In his first policy address at the inaugural session of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly here on Friday, the Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar announced two key policy decisions of the new government which can have significant impact on the State’s public health -- a new department for senior citizens’ welfare and a health insurance scheme which provides free annual health coverage of Rs. 25 lakh for every family under the “Oommen Chandy Aarogya Insurance Scheme”, one of the main guarantees under the five Indira Guarantees promised by the UDF government

The setting up of a dedicated department for senior citizens’ welfare carries much significance in a State already grappling with the crisIs of demographic transition, where 18.7% of the population is above 60 years and a chunk of whom suffer from chronic multimorbidities. A standalone department is expected to consolidate welfare, health measures which are currently fragmented across Social Justice, Health and Local Self Government departments, enabling its integration so as to provide a continuum of care for the elderly.

The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union Territories to fully operationalise a single emergency helpline number, 112 within the next three months. Right now, people across India use different emergency numbers like 100 for police, 101 for fire services, 102 and 108 for ambulances, 1033 for highways and 1091 for women’s safety. But during accidents or medical emergencies, this often creates confusion and delays in getting help on time.

The Supreme Court has now ordered that all these helpline numbers be integrated into one unified number, 112.

While hearing a petition filed by road safety organisation SaveLIFE Foundation, the top court observed that trauma care is directly linked to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AS Chandurkar said that in serious accidents or trauma situations, victims are often in shock and every second becomes critical.

India has marked a historic milestone in its clean energy journey. In a social media post, Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said that 40 lakh households have now been empowered with rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar scheme. He added that more than a renewable energy initiative, this transformative scheme is turning citizens from power consumers to power producers. The scheme is also enabling families to reduce electricity expenses, benefit from government subsidies and move towards zero electricity bills. The Minister highlighted that with every solar-powered home, the country moves closer towards energy security, environmental sustainability and the vision of a self-reliant Viksit Bharat.

The Competent Authority has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development and Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS).

Singh is a 1989 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre. Presently, he is serving as Secretary of Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence.

The additional charge will come into effect upon completion of the tenure of Samir V. Kamat on May 31.

According to the order issued from the Department of Personnel & Traning (DoPT) on May 29, Singh will hold the additional responsibility until the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Thiruvananthapuram-based semiconductor start-up Netrasemi has announced the launch of its flagship AI system-on-chip (SoC), A2000. The company said the chip has successfully completed silicon bring-up, a critical stage of laboratory testing, and is being readied for commercial production at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in Taiwan next year.

Founded in 2020, Netrasemi is a ‘fabless’ company that designs and sells semiconductor chips while outsourcing their manufacturing to specialised facilities.

The A2000 AI chip targets applications such as smart surveillance cameras, edge AI boxes and intelligent video gateways. The company said on Friday (May 29, 2026) that the chip will enter volume production in 2027 and is expected to help global platform developers bring advanced AI algorithms to small edge devices.

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after spending nearly seven months in space, setting a record for the longest on-orbit stay by a Chinese crew.

The craft carrying Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang of the Shenzhou 21 crew touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia region in the evening. Their return came as China prepares for its first lunar landing by 2030.

The crew had completed various tasks, from processing and transmitting experimental data to transferring remaining supplies, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted the China Manned Space Agency as saying. They also shared their experience with the Shenzhou 23 crew who arrived at the space station on Monday, Xinhua said.

The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated significant steps to strengthen the State’s power infrastructure by establishing a Green Energy Corridor and expanding the electricity transmission network.

As part of Green Energy Corridor Phase-III, proposals worth nearly Rs 22,000 crore have been prepared to integrate 18 GW of green energy into the main power grid.

Reviewing the power sector at the State Secretariat on Friday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu enquired about measures being taken to expand the transmission network under the Green Energy Corridor.

Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member K P Dhanapalan (76) died early on Saturday. He had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital in Paravur.

Dhanapalan represented the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency from 2009 to 2014 and was a prominent Congress leader in central Kerala. He also served as president of the Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) and was regarded as one of the closest associates of veteran Congress leader A K Antony in the district.

His political career began in 1979, when he was elected as a councillor of the Paravur municipality. Over the years, he held several key positions, including chairman of Milma and member of the board of directors of the North Malabar Gramin Bank. He was also the Congress candidate for the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 general election.

Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, PVSM, AVSM, NM, assumed charge as the 48th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on Friday, a Defence Ministry official said.

On assuming charge, the Flag Officer paid solemn homage to the Bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation by laying a floral wreath at the National War Memorial, New Delhi, the official said in a statement.

An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Pune, Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1988. A specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, he has held a wide range of command, operational, and staff assignments over his distinguished naval career spanning more than 37 years.

A great voice of Urdu literature has fallen silent forever. Famous poet and literary figure Bashir Badr passed away today in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He was 91 years old. According to his family, he breathed his last at around 12 noon. He was laid to rest at a cemetery near Bhopal Talkies this evening.

Bashir Badr had been suffering from dementia for a long time. His health had been declining steadily. In his final days, he was unable to recognise people around him.

He received the Padma Shri award in 1999 for his contribution towards literature and the Sangeet Natak Akademi. He also received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection “Aas” in 1999.