Helped by significant improvement in energy efficiency and investment capacity, India has been ranked 71st on a global Energy Transition Index released on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum.

Sweden topped the list of 118 countries, followed by Finland, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland in the top five.

China was ranked 12th, the US was 17th and Pakistan at 101st place. Congo was ranked lowest.

Every year, the World Refugee Day is celebrated on 20 June. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of refugees worldwide and promoting their inclusion and acceptance in host communities. World Refugee Day is commemorated with the hope of finding a lasting solution to the global refugee crisis and providing a safe place for all displaced people. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation and solidarity in addressing this issue.

Refugees are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, violence, or other forms of human rights violations.

The theme of World Refugee Day 2024 is ‘For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed.’

Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Buddhu Nonia at his centenary celebrations in Patna.

Addressing the gathering, Chouhan recalled his ultimate sacrifice during the Salt Satyagraha. “He was thrown into a boiling salt cauldron by the British, yet continued to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’,” Chouhan said, lauding the courage of the revolutionary.

“We earned our freedom through intense struggle and sacrifice. Many revolutionaries spent their entire youth grinding in the prisons of Andaman and Nicobar, and when they walked toward the gallows, their legs didn’t tremble. There was no fear or anxiety. They held the Gita in one hand, chanted ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, and had unwavering determination in their hearts,” the Union minister said.

The government has decided to make mandatory the use of Indian Standard Time for all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday.

This initiative will translate into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronised timekeeping in transportation and communication. Presently, several systems rely on foreign sources of time.

To make Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, the government will shortly notify Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were issued in January 2025 for stakeholders' feedback.

On Wednesday, the Department of Consumer Affairs organized a round table conference on Time Dissemination here.

Neha Rubab, a research scholar in the Urdu department at Allahabad University (AU) and a resident of the Kareli locality, has been selected for the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2025, announced on Wednesday. This year, 23 young writers from across the country have been chosen for their outstanding contributions in various languages.

Neha received the honour for her Urdu-language novel Mazharul Haq: Tareeq-e-Azadi-e-Hind Ka Faramosh Karda Qaid. The award includes a cash prize of ₹50,000, according to AU PRO Prof Jaya Kapoor.

Chandigarh, Punjab, and Delhi were the top three performers in the Ministry of Education’s latest assessment of school education indicators, the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report for 2023-24, which was released Wednesday.

The PGI was introduced in 2017, and the ministry revamped it as PGI 2.0 in 2021. It is an assessment of school education along six domains – learning outcome and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, teacher education, and training. The latest report, covering the years 2022-23 and 2023-24, draws data from the National Achievement Survey 2021, the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), and information on the mid-day meal programme (PM-POSHAN).

Noted environmentalist, wildlife expert, and Padmashree awardee Maruti Chitampalli, fondly known as ‘Aranya Rishi’, passed away at the age of 93 in Solapur, Maharashtra, due to age-related ailments. He dedicated his life to forests, wildlife, and conservation literature. Chitampalli received the Padma Shri from the President on April 30 this year.

Maruti Chitampalli served in the Forest Department for 36 years, during which he travelled over 5 lakh kilometres across India for research and documentation. Fluent in 13 languages, he used his linguistic prowess to engage with tribal communities and collect valuable ecological and environmental data. His diaries laid the foundation for his scientific works like ‘Pakshikosha’ (Encyclopedia of Birds), ‘Pashukosha’ (Encyclopedia of Animals), and ‘Matsyakosha’ (Encyclopedia Fish)

Paying heartfelt condolences, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, Chitampalli’s demise marks the end of a glorious chapter in the country’s environmental and literary heritage. Dy.CMs Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik also paid tributes to Maruti Chitampalli.

Government is making all out effort to ensure the safe return of Indian nationals from Iran, and another flight carrying members of the Indian mission are expected to arrive today. Earlier, 110 Indian students evacuated from northern Iran arrived in New Delhi. Talking to the media in New Delhi, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the government has received over 350 requests from Indian citizens in Iran for evacuation. He added that one aircraft is also heading to Turkmenistan today to bring back stranded Indians. The Minister highlighted that New Delhi is using safe and open airspace for flights, and the evacuation efforts are being carried out through these secure routes.

India has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran in view of the deteriorating situation due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Akashvani News spoke to some of the students evacuated from Iran.

Fourth seeds Ankita Raina and Alice Robbe beat the third seeds Hiromi Abe and Kanako Morisaki of Japan 1-6, 6-4, [10-8] in the doubles final of the $40,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Guimaraes, Portugal.

It was the third doubles title of the season and the 32nd of her career for the 32-year-old Ankita. She has also won 11 singles titles in the professional circuit.

It was the eighth career doubles crown for the 25-year-old Robbe of France.

The Defence Cyber Agency on Monday (June 16, 2025) launched ‘Cyber Suraksha’, a comprehensive cybersecurity exercise organised under the aegis of the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters.

The multi-phased exercise, which is to conclude on June 27, 2025, will involve targeted training sessions, evaluation, and an engaging capsule for leadership. Over 100 participants from national agencies and stakeholders from defence domains are taking part in the event, according to the Defence Ministry.

“The exercise is designed to simulate real-world cyber threats, reinforce secure practices, and test the analytical and defensive cyber skills of participants in a high-paced, gamified environment. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) conclave for leadership has also been dovetailed in ‘Cyber Suraksha’, thereby integrating the technical aspects with leadership roles,” it said.