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On the second anniversary of the RG Kar doctor’s rape-murder, West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announced a fresh probe under the Special Commission Act, following a request from the victim’s mother. A separate inquiry into alleged cremation lapses was also ordered. Doctors observed silence, while junior doctors held a clinic and memorial march seeking justice.
RG Kar Doctor Rape-Murder Case: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari Announces Fresh Probe | PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday announced a fresh probe into the 2024 rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a case that had sparked widespread outrage across the country.
Adhikari said the government decided to order the fresh investigation following a request from the doctor’s mother, Ratna Debnath, who is now a BJP MLA.
“Ratna Debnath had written to me, requesting a fresh investigation. After extensive discussions with the chief secretary and a team of experts, I am announcing a fresh investigation under the Special Commission Act, 1952,” he said.
Adhikari alleged that the police had failed to perform their duty in the case.
He also ordered a separate investigation into alleged lapses in the victim’s cremation and directed immediate action against those found responsible.
Two-Minute Silence Observed At Government Hospitals
A two-minute silence was observed at government hospitals across West Bengal on Sunday, the second anniversary of the doctor’s death.
The victim’s mother planted and watered a sapling at a memorial meeting for the post-graduate trainee.
Doctors, nurses and other officials at government hospitals observed the silence in her memory. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee and senior officials also observed a two-minute silence at Swasthya Bhavan, the department’s headquarters in Salt Lake.
At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata, paramilitary personnel guarding the facility joined doctors, nurses and other staff in observing the silence.
Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s car was attacked with stones, bricks and bottles in Halisahar while she was visiting the family of deceased TMC worker Birju Keo, who allegedly died in police custody. Mamata claimed she could have been killed and accused police of protecting BJP workers. BJP condemned the attack and denied involvement.
‘Could Have Died’: Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s Car Attacked During Visit To TMC Worker’s Family | Video |
Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s car on Sunday was attacked while she went to meet with a deceased party worker’s family.
Mamata claimed that she was about to get ‘killed’.
Chanting ‘Chor’, some unidentified goons were seen pelting stones, bricks and bottles aiming at the car of Mamata at Halisahar in North 24 parganas while she was going to deceased party worker Birju Keo’s house who allegedly died under police custody.
Notably, police and RAF had cordoned the area so that no untoward incident took place.
Talking to the media, Mamata accompanied by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said that she could have even died due to the agitation.
“If the window glass were open, it could have split my head open. I could have died. The police did nothing but gave protection to the people of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Lumphants are moving all over and police have brought them to hide their incapabilities. We will file a case,” said Mamata.
TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee mentioned that they want ‘justice’ to the alleged death of their party worker under police custody.
Assam’s flood death toll rose to 100 after two fresh fatalities were reported in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong. The floods have affected over 63,000 people across 456 villages in 10 districts, with more than 8,000 sheltered in relief camps. IMD has forecast more rain, raising concerns over further river-level rises. Door-to-door damage assessments will begin in four worst-hit districts.
Assam Floods: Death Toll Reaches 100, Over 63,000 Affected Across 10 Districts As More Rain Looms | X – DhruvMishra1607
The flood death toll in Assam rose to 100 on Sunday, with two fresh deaths reported from Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts, according to an official bulletin of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).
The deluge has affected 63,058 people in 456 villages under 28 revenue circles across 10 districts — Golaghat, Sivasagar, Hojai, Darrang, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Charaideo, Nagaon and Biswanath.
The Dhansiri is flowing above the danger level at Golaghat and Numaligarh, while the Kushiyara is above the danger level at Sribhumi.
The authorities have opened 52 relief camps and 73 relief distribution centres across the state. More than 8,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps, while over 41,061 people staying outside the camps are receiving relief materials from distribution centres.
The floods have damaged 823 hectares of crop land.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya during August 8-9 and again from August 12-14. Arunachal Pradesh is also likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during August 12-14.
The forecast has raised concern over a possible rise in river levels in the coming days.
Golaghat has remained the worst-affected district through much of the current flood spell, with 58,750 people affected as of Saturday. The Dhansiri (South) has been flowing above the danger mark at Numaligarh, prompting repeated advisories to residents to stay away from the river.
Sivasagar has recorded the highest number of fatalities, accounting for 50 of the deaths recorded so far this flood season. It also remained among the districts with a high number of affected people, with 48,286 people impacted as of Friday.
BJP MP Janardan Mishra defended the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy and taunted its critics over demands for pure petrol. His remarks come amid continued debate over E20 fuel, engine performance and India’s dependence on imported crude.
BJP MP Janardan Mishra defended the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy.
Janardan Mishra, the BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, has sparked fresh controversy with a sharp defence of the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy, asking critics of the move whether “pure petrol” would come from their “father’s house”.
Backing the Centre’s push for 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol, Mishra argued that India remains heavily dependent on imported crude oil.
He said India produces only around 20 per cent of the crude oil it needs, while the remaining 80 per cent is imported.
Referring to the prevailing geopolitical situation and challenges in transporting crude, the BJP leader said oil tankers sometimes have to travel an additional 18,000 km to bring supplies to India.
“In such a situation, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol, some people start protesting,” Mishra said.
He took aim at those opposing ethanol blending, saying, “A movement is underway claiming that ethanol won’t work, pure petrol will. Will pure petrol come from your father’s house? If there’s no pure petrol in the country, where will it come from?”
Hemant Soren assured protesting youths of transparent justice over alleged recruitment exam irregularities. He said dialogue would address their demands and warned against politicising the agitation.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday said his government would deliver justice with full transparency to youths protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment exams. He said the students’ concerns were also his concerns and promised strict action against those found guilty.
Soren also said the agitation should not be politicised and alleged that vested interests were trying to disrupt democracy in the state. He warned those with political ambitions against misleading the youths and said problems at home could be resolved through dialogue, not force.
Addressing the Jharkhand Adivasi Mahotsav, the chief minister said, “Unable to accept the state’s self-reliance, vested interests are working at full force in Jharkhand to disrupt democracy here. Samvad and not ‘lathi-danda-bandook’ can solve all problems. Weapons are meant for enemies at the border. I promise the exam protesters that justice will be delivered with full transparency.”
Referring to the protest against the alleged NEET exam paper leak at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, he said, “All saw how youths were tortured, had to face pellet guns, baton charges, and were declared traitors.” Apparently targeting the BJP, Soren accused rival political parties of spreading lies and misinformation to mislead Jharkhand’s youth and said some intellectuals were also involved in this.
Jharkhand Protest: The agitation, being organised under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, has been underway since July 25.
Jharkhand Protest: Student protests have been rocking Jharkhand for two weeks.
Jharkhand Protest: The Jharkhand student protest is set to intensify as students prepare to gherao the Vidhan Sabha in Ranchi at 10 am today, demanding cancellation of the CGL examination and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities. The administration imposed prohibitory orders around the New Assembly and deployed around 1,500 security personnel as the government and protesters remain locked in a standoff over the CGL exam.
Here are 10 things to know:
Main Demand Remains CGL Cancellation: Student leader Ravindar Paswan made it clear that there will be no compromise on the demand for cancellation of the CGL examination. The students are also demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities surrounding the examination.
Students Reject Judicial Probe: The government proposed a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge into the CGL controversy but the students have rejected the proposal and continue to demand a CBI investigation. This remains the biggest point of disagreement between the two sides.
Security Tightened Across Ranchi: The administration has made extensive security arrangements ahead of the Assembly gherao. Around 1,500 security personnel have been deployed, including personnel from the Rapid Action Police, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and Quick Reaction Teams. The area will also be monitored through drones, while a special team has been deployed at the Police Control Room to keep track of the situation.
Prohibitory Orders Within 750 Metres Of New Assembly: Prohibitory orders have been imposed within a 750-metre radius of the New Assembly. The administration urged students to avoid violence and not participate in any unlawful demonstration. Barricades have also been installed at several points along the route from the Old Assembly to the New Assembly.
At Peg and Bottles pub on Church Street, officials found expired cream, rotten mushrooms and foul-smelling items that had been stored beyond their expiry dates.
Officials seized and disposed of a total of 132 kg of food items and 15 litres of used cooking oil during the inspections.
Days after finding large quantities of expired meat, milk and vegetables in the kitchens of several star hotels, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) officials continued their raids on food establishments across Bengaluru, uncovering violations at a popular pub on Church Street.
Following the raid on Skye Pub, food safety officials conducted inspections at food establishments on Bengaluru’s Brigade Road and Church Street. At Peg and Bottles pub on Church Street, officials found expired cream, rotten mushrooms and foul-smelling items that had been stored beyond their expiry dates.
Expired Cream, Dead Cockroach
Officials found cream that had expired in February but was still being used for cooking. Packets of baby corn were also found to contain insects.
A dead cockroach was found inside a cheese packet. Officials also found poor-quality vegetables being used for Chinese dishes.
Food samples were collected for testing, following which officials sealed the kitchen and locked the pub.
The Food Department has so far inspected seven establishments as part of the ongoing city-wide crackdown, with officials continuing to check hotels and pubs for violations of food safety norms.
Food Department Raids UB City Restaurants
A 15-member Food Department team conducted raids at several prominent hotels and restaurants in UB City, Bengaluru, and found multiple food items allegedly unfit for consumption. Officials seized and disposed of a total of 132 kg of food items and 15 litres of used cooking oil during the inspections.
Rotten Chicken, Beef Seized From Skyye Lounge
At Skyye Lounge, officials seized 45 kg of rotten chicken and beef, along with 6 kg of vegetable cutlets and 15 litres of used cooking oil. The 51 kg of food articles were found unfit for consumption and discarded or destroyed as per procedure.
The students’ objection centres the Supreme Court’s reported refusal to urgently list a plea concerning the police action against protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
Students asked the university to “strongly reconsider” the choice.
A group of graduating students of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, have demanded that the university administration reconsider its reported proposal to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest for the upcoming convocation.
In a representation addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and professors, the students said the convocation should reflect the university’s commitment to “constitutional rights, access to justice, and reasoned engagement with grievances.”
The students’ objection centres on the Supreme Court’s reported refusal to urgently list a plea concerning the police action against protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
The protest was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with participants raising issues including the conduct of the NEET examination and the functioning of the National Testing Agency.
Top Law College Invites Chief Justice Surya Kant To Convocation, Students React
The students’ objection centres the Supreme Court’s reported refusal to urgently list a plea concerning the police action against protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
Reported by:
Ashish Kumar Pandey
India News
Aug 09, 2026 20:22 IST
Published On Aug 09, 2026 18:10 IST
Last Updated On Aug 09, 2026 20:22 IST
Read Time: 2 mins
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Top Law College Invites Chief Justice Surya Kant To Convocation, Students React
Students asked the university to “strongly reconsider” the choice.
New Delhi:
A group of graduating students of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, have demanded that the university administration reconsider its reported proposal to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest for the upcoming convocation.
In a representation addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and professors, the students said the convocation should reflect the university’s commitment to “constitutional rights, access to justice, and reasoned engagement with grievances.”
The students’ objection centres on the Supreme Court’s reported refusal to urgently list a plea concerning the police action against protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
The protest was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with participants raising issues including the conduct of the NEET examination and the functioning of the National Testing Agency.
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In their representation, the students referred to reports that said when the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing on July 22, the CJI told counsel, “Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time”.
When counsel offered to show video evidence of alleged police excesses, the CJI responded, “We are not interested in videos. We don’t have time to watch,” it added.
The representation also claims that counsel was cut short while explaining the issues behind the protest, with the reported remark, “Thank you very much.”
The students noted that a separate petition in the form of a letter had already been addressed to the CJI, seeking the Supreme Court’s suo motu intervention into the alleged police action.
The petition cited injuries to more than 170 protesters, including women and children, and referred to safeguards laid down in DK Basu vs State of West Bengal.
A team from the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station, which is probing the case, reached TG Mohandas’ residence at Koovappadam near Mattancherry on Sunday evening along with officials from the local police station.
TG Mohandas would be questioned in detail as part of the investigation.
Right-wing political commentator TG Mohandas was taken into custody from his residence in Mattancherry here on Sunday over remarks he allegedly made in a YouTube video about a students’ protest in Delhi over the NEET paper leak, police said.
A team from the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station, which is probing the case, reached Mohandas’ residence at Koovappadam near Mattancherry on Sunday evening along with officials from the local police station.
Police said Mohandas was present when the investigation team arrived.
The police team collected information about his YouTube account and digital equipment allegedly used to create and upload the video, officials said.
Police sources said Mohandas would be questioned in detail as part of the investigation.
The case was registered following a complaint alleging that videos uploaded on Mohandas’ YouTube channel, ‘Pathrika’, were intended to disturb public peace and create fear and unrest among the public.
In the video, Mohandas allegedly said the Delhi students’ protest “could lead to incidents of gang rape” and claimed that there would be no complaints because “those attending the protest like rape and there are girls who enjoy being raped”.
He also allegedly said that, if he were in charge, he would impose a curfew and order the protesters to disperse and, if they refused, “open fire”.
Negotiations between Jharkhand officials and student protesters are stalled as demands for canceling the JSSC CGL exam remain unmet.
Jharkhand Ministers Dipika Pandey, Sanjay Prasad Yadav and Sudipto Sonu address the media along with the student leader Kunal Pratap Singh after the meeting at the State Guest House in Ranchi. (ANI Photo)
The high-stakes standoff between the Jharkhand government and protesting student groups remains firmly deadlocked despite intense rounds of negotiations at the State Guest House in Morabadi, even as Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that his government is handling their demands with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness.While the government claims to have conceded nearly all major student demands, student unions refused to back down without the complete cancellation of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination.
Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said authorities acted in good faith to resolve the crisis. “The government has accepted 98% of the students’ demands to ensure a fair academic and recruitment environment,” Sonu said.
Government says it cannot cancel CGL exam
The minister emphasised that the core demand regarding the CGL exam falls outside executive jurisdiction. “The state government does not have the authority to cancel the CGL examination. It was conducted following specific directives from both the High Court and the Supreme Court. Consequently, the government cannot unilaterally cancel the exam, nor can we legally overturn the appointments of candidates who have already been selected through this established process.”
Amit Shah is scheduled to present two bills in the Lok Sabha: one to rename Kerala as Keralam and another to enhance NCDC’s financing powers.
Amit Shah is scheduled to introduce bills in the Lok Sabha to rename Kerala as Keralam and expand the NCDC’s powers. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to introduce two bills — one seeking to rename Kerala as Keralam and another expanding the financing powers of the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) — in the Lok Sabha on Monday, amid a logjam in both Houses of Parliament. With just four days left in the ongoing monsoon session, the Opposition parties are seeking a statement from the home minister over the use of force against protesting students on July 20.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to change the name of Kerala to “Keralam”. The proposal follows a resolution passed by the Kerala assembly seeking the change. The Union Cabinet has already approved the proposal.
NCDC bill proposes wider funding powers
The second bill, the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to expand the mandate of the NCDC. Instead of largely financing programmes through cooperative societies, according to the draft bill, the corporation will also be able to fund a wider range of organisations involved in “co-operative development”.
The proposed changes come as the government argues that the cooperative sector has “expanded and diversified considerably” over the years. According to the statement of objects and reasons accompanying the bill, statutory bodies, state government agencies and other specialised organisations now provide infrastructure, technology, processing, marketing and financial services to cooperatives. As many of these organisations are not themselves registered as cooperative societies, the NCDC cannot finance them directly under the existing law, resulting in “procedural delays and limited uptake” as proposals have to be routed through state governments or cooperative societies.
Security personnel present during a protest against the alleged irregularities of examinations conducted by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) in Ranchi. (PTI)
Ranchi Police on Sunday said it was “fully prepared” to deal with the planned “Vidhan Sabha gherao” by JPSC-JSSC aspirants, while assuring that no action would be taken against protesters as long as the demonstration remained peaceful.
Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said precautionary force deployment would be carried out effectively as a large number of students are expected to take part in the protest.
“Precautionary force deployment will be carried out effectively; the Ranchi Police is fully prepared. There will be a large number of students. Instructions have been issued to all Ranchi Police personnel that if the protesters conduct themselves peacefully, no inconvenience will be done to anyone. However, if anyone attempts to resort to violence, appropriate legal action will be taken against them…” Rana told news agency ANI.
Police clarify pellet gun video
Rana also addressed concerns over a viral video showing what appeared to be a pellet gun being carried by security personnel.
“If a pellet gun is being carried, it is strictly for emergency situations. Regarding the viral video—what is being mistaken for a pellet gun is actually a paintball gun; it fires soft, colored balls used to mark and identify troublemakers. It is not a pellet gun…” he said.
The scheme pays eligible women 1,500 rupees ($17; £13) a month
Until two years ago, Nirmala Bawaskar had no bank account of her own.
A widow who works as a housemaid in Maharashtra’s Sambhajinagar district, she signed documents with a thumbprint and had little control over money entering her household.
That changed when she enrolled in the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, one of India’s biggest state cash-transfer schemes. Launched just months before the state’s closely fought election in 2024, it pays eligible women 1,500 rupees ($17; £13) a month and became both a financial lifeline for millions and one of the state’s most potent political symbols.
For Bawaskar, the modest monthly payment meant her first bank account and money she could call her own.
“Though it is a small amount, it really helped us, especially with medical expenses,” she says. “I was so motivated by it that I even learned how to write.”
Bawaskar is one of more than 26 million women enrolled in the scheme, which is now under scrutiny over its implementation.
Last month, India’s national auditor said Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Department overspent its authorised budget by 35.41bn rupees, spending a total of 332.37bn rupees on Ladki Bahin in its first financial year.
Separately, a government verification drive removed more than nine million beneficiaries – mostly for failing to complete mandatory identity checks, while others were found to be ineligible.
The Maharashtra government has not responded publicly to the audit. Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare’s office told the BBC that a verification drive and recovery of ineligible payments were continuing but did not address the auditor’s findings.
When Maharashtra launched Ladki Bahin in June 2024, it said the monthly payments would boost women’s financial independence and help families meet their everyday expenses. The scheme covered eligible women aged 21 to 65 from lower-income households, excluding income-tax payers, government employees and families already receiving similar welfare benefits.
A 19-year-old college student reportedly took her own life by jumping from a mall near Rajouri Garden Metro station.
19-Year-Old Student Dies by Suicide at Rajouri Garden Mall (AI-generated)
A 19-year-old college student allegedly died by suicide after jumping from an upper floor of a mall near the Rajouri Garden Pink Line Metro station on Saturday, police said. The woman was a third-year BA student at Aryabhatta College in Delhi, according to police.
During the preliminary investigation, her family told police that she had been suffering from depression after the death of her mother in 2021. A head constable on routine patrol noticed the woman’s body lying near the Mall of Rajouri and informed the Rajouri Garden police station.
A police team reached the spot and examined the area along with the crime team and personnel from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Police said a handwritten suicide note was recovered from the spot. In the note, the woman stated that she was ending her life of her own volition.
Spain is poised to replace its Ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol, following allegations of misusing embassy funds for personal gain.
Spain’s Ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol | File photo
Spain is likely to replace its Ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol, over alleged allegations of taking financial favors from an Indian firm and using public funds to promote cultural events. According to Spanish media outlet – The Objective – the Spanish Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office received a report earlier in May that mentioned that Antonio was allegedly promoting a singer for events in India using embassy funds.
Antonio is accused of allegedly using embassy funds and seeking support from businesses to promote international singers with no relations with Spain.
Further, according to The Objective, Antonio is also allegedly accused of striking a personal deal with an India visa processing firm for a 5000-Euro contribution to the cultural event in Rajasthan. The firm is known to handle visa-processing services for the Spanish Embassy in India and also for other Spanish diplomatic missions.
He is accused of using diplomatic outreach and Spanish embassy funds for organising events. According to media reports, Juan Antonio March has already left the country and a new envoy is expected to replace him within a few weeks.
Dharmendra Pradhan said attempts were made to mislead Gen Z during the NEET paper leak protests and revealed he had offered to resign as Education Minister.
Dharmendra Pradhan speaks about his resignation as Education Minister amid the NEET controversy. (Photo: PTI)
Senior BJP leader and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan has said attempts were made to “mislead” Generation Z during the protests over the NEET paper leak controversy, revealing that he had himself approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign as Union Education Minister.
Pradhan made the remarks on Saturday while addressing students and teachers at GM University in Sambalpur, exactly two weeks after he stepped down from the Union Council of Ministers amid massive protests over the NEET issue.
‘THE POST WAS NOT IMPORTANT TO ME’
Breaking his silence on his resignation, Pradhan said he had no personal issues at the time and maintained that the aspirations of young Indians were more important to him than his ministerial position.
“Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then,” Pradhan said, according to news agency PTI.
He said India sees the birth of around two crore children every year and that nearly 20 crore children had been born over the preceding decade.
“These children have aspirations, and they will make India the ‘Vishwa Guru’. The post was not important to me,” he said.
Pradhan also said he had approached Prime Minister Modi and offered to step down from the Union Council of Ministers. He resigned from the Education Ministry on July 25.
‘I AM A FARMER’S SON, I WILL COME BACK’
At another meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan took aim at former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik over protests organised against him.
Referring to a protest by BJD youth and student wing activists near the airport, where demonstrators raised slogans such as “Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back”, the BJP leader said he was not affected by such protests.
“I am a farmer’s son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will come back,” Pradhan said.
He also hit back at Patnaik over alleged criticism directed at him.
“Naveen Babu also calls me a disgrace to the people of Odisha and a bad person,” Pradhan said, accusing the BJD president of involving young people in protests against him.
“Have I ever done anything that will shame the people of Odisha?” he asked, prompting the gathering to respond with “No”.
Pradhan said that while he may not have brought laurels to Odisha, he had never done anything through his work that would bring disgrace to the state.
“I may not be bringing laurels for the state, but I have never disgraced the people by my work. I will never do any work which will tarnish the state’s reputation,” he said.
‘I BECAME UNION MINISTER WITH BLESSINGS OF LORD JAGANNATH’
Pradhan also spoke about his political journey, saying he became a Union minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur.
His remarks against Patnaik came at an event where BJD MLA and deputy leader in the Odisha Assembly Prasanna Acharya was also present.
Pradhan said that, given the BJD protests, he had consulted Acharya about whether he should attend the event.
“Keeping in view the BJD’s protests, I had consulted Prasanna Bhai whether I should go. Prasanna Babu told me to come and assured me that I would be welcomed. I came here after taking his permission,” Pradhan said.
BJD HITS BACK AT PRADHAN
BJD’s Sambalpur district president and former minister Rohit Pujari rejected Pradhan’s allegations and said the BJP leader had faced criticism because of the government’s handling of the student protests.
“Nobody had defamed Pradhan. His party and government have defamed him by police resorting to lathi-charge, tear gas and atrocities during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar,” Pujari said.
He argued that Pradhan was facing criticism because of those incidents and questioned why the former Odisha chief minister would be blamed for the police action.
“Why would Patnaik want to defame him? The whole country knows that 21 children died by suicide because of him. Of the 22 lakh students who appeared for the examination, around 21 lakh students must be under depression. Nobody needs to defame him; he has defamed himself,” Pujari claimed.
Pujari further alleged that it was the BJP government’s “wrong policy” that had brought a bad name to Pradhan.
Omar Abdullah said the delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood has triggered anger and hurt his credibility. He urged the Centre to set a clear timeline, saying the Union territory arrangement is unworkable.
Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed deep frustration over the delay in the restoration of statehood to the Union territory, saying the issue has led to widespread anger and disappointment. He said the discontent is not directed only at the PM Modi government, and added that he himself has lost a “huge amount” of political credibility because of the delay.
In an interview, Abdullah said he had tried to build a constructive working relationship with the Union government in the hope of securing the early return of statehood. He said that approach had come at a political cost, and urged the Centre to clearly spell out the conditions and timeline for restoring statehood.
“I put a huge amount of my own political credibility at stake for this. I know for a fact that I’ve eroded a large part of it,” Abdullah said. “I will pay the price for sins that are not mine, and again, I will carry that cross because it’s mine to bear,” he added.
Criticising the Centre’s position that statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time”, Abdullah said the process had become like a shifting finish line. “It’s like running a marathon. Instead of completing it in 42 km, every time you reach near the finishing line, they keep shifting it,” he said. He called on the Centre to define clear parameters so that his administration has a concrete goal.
Abdullah also rejected the argument made in some quarters that statehood cannot be restored until terrorism is fully eradicated. He said his elected government has no control over the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir. “The problem with this argument is that you’re effectively punishing a government that has no role in this. Militancy does not exist in Jammu and Kashmir because there’s an elected government. In fact, we have absolutely nothing to do with the anti-terror mechanism that is in place in J-K right now,” he said.
He said such an argument effectively shifts the decision outside India. “You are effectively saying that when Pakistan stops sponsoring terror, you will restore statehood – effectively transferring the decision from our capital to Islamabad,” he said.
Highlighting what he called administrative paralysis under the Union territory arrangement, Abdullah described a Union territory with an Assembly as an “abomination”. He said institutions such as the JK Power Development Corporation and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences remain under the lieutenant governor’s control. “There is no worse form of government than a Union territory with an Assembly. Please, by all means, have Union territories, but don’t give them assemblies,” he said, adding that his Cabinet cannot even choose its own administrative secretaries or appoint an advocate general.
Responding to criticism that he has softened his stand on Article 370, Abdullah said statehood must come first because it is a legal prerequisite for any division of constitutional powers. “Article 370 was basically the division of powers between the Union government and the state government. How can you have a state list when you are not a state? Statehood has to come before (Article) 370 can be restored,” he said.
Abdullah also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public commitment on the issue, saying the prime minister had personally backed the promise during visits to the region. “The prime minister put his personal credibility behind it. He said the restoration of statehood is not just any other promise, it’s a ‘Modi Ka Wada’. Obviously, he holds that promise to a higher standard, giving it greater weightage,” he said.
The Allahabad High Court upheld a dowry death conviction in the Lucknow case. It said direct evidence is unnecessary when statutory conditions and dowry harassment are proved.
No direct proof of husband’s role needed for dowry death: Allahabad HC (File photo)
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has held that no direct evidence of the husband’s or in-laws’ involvement is needed to treat a case as a dowry death if a woman dies within seven years of marriage and there is proof that she was harassed for dowry. The court made the observation while hearing an appeal by Sandeep Singh Hora, who was convicted in the death of his wife.
While upholding Hora’s conviction, a division bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava reduced his sentence from life imprisonment to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. The bench said the trial court had not given clear reasons for awarding the maximum punishment.
Hora was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2010 after being convicted in connection with the death of his wife in the Talkatora Police Station area of Lucknow. He had challenged the sentence in the high court. Delivering its verdict on Friday, the bench upheld his conviction for dowry death but reduced the sentence.
The court noted that the woman had died an unnatural death in her matrimonial home and that cruelty linked to a demand for dowry had been proved during the trial. It said Section 304-B of the IPC creates a presumption of dowry death once its conditions are met. The bench said that the absence of direct evidence showing the accused’s direct connection with the death does not by itself weaken a prosecution for dowry death.
At the same time, the high court said the trial court had failed to properly weigh the aggravating and mitigating circumstances while deciding the sentence. It observed that the case did not fall in the category of a “rare case” that would justify life imprisonment. The bench also took note of the fact that Hora had undergone six years, four months and 19 days of actual imprisonment, or seven years, five months and 21 days with remission, and that no adverse report about his conduct or antecedents had been placed before the court.
The court further observed that Hora is around 40 years old and that the incident had taken place 16 years ago. Referring to Supreme Court rulings, the bench said that though Section 304-B of the IPC allows life imprisonment, such extreme punishment should be imposed only in rare cases. It therefore reduced his sentence and directed that the time already spent in custody be adjusted against it, while leaving undisturbed his convictions and sentences under Sections 498-A and 406 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The decision came after five rounds of discussions over Friday and Saturday, including a meeting with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has been leading the protest.
A large gathering of job aspirants and students gather during a protest march in Ranchi. (PTI Photo)
The Jharkhand government has announced another round of talks with protesting job aspirants after a series of meetings with student groups failed to end a 15-day agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The fresh meeting with student representatives is scheduled for 12 pm on Sunday.
The decision came after five rounds of discussions over Friday and Saturday, including a meeting with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which has been leading the protest. Soon after the announcement, the group accused the government of “political manoeuvring” and said the move was aimed at dividing students and shifting attention from their main demands.
On Saturday, the Hemant Soren government held four rounds of talks with different student organisations, including the Congress-backed NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh. The government had held talks with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch on Friday.
After a four-hour meeting between the government panel and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday evening, Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the panel had informed the chief minister about the demands and concerns raised by student delegations. “It was decided in the meeting with the chief minister that a final round of talks with the protesting students will take place at 12 pm on Sunday,” she said.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch strongly objected to the fresh engagement with other student bodies. Ravindra Paswan, a leader of the group, said the government was trying to weaken the agitation by holding talks with organisations that had “played no role in the ongoing protest.”
“This is political manoeuvring by the government. It is trying to create a divide among students and divert attention. But they should know that all students are united,” Paswan said at a press conference at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students have been protesting since July 25. He said the Manch had already placed all its demands before the five-member government panel during a detailed meeting on Friday night.
The government panel, comprising ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar, Chamra Linda and Sanjay Prasad Yadav, first met the faction of protesters led by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, whose fast entered its seventh day. It later met the NSUI, ACS and JCM separately and sought their charters of demand. The JCM submitted five demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination.
The NSUI submitted six demands, including a CID probe within 90 days into all JPSC and JSSC examinations under suspicion and the setting up of a Jharkhand Testing Agency on the lines of the National Testing Agency. ACS leader Kartik Oraon demanded that tribal and regional languages be included as qualifying papers in recruitment examinations and that tests in which irregularities were found be cancelled.
The government said the discussions were held in a positive atmosphere and that it was considering the concerns raised by the protesting aspirants. Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav said the government would continue talks with the agitators seeking comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission. Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government had issued an email ID to seek suggestions from aspirants on reforms in the recruitment process.
Despite the talks, the protesters said their agitation would continue until all their demands were met. They also announced a march to the Assembly on August 10 if the government failed to meet their demands by Sunday. Meanwhile, the All India Students’ Association set up a separate platform at the stadium on Saturday, though its leaders said this should not be seen as a separate agitation.
AISA national president Neha Bora, who was attacked with ink during Friday’s Assembly march near Birsa Chowk, briefly joined the protest and raised slogans demanding cancellation of the 14th JPSC and JSSC-CGL examinations. Ranchi unit chief Vijay Kumar said the organisation had the same demands as the larger agitation and that its members would join the August 10 march without carrying the AISA banner.
The agitation has also seen protests by the ABVP. On Friday, its members scuffled with police while trying to breach barricades near the chief minister’s residence. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Aryan said around eight to 10 ABVP protesters were detained during the march and later released. The ABVP has announced a separate Vidhan Sabha march on August 11.
Supporting Jagtar Singh Hawara’s parole could be an attempt to signal to Sikh voters that AAP is willing to engage with issues that have strong emotional resonance within sections of the community.
The most significant factor could be the emerging possibility of an Akali Dal-BJP alliance.
The Bhagwant Mann government’s sudden decision to support parole for Khalistani extremist Jagtar Singh Hawara, just months after the Punjab government had advised against it, is unlikely to be seen purely through the lens of humanitarian considerations. The timing suggests a larger political calculation, particularly with Punjab’s 2027 electoral battle only months away.
A key factor could be the emerging possibility of an Akali Dal–BJP alliance. Both parties have been exploring ways to regain electoral relevance, and such an alliance could potentially combine two complementary vote bases — the BJP’s strength among urban voters and the Akali Dal’s traditional influence in rural and Panthic (religious) sections of Punjab. For the AAP, this combination could pose a serious challenge.
The Mann government, therefore, has little incentive to allow the Akali Dal to reclaim exclusive ownership of Panthic issues. Supporting Hawara’s parole could be an attempt to signal to Sikh voters that AAP is willing to engage with issues that have strong emotional resonance within sections of the community.
The timing also coincides with the emergence of Amritpal Singh and Waris Punjab De as a political force. Amritpal’s entry into electoral politics could further fragment the traditional Panthic vote and put pressure on the Akali Dal. For AAP, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity: it must prevent the Opposition from consolidating the Sikh vote around a single political narrative.
Hawara remains a highly emotive issue for a section of the Sikh electorate. By supporting his parole, the Mann government can attempt to position itself as responsive to Panthic sentiment without necessarily making a broader political commitment on the issue.
There is another important political calculation: the decision on his parole is not entirely in Punjab’s hands. The request has been made to the Delhi authorities, where the BJP is in power. This effectively puts the ball in the BJP’s court.
If the BJP-controlled authorities reject the request, AAP can argue that it supported parole, but the BJP did not. If the request is accepted, AAP can still claim that its intervention helped move the case forward. Politically, it is therefore a relatively low-risk move with potential gains for the Mann government.
But the biggest question remains the government’s own record.
In February-March 2026, the Punjab government cited information from the SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib, and the Director, Bureau of Investigation, stating that 25 criminal cases were registered against Hawara. The authorities had not recommended parole, and the Punjab government forwarded the case with an unfavourable recommendation.
Four months later, the same government is supporting parole on humanitarian grounds, citing Hawara’s ailing mother.
What Changed In These Four Months?
Punjab’s political landscape did.
The possibility of an Akali Dal-BJP alliance, the emergence of Amritpal Singh as a new Panthic political force and the approaching 2027 Assembly elections have intensified the competition for the rural, Sikh and Panthic electorate.
Kurthal and nearby Kerot had remained outside the Rajasthan Roadways network for decades.
Kurthal and nearby Kerot had remained outside the Rajasthan Roadways network for decades. Photo Source: X
What is routine for most people turned into a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for residents of a remote village in Rajasthan. Villagers in Kurthal, receiving their first Rajasthan Roadways bus nearly 79 years after Independence, welcomed the vehicle with flowers, drums, aarti and dancing as it entered the village. Videos of the celebrations have since gone viral on social media, capturing emotional scenes of residents gathering along the roadside despite the rain to greet the long-awaited bus service.
How did villagers welcome the bus?
As the Rajasthan Roadways bus entered the village, residents lined the roads, showered it with flowers, performed aarti, burst firecrackers and danced to the beat of drums. The driver and conductor were felicitated with turbans and garlands, according to videos and posts shared on social media.
Several users described the arrival as a historic moment for Kurthal and neighbouring Kerot village in Rajasthan’s Kekri region.
Why is the bus service significant?
Kurthal and nearby Kerot had remained outside the Rajasthan Roadways network for decades. Residents reportedly described the new route as the first government bus service to directly reach their villages since independence.
The bus is expected to improve connectivity to nearby towns, markets, hospitals, schools and government offices. Until now, villagers reportedly depended on private vehicles or had to travel several kilometres to access public transport.
Video sparks reactions online
The heartwarming visuals quickly went viral, with many social media users calling it “a historic moment.”
“For villagers who had waited decades for public bus connectivity, the arrival marked a historic moment, with many thanking local representatives for making the long-awaited service a reality,” a user shared.
🇮🇳 Residents of Villages in Rajasthan’s region welcomed a state roadways bus with flowers, aarti, drums and dancing after it reached their villages for the first time.
For villagers who had waited decades for public bus connectivity, the arrival marked a historic moment, with… pic.twitter.com/j1fVMOmL3L
“After decades of waiting since Independence, the first roadways bus finally arrived, welcomed with drums, music & pure joy despite the rain,” another added.
Historic moment in Bhawani village, Kekri (Rajasthan)!
This is the real meaning of development under PM Modi’s leadership & BJP’s focus on last-mile connectivity.
No village left behind. Progress on wheels! 🚌🇮🇳
पहली बार रोडवेज की बस गाँव में आई तो गांव वालों की खुशी का ठिकाना नहीं रहा.गांव में बस के प्रवेश करने पर ग्रामीणों ने फूल बरसाए, बस की आरती उतारी, पटाखे फोड़े और चालक-परिचालक का साफा व माला पहनाकर सम्मान किया.
राजस्थान के केकड़ी जिले में स्थित केरोट और कूरथल गांव में उत्सव का… pic.twitter.com/Azwz4CVbhw
The accused continuously blackmailed and exploited the survivors from 2022 to August 6, 2026, by threatening to make their videos viral on social media.
The police’s forensic team is closely examining digital evidence.
Police in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district have arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly sexually abusing minors and young men.
According to officials, the accused had been blackmailing and exploiting the survivors since 2022 by threatening to circulate their videos on social media.
Superintendent of Police Ashwini Sanap stated that over 600 obscene videos were recovered from the accused’s mobile phone. She added that police have begun recording statements of survivors after identifying them from the videos found on the device.
“The police received confidential information that a man was luring minors with money and committing crimes against them…The accused identified himself as 22-year-old Chetan Prakash Koli. He is a resident of Raisingpura. When his mobile phone was checked, it contained numerous obscene videos and photos. The forensic team seized his mobile phone, completed all necessary inspections and sent it for further examination,” the officer said.
Delhi Traffic Police has designated 8 Kanwar corridors along the city’s busiest arterials, including Ring Road, Mathura Road, Wazirabad Road. Grand Trunk Road.
Ghaziabad, Aug 08 (ANI): Kanwariyas carrying Dandi Kanwar participate in the on-going Kanwar Yatra, in Ghaziabad on Saturday. (ANI Photo) (Ashis Maitra)
An HT sound meter registered peaks of 110 decibels at two Kanwar Yatra rest camps in east Delhi as loudspeaker-mounted convoy trucks rolled past. That is roughly as loud as a chainsaw at close range, and more than 30 decibels above every legal ceiling that applies to noise in a residential area.
Even between the passing trucks, ambient noise at both camps — HT took the measurements at multiple occasions on Friday and Saturday — held between 80 and 88 decibels — 25 to 33 decibels above the 55-decibel daytime residential limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, the 85-decibel readings HT recorded carry roughly a thousand times the sound intensity of that ceiling.
The trucks have been grinding into the capital for over a week, and Saturday’s surge — the first of the yatra’s three peak days, which will send thousands more through the city until Tuesday — swelled the flow further.
What HT investigation found
HT ran the meter at two of those camps in east Delhi: one beside the Dilshaad Garden metro station on Grand Trunk Road, through which kanwariyas enter the capital from Uttar Pradesh, and one on Delhi-Haridwar Road near the Mandawali-West Vinod Nagar metro. Both fronted onto residential blocks. At Dilshaad Garden on Friday evening, six to seven convoy trucks rolled past within the half-hour between 5.30 pm and 6 pm, each pushing the meter into the 90-to-107 decibel range, with the evening’s peak of 109.3 decibels registering at 5.51 pm as one boombox truck ground past.
The second camp saw one such truck during HT’s Friday visit; it took the meter to 109.4 decibels.
Similar readings were recorded late on Saturday, well after the nationwide 10pm curfew for loud speakers, when peaks hit 89.5db at 11.35pm near Kalkaji, while the average persisted around 75db.
The routes crisscross Delhi. Delhi Traffic Police has designated eight Kanwar corridors along the city’s busiest arterials, including Ring Road, Mathura Road, Wazirabad Road, Grand Trunk Road, Rohtak Road and Najafgarh Road, with 308 rest camps set up along them. Eastern Delhi carries the heaviest concentration at 120 camps. From Sunday morning, the GT Road stretch between Apsara Border and Yamuna Bridge will be closed to general traffic until Tuesday evening. Residential blocks along every route face the same convoys.
CPCB limits on loudspeakers
Three legal ceilings apply. CPCB rules cap ambient noise in residential areas at 55 decibels between 6 am and 10 pm, and at 45 decibels through the night. Loudspeakers face a further, hard limit of 75 decibels at the boundary of the public place where they are used. In 2005, the Supreme Court affirmed those CPCB thresholds, prohibited the use of loudspeakers and sound amplifiers between 10 pm and 6 am except in public emergencies, and locked the 75-decibel loudspeaker ceiling in place.
The underlying Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 permit state governments to push the night cut-off to midnight on up to 15 religious or cultural days a year, but even that carve-out is bound by the 75-decibel maximum, and does not authorise 109-decibel peaks.
The Motor Vehicles Act separately prohibits both the boomboxes themselves and the vehicle modifications that mount them.
Delhi Police officers on yatra duty say that framework unravelled at the state borders. “Despite discussions, thousands of such vehicles playing loud music entered Shahdara through the borders, which means that the states’ police made no efforts in controlling them,” a senior officer involved in the security arrangement said.
Verbal agreements with counterparts in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — worked out to keep the modified convoys out of the capital — had not held. Once the trucks were inside Delhi, the officer said, the police could do little beyond asking drivers to lower the volume or physically cutting the cables, and even that had to be handled cautiously to avoid confrontation with pilgrims who could turn aggressive.
No FIRs have been filed by the police. Police spokespersons did not respond to requests for a comment.
Immeasurable effects
The readings themselves understate what residents actually endure. Standard sound meters use A-weighting, or dB(A), which is calibrated to the frequencies the human ear finds most sensitive — the mid-range where speech lives — and discounts the low-frequency energy that dominates the boombox trucks. Most of what the speaker walls produce sits below 200 hertz, in the sub-bass range that A-weighting suppresses.
HT’s dB(A) reading of 109 is a conservative floor; the same sound measured on a flatter, C-weighted scale would run substantially higher. Low-frequency waves carry long wavelengths and high energy, pass through walls, and shake structures at their resonant frequencies — which is why residents describe walls vibrating and window panes rattling in their frames.
The Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 was passed in Lok Sabha, giving rise to concerns that the law would allow banks to charge fees on UPI transactions.
The Centre has now stated that a vast majority of UPI transactions will remain free of charge (Representative image)
The union government on Saturday clarified that transactions via UPI will remain free and attract no charges, after the passing of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 in Lok Sabha earlier this week.
Earlier reports had suggested that the Bill would allow the government to permit banks and payment companies to charge fees on UPI and other digital payments in the future.
However, in a press release, the Centre has now stated that a vast majority of transactions would remain free of charge for customers as well as merchants. However, it said that nominal charges may apply on certain limited merchant transactions.
“Consumers making payments will not face any transaction charges,” the government said, adding that all person-to-person (P2P) transactions would continue free of charge. “As and when MDR charges are introduced, they will apply only to a limited set of merchant transactions, above a certain threshold, at a nominal rate, far lower than debit or credit card MDRs,” it added.
The merchant discount rate (MDR) is the fee charged on a digital/ card payment made to a merchant. The MDR has been zero for UPI transactions till now, meaning merchants do not generally pay a transaction fee for accepting UPI payments.
The government asserted that while a vast majority of payments will be free of charge, MDR, if introduced, would only be threshold based and “not blanketly levied to all.”
“Once the Parliament passes the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes to amend Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the “UPI and Services Steering Committee” headed by NPCI will decide on the MDR, if any,” the government further stated.
‘Completely false and misleading’: Govt refutes reports of ‘external pressure’
The government further dismissed reports suggesting that “external pressure” might have been a contributing factor for the amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, calling them “misleading.”
Apart from discussing India-US strategic ties, PM Modi said he also congratulated JD Vance and Second Lady Usha on the birth of their son.
JD Vance dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. (AP and Facebook/ Narendra Modi)
US vice president JD Vance dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership and to exchange views on regional and global issues.
The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, defence, critical technologies and energy security, according to a readout from the Indian government.
“Received a phone call from US Vice President JD Vance. We discussed ways to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership across key areas,” Modi said on social media.
Modi and Vance reviewed progress in the bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership, and noted the “sustained momentum in the high-level engagements”, the readout said. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, it said without going into details.
They “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, critical and emerging technologies, energy security and critical minerals.”
The phone call came against the backdrop of continuing negotiations between India and the US to conclude an interim bilateral trade agreement and differences over the tariff policies of the Trump administration. Modi has also spoken to President Donald Trump on phone several times this year and the two leaders met on the margins of the G7 Summit in France in June.
she accused her superiors of targeting her, denying weekly offs and emergency leave, and sacking her after she questioned the treatment. Her family said she had been distressed for 15 days
X
A disturbing incident has come to light from Karnataka’s Mysuru. A woman reportedly died by suicide after consuming pesticide. She alleged workplace harassment in her suicide note. The incident took place in Hinkal within the limits of Vijayanagar police station in Mysuru.
The deceased has been identified as Nageshwari. She was working as a Tata product promoter at Reliance Mart in Hinakal. She was employed through PPMS Agency, a marketing company, according to NDTV.
Nageshwari had been facing difficulties at her workplace for the past four months after a woman identified as Dolly was appointed as a supervisor, according to the allegations mentioned in the suicide note.
Family claims workplace distress
The deceased woman’s family claimed that she was distressed for the past. Till the time of publishing the article, no response from the company she worked for was available publicly.
Nageshwari had been under mental distress for the past 15 days and had told them that she was facing harassment at her workplace, according to her family.
Allegations of unfair treatment
Nageshwari accused her superiors of targeting and harassing her over matters that were not her fault. She also alleged that she had not been given a weekly day off for four months and was denied emergency leave. She further alleged that she was sacked after questioning the unfair treatment against her.
The Federation of Indian Pilots has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace the DGCA with an autonomous Civil Aviation Authority of India. In a letter, FIP said the current regulator lacks financial flexibility and independence. The body said a statutory authority could improve safety oversight, recruit experts and support India’s expanding aviation sector.
Pilots’ Body Urges PM Narendra Modi To Replace DGCA With An Autonomous Civil Aviation Authority | AI
The Indian pilots’ body has urged the union government to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with an autonomous statutory body – the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of India. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has written to prime minister Narendra Modi for the replacement to push structural reforms in India’s fast-expanding aviation sector.
FIP Cites Need For Independent Safety Regulator
In a letter dated August 6, the pilots’ representative body highlighted that the DGCA’s current status as an attached office under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) severely restricts its administrative flexibility, financial powers and ability to recruit technical specialists. The FIP asserted that international aviation conventions require India to possess an independent, financially self-sustaining safety regulator with greater statutory authority.
Copies of the representation have also been marked to the union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, cabinet secretary Dr. T. V. Somanathan and the principal secretary to the PM.
CAA Proposal Remained Pending For Over A Decade
The demand to establish a CAA is not new. The FIP letter pointed out that the initiative originated following deficiencies flagged during the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) ‘Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’ (USOAP) in October 2006. At India’s request, ICAO conducted a feasibility study between 2009 and 2010 regarding the creation of an autonomous regulator.
The proposal gained significant traction in the subsequent years as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) endorsed setting up a CAA in July 2010 in line with ICAO policy during its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) review. Between 2011 and 2013, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publicly backed an autonomous regulatory framework for India.
DGCA Faces Challenges Amid Aviation Expansion
In August 2013, the Civil Aviation Authority of India Bill, 2013, was introduced in the Lok Sabha and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture recommended the bill’s passage while suggesting governance refinements in January 2014. However, the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in May 2014 caused the Bill to lapse and the legislation has remained in limbo for over a decade.
The pilots’ union underscored that while the DGCA structure – established under the Aircraft Act of 1934 – served a smaller industry adequately, it struggles to cope with modern aviation realities. Major limitations cited in the representation include a lack of institutional independence as routine administrative, financial and operational decisions require lengthy ministry approvals. Moreover, fixed government pay scales make it difficult to recruit and retain experienced personnel while the scale and complexity of regulatory oversight have outstripped the DGCA’s internal capacity.
The representation highlighted a striking contrast between India and its regional neighbours, noting that India remains one of the few major aviation markets where the principal safety regulator is still a government department rather than a statutory authority. It highlighted that aviation regulators in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan also have an independent CAA.
Highlighting that the DGCA has to be dependent on annual government budgetary allocations as the fees collected for licensing, aircraft registration and operator certifications are deposited into the Consolidated Funds of India, the FIP suggested that establishment of a dedicated CAA can make the body a self-financing entity. According to the pilots’ association, the autonomous body could directly retain user fees, enabling continuous investment in technology, safety surveillance and market-competitive salaries.
According to the letter, written by FIP president Capt CS Randhawa, the justification relies on the explosive growth of India’s civil aviation market over the past decade, which has seen an increase in total passengers from 131 million in 2015 to over 239 million in 2025-26 while commercial fleet size expanded to over 850 aircraft and operational airstrips have grown to over 160. Moreover, there is also a rapid addition of over 35,000 registered drones, more than 100 remote pilot training organisations and new MRO facilities.
According to FIP estimates, while current DGCA fee collections yield approximately Rs 120 to Rs 150 crore annually, a full cost-recovery fee structure under a CAA could generate Rs 500 to Rs 700 crore annually, virtually eliminating the need for government grants after the initial transition.
Talks between Jharkhand government representatives and job aspirants protesting alleged JPSC and JSSC-CGL exam irregularities remained inconclusive in Ranchi. Students continued their 14-day agitation, demanding a CBI probe and cancellation of disputed exams. A protesting student fell ill during a hunger strike, while AISA president Neha Bora alleged an ink attack during a march.
Jharkhand JPSC-JSSC Protest: Talks With Job Aspirants Inconclusive As Agitation Enters 14th Day | VIDEO | ANI
Talks between delegations of job aspirants and the Jharkhand government, held at the State Guest House (Circuit House) in Ranchi on Friday, remained inconclusive as the student protest entered its 14th day.
Among other demands, job aspirants are seeking a CBI probe and cancellation of exams due to alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC-CGL recruitment tests.
Speaking to reporters, Jharkhand higher and technical education minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said that talks were held in a positive atmosphere. He added that the government would consider their demands and inform job aspirants of its decisions.
Emerging from the meeting, students said talks were held in a very positive, family-like atmosphere. They however, claimed that their protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium would continue. The meeting lasted nearly two hours.
#WATCH | Ranchi, Jharkhand: A dialogue underway between state government delegation and JPSC-JSSC aspirants’ delegation.
The aspirants are protesting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in the city, over alleged irregularities in the exam.
The Jharkhand government was represented by Ministers Dipika Pandey Singh, Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Sanjay Kumar Singh Yadav, along with Chamra Linda, and an additional chief secretary rank officer. Rahul, one of four protesters on a hunger strike in Ranchi, fell ill as the protest continued. Doctors attending to the protesters took Rahul to a hospital after his health deteriorated. In such a situation, the government may want to end the deadlock soon.
Meanwhile, a man threw ink at All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora during a protest march to the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi on Friday. The incident occurred near Birsa Chowk when the protesters led by two student organisations – AISA and AISF – were marching towards the assembly.
Responding to the incident, Boara said, “RSS-BJP goons throw ink at me and around 20 other women in Ranchi, Jharkhand! For them ink is a tool to try to shame others, we will write the future with ink!”
Heavy rainfall battered Delhi, causing severe waterlogging, traffic disruption and structural damage across the city. The Delhi Fire Service said it received reports of nine house collapses and 16 tree falls since Thursday night. Three women trapped after one tree-fall incident were rescued, while rainwater also entered parts of Safdarjung Hospital.
Heavy rains lashed Delhi-NCR, triggering widespread waterlogging, traffic disruptions and damage to residential structures across the national capital. The Delhi Fire Service, in an update on Friday night, said it received calls about nine house collapses since late Thursday night, while 16 incidents of tree fall were reported from different parts of the city.
Delhi Fire Service- “Rain has been lashing Delhi since morning; the fire department has received calls regarding nine house collapses since late last night. Additionally, the fire department has received calls about 16 trees falling across various parts of Delhi. In one of these…
In one of the tree-fall incidents, three women were trapped inside a house. They were later rescued with the help of fire department personnel. The incessant rainfall also disrupted normal life, with several low-lying roads submerged and commuters facing severe traffic congestion.
#WATCH | Delhi: Heavy waterlogging in Sangam Vihar area following heavy rainfall. People push their vehicles through deep water. pic.twitter.com/VTksMVmNzG
Heavy waterlogging was reported in Delhi-NCR following heavy rainfall, with severe water accumulation in Sangam Vihar and at the Kapashera border. Visuals show people struggling to push their vehicles through deep water.
The rainwater also entered parts of Safdarjung Hospital, leaving patients and attendants struggling to move through the premises. Videos and visuals showed people wading through knee-deep water in and around the hospital. An attendant, Arif Khan, told ANI that patients and their families had been facing difficulties since morning due to extensive waterlogging.
India on Friday issued standard names for 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh located along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
The move is aimed at reinforcing India’s absolute sovereign and legal jurisdiction over these territories.
India on Friday issued standard names for 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh located along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a move officials described as a riposte to China’s efforts to rename dozens of locations in the state in recent years.
Among the places included in the list is the border village of Longju, which has been controlled by China since 1959 but falls within the Indian claim line, officials said on condition of anonymity. The move is aimed at reinforcing India’s absolute sovereign and legal jurisdiction over these territories.
An official statement from the Union home ministry said the Indian government, in consultation with the government of Arunachal Pradesh, “identified a total of 27 places or features in Arunachal Pradesh, by standard place and feature names on the official maps of Survey of India (SoI)”.
“Identifying them formally on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large,” the statement said.
The home ministry said the locations identified on the Survey of India map include 21 land areas, four passes, a lake, and a monument. The land locations are Longju, Maja, Bisa, Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun, Dhan Bari, Pritnagar, Buddhamandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar, Ramnagar, Jaswant Garh, Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar, Baisakhi, Chhota Ropuk, Bara Ropuk, Shivaji Nagar, Sunpura, and Kamlang Nagar.
The inspection drive targeted premium hospitality establishments across the city, with officials saying the exercise was intended to ensure that even the state’s most prestigious hotels comply with food safety regulations and hygiene standards.
The inspections revealed a range of alleged violations across multiple hotels.
Expired milk, rotten meat, fungal growth on vegetables — these were not seen at some dingy roadside eatery but at some of Bengaluru’s poshest hotels and resorts. Sweeping inspection of some of the city’s most prominent luxury hotels has uncovered a series of food safety violations, prompting Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department to launch legal proceedings.
The inspection drive targeted premium hospitality establishments across the city, with officials saying the exercise was intended to ensure that even the state’s most prestigious hotels comply with food safety regulations and hygiene standards.
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said the raids were aimed at ensuring that even top-tier hotels comply with food safety norms.
The department deployed 30 teams of Food Safety Officers to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels across Bengaluru Urban district. The inspections covered all Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) zones and focused on compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations framed under it.
As part of the operation, officials collected 35 food samples from different establishments for laboratory testing. The samples included chicken, mutton, fish, edible oil, milk, spices, tea powder, cheese, tomato sauce, lemon juice and other food items. Authorities said the samples have been sent to laboratories for detailed analysis, with further action depending on the results.
The inspections revealed a range of alleged violations across multiple hotels. Officials reported unhygienic kitchens and storage areas, expired food products, fungal growth on vegetables, improper food handling practices, the presence of misbranded food products, non-compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) labelling norms, and failures to maintain separate storage facilities for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
Following the inspections, Food Safety officials issued notices to the concerned Food Business Operators. Officials said proceedings would be initiated against establishments where violations were detected.
The bill, named in honour of Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, was approved by the US Senate by an 86-11 vote.
India and China are among the top five importers of oil and gas from Russia
The US Senate has approved a bill that will allow President Donald Trump to impose 100% tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.
The bill, named in honour of Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11, was approved by the Senate by an 86-11 vote. Graham had strongly advocated for new sanctions against Russia for launching the Ukraine war, now in its fifth year.
His sister, Darline Graham, who succeeded him in the Senate, said the bill “hits (Russian President Vladimir) Putin where it hurts.”
Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who pressed for the bill’s passage along with Graham for over a year, said the people of Ukraine “are not alone”.
“Today, President (Volodymyr) Zelensky is watching from Ukraine – and Putin is watching from Moscow,” he said.
“I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too,” he said.
“Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine,” he added.
The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for approval when it reconvenes on August 31.
A 10-member student delegation protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment exams met with state government officials but vowed to continue their protests until their demands, including the cancellation of the 14th JPSC exam, are fulfilled.
Accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case
A 10-member delegation of the students protesting against the alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams held talks with the state government on Friday but said they would continue their agitation till all their demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC exam, are met. The students representing the JPSC-JSSC reforms manch, who held the first round of talks with the government representatives, said that they would march to the state assembly on August 10 if their demands are not met by Sunday. Reports also said that the students want to meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Briefing about the talks, a leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch told reporters, “The meeting with the Jharkhand government was held in a positive atmosphere. It assured us that our demands would be considered. However, we have decided to continue our protest till all our demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, are met.”
From the government’s side, State Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government was sensitive to the students’ concerns and is ready to consider.
“We met the delegation of student protesters. The government is sensitive to their demands and is ready to consider them sympathetically. The outcome will be visible soon,” PTI quoted Kumar told reporters.
Another state government Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the panel has apprised Chief Minister Hemant Soren of the students’ demands. “The CM is concerned about students and an outcome will come soon,” she said.
Ashutosh Ranka, spokesperson for the CJP, urged the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and called for a thorough investigation into examination paper leaks following a recent CBI chargesheet in the NEET-UG 2026 case.
CJP reacts to NEET 2026 chargesheet by CBI. (Image: PTI)
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka on Friday called for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and a wider probe into examination paper leaks following reports that the CBI has filed a chargesheet in the NEET-UG 2026 case.
Reacting to the development, Ranka said the chargesheet allegedly involves several NTA officials and argued that the agency needs a structural overhaul. “I just came to know that CBI has filed a charge sheet in the NEET 2026 case which involves a lot of NTA officers,” Ranka said.
He demanded that the NTA be dissolved and replaced with a National Technical Testing Commission with permanent staff and stronger auditing mechanisms for every examination it conducts.
The CJP spokesperson further argued that the issue goes beyond the functioning of the NTA and reflects wider structural problems within India’s examination system, stating, “It is imperative that the government takes steps to solve these structural issues that are plaguing the systems of this country, not just NTA but the entire exam system,” Ranka said.
He also called for an audit of examination infrastructure and private vendors involved in conducting exams, stressing the need for stronger safeguards to prevent future paper leaks.
“The vendors have to be audited properly and it has to be made sure that the country doesn’t see any more paper leaks,” the CJP spokesperson said.
As Maharashtra’s doctor protests intensify over the CCMP policy, a protesting MBBS doctor explains why the medical fraternity believes patient safety, clinical training and healthcare standards are at the heart of the controversy.
Maharashtra Doctors’ Strike (Credits: This image is AI-generated)
The Maharashtra Government has recently passed a decision that allows BHMS graduates, those who have completed a one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to become eligible for registration with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has triggered widespread protests by doctors across the state.
Medical associations have argued that while improving access to healthcare is important, allowing practitioners without an MBBS degree to prescribe modern medicines and register with the state’s medical council raises serious questions about patient safety and medical standards. The issue has now reached the Bombay High Court, even as doctors continue to voice their opposition.
Among those who joined the protests was Dr. Rajat Agrawal, MD (Radiodiagnosis), Shah Diagnostics and Dental Care, Gondia. In an exclusive conversation with Times Now, he explains why the medical fraternity believes the policy needs to be reconsidered.
Q. The Maharashtra government says a one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology is enough for BHMS doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines and seek MMC registration. Why are doctors opposing this?
Dr. Rajat Agrawal: This debate is much bigger than prescribing medicines. Modern medicine is built on years of scientific learning, clinical exposure and supervised training. Prescribing a drug is only the final step. Before that comes diagnosis, understanding disease progression, recognising complications and deciding the most appropriate course of treatment.
An MBBS doctor spends years learning all of this before being allowed to practise independently. A one-year certificate, no matter how well designed, cannot provide the same depth of clinical training. Medical standards exist to protect patients, and those standards should not be weakened.
Q. From a patient safety perspective, what concerns you the most?
Dr. Rajat Agrawal: Every prescription begins with a diagnosis. If the diagnosis itself is incorrect or delayed, the right medicine will not solve the problem.
The concern is not only about prescribing the wrong drug. It is also about missing serious illnesses, failing to recognise emergencies or overlooking complications that require immediate intervention. Modern medicines have adverse effects, contraindications and drug interactions that often become challenging in real-life clinical situations.
Clinical judgement is not something that develops in a classroom alone. It comes from years of bedside training, seeing different kinds of patients and learning under supervision. That experience is difficult to replace with a short-duration course.
Q. How is MBBS training different from a one-year pharmacology certificate?
Dr. Rajat Agrawal: An MBBS degree is much more than studying textbooks. It is a structured clinical journey. Students are trained in anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine and several other specialties before completing a compulsory rotating internship.
During this time, they learn how to examine patients, interpret investigations, manage uncertainty, identify emergencies and make evidence-based decisions with senior doctors guiding them. A pharmacology course may improve knowledge of medicines, but medicine itself is about far more than drugs. Diagnosis and overall patient management cannot be learnt in a single year.
Police suspect that Dakshayini died about a year ago. During this period, her daughter and son-in-law had reportedly not visited the house.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident. (Representative image)
A 52-year-old woman, identified as Dakshayini, was found dead inside a duplex house in Bengaluru’s Bagalagunte area, with police suspecting that she may have died nearly a year ago.
The incident came to light in Havanur Layout, where Dakshayini had been living alone. Her body remained undiscovered inside the house for nearly a year, according to preliminary information.
Dakshayini was reportedly battling depression following the deaths of her husband and son. Her husband, Umesh, died around 10 years ago, while her son later succumbed to cancer, NDTV reported.
Police suspect that Dakshayini died about a year ago. During this period, her daughter and son-in-law had reportedly not visited the house.
Bagalagunte police reached the spot, inspected the premises and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause and circumstances of her death.
FSSAI says some IMFL products contain artificial or nature-identical flavours that resemble rum or whisky but are still marketed simply as “rum” or “whisky”. According to the food regulator, this could mislead consumers about what the product actually contains.
The Bombay High Court will on Monday hear petitions filed by leading liquor manufacturers challenging the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s action that has effectively halted the sale of several Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) products over labelling and manufacturing concerns.
Among the companies that have moved the court are United Spirits, maker of McDowell’s No. 1, and Mohan Meakin, known for their Old Monk rum. They have challenged FSSAI’s recent orders, which object to the way certain rum and whisky products are labelled and the use of added flavouring in their manufacture.
WHAT IS THE DISPUTE?
FSSAI says some IMFL products contain artificial or nature-identical flavours that resemble rum or whisky but are still marketed simply as “rum” or “whisky.” According to the food regulator, this could mislead consumers about what the product actually contains.
The authority argues that such products should instead carry labels like “rum-flavoured spirit” or “whisky-flavoured spirit” to accurately reflect their composition.
FSSAI has also objected to labels carrying claims such as “matured in cask” when a significant portion of the alcohol consists of neutral spirit that has not undergone ageing. It says any age statement on the label should be based on the youngest spirit used in the blend.
WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT?
Hearing the matter on Friday, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that an abrupt industry-wide halt in sales could have far-reaching consequences.
“We agree that everything can’t be shut down overnight,” the bench remarked, while noting that the dispute affects manufacturers, distributors and consumers across the liquor industry.
At the same time, the court clarified that it was not for judges to decide technical questions relating to how alcoholic spirits should be manufactured, tested or marketed.
The bench directed Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh to appear at the next hearing after obtaining instructions from FSSAI, and posted the matter for Monday.
Devendra Nath Mahto has continued his indefinite hunger strike over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitments despite worsening health. The protest has drawn emotional support from other aspirants and sharpened demands for transparent examinations.
Devendra Nath Mahto, leading the JPSC-JSSC protest, continues his hunger strike on the sixth day despite deteriorating health, vowing not to end his fast until talks with the government succeed. (Photo credit: PTI)
The student-led agitation against alleged corruption in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) intensified on Tuesday as protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto vowed to continue his indefinite hunger strike despite deteriorating health.
Mahto, who is leading the Abhyarthi Nyay Manch (Candidates’ Justice Forum), is on the sixth day of his fast and has refused to call it off until talks with the government yield a satisfactory outcome for protesting students.
Doctors attending to him have warned that his condition is worsening. According to medical officials, Mahato is suffering from a chest infection, low blood sugar, and low blood pressure, and requires immediate hospitalization. Local administrative officials, including the SDM and the police station in-charge, have repeatedly urged him to seek treatment.
In an interaction with Aaj Tak, he said he would not leave the protest site until meaningful talks with the government are held and students’ concerns are addressed.
“The white sheet I am wrapped in may well become my shroud, but I will not end my fast until the talks are successful,” Mahto said.
He also revealed the personal toll the agitation has taken on him. Mahto said he avoids speaking to his family because he fears becoming emotionally vulnerable and losing focus on the movement.
Government sources said the ongoing discussions are centred on ensuring that Meta’s platforms operate in accordance with Indian laws.
Meta Under Fresh Govt Scrutiny Over Indian Law Compliance
The Central government has stepped up its scrutiny of Meta’s operations in India, with government sources stressing that global technology platforms must comply with Indian laws rather than operate under legal standards applicable in other countries.
The remarks come as Meta’s global team remains in India for a fresh round of discussions with government officials following the controversy over the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post.
According to government sources, three to four more meetings are expected over the coming days, with WhatsApp-related issues also set to be discussed.
‘Platforms can’t be run in India as per US law’
Government sources said the ongoing discussions are centred on ensuring that Meta’s platforms operate in accordance with Indian laws.
“Platforms can’t be run in India as per US law. These are technical matters; every aspect is to be understood. The aim is to employ law for the benefit of our society,” the sources said.
They added that every digital platform has a responsibility towards society and must comply with the country’s legal framework, just like any other institution.
According to the sources, Meta has already issued a public statement on the matter, while technical aspects, including platform logs, are being examined during the discussions.
The government also said it remains in regular contact with major digital platforms, including Meta, X and Telegram.
More meetings expected
Government sources said Meta’s global delegation will stay in India for a few more days. Three to four additional meetings are expected, and the next round of discussions will also include issues related to WhatsApp.
The central objective of the meetings is to assess whether Meta’s platforms are complying with Indian laws.
Apology over PM Modi’s Facebook post
The latest discussions follow a meeting between Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Kaplan apologised to the Centre for what he described as the “error restricting” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post.
“I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post,” Kaplan said.
Meta maintained that the temporary restriction of the Prime Minister’s July 23 Facebook post, in which he addressed students during nationwide protests over examination paper leaks, resulted from an operational error.
The government had summoned Meta’s senior global executives to explain how the platform’s moderation systems flagged the Prime Minister’s post and what safeguards would be introduced to prevent similar incidents involving high-profile accounts.
Wider issues under discussion
The talks extended beyond the issue of the Prime Minister’s post.
According to government sources, Meta’s delegation also discussed concerns related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), AI-generated deepfakes and broader operational shortcomings across the company’s platforms.
Benjamin Netanyahu called PM Narendra Modi, and they exchanged views on the recent developments in West Asia.
PM Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu reviewed sustained progress in the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership. (HT File Photo)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dialled his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday to review bilateral relations and discuss the situation in West Asia.
“Received a phone call from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We reviewed progress on various aspects of the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership which continues to grow from strength-to-strength,”Modi said on social media.
“We also exchanged views on the current situation in West Asia,” he said without giving details.
An Indian government readout said Modi and Netanyahu “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the bilateral cooperation across various sectors for the mutual benefit of the two countries”.
Speaking about the recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, Bhagwat said the protesters should not be called “anti-national”.
2,000 students aged 15-19 from 100+ cities to gather for a session of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat with Gen Z & Gen Alpha today at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), Mumbai. (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)
The grievances of Gen Z are genuine, and protest is also a form of dialogue, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday in a mega outreach to younger people against the backdrop of student protests in Delhi last month.
Addressing around 2,000 students aged between 15 and 19 from across the country, Bhagwat also spoke on unemployment, reservation, equal rights for women and those of the LGBTQIA+ community, and India’s relations with neighbouring countries.
Speaking about the recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, Bhagwat said the protesters should not be called “anti-national”.
“Gen Z are our own children. If they protest for an issue, how can they become anti-national? Their concerns should be heard. In a democracy, protest is also a form of dialogue. There is nothing wrong in protesting, but it should not be used to create divisions in society,” he said, acknowledging that improvements were needed in India’s education policy for which discussions are necessary.
“I believe in Gen Z and Gen Alpha blindly because they are an honest generation,” he added.
Gen Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2012.
Bhagwat was speaking at an interaction with Rishabh Shah, founder of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) – a youth organisation — at the Annual Championship Conference held in Mumbai, to mark its 15th anniversary.
Before the session, the moderator gathered questions from the students to ask Bhagwat, whose responses drew loud cheers from the audience. Bhagwat underscored that the young should be heard and that dialogue was the best way to solve issues.
On the LGBTQIA+ community
He said those belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community should be accepted as a part of society and even proposed that companionship laws could be an alternative to same-sex marriage.
“Marriage is an institution that helps prepare the next generation to become responsible members of society, and any changes to this system should be made carefully,” he said.
He made the comment when he was specifically questioned about the legality of same-sex marriages. “In such cases, we need to consider companionship which society can accept; once that is achieved, there is no need to frame a law,” he added.
In 2023, the Supreme Court turned down petitions asking for same-sex marriages to be legalised.
On Education and Reservation
On the question of reservation, Bhagwat said quotas would be necessary as long as inequality existed in society. “While some communities have benefited from reservation and progressed, others still remain deprived and are now raising their voices for equal opportunities,” said Bhagwat. He suggested that people who had already benefitted through reservation could consider giving up a part of the benefits for more deprived sections. “Those who benefited already through reservation could consider giving up a part of their benefits for more deprived sections,” Bhagwat said.
Bhagwat said education should not become a business and every child should have access to quality education, and stressed on the need to review fee structures, improve teacher training and increase public participation in school development. Supporting a higher budget for education, Bhagwat backed the demand that 6% of the country’s total budget be spent on this sector. He expressed faith that this could be achieved through dialogue, without the need for protests.
‘Need to study facts’
When he was asked about allegations of lathi-charge and use of pellet guns on protesting students in Delhi, Bhagwat reserved comment, saying he did not have full information about the incident. “I do not know why the lathi-charge happened or whether pellet guns were used. I need to study the facts before giving an opinion,” he said.
While he did not see a problem with the use of social media, he insisted that “people develop self-discipline and use social media responsibly”.
While responding to a query on India’s relations with Pakistan and China, he said the youth should stand by the government’s decisions during times of conflict with neighbouring nations.
While organisers did not specify the content of the posts, they said the pageant must uphold the standards expected of its titleholders.
She had been preparing to represent North Carolina at the 75th Miss USA competition.
Just weeks after being crowned Miss North Carolina USA, Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of her title after alleged racist social media posts from several years ago resurfaced. The 27-year-old was formally dethroned on Wednesday by pageant organisers A-Blaize Productions following what they described as a “thorough review of recently surfaced information”. The organisation said the decision was made after multiple discussions and in consultation with the Miss USA Organisation.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the organisers said in a statement. “It followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information and was based on the totality of the circumstances and our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and the values of our organisation.”
While organisers did not specify the content of the posts, they said the pageant must uphold the standards expected of its titleholders. They added that while people are capable of growth and change, accountability is equally important.
Miss USA President and CEO Thom Brodeur also did not reveal the posts’ contents but said the organisation has zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia or language that strips people of their dignity. He added that although Boltinhouse had apologised, the apology did not change the outcome.
“A title here isn’t a trinket. It is a position of trust, extended by an organisation and accepted by a woman who agrees to carry a standard in public. When that standard is broken, the title cannot continue as though nothing happened. What was brought to us was not a single moment. It reflected conduct over an extended period of time. That is why this outcome was reached and I stand behind it without qualification,” Brodeur said.
According to North Carolina news outlet NCBeat, the resurfaced posts were made between 2017 and 2019 under the username “Sosa the Stallion” and allegedly included repeated use of the N-word.
Boltinhouse, a business owner and model from Wilmington, made history in June as the first Honduran model to win the Miss North Carolina USA title. After her victory, she wrote on Instagram that the crown represented people who had been underestimated and encouraged others not to let anyone else’s opinion define their dreams.
Tarun Tejpal sentenced in rape case: Labelling was exactly what the survivor – alone and helpless against two of her senior colleagues back then – pointed out in her resignation letter when she mentioned “character assassination”
Tehelka co-founder Tarun Tejpal has been sentenced to 10 years in jail
Thirteen years ago, a journalist reached out for help to her boss at the news magazine Tehelka, distraught that the horror she faced in the hands of Tehelka co-founder Tarun Tejpal – who was the boss of her boss, Shoma Chaudhury – had been downplayed with “tactics of intimidation, character assassination and slander”.
Today, Tejpal was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for raping his junior colleague in 2013. The former Tehelka editor-in-chief was acquitted by a trial court in 2021.
The trial court’s verdict, the Bombay High Court said today, was “perverse” for falling prey to the notion that the complainant in such cases should be a “perfect victim” and conduct herself in a certain way to appear credible.
Tejpal said he will challenge the high court verdict in the Supreme Court.
The survivor in her resignation letter to Chaudhury, then managing editor, said she was “shattered” to find Chaudhury saying one thing in internal communications with her, while saying something else completely different outside on national TV.
By then, Tejpal had in public admitted to the crime.
The survivor, however, said in her resignation letter that both Tejpal and Chaudhury referred to his act of sexual violation as “an untoward incident” – which, she said, was clearly an attempt to cover up what had really occurred.
“You are now attempting to establish that Mr Tejpal has ‘another version’ of events (as surely, any sexual predator does), and that the ‘encounter’ may have been consensual or non-consensual… Mr Tejpal is now claiming that what occurred was a ‘fleeting, consensual encounter’; and that he wrote his apologies to me because of your ‘adamantine feminist principles’,” the survivor said in the letter.
Today, the Bombay High Court in its 81-page judgment expressed strong disapproval about the way the defence put the survivor in the dock and focused on her personal life. The court found it surprising the trial court “remained silent and allowed the defence to harass and humiliate her during the cross examination”.
The trial court at Goa’s Mapusa proceeded with the notion that a sexual assault survivor must behave in a stereotypical manner, and the survivor in the present case had to be a “perfect victim”, the high court said.
“The ‘perfect victim’ concept, more formally known as an ‘ideal victim’, described an unspoken cultural archetype where a person is fully believed, sympathised with and granted legitimacy only if they exhibit absolute vulnerability, complete innocence and total passivity,” the high court said.
When a survivor does not fit into this mould, then their trauma is devalued, it said.
This dangerous labelling was exactly what the survivor – alone and helpless against two of her senior colleagues back then – pointed out in her resignation letter when she mentioned “character assassination.”
“Tejpal was in a position of control and dominance over her,” the high court said, referring to the odds she faced when she began seeking justice from the same company whose owner had raped her.
The survivor in the letter said a sexual act carried out without consent cannot be justified on any basis.
“Over the past years, we have collectively defended the rights of women, written about custodial rape, sexual molestation at the workplace, spoken out harshly against the culture of victim blame and the tactical emotional intimidation and character assassination of those who dare to speak out against sexual violence,” she said in her resignation letter sent to Chaudhury.
For the passage of the delimitation bill, the government would need supporters beyond its NDA partners. However, many of these potential backers are vehemently opposed to the FCRA amendment bill.
The corridors of Parliament were abuzz on Wednesday afternoon with speculation over whether the government would push for the FCRA bill this week, or delay it to address the elephant in the room — the delimitation bill. While the government needs a simple majority for the passage of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026, it is the constitutional amendment that could create a catch-22 situation for the ruling dispensation.
The BJP is believed to be reaching out to parties beyond the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for passage of the ambitious delimitation bill which would be packaged under the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill. However, many of these parties such as the DMK, NCP-SP are up in arms against the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026. Others, such as YSRCP, are treading cautiously.
India Today spoke to top sources across parties including NCP-SP, DMK, YSRCP and even the BJP allies as to how they are placed when it comes to the FCRA Bill.
One of the regional parties from the south pointed out their concerns over the FCRA bill in its present format. They are worried about the impact the amendment would have on institutions which cater to their core vote bank.
“We are still in consultation with the government. If they agree for our amendments, we might consider coming on board. Else, we will have to oppose it,” the source said.
When asked if they could choose to abstain, the response was, “Abstaining is not a choice for us. We will either vote against it or support it. This issue would impact our core voter base. It touches upon on a sensitive issue related to them.”
The Christian and minority voters form the core vote bank of this regional party. They fear the FCRA bill in its present form will trigger outrage amongst its core voters. While they are on-board with the government on the delimitation bill — provided the BJP is ready to give 50% increase in parliament seats — supporting the government on the FCRA seems unlikely.
The unease over the proposed changes is palpable, and the Centre is trying to allay it. Sources said a delegation of around 10 Catholic bishops and senior church leaders will meet Home Minister Amit Shah at 5.30 pm today to discuss concerns over the FCRA bill.
Sources within the NCP-SP and DMK made it clear that they oppose the bill in its present format and would want it to be referred to the joint parliamentary committee.
“This FCRA bill needs more deliberation. Why suspect every donor?” a top NCP-SP source told India Today.
“The charity money is also being used for our children. There is no reason to suspect everyone, every donor and every institute…There are good institutions who are working in educational sector, running hospitals and other important welfare sectors. By bringing this bill, everyone is being suspected,” the NCP-SP MP said.
When asked if the NCP-SP could support the delimitation bill, they asserted there was no way to come to a decision when the government hasn’t even shared a draft copy with lawmakers.
The DMK, which is at daggers drawn with the Congress post the Tamil Nadu polls, is also opposed to the FCRA bill. A senior leader told India Today that it could open the doors for “a witch-hunt of minority institutions”.
“This bill in present form will enable the targeting of minority institutions. It could open the gates for witch-hunt of educational institutions, charitable bodies and NGOs. There are clauses in this bill which would enable the government to attach properties owned by any institutes getting funds under the FCRA under dispute even if they have been bought in the past. You can’t allow that to happen,” the DMK leader said.
“The NGOs are doing a lot of good work. You can put them under ransom through these laws. If some changes are required, you can’t open doors to penalise everyone or anyone,” the DMK MP said. “We will ask for JPC. We don’t need further amendments to the bill.”
Another DMK leader told India Today, “We will move certain amendments. We have strong reservations on the present form of the bill. Regional parties from southern India have issues with several clauses of the bill. We can’t support it.”
It would also put parties like the DMK and YSRCP in a peculiar situation if they openly oppose the FCRA bill and then go on to side with the BJP on the delimitation bill. These optics are under consideration by them, the sources indicated.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc parties are preparing themselves for an entrenched fight over the FCRA in Parliament. Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain told India Today that the party will oppose the FCRA bill for several reasons. His colleagues from Kerala pointed to how NGOs and religious organisations in the state will be affected by the proposed amendments. They said provisions allowing retrospective action against properties and granting sweeping powers to bureaucrats to act against institutions receiving FCRA funds were among their principal concerns.
A senior CPI(M) leader also argued that the powers proposed to be vested in bureaucrats under the bill were even broader than those under the Waqf amendments.
Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti were booked after the PDP’s Article 370 protest in Srinagar. The case sharpens the political and police confrontation over Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
According to the police, the scuffle took place when PDP president Mehbooba Mufti led a sit-in outside the party office on the night of August 4. (File Photo)
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti have been booked for allegedly assaulting a police officer during the Peoples Democratic Party’s protest seeking restoration of the region’s special status, officials said on Thursday.
The case has been registered under Sections 132, 121 and 191(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the protest held on Tuesday.
Officials said four more PDP leaders have also been asked to appear before the police and join the investigation. They added that Iltija Mufti has been summoned to appear before Police Station Kothibagh to join the investigation.
She was hospitalised at a private hospital in Srinagar after claiming she was manhandled by the police, and was discharged late on Wednesday after treatment.
The police claimed that Iltija Mufti physically assaulted an officer while he was carrying out his lawful duties.
“She is further alleged to have grabbed the officer and bitten his forearm, causing a bleeding bite injury,” officials said.
According to the police, the scuffle took place when PDP president Mehbooba Mufti led a sit-in outside the party office on the night of August 4, demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the reading down of Article 370.
“During the course of the protest, a section of the demonstrators allegedly attempted to violate the imposed restrictions by blocking Residency Road and proceeding towards Lal Chowk,” the police said.
The police said the protesters continued to move ahead despite appeals for peace. Iltija Mufti, however, alleged that she was manhandled by the police, and showed injuries on her arms to the media before being taken to hospital.
FSSAI directed Dabur to immediately stop selling food products carrying ‘100 per cent’ claims, terming them ambiguous, unverifiable and potentially misleading to consumers.
FSSAI asked Dabur to immediately stop selling products carrying “100 per cent” claims and file an action-taken report within 15 days. (Photo: Reuters)
Dabur India on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) order barring the sale of several of its food products, including honey, cow ghee and edible oils, over the use of claims such as “100 per cent natural”, “100 per cent pure” and “100 per cent organic”.
The challenge comes days after the food safety regulator issued a prohibition order against the fast-moving consumer goods company over what it described as misleading “100 per cent” claims on a range of products, including honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, cow ghee, coconut water and coconut milk.
Dabur, however, has argued that the FSSAI order was passed in “violation of the principles of natural justice and statutory provisions”, claiming that the regulator did not issue a prior show-cause notice or provide the company an opportunity to be heard before imposing the prohibition.
The company has also questioned the FSSAI’s authority to issue such a prohibitory order, contending that the regulator does not have the power to impose such restrictions in the manner adopted in the present case.
The company has further termed the order “non-speaking, ambiguous and without application of mind”, also objecting to the FSSAI making its enforcement order public, arguing that the move has painted a “negative image” of the company and its brand.
Dabur’s petition in the High Court said expressions such as “100 per cent” are widely used across several categories of food products by other major market players and questioned why it was subjected to the prohibition and public disclosure in these circumstances.
The company has sought judicial intervention against the regulator’s directive and the restrictions imposed on the sale of the products concerned. The petition is scheduled to be heard on Friday by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
WHAT FSSAI DIRECTED
Announcing its action earlier this week, the FSSAI said food products being sold on Dabur’s website were found carrying claims of “100 per cent” purity and such claims violate the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, because they are ambiguous, unverifiable and potentially misleading to consumers.
The regulator said Dabur Himalayan Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Dabur Organic Honey were also found displaying the Jaivik Bharat logo without a valid FSSAI organic endorsement.
It additionally flagged Dabur Hommade Coconut Milk, which was marketed with the claim “100 per cent purity”. According to the FSSAI, such a claim is not permissible for compound foods under the regulations.
NOTICE ISSUED EARLIER: FSSAI
The regulator has said it had earlier issued a notice to Dabur directing it to discontinue misleading “100 per cent” claims, but satisfactory corrective action was not taken by the company.
Following this, the FSSAI directed Dabur to immediately stop the sale of the food products identified in its notice, as well as other food products carrying what it considers misleading claims.
The company was also directed to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within 15 days detailing the steps taken to comply with the order.
The development came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged his cabinet colleagues to bolster their social media presence by engaging with young minds through the use of interactive content like reels.
Ministry of External Affairs joins Snapchat (Photo: Unsplash)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday launched its official Snapchat account, becoming one of the first ministries to expand its footprint on the digital platform that is dominated by the Gen Z population.
The development came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged his cabinet colleagues to bolster their social media presence by engaging with young minds through the use of interactive content like reels.
Briefing on the latest development, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the MEA, posted a video on X. “You followed us on X, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn. Follow us on Snapchat to hear more about what the Ministry of External Affairs does. Both in India and through our missions and posts abroad,” Jaiswal was heard saying.
He also shared the video with the caption, “We’re now on Snapchat! Add us and stay connected for exclusive stories, updates, engaging content and more. Let’s Snap!”
Nearly two weeks ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked several other ministers to use Instagram actively as the platform is home to a vast section of Indian youth. He also asked his colleagues to post reels and engage with the young minds through other interactive content.
“Young audiences are on Instagram. This is a large section of citizens that all of us need to stay connected with,” the Prime Minister told ministers, according to sources close to the development.
PM Modi further said that simply posting updates about government initiatives was not enough. Instead, they should use Instagram to interact directly with young people and communicate in a more engaging and accessible manner.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s criticism of the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, over UPI transactions. She said Merchant Discount Rate applies only to merchants, not customers, and would help banks and fintech firms invest in infrastructure, innovation and security.
Nirmala Sitharaman Rejects Jairam Ramesh’s UPI Charge Claims, Says MDR Applies Only To Merchants | X – nsitharamanoffc
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday hit back at senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over his criticism of the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, saying he should refrain from “spreading a canard” about the proposed changes related to UPI transactions.
Responding to Ramesh’s allegations, FM Sitharaman clarified that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applies only to merchants and not to end users or customers.
The minister said the move would enable banks and fintech companies to invest more in infrastructure, innovation and security, with all UPI users ultimately benefiting from these investments.
“Before spreading a canard, Jairam Ramesh, please consider this:
Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applies only on the merchants and not on the end users/customers. It will support the Banks & Fintech to invest more on infrastructure, innovation & security. All users of UPI will reap the benefits of this investment,” FM Sitharaman stated.
FM Sitharaman also criticised the Congress for raising the issue outside Parliament instead of debating it during the legislative process. The minister said the matter could have been discussed on the floor of the House if the party had engaged constructively when the Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
“All this could have been discussed on the floor of the House if your party engages constructively in Parliament when the Bill was/is tabled,” FM Sitharaman added.
Earlier, Jairam Ramesh had alleged that the proposed amendment removes the statutory guarantee that has kept UPI transactions free of charges, thereby opening the door for the future imposition of MDR on digital payments. He claimed that any such levy would ultimately be passed on to ordinary users.
The Tibetan Youth Congress’ chain hunger strike entered its 19th day in Dharamshala, protesting China’s Ethnic Unity Law and demanding UN intervention over alleged repression in Tibet. Three members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile joined the protest, part of a global campaign launched after Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen’s self-immolation outside the UN headquarters in New York.
Tibetan Youth Congress’ Hunger Strike Enters Day 19, Calls On UN To Hold China Accountable Over Ethnic Unity Law | Video | X / ANI
The chain hunger strike initiated by the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) entered its 19th day on Thursday.
#WATCH | Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh | Tibetan Youth Congress worldwide chain protest enters day 19th after Tibetan activist Lobsang Palden, famously known as Lobga Rangzen, died due to self-immolation outside the United Nations HQ in New York, USA. (06.08) pic.twitter.com/TnlDDj7UPE
The protest is part of a global campaign against China’s implementation of the Ethnic Unity Law. Three members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile joined the chain hunger strike in Dharamshala on Thursday.
Since July 19, the Tibetan Youth Congress has been carrying out a global protest campaign to amplify the voices of Tibetans and ensure that the truth about Tibet reaches a wider international audience.
A Global Appeal for Tibet
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile has issued an open letter to the international community warning about China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Law and its dangerous implications for Tibetans and other oppressed communities.
Speaking to ANI, TYC General Secretary Tenzin Lobsang, said, “It’s been 19 days since we started this chain hunger strike, but it has been 34 days since Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen self-immolated in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York. So far, 40 chapters of the Tibetan Youth Congress have organised different campaigns and protests in various ways across different places. We have been able to organise campaigns and protests in more than seven countries. We are trying to make this movement more effective so that the United Nations responds to our demands.”
“This chain hunger strike has been organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress, and today marks the 19th day of the protest. We are three members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile who have voluntarily joined this hunger strike in Dharamshala. We are protesting against China’s Ethnic Unity Law and are here to express our solidarity with martyr Lobga Rangzen, who self-immolated in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York. We believe the United Nations should hold China accountable for the repression in Tibet,” Wangdue Dorjee, a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, said.
Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU), through its Mother Teresa Social Welfare Mission, distributed relief materials to 250 flood-affected families in Sivasagar district, Assam. The aid included food, hygiene products, household essentials, clothing, stationery and baby care items, reflecting the university’s commitment to humanitarian service and community outreach.
Assam Floods: KKHSOU’s Mother Teresa Social Welfare Mission Provides Essential Relief To 250 Families In Sivasagar |
Demonstrating its commitment to social responsibility and humanitarian service, the Mother Teresa Social Welfare Mission of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU) organised a flood relief drive in the flood-affected villages of Hulang Katoni and Ligiripukhuri under Nazira and Lonpuria under Simaluguri in Sivasagar district.
As part of the humanitarian initiative, relief materials were distributed to 250 flood-affected families. The relief kits contained essential food and household items, including candles, bathing soap, mustard oil, soyabean, lentils, bottled drinking water, tea, flattened rice (chira), phenyl, sugar, milk, matchboxes, rice, toothpaste, toothbrushes, biscuits, mugs, sanitary pads and baby food.
In addition to the relief kits, bedsheets, pillow covers, bowl sets, ladles, gamusa, clothes, mosquito nets and stationery items for children were also distributed to help meet the immediate needs of the affected families.
The relief materials were handed over in the presence of Dr Bhaskar Bhattacharyya, Chairperson of the Mother Teresa Social Welfare Mission; Kamaleswar Kalita, Finance Officer, KKHSOU; Birinchi Kumar Borah, Assistant Registrar (Study Centre), KKHSOU; Dr. Sanjib Ghimire, Assistant Regional Director, Jorhat Regional Centre, KKHSOU; along with other officials and staff members of the University.
The successful execution of the relief programme was made possible through the support of Dr. Ajit Chandra Borah, Coordinator, Nazira College; Suka Muni Das, Coordinator, Sivasagar University; Nabajyoti Sarmah, Coordinator, Bir Lachit Barphukan College; Pranjal Gogoi, Office Assistant, Nazira College; Aditya Kalita of Hulang Katoni; and Dilip Saikia, media person from Ligiripukhuri, who coordinated the distribution of relief materials in the affected areas.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has officially introduced its National Working Committee, a move aimed at enhancing its organisational framework and boosting activities after recent public campaigns.
The Cockroach Janta Party formally announces the names of it’s National Working Committee.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Thursday formally announced the names of members of its National Working Committee, marking another organisational step by the political outfit.
The party announced its national-level team as it seeks to strengthen its organisational structure and expand its activities following its recent public campaigns. The newly constituted National Working Committee will be responsible for overseeing the party’s organisational functioning and coordinating its activities at the national level.
Taking to X, the CJP released the names of the members of the National Working Committee and wrote, “To execute our roadmap, the National Working Committee has ratified our inaugural national leadership roster.”
Founder & National Convener: Abhijeet Dipke (30)
Co-Conveners: Ashutosh Ranka (30), Saurav Das (27)
National Organization In-Charge: Ajinkya Shinde (35)
Organisation Co Incharge: Deepak Baliyan (26)
National Secretary: Aafreen Nawaz (34)
Media Lead: Vijay Reddy Mallangi (30)
Legal Affairs Lead: Ratna Singh (31)
Research & Policy Lead: Vaishnavi Gaur (29)
Technology Lead: Rohan Deshpande (31)
Finance Lead: Yogesh Ingale (33)
Zonal Leadership:
North Zone: Deepak Baliyan (26)
South Zone: Vijay Reddy Mallangi (30)
East & North East Zones: Ankit Bharadwaj (35)
West Zone: Yogesh Ingale (33)
In addition to this, the CJP said that over the next six months, the party will establish State Coordination Committees as well as Lok Sabha and city-level coordination units across India.
“No other persons have been named by CJP as office bearers other than those mentioned today,” the CJP mentioned.
The Cockroach Janta Party formally announces the names of it’s National Working Committee! pic.twitter.com/zMrXUNxW9U
— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) August 6, 2026
The announcement comes amid the CJP’s growing presence in the political discourse, with the party recently holding protests and raising issues concerning the government and political system.
Heavy rain continued to batter Kerala, inundating low-lying areas, disrupting normal life and prompting fresh evacuations and the opening of additional relief camps, even as the IMD warned of more rain and strong winds.
Local authorities said additional camps had been opened as the downpour persisted. (Photo: Reuters)
Heavy rain continued to lash several parts of Kerala on Wednesday, leading to widespread waterlogging and inundated roads, while authorities opened more relief camps and shifted people from low-lying areas. Floodwaters had not receded from many affected places, and normal life remained disrupted in several districts.
The impact was severe in the southern districts of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam, where incessant rain and overcast skies continued through the day. Educational institutions in 10 districts remained closed on Wednesday following the heavy rainfall.
In several inundated areas of Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam, people, including the elderly, women and children, were seen wading through knee-deep water. As many houses in low-lying areas remained waterlogged, more residents were moved to relief camps.
Local authorities said additional camps had been opened as the downpour persisted. Several northern districts, including high range areas of Kozhikode and Kannur, also received widespread rain.
The India Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall accompanied by surface wind speeds of up to 40 kmph at isolated places in Alappuzha and Kottayam during the morning hours. It also said moderate rainfall accompanied by winds reaching up to 40 kmph was likely at isolated places in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam during the same period.
According to the IMD, Panathur in Kasaragod recorded the highest rainfall in the state between 3 am on August 4 and midnight on August 5 with 84 mm, while Cheruvanchery in Kannur received 61 mm during the same period.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services warned of rough sea conditions and high waves ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 metres along the coasts of Thiruvananthapuram from Kappil to Pozhiyoor, Kollam from Alappad to Edava, and Alappuzha from Chellanam to Azhikkal Jetty from 5.30 am on Wednesday till 11.30 pm on Thursday due to the ‘Kallakkadal’ phenomenon. It also forecast waves of 1.2 to 1.6 metres along the Kanyakumari coast till 2.30 pm on Thursday.
In view of the alert, the Kerala Disaster Management Authority advised fishermen and coastal residents to remain vigilant, avoid beaches and all tourism-related activities there until the warning is withdrawn, and be cautious about possible coastal erosion.
As the rain continues, it asked people living in landslide, mudslide and flash flood-prone hilly regions to shift to safer locations during the daytime, and residents of flood-prone low-lying areas to move to relief camps after assessing the local situation.
It also advised people not to enter or cross rivers and other waterbodies for bathing, fishing or any other purpose, to avoid non-essential travel during intense rain, and not to visit waterfalls, reservoirs and hilly tourist destinations until the weather warning is withdrawn.
Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged that the Vijay government failed to fulfil its election promises and was merely renaming schemes introduced by the previous DMK administration.
Udhayanidhi Stalin called his arrest a diversionary tactic and alleged DMK leaders are being targeted.
Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday gave the Vijay-led TVK government’s Budget a “big zero”, alleging that several schemes announced by the administration were merely initiatives of the previous DMK government repackaged under different names.
“The marks for this Budget are a big zero,” Udhayanidhi told reporters, accusing the government of failing to deliver on its election promises while taking credit for schemes introduced during the DMK’s tenure.
“A lot of election promises were made. We have been asking when these promises will be fulfilled. But in this Budget, they have simply stuck a sticker on all the projects brought in by the DMK government,” he said.
The DMK leader alleged that several initiatives unveiled by the TVK government were essentially existing schemes that had been renamed, questioning why the administration needed committees and meetings if it was merely rebranding earlier programmes.
“It is just a name change, but the scheme remains the same. Why do you need committees and meetings just to change the names of schemes?” he asked.
Udhayanidhi’s criticism of the budget came a day after his arrest over remarks concerning actor Trisha, which he described as a “diversionary tactic” by the Vijay government.
He alleged that the ruling dispensation was systematically targeting DMK leaders and cadres, claiming that police entered his Chennai residence on Tuesday and took him into custody before transporting him nearly 400 km by road to Thanjavur, where a case had been registered against him.
“Yesterday, they barged into my house and arrested me. Yesterday’s drama was nothing but a diversionary tactic,” Udhayanidhi, son of former Chief Minister MK Stalin, said.
“It is not just me; all DMK MLAs are being targeted. AIADMK MLAs are being purchased and Gen Z DMK cadres are being arrested,” he alleged.
Udhayanidhi was arrested over an alleged “double-meaning” remark purportedly insulting Trisha. Rejecting the allegation, he maintained that his comments had been taken out of context and that he was speaking solely about the need to secure Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu’s farmers.
The DMK leader had earlier claimed that around 3,000 police personnel were deployed during his transfer from Chennai to Thanjavur and accused the authorities of treating him “like a terrorist”.
Security agencies have announced a Rs 15 lakh reward and circulated posters to trace Mohammad Lateef Bhat after recent killings in south Kashmir. Investigators believe the Lashkar commander coordinated attacks on migrant workers and police personnel to spread fear.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Lateef Bhat
Security agencies have stepped up efforts to track down Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Lateef Bhat, believed to be the key conspirator behind a series of recent targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities have announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh for information leading to his arrest and circulated wanted posters across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.
Posters carrying Bhat’s photograph have been put up at prominent locations, including Srinagar’s Press Enclave, urging the public to share credible information with security agencies.
Investigators suspect Bhat played a central role in the recent attacks that left a police officer and two migrant workers dead. On July 31, terrorists opened fire on two labourers from Chhattisgarh in Kulgam district. Deepak died on the spot, while Bhupender succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Days earlier, a head constable was shot dead in a targeted attack in Anantnag, triggering a major security crackdown across Kashmir.
According to preliminary investigations, both attacks were carried out using a small-calibre firearm, likely a pistol. Security officials say the method closely resembles attacks typically associated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-linked outfit that relies on locally recruited operatives and overground workers to execute swift targeted shootings before blending back into civilian populations.
Officials believe the attacks were aimed at creating fear, undermining the perception of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and targeting both migrant workers and security personnel.
From Nagpur to Lucknow to Jaipur and Visakhapatnam, anti-reservation protests are being reported from several cities even as a parallel campaign against caste-based quotas is gathering pace online. With several Assembly elections approaching, the growing chorus against reservation could reopen India’s most politically sensitive fault lines.
On August 3, thousands of protesters led by Karni Sena’s Mahipal Singh Makrana attempted to march to the BJP office and the Rajasthan CM’s residence. (Images: Karni Sena/ Social Media)
Remember the young man who, during a TV debate on the NEET paper leak, rose from his chair and passionately argued that caste-based reservation was driving student distress and even suicides? Harsh Dubey has since amassed thousands of followers on social media, reportedly given around two dozen interviews, and is now awaiting permission to stage a protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Over the past few weeks, a series of seemingly unrelated incidents has hinted at the emergence of a broader sentiment.
Online, the anti-reservation campaign has found a growing rallying point. The Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) Instagram page, which began gaining traction as the CJP protests wound down, now has around 5.9 million followers, amplifying voices against caste-based quotas and calling for their rationalisation. The RHA also held its first on-ground protest in Maharashtra’s Nagpur last week.
Days later, an agitation by the members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a group of the Rajputs, in Jaipur turned tense. They took to the streets and clashed with police over the now-stayed UGC’s caste equity regulations. One death has been alleged. Karni Sena leaders have sworn in the names of their revered deities not to vote for the BJP in the local body polls.
Put together, these developments suggest that anti-reservation voices are becoming louder and attracting supporters both online and offline. But the movement appears fragmented.
Harsh Dubey waits to enter Jantar Mantar and lead. The RHA is continuing to mobilise anti-quota voices on the internet. The Shri Rajput Karni Sena is waging its own battle on Jaipur’s streets.
But it’s clear that anti-reservation sentiment is growing stronger than ever, with prominent voices like academic-author Anand Ranganathan, journalist-creator Ajeet Bharti, and writer-director Anuradha Tiwari, joining in on the RHA platform that a student called Vedant started weeks ago.
A list of demands has also been floated by these voices.
Politicians, as always, are steering clear of the fast-boiling reservation debate. But on the ground, it is not just the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and Harsh Dubey who are trying to mobilise people against caste-based reservations in education, jobs and other domains.
Influencers, commentators and public intellectuals are split over reservations. Some favour the status quo, some want it scrapped entirely, while others support it only if they have a tighter eligibility criteria.
Online and offline, anti-reservation voices are steadily growing louder. The momentum threatens to widen one of India’s most politically explosive and divisive debates on caste-based reservation. The timing is delicate and could unsettle multiple stakeholders.
The anti-quota momentum comes weeks after the weeks-long CJP-led protests culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and India saw nationwide unrest over the UGC equity regulations, which the “upper-castes” said was “unjustified, unjust, undermined merit”, and would “deepen social divisions by enabling the unfair targetting of the savarna class”. The “upper-castes” in February called the norms “kaala-kanoon”.
These developments could also spell trouble for the government at the Centre, in the states, and the parties in power.
A packed election calendar lies ahead. Assembly elections are due in early 2027 in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, followed later by Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. In several of these states — especially Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest and politically most consequential state, through which the road to New Delhi is often said to pass — caste remains the most decisive electoral factor.
Electorally too, this is significant because, in the last election in Uttar Pradesh, when the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance outperformed the BJP, Rahul Gandhi’s “jitni abaadi, utna haq” (rights proportional to population) pitch and Akhilesh Yadav’s outreach to the Pichda, Dalit, Aadivasi (PDA) social coalition played key role in the campaigns. That was also reflected in the results.
ANTI-RESERVATION ANDOLAN’s DEBUT RALLY IN NAGPUR. SAVARNAS WANT UGC NORM’S ROLL-BACK
In the past few days, as the anti-reservation narrative has gathered momentum online, the movement has also spilled onto the streets. Protests and demonstrations have been reported in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, Rajasthan’s Jaipur, and Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam.
The Times of India reported that the Reservation Hatao Movement (RHM) on July 30 made its on-ground debut in Nagpur with a rally. The organisers had told the newspaper that around 1,000-2,000 people were expected to participate in the march. They described the Nagpur rally as the beginning of a nationwide campaign seeking changes to India’s reservation system and drew parallels with how the CJP evolved from an online campaign into a street movement.
Days later, on August 3, members of Savarna Morcha and Swarn Samaj in Lucknow came out in the city’s Shahid Smarak and Hazratganj area, reported Amar Ujala. They demanded a complete rollback of UGC rules and an end to caste-based reservation, alleging that they “gained nothing from democracy so far”.
KARNI SENA PROTESTS IN JAIPUR, DEMANDS UGC NORMS ROLL-BACK
A day later, a rally of thousands of people belonging to the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, led by its chief Mahipal Singh Makrana, reached in Jaipur after what the outfit described as a 24-day, 800-km march demanding the rollback of the UGC’s 2026 Equity Regulations, according to Dainik Bhaskar newspaper.
While the Sena mainly demanded the UGC norms be rolled back, they also sought “the review of caste-based laws, reservation for the economically weaker sections category in panchayat and municipal elections, and simplification of EWS reservation rules at the central level, among other demands,” The Times of India reported.
Karni Sena’s members marched towards the Collectorate and later attempted to move towards the BJP office and the Chief Minister’s residence. The police used water cannons and carried out a lathi charge after clashes erupted and barricades were breached. Makrana alleged that women, children and women were hit, which led to the death of one of the protesters.
Following the police action, Makrana administered an oath asking supporters not to vote for the BJP in the upcoming urban local body and panchayat elections, reported Dainik Bhaskar. The Indian Express reported that Makrana warned that “if their demands weren’t met, they would also oppose the BJP in the upcoming urban local body polls and later, the panchayat polls to ensure the ruling party’s defeat”.
Karni Sena has issued a seven-day ultimatum, threatening a Jaipur gherao and Rajasthan bandh. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP government of a “dictatorial attitude”, but didn’t comment on the merits and demerits of the reservation.
Then, on August 3, NEET aspirants in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, under the Jana Jagarana Samiti, held a silent protest in support of the RHA that we talked about. The young participants also wore black ribbons across their mouths and held placards, called for ending caste-based reservation, shifting to economic criteria, limiting quota benefits to a generation, minimum qualifying marks for all, incorporation of periodic reviews and sunset clauses, and ending election-time reservation promises, reported The Hindu.
While streets and roads across several states are witnessing demonstrations, the online space — where narratives are shaped, and mass mobilisation begins in the digital age — is seeing anti-reservation voices and demands grow even louder and more nuanced. Also, there is a caveat in the online mobilisation, which we’ll come to shortly.
ONLINE MOBILISATION AGAINST QUOTA IN FULL SWING
The RHA, floated by a student named Vedant, now headed by influencer Ajeet Bharti, has now floated five policy proposals to replace caste-based quotas with “income-based reservations”. The caveat is that while the RHA is concentrating on building a narrative online rather than rushing to the streets, Harsh Dubey [the face of the viral anti-reservation campaign] is still waiting for Delhi Police’s permission to protest at Jantar Mantar.
In fact, after Dubey suggested on social media that permission had been granted to share an acknowledgement, the DCP of New Delhi had to publicly clarify that no approval had been issued.
Initially, many of the passionate anti-reservation voices had called for the scrapping of the entire reservation system. But many of these proposals would be difficult to implement, both politically and constitutionally, and would certainly clash with political will and would face judicial scrutiny. Moreover, in a post on X, Vendant said that he “started the RHA page on Instagram with one objective — to begin a national discussion on a subject that many people were hesitant to even talk about”.
“One thing I also learnt is that many people expect immediate agitation, while my first goal was to encourage discussion. Lasting change begins when people are willing to talk, debate, and question. Agitation without dialogue rarely produces durable solutions,” Vedant said in a post on X, where he was clarifying that the RHA handle had not been “hijacked” by Bharti, as critics were suggesting.
According to the RHA’s proposal, the movement seeks to replace caste-based quotas with “income-based reservations.” It argued that “poverty has no caste”.
It also advocated “one family, one reservation, one time”, a minimum qualifying mark for all categories, and the transfer of unfilled reserved seats to the general category. It has also suggested periodic reviews to move economically advanced communities off of the reservation list.
The proposal further called for a “sunset clause” to gradually phase out reservations as educational inequality narrows, while banning political parties from promising new or higher reservation quotas during elections.
Apart from its five-point policy proposal, the RHA has been using social media to build a broader narrative around reservation reform. The posts frequently criticise the existing caste-based reservation system, arguing that it disadvantages economically weaker students from the general category while privileging caste over merit.
The RHA, in one of its posts, strongly opposed the UGC’s 2026 Equity Regulations, which saw fierce resistance from the “upper castes”.
It claimed the UGC norms would further entrench reservations and adversely affect educational standards. The RHA also regularly shares videos and graphics to mobilise supporters and expand its online reach.
The RHA has framed the debate on merit, equality and economic justice, not caste identity.
At least for now, the RHA seems more focused on mainstreaming the debate on reservation that it believes has been avoided. It appears to be in no mood to launch nationwide street protests like Harsh Dubey, even though its messaging found resonance at the recent demonstration in Visakhapatnam.
So, that brings up to the question of whether the government has at all tried to rationalise reservations in India?
Arjun Jani was arrested largely on suspicion and subjected to third-degree methods to extract a confession. The police failed to produce reliable evidence establishing his guilt.
Arjun Jani was arrested in connection with the 2004 triple murder after an eyewitness claimed to have seen him at the crime scene. (Photo: India Today)
The Supreme Court has acquitted an Odisha man who spent 22 years in prison after being wrongly convicted in a triple murder case, calling his prolonged incarceration a “collective failure” of the country’s criminal justice system.
The man, Arjun Jani, was convicted in the 2004 murder of three women in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district and spent more than two decades behind bars after being subjected to third-degree methods during interrogation.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court expressed serious concern over the miscarriage of justice, observing that Jani had been deprived of his liberty for 22 years despite the absence of credible evidence against him.
The court said the loss of more than two decades of an individual’s freedom without sufficient proof reflected a “collective failure” of the criminal justice system.
The case dates back to 2004, when three women were murdered in Nabarangpur district. Jani was subsequently arrested after an alleged eyewitness claimed to have seen him at the crime scene.
According to the Supreme Court, the police arrested Jani largely on suspicion and allegedly subjected him to third-degree methods during interrogation to extract a confession. The purported confession became a key part of the prosecution’s case and eventually led to his conviction.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday directed all departments concerned to remain on “high alert” in view of continuous rainfall and the India Meteorological Department’s warning of heavy rain in parts of the state.
The chief minister also asked district magistrates to remain on round-the-clock alert.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday directed all departments concerned to remain on “high alert” in view of continuous rainfall and the India Meteorological Department’s warning of heavy rain in parts of the state.
Reviewing the situation with Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, Dhami directed the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), district administration, police, fire services, health department and other agencies to maintain close coordination and ensure prompt relief and rescue operations in case of any emergency.
He asked district magistrates to remain on round-the-clock alert, continuously monitor vulnerable areas and keep a close watch on water levels in rivers and streams.
The chief minister also directed officials to shift people to safer places immediately if the situation so warrants.
Suman said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Dehradun, Chamoli and Bageshwar districts, and a yellow alert for the rest of the state for Thursday.
LPG cylinders are pictured inside a truck outside a gas agency, in Manesar, Haryana, India, April 7, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra Purchase Licensing Rights
India may impose a charge on cooking gas and natural gas consumers to help fund a planned $42 billion strategic fuel reserve, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, after disruptions from the Iran war exposed supply chain vulnerabilities.
The plan would extend India’s strategic reserves beyond crude oil for the first time, with stockpiles designed to cover about two months of crude and liquefied natural gas demand, and around six weeks of liquefied petroleum gas, or cooking gas, consumption, the two sources said.
Under the plan, cooking and natural gas storage infrastructure would be financed through levies on users that could raise about $1.5 billion annually, the two sources said.
India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is considering a levy of 1.29 Indian rupees ($0.0136) per kg of LPG, which would raise about $460 million a year based on current consumption and add about 18 rupees to the cost of a standard domestic cooking gas cylinder, the sources said.
For natural gas, the ministry has proposed a levy of 1.43 rupees per standard cubic metre, generating about $1 billion annually at current consumption levels, the sources said.
It was not immediately clear how the levies would be collected. The proceeds would primarily fund natural and cooking gas storage infrastructure, while crude reserves and strategic fuel inventories would continue to be financed by the federal government, the sources said.
The sources requested anonymity because the proposal is being discussed across ministries and has not yet received final approval from the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The proposed levies would add about 2% to household gas bills, the sources said. This would be a politically sensitive move for Modi’s government as it raises the costs for millions of consumers amid elevated fuel prices.
The funding mechanism, including the proposed levies on cooking and natural gas consumption, has not previously been reported.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Finance did not respond to requests for comment sent by Reuters on Tuesday.
A Bengaluru interior designer has accused Rapido of abandoning her after a horrific road accident left her with life-threatening injuries and medical bills exceeding Rs 20 lakh
A Bengaluru-based interior designer has accused Rapido of abandoning her after a bike accident left her critically injured and facing medical expenses of over Rs 20 lakh (Image-Instagram/@sani_krishna)
A Bengaluru-based interior designer has alleged that Rapido abandoned her after a horrific bike taxi accident left her with life-threatening injuries and medical expenses exceeding Rs 20 lakh.
Sani Krishna, a 32-year-old interior designer from Kerala, shared her story in a viral video, revealing how what began as a routine commute to work on June 17 turned into a life-altering tragedy after the Rapido bike she had booked crashed near Bagmane Tech Park.
According to Sani, she had booked a morning ride from her residence in Byrasandra to her office in Domlur. Less than a kilometre into the journey, she claimed the Rapido rider attempted to recklessly overtake a tractor, causing the motorcycle to lose control. She alleged that the impact threw her onto the road before the tractor ran over her, leaving her critically injured.
She was initially rushed to a nearby hospital before being shifted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru, where she underwent multiple surgeries. She was later transferred to Mithras Hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala, for further treatment and rehabilitation.
The accident resulted in severe injuries, including multiple fractured ribs, a broken shoulder, extensive facial trauma that required plastic surgery, serious liver damage, a collapsed lung, and injuries that led to the removal of her spleen through an emergency splenectomy. More than two weeks after the crash, Sani said she remains bedridden and is also undergoing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
According to Sani, her medical expenses have already crossed Rs 20 lakh. However, her cousin, Adwaith P, claimed that the family’s total expenditure on treatment has already exceeded Rs 25 lakh and is expected to increase further as her recovery continues.
In a video shared on Instagram that has since gone viral, Sani accused Rapido of failing to stand by her despite aggressively promoting its women’s safety features.
“Rapido spends millions marketing their women’s safety feature. On June 17th, I trusted them for my morning commute. Instead, I was crushed under a tractor and they abandoned me.
I broke nine ribs and the spleen has been removed. My teeth has gone and I have done plastic surgery on my face to look like this. And my hospital bill has already been crossed 20 lakhs.
We sent Rapido a legal notice hoping that they would respond to it. Instead, they ignored it and kept directing us to an insurance process through automated emails. Then I started reading comments on my post that I posted on Instagram.
Then I understood that I was not alone. So many people have shared their experience and said they also struggled to get support from them. Not even support.
Rapido Safety Guarantee is a marketing lie and I am taking them to consumer court. They can no longer treat our lives as collateral damage. Please share this video and tag Rapido and authorities to help me hold them accountable.
I sincerely thank you so much for all the support and prayers.”
Following the growing attention surrounding the case on social media, Rapido issued a statement saying it was in touch with the victim’s family.
“We have been in touch with the family and will continue to stay closely connected to ensure they receive all the support and assistance we are able to provide,” the company said.
However, Sani’s family maintains that no concrete financial assistance or compensation has been offered so far.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Africa is India’s partner and priority, stressing that the continent must get its due place in a multipolar world order and reformed multilateral system. Speaking on Africa Day 2026, he highlighted India’s growing diplomatic presence, support for Africa’s UN role and plans to reconvene the India Africa Forum Summit.
Africa Is India’s Priority, Must Get Due Place In Global Order: Jaishankar On Africa Day 2026 | ANI
Africa is India’s partner and its “priority”, and the continent must be “given its due place” whether one speaks of a multipolar world order or of a reformed multilateralism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
In his address at an event marking Africa Day 2026, Jaishankar said India continues to be in close contact with the African Union and looks forward to reconvening the deferred India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-4).
India seeks early IAFS-4 summit
“Earlier this year, we were ready to host the African leadership at the fourth India Africa Forum Summit. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Ebola virus led to the postponement of the Summit. The decision to postpone it was jointly taken by our partners of the African Union and India,” he said.
“We continue to be in close contact with the African Union and look forward to an early opportunity that is mutually convenient to reconvene IAFS-4,” the EAM said. Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.
“Today is an occasion to express very strong sentiments and deep bonding with Africa,” Jaishankar said.
India-Africa partnership highlighted
In his address, the EAM said that the hearts of Indians and Africans “beat in rhythm.”
“Together, we represent not only a very significant share of the world’s population, but also a powerful joint force for global progress. Building on our shared foundations and ambitions, our two sides are ready to grasp opportunities, and co-create a bright future, one based on innovation and sustainability, and that drives our country and the Global South and the world to a better tomorrow,” he said.
The Union minister also underlined that human resource development remains at the “heart of engagement” with Africa.
The India-Africa partnership has “proven its strength and resilience” during crises, he said.
“Whether it was the Covid pandemic, natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, India has always stood firmly with Africa, guided by the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family. And, we know that Africa has a similar outlook in ‘Ubuntu’ — I Am Because We Are,” the minister said.
Abhijeet Dipke underscored the loss of faith in various institutions, prompting nationwide support for the ongoing agitation.
Dipke confirmed CJP’s commitment to assist job aspirants demanding investigations into alleged irregularities in recruitment exams. Photo : PTI
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday announced support for the ongoing student protest in Jharkhand, saying the outfit will travel to Ranchi to stand with job aspirants on an indefinite hunger strike. As CJP convenes for its core committee meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, Dipke said that they will function as a “pressure group” to push for institutional accountability and back the protesters’ demands.
“People have lost faith in the judiciary, politics, media and the Election Commission. Our agitation received nationwide support. As the agitation grew, the support was not merely limited to education issues; it was also about these institutions. Hence, to bring accountability in these institutions, there is a need for a public pressure group,” Dipke said.
‘We will go to Jharkhand next’
A large number of job aspirants have been staging a protest in Ranchi, demanding that the alleged irregularities in the JPSC and other recruitment examinations be investigated by an independent panel of retired HC judges from outside Jharkhand.
Asked whether he will support the protest in Jharkhand, Dipke said, “We will definitely go to Jharkhand, we will stand with them and support their every demand in the agitation.”
‘India needs a pressure group’
On whether the CJP will enter politics, Dipke said the media seemed more excited than the outfit.
The condition of political parties is “very bad”. People vote for one side in the morning, but by evening a government is formed by someone else, he quipped.
“For now, CJP will be a pressure group, as what India needs now is a pressure group,” Dipke asserted.
On the CJP’s core team meeting, Dipke said, “The agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi drew a nationwide response. The responsibility on us has increased, and people’s expectations from us have grown. In this meeting, we will decide how the organisation should grow and also outline a rough road map for the future.”
He said the meeting will focus on the dwindling trust of people in institutions like the media and judiciary and also take up issues like ethanol-blended fuel and rising unemployment.
‘Wangchuk will continue to be mentor’
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said environmentalist and education activist Sonam Wangchuk will continue to be their mentor, and they will seek advice from him. Das added they will push for withdrawal of FIRs against students who took part in the recent protests led by the CJP against the NEET paper leak and other exam irregularities.
Chandipura virus has killed 22 in Gujarat, highlighting the deadly brain infection’s symptoms, risks, outbreaks, and prevention in India.
Why Has India Seen Chandipura Virus Before? (Pic: AI image)
The recent 22 deaths in Gujarat due to complications linked to the Chandipura virus have once again drawn attention to one of India’s deadliest yet lesser-known viral infections. According to Gujarat Health Minister Praful Panseriya, 35 patients tested positive among 184 suspected cases, while several critically ill patients continue to receive treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) on ventilators and oxygen support.
Although the current outbreak has raised alarm, Chandipura virus is not a new disease in India. The virus has caused multiple outbreaks over the past several decades and is known for triggering acute encephalitis, a severe inflammation of the brain that can rapidly become life-threatening, particularly in children under the age of 15.
What is Chandipura virus?
Chandipura virus (CHPV) is an emerging viral pathogen belonging to the Rhabdoviridae family. It was first identified in 1965 during an outbreak of a dengue-like illness in Chandipur village of Maharashtra, from which it derives its name.
The virus is primarily transmitted through infected sandflies, although mosquitoes and ticks are also believed to play a role in its spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported outbreaks mainly in western, central, and southern India. Unlike many viral infections, Chandipura virus can progress extremely quickly, attacking the nervous system and causing severe brain inflammation within hours.
Why is it so dangerous?
The biggest concern with Chandipura virus is its ability to cause acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). This condition involves inflammation of the brain, which can lead to swelling, neurological damage, coma, and death if not treated promptly. Common symptoms include:
Sudden high fever
Severe headache
Vomiting
Seizures
Altered consciousness or confusion
Irritability
Loss of coordination
Coma in severe cases
Doctors warn that symptoms can worsen rapidly, making early diagnosis and immediate hospitalization critical.
Why are children most at risk?
Most reported cases involve children below 15 years of age, whose developing immune and nervous systems may be more vulnerable to severe complications.
The virus typically circulates during the monsoon season, when sandfly populations increase. Rural and tribal regions with higher exposure to insect vectors often report the highest number of infections.
No vaccine or specific treatment yet
One of the major challenges in controlling Chandipura virus is that there is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment. Medical care mainly focuses on supportive treatment, including:
Intensive care monitoring
Oxygen therapy
Mechanical ventilation if required
Intravenous fluids
Medicines to control seizures and reduce complications
Studies cited by the WHO estimate the virus has a case fatality rate ranging from 56 to 75 per cent, making it one of the deadliest viral encephalitis infections reported in India.
India has seen outbreaks before
The current Gujarat outbreak follows several earlier outbreaks across the country. Some of the most significant include:
2024: India reported 245 Chandipura virus cases and 82 deaths, with Gujarat recording the highest number of infections.
2003: Andhra Pradesh reported 329 suspected cases and 183 deaths, one of the largest outbreaks on record.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Chandigarh-based businessman Arun Gupta who has alleged that he was induced into opening a Being Human jewellery showroom in Manimajra on false assurances.
The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on October 5.
A Chandigarh district court has issued summons to Bollywood actor Salman Khan, his sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and directors of Style and Content Jewellery Private Limited in connection with an alleged cheating case linked to a Being Human jewellery showroom in the city.
The court has directed all the accused to appear on October 5 and file their responses to the allegations made in the complaint.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Chandigarh-based businessman Arun Gupta who has alleged that he was induced into opening a Being Human jewellery showroom in Manimajra on false assurances, resulting in losses worth several crores of rupees.
According to the complaint, Gupta invested nearly Rs 3 crore to set up the showroom after entering into an agreement with Style and Content Jewellery Pvt Ltd, the company licensed to market Being Human jewellery. He claimed that around Rs 1 crore was spent on developing the showroom alone and that he fully complied with the company’s contractual requirements.
However, Gupta alleged that after the showroom became operational, the company failed to provide the promised business support. He further claimed that the store responsible for supplying Being Human jewellery had remained shut since February 2020, disrupting inventory and severely affecting the business.
The complaint alleges that six individuals associated with the company misrepresented the business opportunity and induced him to make the investment.
India is Meta’s largest market by users, with hundreds of millions of people using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
https://www.youtube.com/
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has apologised for child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and operational errors on its platforms, sources told NDTV on Wednesday after the company’s global team met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, following the government’s recent summons over the temporary removal of a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources said it was made clear to the Meta team that they are not covered under the ‘intermediary’ definition.
The social media platform selects who receives the content, and Safe harbour under the IT Act is not applicable, according to sources.
The Meta officials, sources said, admitted that a lot of money was paid for “boosting certain type of content”.
“Meta accepted the mistake that a lot of illegal content was promoted,” sources said, adding that Meta officials will be called again.
India is Meta’s largest market by users, with hundreds of millions of people using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The Parliamentary panel had asked the Meta chief to apologise for the temporary removal of a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi posted the vertical video, speaking directly to the camera, on July 23 — during the height of protests led by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The video was was briefly removed from Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, but was later restored.
The US-headquartered social media giant attributed the incident to a technical glitch and apologised. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) found the explanation “inadequate”. The company said the content was removed “in error” and was restored on the platform.
The Parliamentary standing committee on information technology, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, also demanded action against intermediary platforms that carry child sexual abuse material (CSEAM) and demeaning material against women.
A parliamentary standing committee can only recommend, the action has to be taken by the government.
Nearly five minutes of severe turbulence injured 17 people on board an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday, adding that investigators are analysing the aircraft’s flight recorders to establish what happened.
Further probe is underway, say officials.
Nearly five minutes of severe turbulence injured 17 people on board an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday, adding that investigators are analysing the aircraft’s flight recorders to establish what happened.
The minister, who visited the injured crew members in hospital, said, “passengers recalled turbulence lasting for about four to five minutes. It was during that period that they faced the injuries and difficulties inside the aircraft”.
He added that doctors have advised continued observation for some of the injured crew members after they sustained injuries near the neck and tailbone.
“A couple of crew members have spinal injuries near the tailbone and neck. They remain under medical supervision and are being provided all necessary support as advised by doctors,” he said.
The airline has said all 13 passengers admitted to hospital after the incident have now been discharged. Four cabin crew members continue to receive treatment.
“As of 15.30 hrs on August 5, all 13 passengers who were admitted to hospital following the incident involving Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 have been discharged. Four crew members remain under medical care and continue to receive treatment,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The airline added that its teams remain at the hospitals and are assisting those affected and their families.
The Airbus A320neo, operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi, was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members when it encountered severe turbulence about an hour before landing.
According to the minister, medical teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft landed in Delhi. While first aid was provided at the airport, those requiring further treatment were shifted to Medanta and Fortis hospitals.
Naidu also praised the cabin crew for continuing to assist passengers despite sustaining injuries.
“Four crew members were admitted to Fortis, where I visited them with ministry and DGCA teams. Even after suffering injuries during those five minutes, the crew continued performing their duties for nearly another hour until the aircraft landed safely. They showed remarkable courage,” Naidu added.
The bench also extended the mandatory third-party motor insurance requirement for new vehicles to four years for cars and six years for two-wheelers.
The court observed that approximately 56 per cent of vehicles lack insurance coverage.
Expressing its shock that 56 per cent of vehicles in India are operating without valid insurance, the Supreme Court has asked the Centre to launch a pilot ‘no insurance, no fuel’ project.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih also extended the mandatory third-party motor insurance requirement for new vehicles to four years for cars and six years for two-wheelers.
The bench noted that the purchase of third-party insurance for three years for cars and five years for two-wheelers during the purchase or registration of new vehicles was mandated by the Supreme Court in 2018.
“We notice that despite eight years having passed from the said direction, a large number of vehicles remain uninsured. While the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority) and GIC (General Insurance Council) have recommended that this period not be enhanced, we are of the view that it is in the interest of road safety that the period be enhanced by one year,” it observed.
Citing a parliamentary committee report, the court observed that approximately 56 per cent of vehicles – 16.54 crore out of roughly 30 crore vehicles – lack insurance coverage.
Terming this a significant issue linked to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, the bench stated that the objective of mandatory third-party insurance under Section 146 of the Motor Vehicles Act is not merely to secure compensation for accident victims but also to spare them from protracted legal proceedings.
The bench directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the IRDAI to formulate a pilot project exploring a system where fuel (petrol/diesel) is supplied to a vehicle only if it has valid insurance.
This, it said, will encourage vehicle owners to renew insurance on time and facilitate the identification of uninsured vehicles.
Compliance, Simplification
To ensure compliance with the 2018 directive and its new orders, the Supreme Court laid down several steps. It said Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed on highways and roads should be linked to insurance databases and the VAHAN portal.
A system should be developed, it said, to check a vehicle’s insurance status at petrol pumps so that the supply of fuel to uninsured vehicles can be restricted until insurance is renewed.
Police personnel should be provided with devices or mobile apps that allow them to verify a vehicle’s insurance on the spot and issue challans (fines).
The court also endorsed a four-tier system to simplify motor insurance:
Mandatory third-party insurance
Optional legal liability cover for passengers/pillion riders
Optional personal accident cover for the owner, driver, and passengers
Optional cover for vehicle damage
It directed insurance companies to provide information to customers in simple language and offer the option to select additional covers.
Ripping into Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin for what she termed his “misogynistic” remarks against actor Trisha, BJP leader and actor Khushbu Sundar has said he should be ashamed of calling himself a leader.
At a protest event in Thanjavur on Monday, the DMK leader had smirked and made an alleged double-meaning “water” remark in response to chants of “Trisha-Trisha” from the crowd, which was seen as a reference to actor Trisha, who is a co-star and close friend of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, and is romantically linked to him by many on social media.
Stalin, a former deputy chief minister, was arrested on various charges, including insulting the modesty of a woman, on Tuesday morning and released after questioning around 8 pm.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV’s Shiv Aroor after Stalin’s release, Sundar, who is a vice-president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, said she has been at the receiving end of sexist remarks several times and that misogyny and sexism are part of the “legacy” of the DMK.
“I was not surprised at all. I have seen these kinds of misogynist, sexist remarks. And I have seen women being abused in the DMK earlier. So it’s finally the legacy that you are taking forward. I didn’t expect this from Udhayanidhi Stalin, because I thought he’s young and the leader of the opposition. He was the former deputy chief minister and youth affairs minister, so I thought that this man would be different. But it’s very surprising that here you have Udhayanidhi Stalin coming up with these kinds of very vulgar, crude and crass statements. And there’s not even an iota of remorse,” Sundar said.
‘Who Gave You The Birthright?’
The BJP leader asked how long abuses would be directed at women to score political points.
“Who gave you (Stalin) the birthright to abuse a woman on a public platform? And it’s not Udhayanidhi Stalin alone, it’s across political parties. How long are you going to abuse a woman to prove a point? How weak does a man have to be to talk in such a disrespectful manner about a woman, to fire a gun from a woman’s shoulder and say that ‘I am the strong man. I am a leader’. Shame on you for calling yourself a leader here,” she thundered.
Recalling how a DMK leader, Sadiq, had called her and other women ‘items’ and was suspended, only to be reinducted months later, Sundar alleged Stalin is from the same mould.
“If you are man enough, if you say that I am a leader, stand up without abusing a woman. Let’s see if you can do it,” she dared.
“In (the Assembly elections in May), DMK members themselves have not voted for the party. Their own family members have not voted for the DMK. So it is not the public who is clapping here. It is not the public who is whistling here. It is your own ‘chamchas’ (sycophants) who are hooting and clapping and whistling and, you know, finding this kind of pleasure in seeing a woman being abused. That just shows their misogynistic, dirty mindset,” she alleged.
An Air India passenger aboard Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to New Delhi alleged that cabin crew asked travellers not to post videos of severe turbulence on social media, saying it could harm the airline’s reputation. She also claimed injured passengers received delayed medical assistance after landing in Delhi. Air India has not responded to the allegations.
Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Turbulence: Passenger Alleges Crew Asked Flyers Not To Post Videos, Claims Emergency Response Delayed At Airport |
A passenger aboard Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to New Delhi, which encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday, has alleged that cabin crew asked passengers not to post videos of the incident on social media, claiming it could damage the airline’s reputation. The passenger also questioned the airline’s handling of the emergency, alleging that injured passengers were not provided timely medical assistance after landing in Delhi.
The allegations were made by passenger Shilpi Jain, who shared a video on social media recounting her experience onboard the flight. According to Jain, she was seated in 23F when the aircraft encountered severe clear-air turbulence during cruise.
Passenger Recounts Ordeal
In the video, Jain claimed the aircraft suddenly dropped around 300 feet, throwing passengers and crew into the air and causing injuries to several people. “Passengers around me were flung upwards and suffered injuries. Some people were thrown towards the back and sides of the aircraft,” she said.
@airindia 2379 Phuket-Delhi encountered clear air turbulence during descent
Hearing some pax suffered minor injuries and ✈️ also slightly damaged. This yet to be confirmed
While appreciating the cabin crew for assisting passengers during the ordeal, Jain alleged that they later requested passengers not to upload videos of the incident on social media because it could affect Air India’s reputation.
She also criticised the airline’s decision not to make an emergency landing in Lucknow, alleging that despite several passengers being injured, the flight continued to Delhi after the crew informed passengers that better medical facilities were available there.
Questions Over Post-Landing Response
According to Jain, medical assistance was not immediately available even after the aircraft landed in Delhi. She alleged that injured passengers waited for several minutes before receiving treatment and claimed that stretchers were unavailable, with some injured passengers being taken away in wheelchairs. She also alleged that even drinking water was not readily provided upon arrival.
Opposition MPs will march to Makar Dwar on August 5, demanding a Home Minister statement on police action against protesters, probe into Ram Mandir donation theft, and J&K statehood.
Opposition leaders stage a protest during the Monsoon session of Parliament Photo : PTI
Opposition MPs will march from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament premises to Makar Dwar on August 5 at 10 am, staging a protest over three key demands. The march plan comes amid continued friction between the treasury and opposition benches during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament, with both sides having repeatedly clashed over several issues.
There are three demands to be raised by the Opposition MPs –
1. A statement by the Union Home Minister in both Houses of Parliament over the alleged police excesses by security personnel during the July 20 march led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
2. The second seeks to raise the issue of alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
3. The third demands the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier today, several Opposition MPs, including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, TMC’s Sagarika Ghose, RJD’s Sanjay Yadav and Manoj Jha, RSP’s NK Premchandran, protested in Parliament House complex against the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and “police excesses” against student protesters.
Carrying placards against the government, MPs protested in front of the Makar Dwar of Parliament with slogans such as ‘chhanda chor, gaddi chor’ and ‘Amit Shah jawaab do’ raised. The protesting MPs lined up behind a big banner that read ‘Why Amit Shah absent from Parliament.”
The MPs also kept donation boxes at the spot to symbolise the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and lined up around them to raise slogans against the government. Some MPs also put cash in the box to symbolise the donations made and “theft” that took place later.
So far, five Bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha during the current Monsoon Session. Of these, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 have been approved by both Houses.
Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is set to hold her first media interaction on Wednesday evening. The Indian government has distanced itself from it.
India on Tuesday said it has nothing to do with former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s plan to hold a virtual interaction with the media in New Delhi this week.
Hasina is set to hold her first media interaction on Wednesday evening, two years after she fled Dhaka following a massive anti-government protest.
Dhaka on Monday sought clarification on the issue from the Indian side with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s foreign affairs adviser Humaiun Kobir saying the planned public interaction from Indian soil could undermine the positive momentum seen in the ties between the two sides in the recent months.
“The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He was answering a question on Hasina’s plan during his bi-weekly media briefing.
Hasina is set to address the virtual press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.
The former prime minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and a number of other Awami League leaders including Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Shakib Al Hasan are likely to speak at the conference.
Hasina, 78, has been living in India after she fled Dhaka following the collapse of her government in August, 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.
Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged “crimes against humanity” over her government’s brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.
Since the verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law.
The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Hasina government.
The two sides initiated efforts to stabilise the relations after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at the inauguration of Rahman as the prime minister in Dhaka on February 17.
India has brought back 274 fugitives from 36 countries over the last seven years. The government says tougher laws, sharper coordination and technology-driven tracking accelerated extraditions.
The government also said assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitives had been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act during this period.
India has repatriated 274 fugitives from 36 countries over the last seven years, averaging around 40 returns a year — nearly 10 times the annual average recorded between 2004 and 2013, the government said on Tuesday.
The Home Ministry also said assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitives had been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act during the period, as it described the extradition of fugitives as a “national priority”.
According to the ministry, the 274 fugitives brought back between 2019 and July 2026 included nine wanted in financial crimes, 17 in terror cases, 42 for organised criminal activities, 62 for murder, robbery and violent crimes, 53 for sexual crimes and sexual crimes against children, 16 for drug peddling, 12 in smuggling and fake currency cases, 18 in human trafficking and 45 for other offences.
RED CORNER NOTICES RISE
The government said Interpol Red Notices issued against fugitive criminals had risen sharply in recent years.
According to the data, 40 Red Corner Notices were issued in 2022, followed by 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025 and 182 so far in 2026.
A total of 401 Red Notices were issued over the past three years, the ministry said.
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.
The Home Ministry said extradition requests were now being prepared in a more professional and standardised manner.
“Under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, extradition requests are now being prepared in a more professional and standardised manner,” it said, adding that written assurances were provided after taking into account the documentary requirements and legal expectations of the country concerned.
The ministry said India had developed an “integrated, intelligence-based, and technology-driven model” to tackle fugitives, which had helped strengthen action against them and secure their return.
GOVT CONTRASTS RECORD WITH 2004-2013
The ministry said India secured the extradition of only about four fugitives a year on average between 2004 and 2013, while 110 extradition requests remained pending.
It said that before 2014, India had extradition treaties with 37 countries and did not have a dedicated law dealing with economic fugitives or the confiscation of their assets.
“In addition, incomplete documentation and slow processing made the extradition process highly cumbersome, often leading foreign courts to deny extradition requests,” the ministry said.
It also referred to legal and judicial hurdles, including the principles of double jeopardy and dual criminality, which it said had frequently resulted in extradition requests being rejected.
The statement further blamed the absence of effective coordination and a unified strategy among the Home Ministry and other departments for delays in information-sharing, location tracking and the issuance of Red Corner Notices.
“Previous governments lacked the political will to bring back fugitives; the Modi government has made the extradition of fugitives a ‘national priority’,” it said.
The ministry said the government’s approach, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, focused on “global outreach, strong coordination and smart diplomacy”.
MULTI-AGENCY APPROACH
The government said the effort involves coordination among the Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation, Research and Analysis Wing, National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, Ministry of External Affairs, Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence and state police forces.
The constitution of a Standing Focus Group under the Intelligence Bureau’s Multi Agency Centre in January 2026 was described as a “significant institutional step”.
The group is tasked with prioritising fugitive cases, standardising dossiers, closing information gaps, following up with foreign partners and providing national-level support to cases initiated by state agencies.
“Fugitives operating from abroad are not dormant case files, they represent live operational threats that require sustained, coordinated, and proactive action,” the ministry said.
LEGAL CHANGES STRENGTHEN FUGITIVE CASES
The ministry also pointed to legal changes aimed at making it harder for fugitives to evade proceedings.
The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act was enacted in 2018 to strengthen action against fugitives, while amendments to the NIA Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2019 expanded enforcement beyond banned organisations to individual terrorists, handlers, financiers and overseas networks.
India’s hosting of the 90th Interpol General Assembly in 2022 also provided further impetus to efforts to bring fugitives back, the ministry said.
The CBI’s BHARATPOL platform, launched in January 2025, has connected more than 1,400 agencies by bringing together the CBI, state police headquarters through Interpol Liaison Officers and district police headquarters on a single platform.
The ministry said information sought by the CBI is now generally shared by other law enforcement agencies within 10 to 20 days, and in some cases within three to 10 days, helping speed up investigations and extradition proceedings.
The Union Home Minister has also held five important meetings on the issue, it said.
India called the local body elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir a complete farce. It said the polls cannot mask protests, killings and Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism.
Protests in POK led by JAAC started in June and continue even as the illegally occupied region held its first phase of polls on July 27. (Image: File)
India on Tuesday dismissed the so-called local body elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a “complete farce”, saying the exercise could not conceal the situation on the ground as protests and a crackdown by Pakistani security forces continue in the region.
The Ministry of External Affairs also accused Pakistan of using force against protesters and said the international community should look beyond what it described as Islamabad’s “hypocritical lecturing” on human rights.
Responding to a question on the elections at a regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the protests and killings by Pakistani forces were the real developments in PoK.
“This so-called local election in PoK is a complete farce. The real happening is that of public protests and wanton killings by Pakistani forces. Such hollow exercises cannot hide reality,” Jaiswal said.
‘90 CIVILIANS KILLED SINCE JUNE’
Jaiswal said at least 90 civilians had been killed since June during the continuing crackdown.
“Since June this year, at least 90 civilians have lost their lives in the continuing crackdown,” he said.
According to Jaiswal, the Pakistani establishment had responded to public discontent with “bullets, black outs, intimidation and repression” and was now attempting to create legitimacy through what he called a “hollow electoral exercise”.
“It must be held accountable, and the world should see through the flimsy veneer of Pakistan’s hypocritical lecturing on human rights,” he said.
PoK has witnessed protests since last month over rising living costs, alleged administrative apathy, political discrimination and alleged atrocities against minorities.
PROTESTERS SEEK UN-LED PROBE
The Joint Awami Action Committee has been leading the protests in PoK amid the local body elections.
Pakistani security forces used lethal force against the JAAC during its long march from Rawalakote to Muzaffarabad late last month. The crackdown reportedly resulted in the deaths of 40 civilians and left more than 33 protesters injured.
The JAAC has also appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council and international rights organisations for an immediate and independent investigation into what it described as “unlawful killings”.
INDIA DEMANDS ACTION ON CROSS-BORDER TERRORISM
Jaiswal also used the briefing to call for stronger international action against cross-border terrorism and terrorist networks operating from Pakistan.
“We call upon countries to take strong action against cross-border terrorism and those promoting it. We call upon Pakistan to take strong action against cross-border terrorism and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure operating from its soil,” he said.
The complainant has withdrawn all complaints against the 15-year-old after apology videos surfaced. The climbdown ends a sensitive political row and shifts focus to how minors are drawn into protests.
The complainant in the case involving a 15-year-old girl accused of making abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Cockroach Janta Party protest has withdrawn her complaint after the teenager apologised and Modi publicly forgave the students.
Supreme Court lawyer Smriti Singh told PTI on Tuesday evening that she had withdrawn complaints in all eight cases linked to the matter. She said the original FIR was filed against eight girls, with the Noida teenager being the first among them.
Singh, a resident of Ghaziabad’s Vasundhara, said a zero FIR was registered on July 29 at the Expressway police station in Noida based on her complaint. The case was registered under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
‘SINCE PM FORGAVE THEM, I DON’T WANT TO PURSUE IT’
Singh said she had decided to withdraw the complaints after the girls posted apology videos following Modi’s appeal for forgiveness.
“After the prime minister appealed for forgiveness, the girls, including the Noida girl, uploaded apology videos. I had also posted a video saying that if the girls apologised, I would withdraw my complaint,” Singh said.
She said the remaining girls also apologised later.
“Since the prime minister forgave them, I also do not want to pursue the matter further. I have communicated my decision to Delhi Police and Crime Branch,” Singh told PTI.
FAMILY NOT AT NOIDA HOME
At the housing society in Sector 168 where the teenager and her mother lived, security guards and maintenance staff told PTI that the family was not at home.
“The family had remained withdrawn since the video surfaced. Personnel from Delhi and Noida police had visited their residence on a few occasions,” a security guard said.
The staff said they did not know the family’s current whereabouts.
The family’s lawyer had earlier alleged that the teenager and her family were being “harassed and hounded”.
However, an official at Noida’s Expressway police station said police had received no information about the family facing harassment either within the housing society or elsewhere in its jurisdiction.
The officer said Noida Police registered a zero FIR on the day the complaint was received and transferred it to Delhi Police because the alleged incident took place in the national capital.
“The family has not been in contact with us since then and has not shared any information or complaint with the local police,” the officer said, adding that the family may have temporarily shifted to Faridabad in neighbouring Haryana.
MOTHER HAD APPEALED TO MODI
Days earlier, the girl’s mother had appealed to Modi to forgive her daughter, saying the family had repeatedly apologised and that the teenager had been influenced during the protest.
Speaking to PTI Videos on August 1, she said she was grateful to the prime minister for publicly forgiving her daughter.
The mother also urged Modi to consider restricting children’s access to social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook between the ages of 10 and 20.
“Minors should be kept away from protests and political activities as they can be easily influenced,” she said.
She also alleged that police personnel had repeatedly visited their residence after the video of her daughter’s remarks went viral, despite the family’s apologies.
The mother further appealed to Modi to intervene, claiming that her daughter’s age had been incorrectly mentioned in the FIR. She said the girl was 15 and requested that the case be withdrawn so that she could “live peacefully”.
LAWYER QUESTIONS FIR DETAILS
The family’s lawyer, Anil Kumar, told PTI Videos that the girl was a juvenile and claimed that the complaint had incorrectly described her as a 25-year-old woman working in a salon.
“The FIR had been registered without a proper preliminary verification and had that been done, the FIR would not have been registered at all,” he said.
HOW THE CONTROVERSY BEGAN
The controversy began after a video purportedly showing the girl using abusive language against Modi during a Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar went viral.
The protest was organised over paper leaks and alleged irregularities in the education system and sought the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who later stepped down.
The girl subsequently posted an apology video, saying she had been “influenced”, was “extremely embarrassed and ashamed” and that it was her “first and last mistake”.
Painter Prashant Kumar Singh says RAF firing during the Chalo Sansad march on July 20 left metal pellets lodged in his arm and chest. The 28-year-old, who will have to live the rest of his life with some of the pellets in his body, says he knows of a sixth protester who was shot. The sixth person hasn’t been documented yet.
Prashant Kumar Singh was hit with over a dozen pellets in his arm and his chest, and at least 10 pellets still remain lodged in his body. (Image: Special Arrangement)
Prashant Kumar Singh, a painter trained in pastel, watercolour, oil and visual arts, started documenting the Gen Z protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar visually, through his art, from day one. He was also among the protesters who, on July 20, marched towards Parliament. A painter who has spent years using his right hand to create strokes on canvas, now lives with metallic pellets lodged in it after he was hit when the Rapid Action Force (RAF) opened fire at the protesters.
Until now, there were five documented people who sustained pellet injuries during the New Delhi protests. But Prashant says there was at least one more. He told India Today Digital that another injured protester arrived at Lady Hardinge Hospital around the same time he did — around 4.30 pm on July 20 — suggesting the number of those hit may be higher than previously documented. Prashant has seen the images of the four other documented pellet victims, and says the sixth person isn’t the one whose name has surfaced in media.
Today, Prashant can feel the pellets when he presses against the flesh of his right arm and chest. Doctors have told him that removing the remaining ones would require cutting tendons and muscle. The risk, they said, is lasting damage. “If they operate, many muscles will be damaged and that will affect me in future,” he told India Today Digital.
Some of the pellets extracted on the day of the firing were discarded as medical waste. He never saw them. But the rest remain with him, possibly for life.
India Today Digital has accessed his medico-legal certificate from Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital, which records “pellet” injury. His X-ray report from Holy Family Hospital, done on July 29 (Wednesday), shows at least 10 pellets still lodged in his arm and chest area.
THE MARCH TO PARLIAMENT THAT CHANGED PRASHANT’S LIFE
Prashant was not a first-time protester. An artist based in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, originally from Bihar, he had been following the agitation from its first day.
He went to the site on alternate days, sketching the unfolding moments. “I was documenting through my sketches that a particular moment is happening,” he said. His toolkit — pastels, watercolours, paper — stayed with him even on July 20, the day of the Chalo Sansad March.
That afternoon he was near the last barricade, roughly 50 metres from Parliament. Chandrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party had just finished addressing the crowd and said he would return in 15-20 minutes. Prashant was at the front. The atmosphere, he insisted, was not violent. People were standing, listening. Then the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police began pushing the crowd back towards Connaught Place, into the inner circle near Mahatma Gandhi Road.
Tear-gas shells, which he described as “bomb shells”, came first. Prashant referred to them as such as they sounded like bombs. Then, lathi charges followed. “They were really brutal,” he said. “Within a few minutes, the force opened fire with shotguns on the crowd,” he said.
No clear warning that live pellets would be used, he claimed. “In the beginning, they were warning us that do not come closer. They didn’t want us to cross the barricade. The crowd wasn’t going to cross,” he said.
Then came the shotgun burst, hitting him, and one more person near him. The warning, in his account, never explicitly signalled metal pellets.
Prashant fell. Pellets struck his right arm and chest. Around him, others went down too because of tear gas, and possibly, shotgun wounds.
One man, whose name Prashant never learned, was hit at the same time. The two reached Lady Hardinge Hospital together, he told India Today Digital. Media reports have spoken of five pellet victims, including Prashant. Prashant believes there is a sixth, who isn’t among the victims documented by the media. Of the known pellet gun victims, one is a woman and four are men.
A source later shared a photograph of another injured man with India Today Digital, who appears to have been treated at the same hospital that day. However, there is no confirmation on his identity and whereabouts so far. The photograph of the “sixth victim” shared with India Today Digital is different from the four other male pellet gun victims.
METAL, NOT PLASTIC, PELLETS USED AGAINST PROTESTERS
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has maintained that it used plastic or rubber pellets.
But Prashant’s X-ray and the feel of hard objects still under his skin tell a different story.
“I got an X-ray done a few days ago and the film shows that there are metal pieces still in my body,” he said.
Doctors at Lady Hardinge hospital treated only the surface wounds, removed some metal fragments, and discharged Prashant the same day. Subsequent visits to Lok Nayak Hospital and then Holy Family hospital confirmed more pellets remained lodged deep in the muscle of his right arm.
OTHER JANTAR MANTAR PROTESTERS WHO WERE HIT WITH PELLET GUN
So far, there have been five documented pellet victims from the Chalo Sansad protest.
India Today Digital earlier reported exclusively on a man in his twenties shot in the back and arm; his identity is being concealed as per his request.
Sahil Lochab, whose injuries were reported by The Hindu and who appeared on camera with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, faces possible permanent damage to his eyesight.
Shaikh Irshad Mansoori’s account was carried by both The Indian Express and The Hindu.
The fifth is Nutan, a 32-year-old woman from Ranchi working with a private firm in Gurugram. She told The Hindu that she sustained “gunshot” injuries during the students’ protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. According to her discharge summary from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, she suffered “trauma to right ear by gunshot”. She said her ear had “practically been torn off” and required stitches. She has since returned to her hometown, Ranchi.
Prashant’s testimony now suggests that there’s a sixth pellet gun victim who was treated the same day at Lady Hardinge.
Eight people were arrested in Jharkhand after an angry mob fatally beat a man who held a schoolgirl captive and raped her for two days.
A minor accused the man of kidnapping her, holding her hostage for two days and raping her.
A 32-year-old man accused of kidnapping and raping a girl died after being severely beaten by an angry mob in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, police said, adding that eight people have been arrested in connection with the lynching.
According to locals, the man, Md Emroz, had kidnapped a schoolgirl and held her hostage inside his residence for two days.
The girl’s family had been frantically searching for her but was unable to find any trace of her whereabouts. The situation reached a boiling point early Tuesday morning when the minor finally returned home. She recounted her ordeal to her family, alleging that she had been held captive by Emroz, who also threatened to kill her.
Enraged by the girl’s statement, a large crowd of villagers gathered and surrounded the accused’s house, subsequently launching an attack on him.
Police, who reached the scene, managed to rescue a critically injured Emroz from the crowd and transported him to a local hospital. After receiving primary treatment, he was referred to a higher medical facility, where he died during treatment.
Emroz’s father, Sultan Miyan, also sustained injuries during the mob’s attack.
Authorities have placed the girl under protection and initiated the mandatory medical examination process. The police have also recorded formal statements from the family members of the man.
The remarks came a day after some MLAs expressed displeasure and offered to resign after missing out on a ministerial berth following the cabinet expansion.
Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar urged the disgruntled legislators to be patient and wait for their opportunity. (@CMofKarnataka/X)
Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday issued a stern warning to disgruntled Congress legislators threatening to resign after being overlooked in the cabinet expansion, saying if they resign, it will be accepted “within a few minutes.”
The remarks came a day after some Congress MLAs expressed displeasure and offered to resign after missing out on a ministerial berth following the long-awaited cabinet expansion that saw 19 ministers getting inducted. After the Monday’s expansion, the cabinet now has one vacant berth. Notable among the disgruntled legislators were Indi MLA Yashvantharayagouda V Patil, who submitted his resignation from the assembly, and Belur Gopalakrishna, who also offered to step down after being overlooked.
‘Will accept resignations within minutes’: CM
“Resignations are a part of politics. No one can stop those who want to resign. If they want the party and a political future, they should stay. If there is a party, everything else follows,” Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru. “When I was denied a ministerial berth during the tenures of Dharam Singh and Siddaramaiah, I could have resigned too. Didn’t G Parameshwara (deputy CM) and I remain patient?… One needs to have patience.” Asserting that the party is more important, Shivakumar said, “If anyone gives resignation, within a few minutes I’m going to accept.”
Urging the disgruntled legislators to be patient and wait for their opportunity, the CM said posts in state-run boards and corporations will be filled up soon. “Those party men and legislators who were earlier appointed as members and heads of boards and corporations were told that their tenure will be for 2.5 years. It is already delayed. I will first ask our workers to resign from the posts and fill up those posts afresh, then I will speak to MLAs,” he added.
The spokesperson said that through door-to-door outreach, e-KYC facilitation and field-level coordination, over 3,000 migrant families have been assisted so far.
File photo for representational purposes. Credit: PTI Photo
Jammu: In a major push to strengthen social protection for migrant families, the Jammu and Kashmir government is integrating nearly 50,000 migrant families into the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database, an official spokesperson said.
Founded on the government’s policy framework, the exercise by the Relief and Rehabilitation Organisation, in coordination with the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and the Social Welfare Department, transitions the migrant ration card from a simple food entitlement card into a gateway for broader social welfare benefits without altering existing entitlements, recognised migrant status, or relief provisions, the spokesperson said.
He said that through door-to-door outreach, e-KYC facilitation and field-level coordination, over 3,000 migrant families have been assisted so far.
Integration into the national database has eliminated access barriers to pensions, medical care and financial assistance, the spokesperson said.
He said a total of 1,625 old-age pensions, 114 widow pensions and 88 disability pensions have been verified and sanctioned.
Sanctions have also been issued for two State Marriage Assistance Scheme cases and two tricycles for persons with disabilities.
The drive has facilitated seamless entry into schemes like Ayushman Bharat, student scholarships and marriage assistance.
According to the spokesperson, the latest outreach shall ensure maximum coverage, with a new phase of special awareness and facilitation camps taking place across migrant camps, zones and locations in Jammu and Udhampur from August 3 to August 31.
Abhijeet Dipke said Indian student protesters should follow Gandhi’s peaceful path, not Bangladesh or Nepal. He used the interview to press for NEET relief, recruitment reforms and higher priority for education.
Dipke criticised the government over what he said was a delay in compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide. (PTI Photo)
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has rejected comparisons between his group’s recent student protest in Delhi and the upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal, saying Indian students should draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi instead.
In an interview to PTI, Dipke defended the protest over alleged exam irregularities and insisted that the demonstrators had followed the Constitution and maintained peace despite police action.
“Protests in Bangladesh, Nepal are being used to defame us; we are different,” Dipke said.
“We showed during the recent protest in Delhi that we were following the Constitution and holding our demonstration peacefully. Parallels to the protests in Bangladesh and Nepal are being used to defame us,” he added.
Rejecting remarks by exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen linking the Delhi protest to the 2024 agitation in Bangladesh that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, Dipke said India did not need to look outside for models of protest.
“We don’t need to look at Bangladesh or Nepal when we have Mahatma Gandhi from whom the world takes inspiration to protest,” he said.
‘STUDENTS DISPLAYED RESTRAINT’
Dipke said some people may have drawn parallels with protests in Bangladesh and Nepal because of the police action during the Delhi demonstration.
“The students in India were not violent or aggressive. They got their heads, arms and legs broken but displayed restraint and sat peacefully at Jantar Mantar,” he said.
He also argued that education should become a central issue in electoral politics.
“If you don’t make education the main agenda in election, it means you are not thinking about the future. Education is an investment for the future of the country,” Dipke said.
DEMAND FOR NEET VICTIMS’ COMPENSATION
Dipke criticised the government over what he described as a delay in compensation to families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide.
“They have money to topple government overnight. You can buy MPs and MLAs by spending hundreds of crores of rupees, but when it comes to the NEET victims and their kin, they look at the norms,” he said.
He warned that CJP could launch another agitation if its demands were not addressed.
“The government should meet our demands as soon as possible, or else we will launch another agitation,” he said.
Dipke also urged Gen Z protesters to maintain restraint and not imitate the conduct of politicians.
He said young protesters should “not reach the level of BJP leaders” who, according to him, abuse even in Parliament and at public rallies.
“There is some difference between us and the goons and that difference should always be there,” he said.
SUPPORT FOR JHARKHAND STUDENTS
Dipke extended CJP’s support to students protesting in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in the state public service examination and other recruitment tests.
He backed their demand for a CBI probe and reforms in recruitment agencies, saying the movement was against the system rather than any political party.
“Their fight is not against any political party but against the system. We stand with their demands. If they want a CBI probe, we are going to support them in pursuing that,” he said.
He said CJP would support student movements over education and recruitment issues irrespective of which party was in power.
“Wherever agitations will happen for education and wherever students come forward to demand their rights, we are going to stand with them, irrespective of the ruling party in that state,” Dipke said.
“The rules are the same as our fight is not against any political party. It is against the system that has let down the students of the country,” he added.
OPPOSITION LEADERS’ SUPPORT
Asked about opposition leaders who visited Jantar Mantar to support the student protest, Dipke said they did not use the platform for political promotion.
“Everyone was sensitive towards the students’ agitation. They were very sensitive towards the cause and the students. When they were on the stage at Jantar Mantar, none of these leaders spoke about their political party, but said they were there to support the students,” he said.
CJP PLANS EXPANSION
Dipke said CJP would discuss its future roadmap at a meeting at his residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on August 5.
Around 10 to 15 people are expected to attend the meeting, with other volunteers also expected to play a role in expanding the movement.
“The expansion of CJP will take place. Our responsibility has increased after the success of the recent protest. People’s expectations about CJP have also gone up. In the meeting on Wednesday, we will discuss our future roadmap,” Dipke said.
‘EDUCATION MUST GET MAXIMUM SPENDING’
Dipke also criticised what he described as the gap between India’s education system and those in other countries, particularly in infrastructure and practical learning.
“The biggest difference is that foreign countries have a good infrastructure when it comes to education,” he said.
Drawing on his own experience in the US, Dipke said courses there were more practical and less theoretical, and argued that India needed to create greater scope for practical learning.
Gujarat Health Minister Praful Panseriya said all confirmed patients are below the age of 15 and clarified that the infections are not concentrated in any one village or district.
A municipal worker sprinkles gamaxine powder in a residential locality in Ahmedabad to curb the spread of Chandipura virus. (PTI photo)
The Chandipura virus has claimed the lives of 22 children in Gujarat this monsoon season, with 35 infections confirmed out of 184 suspected cases reported so far, state Health Minister Praful Panseriya said on Monday.
Test results of 11 samples are still awaited.
Seven children who tested positive are currently undergoing treatment at civil hospitals across the state, while six patients have recovered and been discharged. Children admitted to hospitals in Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha-Himmatnagar, Patan, Rajkot and Bhavnagar are receiving specialised treatment under the supervision of expert doctors, he said.
The minister said all confirmed patients are below the age of 15 and clarified that the infections are not concentrated in any one village or district. Cases have been reported from different parts of Gujarat, prompting health authorities to remain on high alert.
To curb the spread of the virus, health department teams have intensified surveillance and launched large-scale insecticide spraying, particularly in livestock-rearing areas where sandflies — the primary carriers of the virus — are commonly found. Residents have also been advised to seal cracks in mud houses and walls, which can serve as breeding spots for the insects.
The government has directed all government and private paediatric hospitals to immediately admit children showing symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, seizures or altered consciousness to intensive care units equipped with oxygen and ventilator support. Early treatment is crucial to prevent severe complications, including multiple organ failure, officials said.
There is currently no specific vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Chandipura virus.
Kerala announced higher compensation for families hit by floods and landslides after a disaster review meeting. The move came as the rain toll rose, rescue efforts continued and officials warned against rumours.
Search operation for a man swept away in the Kanjirappuzha river, in Kannur, Kerala. ( Photo- PTI)
The Kerala government on Monday announced enhanced financial assistance for families affected by the devastating floods and landslides, as the death toll in rain-related incidents across the state rose to 15, with seven people still missing.
Addressing reporters after chairing a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said the overall situation was under control, except in a few pockets of Pathanamthitta district, which remained the worst affected.
The government announced Rs 8 lakh as compensation for the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster. An immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 will also be provided to bereaved families to meet funeral expenses.
Flood-affected families returning from relief camps will receive Rs 10,000 to clean and restore their homes.
The government also enhanced compensation for those who lost both their house and land in landslides to Rs 12 lakh, up from Rs 10 lakh. Assistance for rebuilding completely destroyed houses has been increased to Rs 6 lakh from the earlier Rs 4 lakh.
Satheesan said the state had initiated preparedness measures before the onset of heavy rainfall. To strengthen rescue operations, 14 fishing boats from Kollam were deployed to Chengannur, while two helicopters from Sulur in Tamil Nadu were stationed in Thiruvananthapuram.
A video featuring Rizwan Hanif – a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Pakistan maintains was outlawed and disbanded long ago – has surfaced on social media.
This is the first time a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba has publicly admitted to such killings
A top operative of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed on camera that “unknown men” have killed around 30 of its members within Pakistan.
A video featuring Rizwan Hanif – a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Pakistan maintains was outlawed and disbanded long ago – has surfaced on social media.
In the video, he claims that over the past three to four years, many members of their banned organisation, behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, have been killed in various parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoK).
More than 30 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists have been killed by “unknown men” in Peshawar, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Rawalakot, and Muzaffarabad.
This is the first time a terrorist linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, sanctioned by the UN in 2005 over its links to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, has publicly admitted to such killings.
Indian security agencies have verified the authenticity of the video, confirming that the man in the video is a senior Lashkar terrorist who is wanted by India.
When contacted, a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We are always working to stay ahead of those trying to abuse our service and ban accounts to help keep other users safe.”
Some of the users on social media posted different messages.
Instant messaging app WhatsApp on Monday put multiple accounts, including those in India, “under review” for 24 hours and blocked all the app features, prompting several affected users to flag the issue through social media.
When contacted, a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We are always working to stay ahead of those trying to abuse our service and ban accounts to help keep other users safe. Sometimes we get this wrong and if we do, we try to fix it as quickly as possible to get people back to chatting.”
The disruption was highlighted around 8 pm IST when users started facing the issue without any prior warning from the Meta group’s messaging app.
The WhatsApp app on the screen displayed the message: “Account in review. Date requested: 3 Aug 2026. Your account activity and device info is being checked to make sure it follows our terms of service. We will notify you of the result typically within 24 hours.”
Below these remarks, the app shows an option to learn about account issues, which include “How to use WhatsApp responsibly. See guidance” and an option “About stolen phone and accounts”.
Some of the users on social media posted different messages.
The biggest setback for the BJP came from Bihar, where Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by 19,324 votes in Bankipur.
The BJP had a mixed day, at best, in the assembly bypolls on Monday. The saffron party won only one of the three seats that went to polls, all of them in states it rules.
It lost the high-profile Bankipur seat in Bihar and failed to wrest Datia in Madhya Pradesh, though the BJP held on to Manjalpur in PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
The results came days after the Centre was put under pressure — and the education minister had to be replaced — over protests that saw massive participation of youth in Delhi against repeated examination paper leaks.
Bankipur loss hands Prashant Kishor first win
The biggest setback for the BJP came from Bihar, where Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by 19,324 votes in Bankipur.
The BJP had held the seat since 1995.
The bypoll was held after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned from the assembly upon moving to the Rajya Sabha.
This was Kishor’s first election victory since entering politics and gave Jan Suraaj its first MLA. The party had failed to open its account in the 2025 Bihar elections.
During the campaign last week, Kishor said Jan Suraaj already changed Bihar’s political debate despite not being in power.
RJD’s vote share also dropped sharply. Its candidate, who had polled more than 46,000 votes in the last assembly election, got fewer than 15,000 votes this time.
BJP loses Datia
The BJP also lost the Datia assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, with Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes.
The Congress retained the seat, which it had won in the 2023 elections.
Congress workers celebrate the party’s victory in the Datia Assembly by-elections at the PCC headquarters, in Bhopal on Monday. (ANI)
BJP holds Manjalpur
The BJP’s only win came from Gujarat, where it comfortably retained the Manjalpur Assembly seat.
BJP’s Satendrabhai Patel defeated Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari by a margin of over 30,000 votes.
Opposition steps up attack
The Opposition was quick to target the BJP after the results.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav linked the defeats to public anger over paper leaks, unemployment, inflation and corruption. Calling the verdict the “beginning of change”, he said it showed the “unity of the youth and the outrage of their guardians”.
He added that “even the BJP’s safest and most traditional seats won’t be able to save them from defeat now” and described the outcome as the “double defeat of the double-engine government”.
“Bhagwan ko nachane ka ahankaar rakhne walon ko Bhagwan ne hi nacha diya. (Those who believed they could make God dance have instead been humbled by God Himself),” the SP chief said.
भगवान को नचाने का अहंकार रखनेवालों को भगवान ने ही नचा दिया। अपने को भगवान से ऊपर समझनेवालों को भगवान ने चलती गाड़ी से नीचे उतार दिया है और साथ ही उनके घमंड का बुख़ार भी।
ये युवाओं की एकता और उनके अभिभावकों के आक्रोश का संयुक्त परिणाम है क्योंकि:
– ‘वोट चोरी’
– ‘पेपर चोरी’
-…
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also took a swipe at the BJP over the bypoll results.
Congratulating Prashant Kishor on his debut win, Kejriwal said, “The BJP has lost even the seat of its national president.”
He claimed the BJP’s “ground has completely shifted” and blamed the result on issues such as “fund theft, paper leaks, E20” and growing public dissatisfaction with the Narendra Modi government.
“The arrogance is breaking down. The people of the country have given a signal of change,” he added.
भाजपा अपने राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष की सीट ही हार गई। बांकीपुर से प्रशांत किशोर जी बड़े मार्जिन से जीत गए। उनको बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
भाजपा की ज़मीन पूरी तरह से खिसक चुकी है। चंदा चोरी, पेपर लीक, E20… मोदी सरकार के प्रति लोगों में गहरा असंतोष है। अहंकार टूटता जा रहा है। देश की जनता ने… https://t.co/vgRNC52xVV
The bypoll results came days after the Centre took a beating from non-stop GenZ-driven protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over exam paper leaks and education reforms.
The agitation, led by the satirical digital front Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), began over the NEET paper leaks before ballooning into a mass movement on education, jobs and governance.
After over a month of protests and hunger strikes, the Centre opened talks with CJP leaders. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan was forced to resign on June 25, and the government announced a series of measures, including examination reforms, discussions on preventing future paper leaks and compensation for families of students who died by suicide following exam paper leaks.
The CJP later ended its protest, saying the government accepted its key demands.
Calling the removal of the Prime Minister’s video a serious matter, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey alleged that the incident reflected an attempt to destabilise the country.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has sought a public apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook, warning that the company could face the loss of its safe harbour protection if it fails to respond.
Addressing reporters after chairing the committee meeting, panel chairman and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the committee had conveyed two clear demands to Meta.
“Our committee has said two things and has clearly stated that the apology should come from Zuckerberg. If Zuckerberg does not give it, then the safe harbour protection under Section 79 should be withdrawn from him,” Dubey said.
Calling the removal of the Prime Minister’s video a serious matter, he alleged that the incident reflected an attempt to destabilise the country.
“When a video of the Prime Minister of India can be removed, and they themselves admitted that the content was missing for five hours, from 12:30 am to 5:00 am, this is a very serious matter,” he said.
Referring to an earlier controversy, Dubey added, “If you recall, Zuckerberg himself made a statement in January regarding the 2024 elections and later apologised. This shows that his intention is to destabilise the country.”
The BJP MP also accused Meta, YouTube and X of failing to adequately address issues related to their algorithms and content moderation. He claimed the platforms had not acted effectively against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and content affecting women despite India’s strict legal framework.
Dubey further said the committee had recommended reviewing safe harbour protection in such cases, while also referring to the FIR filed by the Telangana government against Meta India.
What’s The Case?
The controversy dates back to the early hours of July 28, when a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official Facebook page suddenly became unavailable to users. The video, which marked his first direct message to Generation Z amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the NEET paper leak, had attracted significant public attention.
The approved foreign universities are set to open campuses in cities including Bengaluru, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai and Chennai.
Only foreign institutions ranked among the top 500 global universities are eligible to apply.. (AI Image)
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued 16 Letters of Intent (LoIs) to 15 foreign higher educational institutions from Australia, Italy, the US and the UK to establish campuses in India, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
The approved foreign universities are set to open campuses in cities including Bengaluru, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai and Chennai. Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said the move aims to expand global education opportunities in India while ensuring quality standards.
He said the UGC framework ensures that education provided by foreign universities in India matches the standards of their parent campuses abroad while complying with Indian laws and regulations.
UGC sets rules for foreign campuses
The new campuses will operate under the University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023.
Majumdar said the foreign institutions planning to set up campuses in India have proposed courses in areas such as business, economics, finance, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, game design, entrepreneurship, innovation and biomedical sciences.
The UGC has created a single-window clearance system and formed a high-powered Standing Committee to assess applications from foreign universities seeking to establish campuses in India.
The committee reviews proposals and makes recommendations to the UGC, which then grants in-principle approval and issues a Letter of Intent.
Only foreign institutions ranked among the top 500 global universities are eligible to apply. Applicants are also required to submit accreditation and quality assurance reports from recognised bodies.
Arvind Kejriwal is set to lead protest march against E20 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence with 100 supporters to submit petitions against the blended fuel.
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is set to lead E20 protest march to PM Modi’s residence in New Delhi Photo : ANI
Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener, who has been raising voice over blending of ethanol and petrol is set to lead a protest march along with 100 people, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence today. Kejriwal is expected to begin the march from AAP headquarters to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg – The Prime Minister’s Residence – around 12 PM. However, a police source said that no permission has been granted and security arrangements are being made to prevent any unauthorised procession.
The AAP supremo seeks to submit petitions against E20 petrol, alleging that the Centre was pushing the blended fuel under pressure from US President Donald Trump. Kejriwal’s Tuesday agitation has come two days after he addressed a townhall at the Constitution Club in New Delhi to highlight the issue.
Kejriwal Alleges Govt Pursuing E20 Policy Under Pressure From Trump
The AAP convener has alleged that India “yielded” to Trump to buy ethanol from the United States and said the government’s continued push for ethanol-blended petrol suggested there was a “hidden agenda”.
“I will go to the PM’s residence tomorrow along with 100 people to personally hand over the petitions signed by the public and discuss issues related to ethanol-blended petrol. People are facing several problems in their vehicles and despite all that the government is continuing with this, which means there is a hidden agenda,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.
Kejriwal Competing For Number 1 Anarchist, Taunts BJP
Hitting out at AAP chief, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said that Kejriwal’s announcement to march to the Prime Minister’s residence is part of the ongoing competition between him and the Congress over who can emerge as the country’s Number 1 anarchist.
He said that ever since the Congress staged a protest at the Prime Minister’s residence, Kejriwal appeared to be falling behind in this politics of disruption. To make up for it, Kejriwal announced that he would march to the Prime Minister’s residence over the ethanol issue without obtaining permission, Malhotra said.
Kejriwal Will Play Victim Card, Predicts BJP
Malhotra said that creating disorder first and then playing the victim card has long been Kejriwal’s political style.
“Tomorrow, when the police prevent him from entering the Prime Minister’s residence without permission, Kejriwal will once again play the victim card and claim that the government refused even to hold talks with him,” Malhotra said.
Kejriwal said he would personally hand over the petitions to Modi after receiving no response to a letter he sent to the prime minister last month seeking an appointment to discuss concerns over E20 petrol.
“Does this Taliban regime have any conduct that reflects Islamic values?” the Pak army officer said, “What they do to women, to children… issuing fatwas.”
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pak military, at a press conference in Rawalpindi on Friday, July 31. (Photo: FB/DGISPR)
Pakistan’s military spokesperson has flayed the relationship between the Taliban regime of Afghanistan and India’s ruling establishment as that of “master and slave”.
“Allah Almighty has made it very clear — do not take the disbelievers (kafirs) as your friends/protectors. If you do so, then you are no longer among the Muslims,” said Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, invoking a Quranic verse to attack an Afghan Taliban minister’s remarks describing close India-Afghanistan ties last month.
This angry reaction by Chaudhry, as Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pak military, came at a press conference in Rawalpindi on Friday, July 31. It was primarily to brief the media on Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations and the security situation in Balochistan.
He was asked about the relations between India’s ruling BJP and its parent body RSS, self-described as Hindu nationalist organisations, and the Taliban regime that claims to represent Islamic best practices of governance.
“Does this Taliban regime have any conduct that reflects Islamic values?” the Pak army officer said. “What they do to women, what they do to children, issuing fatwas while sitting comfortably and declaring the bloodshed of any Muslim permissible — what connection does this have with Islam? It has no connection with Islam whatsoever,” he added.
State broadcaster PTV also shared parts of this press conference (such as the one below).
The officer pointedly referred to remarks made by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime’s minister of agriculture Mawlawi (or Maulvi) Ataullah Omari, who had visited India around a month ago.
At an India-Afghanistan trade and industry interaction event in New Delhi, Omari had said he felt at home in India from the moment he landed.
“From the very first day I landed in India, I received a warm welcome from the Indian government, the Minister of External Affairs, and everyone I met. It feels as if I am among my own people. It feels like our own country. Our DNA is one,” Omari said. The remark reportedly drew smiles and a warm response from Indian officials present at the event.
The Pak army spokesman brought up and scoffed at the “same DNA” remark on Friday — clips have since gone viral. “I am not talking about the Afghan people; I am talking about the Afghan Taliban regime. We have to be very careful in understanding whose DNA is actually the same. The DNA is not the same as that of the ordinary Afghan people. The common Afghan people are being crushed under the oppression of this Taliban regime. Their DNA is not the same as theirs,” he said.
He then argued that India-Taliban ties were religiously impermissible. “Maulvi sahib became emotional and ended up saying more than he should have, believing they were somehow very close… The real relationship between the Indian BJP or RSS and the Taliban regime is that of a master and a slave. The oppressive system in India is their master, and they are its servants. What is the RSS doing? What is this so-called ‘Hindu rashtra (nation)’ doing? It is oppressing Muslims, oppressing Kashmiris, committing injustice.” He accused the Taliban regime of “serving that agenda even more than them”.
India finish CWG 2026 with 39 medals as boxing, para sports, judo and athletics script historic firsts, proving quality outweighed quantity in Glasgow.
Assured of 10 medals heading into the finals, the Indian contingent converted seven into gold and three into silver (PTI)
India closed the curtain on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. It was short of the symbolic 50-medal mark the country had maintained at every Commonwealth Games since 2002, but this was never going to be a tournament judged purely by numbers.
With several medal-rich sports absent from the programme, owing to financial constraints in hosting the Games, whose rights were initially reserved by the state of Victoria in Australia before moving to Glasgow, expectations were naturally tempered. But the nation found new heroes, new disciplines and new reasons to celebrate. The contingent may not have managed to add to their tally on the final day, but the campaign in the port city in Scotland ended on a memorable note, one headlined by a historic boxing sweep, an unprecedented para-sports performance and Indian judo’s greatest-ever Commonwealth Games showing.
Weightlifting got the campaign underway for India, delivering eight medals — one gold, six silver and one bronze. Mirabai Chanu once again proved why she remains India’s undisputed queen of weightlifting, as she scripted history with a third successive CWG gold.
Then came boxing. If the Gold Coast Games in 2018 had represented India’s finest moment in the ring with seven medals, Glasgow completely rewrote the record books. Assured of 10 medals heading into the finals, the Indian contingent converted seven into gold and three into silver, producing the greatest boxing campaign by any nation in Commonwealth Games history. The women led the revolution, claiming five gold medals, while Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal completed the men’s triumph.
It wasn’t just India’s best-ever boxing performance, it became the benchmark for every country in Commonwealth Games history.
Yet even boxing wasn’t the only sport breaking barriers. Quietly flowing under the radar, India’s para athletes scripted perhaps the most remarkable story of the Games. The 28-member contingent returned with seven medals, three gold, two silver and two bronze, matching India’s combined para-sports medal tally from every previous Commonwealth Games edition, while comfortably surpassing it in quality. That tally included three double podium finishes in para athletics, where Sharmila, Dilip Mahadu Gavit and Soman Rana struck gold.
Judo, too, reached unprecedented heights. Harsh Singh and Asmita Dey became India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medallists, while Yamini Mourya added silver and Unnati Sharma clinched bronze, ensuring India’s best-ever medal haul in judo.
Athletics contributed the remaining 10 medals to India’s tally, five silver and five bronze, while producing several landmark achievements. Tejaswin Shankar scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games decathlon medal, claiming bronze. Gulveer Singh, meanwhile, emerged as one of India’s standout performers, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two athletics medals at a single Commonwealth Games with silver in the men’s 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m. Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra also returned to the Commonwealth Games podium, adding a silver in the men’s javelin after winning gold at Gold Coast 2018 and missing Birmingham 2022 through injury.
Around five years ago, security agencies estimated there were 50-60 active local terrorists. In May 2025, official records showed 17 active local terrorists.
Police personnel keep vigil along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following a terrorist attack, in Kulgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday. (HT_PRINT)
Jammu & Kashmir now has just one active local terrorist left, according to records maintained by security agencies including the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), with officers mounting an intensive hunt for Kulgam resident Mohammed Lateef Bhat, whom investigators suspect was behind the killing of two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh, the July 22 shooting of a head constable and plans to target the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, said people aware of the matter.
People familiar with the matter said updated security records show there is now only one active local terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir, compared with 40-50 foreign terrorists operating across the Union territory, said a security officer.
1 local active terrorist left
Around five years ago, security agencies estimated there were 50-60 active local terrorists. As recently as May 2025, official records showed 17 active local terrorists — 14 in Kashmir and three in Jammu — along with around 60 foreign terrorists said the official cited above.
The fall in local recruitment is due to the crackdown by security forces on one hand and National Investigation Agency (NIA) probes over the past few years that have throttled groups that were allegedly funding terrorism. In the last two years, a massive crackdown on terror financing and narco terrorism was launched by the NIA.
According to security officials, Bhat escaped during a joint operation by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF in which security forces killed Zakir Ahmed Ganei, a Category A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, on July 8 in a forested area of Anantnag district.
Part of Operation Sheruwali
Officials said Ganei and Bhat were moving through the area when security forces intercepted them.
“The joint operation was launched then because of intelligence inputs that Ganei and Bhatt, who worked together, planned to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra. This was part of Operation Sheruwali launched jointly by the forces. Bhatt managed to flee the cordon while Ganei was neutralised. Since then, security forces have pinned his involvement on the July 22 killing of the J&K head constable and the recent killing of the two migrants. He is the most wanted across J&K,” a senior security force officer said, adding that Bhatt is also being aided by other locals.
Officials also pointed to similarities between the July 22 killing of head constable Ashiq Hussain and that of the two migrants Bhupendra Bhaina and Deepak Ratre on Friday. The assailant in both cases was wearing a cap and carried the weapon in a gunny bag.
Eyewitnesses told investigators that the assailant in both cases fired at point-blank range.
Security agencies say little is known about how Bhatt joined the LeT, a poster circulated on social media by unidentified handles shows his joining the Kashmir Revolution Army (KRA) on November 17, 2025.
Scuffle at MP Pappu Yadav’s Delhi home during a press briefing. Two men confronted him, accusing him of insulting Sanatan Dharma.
Scuffle breaks out at Pappu Yadav’s residence
A scuffle broke out at the Delhi residence of Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Sunday while he was addressing a press conference, with the MP later alleging that the incident was part of an attempt to assassinate him.
According to reports, a group of individuals allegedly confronted Yadav during the media interaction, triggering a clash with his supporters. The confrontation comes amid the controversy surrounding the Opposition’s Ram Mandir skit performed inside the Parliament complex earlier this week.
Following the incident, Pappu Yadav and his supporters claimed that the two men were carrying a knife. Visuals circulating on social media showed a knife placed on a table after the incident.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Yadav claimed there had been a conspiracy to kill him and alleged that a reward had been announced against him.
“Babas are saying every day, ‘Kill me, burn me down; we will give Rs 51 lakh.’We caught him and handed him over to the police. There was a plot to kill me, but I survived,” Yadav said.
He also alleged that one of the men involved in the confrontation was carrying a knife.
“I came here because last night, they went to my children’s home. Now, you are trying to intimidate my children too; that won’t happen. I was with the press, and a conversation was underway. Amid that, there was an attempt to kill me,” said Yadav.
Accused Identified
Delhi Police sources have identified the main accused in the scuffle at Independent MP Pappu Yadav’s Delhi residence as Sumit, a 34-year-old iron trader from Ghaziabad who is originally from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. According to the sources, no previous criminal record has been found against him so far.
The second individual involved has been identified as Happy, who was allegedly waiting inside a Creta car parked outside Yadav’s residence when Sumit allegedly threw a shoe at the MP during the press conference. During interrogation, the two men reportedly told police that they had travelled from Bulandshahr to Delhi on Sunday to get their vehicle repaired. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details are awaited.
Ram Mandir Skit Sparks Controversy
The incident comes days after Opposition MPs staged a satirical skit inside the Parliament complex on July 31, using symbolic characters to raise allegations over donations collected for the Ram Mandir.
During the performance, Pappu Yadav wore saffron robes and portrayed a temple priest, while other Opposition MPs enacted scenes involving a donation box and allegations of corruption.
Police Complaints And Protests
The skit drew strong criticism from the BJP. Party leaders, including Bansuri Swaraj, along with several BJP MLAs, filed police complaints in New Delhi, alleging that the performance had hurt religious sentiments.
The operation targeted major opium trafficking routes linked to Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. More than 360 kg of opium has been recovered so far.
The ANTF also uncovered and dismantled 34 units allegedly manufacturing MD drugs across Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has seized drugs worth more than Rs 700 crore over the past 10 months, marking what officials described as a record crackdown on narcotics trafficking in the state.
ANTF Inspector General Vikas Kumar said Rajasthan Police had seized narcotics worth around Rs 850 crore under the NDPS Act last year, while the total this year is expected to cross Rs 1,000 crore. The task force alone has accounted for seizures worth Rs 700 crore.
The operation targeted major opium trafficking routes linked to Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. More than 360 kg of opium has been recovered so far.
The ANTF also uncovered and dismantled 34 units allegedly manufacturing MD drugs across Rajasthan, seizing more than 185 kg of the synthetic narcotic. Officials said action was also taken against the illegal cultivation of opium and cannabis.
Working with agencies in five states and five central bodies, the task force arrested 84 alleged major drug traffickers. Several of them were wanted criminals who had been on the run for years, police said.
A Shahjahanpur man’s killing over an Instagram photograph set off a massive protest and blockade. The case deepened communal tension, prompted compensation demands and put social media posts under watch.
A Shahjahanpur man’s killing over an Instagram photograph set off a massive protest and blockade. (Photo: Representational )
The murder of a 22-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur led to a major protest, with markets shut and demonstrators blocking the Palia-Farrukhabad highway for nearly eight hours on Saturday. Protesters demanded the demolition of the accused’s house and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim’s family, officials said.
Police said Gautam Maurya, a resident of Kant town, was allegedly stabbed to death on Friday night by Sameer Ali and his associates after Maurya had uploaded a photograph of himself with the accused’s sister on Instagram on July 12. The case also saw tension over social media activity, and police later said the accused was injured in an alleged encounter while being taken to recover the murder weapon.
The incident triggered protests outside the Kant police station on Saturday, where Maurya’s family staged a sit-in. Police said members of several Hindu organisations joined the protest, leading to a market shutdown and the highway blockade.
Some protesters also tried to target shops belonging to members of another community, but security personnel dispersed them. During the blockade, traffic was diverted via the Bareilly route from Bareilly Mod and Jalalabad.
Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit said the accused attacked the police team that had taken him to recover the murder weapon, following which police fired in self-defence and a bullet hit his right leg. Police also said that after the murder, the accused uploaded an Instagram status featuring the victim’s photograph. Dixit said police were closely monitoring social media and warned of strict action against those posting communal or inflammatory content.
Gangster Sujit Sinha was killed in a police encounter after an alleged escape bid during his transfer from Sahibganj Divisional Jail to Dhanbad Jail. Police have sealed the site and said standard legal procedures are under way.
One of Jharkhand’s most wanted gangsters, Sujit Sinha, was killed in a police encounter.
One of Jharkhand’s most wanted gangsters, Sujit Sinha, was killed in a police encounter late Sunday night after allegedly attempting to escape while being shifted from Sahibganj Divisional Jail to Dhanbad Jail.
According to police, the incident took place near the Jamtara border during the prison transfer. Officials said Sinha requested that the convoy stop so he could use the toilet. As the police vehicle halted, he allegedly snatched a rifle from one of the escort personnel and fled into the darkness.
Police claimed the gangster opened fire on the escort team while trying to escape, forcing officers to retaliate. During the exchange of fire, Sinha sustained serious bullet injuries.
He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Former MLA Rajendra Bharti, who was disqualified from the Madhya Pradesh Assembly in April after his conviction in a cheating case, said the action did not affect him and that he would show his strength in the next state polls.
Ex-Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified from the MP Assembly in April over cheating allegations.
The Congress on Sunday night suspended former Madhya Pradesh MLA Rajendra Bharti from the party’s primary membership, hours before counting of votes for the July 30 Datia Assembly by-polls was set to begin.
Bharti, who was disqualified from the Assembly in April after his conviction in a cheating case, said the action did not affect him and that he would show his strength in the next assembly elections.
He also said the decision was wrong and that the public would respond to it in the 2028 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.
Bharti had represented the Datia seat before his disqualification. A Delhi court had sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment in the cheating case in April, which led to the termination of his Assembly membership.
The by-poll was held on July 30, with 71.44 per cent voting, and the result is to be declared today.
Speaking to reporters, Bharti alleged that the entire episode was a ‘conspiracy’ by senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra. He also alleged that Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh had contested the election in collusion with Mishra.
After 11 days of intense competition, Glasgow Commonwealth Games concluded with the flag and baton handed over to India, hosts of the Centenary edition, in a glittering ceremony.
As the curtain came down on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, India offered the world a vibrant invitation to Ahmedabad, blending ancient philosophy, contemporary artistry and cultural grandeur in a handover presentation that officially launched the journey towards the centenary edition of the Games in 2030. The emotional centrepiece of Sunday’s closing ceremony at the OVO Hydro saw Glasgow formally pass the Commonwealth Games baton to India before a spectacular showcase of music, dance and storytelling projected India’s identity as a nation where tradition and modernity coexist.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, representing King Charles III, formally declared the Games closed.
“Thanks for the manner in which you have competed, officiated, supported, organised the Games. You have once again brought the spirit and value of Commonwealth tonight. Thank You Glasgow,” he said.
“I call up on athletes of all countries and territories to come to Ahmedabad, India in four years time to celebrate the 24th Commonwealth Games in what will be the centenary of the Games,” he added.
Jaismine Lamboria carried India’s flag at the closing ceremony after winning gold in the women’s 57kg category boxing competition.
The formal handover began with the Commonwealth Games flag making its symbolic journey across the arena.
Led by bearers holding the Scottish and Indian flags, the procession lowered the folded Games flag. Glasgow’s Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren then passed it to Commonwealth Games Scotland vice-chair Susan Jackson, Scottish netball player Emily Nicholl, Commonwealth Sport president Dr Donald Rukare, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha, and finally Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. This marked the official transfer of hosting responsibilities from Scotland to India.
From that solemn moment, the atmosphere transformed into a celebration of India’s civilisational ethos.
The Indian presentation unfolded over three acts, taking the audience on what organisers described as a journey celebrating shared values, culture and connection.
The overarching message was rooted in the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “The World is One Family” — a theme that resonated strongly with the Commonwealth’s ideals of unity and friendship.
The opening act also commemorated 150 years of Vande Mataram, India’s national song, with a sweeping choreography led by actor Manushi Chhillar.
Set against immersive digital visuals, hundreds of dancers painted a vivid portrait of India’s diversity while maestro Shankar Mahadevan’s stirring score fused orchestral grandeur with Indian musical traditions.
The performance sought to portray India as a civilisation that welcomes the world through its plurality of languages, customs and artistic traditions. A specially produced film introduced international audiences to Ahmedabad.
The film presented sport as an inseparable part of Indian life, tracing its evolution from ancient traditions of discipline and physical excellence to the aspirations of one of the world’s youngest nations.
Gujarat was portrayed as a place where centuries-old heritage intersects with innovation and urban ambition, positioning Ahmedabad as a fitting venue for the Commonwealth Games’ landmark centenary edition.
The visual narrative culminated with a message that sport has the power to unite people, celebrate diversity and bring the Commonwealth together in India.
The second act celebrated perhaps the strongest cultural bridge between the outgoing and incoming hosts – music.
Called “The Cultural Jugalbandi”, the segment paired internationally acclaimed Indian sitar virtuoso Rishab Sharma with celebrated Scottish musician Ross Ainslie.
The dialogue between Sharma’s sitar and Ainslie’s Scottish pipes and whistles became a symbolic conversation between two ancient musical traditions. Moving seamlessly between meditative passages and energetic crescendos, the performance demonstrated how music can transcend geography and language while respecting cultural identity.
The finale belonged to one of India’s most celebrated musical families.
The Noida Police had filed a “Zero” First Information Report against the minor over the abusive remarks against PM Modi.
The minor had apologised for using abusive language against PM Modi.
The Delhi Police have decided not to file a case against a minor girl accused of hurling expletives at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a viral video during the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar last month, sources told NDTV on Sunday.
The Noida Police had filed a “Zero” First Information Report (FIR) against the minor over the abrasive remarks against PM Modi. The FIR identified her as a 25-year-old woman. However, she clarified in an apology video later that she was just 15 and had made the comments under the influence of “others” at the protest site.
“I am only 15 years old. Whatever I did was not worthy of forgiveness. I have said a lot of bad things. This is my first and last mistake. I apologise to the entire country. I am so ashamed. I can’t even look at myself. Please forgive me,” she said in the video earlier this week.
Amid appeals for leniency on social media, PM Modi said last Friday that he forgave “misguided children” who abused him.
“Punishing them and dragging them through courts and harassing them will not change the circumstances. I want to forgive them. I request society also to accept what I am saying,” he said in an Instagram reel.
Mother Appealed To PM Modi For Leniency
The minor’s mother had appealed to PM Modi to direct the authorities to cancel the FIR against the minor.
“PM Modi has shown greatness by forgiving a daughter of the country who had used such dirty words. I thank him with folded hands. Today is her new birth. The prime minister has given her jeevandaan (a new life),” the mother said.
“I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi, please revoke the FIR filed against her under the wrong name and age…Now she is under your supervision,” she added.
She also urged PM Modi to ban social media for minors.
“My humble request to PM Modi is that Instagram and Facebook should be stopped for children under 18. They should be allowed to study only. They should not be allowed to protest sites. These children can be easily taken advantage of. They don’t know anything about the world,” she said.
Her post comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that abusive words never solve problems while speaking about the recent Gen Z-led protests. However, Bhaker did not mention the Prime Minister or the protests in her post.
Manu Bhaker Shares Strong Message After PM Modi’s Remarks On Abusive Language | Instagram | X
Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker shared a social media post asking people to avoid using abusive language and to speak respectfully on Sunday. Her post comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that abusive words never solve problems while speaking about the recent Gen Z-led protests. However, Bhaker did not mention the Prime Minister or the protests in her post.
Sharing her thoughts, Bhaker said that the words people use show their personality and can shape the kind of person they become. She also said that using abusive language should never be seen as “cool” and encouraged people to be hardworking, kind and respectful.
Manu Bhaker’s Social Media Post
“The language we choose reflects our personality and the kind of person we are. Choose your words wisely, because over time, you become what you think, what you speak, and what you practice.
Using bad language is not cool. Abusing is not cool.
Let’s keep the definition of cool simple: being hardworking, kind, respectful towards others and yourself, striving to be successful through honesty, and making your parents and your country proud.
THAT’S COOL.
I’m speaking about this because, over the past few years, the way we perceive abusive language has changed. For many, using such words has become so normal that it’s even considered “cool.” Without realizing it, people casually use degrading and disrespectful language in everyday conversations.”
The action follows a July 21 complaint from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment alleging commission of offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy and causing wrongful loss to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
The Ministry of Labour and Employment sent the complaint.
The CBI has registered an FIR against Reliance Capital Limited (RCL) and its former chairman Anil D Ambani for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 1,816.22 crore to the EPFO, officials said on Saturday.
Ambani, however, denied any wrongdoing, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.
The action follows a July 21 complaint from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment alleging commission of offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy and causing wrongful loss to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the officials said.
“The present complaint is being lodged on behalf of EPFO through its authorised officer pursuant to the approval of the competent authority in relation to the substantial loss suffered by the EPFO arising out of its investment in the secured Non-Convertible Debentures issued by Reliance Capital Limited and the subsequently discovered material indicating fraudulent conduct connected with such investment,” the complaint alleged.
Responding to the complaint, Ambani’s spokesperson said, “The FIR registered by the CBI pertains to Reliance Capital Limited. Mr. Ambani served as a Non-Executive Director/Chairman of the Board of Reliance Capital Limited from 2005 until November 2021, when the Reserve Bank of India superseded the Board of Directors of the company and appointed an administrator.” “Anil Ambani denies any wrongdoing, whatsoever, and reserves all rights available to him in law,” the spokesperson said.
According to the complaint, which is now part of the CBI FIR, during 2013 and 2014, RCL issued secured Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs).
Pursuant thereto, investments aggregating to Rs 2,500 crore were made by the portfolio managers on behalf of the EPFO in the aforesaid NCDs, with maturity in 2023 and 2024, the complaint alleged.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment sent the complaint after it was intimated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that it had found documentary evidence and a transaction audit conducted by BDO India LLP showed prima facie a number of fraudulent transactions by RCL and the persons in charge of its management during the period from December 7, 2019, to December 6, 2021.
“In addition, during an earlier period as well, various fraudulent transactions have been found which also led to ultimate failure of RCL as a consequence of siphoning off of money of RCL,” the complaint alleged.
The ministry said consumers instead paid Rs 94.77 per litre because ethanol, procured domestically at pre-agreed prices, made up 20% of every litre of fuel.
File image of Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and representative image of E20 petrol. (Source: PTI)
Defending the government’s ethanol programme, the petroleum ministry on Friday said petrol prices in Delhi would have jumped to Rs 125 per litre had oil companies not blended ethanol into the fuel when global crude prices touched $135 a barrel, The Times of India reported.
The ministry said consumers instead paid Rs 94.77 per litre because ethanol, procured domestically at pre-agreed prices, made up 20% of every litre of fuel.
According to the government, E20 petrol not only helped shield retail fuel prices from the spike in global crude oil prices but also saved consumers nearly Rs 30 per litre at the peak of the crisis, TOI reported.
The ministry also rejected allegations that foodgrain meant for the poor was being diverted for ethanol production or that subsidised FCI rice was being used to support the programme.
Retail fuel prices remained unchanged for about 75 days after the West Asia conflict erupted on February 28, with the government keeping petrol and diesel rates stable despite volatility in global crude markets. Prices were revised upward by Rs 7.5 per litre in May. At present, E20 (91-octane) petrol is priced at Rs 102.12 per litre in Delhi, while 100-octane petrol retails at Rs 169 per litre.
Mileage May Drop 6%, BS-III Rubber Parts At Risk
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday highlighted the issues car owners may face due to E20 fuel in the Parliament.
The minister said vehicle owners may experience a drop in mileage and that certain rubber parts in older BS-III vehicles may require replacement, while reiterating that E20 petrol does not damage engines.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said a joint study by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) found that E20 may marginally reduce mileage.
Gadkari said E20 petrol can reduce vehicle fuel efficiency, lowering mileage by 2% to 6%. However, he added that the drop in mileage would depend on the vehicle category and its age.
The study also found that ethanol-blended petrol improves acceleration, ride quality and lowers carbon emissions by around 30%.
Gadkari said certain rubber parts and gaskets in older BS-III vehicles manufactured before 2016 may require replacement when running on E20 petrol, while maintaining that the blended fuel does not significantly affect overall vehicle performance or require engine modifications.
