President Murmu Hails Madhya Pradesh Sickle Cell Mission as Model for Public Health Outreach

Bhopal, June 19: President Droupadi Murmu has praised the Sickle Cell Mission in Madhya Pradesh, calling it a significant step forward in strengthening early diagnosis, awareness, and treatment of sickle cell disease.

Speaking on the occasion of World Sickle Cell Day, the President highlighted that the mission represents a strong model of targeted public health intervention aimed at improving healthcare access in vulnerable and tribal-dominated regions.

She noted that expanded screening programmes, improved diagnostic facilities, and focused awareness campaigns under the initiative are helping in early identification of cases and better management of the disease.

President Murmu emphasized that timely detection and continued treatment support are key to reducing the long-term impact of sickle cell disease. She also underlined the importance of sustained awareness efforts at the community level to ensure wider participation in screening programmes.

The President appreciated the collective efforts of healthcare workers and institutions involved in implementing the mission and reaffirmed the need for continued cooperation between government agencies and communities to strengthen public health outcomes.

India Embraces Wellness Movement with Yoga, Fitness Drives and Marathon Events Ahead of International Yoga Day

New Delhi, June 19: As International Yoga Day approaches, India is witnessing a nationwide wave of wellness activities, with citizens actively participating in yoga sessions, water-based yoga practices, marathon runs, and fitness awareness programmes across cities and towns.

From early morning yoga camps in parks and community spaces to large-scale fitness events, people from all age groups are coming together to promote healthy living and holistic well-being.

Organisers said that the growing participation reflects increasing awareness about physical fitness, mental well-being, and the importance of incorporating wellness practices into daily life. Special sessions focusing on traditional yoga techniques, breathing exercises, and modern fitness routines are being conducted to encourage wider public engagement.

Authorities noted that schools, fitness groups, and local organisations have played a key role in spreading awareness and mobilising participants for these events. The activities are being seen as part of a broader effort to build a healthier and more active society.

With International Yoga Day approaching, the enthusiasm across the country highlights India’s continuing leadership in promoting yoga as a global symbol of unity, discipline, and well-being.

Algorand Foundation Announces Post-Quantum Security Roadmap, Targets Broad Quantum Resilience by 2027

The roadmap covers every layer of the Algorand protocol, from user wallets and developer tooling to consensus mechanisms, with milestones beginning in Q3 2026 and deployment progressing through the end of 2027

DOVER, DELAWARE,  JUNE 19: The Algorand Foundation today announced a comprehensive post-quantum security roadmap, committing to advance broad quantum resilience by the end of 2027, well before NIST deprecates legacy RSA key sizes, and three years ahead of the NSA’s target for national security systems. Every layer of the protocol is included in the roadmap, from user wallets and developer tooling to consensus mechanisms.

Beginning Q3 2026, Algorand will introduce native post-quantum accounts for existing users or developers. Post-quantum account creation will be available directly within the Pera wallet, and all SDKs will be updated accordingly. Later this year, the Foundation will introduce post-quantum multi-signatures and begin migrating its own treasury to post-quantum accounts. Stakers will additionally be able to stake from post-quantum accounts. The roadmap comes four years after Algorand began post-quantum preparations with the deployment of State Proofs signed with the Falcon signature scheme in 2022.

“Post-quantum security cannot be retrofitted after Q-Day,” said Bruno Martins, Chief Technology Officer, Algorand Foundation. “Every institution tokenizing or staking, every developer building, and every user transacting on Algorand needs to know their assets will remain secure should the quantum threat materialize. This roadmap gives them that assurance, starting with concrete deployments in 2026.”

The roadmap addresses the deeper cryptographic layers of the protocol, including post-quantum consensus, a post-quantum Verifiable Random Function (VRF), an active research area in cryptography that Algorand is helping to advance from peer-reviewed research toward production deployment. Algorand is also committing to cryptographic agility and a hybrid approach to post-quantum preparations. Cryptographic agility will enable Algorand to be easily integrated by systems that support multiple signature schemes. A hybrid approach enables accounts to be secured by any combination of keys, providing a robust defense against both classical and post-quantum security risks.

“Migrating a live protocol takes years, and the probability of a quantum attack on legacy cryptography grows meaningfully as the end of this decade approaches,” said Chris Peikert, Chief Scientific Officer, Algorand Foundation. “Algorand’s roadmap deploys advanced, peer-reviewed post-quantum cryptography across every layer of a live production protocol, including the consensus mechanism, at an unprecedented scale.”

The quantum roadmap is being released as Algorand celebrates its seventh anniversary and seven years without downtime. Algorand is building toward broad quantum resilience before the end of next year. Further announcements on individual milestones will be made as development progresses.