About Arun Kumar N

Arun has been associated with India International Times since 2018 and he has been a key reporter in covering science and space related stories. He can be reached at arunKnn@indiainternationaltimes.com.

Supreme Court to hear plea challenging CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s functioning next week

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The Supreme Court will hear next week a petition seeking to restrain Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from exercising his functions, amid allegations that some decisions attributed to the Election Commission of India were taken without the approval of its other two members.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, agreed on Tuesday to list the petition after senior advocate Vikas Singh sought an early hearing. Singh told the court that the law governing the three-member Election Commission requires its business to be conducted unanimously as far as possible, with differences settled by majority.

The petition has been filed by Patna-based Rakesh Kumar Singh under Article 32 of the Constitution. It challenges what it describes as the exercise of powers vested in the Election Commission by the CEC individually, and seeks a declaration that such powers must be exercised by the poll panel as a multi-member body.

Plea raises questions over SIR decisions

The petition comes amid reported differences between Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over several decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to the petition, the two Election Commissioners recorded at least 14 objections between October 2025 and August 2026 over actions they allegedly believed had been taken without the Commission’s approval. The allegations include issues involving electoral-roll procedures, database access and management, and appeals filed in West Bengal in connection with the SIR exercise.

One issue cited in the plea concerns changes to Form 6, used for applications related to inclusion in electoral rolls. The petition refers to an objection allegedly recorded by Joshi in May 2026 over additional disclosures linked to the SIR process, with Sandhu subsequently stated to have concurred.

The petition also raises questions about access to and control of electoral-roll databases and refers to objections concerning the filing of appeals before West Bengal appellate tribunals.

ECI’s decision-making process under scrutiny

The petitioner has asked the Supreme Court to examine whether decisions attributed to the Election Commission were taken in accordance with the statutory framework governing the poll panel.

The plea relies on Section 18 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The provision deals with the Commission’s procedure and allocation of business and provides for decisions by unanimity as far as possible, with differences between members decided by majority.

The petition seeks a writ of quo warranto against Kumar, requiring him to explain the authority under which he allegedly exercised powers belonging to the Commission. It also seeks his suspension from functioning as CEC pending adjudication of the case.

The petitioner has also sought preservation and production of records, including minutes, agendas, file notings, approval sheets and electronic records, to establish how the disputed decisions were taken.

The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions carry legal sanction and that differences of view among members are part of institutional deliberations. The petition itself acknowledges that the allegations concerning individual actions should not be treated as conclusively established solely on the basis of media reports and asks the court to examine the Commission’s primary records.

The Supreme Court’s agreement to list the matter next week means the court is set to consider the petition’s challenge to the functioning and decision-making process of the poll panel. It does not, at this stage, amount to a finding on the allegations against the CEC.

Essar’s $18 Billion US Bet Raises a Bigger Question for India

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Essar Group’s planned $18 billion investment in the US steel industry is a major overseas expansion, but its significance for India goes beyond the size of the cheque.

The project raises a basic economic question: why are large Indian business groups finding some of their biggest new industrial opportunities outside India at a time when the country is trying to trigger a broad private investment cycle?

Essar-backed Mesabi Metallics plans to build a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa, supplied by iron ore from its Minnesota mine. The first phase is expected to produce 7.5 million tonnes of steel annually, with capacity eventually rising to 10 million tonnes. Production is targeted for 2030. Essar has already invested more than $2.5 billion in the Minnesota operation, while the US Export-Import Bank has committed up to $10 billion in financing for its expansion.

This is not simply an Indian company moving an existing factory abroad. Essar is building an integrated US supply chain around American raw materials, American steel demand and American industrial policy.

That distinction matters. Indian companies routinely invest overseas to acquire technology, brands, natural resources, distribution networks and access to large markets. Overseas investment can therefore strengthen rather than weaken an Indian company’s global position.

But Essar’s project also illustrates how aggressively the US is competing for long-term industrial capital.

The US is offering a powerful industrial proposition

The economics behind the Essar project are closely connected to the US steel market.

American steel prices have been supported by trade barriers, while the Trump administration has made domestic manufacturing and steel production central to its industrial policy. The Iowa project will also benefit from vertical integration, with iron ore from Essar’s Minnesota mine feeding the proposed steel plant.

The financing structure is equally important. The US Export-Import Bank’s potential $10 billion commitment substantially changes the funding equation for a capital-intensive mining and processing project.

That combination of market access, tariff protection, government-backed financing and industrial policy creates a very different investment proposition from a conventional greenfield project.

For India, the comparison is unavoidable.

The country has spent years building roads, railways, ports, power infrastructure and digital systems while using schemes such as production-linked incentives to encourage private investment. Yet the private investment response remains uneven.

An analysis by former Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao, published in the IMF’s September 2026 Finance & Development, says private corporate investment remains around 11% of GDP, compared with a historical peak of nearly 17% in 2008. He argues that the weakness persists despite healthier corporate balance sheets and substantial public capital expenditure.

More recent research from the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy points in the same direction. According to a September 2026 report reviewed by Mint, private investment fell to 10.3% of GDP in FY25 from 10.9% in FY23, even as corporate profits remained strong and government spending on infrastructure increased.

The problem, therefore, is not a shortage of corporate cash. It is the conversion of that cash into large, long-duration productive investment.

India’s private investment puzzle

The investment numbers reveal a paradox.

India’s overall investment rate remains around one-third of GDP, supported heavily by government capital expenditure. But private corporate investment has not returned to the levels seen during the investment boom of the 2000s.

Subbarao’s analysis points to several possible reasons: uncertainty over future demand, expected returns and regulatory conditions. He also notes that recent corporate investment has been concentrated in a relatively narrow group of companies and sectors, including renewable energy, telecommunications, data centres and electronics.

That concentration is important.

A country can have a large investment pipeline without experiencing a broad-based private investment boom. A handful of conglomerates can spend tens of billions of dollars while thousands of smaller and medium-sized companies remain cautious about committing capital to new factories.

For India, the next challenge is therefore not simply to increase investment announcements. It is to create conditions in which companies across manufacturing and services believe that long-term domestic capacity expansion will generate sufficiently attractive and predictable returns.

This is particularly relevant to steel.

India has ambitious plans to expand steelmaking capacity. The government has set a long-term target of taking steel capacity to 600 million tonnes by 2047, from roughly 220 million tonnes in FY2026.

That requires enormous investment in mines, coking coal, power, transport, ports, technology and downstream manufacturing.

At the same time, India’s steel producers face competition from a global market with substantial excess capacity, particularly from China. Domestic producers also have to contend with energy costs, logistics, land acquisition, environmental approvals and the cyclical nature of steel demand.

The Essar project demonstrates what happens when an industrial group finds a market where some of those risks are offset by policy support and financing.

Overseas expansion is not necessarily capital flight

It would be wrong to interpret Essar’s US investment as evidence that Indian companies are abandoning India.

Indian corporations have become increasingly multinational. Pharmaceutical companies acquire US businesses to gain access to regulated markets and drug portfolios. Technology companies acquire foreign firms for intellectual property and customers. Energy companies invest overseas to secure resources. Manufacturing companies establish facilities abroad to serve local markets and reduce trade barriers.

The economic question is not whether Indian companies should invest overseas. They should. The question is whether India is receiving enough incremental private investment at home at the same time.

That distinction is crucial.

An Indian company investing $10 billion in an overseas acquisition can potentially generate additional revenue and profits for the parent company, strengthen its global balance sheet and eventually bring technology and expertise back to India.

But if companies systematically find their highest-return opportunities in foreign markets while domestic greenfield investment remains subdued, policymakers have a different problem to solve.

That is why the private investment data matters more than any single overseas announcement.

The latest evidence suggests India has built many of the prerequisites for a private investment revival: banks are healthier, corporate balance sheets are stronger, infrastructure has improved and government capital spending has expanded. Yet private corporate investment remains below its previous peak.

The missing ingredient appears to be confidence in the future economics of large projects.

For a company considering a ₹10,000 crore or ₹50,000 crore factory, the decision is not determined only by today’s tax rate or infrastructure. It depends on what management expects demand, regulation, energy prices, financing costs, labour availability, logistics and competition to look like 10 or 20 years from now.

That makes investment policy fundamentally different from an incentive programme.

The real lesson from Essar

Essar’s US project should be viewed as a test of comparative investment environments, rather than as a verdict on India.

The US is offering Essar a combination of domestic market scale, trade protection, government financing and strategic support for steel production. India is offering a rapidly growing domestic market, expanding infrastructure, industrial incentives and a large manufacturing opportunity.

Both propositions have strengths.

The question for India is whether those advantages are sufficient to make companies commit more capital to long-term domestic capacity.

That matters because private investment is ultimately what turns economic growth into productive capacity. New factories create supply chains, demand for machinery and services, export capacity and jobs. Public infrastructure can create the conditions for that expansion, but businesses have to make the final capital commitment.

Essar’s $18 billion US bet is less interesting as a story about an Indian group investing abroad than as a signal of what global industrial competition now looks like. India is competing not only for foreign investors. It is also competing for the next factory, the next steel mill, the next data centre, the next semiconductor facility and the next large industrial investment from companies that were born and built in India.

The measure of success will ultimately be whether India’s improving infrastructure and industrial policy translate into a sustained private investment cycle at home.

That is the bigger economic question behind Essar’s American steel bet.

INS Sudarshini Leaves Alexandria After Naval Training, Port call

Posted on September 27, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Indian Naval Sailing Ship INS Sudarshini departed Egypt’s Alexandria on Saturday after completing a port call that included cross-training with the Egyptian Navy, professional exchanges and cultural engagements.

The ship arrived at Alexandria on September 23 as part of its ongoing Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition. The visit marked its second port call at Alexandria during the deployment.

Alexandria Naval Base Commander Rear Admiral Mohamed Abdel Aziz and representatives of the Indian Embassy received the ship on arrival.

During the port call, INS Sudarshini hosted India’s Ambassador to Egypt Suresh Reddy and local dignitaries. The engagements focused on professional interaction and strengthening ties between the Indian and Egyptian navies.

“INS Sudarshini set sail from Alexandria, Egypt, following a port call featuring cross-training with the Egyptian Navy, professional interactions and cultural engagements,” the Indian Navy said in a post on X.

“The ship hosted Ambassador Suresh Reddy and local dignitaries. The engagements fostered mutual understanding and further strengthened bonds of friendship between the two Navies,” it added.

Lokayan 26 Covers 22,000 Nautical Miles

The 10-month Lokayan 26 expedition began from Kochi on January 20. INS Sudarshini is scheduled to cover about 22,000 nautical miles and visit 18 ports across 13 countries.

Since beginning the voyage, the three-masted barque has sailed across the Arabian, Red and Mediterranean seas and transited the Suez Canal. It also participated in France’s Escale à Sète maritime festival.

The ship later completed its first Atlantic crossing, reaching Antigua on May 27 following a 19-day passage from Cape Verde. During that leg, it crossed the 10,000-nautical-mile mark from Kochi.

INS Sudarshini subsequently sailed to the Azores and Portugal before continuing its deployment.

The expedition is also designed as an extended training mission. Trainees aboard the ship have gained experience in long-range ocean navigation, sail handling, open-sea manoeuvring and traditional seamanship during the voyage.

“Lokayan 26 represents the Indian Navy’s continued commitment to professional training, maritime outreach and strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation with partner nations. Through the deployment, INS Sudarshini has served as a floating ambassador of India’s rich seafaring heritage, carrying the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) across the oceans,” the Ministry of Defence said.

India’s Urban Households Face Rising Cost of Essential Services

Posted on September 26, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

India’s urban households are devoting a substantial share of their monthly spending to essential services such as healthcare, education, electricity, transport and housing, leaving less room for savings and other discretionary expenses, government consumption data show.

The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey for 2023-24 does not provide a separate national income measure for the middle class, but it offers a detailed picture of what households spend. Average monthly per-capita consumption expenditure was Rs 6,996 in urban India, compared with Rs 4,122 in rural areas. Non-food items accounted for 60.32% of urban household consumption, against 52.96% in rural India.

Within urban spending, households allocated 5.59% to fuel and light, 5.97% to education, 3.89% to medical expenses, 8.46% to conveyance and 6.58% to rent, according to the detailed HCES data. Together, these categories account for about 30.5% of average urban per-capita consumption expenditure.

That spending pattern matters because many of these costs are difficult for families to cut sharply. Electricity is required for cooling, cooking, appliances, studying and working. Transport is tied to employment and education, while healthcare and schooling can generate expenses that are difficult to postpone.

Healthcare costs remain a household burden

Healthcare provides one of the clearest examples of the financial pressure on households, even as India’s public health financing has expanded.

The latest National Health Accounts show that households’ out-of-pocket health spending accounted for 43.4% of total health expenditure in 2022-23. The share was 39.4% in 2021-22, meaning the latest figures show a reversal after the sharp decline recorded during the pandemic years. In absolute terms, out-of-pocket expenditure reached Rs 3.83 lakh crore in 2022-23, according to the Health Ministry.

Government health expenditure accounted for 43.7% of total health expenditure in 2022-23, down from 48% in 2021-22. The government’s share of total health expenditure has nevertheless risen from 28.6% in 2013-14, while out-of-pocket spending has fallen from 64.2% over the same period.

The figures show why healthcare costs cannot simply be treated as another discretionary household expense. A medical emergency, prolonged treatment or recurring medicine bill can alter a family’s spending pattern far more sharply than routine inflation in food or household goods.

Government-backed health coverage has expanded during this period. As of June 30, 2026, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY had authorised 12.69 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1.92 lakh crore through a network of 37,413 public and private hospitals, according to the Health Ministry.

But the national accounts also show that households continue to finance a large portion of healthcare directly or through household-linked payments.

Education, transport and water add to the monthly bill

Education and transport are particularly significant components of urban household budgets.

HCES data show education accounted for 5.97% of average urban monthly per-capita consumption expenditure in 2023-24, while conveyance accounted for 8.46%. For the average urban MPCE of Rs 6,996, those shares translate to roughly Rs 418 and Rs 592 per person per month respectively.

These are averages across the entire urban population, rather than estimates for middle-class families. Actual spending can be considerably higher for households paying private school fees, commuting long distances or using private transport.

Water presents a different problem. India’s rural piped-water coverage has expanded rapidly under the Jal Jeevan Mission, but access does not automatically mean reliable service.

An independent functionality assessment covering 2,37,608 households in 19,812 villages found that 98.1% of surveyed households had tap connections. However, only 86.5% had working connections, 80.2% reported adequate quantity, 83.6% received water regularly according to the supply schedule and 76% received water meeting prescribed quality standards.

As of March 3, 2026, the government said 15.82 crore of India’s roughly 19.36 crore rural households had tap-water supply at home under the Jal Jeevan Mission, taking coverage to 81.71%.

The figures underline an important distinction between infrastructure coverage and the quality, quantity and reliability of the service received.

For households that supplement public supplies with bottled water, private delivery, storage systems, filtration equipment or other alternatives, the headline cost of a public service does not necessarily represent the full household cost.

India’s household spending data therefore point to a more complicated form of financial pressure than a simple inflation story. Average urban consumption is increasingly dominated by non-food expenses, while healthcare, education, transport, energy and housing together consume a significant portion of household budgets.

For families without substantial savings, the problem is not necessarily that one category becomes unaffordable on its own. It is that several essential costs arrive every month and leave limited scope to absorb a sudden medical bill, education expense, job interruption or other financial shock.

The HCES data do not establish that India’s middle class is living on a narrow income-surplus margin comparable to the Pakistan figures cited in the original report. They do, however, show where urban household spending is concentrated and why the cost of essential services remains a significant component of household financial pressure.

Giant Crocodylians Dominated South America’s Miocene Food Chain, Study Finds

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

South America was home to a formidable collection of predators more than 10 million years ago, when a vast lake covered much of the continent and supported giant turtles, crocodylians and an extraordinary range of prey.

New research suggests that crocodylians, rather than mammals or other land-based predators, were the most important predators in these ancient ecosystems, particularly when it came to hunting large animals.

The findings are based on an analysis of fossil remains dating from about 10.5 million to 16 million years ago. Researchers examined bite and tooth marks preserved on herbivore fossils, providing direct evidence of interactions between predators and their prey.

A Seven-Metre Predator at the Top

The Miocene lake system supported an abundance of large herbivores, including giant ground sloths, glyptodonts — ancient relatives of modern armadillos — and several groups of large hoofed mammals.

Some of these animals, including astrapotheres and toxodontids, could weigh more than a tonne.

They shared the ecosystem with an equally imposing group of predators. Among the most formidable was Purussaurus neivensis, a giant crocodylian related to modern caimans. It could reach about seven metres in length and weigh as much as 1,800 kilograms.

Other predators included anacondas, saber-toothed mammals, flightless terror birds and sebecids, which were terrestrial relatives of modern crocodylians.

Despite this diversity, the study indicates that crocodylians were particularly important predators in the ancient ecosystem.

Fossil Bite Marks Tell the Story

Researchers from the University of Helsinki studied bite and tooth marks preserved on fossilized remains of herbivores. Such marks can reveal which predators attacked or scavenged animals, even when the predator itself is not preserved alongside its potential prey.

The frequency and characteristics of marks attributed to Purussaurus suggest that the giant crocodylian played a major role in the tropical food web.

Oscar Wilson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, said the abundance of prey was so great that mammalian predators alone would not have been capable of consuming it all.

The evidence indicates that crocodylians filled an important ecological role, particularly by targeting large-bodied prey.

The findings also raise the possibility that Purussaurus influenced herbivore populations. As one of the largest predators in the ecosystem, the giant crocodylian may have exerted substantial pressure on large herbivores and helped shape the structure of the ancient food web.

The study provides a glimpse into an ecosystem where enormous predators and prey lived alongside one another — and where giant crocodylians may have occupied a position closer to the top of the food chain than previously recognized.

Scientists Discover New Subterranean Fish Species Beneath India’s Gangetic Plain

Posted on August 19, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Scientists have identified a previously unknown genus and species of subterranean fish living beneath the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Bihar, marking the first recorded stygobitic fish from the Gangetic Basin.

Named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, the tiny, colorless, earthworm-like fish was discovered in groundwater emerging from a borewell near the India-Nepal border. The findings were published in ZooKeys by an international team of researchers from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation in Mumbai, Shivaji University in Kolhapur, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Zoological Survey of India.

The discovery began with an unlikely clue: a short TikTok video posted in 2024 showing a tiny, unusual fish emerging from a water borewell in the region.

Researchers were intrigued because no stygobitic, or groundwater-dwelling, fish had previously been documented from the Gangetic Basin. The unusual appearance of the animal prompted the team to locate the site and determine its identity.

Thousands of Litres of Water Pumped

Finding specimens proved far more difficult than spotting the fish in the video. Researchers surveyed borewells and handpumps in Bihar, secured permission from local residents and manually pumped thousands of litres of groundwater in an effort to locate the animal.

The first specimen was recovered after about 2,000 litres of water had been pumped. However, it was damaged during collection and died shortly afterward. A second specimen was found from the same borewell after researchers pumped another 500 litres of water. It remained intact and was subsequently designated the holotype, the reference specimen used to formally describe the new species.

The fish is only about 4 centimetres long and displays several characteristics associated with life in perpetual darkness. Its eyes are greatly reduced and covered by skin, while its body lacks pigmentation and appears translucent. Researchers also noted an apparent absence of ribs.

Advanced micro-computed tomography scanning, combined with genetic analysis, showed that the animal is not simply a new species within a known group. Instead, it represents an entirely new genus belonging to the earthworm eel family Chaudhuriidae.

A Fish Adapted to Life Underground

The name Gangaichthys refers to the Ganga, or Ganges, reflecting the species’ association with the Gangetic Basin. The researchers noted the river’s importance as a source of water, food and livelihoods for millions of people, as well as its cultural and religious significance.

The species name indonepalicus refers to its occurrence near the India-Nepal border.

The researchers said the discovery highlights how little is known about India’s subterranean ecosystems. Although India has been extensively studied for its biodiversity, many species remain undocumented, particularly those living in habitats that are difficult to access.

Subterranean environments present an especially challenging frontier for biodiversity research because many organisms live deep below the surface and can rarely be encountered through conventional surveys.

The discovery of Gangaichthys indonepalicus therefore provides more than the description of a new fish. It also points to the possibility that groundwater systems beneath the Indo-Gangetic Plain may contain other previously unknown species.

Researchers said the finding underscores the continuing gaps in both species documentation and geographic biodiversity knowledge in India, suggesting that many more discoveries could emerge from habitats that have received relatively little scientific attention.

DRI Raids Bust Gold Smuggling Network, 15 Kg Gold Seized, 15 Arrested

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

In a major crackdown against smuggling of foreign origin gold, the the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has successfully unearthed and dismantled a highly organised gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai Airport. In this operation DRI detected and busted gold melting facility that was being used for melting of foreign origin smuggled gold.

(Seized gold from melting facility in Mumbai)

A total of nine persons involved across the entire smuggling chain, including the airport staff, her handler, three intermediaries, the melting facility operator, and three persons engaged in the melting process have been arrested. Further, about 6 kg foreign-origin smuggled gold recovered at the spot has been seized.

This case underscores the evolving sophistication of organised gold smuggling syndicates, which increasingly exploit insider access at airports and employ layered distribution networks to evade detection.In another operation at Bengaluru, DRI seized 1.8 kg 24 KT gold in paste form ingeniously concealed within the layers of garments of an international passenger. Subsequent follow up search at his residential premises led to seizure of around 1.5 kg gold jewellery, 45 kg silver, and Indian & foreign currencies. The person was arrested.

(Gold in paste form concealed in undergarments; Seized at Bengaluru)

Earlier in this week, DRI has conducted a series of operations at other airports, railways station and land customs stations at Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Vishakhapatnam, Calicut, Guwahati and Petrapole, leading to the cumulative seizure of another 6 kg foreign-origin smuggled gold. Five persons have been arrested in these operations.

(Gold Seized at Vishakhapatnam)

Overall, with busting of gold smuggling syndicate, these operations resulted in seizure of about 15 kg gold, 45 kg silver, valued at around Rs. 23 crore, and arrest of 15 persons.

Also Read:

How can gold always keep its glitter? Researchers uncover atomic secret behind Gold’s lasting shine

Exponential rise in synthetic drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle

Why Greta Thunberg Never Protested at any G7 Summit?

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

As thousands of protesters clashed with police in Geneva on Sunday ahead of the G7 summit in nearby Évian-les-Bains, France, one prominent voice was conspicuously absent: Greta Thunberg.

The Swedish climate activist, whose ‘Fridays for Future’ movement helped inspire global youth activism, has once again chosen not to join on-site demonstrations or engage directly with the elite gathering of world leaders. Her absence fits a consistent pattern across past G7 summits and underscores her strategic preference for high-impact public pressure over participation in what she has long portrayed as performative international forums.

Ongoing 2026 Protests Highlight the Contrast

Protests in Geneva turned tense over the weekend, with Swiss police deploying tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators opposing the G7’s agenda on issues including inequality, climate policy, and global conflicts. Environmental, feminist, and pro-Palestinian groups were among those marching, with some actions escalating into property damage and clashes.

While climate activists have been visible in the crowds, Thunberg has not been reported among them. This mirrors her approach in previous years: she comments from afar rather than traveling to the summits themselves.

2021 Critique on Social Media

Thunberg’s most direct public takedown of a G7 summit came in June 2021 after the Cornwall, UK, gathering. As leaders wrapped up meetings with photo-ops and pledges, she posted on social media: “The climate and ecological crisis is rapidly escalating. G7 pours fantasy amounts into fossil fuels as CO2 emissions are forecast for second biggest annual rise ever. But the G7 leaders really seem to be having a good time presenting their empty climate commitments and repeating old unfulfilled promises. Of course this calls for a steak-and-lobster-BBQ-celebration while jet planes perform aerobatics in the sky above the G7 resort!”

She did not attend the 2021 event. Youth groups inspired by her work protested on the ground, but Thunberg amplified her criticism remotely, highlighting what she saw as hypocrisy between fossil fuel spending and celebratory optics.

Why the Consistent Absence?

Thunberg has never publicly framed her non-attendance at G7 summits as a formal boycott, but her broader activism reveals clear priorities that explain the pattern persisting into 2026:

She has delivered landmark speeches at UN climate summits, including her 2019 “How dare you!” address, and participated in or led visible protests at multiple COP conferences. These platforms allow direct, high-visibility challenges to leaders.

Thunberg has repeatedly dismissed high-level summits as insufficient or focused on public relations rather than binding action. She boycotted COP27 in Egypt, labeling it a “greenwashing” exercise, and has applied similar scrutiny to other gatherings.

Her signature actions include school strikes that launched a global movement, coal mine blockades (such as in Germany’s Lützerath in 2023), and fossil fuel infrastructure protests. These prioritize mass mobilization and targeted pressure over insider access.

By staying outside elite venues, Thunberg maintains the ability to critique without appearing to legitimize outcomes. Her movement’s decentralized nature means local groups can act without her physical presence.

In the current 2026 context

Amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions over Iran war, energy suppy disruptions, and climate urgency, her continued distance from the G7 reinforces this approach. While protests unfold in Geneva, Thunberg appears focused on sustaining long-term public pressure rather than engaging directly with the summit’s format.

Her strategy has proven effective at keeping climate issues in the global spotlight on her terms. As G7 leaders convene this week, Thunberg’s voice is likely to be heard through statements or social media rather than from the streets of Évian or Geneva.

How ‘Dad bods’ influence childhood obesity risks

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

As obesity rates rise across the U.S., new research from Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine scientists draws attention to an often-overlooked factor in children’s long-term health: fathers.

Published in Current Obesity Reports, the review examines how a father’s health before and during parenthood—including obesity, diet, stress, mental health and lifestyle habits—can influence a child’s risk for obesity and related health conditions, even before conception. The findings suggest that what is often dismissed as a “dad bod” may reflect health factors that can shape children’s long-term well-being, or in other words, not as harmless as it may seem.

“We found that fathers’ health as an important contributor to children’s health through biological, behavioral and environmental pathways,” said corresponding author Matthew Landry, assistant professor of population health & disease prevention and a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Current trends indicate that more than 250 million people in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2050, according to estimates cited by the researchers. While maternal health has long been the focus of efforts to understand childhood obesity, this study and other evidence suggest fathers also play a meaningful role in shaping children’s health.

“Obesity is not simply the result of individual choices,” Landry said. “This work highlights that obesity risk is 40 to 70 percent heritable and can be passed across generations through complex biological and environmental influences.”

Recent evidence collected in this review suggests that obesity can affect sperm quality and alter epigenetic markers – biological signals influenced by behaviors and environment that help regulate how genes function during early development. These changes can potentially affect appetite regulation, metabolism and long-term disease risk in children.

Encouragingly, though, there is evidence that suggests these effects may be reversible. Weight-loss interventions, including lifestyle changes and bariatric surgery, can improve sperm health and modify obesity-related epigenetic patterns, according to the researchers.

Beyond biology, fathers help shape family routines and behaviors that influence children’s health. Fathers’ eating habits, physical activity levels and approaches to parenting are closely associated with children’s diet quality, activity levels and obesity risk. Active involvement in meal preparation, eating meals together and shared physical activity has been linked to healthier outcomes for children.

The review also highlights the broader factors that affect fathers’ ability to support healthy lifestyles, including income, food insecurity, neighborhood conditions, workplace policies and mental health.

The authors argue that healthcare systems and public health programs should include fathers in obesity prevention efforts to a greater degree. Recommendations include father-inclusive prenatal care, expanded support for paternal mental health, paid parental leave and flexible workplace policies that support family well-being.

“Fathers have historically been overlooked in maternal and child health research and intervention efforts,” Landry said. “Recognizing fathers as active contributors to family health creates new opportunities to improve outcomes for future generations.”

The researchers conclude that addressing obesity requires a family-centered, multigenerational approach – one that recognizes fathers as essential partners in building healthier futures for children.

Also Read:

Child obesity level surpasses underweight cases worldwide for the first time, UNICEF warns

Obesity drug may decrease type 2 diabetes risk: Study reveals

President confers 07 Kirti Chakras,15 Vir Chakras, 29 Shaurya Chakras during Defence Investiture Ceremony

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

President Smt Droupadi Murmu conferred 07 Kirti Chakras, including 02 posthumous; 15 Vir Chakras, including 03 posthumous; and 29 Shaurya Chakras, including 01 posthumous, to the personnel of the Defence Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and State/Union Territory Police during Phase-I of Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on June 08, 2026. These Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying raw courage, unparalleled bravery and total disregard to personal safety in the line of duty. The list of awardees in the order of presentation is as follows:

LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu presents Gallantry Awards in Defence Investiture Ceremony – 2026 (Phase-1) https://t.co/GndtrI8rXl

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 8, 2026

S NO	NAME, RANK AND OTHER DETAILS	SERVICE	DATE OF ACT
SHAURYA CHAKRA
1	INSPECTOR, SHRI LAXMAN KEWAT INSPECTOR, SHRI RAMESHWAR PRASAD DESHMUKH	MHA	16.04.2024
2	IC-75018X, LIEUTENANT COLONEL NEETESH BHARTI SHUKLA, 19 SIKH	ARMY	13.07.2024
3	IC-87240L, MAJOR ADITYA PRATAP SINGH, SM, THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES, 44 ASSAM RIFLES	ARMY	24.10.2024
4	IC-83864A, MAJOR ASHISH KUMAR, 7 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES)	ARMY	01.11.2024
5	115069477, CONSTABLE/GD SANJAY TIWARI 115342883, CONSTABLE/GD FEDA HUSSAIN DAR	MHA	02.11.2024
6	AR-425Y, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT (NOW DEPUTY COMMANDANT) MOHD SHAFIQ, 26 ASSAM RIFLES	ARMY	05.11.2024
7	09213-N, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SURAJ PRASHAR	NAVY	05.11.2024
8	254831-N, RAM GOYAL, SEA II (Now LS)	NAVY	05.11.2024
9	145310461, CONSTABLE/GD SADDAM HUSSAIN, CRPF	MHA	05.11.2024
10	129078, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT VIPIN WILSON, 20 BN, CRPF	MHA	11.11.2024
11	G/5009749A, RIFLEMAN BHOJ RAM SAHU, 3 ASSAM RIFLES	ARMY	15.11.2024
12	30725, WING COMMANDER (NOW GROUP CAPTAIN) ABHIMANYU SINGH, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	21.11.2024
13	IC-81649W, MAJOR BHARGAV KALITA, THE KUMAON REGIMENT, 50 RASHTRIYA RIFLES	ARMY	02.12.2024
14	SS-49484P, MAJOR LEISHANGTHEM DEEPAK SINGH, 11 PARA (SF)	ARMY	25.04.2025
15	IC-83399Y, MAJOR ANSHUL BALTOO, JAK LI, 32 ASSAM RIF	ARMY	29.04.2025
16	IC-84586K, MAJOR SHIVKANT YADAV, 5 PARA (SF)	ARMY	12.05.2025
17	JC-0110806H, SUBEDAR P H MOSES, 1 ASSAM RIF	ARMY	14.05.2025
18	SS-49451K, MAJOR VIVEK, MECH INF, 42 RR	ARMY	15.05.2025
19	G/38589Y, RIFLEMAN MANGLEM SANG VAIPHEI, 3 ASSAM RIF	ARMY	09.06.2025
20	IC-71626F, LIEUTENANT COLONEL GHATAGE ADITYA SHRIKUMAR, 21 PARA (SF)	ARMY	13.07.2025
21	IC-85492Y, CAPTAIN YOGENDER SINGH THAKUR, 6 PARA (SF)	ARMY	21.07.2025
22	JC-414986M, SUBEDAR SHAMSHER SINGH, 4 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES)	ARMY	28.07.2025
23	2712274W, LANCE NAIK (NOW NAIK) RAHUL SINGH, 4 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES)	ARMY	28.07.2025
24	G/5019682A, RIFLEMAN DHURBA JYOTI DUTTA, 33 ASSAM RIF	ARMY	19.09.2025
25	08030-Z, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DILNA K 09134-H, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROOPA A	NAVY	26.01.2026
VIR CHAKRA
26	IC-69077N, COLONEL KOSHANK LAMBA, 302 MEDIUM REGIMENT	ARMY	07.05.2025
27	28181, GROUP CAPTAIN RANJEET SINGH SIDHU, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
28	28462, GROUP CAPTAIN MANISH ARORA, SC FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
29	28689, GROUP CAPTAIN ANIMESH PATNI, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
30	29889, GROUP CAPTAIN KUNAL KALRA, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
31	30398, WING COMMANDER (NOW GROUP CAPTAIN) JOY CHANDRA, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
32	IC-72358P, LIEUTENANT COLONEL SUSHIL BISHT, 1988 (INDEPENDENT) MEDIUM BATTERY	ARMY	07.05.2025
33	32748, SQUADRON LEADER (NOW WING COMMANDER) SARTHAK KUMAR, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
34	33900, SQUADRON LEADER SIDDHANT SINGH, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
35	34563, SQUADRON LEADER RIZWAN MALIK, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
36	36433, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (NOW SQUADRON LEADER) AARSHVEER SINGH THAKUR, FLYING (PILOT)	AIR FORCE	07.05.2025
37	JC-524528Y, NAIB SUBEDAR SATISH KUMAR, 4 DOGRA	ARMY	10.05.2025
KIRTI CHAKRA
38	21009588Y, LANCE NAIK MEENATCHI SUNDARAM A, THE REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY, 34 RASHTRIYA RIFLES	ARMY	19.12.2024
39	JC-415036K, NAIB SUBEDAR DOLESHWAR SUBBA, 2 PARA (SF)	ARMY	11.04.2025
40	IC-81753K, MAJOR ARSHDEEP SINGH, ARMD, 1 ASSAM RIFLES	ARMY	14.05.2025
41	25284, AIR COMMODORE PRASANTH BALAKRISHNAN NAIR, FLYING(PILOT)	AIR FORCE	25.06.2025
42	IC-88733Y, CAPTAIN LALRINAWMA SAILO, 4 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES)	ARMY	28.07.2025
SHAURYA CHAKRA (POSTHUMOUS)
43	15507686K, L/DFR BALDEV CHAND, ARMD, 4 RR (POSTHUMOUS)	ARMY	19.09.2025
VIR CHAKRA (POSTHUMOUS)
44	870027370, SUB INSPECTOR (GD), MOHD IMTEYAJ (POSTHUMOUS) 214005316, CT/GD DEEPAK CHINGAKHAM (POSTHUMOUS)	MHA	07.05.2025
45	9124126F, RIFLEMAN SUNIL KUMAR, 4 JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY (POSTHUMOUS)	ARMY	10.05.2025
KIRTI CHAKRA (POSTHUMOUS)
46	4594379M, SEPOY JANJAL PRAVIN PRABHAKAR, THE MAHAR REGIMENT, 1 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS)	ARMY	06.07.2024
47	IC-91128W, LIEUTENANT SHASHANK TIWARI, THE ARMY SERVICE CORPS, 1 SIKKIM SCOUTS (POSTHUMOUS)	ARMY	22.05.2025

President of India, Droupadi Murmu presents Gallantry awards [Video]

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu presented Gallantry Awards at the Defence Investiture Ceremony-2026 (Phase-I) held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (June 8, 2026).

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were the Vice President of India, Prime Minister of India and Union Minister for Defence.

The citations of awardees and photographs of the function are attached

LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu presents Gallantry Awards in Defence Investiture Ceremony – 2026 (Phase-1) https://t.co/GndtrI8rXl

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 8, 2026

PIB

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Rowers included in TOPS Development Group ahead of Asian Games 2026

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), in its 174th meeting, has inducted multiple rowers into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Development Group ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and other upcoming events. The list has been finalised following the completion of annual national selection trials and crew finalisation by the Rowing Federation of India (RFI).

A total of 22 Rowers are now a part of the TOPS Development group across six boats. This crew will now prepare for major international competitions featuring Rowing, including the Asian Games and World Cup circuit. Among the prominent names inducted are Paris 2024 Olympian Balraj Panwar, Asian Games 2022 silver medalist Arvind Singh, Asian Games 2022 double medalist Jaswinder Singh, and more.

These 22 rowers have been grouped across different boats, including Men’s Single Sculls (M1X), Men’s Double Sculls (M2X), Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4X), Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2X), Men’s Coxed Eight (M4-) and Women’s Coxless Fours (W4-). While the majority of the inducted athletes are being prepared with a direct focus on the Asian Games 2026 cycle, some crews are also part of India’s broader international development pathway targeting future competitions, like the Commonwealth Games 2030 set to be hosted in the country.

The induction of these multiple Indian rowers into the TOPS Development Group is another effort to build sustainable bench strength across several boat categories rather than focusing only on individual medal prospects. With India set to host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030, the strengthening of rowing infrastructure and athlete depth remains key. Rowing has not featured in the Commonwealth Games since the 1986 edition in Edinburgh, but can be set for a return in the centenary edition of the games.

The 2026 Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026, in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

The continental multi-sport event will bring together thousands of athletes from across Asia to compete in a wide range of disciplines.

Full List of TOPS Development Rowers inducted:

Men’s Single Sculls – Arvind Singh

Men’s Double Sculls – Navdeep Singh, Kulwinder Singh

Men’s Quadruple Sculls – Balraj Panwar, Satnam Singh, Jakar Khan, Salman Khan

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls – Lakshay, Ujjwal Kumar Singh

Men’s Coxed Eight – Jaswinder Singh, Nitin Kumar, Babulal Yadav, Yogesh Kumar, Ghurde Vipul Satish, Saurav Kumar, Iqbal Singh, Sannee Kumar, Dhananjay Uttam Pande

Women’s Coxless Fours – Gurbani Kaur, Poonam, Tendenthoi, Aleena Anto.

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‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’: Theme for International Day of Yoga 2026

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The theme for the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY), to be observed on June 21, 2026, has been announced as “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, underscoring the growing global recognition of yoga as a holistic tool for enhancing physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Rooted in India’s ancient traditions and embraced worldwide, yoga has increasingly been viewed as an effective means of promoting healthy and active living. The theme highlights yoga’s role in fostering vitality, resilience and independence, while reinforcing its importance in preventive healthcare and overall wellness.

Speaking on the theme, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, said, “The theme for this year’s IDY, ‘Yoga for Healthy Aging’, holds immense relevance today. As life expectancy continues to rise, it is vital that we learn the art of aging gracefully and healthily—a concept beautifully exemplified in India’s ancient civilization, where our sages and yogis sustained longevity and vibrant health through the power of yoga and spiritual discipline.”

Focus on Healthspan, Not Just Lifespan

The theme places emphasis on improving not only lifespan but also “healthspan”—the number of years a person lives in good health. Through physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness practices, yoga offers a comprehensive approach to maintaining mobility, emotional resilience and mental well-being throughout the ageing process.

The concept aligns with growing global efforts to promote healthy ageing amid rising life expectancy and changing demographic trends.

Scientific Interest Continues to Grow

The benefits of yoga in supporting healthy ageing are increasingly being backed by scientific research.

According to data available on PubMed Central, the number of scholarly publications focusing on “Yoga for Healthy Aging” has risen sharply over the past decade. Research papers on the subject increased from 183 in 2014 to 1,207 in 2025. The volume of publications crossed 500 in 2020 and has continued to expand steadily since then.

The growing body of evidence supports the long-standing view within India’s traditional knowledge systems that healthy ageing depends on maintaining a balance between physical, mental and social well-being.

Rising Opportunities in the Silver Economy

The focus on healthy ageing coincides with the rapid expansion of the global “silver economy,” which comprises products and services designed for senior citizens.

In India, the senior-focused economy—including healthcare, wellness services, rehabilitation, assisted living, digital health and elder care—is estimated at nearly ₹73,000 crore and is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

With people in the 45-64 age group increasingly emerging as a major consumer segment worldwide, demand for preventive healthcare and wellness-oriented lifestyles is on the rise. Yoga is increasingly being viewed as an affordable and accessible solution that supports active and healthy ageing.

PIB

Ayush Ministry’s Yoga Initiatives

The Ministry of Ayush has launched several programmes to promote yoga as a year-round wellness practice and strengthen its role in preventive healthcare.

Among them is the Ministry’s evidence-based “10 Yoga Protocols for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Target Groups,” which includes a dedicated protocol tailored for senior citizens. The programme aims to improve flexibility, balance, mobility, respiratory health and emotional well-being through age-appropriate yoga practices.

The Ministry is also advancing its “Yoga 365” initiative, which seeks to encourage daily yoga practice beyond the annual International Day of Yoga celebrations. The programme leverages technology-driven platforms and home-based practice modules to make yoga more accessible.

Another initiative, “Yoga Samavesh,” focuses on extending the benefits of yoga to vulnerable and underserved communities. Through chair yoga, low-impact exercises and community wellness sessions, the programme aims to help senior citizens maintain independence, social engagement and overall well-being.

Innovation Supporting Elder Care

The IDY 2026 theme complements broader government efforts to address the needs of India’s ageing population.

Programmes such as the Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) are promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up participation in the development of elderly care solutions.

The increasing awareness of yoga’s health benefits is also creating new opportunities for wellness professionals, caregivers, digital health providers and community organisations involved in senior care. Experts expect growing demand for trained personnel capable of supporting holistic and non-clinical aspects of ageing.

A Timely Message for an Ageing World

As countries around the world adapt to changing demographic realities, the theme “Yoga for Healthy Ageing” carries a timely and relevant message.

By encouraging preventive healthcare, active lifestyles and holistic wellness, yoga offers a practical pathway to improving quality of life across age groups. As the world prepares to mark International Day of Yoga 2026, the theme reaffirms India’s commitment to sharing a time-tested practice that promotes healthy, active and graceful ageing.

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Could oral health be affecting female fertility?

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Chronic oral inflammation may impair female fertility by triggering a systemic immune response that affects the ovaries. A new study shows this leads to oxidative damage, reduced egg quality, disrupted follicle development and reduced live birth rate. These findings point to a potential biological link between oral health and unexplained infertility, opening new directions for future treatments.

[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– A new study led by Prof. Michael Klutstein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Asaf Wilensky at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical center and spearheaded by the students Dr. Paz Kles and Stephen Amehohas uncovered a striking biological link between chronic oral inflammation and female fertility, suggesting that conditions in the mouth may have far-reaching effects on reproductive health.

Published in the Journal of Dental Research, the study shows that persistent inflammation in the oral cavity can impair ovarian function, reduce egg quality, and ultimately lower fertility rates.

Researchers examined in a mouse model inflammation associated with dental implants, a common clinical scenario, and tracked how immune signals spread throughout the body. Their findings reveal that inflammation does not remain confined to the oral cavity but triggers a systemic immune response that reaches the ovaries.

The consequences were significant. Chronic oral inflammation in the animals was linked to increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in the ovaries, along with shifts in immune cell populations. This was accompanied by oxidative damage to ovarian tissue, impaired development of follicles, and reduced quality of oocytes.

These biological changes translated into measurable reproductive outcomes, with markedly reduced birth rates observed under inflammatory conditions in the animals.

The study also identified deeper cellular effects. Oocytes exhibited DNA damage and epigenetic alterations resembling those seen in reproductive aging, pointing to a possible mechanism by which inflammation accelerates the decline in fertility.

“Inflammation is often thought of as a localized response, but our findings show that it can have systemic consequences that extend as far as the reproductive system,” said Prof. Michael Klutstein. “This work suggests that chronic oral inflammation may be an underrecognized factor in female infertility, potentially contributing to cases that currently have no clear explanation.”

The findings add to growing evidence that oral health is closely linked to overall health. Chronic oral inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis are widespread and have already been associated with a range of systemic diseases.

The researchers note that further investigation in clinical settings will be essential to determine how these findings translate to patient care. If confirmed, the work could open new avenues for diagnosis and treatment, including the use of anti-inflammatory or antioxidant approaches to improve fertility outcomes.

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CBSE Re-Evaluation Portal Delay Sparks New Anxiety Among Students

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has come under criticism after its portal for Class XII answer-sheet re-evaluation remained non-functional throughout the fixed application window, raising fears that students could miss opportunities for next grade admissions at premier institutions.

The board had initially scheduled the re-evaluation application window from May 26 to May 29. However, students reported being unable to access the portal during the entire period. On Friday evening, CBSE announced that the portal would instead become operational on June 1, citing the need to ensure a glitch-free process.

The delay has triggered concerns among students, parents and school administrators, particularly because the re-evaluation process could now extend into a crucial phase of college admissions.

“If the CBSE accepts requests for re-evaluation on June 1, it may take about a week to complete the process and publish revised results,” a Delhi school principal said. “By then, many students may have lost opportunities to secure admission to institutions of their choice. The CBSE is playing with students’ futures.”

Anixiety over admission deadline for CUET ranking

Students seeking a review of their marks have expressed frustration over the prolonged uncertainty. One student who appeared for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) on Friday said, on condition of anonymity, that she had repeatedly attempted to submit a re-evaluation request without success.

“I was unable to focus properly on preparing for my CUET papers because of the low marks awarded to me in Class XII,” she said. “I spent nearly an hour trying to submit a request in the morning and again after my exam, but the portal still did not work.”

The difficulties are linked to the CBSE’s introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII answer sheets from this year. Under the new system, answer sheets are scanned, digitally transmitted to examiners and evaluated on-screen.

Several students have alleged that flaws in the digitisation process may have contributed to unexpectedly low scores. Concerns have been raised about blurred scans, illegible copies and other technical issues that may have affected evaluation accuracy.

Original application window for re-evaluation extended

Problems first emerged when students attempted to obtain copies of their evaluated answer sheets, a mandatory step before applying for re-evaluation. The portal used for this process reportedly functioned inconsistently, forcing CBSE to extend the original May 19–22 deadline multiple times.

In at least two cases, students alleged that their answer sheets had been swapped with those of other candidates, resulting in incorrect marks. The board has reportedly acknowledged these instances.

According to CBSE, answer-sheet copies have so far been provided to nearly four lakh students. In a post on social media at 4.50 pm on Friday, the board said the re-evaluation portal would be activated from June 1.

“In order to ensure a transparent and glitch-free process for verification and revaluation of answer books of students who intend to submit their applications on the Post-Result Activities portal, it has been decided that the designated portal will now be operational from 1st June 2026,” CBSE said.

JEE results to be announced on June 1

The announcement has intensified concerns because the results of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced are also scheduled to be declared on June 1, with counselling and seat allocation beginning the following day.

For admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), candidates must either secure at least 75 per cent marks in their Class XII examinations or rank among the top 20 percentile of their respective boards, regardless of their JEE Advanced performance.

Educationists warn that students who narrowly missed the eligibility threshold due to potential evaluation errors could lose their chance to secure IIT seats if revised marks are not processed in time.

“It would be unfortunate if students with strong JEE Advanced performances miss IIT admission because they fall marginally short of the 75 per cent requirement due to issues associated with the new digital marking system,” the principal said.

The delay could also affect admissions to universities that continue to use Class XII board marks as a key admission criterion. Many institutions have already begun their admission processes.

CBSE re-assures students: ‘Don’t panic’

Meanwhile, CBSE has sought to reassure stakeholders by directing principals of affiliated schools to circulate video reels explaining the benefits of the new evaluation system.

The board provided schools with a scripted message praising the OSM system and describing the problems as temporary “bumps”. The message highlights the scale of the initiative, noting that nearly 98 lakh answer sheets were digitised under the new system.

“Please, do not panic,” the scripted message states. “I want to reassure every student and parent that no child will be allowed to suffer due to a technical error. CBSE has been highly proactive, empathetic, and communicative regarding these teething issues.”

Despite these assurances, the continuing technical problems have fuelled criticism of the board’s handling of the transition to digital evaluation, with many stakeholders demanding faster resolution and safeguards to ensure students are not disadvantaged during the ongoing admission season.

Siddaramaiah Set to Quit as Karnataka Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar Likely Successor

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

A major leadership transition appears imminent in Karnataka, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expected to resign on Thursday, paving the way for Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take over the state’s top post after intense consultations within the Congress leadership.

According to multiple reports and party sources, Siddaramaiah has sought an appointment with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to formally submit his resignation later in the day. The development follows marathon discussions in New Delhi involving senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal.

The anticipated change in leadership marks the culmination of months of speculation over a power-sharing arrangement within the Karnataka Congress after the party’s emphatic victory in the 2023 Assembly elections. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had emerged as the two principal contenders for the chief minister’s post at the time, with the party eventually choosing Siddaramaiah as CM and appointing Shivakumar as his deputy.

Reports indicate that the Congress central leadership has now thrown its weight behind Shivakumar’s elevation. Sources said Siddaramaiah has agreed to abide by the party high command’s decision after discussions with loyalists and senior party functionaries.

While the Congress officially denied that any final decision had been taken earlier this week, political activity within the party intensified rapidly after legislators close to both camps began openly discussing a transition. Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala had maintained that discussions in Delhi were linked only to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.

However, senior party leaders and legislators later indicated that Siddaramaiah’s resignation was likely within days, triggering celebrations among Shivakumar supporters across Karnataka.

End of a Significant Political Chapter

If Siddaramaiah steps down, it would bring to a close one of the longest and most influential leadership tenures in Karnataka politics. He has served as chief minister across two terms, first from 2013 to 2018 and again since May 2023.

His latest tenure has been marked by the implementation of the Congress government’s flagship welfare guarantees, including free bus travel for women and direct-benefit schemes targeting economically weaker sections. Siddaramaiah also recently accepted the long-pending socio-educational survey, popularly known as the caste census report, from the State Backward Classes Commission, a politically significant move seen as central to the Congress’s backward-class outreach strategy.

Political observers say Siddaramaiah’s exit would signal not only a generational shift within the Karnataka Congress but also a recalibration of caste and regional equations ahead of future electoral battles.

Shivakumar’s Long Wait Nears Completion

For D.K. Shivakumar, the expected elevation would cap a long political journey marked by organisational influence, crisis management and loyalty to the Congress leadership. An eight-time MLA and current Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Shivakumar played a pivotal role in reviving the Congress in the state after the party’s setbacks in previous elections.

He is widely credited with managing coalition negotiations in Karnataka after the 2018 Assembly elections and safeguarding Congress legislators during periods of political instability. Shivakumar also emerged as a key strategist for the party nationally, particularly during crucial Rajya Sabha contests.

Known for his strong organisational grip and financial clout, Shivakumar has long been viewed as a natural claimant to the chief minister’s post. His supporters have repeatedly argued that his efforts in rebuilding the party machinery after 2019 were instrumental in Congress returning to power in 2023.

Siddaramaiah’s Future Role in Delhi

Amid the transition buzz, reports suggest the Congress leadership may offer Siddaramaiah a larger national role, potentially including a Rajya Sabha berth.

Though there has been no official confirmation, such a move could help the Congress retain Siddaramaiah’s influence within the party while facilitating a smoother leadership handover in Karnataka.

The leadership change is expected to have broader political implications in the state, where the Congress is seeking to consolidate its social coalition and maintain momentum against the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) ahead of the next Assembly elections scheduled for 2028.

As Karnataka awaits an official announcement, the focus now shifts to the Congress Legislature Party meeting and the possible swearing-in timeline for Shivakumar, who appears poised to finally assume the state’s highest political office.

How Climate Change Weakens The Lakes’ Natural Ability To Purify Water

Posted on May 27, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Lakes do far more than support fish, birds and recreation — they also act as crucial natural filters that remove excess nitrogen from water systems. However, new research led by scientists at the University of Basel and Eawag has found that climate change may significantly weaken this purification process, potentially triggering wider ecological consequences that extend to oceans and coastal regions.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, highlight how rising temperatures and changing seasonal patterns could disrupt denitrification — a microbial process through which harmful nitrogen compounds are converted into harmless nitrogen gas and released into the atmosphere.

Researchers focused their study on Lake Baldegg, a lake considered representative of many temperate lakes that undergo complete annual water mixing. During winter, oxygen-rich surface water blends with colder, oxygen-poor deep water, creating conditions that strongly boost denitrification activity.

Scientists discovered that this nitrogen-removal process becomes nearly 50 per cent more active during winter mixing than during summer, when lake waters remain stratified in separate layers.

The study warns that climate change threatens this seasonal cycle. Under severe warming scenarios, winter mixing periods could shrink by nearly a month, sharply reducing the lake’s ability to naturally eliminate excess nitrogen.

Lead author Cameron Callbeck said the findings reveal how sensitive lake ecosystems are to seasonal shifts driven by global warming. Although researchers observed significantly higher denitrification during winter, they said the exact reasons behind the seasonal spike remain unclear.

The consequences could extend well beyond freshwater ecosystems. Lakes serve as vital checkpoints in the global nitrogen cycle by trapping and breaking down nitrogen before it reaches rivers and oceans. If this filtration weakens, more nitrogen could flow into marine ecosystems, fuelling toxic algal blooms, oxygen-depleted “dead zones,” and severe stress on fragile coastal habitats.

Professor Moritz Lehmann, senior author of the study, said even relatively small disruptions in lake mixing cycles could have measurable impacts on nitrogen cycling at both local and global scales.

To measure nitrogen removal, scientists combined isotope tracing experiments with full-lake modelling. Researchers introduced nitrogen molecules marked with the rare isotope nitrogen-15 into sediment samples, allowing them to track how efficiently microbes converted nitrogen compounds into nitrogen gas.

Their modelling results closely matched real-world measurements, confirming that winter acts as a major hotspot for nitrogen removal inside lakes.

The study also uncovered an important microbial partnership occurring within lake sediments. Certain bacteria break down chitin — a durable organic material originating from dead algae and tiny aquatic organisms. This process generates compounds that other microbes use as fuel to drive denitrification.

Researchers now plan to investigate whether these same microbial processes may also influence the production of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas linked to nitrogen cycling in lakes.

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New species of bizarre, bipedal, toothless crocodile relative from the Triassic discovered in Ghost Ranch

Posted on May 27, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Unearthed in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, Labrujasuchus expectatus—the ‘Witch Croc’—highlights the weirdness of life at the dawn of the dinosaurs and the legacy and ongoing discoveries at an iconic site 20 years into excavation

In the Triassic, the modern animals we know were just beginning to diversify into a menagerie of forms and body plans that rhyme with the lifestyles of extinct and living animals better known to the public, but nested in groups that ended up taking wildly divergent paths. Case in point: Labrujasuchus expectatus.

Described in the journal Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Labrujasuchus looked very much like ornithomimosaurs, a group of bipedal dinosaurs from the Cretaceous with body plans similar to those of modern ostriches. But Labrujasuchus comes from the branch of archosaurs that led to crocodiles, famously four-legged and full of teeth. The newly-described Labrujasuchus navigated the world on two legs with tiny arms and a toothless mouth tipped in a beak—about as far away from a crocodile as possible.

In the Triassic, you can expect the unexpected.

The Triassic was the first period of the Mesozoic Era — often called the “Age of Dinosaurs.” It lasted from about 252 million to 201 million years ago, after the massive Permian extinction that wiped out most life on Earth.

Among the primordial Star Wars bar denizens of the epoch were the lagerpetids, bipedal dinosaur cousins whose relatives would take to the skies as pterosaurs; the funky tree-dwelling Drepanosaurus, with a single tree-sloth-like claw on its hands and a little one on its prehensile tail; and the aquatic reptilian mini-tank, Vancleavea, to name a few. Labrujasuchus expectatus, the newest identified member of Shuvosauridae—a group of ancient crocodile relatives with body plans resembling bipedal, small-armed theropod dinosaurs—stepped into this world of bizarre reptiles with both feet.

“We see a lot of the successful strategies for modern animals and non-avian dinosaurs first arise in the Triassic, and shuvosaurs are a great example of that convergent evolution,” says Dr. Alan Turner, lead author on the paper. “Bipedalism is certainly a unique path for crocodile relatives to take, but it’s a path well-trod by dinosaurs and later birds. It obviously worked for these animals.”

One of only five identified species, Labrujasuchus expectatus fills the gap between two earlier discovered shuvosaurs from the region, an evolutionary link paleontologists knew was waiting to be found. The discovery was the expected unexpected, which inspired the species name ‘expactatus’. The witchy genus moniker, Labrujasuchus, references the ‘Ranchos de los Brujos,’ or Ranch of the Witches, an old Spanish name for Ghost Ranch, and the Greek word Σοῦχος (suchus) meaning “crocodile”.

“Legend has it, the local rancheros gave the site the name ‘Ranchos de Los Brujos’ to keep folks away from the cattle-rustling operations of the Archuleta brothers,” says Dr. Nate Smith, co-author and Gretchen Augustyn Director & Curator of the NHMLAC Dinosaur Institute. “We wanted to give a nod to that colorful history, and honor the incredible role Ghost Ranch has played in expanding our view of the Triassic. We also wanted to highlight how the fossil record works—finding one shuvosaur from earlier in the Triassic and one from later meant that we paleontologists knew there were probably more from in-between waiting to be discovered and described.”

(Ghost Ranch is a famous desert retreat, fossil site, and cultural landmark in northern New Mexico)

Marking 20 Years of Collaboration at Ghost Ranch

With its bizarre assortment of creatures, the Triassic can feel like it belongs to another Earth entirely, but the body plans of long-gone weirdos reverberate through time, mirroring our modern weirdos, who are often in danger of going extinct. In short, understanding the Triassic past helps us better understand and protect our present, and perhaps nowhere on Earth gives a better view of that long-gone epoch than Ghost Ranch. Home to four quarries excavated by paleontologists for decades, Ghost Ranch continues to produce some of the most exquisitely produced fossils from the epoch.

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Scientists Discover Hidden Superconducting Patterns Inside Diamond

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Diamond’s importance in science extends far beyond its brilliance and luxury appeal. Researchers value the material for its exceptional hardness, remarkable ability to conduct heat, and transparency across much of the light spectrum. About 20 years ago, scientists uncovered another surprising property: under specific conditions, diamond can behave as a superconductor, allowing electrical current to move without resistance.

For years, however, researchers struggled to understand the physics behind this phenomenon, limiting efforts to use superconducting diamond in advanced technologies.

Now, scientists from Pennsylvania State University, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the U.S. Department of Energy-backed Q-NEXT, led by Argonne National Laboratory, say they have uncovered crucial clues explaining how superconductivity emerges inside diamond.

By engineering ultra-high-quality diamond structures and separating genuine electronic signals from background material noise, the team was able to reveal mechanisms that had remained hidden for decades.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could open the door to multifunction quantum chips capable of combining several quantum technologies within a single platform.

Researchers believe the breakthrough could help bridge one of quantum computing’s biggest challenges — connecting different types of qubits, or quantum bits, that often struggle to work together efficiently. Diamond, they say, may provide a rare material platform capable of supporting multiple quantum functions simultaneously while remaining thermally efficient and compatible with existing electronics.

“This offers a new way of thinking by integrating superconducting and semiconductor behavior to create opportunities for multifunction quantum devices,” said David Awschalom, professor of Quantum Science and Engineering and Physics at UChicago PME and director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Awschalom said future technologies could potentially combine light, spin, superconductivity and magnetism within a single engineered material that also integrates with modern microelectronics.

“There’s enormous potential at the interface between these nominally disparate areas of science,” he said, adding that deeper atomic-scale engineering could unlock entirely new classes of quantum systems.

How it works

In order to become superconducting, diamond must be “doped” with atoms of boron. (Doping is the process of adding different atoms to a host material to control or change certain properties, such as electrical conductivity).

In the study, the scientists used a facility at Penn State’s Applied Research Lab to synthesize extremely high-quality diamond thin films doped with a random distribution of boron. Surprisingly, the research team found hidden order within this disordered distribution of boron in the form of a mosaic of superconducting “puddles” that must eventually link up to allow electricity to flow without resistance – which they describe as “granular superconductivity”. These puddles might form due to clustering of boron atoms within diamond, however even in microscopically uniform films, the superconductivity was found to be granular. More importantly, the superconducting mosaic is seemingly tunable and can be stretched and skewed by changing the magnetic field, electrical current and temperature.

“The graduate student leading the project discovered complex patterns in the electrical behavior of the films that could only be explained by intrinsic granularity,” said Nitin Samarth, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State and co-corresponding author of the paper. “This serendipitous discovery caught us totally by surprise because these are structurally homogeneous, crystalline films! So, the question was: where is this granularity coming from?”

By identifying how electrons move through and between these superconducting puddles, scientists can now begin to “stitch” these superconducting puddles together more effectively, which could significantly boost the performance and temperature range of future quantum devices. Currently, these systems require extreme cooling to function; raising that temperature would make quantum technology more accessible and energy-efficient.

Potential for new innovations

One of the most exciting implications of this research, says Awschalom, is the potential for multifunctional ‘quantum-on-chip’ applications, where multiple different types of quantum information technologies—like quantum communication and quantum computing—could coexist and work together on a single diamond chip. This is due to diamond’s built-in “spin-photon interface,” meaning it naturally connects light to matter without any other technology necessary.

As the quantum industry looks to develop a domestic diamond supply chain, this “all-in-one” diamond platform offers a path toward chips that are not only more powerful but also easier to integrate with the classical high-frequency electronics we use today.

These applications are only possibilities, but the study has taken a critical step: by understanding the underlying principles behind superconductivity in diamond, researchers can now move beyond simply observing it to actively engineering it.

“We now have a reliable roadmap for engineering diamond superconductors by independently adjusting the material’s core properties,” says Samarth, “By tuning parameters like boron doping density, crystalline orientation, mechanical strain, and dimensionality, we can move beyond simple observation and start designing diamond superconductors for specific roles. There are a lot of exciting possibilities here, for both quantum and classical technology.”

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Ocean Acidification Is Quietly Ruining Reef Fish Social Networks

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Ocean acidification is doing more than damaging coral reefs — it may also be disrupting the social behaviour that helps reef fish survive, according to a new study by researchers at University of Adelaide.

( What is Ocean acidification: When humans burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, large amounts of CO₂ are released into the air. The oceans absorb nearly one-third of this carbon dioxide. Once absorbed, the CO₂ reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid, which increases the water’s acidity.Although the ocean is still slightly alkaline overall, even small changes in pH can seriously affect marine ecosystems.)

The research found that when reef habitats become less structurally complex due to rising ocean acidity, fish tend to form smaller shoals, weakening the group protection that many species rely on against predators.

“Watch a reef long enough and you realise that fish are almost never alone. They move in groups, feed in groups, and react to danger as a group,” lead author Dr Angus Mitchell said.

“For small reef fish, being part of a shoal is a survival strategy — more eyes spot predators sooner, and larger groups reduce the chance of any one fish becoming prey.”

The study showed that shoal size directly influences how fish behave individually and collectively. Fish in larger groups were generally bolder, spent more time foraging in open areas and hid less often, suggesting stronger social confidence within bigger schools.

The findings, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, also revealed that the behavioural shifts were not primarily caused by warmer temperatures or lower ocean pH acting directly on individual fish.

“The direct effects of warming, acidification and heatwave stress on individual fish behaviour were mostly minimal,” said project leader Professor Ivan Nagelkerken.

“Across all reef types, even during a heatwave, the fish behaved in much the same way. They kept feeding and did not suddenly become more active.”

Instead, researchers said the real damage may come indirectly through the breakdown of reef habitats and social structures that shape fish behaviour over time.

Dr Mitchell said climate change impacts cannot be fully understood by studying animals in isolation.

“In the real world, fish experience climate change as part of communities shaped by their habitat and the individuals around them,” he said.

“Our results suggest that even when individual fish appear to cope behaviourally under climate stress, the social systems supporting those behaviours can quietly collapse.”

Ocean acidification, driven by the growing absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, is increasingly reducing reef complexity worldwide. As coral structures deteriorate, fish lose both shelter and the environmental conditions needed to maintain larger social groups.

To understand how future oceans may affect marine ecosystems, the researchers studied reef systems near underwater volcanic carbon dioxide seeps in Japan. These areas naturally create more acidic marine conditions similar to those scientists expect in coming decades.

“The reefs we work on in Japan are unique because volcanic CO2 seeps on the seafloor create conditions comparable to future ocean climates,” Professor Nagelkerken explained.

“Some reefs reflect present-day seawater chemistry, while others experience higher temperatures or elevated acidity — and some face both simultaneously.”

The naturally occurring “climate analogue” reefs allowed scientists to observe long-term ecological responses under realistic environmental conditions rather than laboratory simulations alone.

The study adds to growing scientific concern that climate change may alter marine ecosystems not only physically, but socially — reshaping the behaviour, survival strategies and interactions of species that depend on coral reefs.

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