The postal department has released a policy document titled Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA) that seeks to outline a framework for a national Digital Address DPI, an official release said on Friday.

The DHRUVA envisions a standardised, interoperable, and geocoded digital addressing system that supports secure, consent-based, and seamless sharing of address information.

"At its core is the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) -- the array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organisations," the release said.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AMUL, India’s largest dairy cooperative, and Richplus, AMUL’s organic farming partner. According to the stakeholders, this MoU will promote organic farming and help in rural empowerment. Ajay Kumar Srivastava, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of IOB said about one lakh farmers will be onboarded through this initiative.

“This partnership is a remarkable step toward reshaping Indian agriculture. By combining our strengths, we can create a transformative journey for farmers, allowing them to embrace sustainable practices that enhance their livelihoods,” said Amit Vyas, Managing Director of of AMUL.

A co-branded Organic Farming Card for IOB account holders was also launched. This card offers farmers access to discounted organic inputs through AMUL’s certified outlets and other benefits including free agronomist support, training opportunities, and high-quality seeds. IOB will also introduce a dedicated credit scheme “Harit Kranti “, tailored to the needs of organic farmers.To scale the initiative, a series of organic farming conclaves will be organized, beginning with a major FPO meet in Madurai in June, followed by events across Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Army contingent departed on Thursday for 17th edition of India-Mongolia joint military exercise 'Nomadic Elephant', Ministry of Defence said in an official statement on Thursday.

The exercise is scheduled to be conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from May 31 to June 13. The exercise is an annual event conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia. Last edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in July 2024.

The Indian contingent comprising 45 personnel will be represented mainly by troops from a battalion of the Arunachal Scouts. The Mongolian armed forces contingent, also comprising similar strength, will be represented by 150 Special Forces unit, as per the ministry.

The government, May 30, announced the names of three more startups selected to build India’s first home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) foundational model: SoketAI, Gnani.ai, and Gan AI.

Earlier, on April 26, Sarvam AI was shortlisted for the same initiative, with the government indicating that two to three more startups would be added to the programme.

“Like Sarvam, the three teams have a very big target in front of them. Whichever sector they are targeting, they should become the top 5 in the world,” IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at an event.

Vaishnaw added that the mission has created the opportunity, to bring talent back to India. “I hope young talent sees this and comes back to India. This will also be a major achievement.”

In A big push for deeper connectivity in the North-East, Mizoram’s capital Aizawl has now been linked to the national railway network via the Bairabi–Sairang line in the state.

Bairabi in Kolasib district, near the border with Assam, has so far been the only railhead in Mizoram. Sairang is a satellite town of Aizawl, around 20 km from the city.

A senior official of the Ministry of Railways said the formal inauguration of the Bairabi–Sairang line is likely to take place after June 17.

“The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct the inspection of the project this week. Only after that can the inauguration happen, leading to the start of train operations. Barring a few sideworks, work on the line is almost complete,” the official said.

The inspection by the CRS, the railway safety audit body, is the final stage for the train operation.

Egypt unveiled three new tombs of prominent statesman in the Dra Abu al-Naga necropolis in Luxor, officials said Monday.

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered tombs dating back to the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 BC) and identified the names and titles of their owners through inscriptions found within, according to a statement by the tourism and antiquities ministry.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the statement that further study of other tombs’ inscriptions is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the tombs’ owners.

World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on 31 May to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and to promote efforts aimed at protecting future generations from its health risks.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 37 million children between the ages of 13 and 15 use tobacco products worldwide. In response to the growing threat, WHO observes World No Tobacco Day every year on this day to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco and to encourage stronger global efforts to curb its use.

In addition to awareness efforts, the day also brings attention to the challenges faced by those trying to quit tobacco. Common withdrawal symptoms such as cravings and irritability can make the process difficult. Your kitchen cupboard and refrigerator, however, can help because some foods can lessen the craving to smoke, alleviate withdrawal symptoms, and even help heal some of the harm that tobacco does; let's know more about it, too.

Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on Friday inaugurated 34 digital courts at the Rouse Avenue District Courts complex here to try cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act exclusively in the national capital.

Justice Upadhyaya urged the judicial officers to work towards people’s cause and said the “kind of infrastructure created here, the use of technology especially is laudable”.

He urged the judges to exercise their jurisdiction and the power vested in them by being “duty conscious” instead of being “power-charged”.

“If you (judges) work with a feeling that you are wielding some power, you won’t be able to do justice to the person coming to you,” he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the grant of “Miniratna” status Category-I for Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) & India Optel Limited (IOL), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday.

The move comes amid the Centre’s larger effort to push indigenous defence manufacturing and enhance the autonomy and competitiveness of state-run defence firms. All three companies were carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in October 2021 as part of a structural overhaul of the sector.

Singh commended the firms for significantly increasing turnover and indigenisation levels. He termed their evolution from government departments into revenue-generating enterprises as a sign of “mature and self-reliant defence manufacturing”.

Goa, famous for its stunning beaches and as a sought-after tourist destination, is the smallest state in India by area. Located on the west coast of India, Goa was a Portuguese colony for over 450 years until it was liberated by India in December 1961 and given the status of a union territory along with Daman and Diu.

However, Goa attained full statehood on May 30, 1987, and became the 25th state of the Republic of India, which is why we celebrate its statehood day on May 30 every year. This year, we will be marking the 39th Goa Statehood Day, falling on Friday, May 30, 2025.

Goa’s history goes back to 1510, when Alfonso de Albuquerque captured the peninsula and defeated Adil Shah of Bijapur. For the following 400 years, Goa was under Portuguese control.