Telangana government has decided to take over Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-I from L&T Group, agreeing to assume the project’s ₹13,000 crore debt and pay about ₹2,000 crore to L&T as a one-time equity settlement.
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As of June 2025, Amazon is the largest user of the H-1B visa programme with 10,044 employees, while Indian IT majors like TCS (5,505), Infosys (2,004), and Wipro (1,523) now rely far less on H-1B visas compared to global tech giants, reducing their vulnerability to US policy changes.
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The MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter developed by the Soviet Union and entered service in the early 1960s. It features a distinctive "tailed delta" wing design, which allows for high speed and good maneuverability. The aircraft has served as a core interceptor and multi-role fighter in many countries, including India, where it was inducted in 1963 and remained a backbone of the Indian Air Force for decades. It can reach speeds over Mach 2.0 with a service ceiling of around 17,800 meters and typically carries a 23mm cannon along with air-to-air missiles and bombs. The MiG-21 is one of the most produced supersonic fighters ever, with over 11,000 units built, and despite its age, it remains operational in some air forces even today
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In September 2025, violent protests in Ladakh over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule led to the killing of four people and injuries to over 60. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been fasting for these demands, called off his hunger strike after the violence. The protests reflect the region’s long-standing demand for greater autonomy and protection of tribal rights since Ladakh became a union territory in 2019.
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In 2025, the United States experienced a significant decline in press freedom, ranking 57th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, its lowest ever. Economic pressures, political hostility, and actions by the Trump administration to restrict independent media have contributed to this unprecedented erosion of free expression in a country historically seen as a bastion of press freedom.
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The 2025 film Homebound was inspired by Basharat Peer’s powerful 2020 New York Times article titled "Taking Amrit Home," later retitled "A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway." The article recounts the true story of Mohammad Saiyub, a Muslim, and Amrit Kumar, a Dalit, two migrant workers who walked hundreds of miles from Surat to their village in Uttar Pradesh during the COVID-19 lockdown. Their journey highlights their deep friendship and the hardships faced during the migrant crisis in India, reflecting themes of caste, religion, and dignity.
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India’s export economy is highly concentrated: just four States—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka—account for over 70% of all merchandise exports, while the entire northeast with its over 5,400 km of international borders contributes only 0.13%.
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On February 3, 1916, Canada’s Parliament building in Ottawa was destroyed in a fire, but the very next day Parliament reconvened in the Victoria Memorial Museum—remarkably, even in this makeshift setting, a press gallery was set up, underscoring the indispensability of the media in parliamentary democracy.
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In 1925, the Burma Legislative Council passed a resolution moved by Dr. Thien Maung recommending that two Burmans be sent to the Co-operative College in Manchester for specialized training.
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According to Atlassian’s 2025 AI Confidence Index, India has emerged as the fastest and most enthusiastic adopter of AI in workplaces, with adoption rates higher than even the United States and Germany.
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The MiG-21, inducted into the Indian Air Force in the 1960s, holds the record as the world’s most-produced supersonic fighter jet, with over 11,000 units built globally.
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The MiG-21, decommissioned in 2025 after 62 years of service with the Indian Air Force, remains iconic as the jet that downed a Pakistani F-16 during the 2019 Balakot operations, showcasing its enduring combat legacy despite being labeled a “flying coffin.”
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The U.S. states with the greatest interest in H-1B visas in 2025 are:
California: Leading with the highest number of new H-1B visa recipients, driven mainly by Silicon Valley and tech giants like Apple and Nvidia, with over 80,000 visa approvals.
Texas: A close second, favored for its business-friendly tax policies and headquarters of major firms such as Oracle and Tesla, with around 65,000 approvals.
New York: Ranked third, boosted by financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase and Wall Street firms.
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In 2025, the U.S. government faced a looming shutdown due to a deadlock between Congress and the White House over federal funding, risking mass furloughs and permanent layoffs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The shutdown threatened to delay key economic reports, disrupt financial markets, and impact essential services like food assistance, air travel, and federal court operations. This shutdown could be more severe than past ones, as the White House directed agencies to prepare for permanent staff reductions, marking a significant shift from previous temporary furloughs. The travel sector alone could lose about $1 billion per week due to disruptions in air travel and closures of national parks and museums. The standoff heightened economic uncertainty and risked weakening government workforce morale and long-term efficiency.
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India reached a major milestone in 2025 by achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol, five years ahead of its original 2030 target. This success is part of the government's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, aiming to reduce crude oil imports, support farmers, and cut carbon emissions. The ethanol used mainly comes from sugarcane, maize, and other feedstocks, contributing to improved farmer incomes and environmental benefits. The program has helped pay ₹1.18 lakh crore to farmers, saved ₹1.36 lakh crore in foreign exchange, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 698 lakh tonnes, reinforcing India's clean energy goals. Efforts are ongoing to diversify feedstocks beyond sugarcane and maize, including plans to use bamboo and agricultural residues, particularly in northeastern India, to sustain and expand ethanol production.
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The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48) is a notorious death trap, recording 131 fatalities in 238 accidents this year on the Talasari-Dahisar stretch alone. Despite a ₹600-crore project, poor conditions—including potholes, broken medians, and a lack of truck terminals forcing roadside parking—cause severe congestion. Recent tragic deaths due to ambulance traffic jams underscore the urgent crisis. Commuters are demanding an immediate infrastructural overhaul to improve safety on the corridor.
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The 2025 Indian film Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, is based on a New York Times article by journalist Basharat Peer depicting a poignant story inspired by a viral photograph from the 2020 migrant crisis. The film stars Ishaan Khatter as Mohammed Shoaib, an underprivileged Muslim youth, and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan, a Dalit boy, who are childhood friends striving to pass the national police exam for dignity and survival. Homebound explores themes of caste prejudice, friendship, and the hardships faced during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India. It was India's official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards and received critical acclaim for its powerful storytelling and performances.
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