Before a baby's first breath, life depends on an extraordinary organ that most people rarely think about — the placenta.
Acting as the baby's first life-support system, the placenta delivers oxygen and nutrients, removes waste products, protects the developing foetus and produces hormones essential for sustaining pregnancy.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out the first ground test of the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) solid motor at the Static Test Facility, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
The Gaganyaan Story: A glimpse into India’s human spaceflight programme
The SOLVE solid motor is a key component for conducting Gaganyaan Test Missions and the first ground test was carried out on July 3.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday released the first instalment of the ‘Mother Sanction,’ amounting to ₹25,863 crore, to all states across the country under the Viksit Bharat G-RAM-G Yojana. The Minister released the funds through video conferencing from Bhopal at 10 AM.
Speaking on the occasion, Chouhan expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the scheme, noting that it has successfully evolved from its predecessor.
“Today I am overjoyed and pleased to congratulate all of you, our Rural Development Ministers and officials from both the Central and State governments, on the fact that there have been no complaints whatsoever so far. This signifies that this policy has smoothly transitioned from MGNREGA into the Viksit Bharat G-RAM-G,” the Union Minister said.
OPEC+ has a preliminary agreement for another modest oil quota increase in August, delegates said, raising the prospect of more supply eventually hitting the market again if a US-Iran peace pact can stick.
If ratified at a video conference on Sunday, seven major nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia will add 188,000 barrels a day to their output target, the delegates said.
It would be in keeping with the group’s plan to finish reversing output curbs made a few years ago, and mean that, since the war began, they’ve added 940,000 barrels a day to quotas — equivalent to almost 1% of global demand.
The BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting will begin today in Guwahati, Assam. The two-day event is being organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The meeting will bring together heads of anti-drug agencies and senior officials from BRICS member countries to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Akashvani’s correspondent reports that the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati will focus on combating synthetic drugs and precursor diversion, strengthening intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and enhancing capacity building and institutional cooperation.
Delegates will discuss emerging challenges such as new psychoactive substances, darknet-enabled trafficking, cryptocurrency-linked financial flows, and the misuse of precursor chemicals. India will also showcase its efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking, including the recently released Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-2029. During the meeting, member countries will deliberate on strategies to address evolving drug-related threats and strengthen international cooperation.
Odisha on Friday (July 3, 2026) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with ACME Group and Japan’s IHI Corporation for multiple projects that collectively entail investment of ₹67,000 crore. This comes a day after Adani Enterprises and UAE’s International Holding Company (IHC) Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the State, marking the its largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The projects were aimed at promoting collaboration in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and industrial development.
The collaboration is expected to facilitate technology transfer, promote sustainable industrialisation and generate significant employment and economic opportunities, the statement said.
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) convened its fifth Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi yesterday under the chairmanship of the Secretary in the Ayush Ministry, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha.
The Ministry said the meeting marked a significant step towards strengthening the country’s evidence-based Ayurveda research ecosystem with the launch of three major initiatives aimed at promoting Ayurveda education, research, scientific communication, and digital governance.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Kotecha appreciated the significant contributions of CCRAS in advancing evidence-based Ayurveda research, education, and public health.
He lauded the Council’s sustained efforts in strengthening the national research ecosystem and encouraged it to continue pursuing innovation and excellence.
Marking a historic milestone for the Indian tea industry, an Assam tea estate has successfully produced and launched India’s first-ever commercially manufactured “Matcha” tea.
The first batch of 5 kg of Indian Matcha, produced by the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district, was sold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre through auctioneers J Thomas & Co. Pvt. Limited to the Guwahati-based buyers Sheosons Chai Co on Friday at Rs 3,000 per kg.
Matcha is a highly sought-after, premium green tea product primarily manufactured in Japan. It is currently facing a global shortage due to skyrocketing demand worldwide.
History has many hiding places. In West Bengal’s Chandannagar, it settled inside sandesh. This old French river town entrusted its memory to a sweet no larger than the palm of a hand. It looks ordinary but beneath its unassuming exterior lies a trick worthy of a magician: a pocket of fragrant syrup that somehow refuses to escape.
On June 26, 2026, the jalbhara was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The sweet, made by Surjya Modak and his son Siddheshwar Modak, has officially been acknowledged as a confection inseparable from the town where they imagined it nearly 220 years ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the new terminal building at Jodhpur airport and launched the Modified UDAN Scheme, aimed at boosting regional air connectivity and aviation-led development.
Modi arrived in Jodhpur and was received at the airport by Governor Haribhau Bagade, Union Minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.
He inaugurated the terminal by unveiling a plaque and pressing a remote button, followed by a walkthrough of the new facility.