The Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan (RGVS) 2026, organised by the Ministry of Rural Development and aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of rural transformation, concluded with a shared commitment to accelerate the vision of Viksit Gram, Viksit Bharat through stronger Centre-State collaboration, community-led development and technology-driven governance.

The two-day national conclave served as a platform to review the implementation of flagship rural development programmes, exchange best practices across States and Union Territories, and deliberate on the roadmap for the next phase of rural transformation.

A primary focus of the Sammelan was the effective implementation of the VB-GRAMG Act, 2025. Deliberations also centred on strengthening rural development planning, empowering Gram Panchayats, expanding women-led livelihoods, enhancing rural housing and connectivity and promoting climate-resilient livelihoods.

The Centre has launched two major digital initiatives aimed at making government services faster and easier. Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI Card in New Delhi, saying the new platforms will simplify procedures, reduce paperwork and improve citizen services.

While the FCRA 2.0 Portal is designed to make compliance easier for organisations receiving foreign contributions, the e-OCI Card introduces a fully digital system for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders.

Bridging a critical technology gap in India's industrial automation ecosystem, the Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, has extended financial assistance to M/s Puretronics India Private Limited, Mumbai, for the project titled “LMO – Load Measurement Overload Sensor (India’s First Fully Contactless Programmable Load Measurement System).”

The project seeks to commercialize an indigenous next-generation load sensing technology designed for elevators, material handling systems, cable machinery, industrial automation, and other safety-critical applications. Developed specifically to address the limitations of conventional strain-gauge load cells and imported sensing solutions, the technology delivers accurate, maintenance-friendly, and vibration-resistant load monitoring, thereby strengthening India's capabilities in advanced industrial electronics while supporting the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday announced the launch of two new heritage conservation schemes under 'Our Monuments, Our Pride', allowing private institutions to adopt monuments and receive financial aid up to Rs 2 crore for restoration. The initiative is aimed at boosting preservation and tourism through public participation.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Gupta said that every generation has experienced Delhi in its own unique way, with some learning about its monuments through books and others witnessing them firsthand.

"Every generation of Delhi has lived this city in its own way. Some have read about these monuments in books, while others have seen them up close. Now is the time to further nurture this heritage and pass it on to the next generation. In advancing the vision of the Prime Minister Shri narendramodi ji's 'Development as well as Heritage,' the Delhi government has approved two new schemes under the 'Our Monuments, Our Pride' campaign," Delhi CM wrote on X.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched the second phase of the statewide School Chalo Abhiyan from Saharanpur, reaffirming the state government's commitment to achieving 100 per cent school enrolment in the new academic session.

The campaign seeks to ensure that every eligible child is enrolled in school, with a special focus on identifying out-of-school children and integrating them into the formal education system.

Launching the initiative from the CM Model Composite School in Ismailpur village, Adityanath distributed textbooks, school bags and stationery kits to students beginning the new academic year. He also felicitated the district's best-performing headmasters for their contribution to improving school education.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit today assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. He succeeds Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired yesterday after four decades of service.

During his nearly four-decade-long career, Air Marshal Dixit has participated in several key operations and exercises, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak, Cope India and Operation Sindoor.

He has held several important operational and staff appointments, including Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. In recognition of his distinguished service, Air Marshal Dixit has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos has partnered with Finnish Earth observation company ICEYE to explore building, launching and operating Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite systems from India, marking a major step towards strengthening the country's sovereign space capabilities.

The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to combine ICEYE's expertise in SAR satellites with Agnikul's indigenous launch vehicle technology.

The collaboration aims to establish satellite manufacturing capabilities in India while enabling responsive launches using Agnikul's rockets.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its annual yearbook in June. For the first time, it classified 12 of India’s estimated stockpile of 190 nuclear warheads to be operationally deployed, i.e., positioned with active military forces mated with delivery systems and ready for use.

This sounds alarming — but the alarm itself may not be warranted. The reason is that India has neither crossed a strategic threshold nor has it abandoned its decades-old ‘no first use’ policy.

The Army is set to establish and operationalise its first Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) by next month, marking a significant transformation under which self-contained, agile, brigade-sized fighting units will be carved out of the Panagarh-based XVII Corps — the mountain strike corps (MSC) facing China — for swift deployment in mountainous areas, The Indian Express has learnt.

Sources privy to the development told The Indian Express that the earlier plan was to create four IBGs under the two divisions operating under the XVII MSC — the 59 Division and the 23 Division — by September. However, this is now learnt to have been advanced to July 1.

The Indian Express had first reported in January this year that the long-drawn plans to create IBGs had gathered pace and may be implemented soon.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has won the Achievement Award in the Operational Excellence category from UITP, the International Association of Public Transport.

The award recognizes DMRC's efforts to improve sustainable urban transport through its smart door-to-door travel service for passengers. The service combines first and last-mile connectivity, real-time travel information, and easy ticket booking to make journeys more convenient and environment-friendly.

The service is available through the DMRC Sarthi App, an AI-based platform that connects metro services with first and last-mile transport options. Through this system, passengers can plan and book their entire journey from start to finish. This includes travel from home to the metro station, the metro journey itself, and travel from the metro station to the final destination.