🇮🇳 1. India Launches ‘Operation Sindhu’ to Rescue Students from Iran

As tensions between Iran and Israel surge, India has swiftly responded by launching Operation Sindhu to evacuate 110 Indian students stranded in Iran.

This marks yet another successful example of India’s evolving role as a responsible global citizen prioritizing the safety of its diaspora.

👉 Context:

The conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated due to recent military confrontations in the region. India, maintaining its neutral diplomatic posture, is focusing on humanitarian efforts.

🛫 The operation is being coordinated by the Indian Embassy in Tehran in cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Air Force.

🤝 2. India–Croatia to Strengthen Strategic & Defence Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high-level talks with Croatian PM Andrej Plenković, reaffirming commitment to expand bilateral cooperation.

🔧 Key Highlights of the Discussion:

• Long-term Defence Collaboration Plan: Joint military exercises, defence production and R&D.
• Space Ventures: Joint exploration in satellite technology and interplanetary research.
• Economic Push: Investments in pharmaceuticals, clean energy, digital tech, agriculture & semiconductors.
• Croatia welcomed Indian companies to contribute to the development of coastal infrastructure.

🌍 This reflects India’s broader strategy of forming new alliances with European nations in tech and defence amid global power shifts.

🇮🇳🇨🇦 3. India–Canada Begin Diplomatic Reset: EPTA on the Horizon

After months of diplomatic chill, India and Canada have agreed to restore full bilateral relations by reappointing High Commissioners.

🗣️ During the recent meeting between the two leaders:

• Talks resumed on the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA),
• The groundwork was laid for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

🛑 Backdrop: Relations had cooled due to political tensions and controversial diaspora-related incidents. This diplomatic thaw may boost trade and tech partnerships going forward.

✈️ 4. Made-in-India Falcon Jets by Dassault & Reliance

In a landmark aerospace manufacturing deal, France's Dassault Aviation and Reliance Industries announced a strategic alliance to build Falcon 2000 business jets in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

📍 This announcement was made at the prestigious Paris Air Show 2025.

🛩️ Key Facts:

• Falcon 2000 is a high-end business jet used by corporates and VIPs.
• The first Made-in-India Falcon 2000 is expected to fly in 2028.

📈 This will boost India’s capabilities in civil aviation manufacturing, complementing the 'Make in India' initiative and generating high-skilled jobs.

🏆 5. Sahitya Akademi Announces ‘Yuva’ & ‘Bal Puraskar’ Awards

The Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, announced:

• 23 winners for the Yuva Puraskar (Young Writers' Award)
• 24 for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar (Children’s Literature)

📚 Notable Awardees:

🖋️ Yuva Puraskar

• Advait Kottary – English
• Parvati Tirkey – Hindi
• Lakshmi-har – Tamil
• Prasad Suri – Telugu

🖍️ Bal Sahitya Puraskar

• Nitin Kushalappa – English
• Sushil Shukla – Hindi
• Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay – Bengali
• K. Shivalingappa Handihal – Kannada
• Vishnupuram Saravanan – Tamil

These awards celebrate literary excellence among young and emerging voices across India’s 24 official languages.

🏫 6. Chandigarh Tops in School Education, Meghalaya at Bottom

In the newly released Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 by the Union Ministry of Education, Chandigarh has emerged as the best performing region in school education for 2023–24.

📊 Key Evaluation Criteria:

• Learning outcomes
• Teacher training and governance
• Infrastructure and access
• Equity in education

📉 Meghalaya, unfortunately, ranks the lowest.

🌟 PGI 2.0 ranks States and UTs on a 1000-point scale, promoting competition and accountability in the education system.