World Bank expects growth in India to slowdown further to 6.3% in the financial year FY 2023/24 (April to March). This is a 0.3 percentage point downward revision from the previous estimates of 6.6%. The international financial institution attributes constrained private consumption due to high inflation as the main reason for slowdown. Nevertheless, it expects India to continue to be among the fastest-growing economy. 

In its Global Global Economic Prospects report, World Bank explained that the slowdown is attributed to private consumption being constrained by high inflation and rising borrowing costs, while government consumption is impacted by fiscal consolidation.

The Central government on Tuesday granted permission for 2,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to open Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras, in a move aimed at increasing access to affordable medicines across the country. 

The decision was announced following a meeting between Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh S. Mandaviya, in New Delhi.

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) State-owned NHPC Ltd has signed an agreement with the Maharashtra government for setting up four pumped storage energy projects with 7,350 megawatt (MW) capacity in the state.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Department of Energy, Government of Maharashtra for setting up pumped storage schemes and other renewable energy source projects, NHPC said in a statement.

The James Webb Space Telescope of NASA has shared a picture showing over 45,000 galaxies in one frame. The telescope captured the image as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey programme. 

Tel Aviv [Israel], June 6 (ANI/TPS): Israel has begun conducting initial tests of autonomous drones that could one day serve as public transportation.

A series of tests and experimental flights were conducted throughout Israel over the past week by 11 companies, in the context of Israel’s National Drone Initiative.

Haryana will launch a special campaign to raise awareness about door-to-door waste collection and segregation.
 
Urban Local Bodies Minister, Dr. Kamal Gupta said this is a part of government's continuous efforts to transform every city in the state into a 'Clean City-Safe City'.
 
Dr. Kamal Gupta was presiding over a review meeting held at Chandigarh today. The meeting was attended by Municipal Corporation Commissioners, District Municipal Commissioners, and officers of the Urban Local Bodies Department (ULB).

Bangladesh recorded its highest monthly inflation rate in over a decade as the monthly inflation reached 9.94 percent in May. It is the highest inflation rate since 2010-11 when it was reported to be 10.11 percent. The latest data was released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) yesterday. The increase in inflation is attributed to the rise in food and non-food prices during this period. The average inflation for the period June 2022 to May 2023 has gone up to 8.84  percent which is higher than the budgetary target of 5.6 percent. 

Sri Lanka is set to achieve regional energy integration with grid connectivity with India by 2030. Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said in a tweet that Regional energy integration has been discussed for more than two decades and the government has made it a priority to implement the India-Sri Lanka grid connection by 2030. He added that the World Bank has been actively assisting the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board in understanding the technical aspects and business models necessary for the project.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the maiden International Cruise Vessel – MV Empress, India’s first international cruise vessel – from Chennai to Sri Lanka in Chennai yesterday.

This marks the beginning of the international cruise tourism terminal at Chennai, built at a cost of 17.21 crore rupees, heralding a new age of cruise tourism and maritime trade in the country. Coinciding on the occasion of Environment Day, Mr Sonowal along with the port officials also planted 2,500 tree saplings at the port.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that the state has signed an agreement with Oil India Limited for promoting the production of green hydrogen.

CM Sukhu presided over ‘Enviro-Ideation Hackathon’ organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) Shimla today.