A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for competition, policy autonomy, and a sustainable payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI, and the US has criticised India's digital payment systems, raising concerns about the future of India's digital payment landscape.
Bodoland FC secured a convincing 3-0 victory over FC1 in the Durand Cup, bouncing back from an earlier defeat. Goals from Robinson Rendon, Rituraj Mohan, and Aron Thapa sealed the win, significantly boosting their position in Group F. Separately, Langsning FC staged a comeback to draw 2-2 with Nongkseh SS&CC in the Shillong Derby.
Animals are now the face of virality and might have already beaten human influencers at the job.
Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the 18-member Indian men's hockey team for the AHF Junior Asia Cup in China from August 30 to September 13. The squad, training in Bengaluru under coach Frederic Soyez, recently completed an exposure tour of Belgium and is playing friendly matches against Malaysia U-21 as part of their preparations.
A delayed ITR could prompt greater scrutiny, document requests or processing delays.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented a comprehensive report card on the Sports and Labour & Employment ministries to NDA MPs, detailing India's ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympics, targets for medal tallies, and significant growth in job creation and social security coverage over the past decade.
Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has been awarded the prestigious COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal for 2026. She is the fourth Indian and first woman scientist from the country to receive this honour, recognised for her outstanding contributions to space research.
Indian golfer Saanvi Somu finished tied 26th at the Women's Irish Challenge after a challenging final round, while Ireland's Beth Coulter secured a historic win on her professional debut in a sudden-death playoff.
The Jammu and Kashmir government announced that the PGTI golf tournament, J&K Open, will become an annual event, with plans to establish a world-class golf academy and position the union territory as India's golfing capital.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for the defence of competition, policy autonomy, and the long-term sustainability of its payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI transactions, a move GTRI suggests should not be influenced by foreign trade complaints.
Indian golfers Diksha Dagar, Aditi Ashok, Avani Prashanth, and Pranavi Urs are set to compete in the USD 2 million PIF London Championship on the Ladies European Tour. Diksha seeks her third LET title, while Aditi aims for improved results. The tournament, hosted at Centurion Club, features a strong international field including world No. 6 Charley Hull.
The Indian men's squash team secured a bronze medal at the World Squash Junior Team Championships in Ontario after losing 0-2 to the USA in the semifinals. This marks the first time the Indian men's team has achieved consecutive bronze medal finishes in the competition.
The CPI(M) has strongly opposed the Union government's proposal to levy charges on UPI transactions, calling it a "breach of public trust" and demanding the immediate withdrawal of the legislation. The party highlighted that the government had previously promoted UPI as a free public utility, encouraging widespread adoption, and now seeks to monetise this infrastructure. They also linked this move to a broader trend of increasing banking charges.
Indian golfers Pranavi Urs and Aditi Ashok delivered strong performances at the PIF London Championship, finishing tied 19th and tied 17th respectively. Meanwhile, Canada's Anna Huang secured her fourth Ladies European Tour title, becoming the youngest player to achieve this feat after a dramatic final round.
ServiceNow Vice Chairman Nick Tzitzon highlights India's potential to develop an AI-native government model, emphasising enhanced public services, data privacy, and economic growth.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra combines a large 6.9-inch HyperRGB OLED display, a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a Leica-engineered camera system.
Employees with artificial intelligence skills are likely to see better salary increments in the coming years, especially in technology, GCCs, and BFSI sectors, according to TeamLease Edtech.
The Indian Army celebrated the exceptional performance of its athletes at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, where a contingent of 20 Army athletes secured 16 medals, including eight gold. This achievement highlights the Army's dedication to fostering world-class sporting talent and advancing India's athletic ambitions, particularly through initiatives like Mission Olympics 2036.
N Chandrasekaran will step down as chairman of Tata Sons in February 2027, concluding a decade at the helm, following a prolonged standoff over his reappointment with Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has launched the ISSF Shotgun Referee Course in New Delhi, a five-day programme aimed at developing internationally qualified technical officials for shooting sports. The course, led by ISSF instructor Nooruddin Alyasi, attracts participants from India, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka, signifying a major step towards enhancing officiating standards and technical infrastructure in the region.
Reigning Indian Super League champions East Bengal are set to face Kuwaiti league runners-up Al Arabi SC in a critical AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage knockout fixture. The single-leg qualifier will determine a spot in the group stage, with East Bengal navigating squad challenges under new coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
Indian boxer Sakshi Chaudhary has secured at least a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games by advancing to the 51kg category semifinals. She defeated Northern Ireland's Caitlin Fryers 5-0, becoming the fifth Indian boxer to guarantee a medal at the Games.
Rising Indian badminton star Tanvi Sharma, fresh from her Taipei Open win, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Masters Super 300 tournament. She is joined by compatriots Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Ashmita Chaliha in the women's singles. In men's doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy also secured a quarterfinal spot, while other Indian campaigns in mixed doubles, women's doubles, and men's singles concluded.
India secured the third position at the Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open, with golfers Ceerat Kang and Guntas Kaur Sandhu finishing in a tied sixth place. The event featured 54 golfers from 11 countries, and the title was won by Malaysia's Foong Zi Yu.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on digital transactions applies to merchants, not customers, and aims to support banks and fintech in infrastructure investment. She countered Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's claims, stating that a committee will decide on MDR only after Parliament passes the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, a process currently stalled by parliamentary disruptions.
Brazilian forward Rodriguinho made a sensational debut for SC Delhi, scoring five goals to lead his team to a dominant 7-0 victory over Defenders FC in the Durand Cup. This win propelled SC Delhi to the top of Group C, bringing them closer to a quarter-final spot, while Defenders FC exited the tournament without a point.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the state's ambition to become India's leader in quantum technology. The state plans to build a robust ecosystem, align with the National Quantum Mission, and train over 5,000 professionals, recognising AI, semiconductors, and quantum tech as key pillars for future growth and global competitiveness.
Vidarsa K Vinod, a 27-year-old rifle shooter from Kozhikode, has secured a spot in the Indian squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her path from an NCC introduction to elite competition was marked by financial struggles, training with borrowed equipment, and overcoming setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic. With crucial support from her family, husband, and the National Centre of Excellence, she now aims to become the World No. 1 in her sport.
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh each and government jobs for athletes Yamini and Ajay Babu. Both athletes won silver medals in judo and weightlifting, respectively, at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, bringing pride to the state and the country.
National record holder Sarvesh Kushare achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in the men's high jump event at the Commonwealth Games, clearing 2.25m.
IIT Madras is hosting the 3rd Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and RISC-V International. The symposium aims to unite stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to advance India's semiconductor innovation, focusing on indigenous processor technologies, secure computing, hardware innovation, and AI, aligning with the government's vision for India as a global semiconductor hub.
New research using zebrafish suggests that changes in gene activity can lead to the hardening of spinal discs, a major cause of neck and back pain. The study identified potential drug targets, including existing osteoporosis medication and pathways related to fat and phosphate metabolism, offering new avenues for treating intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) beyond surgery.
Air India is significantly embracing artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, improve customer services, increase revenues, and reduce costs as part of its ambitious transformation plan under the Tata Group.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened a high-level meeting with bank heads to assess cybersecurity risks linked to advanced AI models, following concerns over Anthropic's Claude Mythos system and its potential impact on financial data security.
rediffGURU Pankaj Vyavahare, career counsellor and life coach at the Bhagirath Counselling Centre, counsels students on how to make informed career choices.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in women's singles, while the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received the fifth seeding for the upcoming BWF World Championships. India has seeded entries in four out of five categories, including Lakshya Sen and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. The draw for the championships, set to be held in New Delhi from August 17-23, will take place on Wednesday.
The 11th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour is set to begin in Hosur, featuring all previous winners and a strong field of 53 players, including top amateurs and seasoned professionals. The tournament at Clover Greens Golf Course will see Vidhatri Urs, Vani Kapoor, Tvesa Malik, and others compete for honours.
Indian badminton prodigy Tanvi Sharma has secured her spot in the women's singles final of the Taipei Open Super 300 after a dominant straight-game victory. The 17-year-old will now compete for the title, continuing her impressive rise in the international badminton circuit.
Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric against Iran by posting AI-generated images and videos depicting US military strikes, warning Tehran that time is running out to secure a ceasefire agreement.
Fifteen-year-old Chilean Jaime 'Craime' Bustos has become the youngest-ever Esports World Cup champion, winning the Street Fighter 6 title. Representing Team Falcons, Craime defeated Japan's Hibiki in the final, securing USD 250,000 and a spot in Capcom Cup 13. Other championships were also decided, with Team Falcons maintaining their lead in the Club Championship standings.
