Potato is one of the most consumed vegetables on the planet, with nearly two-thirds of the world population consuming it, according to the United Nations. Resistant to drought, cold and barren land, potatoes have wide adaptability. To celebrate this versatile vegetable, the world marks International Day of Potato on May 30 every year.

History of the International Day of Potato
In December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided to designate May 30 as the International Day of Potato to raise awareness of the multiple nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural values of the potato.

Prior to the International Day of Potato, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2007, officially announced 2008 as the International Year of the Potato (IYP). The initiative for an IYP came in 2005, when Peru and a group of Latin American and Caribbean countries requested FAO's collaboration in having an IYP declared.

Sri Lanka has crossed the one million mark in international tourist arrivals this year, nearly a month earlier than last year, signalling a strong post-pandemic recovery. Provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed 1,006,097 visitors recorded between January 1 and May 25.

India continued to lead as the top source market in May, contributing 35.8% of arrivals, followed by the UK and China. Sri Lanka has now met 33.5% of its 3 million visitor target for the year.

The last time the one million mark was achieved in May 2018, which was before the Easter attacks and the Covid pandemic that slowed down the tourism market. Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath marked the achievement on social media platform X, thanking industry stakeholders.

Elon Musk has stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), ending a dramatic tenure marked by deep budget cuts and a rare public break with President Trump.

Musk announced his departure Thursday, thanking the president for the "opportunity to reduce wasteful spending" and predicting that DOGE will evolve into a “way of life” in Washington.

The move comes just a day after Musk criticized Trump’s latest spending bill, calling it counterproductive. “A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both,” Musk said. His remarks marked his first direct swipe at the president he helped elect.

India moved back to second place in the medals tally on the third day of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Korea.

Avinash Sable (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Jyothi Yarraji (women’s 100m hurdles) and the women’s 4x400m relay team grabbed three more gold medals for India, overtaking Japan which has four.

China leads with 21 medals (12 gold), followed by India, Japan and others. The event ends on May 31.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to confer an honorary rank on personnel below officer rank in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR). The honorary rank is one rank higher which will be conferred on the day of their retirement. Our correspondent reports that to receive this honorary rank the concerned personnel must meet all promotion criteria at the time of retirement. They must have a good and clean service record.
The decision aims to boost the self-respect, pride, and morale of personnel retiring from the rank of Constable to Sub-Inspector. The honorary rank shall be granted based on the recommendation of the concerned commanding officer. No financial or pension benefits will be admissible along with the honorary rank.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the launch of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan via videoconferencing, describing it as a significant initiative for farmers and a unique effort to support agricultural development.

Highlighting the timely nature of the initiative with the monsoon season approaching and preparations for the Kharif season underway, the Prime Minister said that, over the next 12 to 15 days, around 2,000 teams—comprising scientists, experts, officials, and progressive farmers—will travel across more than 700 districts and reach millions of farmers in villages. He extended his best wishes to all participating farmers and teams, acknowledging their dedication to strengthening India’s agricultural sector.

Noting that agriculture has traditionally been a state subject, with each state formulating its own policies and welfare schemes, PM Modi emphasised the need for transformation in the sector in response to changing times. While Indian farmers have achieved record levels of production, he said that evolving market dynamics and consumer preferences require modern reforms in agriculture, undertaken in collaboration with both state governments and farmers.

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to frame guidelines for plywood industries in the country.

The green body was hearing a matter regarding several plywood units causing pollution in a village in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana.

In its order dated May 27, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said there was an “urgent need for framing of guidelines” regarding the plywood industries as guidelines had been framed by environment ministry or Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) regarding other industries, such as, sand mining, stone crushers, brick kilns and common bio-medical waste treatment plants by laying down measures for preventing or controlling air and water pollution.

On Wednesday, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled the Battery Aadhaar Initiative, aimed at tracking the entire life cycle of batteries from manufacturing to end-of-life, along with enhancing recycling efficiency. Speaking at the Battery Summit, Singh highlighted that the introduction of 'battery aadhaar' is poised to revolutionise traceability, efficiency, and scalability within India's battery ecosystem. This initiative will provide each battery pack with a unique digital identity, allowing for the monitoring of its manufacturing origin, battery chemistry, safety certifications, and overall performance throughout its lifecycle.

Singh noted that the program would also enable the assessment of critical factors such as thermal events, charge-discharge cycles, and end-of-life status, which will aid in predictive maintenance and streamline recycling processes.

Furthermore, Singh emphasied that the Battery Aadhaar Initiative would serve as a regulatory measure against counterfeit products while enhancing consumer confidence and supporting circular economy efforts. By integrating with Battery Management Systems (BMS), AI-driven diagnostics, and national EV databases, the initiative has the potential to be a foundational element in India's evolving battery intelligence landscape.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday inaugurated the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House, Delhi. Equipped with state-of-the-art experimental setups, the facility aims to further strengthen indigenous quantum capabilities for strategic and defence applications.

The key capabilities of QRTC include characterisation of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers and Distributed Feedback Lasers, test-beds for evaluating single-photon sources; set-up for characterisation of Micro-Fabricated Alkali Vapour Cell; and experimental platforms for developing and validating Quantum Key Distribution techniques to enable ultra-secure communication and safeguard national security in the post-quantum era, spearheaded by Scientific Analysis Group (SAG), DRDO.

Led by the Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), the QTRC focuses on key foundational technologies. These include an ultra-small atomic clock using coherent population trapping for precise timekeeping in environments without Global Navigation Satellite System access, an atomic magnetometer with optically pumped magnetometry for detecting ultra-sensitive magnetic fields, and advanced solid-state quantum devices and materials, the ministry stated.

A team of researchers from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has produced India’s first gene-edited sheep.

The gene-editing of the sheep was possible after four years of research and will enhance the muscle mass of the animal by 30%, the researchers said. The breakthrough comes after the release of India’s first gene-edited rice variety recently.

“As of now, this has been done at the research level,” said Prof Riaz Ahmad Shah, who led a team of five researchers at SKUAST. “The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,” he said.