India’s school education system now has more than 1.03 crore teachers for the first time, with nearly 24.72 crore students enrolled across 14.67 lakh schools, according to fresh data released by the Union Ministry of Education.

The figures are part of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for States and Union Territories and the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) 2025-26, which assess the performance of school education systems across the country.

Both reports are based on data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) and other government platforms to provide a comprehensive assessment of the education sector.

The PGI framework does not rank States and Union Territories individually but groups them into performance bands, allowing multiple States or UTs to fall within the same category.

Developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy, the index is scored out of 1,000 points across 70 indicators. These indicators are classified under two broad heads—Outcome and Governance and Management—and cover six domains: learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, and teacher education and training.

The assessment uses data from UDISE+, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, the PM POSHAN Portal, the PRABANDH Portal, and the Vidyanjali Portal.

The ministry has also expanded the grading exercise to the district level through the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D), which evaluates every district using a common set of indicators with a stronger focus on educational outcomes.

The district index carries a maximum score of 600 points across 70 indicators, grouped under six categories: outcomes, effective classroom transactions, infrastructure and student entitlements, school safety and child protection, digital learning, and governance.

These categories encompass 11 broader domains, including learning outcomes, access, teacher availability, professional development, learning management, infrastructure, school safety, digital learning, fund utilisation, attendance monitoring, and school leadership.

The district-level assessment draws on data from UDISE+, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, and the PRABANDH Portal.

With more than 14.67 lakh schools catering to students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, the two performance indices are intended to provide policymakers with a comprehensive, data-driven picture of the functioning of India’s school education system at both the state and district levels.

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In recognition of India’s longstanding contribution to international peacekeeping, 651 Indian Army personnel serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were awarded the United Nations Medal during a ceremonial parade held at the Permanent Operating Base Sake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The medals were presented on July 3 during a ceremony attended by senior MONUSCO officials, representatives from the Force Headquarters, military commanders and other dignitaries.

According to the Indian Army, the honour recognises the contingent’s professionalism, operational excellence and dedicated service while carrying out peacekeeping duties in one of the United Nations’ most demanding conflict zones.

The Army said Indian peacekeepers have consistently demonstrated courage, resilience and commitment while operating in eastern DR Congo, where they have worked to protect civilians, improve security, facilitate humanitarian assistance and support the implementation of the UN mandate amid persistent armed violence and complex humanitarian challenges.

Describing the award as a reflection of the Indian Army’s reputation in global peacekeeping operations, the Army said India has remained one of the United Nations’ most reliable contributors to peace missions around the world.

The Army added that the recognition underscores India’s enduring commitment to international peace and security and its continued efforts to safeguard vulnerable communities in conflict-affected regions.

The medal parade concluded with the Indian peacekeepers reaffirming their commitment to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and selfless service while serving under the United Nations flag, reinforcing India’s legacy as a trusted contributor to global peacekeeping efforts.

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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Friday inaugurated Nagaland’s first Aadhaar Seva Kendra in Dimapur to improve access to Aadhaar-related services across the state.

The centre, operated by UIDAI, has been established at Purana Bazar near the Labour Office in Dimapur.

According to a UIDAI statement, the Aadhaar Seva Kendra is equipped with modern infrastructure and air-conditioned facilities to serve a large number of visitors daily. It has also been designed to be inclusive, with wheelchair access and accessible restroom facilities.

Officials said Aadhaar enrolment in Nagaland has so far been carried out through centres operated by the state government, making this the first Aadhaar Seva Kendra directly established by UIDAI in the state.

An official said Aadhaar enrolment in Nagaland currently stands at 66.74 per cent, and UIDAI is working towards achieving complete enrolment of eligible residents.

Nagaland MLA and Advisor for Tribal Affairs and Election H. Tovihoto Ayemi inaugurated the facility and urged residents to make use of the new centre for hassle-free Aadhaar enrolment and other related services.

The inaugural programme was attended by Ngachan Zimik, Deputy Director General, UIDAI Regional Office, Guwahati, Abhishek Koushik, Director, UIDAI Regional Office, Guwahati, along with other officials and distinguished guests.

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President Droupadi Murmu on Monday presented 105 Distinguished Service Decorations to personnel of the Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II) held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising their exceptional service, leadership and contributions to national security.

The awards were conferred on officers from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard for distinguished service of the highest order. According to the Ministry of Defence, the honours comprised seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 12 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, and 56 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals.

Among the prominent awardees were Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti and Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who played key leadership roles during Operation Sindoor.

Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who served as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during the operation, was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for his distinguished operational leadership. An officer of the Kumaon Regiment, he was serving at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) during the mission.

Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, a decorated fighter pilot, also received the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for his contribution to the Indian Air Force’s operations during Operation Sindoor. During one of the military briefings following the operation, the Air Marshal had drawn attention by quoting verses from the Ramcharitmanas to underline India’s resolve in dealing with security challenges.

The President also conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal on Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, who assumed office as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff on May 31, 2026, in recognition of his distinguished service to the Indian Navy.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and scheduled to take over as the next Chief of the Army Staff from June 30, was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal for his operational leadership and service.

Among the recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal were Surgeon Vice Admiral Vivek Hande, who was serving as Surgeon Rear Admiral at the time of the award, and Indian Coast Guard Additional Director General Donny Michael, whose contributions to maritime security and service were recognised during the ceremony.

Other recipients of the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal included Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, retired Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, retired Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari and Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra.

The Defence Investiture Ceremony is one of the country’s highest military honours events, recognising outstanding leadership, distinguished service and exceptional dedication by personnel across India’s defence services and the Coast Guard in safeguarding the nation’s security and strategic interests.

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A community-led farming initiative from Andhra Pradesh has won one of the world’s biggest sustainability honours, placing small farmers at the centre of the global environmental movement.

The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme, which now involves around 18 lakh farmers across the state, has been awarded the 2026 Food Planet Prize, considered one of the world’s largest environmental awards focused on transforming food systems.

The $1.5 million prize was presented to APCNF by the Curt Bergfors Foundation in Bastad, Sweden, on June 2.

The recognition comes at a time when agriculture globally is facing challenges due to climate change, including droughts, floods, rising input costs and heavy dependence on chemical fertilisers. APCNF has demonstrated that natural farming practices can help improve climate resilience while reducing dependence on synthetic inputs.

According to APCNF, the model is already being replicated in 22 Indian states as well as Sri Lanka and Zambia.

The award also supports Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of making the state a “100% natural farming state” by 2047 under the Swarna Andhra@2047 roadmap. The programme was launched in 2016 during his previous term.

The jury at Bastad said Andhra Pradesh’s initiative showed how agriculture can become more resilient while reducing dependence on chemical-based farming. The programme’s success has been attributed to women-led self-help groups, more than 10,000 farmer trainers and a community-driven approach.

APCNF promotes Community-Managed Natural Farming, where farmers use natural fertilisers and pesticides through community networks instead of relying on chemical inputs.

What is the Food Planet Prize?

The Food Planet Prize is awarded annually by the Swedish Curt Bergfors Foundation to initiatives capable of transforming the global food system while reducing environmental damage.

The 2026 award received more than 1,000 nominations worldwide, with APCNF emerging as the winner ahead of finalists from the United States and the Netherlands.

The jury described APCNF as one of the most ambitious agroecological transitions undertaken anywhere in the world.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Zimbabwean professor and co-chair of the jury, said the programme offers “a scalable pathway for millions of farmers” by improving livelihoods, resilience and environmental outcomes.

Women at the heart of natural farming movement

T Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice Chairman of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), the Andhra Pradesh government-backed body implementing APCNF, said women have played the most important role in the success of the programme.

“The magic is in the women,” he said, adding that the movement began by strengthening women’s groups, building communities and creating a foundation for change.

The initiative is supported by around 3.4 lakh women’s self-help groups and thousands of women community resource persons who promote farmer-to-farmer learning across villages.

Benefits for farmers

APCNF encourages practices such as year-round cover cropping, pre-monsoon dry sowing and soil regeneration techniques based on local knowledge.

The programme says these methods have helped farmers reduce cultivation costs, improve soil health and make farms more resistant to droughts, floods, cyclones and pest attacks.

The prize money will be used to expand demonstration farms, develop implementation tools, support research partnerships, train future natural farming leaders and strengthen the network of farmer scientists.

The award marks a global recognition for a farming model built around small farmers, women’s collectives and community institutions, highlighting India’s growing role in climate-resilient agriculture.

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President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday presented the prestigious Padma Awards 2026 to 65 distinguished personalities during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The awardees were recognised for their exceptional contributions across diverse fields, including arts, public affairs, medicine, literature, education and sports.

Among the prominent recipients, celebrated playback singer Alka Yagnik received the Padma Bhushan in recognition of her remarkable contribution to Indian music spanning more than three decades.

Veteran Assamese sculptor Nuruddin Ahmed was honoured with the Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to visual storytelling and stage craftsmanship.

Several other notable personalities were also honoured during the ceremony, including former tennis star Vijay Amritraj, actor Mammootty, Carnatic percussion maestro Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam and Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma.

In the field of medicine, renowned paediatrician and neonatologist Dr Armida Fernandez was conferred with the Padma Shri for her pioneering contributions to child healthcare and public health services. Dr Suresh Hanagavadi was also honoured with the Padma Shri for contributions to medicine.

Dr Charan Hembram received the Padma Shri for his significant contributions to literature and education, while Bhiklya Ladkya Dhinda was recognised for his lifelong efforts in preserving the traditional Tarpa, a wind instrument associated with the Warli tribal community.

The second Civil Investiture Ceremony saw the presentation of:

2 Padma Vibhushan awards
7 Padma Bhushan awards
56 Padma Shri awards

Earlier, during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony held on May 25, President Murmu had conferred 65 Padma Awards, comprising:

2 Padma Vibhushan awards
6 Padma Bhushan awards
57 Padma Shri awards

The Government of India had announced a total of 131 Padma Awards for 2026 on the eve of Republic Day. The list included:

5 Padma Vibhushan awards
13 Padma Bhushan awards
113 Padma Shri awards

Among the recipients, 19 are women, while 16 individuals were honoured posthumously.

Instituted in 1954, the Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are presented annually to recognise individuals for exceptional and distinguished service in their respective fields, ranging from art, literature and science to public service, sports and social work.

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India plans to share technology of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), one of the country’s most reliable rockets, with the private sector as part of efforts to accelerate growth of the domestic space industry.

Pawan Goenka, chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), said the organisation has issued an expression of interest for transferring PSLV technology to private companies.

Only companies that are majority owned and controlled by Indians will be eligible for the technology transfer, he said.

The move is aimed at increasing production capacity of Indian rockets and strengthening the country’s position as a global hub for small satellite launches.

The Indian space sector was opened to private participation in 2019 following a decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Since then, hundreds of space startups have emerged, with several private players entering satellite, launch and space technology sectors.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms Ltd. has also expressed plans to develop a satellite constellation.

However, the PSLV programme faced setbacks recently, with two consecutive missions failing in the past year. The rocket has previously been used for several major missions, including launches related to India’s Moon and Mars programmes.

Goenka said the recent failures were temporary and pointed to PSLV’s strong track record of more than 60 successful launches without failure.

He added that several large business groups have shown interest in entering the space sector and are waiting for suitable opportunities, though he did not reveal their names.

The technology transfer is expected to encourage greater private participation and help India expand its capabilities in satellite launch services.

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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have successfully conducted flight tests of the indigenously developed RudraM-II air-to-surface missile from an airborne platform, the Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the missile was tested under extreme release conditions and followed a critical flight trajectory that validated the performance and capability of all onboard subsystems. After launch, the missile was guided to a pre-defined target with pinpoint accuracy.

“All test objectives were fully met as confirmed by the flight data captured by various range instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur,” the ministry said in a statement.

RudraM-II has been developed by Research Centre Imarat as the lead laboratory in collaboration with several other DRDO facilities, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Armament Research and Development Establishment and the Integrated Test Range.

The programme also received support from development-cum-production partners, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness, the Missile System Quality Assurance Agency and other industry stakeholders.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, IAF, defence public sector undertakings and industry partners on the successful test. He said the achievement reflected the growing maturity of indigenous defence technologies and would strengthen the country’s drive towards Aatmanirbharta in advanced weapon systems.

Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO, also congratulated the teams involved in the programme.

RudraM-II is regarded as a major boost to India’s air combat capabilities. The missile is capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 5.5, striking targets at ranges of around 300 km and carrying a 200-kg warhead.

It can be launched from fighter aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI at altitudes ranging from 3 km to 15 km.

The missile is expected to significantly enhance the Indian Air Force’s operational capabilities and gradually replace the ageing Russian-origin Kh-31 missiles currently in service.

RudraM-II features an advanced hybrid guidance system that combines an Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS-based navigation and a sophisticated passive homing seeker. The system can detect and track radio-frequency emissions across a wide spectrum, enabling highly accurate strikes against enemy radar installations and air-defence systems.

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 Former Lok Sabha Secretary General and noted constitutional expert Dr Subhash C Kashyap passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness at his residence in New Delhi. He was 97.

According to Lok Sabha Secretariat officials, Kashyap breathed his last at around 10 am due to cardio-pulmonary arrest. He had been suffering from age-related ailments. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

A distinguished scholar and authority on constitutional and parliamentary affairs, Kashyap served as Secretary General of the Lok Sabha from 1983 to 1990. During a parliamentary career spanning over 37 years, he witnessed the functioning of the House from the first Lok Sabha under Jawaharlal Nehru to the ninth Lok Sabha.

Born in 1929 in Bijnor district of present-day Uttar Pradesh, Kashyap actively participated in the freedom movement during his youth. Before joining Parliament, he worked as a journalist, taught at the University of Allahabad and also received legal training as an advocate.

Kashyap authored more than 100 books on constitutional, legal and parliamentary subjects and was widely regarded as one of India’s foremost constitutional thinkers. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in recognition of his contributions to public affairs and constitutional studies.

In recent years, he served as a member of the high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind on the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative. He had also played a key role in the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed grief over his demise, recalling his immense contribution to constitutional scholarship, parliamentary democracy and democratic institutions in the country.

Leaders across the political spectrum described his passing as a major loss to India’s constitutional and parliamentary landscape.

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In a major step towards strengthening India’s indigenous defence production under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate a large-scale ammunition manufacturing facility in Shirdi, Maharashtra, on Saturday.

The facility, developed within the Savali Vihir Industrial Estate of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in Ahilyanagar district, forms part of the broader Shirdi Defence Manufacturing Complex. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will preside over the inauguration ceremony.

Built with an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore and spread across 200 acres, the plant is among the largest private-sector artillery shell manufacturing units in India. It is designed to produce up to five lakh 155 mm artillery shells annually using indigenous technology and locally sourced materials.

Officials said the project was completed in about a year and is expected to significantly enhance India’s defence production ecosystem. Along with artillery shells, the complex will also manufacture rocket launchers, long-range rocket components, drones, and electronic testing systems.

The facility is projected to create around 2,000 direct and indirect jobs and is expected to generate substantial opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, boosting local economic activity.

Authorities also noted that the plant will not only meet domestic defence requirements but is also intended to support exports, aligning with India’s ambition to become a global defence manufacturing hub.

In addition to the Shirdi project, another major ordnance manufacturing unit is under development in Belwandi, Shrigonda taluka. Spread over 600 acres with an estimated investment of ?2,000 crore, the facility will focus on producing explosives such as TNT, RDX, and HMX, with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes of TNT.

Officials said that once both projects are fully operational, they could collectively generate employment for around 4,000 to 5,000 people in the region.

To mark the inauguration, a two-day defence exhibition will be held in Shirdi on May 23 and 24, featuring participation from leading defence companies and more than 100 MSMEs showcasing advanced technologies and manufacturing capabilities.

The initiatives are aligned with national programmes such as Make in India and Make for the World, aimed at boosting self-reliance in defence production and expanding India’s presence in global military exports.

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