness, the GRH seeks to address a longstanding gap in access to credible and user-friendly resources.

The virtual launch event brought together individuals with deafblindness, global experts, educators, caregivers, and advocates. Attendees witnessed a live demonstration of the platform’s accessible design, followed by a panel discussion on “Bridging the Information Gap: Accessibility, Inclusion, and the Right to Know.”

The historic Golconda Fort came alive with colour, devotion and festive fervour as the annual Bonalu celebrations kicked off on a grand note on Thursday. The month-long festivities began with traditional prayers to Goddess Jagadambika at the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple atop the fort.

The first Bonam — a traditional offering of rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves carried in decorated brass or earthen pots — was brought in a massive procession from Langar Houz Crossroads, accompanied by beats of drums, chants and the rhythmic dance of ‘Potharajus’ wielding whips.

Women dressed in vibrant traditional attire thronged the temple, offering Bonams to the goddess as priests performed age-old rituals. The celebration, rooted in Telangana’s rich folk culture, draws lakhs of devotees every year from Hyderabad, Secunderabad and beyond.

India recorded a sharp jump in foreign direct investment at the start of FY26, with gross FDI inflows rising nearly 23% year-on-year to $8.8 billion in April 2025, according to the Finance Ministry’s Monthly Economic Review for May 2025.

The gross inflows were also higher than the $5.9 billion recorded in March 2025, signaling continued investor confidence despite persistent global headwinds.

Net FDI - which excludes repatriations and outward investments - more than doubled in April, supported by a sharp decline in repatriations, the review showed. Repatriated FDI dropped 59% year-on-year to $1.7 billion, while net outward FDI stood at $3.2 billion, up nearly 169% from April 2024 but lower than the previous month.

The Indian Conservation Conference (ICCON) 2025, India’s foremost platform for conservation science, policy, and practice, will be held from 25–27 June 2025 at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India.The Conference shall be inaugurated by the union minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India Sh Bhupender Yadav on 25th June 2025.

The three-day event brings together over 500 participants from across India and the Global South — including scientists, researchers, Indian Forest Service officers, students, NGOs, and international organisations, policymakers — to discuss, deliberate, and shape solutions for India’s most urgent biodiversity challenges.

ICCON was first launched in 2023 during the golden jubilee celebrations of Project Tiger, alongside the historic announcement of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). Since then, it has grown into a credible and inclusive forum dedicated to cross-sectoral dialogue, cutting-edge conservation science, and youth engagement. This year’s edition features 17 thematic areas, hundreds of oral and speed talks, poster sessions, spotlight lectures, and 10 capacity-building workshops. A key highlight is the introduction of TechBridge — a first-of-its-kind wildlife technology forum designed to showcase innovative tools and solutions for field application.

Adani Total Gas Ltd and Reliance Industries Ltd arm Jio-bp have partnered to sell auto fuel across select outlets, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday.

Select ATGL outlets will sell Jio-bp’s petrol and diesel, and the Jio-bp outlets will integrate ATGL’s compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensing units, the statement said.

“This partnership will enable us to leverage each other’s infrastructure, thus enhancing customer experience and offerings,” said Suresh P. Manglani, executive director and CEO of Adani Total Gas.