Idli with sambar will soon be served to students in Delhi government and government-aided schools under a revised PM-POSHAN menu, with the Directorate of Education asking schools and implementing agencies to complete preparations by August 24. Most changes in the new six-day menu will take effect immediately, while idli with sambar has been given a two-week transition period.

The revised menu replaces some existing items, including ragi halwa and vegetable dalia. The Directorate said the changes were recommended by the Meal Review Committee after it reviewed the weekly menu, meal coverage, stakeholder feedback and implementation experience.

According to the order issued by the Directorate of Education on Monday, the new six-day menu includes poori with black chana gravy and mashed vegetables on Day 1, idli with sambar on Day 2, rice with chhole and mashed vegetables on Day 3, poori with chhole and mashed vegetables on Day 4, rice with dal on Day 5, and rice with kadhi on Day 6. The committee has also recommended replacing ragi halwa with wheat flour and chana masala, and vegetable daliya with jowar and bajra.

Jammu and Kashmir Government’s approval of Rs 10 crore for the restoration of historic Rattan Garh Fort in Doda district was welcomed by locals, who termed it a major step towards preserving the region’s heritage and boosting tourism.

Built in 1733, Rattan Garh Fort has stood witness to centuries of change, evolving from a royal stronghold into a prison. Today, it remains one of the most significant historical landmarks in picturesque Bhaderwah valley of the Chenab valley.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government on Sunday approved Rs 10 crore for the repair and renovation of the historic fort. The project is aimed at conserving the historic structure, improving its overall condition and developing it as an important heritage and tourism attraction.

The Gujarat Forest Department has launched a Plastic Waste Management Project around the Ramsar-designated Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, with an initiative to purchase plastic waste collected by villagers while strengthening efforts to protect the wetland's fragile ecosystem.

The Rs 2.94-crore project has been approved under the Project for Eco-Restoration in Gujarat (PERG), supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is being implemented by the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Wildlife Division, Sanand, in collaboration with local gram panchayats, Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) and community members.

Gujarat Minister for Forests and Environment Arjun Modhwadia said that by establishing a scientific plastic waste management system around this globally important wetland, we aim to eliminate plastic pollution and protect Nalsarovar's unique ecosystem.

India had a strong showing at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) 2026 in Romania, with Shrilakshmi Venkatraman taking home the gold medal. Aarav Anil Rao, Nishanth Shankar Lakshmanan and Advay Misra also made the podium with bronze medals, while Soham Amit Pednekar earned an honourable mention.

The international competition attracts pre-university students from more than 40 countries. Instead of testing memorised knowledge, the Olympiad asks participants to decode unfamiliar languages and identify patterns using reasoning and analytical skills.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), with support from the Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, has announced the winners of the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge, a national initiative to advance DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture) as a Digital Public Infrastructure for rural climate resilience.

The Challenge was launched to mobilise India’s scientific, academic and innovation ecosystem to develop credible, near-term climate hazard forecasting models and decision-ready applications for agriculture, rural finance, insurance and public planning.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the commercialisation and global market access of India’s Geographical Indication (GI) products. The collaboration aims to promote quality standardisation, wider market access and digital enablement of GI products, while strengthening the One District One Product ecosystem.

Under the initiative, GI collectives and authorised users will be facilitated to onboard digital platforms, including the Open Network for Digital Commerce and Government e-Marketplace, under the Bharat GI banner. The Ministry further added that the partnership will also focus on capacity building and enhancing market opportunities for artisans, weavers and producer collectives. The initiative is expected to strengthen India’s GI ecosystem and support the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local.

VinSpace, a unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, has ‌signed a launch contract with SpaceX for its ⁠satellite missions, the company said on Tuesday.

VinSpace’s satellites ‌will launch on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare ‌mission in 2027, ‌joining ⁠multiple other customers ⁠on a shared launch, it said in a statement

VinSpace handles the research, ‌development, manufacturing and in-orbit operation of its satellites, and said the project supports ‌its strategy aimed at building capabilities across the space value chain, ⁠including satellite design and manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing, ‌launch management, operations and data services.

A Chinese rocket carrying a communications satellite failed in its launch, state media said, attributing the failure to a "flight anomaly" as reports and videos suggested the spacecraft had exploded in mid-air.

Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into its space programme in recent years to achieve what President Xi Jinping calls the country's "space dream".

Monday's rare launch failure involved a Long March 7A carrier rocket, which lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China's southernmost province of Hainan at 8:02 pm (1202 GMT), state news agency Xinhua said.

An "anomaly" occurred when the rocket, which was carrying the Zhongxing-4B communications satellite, was in flight, Xinhua added.

The cause of the failure is under investigation, it said.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its `Moon Base’ programme, marking an expansion of India-US cooperation in lunar science and exploration, according to a US Embassy statement.

The invitation was extended during the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5-6.

“NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base program, building on the two countries’ partnership under the Artemis Accords,” the statement issued on Tuesday noted.

Deepak Dhar, an IINSA distinguished professor and one of India’s most respected theoretical physicists, has been awarded the 2026 Dirac Medal by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), a recognition considered among the highest honours in the field of physics.

The award, instituted in 1985, has over the decades been associated with some of the biggest names, including Stephen Hawkings, in theoretical physics.

Dhar is one of four physicists selected this year in recognition of their significant contributions to statistical mechanics.