Marking a significant leap in its mission to redefine higher education, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, has announced the launch of a futuristic AI+ Campus in Amaravati, alongside a series of transformative initiatives unveiled during its 2025 convocation.

Spearheaded by Chancellor Kumar Mangalam Birla, BITS Pilani has announced a Rs 1,219 crore investment under Project Vistaar to expand and modernise existing campuses, and the formal rollout of BITS Pilani Digital, its dedicated EdTech platform for flexible, industry-aligned learning.

Speaking on the occasion, Birla said, “This is a pivotal moment in the journey of BITS Pilani. These bold steps are aimed not just at expansion but at shaping a transformative learning ecosystem that nurtures innovation, empowers learners, and contributes to India’s knowledge economy in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of a trillion-dollar academic sector.”

Veteran television actor and producer Dheeraj Kumar passed away on Monday at the age of 79 after suffering from pneumonia. He had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital after being admitted in critical condition. He was also placed on ventilator support in the ICU. He was known for his work across Hindi and Punjabi cinema as well as in television.

His family and production house had previously issued a statement requesting privacy while he was in the hospital. “Dheeraj Kumar is under the close supervision of doctors and is undergoing treatment. The family is praying for his speedy recovery and also requests everyone to maintain his privacy during this difficult time,” the statement read.

In a major step towards battlefield modernisation, the Ram Division of the India Army conducted a high-impact demonstration titled 'Prachand Shakti' at the Kharga Corps Field Training Area, in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut on Monday.

The exercise focused on the employment of disruptive technologies by infantry units in Strike Corps operations, showcasing the Army's technological transformation in real-time combat scenarios.

According to the Indian Army, this event highlighted the changing dynamics of warfare, where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), AI-enabled systems, loitering munitions, and autonomous platforms are playing a pivotal role in redefining operational capabilities.

South Africa batter Aiden Markram and West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews were announced as the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards respectively for June 2025.

Markram won the men’s award ahead of teammate Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka for his Player of the Match effort in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at Lord’s.

The 30-year-old opener struck a solid 136 off 207 balls and featured in a 147-run third-wicket stand with captain Temba Bavuma in a successful chase of 282. The five-wicket victory helped South Africa win an ICC title for the first time in 27 years. Markram also picked up a wicket each in both innings.

Sudanese-Scottish author Leila Aboulela was named winner of the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize, on Wednesday, joining a prestigious list of writers who, in the spirit of Harold Pinter, have cast an “unflinching, unswerving gaze upon the world.”

The announcement was made at English PEN’s annual summer party in London, where Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, 2007) and Amira Ghazalla (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, 2017) brought Aboulela’s work to life in moving readings before an audience of writers, publishers, and cultural figures.

Calling the honour “a complete and utter surprise,” Aboulela said the award brings expansion and depth to the meaning of freedom of expression and the stories that get heard. “For someone like me, a Muslim Sudanese immigrant who writes from a religious perspective probing the limits of secular tolerance, this recognition feels truly significant,” she said.

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), the largest bottling arm of The Coca-Cola Co. in India, on Tuesday announced the appointment of Hemant Rupani as its new chief executive officer, effective 8 September 2025.

Rupani joins HCCB after a nine-year tenure at Mondelez International Inc., where he currently serves as business unit president for Southeast Asia, overseeing operations in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

He will succeed Juan Pablo Rodriguez, the current CEO of HCCB, who is transitioning to a new opportunity within the Coca-Cola system, the company said in a statement. Rodriguez was appointed CEO in August 2022. Rupani will report to the HCCB board of directors.

ACKO on Tuesday said it has been selected as the preferred insurance partner for Tesla, which has made an entry into India by opening its first showroom in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

With this strategic collaboration, Tesla owners in India will have a fully integrated journey — quote to cover to claim — done digitally, the insurer said.

“At the heart of this association lies a common goal: to simplify car-ownership through intelligent technology. By embedding insurance directly into the car-buying experience, Tesla and ACKO aim to reduce complexity, enhance customer convenience, and accelerate the adoption of electric

The railways ministry on Monday said it will deploy the Japanese Shinkansen E10 trains on the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. With this, the ministry has cleared the air around ongoing speculation that the government might use indigenously-produced trains currently being manufactured by state-run BEML at its Bengaluru facility.

In a statement, the ministry said that while the Japanese Shinkansen is currently operating E5 trains, the next-generation model is the E10 (also called Alfa-X). “In the spirit of strategic partnership between Japan and India, the Japanese government has agreed to introduce E10 Shinkansen trains in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. It is noteworthy that E10 will be introduced simultaneously in India and Japan,” the ministry said.

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed a criminal case involving serious charges of cruelty, unnatural sex, and dowry harassment, observing that marriage is a sacred institution and should not be reduced to prolonged legal battles that serve no constructive purpose.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Nitin W. Sambre and M.M. Nerlikar in an order dated July 8, 2025, that was made available on Monday (July 15, 2025), allowed three connected criminal applications seeking to quash FIR registered at Beltarodi Police Station, Nagpur, under Sections 498-A, 377 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The charges were levelled by a woman against her husband, two sisters-in-law, and a maternal aunt-in-law following a matrimonial dispute.

Senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra has been appointed as the first female Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). She will take charge of the post from incumbent Manoj Yadava, who is due to superannuate on July 31.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has officially approved the appointment of Senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra as the Director General (DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). According to the order issued by the Personnel Ministry, she will serve in this position until her superannuation on October 31, 2026.

Mishra will be the first woman officer to head the RPF, which is entrusted with the responsibility of security of railway property and passengers, among other duties, the officials said.