THDC India Limited (THDCIL) has successfully commenced the Commercial Operation Declaration (COD) process of the first 250 MW unit of the landmark 1000 MW Variable Speed Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) at Tehri, Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

The COD commencement ceremony has been virtually graced by the Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar, senior officials from the Ministry of Power and power sector PSUs, including Secretary (Power) Pankaj Agarwal (IAS), Additional Secretary (Power) Akash Tripathi (IAS), NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh, and THDCIL CMD RK Vishnoi, were present at the occasion.

This commissioning marks a historic milestone in India’s energy transition, establishing the Tehri PSP as the largest Pumped Storage Plant by any Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) and the first Variable Speed PSP in the country.

The government has proposed to wind down, in phases, the World Health Organization (WHO)-established National Polio Surveillance Network (NPSN), currently a countrywide network of over 200 units. Experts in the field have commented that the move would be premature and ill-advised at this stage, with India’s neighbouring countries still harbouring cases of polio.

Staff at the NPSN centres have received a communication from the WHO’s representative in India, Roderico H. Ofrin, advising them of an upcoming transition initiated by the government. The transition involves a gradual drawdown of the NPSN units each year — from approximately 280 units in 2024-25 down to 190 in 2025-26, and further to 140 in 2026-27. This is also linked with a corresponding reduction in financial support from the government, according to the communique.

Television actor Vibhu Raghave, known for his roles in Nisha Aur Uske Cousins, Suvreen Guggal, and Rhythm, passed away on June 2 after a prolonged fight with stage four colon cancer. He was 37.

Diagnosed in 2022, Vibhu had been undergoing treatment at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital. Despite the severity of his condition, he remained active on social media, sharing updates about his journey. In one of his last videos, he revealed the cancer had spread to his liver, spine, bones, and lungs, but he remained hopeful: “The only treatment right now is chemotherapy. Everything is going good now. Chemotherapy will shrink it.”

The news of his death was confirmed by actors Kaveri Priyam and Karan Veer Mehra.

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have developed a new method which will help control abnormal blood clotting conditions, including Pulmonary Thromboembolism (PTE).

The team from Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry have developed an artificial metal-based nanosyme that mimics the activity of natural antioxidant enzymes which help in clotting blood.

The research paper — Vanadia Nanozymes Inhibit Platelet Aggregation, Modulate Signaling Pathways and Prevent Pulmonary Embolism in Mice — published on May 11 was made public on Tuesday.

The focus for World Environment Day in 2025 (June 5) is on ending plastic pollution. Micro-plastics represent one of the many thousands of chemical, physical and biological hazards that lurk in the air, water and living spaces for which we have neither the sensory capabilities nor sensing technologies to measure exposure and assess health risks. Thus, reducing the environmental disease burden continues to be a daunting challenge for public health.

In India, rapid economic growth is increasing the scale and the complexity of environmental exposures and the interdependencies between the living environment and lifestyles. With India already accounting for nearly 25% of the global environmental disease burden, there is a need to develop newer paradigms for environmental management that rest on integrated health risk assessments.

India and Kyrgyzstan today signed the Protocol and exchanged the Instrument of Ratification of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The BIT was signed in presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Foreign Affairs Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Zheenbek Kulubaev Moldokanovich in New Delhi. The new Treaty replaces the earlier agreement enforced on 12th May 2000, ensuring continuity in the protection of investments between the two nations.
Highlighting its benefits, the Finance Ministry said that the India-Kyrgyz BIT marks a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral economic relations and fostering a secure and predictable investment environment. It aims to promote and protect interests of investors of either country in the territory of the other country with various key features. The Ministry added that the treaty is expected to further encourage cross-border investments and deepen economic cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan.

India and Vietnam have agreed to step up cooperation in the media and entertainment sector during a meeting between Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. L Murugan and a delegation of high ranking officials from Vietnam in Delhi. India and Vietnam share traditionally close and warm bilateral relations. In 2022, the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The India-Vietnam bilateral relations were elevated in 2016 to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam. Both the countries stressed their deep civilizational connections including a shared Buddhist heritage and agreed to work actively to further strengthen their multi-dimensional cooperation.

India’s first international all-women Tri-Services sailing expedition returned to Mumbai today after completing a 3,600-nautical mile voyage to Seychelles and back over 55 days. The 11-member crew, comprising officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, sailed aboard the indigenous 50-foot vessel Triveni, which is equipped with modern navigation and communication systems. Launched last month, the expedition showcased exceptional seamanship and resilience, with the team enduring rough seas, tropical squalls, and technical challenges. During their Seychelles stopover, the crew participated in key diplomatic and defence engagements, enhancing India’s maritime diplomacy. Selected through a rigorous tri-services process, the officers underwent extensive training in blue-water sailing. The mission highlights women-led excellence in the Armed Forces and reinforces the spirit of jointness and operational capability across India’s military services.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the National Agriculture-Renewable Energy Conference 2025 organised by the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) in New Delhi today. On this occasion, he released the federation’s report and annual reference book on agriculture and renewable energy. The conference was organised to push for dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, experts, and farmers regarding the integration of renewable energy in the agriculture sector.

While addressing the event, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The Hon’ble Prime Minister has entrusted me with the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development. I try to fulfill every duty given to me with dedication. A 15-day ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ has been ongoing since May 29. As part of it, I have visited Odisha, Jammu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Patna, and Maharashtra, and I will continue to travel across the country to meet our farmer brothers and sisters.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today led a special tree plantation drive at Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park in New Delhi on the occasion of World Environment Day. Mr. Modi planted a Banyan sapling under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative. The sapling was planted as a part of the Aravalli Green Wall project, which aims to reforest the 700 kilometres of the Aravalli range.

The project is intended to spread green cover in the five kilometers buffer area around the Aravalli hill range in 29 districts of four states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat. It aims to boost biodiversity of the Aravallis with afforestation, reforestation and restoration of water bodies. It also aims to improve the soil fertility, water availability and climate resilience of the region. The project will benefit the local communities by providing them with employment and income generation opportunities.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi also flagged off 200 electric buses under the Delhi Government’s sustainable transport initiative, promoting clean urban mobility and symbolising the nation’s collective responsibility towards ecological balance.