The National Green Tribunal has asked the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to frame guidelines for plywood industries in the country.

The green body was hearing a matter regarding several plywood units causing pollution in a village in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana.

In its order dated May 27, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said there was an “urgent need for framing of guidelines” regarding the plywood industries as guidelines had been framed by environment ministry or Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) regarding other industries, such as, sand mining, stone crushers, brick kilns and common bio-medical waste treatment plants by laying down measures for preventing or controlling air and water pollution.

On Wednesday, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled the Battery Aadhaar Initiative, aimed at tracking the entire life cycle of batteries from manufacturing to end-of-life, along with enhancing recycling efficiency. Speaking at the Battery Summit, Singh highlighted that the introduction of 'battery aadhaar' is poised to revolutionise traceability, efficiency, and scalability within India's battery ecosystem. This initiative will provide each battery pack with a unique digital identity, allowing for the monitoring of its manufacturing origin, battery chemistry, safety certifications, and overall performance throughout its lifecycle.

Singh noted that the program would also enable the assessment of critical factors such as thermal events, charge-discharge cycles, and end-of-life status, which will aid in predictive maintenance and streamline recycling processes.

Furthermore, Singh emphasied that the Battery Aadhaar Initiative would serve as a regulatory measure against counterfeit products while enhancing consumer confidence and supporting circular economy efforts. By integrating with Battery Management Systems (BMS), AI-driven diagnostics, and national EV databases, the initiative has the potential to be a foundational element in India's evolving battery intelligence landscape.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday inaugurated the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House, Delhi. Equipped with state-of-the-art experimental setups, the facility aims to further strengthen indigenous quantum capabilities for strategic and defence applications.

The key capabilities of QRTC include characterisation of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers and Distributed Feedback Lasers, test-beds for evaluating single-photon sources; set-up for characterisation of Micro-Fabricated Alkali Vapour Cell; and experimental platforms for developing and validating Quantum Key Distribution techniques to enable ultra-secure communication and safeguard national security in the post-quantum era, spearheaded by Scientific Analysis Group (SAG), DRDO.

Led by the Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), the QTRC focuses on key foundational technologies. These include an ultra-small atomic clock using coherent population trapping for precise timekeeping in environments without Global Navigation Satellite System access, an atomic magnetometer with optically pumped magnetometry for detecting ultra-sensitive magnetic fields, and advanced solid-state quantum devices and materials, the ministry stated.

A team of researchers from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has produced India’s first gene-edited sheep.

The gene-editing of the sheep was possible after four years of research and will enhance the muscle mass of the animal by 30%, the researchers said. The breakthrough comes after the release of India’s first gene-edited rice variety recently.

“As of now, this has been done at the research level,” said Prof Riaz Ahmad Shah, who led a team of five researchers at SKUAST. “The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,” he said.

After Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the domicile policy would be introduced in Ladakh Union Territory with a 15 years timeline from 2019, said the Ladakh leaders after successful talks with centre.

This was agreed upon during High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting chaired by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and attended by representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic

Alliance (KDA), which is an amalgam of various political, social, trade and religious groups of Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh UT, in New Delhi yesterday.

A high-stakes cryptocurrency deal between World Liberty Financial (WLF), a firm backed by the Trump family, and the newly formed Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) has ignited speculation about the U.S. President's geopolitical motivations. This especially as President Trump has pushed to mediate between India and Pakistan. The timing of the deal, signed just days after the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, has raised eyebrows in both New Delhi and Washington, with analysts questioning whether financial interests influenced Trump’s diplomatic overtures. After India hit Pakistan air bases closer to its nuclear stockpile, Trump started talking against India. 

The Government is preparing to integrate a "digital address" system into the country's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The initiative aims to streamline address verification, ensure secure data sharing, and enhance last-mile delivery of public services, the Government announced in an official statement.

The proposed system would standardise how addresses are stored and shared, with a core emphasis on user consent and data security. This digital framework seeks to fix the longstanding inefficiencies of India's address system, which often relies on vague landmarks or incomplete information, obstacles that have long hampered e-commerce, logistics, and government services.

Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts, said, "The launch of these two applications reflects our Government's unwavering commitment to digital transformation and precision governance. DIGIPIN, in particular, will redefine how we perceive addresses, ensuring that every citizen, even in the remotest part of the country, is digitally locatable and serviceable. These applications are a testimony to the Department's continued efforts to modernise infrastructure and meet the evolving expectations of citizens and all other stakeholders," in the official announcement.

The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) [AFD is an Agency of Development based out of France for technical and financial cooperation]  , convened a Technical Dialogue on Eco-Fishing Ports : Sustainable and Inclusive Harbours in New Delhi, today to explore the "eco-fishing ports" concept designed to operate with reduced environmental footprints while maximising economic performance, social inclusion and ecosystem protection. The dialogue focused on promoting best port practices for a healthier environment and safer fish handling, alongside discussions on post-construction evaluation, maintenance and continuous improvement of port infrastructure. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Ms. Neetu Kumari Prasad, Joint Secretary (Marine), Department of Fisheries. The deliberation was also graced by Ms. Lise Breuil, Country Director, AFD, Ms. Camille Severac, Deputy Country Director, ADF and Mr. Pablo Ahumada, counsellor for International Affairs, French Ambassy. Officials from the state fisheries department, delegates from France, Indonesia, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Asian Development Bank, IIT Madras, Sea food export Association and representatives from Industry also participated in the dialogue.

In a major relief to former SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, Lokpal has disposed of complaints against her in the Hindenburg matter. The anti-corruption ombudsman has further said that there is no material evidence to order an investigation against Buch.

"... We have concluded that the allegations in the Complaint(s) are more on presumptions and assumptions and not supported by any verifiable material and do not attract the ingredients of the offences in Part III of the Act of 1988, so as to direct and investigation therefor... accordingly, these complaints are disposed of," stated the order passed by Lokpal.

"The Complainant(s) being conscious of this position advisedly attempted to articulate allegations independent of the stated report but the analysis of the allegations by us, ended with a finding that the same are untenable, unsubstantiated and bordering on frivolity,” added the order. The order was issued on May 28.

European aviation major Airbus and Tata Group's aerospace arm Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) will set up India's first privately-led Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the H125 helicopters in Karnataka's Kolar, The Economic Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The project will be in line with the government's 'Make in India' initiative which aims to build self-reliance in the aerospace industry, the report said. The newly built factory will manufacture Airbus' best-selling H125 helicopter, and will be one among the only four such facilities in the world, the report added citing sources. Three other units are currently present in France, US and Brazil.

Karnataka won the project, beating states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, because of its already existing aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), a key defence player in the space, is based out of the southern state.