With the southwest monsoon stalled over southern Maharashtra, India is facing a nationwide rainfall deficit of 41 percent between June 4 and June 18, according to the latest India meteorological department (IMD) data.
Vijaya Mehta's eyes were always twinkling, her smile was always warm, her sari usually a collector's piece. She put on no elder statesman airs. But when she was in director mode, she allowed her actors and technicians no slack. Deepa Gahlot doffs her hat to the undisputed doyenne of Marathi theatre and one of India's most influential directors and actors, who shaped the landscape of Indian experimental theatre.
Indian shuttler Rounak Chouhan successfully navigated the qualifying rounds of the Taipei Open Super 300, securing his spot in the men's singles main draw with two impressive victories. However, it was a challenging day for most other Indian participants across various categories, who faced defeats in their respective qualifying and opening matches. HS Prannoy and Unnati Hooda are set to lead the Indian contingent in the main draw.
Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty is actively working to transform his 'natural laid-back approach' into a more aggressive playing style as he prepares for his World Championship debut, where he faces current world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China in his opening match.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
Former India captain Diana Edulji believes the Indian women's cricket team faces a significant challenge to qualify for the Women's T20 World Cup semifinals after their recent loss to South Africa. She highlighted the team's need to win their remaining matches against Bangladesh and Australia and discussed the team's T20 playing style.
India and China held constructive talks on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, emphasising that maintaining border peace and tranquillity enabled progress in normalising overall relations.
Top Indian shuttlers have received a mixed draw for the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen getting relatively favourable starts, while Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty faces a formidable opening round against defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China.
Kidambi Srikanth faced a first-round defeat at the Orleans Masters Super Badminton tournament, while Anmol Kharb and Tanvi Sharma advanced to the round of 16 in the women's singles event.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is widely expected to keep its benchmark repo rate unchanged in the August monetary policy review, with economists citing elevated inflation risks and the pending closure of the FCNR(B) deposit scheme as key factors. Most anticipate a 'Neutral' policy stance but with a hawkish tone due to geopolitical tensions, high crude oil prices, and an uneven monsoon.
Harmanpreet Kaur's rapid 56 helped India post 170 for four against Australia in a must-win Women's T20 World Cup match. Despite a strong start from openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the middle order struggled for acceleration, leaving Harmanpreet to boost the total in the final overs.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi, stressing the importance of respecting each other's "core interests" and implementing leaders' consensus for stable bilateral relations. Wang highlighted that India and China should view each other as partners, not rivals, and properly handle sensitive issues like the border dispute to foster cooperation and accelerate the modernisation of the Global South.
Teenager Pritam Kendre won a gold medal in the men's 10m air rifle at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany, contributing to India's growing medal tally of 11, including five golds. India also secured a bronze in the women's 25m pistol team event, showcasing strong performances from its young shooting contingent.
Rising sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a significant jump in the latest ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings, climbing 230 places to 48th after an impressive Player of the Series performance against Zimbabwe. India teammate Ishan Kishan leads the T20I batting rankings with a career-best 910 points, the third-highest rating ever recorded.
India's Rishikanta Singh secured a silver medal in the men's 60kg weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games, despite matching the Games record in snatch, due to two failed attempts in the clean and jerk, which allowed Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan to win gold.
NITI Aayog member Abhay Karandikar stated that the US government's new export controls, which led AI giant Anthropic to take its latest models offline, underscore the critical need for India to achieve self-reliance in technology development, particularly in AI infrastructure and hardware.
The Union health ministry has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to strengthen the response to the ongoing Chandipura Virus Disease (CHPV) outbreak.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday deferred the selection of its first chief executive officer (CEO) by a month after receiving 5,200 applications for the post and decided to appoint a secretary in the interim to meet growing administrative requirements.
Bangladeshi cricket legend Shakib Al Hasan, an ally of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina, is willing to return from exile in the US to face charges, including murder, if the government guarantees his safety. He hopes to play a farewell series and represent Bangladesh in the 2027 World Cup, highlighting the challenges faced by Hasina's allies after her government's fall.
The Indian stock market's trajectory this week will be significantly influenced by crude oil prices, global market trends, and the commencement of the corporate earnings season, with IT major TCS set to announce its June-quarter results on July 9.
Reliance Industries (RIL) delivered a better-than-expected operational performance in Q1FY27, driven by a recovery in its oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business and robust gains in the telecom (Jio) segment, though its retail arm missed estimates. Analysts highlight the upcoming Jio Platforms IPO and execution in new energy and consumer businesses as key triggers for the stock's future growth.
Indian women's cricket ecosystem will have to develop more fast bowlers and wrist spinners through the Women's Premier League (WPL) in order to garner success in the shortest format on global stage, said former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop on Monday.
India's interim head coach VVS Laxman on Sunday said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's game awareness has "skyrocketed" in the last six months, with the teenage batting sensation's growing maturity helping him handle pressure situations in the early stages of his international career.
Indian boxers Sachin Siwach, Ankush, and Sakshi Chaudhary have successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective categories at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Sachin and Sakshi secured unanimous victories, while Ankush also dominated his bout. Sumit, however, faced a narrow defeat in his round of 16 match.
The Indian women's cricket team has secured a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as the top-ranked Asian team in the ongoing T20 World Cup. The men's team will need to be the continental leaders in world rankings by the end of 2026 to qualify directly. Cricket is making its return to the Olympics after a century, featuring six teams in both men's and women's competitions, with qualification criteria unveiled by the ICC.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, along with Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, have successfully qualified for the men's javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, ensuring a full Indian contingent in the medal round.
Loss-making Air India has introduced a new 'Basic Fare' category for select domestic flights, which does not include complimentary meals, as part of its efforts to trim expenses amid rising operational costs.
The Sports Ministry has granted conditional recognition to the interim Executive Committee of the Judo Federation of India (JFI), which was elected following a Delhi High Court order. The recognition is subject to the outcome of ongoing court cases and strict compliance with the National Sports Governance Act, with warnings of suspension or revocation for irregularities. The JFI is required to amend its constitution, conduct final elections, and submit monthly compliance reports.
'Our biggest opportunity lies with the younger age-group teams.' 'If you look at the senior national team, our chances are about 50-50.' 'The gap becomes smaller as you move down the age groups.' 'At the Under-20 level, it's closer to 60-40.' 'By the Under-17 level, it's around 80-20. That's where I feel we have our best chance.'
Dinesh Trivedi's experience as a businessperson and his fluency in Bengali are expected to be crucial in strengthening India-Bangladesh relations, particularly in attracting Indian investments to Dhaka.
'I had this fear that, dinner table talks would result in brainwashing youngsters as parents talk toxic communal news. But I'm so glad to realise that at least some section of youngsters depend on their own channels to more know more about political developments.'
The most financially successful borrowers will not necessarily be those who have the easiest access to credit. They will be the ones who understand how to manage it wisely
A suspected operative of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was arrested in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, and investigators believe he could be part of an ISI-backed network tasked with collecting intelligence on VIPs including BJP leaders, recruiting operatives and laying the groundwork for possible terror activities in the state.
The Indian government has defended its E20 ethanol blending programme, stating that extensive testing and field experience show no evidence of abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life, despite a potential 2-6% reduction in fuel economy.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu has reached her first Super 750 semifinal in nearly three years at the Japan Open after Nozomi Okuhara withdrew. She will now face Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei in the semifinals.
Nitish Reddy is set to be a key player to watch in the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan, as India looks to groom him as a potential successor or back-up for Hardik Pandya. His recent IPL performance showcased significant improvement in both batting and medium-pace bowling, making him a vital prospect for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India has secured six medals in the U-19 men's category at the Asian U-19 and U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta. Six Indian boxers advanced to the semifinals after impressive quarterfinal victories, showcasing the nation's emerging talent in the sport.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reaffirmed its commitment to the Development Pathway Programme for Afghan refugee women cricketers, setting an ambitious target for the team to compete in the governing body's qualification pathway by 2030.
Indian women's assistant volleyball coach Radhika Paruchuri believes that franchise-based leagues, like the upcoming Volleyball Champions League, are crucial for transforming Indian volleyball. She highlights their potential to provide much-needed match exposure for young players, strengthen the talent pipeline, and help identify and nurture new talent, ultimately raising the standard of the sport in India. Paruchuri also notes the decline in Indian women's volleyball due to a lack of international exposure and domestic competition, which these leagues aim to address.
India's spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin has urged the ICC to integrate lower-ranked teams into every bilateral series, arguing that this is crucial for the sport's global expansion, beyond just expanding World Cup formats.
