Hindi film and music industry veteran Sulakshana Pandit died in Mumbai, reported NDTV. She was 71 years old. While her cause of death is not revealed yet, she was reportedly suffering from health-related problems.

Sulakshana Pandit's death

It is believed that Pandit took her last breath at Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital.

Born in 1954, Sulakshana Pandit hailed from a family deeply rooted in music. Her uncle was the legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, and her brothers were Jatin and Lalit, one of Bollywood’s most popular music composer duos.

Pandit began her career in the music industry at the age of nine and as a playback singer in 1967. Later, she made her acting debut in the 70s. Her acting career took off during the mid-1970s, becoming one of the popular faces on the bigscreen.

India’s cooperative giants, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), have once again demonstrated remarkable global leadership, and they have been ranked as the top cooperatives in the world based on GDP per capita performance.

The ranking has been done by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) World Cooperative Monitor 2025. The list was announced at the ICA CM50 Conference in Doha, Qatar.

The recognition underscores Amul’s dairy network, built on the spirit of rural self-reliance and collective ownership, has transformed the livelihoods of millions of farmers while symbolising India’s cooperative strength in food security and agribusiness.

Similarly, IFFCO’s performance is particularly notable as it continues to embody the principles of cooperation by empowering millions of farmers through sustainable fertiliser production, digital platforms, and environmental stewardship.

A few years ago, tech companies had a bold vision to build a network of AI data centres – vast warehouses filled with computers that store and process data for websites, businesses, and governments. However, reality soon set in. AI data centres consume enormous amounts of energy, and their impact on energy use, water consumption, and carbon emissions has become a growing concern.

However, Silicon Valley has proposed a solution: placing GPUs in space and building large AI data centres beyond Earth. Billionaires, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman, have plans to put data centres in orbit and even on the Moon. Now, Google has joined the effort, confirming this week that the company is working on technology aimed at creating scalable networks of orbiting TPUs.

India’s cities are full of contrasts — glittering skylines stand beside narrow, crowded lanes; shiny shopping malls rise next to overflowing garbage dumps; and amid the buzz around “Smart Cities,” the dream of truly clean urban spaces remains elusive.

For years, the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission and the annual Swachh Survekshan survey have assessed how cities manage cleanliness, sanitation, and waste. While some cities have celebrated steady progress, others continue to grapple with poor civic infrastructure, unplanned growth, and inefficient waste management.

The newly released Swachh Survekshan 2025 report paints a familiar picture of both progress and persistent problems. While several towns have improved their waste collection and public hygiene, others continue to struggle with garbage disposal, clogged drains, and poor sanitation. Notably, many smaller towns have outperformed India’s biggest metros this year — proving that resources alone do not ensure cleanliness.

Maldives generational smoking ban: The Maldives has become the first country in the world to impose a “generational” ban on smoking, preventing individuals born on or after January 2007 from purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms.

The Maldivian health ministry called the move a “historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”

What is Maldives’ generational smoking ban
The ban on individuals born on or after January 2007 purchasing, using or selling tobacco in all its forms was enacted through the Second Amendment to the Tobacco Control Act ratified by President Mohamed Muizzu.

Gopichand P Hinduja, the chairman of the Hinduja Group, has died in a London hospital. He was 85. He is the second of the four Hinduja brothers. The eldest, Srichand Hinduja, died in 2023. The other two brothers are Prakash Hinduja and Ashok Hinduja.

Known as 'GP' in business circles, Gopichand Hinduja joined the family business in 1950 and is credited with transforming the company from an Indo-Middle East trading operation into a transnational conglomerate.

A graduate from Bombay Jai Hind College, Gopichand held honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Westminster and Richmond College, according to the company's website.

RITES Limited, the leading transport infrastructure consultancy and engineering firm under the Ministry of Railways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI), a Government of India enterprise, to explore collaboration in maritime logistics and multimodal transport solutions.

The MoU has been signed on the sidelines of India Maritime Week 2025, marking a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing maritime logistics and shipping operations to ensure the timely and efficient movement of RITES’ cargo across global destinations.

Under the agreement, RITES and SCI will work together to design and implement innovative, cost-effective, and resilient supply chain and logistics models tailored to RITES’ operational needs. The partnership also envisions joint efforts in knowledge exchange and capacity building, including sharing best practices in supply chain resilience, digital cargo tracking, and logistics planning for high-value consignments.

In a major step towards enhancing India’s maritime and dredging capabilities, BEML Limited and Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) have signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth approximately Rs 350 crore during India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai.

The MoUs have been exchanged between Cmdr R.G.K. Rao (Retd.), Head of SBU – Aerospace & Maritime, BEML, and Capt S. Divakar, Managing Director & CEO, DCIL, in the presence of Shantanu Roy, Chairman & Managing Director, BEML Limited, and Dr. M Angamuthu, IAS, Chairman, DCIL.

The collaboration aims to boost self-reliance in dredging operations through the supply of indigenous spares for DCIL dredgers, design and construction of five inland cutter suction dredgers, and supply of cable dredgers, long-reach excavators, and customized dredging solutions to support reservoir de-siltation and inland waterway development projects across India.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the extension of additional charge of the post of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Digital India Corporation (DIC) to Nand Kumarum (IAS).

Kumarum, who is currently serving as President & CEO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), will continue to hold the additional charge of MD & CEO, DIC for a further period of six months with effect from July 9, 2025, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Digital India Corporation functions under MeitY and plays a pivotal role in conceptualising, managing, and implementing projects aligned with the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the extension of additional charge of the post of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), Digital India Corporation (DIC) to Nand Kumarum (IAS).

Kumarum, who is currently serving as President & CEO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), will continue to hold the additional charge of MD & CEO, DIC for a further period of six months with effect from July 9, 2025, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Digital India Corporation functions under MeitY and plays a pivotal role in conceptualising, managing, and implementing projects aligned with the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.