NASA has invited ISRO to join its ambitious Moon Base mission to establish a permanent lunar outpost near the Moon's South Pole, aiming for scientific discoveries and future deep space exploration. This invitation follows discussions at the Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting in Bengaluru, where both nations also advanced cooperation under the Artemis Accords and the TRUST initiative.
Indian physicist Deepak Dhar, a professor at ICTS-TIFR in Bengaluru, has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal for his significant contributions to statistical mechanics. He shares the honour with three other physicists for their work on understanding complex systems, with applications in diverse fields like biology, finance, and AI. Dhar is particularly recognised for his "sandpile model" and has previously received the Padma Bhushan and Boltzmann Medal.
'The anger among the PoK public is unlikely to subside against Pakistani State in the near future.'
India's position appears to be anchored around three red lines: Hasina's safety and the guarantee of a fair trial; assurances that Bangladeshi territory will not be used for activities hostile to India; and the restoration of an inclusive democratic process in Bangladesh.
Five Naxal functionaries, carrying a total bounty of Rs 38 lakh, surrendered in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Additionally, eight Maoists from Maharashtra, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh were arrested during joint operations with the CRPF.
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Madras Café is the only feature film he has acted in. I told him simply, "Sir, will you do this role?" and he agreed immediately.'
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
India launches AI-driven SPEEED platform to track athlete performance, predict injuries, tackle age fraud and revolutionise sports science nationwide.
Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike and five other red rebels were killed in gun battles with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district.
Top Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, who had masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, was killed in an encounter in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, a breakthrough Chhattisgarh Police described as the 'last nail in the coffin' of the insurgency.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) attains its full strength after nine years with the appointment of Raj Kumar Goyal as chief and eight other information commissioners.
'The Maoist leadership spread fear that surrender meant torture or death. Once that false narrative collapsed and our operations proved transparent and credible, the surrender momentum became irreversible.' 'From 42,000 square kilometres, Maoist activity is now confined to barely 500-600 square kilometres -- less than two per cent of Bastar. This is their last remaining base area.'
'It will increase the contribution to gratuity, which is something the employer has to give.'
'If the Trump administration could gain access to the nuclear weapons, they would be satisfied -- at least they could control them.'
While Asim Malik's role in Pakistan's recent warming up of relations with the US is acknowledged, army watchers note a recent distancing, what with Asim Munir not wanting his DG, ISI to share the limelight during his subsequent sojourns to Tampa and Brussels, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
A parliamentary panel on external affairs has expressed concern over China's growing presence and influence in the Indian Ocean Region, citing risks to India's national security and strategic interests. The panel also highlighted the strengthening China-Pakistan naval nexus as a cause for concern.
'Sujatha's decision to surrender reflects the deep crisis of confidence that the Maoist ranks are facing in recent times.'
'The heat shield technology for re-entry vehicles was first mastered in DRDO for the Agni missile.' 'This is why the Americans were so opposed to Agni in the 1980s, unlike other missiles -- it was a re-entry vehicle.'
A high alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh's seven districts bordering Nepal. The districts are Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Pilibhit.
Asim Munir will have to find a well trusted aide to fill the crucial ISI post's when Asim Malik retires soon.
Gor underlined that President Trump has a "deep friendship" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that is something that is unique.
Showcasing India as an attractive investment destination, Modi said the country has political and economic stability as well as transparency and predictability in policy decisions.
'While the President has been critical of India, he has gone out of his way to compliment PM Modi. They have an incredible relationship.'
Will the much-hyped National Counter Terrorism Centre end up being just another agency to create jobs? Vicky Nanjappa tries to find some answers
Home Minister P Chidambaram indicated that the National Counter Terrorism Centre of India, the umbrella body which would deal with terror threats within the country is expected to get the cabinet nod within the next 15 days.
In the wake of the recent hostilities, both sides have moved from weapons to words, with India dispatching several delegations to visit more than 30 capitals across the world. A similar effort by Pakistan is set to start on Jun 2.
Interview with K Subrahmanyam. He used to chair the Joint Intelligence Committee and headed the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses for 15 years, is one of India's foremost strategic experts
The Janata Dal (United), an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has sought an extension in the tenure of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the bills proposing simultaneous elections. The party argued that the committee, which has only met once, requires more time for extensive consultations. Meanwhile, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), another BJP ally, has demanded a "special industrial package" for Bihar, highlighting the state's low per capita income compared to the national average.
The appointment of John Scarlett, who authored the disputed Iraqi weapons dossier, as the new head of MI6 has sparked off a political controversy.
Opening another line of inquiry into the Hutch-Essar shareholding structure, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is looking into the call options that would together give Vodafone a further 15.03 per cent proportionate indirect equity owner
India is expected to finalize the procurement of 26 naval variant Rafale jets and three Scorpene submarines from France in the coming weeks, further bolstering its naval capabilities. The deals, which are in the final stages of approval, could be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris next month for an AI summit. The procurement of the Rafale (M) jets will be based on an inter-governmental agreement (IGA). The Indian Air Force is considering acquiring additional Rafale fighter aircraft squadrons. The deal for three Scorpene submarines follows the successful construction of six Scorpene submarines in India under Project 75. The defense and strategic partnerships between India and France have been strengthening in recent years, with both countries collaborating on joint development projects for jet and helicopter engines and advanced defense technologies.
Top military officials from India and Pakistan highlighted their views at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, billed as Asia's premier defence forum, amid heightened tensions between the two sides following last month's military confrontation.
'There is no question that Putin's preference will be to avoid unpleasantness with Trump, leave alone a collision course,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Earlier on Monday, two women Naxalites were killed and one CoBRA jawan was injured in an encounter during the same operation, they said.
The Pakistan army's Bahawalpur Corps has always had a special significance for India as it keeps an eye on the Jaish e Mohammed, explains Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
In a significant step towards restoring peace in Manipur, representatives of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities met face-to-face for the first time since ethnic violence erupted nearly two years ago. The meeting, facilitated by the Union Home Ministry, aimed to enhance trust and cooperation between the communities and find a roadmap to restore normalcy in the state.
