In a significant boost to India’s defence indigenisation efforts under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday signed two major contracts with industry partners for the development of the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Mk-II programme.

The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), a DRDO laboratory, signed a contract with AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), New Delhi, for the conversion of six Airbus A321 aircraft from commercial to green configuration. The modified aircraft will serve as the platform for the indigenous AEW&C Mk-II system.

In a separate agreement, CABS partnered with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL), Ahmedabad, as the Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) for the mission systems of the AEW&C Mk-II programme.

The government on Wednesday appointed Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Services officer and currently the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh as the Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog. In an order, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said the appointment will take effect from the date of assumption of charge by him for a period of two years.

An officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Jain was appointed as Chief Secretary in October 2024 and his term was to come to an end on August 31 this year. Before that, Jain had served as Secretary, Road Transport & Highways and also Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Jain did his B.Tech Honours in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1986 and then obtained his MA in Public Administration from Maxwell School, USA.

From a solar-powered e-boat cruising through the maze of mangrove creeks in Pichavaram and honey produced through scientific beekeeping in the same ecosystem, to hybrid solar power systems installed at government buildings that reduce electricity consumption and the desilted waters of the Buckingham Canal that strengthen the health of the local ecosystem, these interventions now define daily life in Killai, Tamil Nadu’s first fully operational Climate Resilient Village (CRV).

Implemented under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM) of the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Killai has transformed a climate-vulnerable coastal settlement into a working model of how ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, and community-led action can jointly address cyclones, sea-level rise, saline intrusion, coastal erosion, and biodiversity loss.

Jharkhand on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, to establish the state's first film and television institute, with Chief Minister Hemant Soren saying it would open a new chapter for the youth in the film and creative industry.

The Jharkhand Film Development Corporation Limited (JFDCL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SRFTI for establishing and operating the Film and Television Institute of Jharkhand.

"Through the MoU signed between JFDCL and SRFTI, our youth will have the opportunity to receive world-class technical education and skilling in film, media and the creative industry," Soren said.

India has emerged as one of the world’s leading nations in railway electrification, with 99.6 per cent of its broad gauge network now electrified, making it the second most electrified major railway system globally after Switzerland. The milestone reflects one of the fastest railway electrification programmes undertaken anywhere in the world and marks a significant step towards cleaner, more energy-efficient rail transport.

According to information shared by Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Indian Railways has electrified nearly its entire broad gauge network, while work on the remaining routes is progressing.

The pace of electrification has accelerated sharply over the past decade. While 21,801 route kilometres were electrified over nearly six decades before 2014, an additional 48,072 route kilometres have been electrified between 2014 and 2026. The government has also made electrification an integral part of all new railway line and multi-tracking projects.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Safran Aircraft Engines have signed a long-term agreement for the production and supply of turbine ring forgings in superalloys for the CFM LEAP engine programme.

Under the agreement, HAL will manufacture near-net shape ring forgings for the LEAP engine at its state-of-the-art Ring Rolling facility at HAL’s Foundry & Forge Division in Bengaluru. These superalloy ring forgings are used in elevated-temperature applications of the rotating section of the aero-engine and are critical to engine performance and reliability.

While the LEAP engine -- a product of a joint venture between GE and Safran -- powers commercial airliners like the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, and COMAC C919 CFM International, HAL’s latest announcement is meant to support the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiatives.

Indian-American Amish Shah, a moderate Democrat, won the House primary for Arizona’s First District, defeating the establishment-backed candidate in a keen contest.

Mr. Shah, an emergency medicine doctor, known for his door-to-door campaign style where he reached out to nearly 28,000 homes, will take on NFL kicker Jay Feely, the Republican candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump for the November election to the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Shah, a three-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives, defeated former broadcast journalist Marlene Galan-Woods, a candidate backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Ms. Galan-Woods is the third DCCC-backed candidate to lose a contested House primary this year, including Jasmeet Bains in California and Joe Baldacci in Maine.

India have reason to celebrate at the Commonwealth Games 2026 even before the opening ceremony has taken place. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain became the country's first guaranteed medallist after securing a direct place in the women's 75kg category semifinals on Thursday, July 23.

The Olympic medallist received a bye in the final four in her category, which means that she is assured of atleast the bronze medal. Under the Commonwealth Games boxing format, both losing semifinalists receive bronze medals, meaning Lovlina is guaranteed a place on the podium before stepping into the ring in Glasgow.

Now, Lovlina will kick off her campaign on July 31 against T.K.B.P. Taafaki, with a place in the gold medal bout at stake. A win will take the Indian boxer into the final, while a loss would still see her return with the bronze medal she has already secured.

China has taken another step in expanding its commercial space capabilities as private launch company Orienspace successfully launched its Gravity-1 rocket from a sea-based platform in the East China Sea, placing nine satellites into their intended orbits.

The mission marked the third successful flight of the Gravity-1 launch vehicle and further demonstrated the reliability of China's growing offshore launch infrastructure.

According to the company, the launch took place from a mobile sea-launch platform off the coast of Shanghai. All nine satellites were deployed precisely into their designated orbits, with the mission proceeding as planned.

Officials described the mission as an important milestone in validating the performance of the sea-based launch system.

Delectrik Systems will deploy the first utility scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery project of 100 MWH capacity in India. Delectrik won the tender in collaboration with Bondada Engineering Limited which is a fast-growing infrastructure solution provider. The project was awarded by NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited (NTPC). NTPC is India's largest integrated power utility with an installed capacity of over 90 GW, with a target to reach 149 GW by 2032. Out of the total capacity NTPC aims to have 60 GW of Renewable Energy capacity.

The installation will be based on Delectrik's non-containerized Flow Battery product architecture which it suitable for large Commercial, Industrial and Utility scale applications. The system will be deployed in 2027 at Khavda Solar Park which is slated to become the world's largest RE park with 30 GW of generation capacity by 2029. The company had successfully deployed a smaller 3 MWH variant of a similar product in 2025 at Greater Noida, NTPC.