Top 5 news of the day: PM Modi conferred highest civilian award by Cyprus; Iran launches new missile strikes on Israel; and more
Top 5 news of the day
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
was honoured with Cyprus' highest civilian award, the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, during his visit to the country.
In the Middle East, tensions continue to rise as Iran fired missiles over Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the government has issued a notification to conduct Census 2027, which will be the first population count since 2011.
Here are the top 5 news stories of the day:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives highest civilian honour in Cyprus
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded Cyprus' highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III—the first time an Indian PM has received this recognition. PM Modi dedicated the award to 1.4 billion
Indians
, saying it reflects shared values and the strong bond between India and Cyprus.
Read full story
Iran launches new missile strikes on Israel
Iran fired fresh missiles at Israel, with several seen flying over Jerusalem's skies. Videos show the night sky lit up as explosions were heard. The Israeli military confirmed the attack but has not yet reported casualties. This marks a serious rise in tensions between the two countries amid ongoing conflict in the region.
Read full story
India sets census 2027 in motion after 16 years
The government officially launched the Census 2027 by issuing a gazette notification—the first national headcount since 2011.
This exercise will gather updated demographic, social, and economic data, closing a 16-year gap. The new population figures will help guide future planning, policy-making and development programs across the country.
Read full story
SBI cuts loan rates by up to 0.50% after RBI's repo rate cut
Following the RBI's 50 bps repo rate reduction, the State Bank of India (SBI) has lowered its lending rates by up to 0.50%. SBI's repo linked lending rate (RLLR) now stands at 7.75 per cent, while its external benchmark based lending rate (EBLR) dropped to 8.15 per cent from 8.65 per cent.
Read full story
Heavy
rain
lashes Mumbai, Wadala and Colaba see record showers
Heavy rain hit Mumbai in the past 24 hours, with Colaba recording 100 mm and Santacruz 86 mm, marking the city's highest rainfall in a day. Areas like Wadala and Colaba suffered waterlogging and traffic disruptions. The downpour also affected flight operations and stranded commuters, highlighting Mumbai's ongoing struggle with monsoon-related flooding.
Read full story
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Sebi board likely to discuss regulatory reforms at Wednesday meeting
Markets watchdog Sebi's board is likely to discuss a series of regulatory reforms during its upcoming meeting on Wednesday. Several of these proposals have already been floated for public consultation, indicating a broader push towards refining the regulatory landscape. This would mark the second board meeting under the chairmanship of Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who assumed office on March 1. One of the key agenda items is the simplification of rules and regulatory compliance for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) investing exclusively in Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) through the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) and the Fully Accessible Route (FAR). This move is aimed at attracting more long-term bond investors to the Indian market, people aware of the development said. Currently, foreign investors can invest in Indian debt through three routes-- General, VRR, and FAR. The VRR and FAR routes are comparatively liberal, as they allow investments without many of the restrictions, such as security-wise or concentration limits that apply under the General route. To further streamline this, Sebi proposed creating a new FPI category, IGB-FPIs, focused solely on government bond investments, according to the consultation paper issued last month. Under this, the regulator recommended easing registration and other compliance requirements for these entities. Notably, Sebi suggested that IGB-FPIs should be exempt from disclosing investor group details, since bond investments under VRR and FAR are not subject to such caps. Typically, FPIs are required to disclose their group structures for monitoring investment limits, but this requirement may no longer apply to IGB-focused investors. In addition, the board may discuss a proposal to rationalise the content of the placement document of Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) by prescribing only the relevant information regarding the issue, people aware of the development said. Presently, in QIPs, the issuer is required to disclose the details in the placement document as prescribed under the ICDR (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) norms. The board of Sebi may review a proposal on providing flexibility to alternative investment funds to offer co-investment opportunities to investors within the AIF structure, they added. Co-investment, in AIF industry parlance, refers to the offering of the investment opportunity to the investors for additional investment in unlisted securities of an investee company, where an AIF is also making or has made the investment.
United News of India
17 minutes ago
- United News of India
Cong accuses Modi Govt of delaying caste census, calls it political diversion
New Delhi, June 17 (UNI) The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Modi government for what it called a deliberate 'delay in conducting a caste census', accusing it of politicising the issue to divert public attention — much like the women's reservation bill. Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot, while addressing a press conference here, said that the demand for a caste census, led prominently by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, has long been a priority for the Congress, and the government has only "yielded to this pressure in principle, not in action". "The Modi government is simply managing headlines, not genuinely addressing the issue," Pilot said, adding that the formal notification lacks any mention of a 'caste-based enumeration'. 'The government has claimed that the caste census will begin in 2027, but concerns are growing due to the glaring budgetary shortfall. Only Rs 574 crore has been allocated, whereas such a massive exercise requires at least Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore,' Pilot alleged. Accusing the central government of lacking both intent and commitment, Pilot said, "The objective is not just to collect data on an individual's caste but to understand the living conditions of these families and create policies to substantially improve their livelihoods." Without tangible data, no state or central government can implement targeted interventions, which is what we aimed to achieve." 'Initially, they labelled us "Urban Naxals" and refused to accept these demands. Now, sensing the country's mood, they have accepted the proposal in principle. However, there seems to be considerable confusion and dissatisfaction regarding it,' Pilot said. He again urged the Centre to emulate the 'Telangana model' at the national level, claiming that the state had successfully conducted a comprehensive caste survey using NGOs and technical experts instead of overburdened government staff. Pilot also demanded a clear roadmap, sufficient funding, and transparency in the execution of the census. UNI RBE ARN
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Chennai-Born engineer Prof. Chandrakasan appointed Provost of MIT
Prof. Anantha Chandrakasan has been named Massachusetts Institute of Technology's new provost. The Consulate General of India in New York congratulated Prof. Chandrakasan, noting that he is the first Indian-American to have achieved this feat. Chennai-born Prof. Chandrakasan, who is MIT's chief innovation and strategy officer and Dean of Engineering, will begin his new role on July 1. The MIT provost is the institute's chief academic and budget officer, with a wide-ranging portfolio that encompasses everything related to faculty, oversight of the educational enterprise, and prime responsibility for MIT's strategic planning. In a statement from MIT, Prof. Chandrakasan said he is 'deeply honoured' to take on the role of provost. 'Looking ahead, I see myself as a key facilitator, enabling faculty, students, postdocs, and staff to continue making extraordinary contributions to the nation and the world,' he said. At a 'perilous' time for MIT MIT President Sally Kornbluth, in making the announcement, said that Prof. Chandrakasan was chosen from a group of outstanding internal candidates and brings to this post an exceptional record of shaping and leading important innovations for the Institute. Ms. Kornbluth noted that Prof. Chandrakasan steps into the provost's role at a 'perilous' time for MIT when some of its most basic operating assumptions – including MIT's ability to count on extensive federal support for its mission of research, education and innovation, and to attract and retain superb talent from around the world – are now uncertain. 'In a time of such intense pressure and potentially historic change, I am particularly grateful that we will be able to draw on Anantha's depth and breadth of experience; his nimbleness, entrepreneurial spirit and boundless energy; his remarkable record in raising funds from outside sources for important ideas; and his profound commitment to MIT's mission,' she said. The Consulate General of India said, 'A distinguished academic and leader, Prof. Chandrakasan has remained a strong advocate of India-USA technological and R&D collaboration; has been working with various Indian government and private sector stakeholders towards this objective. We wish him all success in this important responsibility'. Prof. Chandrakasan has served as the dean of the School of Engineering since 2017 and as MIT's inaugural chief innovation and strategy officer since 2024. Prior to becoming dean, he headed the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), MIT's largest academic department, for six years. Ms. Kornbluth said she had chosen him as MIT's inaugural chief innovation and strategy officer (CISO) because of his 'can-do attitude, creativity, enthusiasm, strategic insight, fluency across a wide range of subject areas, and gift for engaging industry allies and donors.' Prof. Chandrakasan succeeds Cynthia Barnhart, who announced her decision to step down from the role in February. Road ahead As MIT's chief academic officer, Prof. Chandrakasan will focus on three overarching priorities: understanding institutional needs and strategic financial planning, attracting and retaining top talent, and supporting cross-cutting research, education, and entrepreneurship programming, the MIT statement said. 'Recognising that each school and other academic units operate within a unique context, I plan to engage deeply with their leaders to understand their challenges and aspirations. This will help me refine and set the priorities for the Office of the Provost,' Prof. Chandrakasan said. Prof. Chandrakasan also plans to establish a provost faculty advisory group to hear on an ongoing basis from faculty across the five schools and the college, as well as student/postdoc advisory groups and an external provost advisory council, he said adding that his goal is to continue to facilitate excellence at MIT at all levels, it said. "We need students who can do more than just code or design or build. We really need students who understand the human perspective and human insights. This is why collaborations between STEM fields and the humanities, arts and social sciences, such as through the new MIT Human Insights Collaborative, are so important,' Prof. Chandrakasan said. Prof. Chandrakasan earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley. After joining the MIT faculty, he was director of the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) from 2006 until he became the head of EECS in 2011.
