Marking a significant milestone in India’s push for defense self-reliance, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved Final Operational Clearance (FOC) for the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. The FOC certificate was officially handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) during a grand ceremony in Bengaluru today, cementing a major upgrade to the nation’s airborne surveillance and network-centric warfare capabilities. Attending as the Chief Guest, IAF Deputy Chief Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti praised the indigenously built system, highlighting its proven operational reliability during critical missions like the Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor. He emphasized that homegrown technologies like Netra provide the armed forces with the essential flexibility to adapt to rapidly evolving warfare scenarios through seamless system modifications.

The State government has formally approved the Policy on Reuse of Treated Used Water, 2026, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a national frontrunner in circular urban water management. The reform, aligned with Swarna Andhra Vision 2047, is designed to strengthen water security, reduce pollution, and embed climate resilience into urban development.

The policy establishes a comprehensive framework covering collection, treatment, allocation, pricing, monitoring, and reuse of treated wastewater across all 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State.

It mandates phased targets -- 20 ULBs by 2027, 40 by 2028, 90 by 2029, and all 123 by 2030, ensuring that at least 20% of urban water demand is met through reuse. At the industrial level, the policy sets ambitious goals of 20% reuse by 2028 and 40% by 2030.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh today released the memoir of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ‘The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts’, in New Delhi.

The book chronicles Group Captain Shukla’s journey from fighter pilot to astronaut and his historic mission to the International Space Station as part of Axiom-4. It offers a behind-the-scenes account of astronaut selection, intensive training, mission preparation and life in space. The event also commemorated the first anniversary of Group Captain Shukla’s landmark Axiom-4 mission, which was launched on 25 June last year.

Addressing the media, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh emphasised that the book will be a great motivator for the coming generation.

Secretary, the Ministry of Education, Sanjay Kumar IAS and Member (Finance), Department of Space, Seema Jain were also present on the occasion. During the event, Group Captain Shukla also interacted with students from different schools.

Ministry of Education has invited online applications and nominations for the National Teachers Awards 2026. Applications are now open and nominations can be submitted through the National Awards Portal till 10th of next month. The National Teachers Awards are conferred annually to honour teachers who have demonstrated excellence, innovation and commitment in the field of school education.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid homage to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur on his martyrdom day. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a great warrior, the first general of the Khalsa Army, and a symbol of unmatched valour. He added that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, who was dedicated to the protection of the motherland, religion, and self-respect, defeated the Mughal army on several occasions through his unparalleled courage and skilful leadership and liberated a vast region from Mughal oppression.

Mr Shah said that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur established a just system to ensure that farmers received their rightful dues. He also noted that despite enduring unbearable torture, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur did not accept religious conversion.

Civil Aviation Minister K Ramohan Naidu today inaugurated the first Easy Connect flight from Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The first hub and spoke flight connecting Varanasi to the world via Delhi is aimed at linking the length and breadth of India seamlessly with the world, and vice versa.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the new hub and spoke model paves the way for a monumental shift in how citizens travel. He said that regardless of the city one lives in India, one can begin their international journey from their home city and travel across the globe with ease and confidence, on India’s own wings. He highlighted the development made by government in aviation sector in 12 years. He said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, number of operational airports in India has more than doubled, surging from 74 airports in 2014 to over 160 today.The minister announced that hat six more airports will be integrated into this Hub and Spoke model within the next six weeks.

The inaugural Easy Connect service, operated by Air India as flight AI1111, will depart from Varanasi this morning with passengers connecting through Delhi to several international destinations, including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kathmandu and Phuket. The initiative is part of the Government’s new hub-and-spoke framework designed to simplify international travel for passengers from non-metro cities.

Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas is being observed today. It serves as a reminder of what happened when the Constitution of India was trampled over on 25th June 1975. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency.

On this day in 1975, then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed a National Emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution, citing threats arising from internal disturbances.

The Emergency was declared amid growing political unrest and judicial developments that had undermined the legitimacy of the government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As a result, the executive assumed sweeping powers, and greater central control was exercised over state authority. Following the proclamation, several constitutional safeguards were suspended.

India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first cricketer, male or female, to play 200 T20Is. The right-handed batter achieved the historic milestone in Sunday’s 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup match against South Africa at Manchester’s Old Trafford.

A special presentation was organised in India’s pre-match huddle, with coach Amol Mazumdar giving a speech and handing over a special cap to Harmanpreet. Smriti Mandhana then made a speech and presented her skipper a jersey with ‘Harman 200’ behind it.

It marked the latest milestone in Harmanpreet’s inspirational 17-year-old career, where she has not only risen from humble beginnings to be one of the best atheletes in the world, but also changed the trajectory of Indian cricket for the better.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Vishvas Vidu Sapkal as India’s next Ambassador to the Slovak Republic.

Sapkal, a 1998-batch IFS officer, is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to Peru and is expected to take up his new assignment shortly, according to an official statement issued by the MEA on Saturday.

“Shri Vishvas Vidu Sapkal (IFS: 1998), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Slovak Republic. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the ministry said.

Nasa is preparing an unprecedented mission to save one of its most successful space telescopes from falling out of orbit and burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.

The agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 to study powerful cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, is gradually losing altitude due to increasing atmospheric drag. Without intervention, scientists estimate the spacecraft could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and be destroyed before the end of 2026.

Rather than allowing that to happen, Nasa decided to attempt something never done before: sending a commercial spacecraft to rendezvous with the ageing observatory, capture it, and boost it into a higher orbit.