1 Prime Minister Modi participated in the Viva-Tech 2026 conference held in Paris, the capital of France.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi , along with French President His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, participated in VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest technology and startup event, in Paris . Addressing a gathering of technology entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and industry leaders, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s vision for human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge technologies, and the expanding scope of India-France cooperation in emerging technologies. He noted that technology has enabled profound transformations in India, ranging from digital payments, AI-enabled agricultural advancements, to cutting-edge space applications. India is the ” AI Country Partner ” at VivaTech 2026. This is also India’s largest participation at VivaTech to date. Pavilions have been set up to showcase India’s innovation ecosystem in artificial intelligence (AI), digital public infrastructure, health-tech, clean technologies, mobility, advanced computing, and other areas. More than 80 deep-tech companies and startups from India are participating in this event.
PM Modi announced on Thursday that India and France will jointly launch the ” Trishna ” satellite next year . This mission will help strengthen water and food security in the world. Addressing the Indian community in Paris on the last leg of his visit to France and Slovakia, PM Modi said that this satellite project is a natural extension of the cooperation between the two countries. He noted that the AI summits held in Paris last year and Delhi this year have further strengthened this partnership. The Trishna (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) mission is a collaborative effort between ISRO and the French Space Agency (CNES), designed to provide high spatial and high temporal resolution monitoring of Earth’s surface temperature, productivity, biophysical and radiation variables for surface energy budgets from regional to global scales . The mission addresses critical water and food security challenges, focusing on the impacts of human-induced climate change and efficient water resource management through evapotranspiration monitoring. The primary objectives of Trishna include detailed monitoring of the energy and water budgets of the continental biosphere to measure terrestrial water stress and water use, and high-resolution observations of water quality and dynamics in coastal and inland waters.
3 Aluminium Extrusion Plant inaugurated in Nagpur
On June 19th , Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will lay the foundation stone for an aluminum extrusion press at Yantra India Limited ‘s Ordnance Factory in Nagpur, Maharashtra . Aluminum extrusion is a manufacturing process used to create lightweight, robust parts . This project will be crucial for India’s defense and aerospace manufacturing sector, with a capacity of 10,000 tons . Aluminum extrusion will be used in military vehicles, missile systems, aircraft structures, and naval platforms. Indigenous production of these materials will enhance self-reliance in defense security and improve the supply chain. This press will enable India to manufacture indigenous aluminum components required for defense, missile, aviation, and space programs. In the aluminum extrusion process, heated aluminum billets are passed through a special die under extreme pressure, creating the desired profile shape. These are used in the defense, aerospace, transport, manufacturing, and engineering sectors. Earlier this year, Rajnath Singh also inaugurated a project in Nagpur to manufacture medium-caliber ammunition.
The United Arab Emirates has approved a significant new regulation setting the minimum age for social media use at 15. This comprehensive step is aimed at strengthening child protection in the digital sphere. The decision was taken by the UAE Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum . Under this proposal, children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to create or operate social media accounts, nor will they be permitted to use features such as posting, commenting, sharing content, or joining public groups. Users aged 15 to 16 will only be permitted limited access under strict safety measures. Social media platforms have been given up to 12 months to fully implement the regulations.
Sarvam AI, an Indian full-stack sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) startup, raised USD 234 million (approximately Rs 2,210 crore) in its $300 million Series B funding round, becoming India’s 130th unicorn . This brings the company’s valuation to USD 1.5 billion, making it the only AI startup in India to achieve this milestone. With this latest funding round, Sarvam AI becomes the fifth startup to join India’s unicorn club in 2026, following KreditBee, Neysa, Juspay, and Aerospace. Sarvam plans to primarily invest the new capital in research and development, improving next-generation AI models, with a particular focus on agentic AI, coding, and cybersecurity applications. The company also intends to significantly expand its compute infrastructure. Additionally, it aims to expand its AI deployments across various sectors, thereby improving its market presence and operational reach. HCL Tech and Bessemer Venture Partners led the funding round, with existing investors Khosla Ventures and Peak XV Partners also participating. Under the deal, HCL Technologies Limited (HCLTech) will acquire a minority stake (10.46%) in Sarvam AI for Rs 1,427.25 crore (approximately USD 150 million). Founded in 2023 by Pratyush Kumar and Vivek Raghavan, Sarvam specializes in building AI models, infrastructure, and enterprise products.
6 IIRF 2026: JNU becomes India’s top public university
The International Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) has released its list of India’s top 10 public universities for 2026. The rankings highlight the best public-funded institutions across the country based on various academic and research parameters. The list is topped by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi , followed by Delhi University (DU) in second place. Jamia Millia Islamia, also located in Delhi, is in third place . This means that three universities from the National Capital Region have secured the top three positions. India’s top 10 public universities for 2026
| Rank | university | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jawaharlal Nehru University | New Delhi |
| 2 | Delhi University | New Delhi |
| 3 | Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi |
| 4 | University of Hyderabad | Hyderabad, Telangana |
| 5 | Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| 6 | Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh |
| 7 | Central University of Rajasthan | Ajmer, Rajasthan |
| 8 | Central University of Punjab | Bathinda, Punjab |
| 9 | Central University of Himachal Pradesh | Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh |
| 10 | Indira Gandhi National Tribal University | Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh |
7 WIPO Global Top 20 Patent Ranking: Jio Platforms ranked 20th
Jio Platforms (JPL), the technology arm of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has made it to the global top 20. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) rankings for 2025. It is the only Indian technology innovator to feature in the prestigious global top-20 list. Jio’s jump of 320 ranks to 20th position comes in a year when PCT filings worldwide grew by less than one percent. Jio Platforms reported that it has filed a total of 6,817 patents as of March 31, 2026. Of these, 2,393 patents were filed in India and 4,424 in foreign jurisdictions. According to the company, a total of 1,009 patents have been granted worldwide, including 538 in India and 471 in international markets. China, the US, Japan, South Korea, and Germany lead the global Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) rankings by place of origin. China led the world in 2025 PCT filings with 73,718 applications, while India ranked 12th globally with 3,070 PCT applications.
8 Hockey player Manpreet became the player with the most international appearances.
On June 17 , hockey player Manpreet Singh became the player with the most international caps . On Wednesday, Manpreet played his 413th international match in the FIH Pro League match against Germany in Rotterdam, Netherlands . With this record, Manpreet surpassed former captain Dilip Tirkey ‘s record of 412 matches. Manpreet is a former captain of the Indian men’s hockey team . In 2014, Manpreet was named the Asian Hockey Federation Junior Player of the Year . Manpreet represented India at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was named captain of the Indian men’s hockey team in 2017. In 2019, Manpreet became the first Indian male hockey player to win the FIH Men’s Player of the Year, an honor given to the world’s best player . In 2021, Manpreet was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for his contributions to hockey . Under Manpreet’s captaincy , India won the bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics . Under Manpreet’s captaincy, India won gold in the 2022 Asian Games. . The Indian team recently performed brilliantly, defeating world champions Germany 3-1.
9 Autistic Pride Day
For decades, autistic individuals were portrayed as individuals who needed to be “fixed,” “corrected,” or “normalized.” Medical and social discourse primarily viewed autism as a problem, while the experiences, abilities, and self-identities of autistic individuals were not given the due importance. In the twenty-first century, advances in science , psychology, sociology, and human rights movements have challenged this view. It is now widely accepted that the human brain can function in diverse ways, and that this diversity is the basis of the intellectual and cultural strength of human society. This thinking gave rise to the concept of “neurodiversity,” which holds that autism is not a defect but one of the natural variations of the human brain . Autistic Pride Day, observed annually on June 18th, celebrates this idea. Autistic Pride Day began in 2005. It was initiated by the organization ” Aspies for Freedom ,” founded by autistic rights advocates Gareth and Amy Nelson . The uniqueness of this day is that it was not established by any government, medical institution, or outside organization, but rather was a movement initiated by the autistic community itself to establish their rights and identity.