Southwest monsoon to set in over Kerala 'around June 4'

Revising the forecast of the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala, where the weather system makes landfall on the Indian mainland, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the rainy season was now "likely to set in" around June 4, Thursday.

FRA, PESA task force subverts the role of statutory bodies, say tribal rights activists

The constitution of a task force in Chhattisgarh this May to fast-track the implementation of laws such as the Forest Rights Act, 2006, (FRA) and the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, (PESA) has led to fresh controversy. Forest and tribal rights activists, along with Opposition Congress, have alleged that the task force "undermines statutory bodies set up un-der these laws and institutionalises the role of Sangh Parivar-linked outfits" in the implementation of these laws in tribal-dominated areas.

U.S.-Iran negotiations, still a road to nowhere

Four nearly half a century, relations between Iran and the United States have oscillated between overt hostility and crisis management. Periods of confrontation were punctuated by brief diplomatic openings, only to be followed by renewed distrust and, more recently, war and devastation. In this context the current move towards a memorandum that could lead to an indefinite ceasefire and buy time to address the thornier issues bedevilling their relationship appears to be a significant step. However, even agreeing on a framework to enter into substantive negotiations has been far more difficult than anticipated thanks to vastly different expectations of the two sides.

The future of India's chip industry

The Union government has made semiconductor manufacturing a priority, but India does not yet have a fabrication unit. A recent report by NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub underscores the need to bolster local manufacturing.

The report urges the government to work on 'building sovereign design and research capabilities, R&D excellence and harnessing agentic Al for semiconductor engineering'.

The need for India's EV supply chains strengthening

India's electrification of road transport has entered a decisive growth phase. Around 2.5 million vehicles were sold in FY26, a significant increase from FY25. This momentum reflects the effectiveness of policy support from both the Centre and the States, including upfront purchase incentives, road tax exemptions and other demand-side interventions. These measures helped create the initial market, reduce consumer hesitation, and establish electric vehicles (EVs) as a credible and tested technology.

No role for third parties in bilateral matters between India, Nepal: Centre

Responding to assertions made by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, the External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday said that India and Nepal had bilateral mechanisms to deal with border issues and that there was "no role for any third parties" in such matters.

Venezuela Acting President's five-day visit to India likely to prioritise energy cooperation

Around five months after Venezuela President Nico-las Maduro was abducted in a dramatic raid by the United States military, the country's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez will pay a visit to India from June 3 to 7, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced here on Tuesday.

Five new judges join SC following increase in sanctioned strength

The Supreme Court on Tuesday got five new judges, taking its strength to 37, with only one position remaining vacant. The appointments come shortly after the Centre increased the court's sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Jus-tice of India (CJI), through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026.

Govt. changes foreigner registration regulations

The foreigners coming to India on a visa for 180 days or less will now have to register themselves "any time before the expiry of the said period of 180 days" in case they want to stay beyond the visa period, according to changes in the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 notified by the Home Ministry.

Indigenous RudraM-II missile clears flight trials

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have success-fully conducted flight-tests of the indigenous RudraM-II air-to-surface missile, marking a significant milestone in India's efforts to strengthen its precision strike capabilities and advance self-reliance in de-fence technology.

Demography panel may study SIR exclusions, seeks details from govt.

The demography panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge is likely to study the exclusion of names from the voters' list following the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise con-ducted in 13 States and Un-ion Territories so far, a

India losing ability to build its own instruments: climate science report

A group of India's leading climate scientists has warned that the country has almost lost the ability to build its own scientific instruments, leaving its cli-mate observations dependent on imported equipment that is often run uncalibrated for years. This has led to "incorrect data being reported in national and international journals, often leading to questions on the credibility of Indian science".

AIIMS Delhi study shows how air pollutants breach placental barriers and affect foetuses

That environmental pollutants can breach the placental barrier and affect foetuses is now well established in research. But how exactly does this hap-pen? Researchers at AIIMS, Delhi have mapped the step-by-step biological pathway through which urban air pollution silences a key foetal growth protein, causing lasting harm to babies.

'Marriage does not sever daughter's ties to her family'

Observing that contemporary social realities show that marriage does not sever a daughter's ties with her parental family or end her dependence on them, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that marital status cannot be a ground for denying compassionate appointment to a married daughter. A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe observed that the presumption that a daughter, upon marriage, be-comes a member of another family and severs all ties with her natal family is rooted in a "gender-based stereotype" and is incompatible with the constitutional right to equality. -

Govt. to replace WPI with Producer Price Index, new series from June 15

The Centre will phase out the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) over the next five years while simultaneously introducing a more de-tailed Producer Price Index (PPI), covering output, input and services prices, in a bid to offer a more realistic assessment of inflationary trends in the economy.

India slips to seventh in m-cap rankings; South Korea ahead

Extreme heat tests India's record milk production

Dairy sector accounts for about 5% of India's GDP and supports more than 80 million farmers. Rising in-comes and population level mean demand for dairy is set to grow - the government estimates it could al-most double by 2050.

India's milk production reached a record 239 mil-lion tonne in the 2023-24 fiscal year, up nearly 64% in a decade, according to government data. But researchers, dairy experts and farmers say rising heat is quietly exposing the vulnerabilities of that model. Scientists at the National Dairy Re-search Institute said heat stress reduces feed intake and diverts cows' energy away from milk production and reproduction.

'Formalising supply chain integrity a huge challenge for circularity'

Formalising supply chain integrity in manufacturing is a challenge for circular economy in India, industry leaders opined. At the Maharashtra Circular Economy Conclave held here, large Indian firms spoke about the efforts being taken towards circular economy, the regulatory framework and the push and pull factors towards circularity.

Iran's inflation at levels as worse as in Second World War

Year-on-year inflation in Iran reached a level in May unseen since the Second World War, underlining the economic pain average Iranians face as the Islamic Republic worries about the war with Israel and the United States restarting.

Bolides: fireballs going boom

On May 30, a meteor exploded over northeastern U.S. while producing loud booming noises. NASA scientists said the object broke apart around 64 km above the ground as it was falling at more than 1,20,000 km/hr. The energy the explosion released was estimated to be equivalent to around 300 tonnes of TNT.

Experts often call these objects bolides. A bolide is an exceptionally bright meteor that breaks apart or explodes in the earth's atmosphere. These objects are originally small pieces of rock or metal in space that, after a close encounter with the earth, enter the atmosphere as meteors. As such a meteor falls, the air in front becomes compressed and heated, causing it to glow and produce a bright streak of light across the sky.