NATIONAL NEWS

West Bengal Launches AI-Enabled ‘Duare X-Ray’ Initiative

The West Bengal Health Department has launched the Duare X-Ray programme under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP).

The programme involves the distribution of portable X-Ray machines equipped with AI technology.

Initially, 14 AI-fitted portable X-Ray machines have been sent to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in two health districts of South 24 Parganas:8 machines to South 24 Parganas health district, 6 machines to Diamond Harbour health district

These machines are portable and can be carried to health camps, including those in remote island areas of South 24 Parganas.

Each portable X-Ray machine, once charged, can perform at least 200 X-Rays.

Although primarily intended for tuberculosis (TB) patients, the X-Ray facility will also be available to those with other health complications visiting the PHCs or camps.

The main objective is to reduce travel for remote villagers, enabling them to get X-rays locally at PHCs or health camps.

Doctors can use these machines to conduct on-the-spot X-rays and provide timely medical advice.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Defence Research and Development Organisation and IIT Delhi

India entered a new quantum era by successfully demonstrating free-space quantum secure communication using quantum entanglement over more than 1 km distance.

The experiment was conducted through the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Delhi, using a free-space optical link on the IIT Delhi campus.

The demonstration achieved a secure key rate of nearly 240 bits per second with a quantum bit error rate (QBER) of less than 7%.

The project, titled ‘Design and development of photonic technologies for free space QKD’, is sanctioned by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM), DRDO.

This entanglement-assisted quantum secure communication is crucial for real-time applications such as quantum cyber security, long-distance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum networks, and the future quantum internet.

Quantum entanglement-based QKD offers enhanced security and functionality over traditional prepare-and-measure methods, ensuring the security of key distribution even if devices are compromised.

Quantum communication provides unbreakable encryption and is a dual-use technology with applications in defence, finance, telecommunications, and national security.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi Concludes First Ever Official Visit to Croatia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to the European nation of Croatia with the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the two countries.

The Prime Minister was on a three-nation visit to Cyprus, Canada, and Croatia from 15 to 19 June 2025.

The Prime Minister attended the Outreach session of the 51st G7 summit meeting, which Canada hosted in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, from June 15 to 17, 2025.

The following four MoUs were exchanged between India and Croatia.

Cooperation between two nations in the field of agriculture and allied sectors,

Cooperation in Science and Technology,

Cultural Exchange Program,

Establishment of Hindi chair at University of Zagreb, Croatia.

 

BANKING

IFC Invests $60 Million in Motilal Oswal Alternates Fund

International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement to invest $60 million (about Rs 510 crore) in Motilal Oswal Alternates.

The investment aims to help mid-market companies in India expand and create jobs in sectors like consumer, financial services, life sciences, and manufacturing.

IFC is investing $60 million equity in the India Business Excellence Fund V G, managed by Motilal Oswal Alternates, the private investment arm of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Along with this, IFC has an additional $60 million co-investment envelope to selectively invest alongside the fund in future deals.

The fund targets a size of $750 million, with an additional greenshoe option of $150 million.

It plans to support 12-16 high-growth mid-market companies, especially those expanding beyond major cities to low-income states.

This is IFC’s third fund engagement with Motilal Oswal, having previously invested $25 million in Fund II and $35 million in Fund IV.

The fund will encourage other local managers to raise funds focusing on underserved regions, attracting more commercial institutional investors.

State Bank of India Cuts Interest Rates by Up to 50 Basis Points

State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has reduced lending rates by 50 basis points (bps) after the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) policy rate cut.

The Repo Linked Lending Rate (RLLR) of SBI is now 7.75%, down by 50 bps.

The External Benchmark Based Lending Rate (EBLR) has been cut from 8.65% to 8.15%, a reduction of 50 bps.

The new rates are effective from June 15, 2025.

The rate cuts follow the RBI’s jumbo rate cut on June 6, 2025, where the repo rate was reduced by 50 bps to 5.5% to support economic growth, which hit a four-year low of 6.5% in FY25

 

DEFENCE

Government Launches Operation Sindhu

The government of India has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals trapped in Iran due to the ongoing Israel-Iran war.

The operation was launched with the cooperation of the Government of Iran and Armenia.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, OperationSindhu was launched on 18 June 2025, and the first batch of 110 Indian students arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Yerevan, Armenia.

Iran has retaliated, and the war between the two countries has continued with a barrage of missile attacks by Iran on Israel and Israeli air strikes on Iran.

Indians in northern Iran were first evacuated to Armenia by road and reached the capital Yerevan.

From Yerevan, they were evacuated to India by special flights.

The government of India is likely to use the Armenian route to evacuate Indians from Iran.

India to build Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000 Business Executive Jet

The Dassault Aviation Company of France has announced that it will build an assembly line in India to manufacture the Falcon 2000LXS business executive jet. This was announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show.

The first made in India Falcon 2000 LXS plane is expected to roll out in 2028.

For the first time, Dassault will manufacture its Falcon 2000 LXS executive business jet outside France, which will cater to both Indian and the global market.

Dassault is also the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter jets. In June 2025, Dassault Aviation signed an agreement with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to manufacture the fuselage of the fighter jets in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad plant is expected to start production in 2028.

The Falcon 2000 LXS business executive jet will be manufactured at the Dassault Reliance Aviation Ltd, Nagpur facility in the Mihan special economic zone (SEZ), Maharashtra.

Dassault Reliance Aviation Ltd is a joint venture between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Aerostructure Limited.

Reliance Aerostructure Limited is a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Limited. It is owned by Anil Ambani.

India will become the fifth country in the world that have the capability to manufacture business executive jets.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Annecy International Animation Festival 2025

‘Desi Oon’ has become the first Indian animation film to win the Jury Award for Best Commissioned Film at the Annecy International Animation Festival 2025.

Earlier, the 7-minute animation short ‘Desi Oon ’ won the Best Film award at the WAVES Awards of Excellence 2025, which was held in Mumbai, India.

The Annecy International Animation Festival was held in Annecy, France

The Mumbai-based Studio Eeksaurus have produced the Desi Oon animation film.

The Desi Oon was directed by noted animator Suresh Eriyat and narrated by Swanand Kirkire. Rajat Dholakia composed the music, and Resul Pookutty, who won the 2009 Oscar, designed the film's sound.

The film uses actual Deccani wool derived from the Deccani sheep breed. The Decanni breed is the only coarse black wool sheep breed in India.

The animation Desi Oon is about the plight of the declining wool industry based on the Deccani sheep and their weavers, their sheepherders, and their lifestyle.

The Annecy International Animation Festival is considered one of the most prestigious animation film festivals.

It was established in 1960 and has been held annually since 1998.

It is sponsored by the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA).

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Executive Director of ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank Limited, a private sector lender, announced that it has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the reappointment of Sandeep Batra as Executive Director.

The RBI has approved his reappointment for a two-year term, effective from December 23, 2025, to December 22, 2027.

Sandeep Batra is currently serving as Executive Director, with his ongoing term from December 23, 2023, to December 22, 2025, also previously approved by the RBI.

The earlier RBI approval for the current term was communicated on December 20, 2023.

This marks a continuation of leadership at ICICI Bank, with regulatory backing from the central bank.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day

Every year on June 19th, World Sickle Cell Day is commemorated to raise awareness of the human Sickle Cell illness.

The UN declared the day, and it has served to raise awareness of the condition, its organization, the care and measures that should be taken, and the treatment that should be given to someone who is suffering from it.

This year, 2025, the World Sickle Disease Day theme is “Global Action, Local Impact: Empowering Communities for Effective Self-Advocacy”.

The United Nations General Assembly declared World Sickle Cell Day in 2008 to promote awareness of sickle cell illness.

They also highlighted the agony and emotional devastation that a patient with the condition must endure.

As a result, on June 19, 2009, World Sickle Cell Day was commemorated for the first time.

World Sauntering Day

On the 19th of June every year, World Sauntering Day is observed each year all over the world to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them and connect with nature.

World Sauntering Day 2025, sometimes also known as International Sauntering Day.

The purpose of this day is to remind the public to slow down and enjoy their life.

In 1979, T. Rabe established World Sauntering Day. He was the one who started this holiday in the 1970s.

This day was created in response to jogging's growing popularity. W.T. Rabe, it appears, has also devised a few sauntering norms.

This act must be performed in comfortable clothing, and "some people are just born with it," according to W.T. Rabe.

The purpose of commemorating this day is to encourage people to take a break, enjoy life, and appreciate what they have.