On May 16, the United Nations celebrates International Day of Light (IDL), an annual global movement to increase awareness of the essential role that light-based technologies play in everyday life and commemorate the anniversary of physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman’s first successful laser operation in 1960.

The IDL emphasises the role of such technologies in science, technology, art, and culture, thereby contributing to UNESCO’s goal of education, equality, and peace. In 2025, it’s being celebrated on Friday, May 16, under the theme “Light, Innovation, Society.”

“The laser is a perfect example of how a scientific discovery can yield revolutionary benefits to society in communications, healthcare and many other fields,” according to the lightday.org website.

India is observing National Dengue Day 2025 on May 16 to raise awareness about the growing threat of dengue fever, particularly during the monsoon season. With cases often spiking due to stagnant water and increased mosquito breeding, the government aims to highlight the importance of early prevention, public participation, and timely medical care to control the spread of the disease.

With the early arrival of the monsoon, the Union Health Ministry has directed all air, sea, and land ports across the country to step up surveillance for vector-borne diseases. Authorities have been asked to strengthen preventive and control measures to curb the spread of infections such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever.

The advisory comes amid concerns over rising cases during the rainy season, a period that typically sees a surge in mosquito breeding and transmission. India continues to report a significant number of cases and deaths linked to vector-borne illnesses each year, making early intervention and preparedness critical.

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for April 2025 after putting in solid all-round performances in the home Test series against Zimbabwe. He beat Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and New Zealand’s Ben Sears to clinch the monthly award.

Mehidy also becomes only the third player from Bangladesh to win the award and the first one to do it in over two years - Shakib Al Hasan was the last Bangladesh player to win the award in March 2023, while Mushfiqur Rahim is the other one to have been adjudged winner of the honour.

"It’s an incredible honor to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. The ICC Awards are the ultimate recognition for any cricketer, and to receive this from a global vote means a lot to me.”

India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high, witnessing a remarkable 34-fold increase over the past decade, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

“India exported defence goods worth Rs. 23,622 crore in 2024–25, compared to just Rs. 686 crore in 2013–14,” his office stated in a post on X. The Minister emphasized that the dramatic rise underscores the growing strength of India’s defence sector, fuelled by the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

Driven by the Make in India initiative and strategic policy interventions such as Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, the government has sought to enhance the global competitiveness of Indian manufacturers, boost exports, attract foreign investments, and reduce dependency on imports.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, along with Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, launched two portals to improve the Gujarat Police's ability to combat crime in both street and cyberspace, implementing timely advancements in intelligence, surveillance, and conviction, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.

The Chief Minister launched these portals to improve citizen-centric services, build public trust in government offices, and maximise the use of technology. With these portals, citizens will now have access to online services, reducing the need for in-person visits to police stations, thereby promoting ease of governance. Additionally, the Chief Minister also initiated the statewide launch of the Cyber Crime Refund Portal, "Tera Tujhko Arpan."

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introduced an AI anchor named Ankita on Wednesday, marking a first-of-its-kind digital initiative to promote digital transformation and citizen engagement.

In a post on X, CM Sarma wrote, "Meet Ankita, our AI anchor who brings you the latest updates on the recent Assam Cabinet meeting. From approving the change of Dibrugarh Airport's name after Bhupen Hazarika to a one-time grant for tea garden workers, we made a host of decisions for the public. Drop in your views!"

The post also featured a short video of the AI-generated anchor Ankita delivering key updates from the latest cabinet meeting in a professional tone and fluent Assamese.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, will organize the ‘Inclusive India Summit’ on the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 15, 2025. GAAD is dedicated to raising awareness around digital access and inclusion for persons with disabilities across the globe. This day is observed annually on the third Thursday of May.

This summit will be held in a hybrid mode, both physical and virtual at the India International Centre, New Delhi. It is being conducted in partnership with SBI Foundation and the National Association for the Blind (NAB), New Delhi, besides collaboration with the Association of People with Disability (APD) and Mission Accessibility (Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation).

The objective of the summit is to promote inclusive development and digital accessibility in the country, while strengthening collaboration between the government, industry, academia, civil society, and the Divyang community to ensure equal opportunities and accessible environments for persons with disabilities.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled a pioneering national initiative: five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.

This is a significant step towards India’s Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and to achieve net zero decarbonisation pathways for Industry Transition., towards the Government’s goal to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.

Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) holds significant importance in hard-to-abate sectors like Cement, Steel, Power, Oil &Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers in reducing emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes and converting it to value add products such as synthetic fuels, Urea, Soda, Ash, chemicals, food grade CO2 or concrete aggregates. CCU provides a feasible pathway for these tough to decarbonise industries to lower their carbon footprint and move towards achieving Net Zero Goals while continuing their operations efficiently. DST has taken major strides in fostering R&D in the CCUS domain.

The Ministry of Culture and International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) is set to commemorate the sacred occasion of Vaiśākha Buddha Pūrṇimā Divas—the Triple Blessed Day marking the Birth, Enlightenment, and Mahāparinirvāna of Lord Shākyamuni Buddha. The event will be held at Dr B R Ambedkar International Centre (Auditorium), Janpath, New Delhi on 15th May 2025 (Thursday). The Guest of Honour for the event will be Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs and the Chief Guest will be Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture & Tourism.

The programme will feature prayers and a thought-provoking panel discussion on the theme: ‘Application of Buddha Dhamma in Conflict Resolution’. Esteemed Buddhist scholar-monks and domain experts, including Geshe Dorji Damdul (Director, Tibet House, New Delhi), Prof. Hira Paul Gang Negi (Former HoD, Buddhist Studies, Delhi University), and Prof. Bimlendra Kumar (Professor, Pali & Buddhist Studies, BHU), will share insights on the timeless relevance of Buddha’s teachings.

A special address will be delivered by the distinguished Buddhist nun, Ven. Gyaltsen Samten, and the Ratana Sutta will be rendered by renowned singer Ms. Subhadra Desai.

India’s push towards next-generation connectivity took centre stage at an event, where policymakers and industry leaders framed 6G not as a routine upgrade, but a fundamental shift in digital infrastructure. With over 111 projects already funded under the Bharat 6G Mission and India emerging among the top six nations in global 6G patent filings, experts highlighted the country’s ambition to move from a technology adopter to a global standard-setter.

Yet, voices from the telecom and policy sectors urged a measured, strategically phased approach—stressing the need for real-world use cases, robust 5G monetisation, and foundational infrastructure choices to ensure a secure, inclusive and AI-native future. 6G is not just “a simple upgrade but a fundamental transformation,” said Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Communications, speaking at the Bharat 6G 2025 International Conference and Exhibition.