Core sectors grow at five-month high of 5%

India's core industrial sectors grew at 5% in June 2026, the fastest in five months, as per the inaugu-ral release of the new and updated series of the In-dex of Core Industries (ICI). The Ministry of Com-merce and Industry on Monday released the new series of the ICI, with an updated base year of 2022-23 from the earlier 2011-12. Further, the updated index has an additional sector of iron ore added to it, taking the total number of sectors it covers to nine. The sectoral weights and methods of estimation have also been updated.

Bengaluru to host India-U.S. space group meet in August

The next meeting of India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Work-ing Group (CSJWG) will be held in Bengaluru in August. Eric Atkins, Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Con-sulate General, said on Monday that the CSJWG ex-perts from the U.S. and In-dia would hold bilateral talks at the meetings. The CSJWG was established in 2005 and over the years, officials from the Indian Space Research Or-ganisation (ISRO) and experts from other Indian government agencies have held discussions with the NASA and the U.S. govern-ment agencies. The two countries have had a strong bilateral cooperation in space and col-laborated on various space programmes, including the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission which was launched in 2025.

Reclaiming footpaths, taking cities back from cars

In June 2026, the Supreme Court of India gave constitutional language to this daily indignity, in Maniyar Iliyaz @ Shaik Riyaz vs P. Ayyappan (2026). It held that walking on demarcated footpaths is a fundamental constitutional right, protected under Article 19(1)(d) and Article 21 of the Constitution. It observed that pedestrians have a right to safe footpaths and footways, and directed States and Union Territories to frame policies and guidelines for their provision and maintenance. This is not a minor municipal instruction. It is a public health intervention, a road safety measure, and a democratic test of whether Indian cities are built for people or merely for machines.

Canada-India defence collaboration for a secure future

Canada is seeing an historic shift for our country one that opens new opportunities for relations between Canada and India. Speaking at CANSEC 2026, Canada's leading defence, security and emerging technology event, on May 27, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney said: "The very nature of war is rapidly evolving, driven by the proliferation of drones, autonomous systems, and weapons in orbit.

Defections affect moral sanctity of democracy

In a parliamentary democracy, citizens do not vote merely for individuals. They vote for an idea, a manifesto, and a political alternative. When an elected representative crosses over after winning on another party's symbol, it is not simply a change of affiliation; it is a unilateral rewriting of the contract entered into with the voter. The mandate, which belongs to the electorate, now becomes the private property of the elected representative.

Why inflation is rising in India

Manufactured goods prices are determined largely by production costs, while primary commodity prices respond more to changes in demand and supply.

Higher global crude oil prices have raised fuel costs, which in turn have pushed up inflation in manufactured goods.

Food inflation has been exacerbated by an inadequate monsoon, underscoring the need for greater investment in irrigation and measures to cushion fuel price shocks.

How magnetic levitation lifts and propels high-speed maglev trains

Maglev' is a portmanteau of 'magnetic levitation'. Instead of running on wheels, maglev technology uses strong magnetic fields to lift the train and move it forward. Since the train floats above the track, there is no + rolling friction during normal operations, nor are operations affected by inclement weather, like rain or snow. The result: the train can move at extremely high speed, topping 400 km/hr, while also giving passengers a smooth ride.

Govt. introduces Bill in Lok Sabha to raise strength of judges in SC to 38

The Union government on + Monday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to replace an ordinance that raised the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 34 to 38, amid concerns over mounting backlog of cases. It seeks to replace the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Or-dinance, 2026, promulgated in May, to increase the sanctioned strength of the court from 33 to 37, exclud-ing the Chief Justice of India.

Modi stresses vital role of Parliament, urges MPs to engage in informed debate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged MPs to engage in informed and respectful debate, with a shared com-mitment to the country's progress, in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on Monday.

India approves first dengue vaccine for persons aged 4-60

The Drug Controller Gen-eral of India (DCGI) has granted market authorisa-tion to Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India's QDENGA (TAK-003), making it the first dengue vaccine to be approved in the country, according to a press re-lease from the company.

India joins WTO's agreement on fisheries subsidies

India on Monday announced it had joined the WTO's agreement on fisheries subsidies, which prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and over-exploitation of stocks. The agreement focuses on subsidies related to marine wild capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea. It was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022 and the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective. 

Insurance firms using 'ambiguous', 'sloppy' terms to evade liability: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday ob-served that the practice of insurers draft-and ing "ambiguous" "sloppy" insurance poli-cies to escape liabilities they ought to bear had caused ordinary policyhol-ders to suffer. The court said such "uncertainty" was also creating hurdles in the timely disposal of motor accident compensation claims.

No decision on ethanol blending with petrol beyond 20%: MOS

Notwithstanding a series of measures taken in the re-cent past to popularise bio-fuel blending, the Centre informed on Monday that no decision had been ta-ken to increase the blend-ing quantum with petrol beyond the present 20%.

The government further added that no decision had been taken to blend etha-nol with diesel for commercial usage.

Houthis declare maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia at Red Sea gateway

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis announced a mari-time embargo of Saudi Ara-bia on Monday, stepping up the U.S.-Iran war as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter's ability to by-pass the Strait of Hormuz. Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is the gateway to the Red Sea through which around 12% of the world's trade passes. The Houthis earlier demon-strated their ability to dis-rupt shipping there when they targeted ships for months over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with over 100 vessels attacked.

India's green transition is missing long-duration energy storage

On May 21, India recorded its highest peak demand of 270.8 gigawatt (GW) during the day, an increase of approximately 90 GW from the same window in 2019. While power generators often meet India's summer peak, the demand again increases at night, especially due to the use of air conditioners. This underscores the need for longer-term energy storage to ensure the grid remains reliable during prolonged periods of low solar and wind generation.