Abhijeet Dipke, convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has called for Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse's resignation, alleging that government schools are in a 'pitiable condition' and lack basic facilities, claiming 'ministers' dogs get better facilities' than students.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has launched an online petition urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address India's youth on critical issues like education, unemployment, and the rising cost of living during his Independence Day speech. This initiative follows CJP's successful 36-day agitation against NEET irregularities, which led to the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The CJP is now broadening its campaign with a nationwide "Kya Bolti Public" tour to gather youth views for a comprehensive Youth Reform Charter.
If an OTT series can make a young person curious about the armed forces, make a family understand the sacrifices made by those in uniform, or simply make someone walk up to a veteran and say, "Thank you for your service," then it has achieved something far more important than merely getting its history right, notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
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.
An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder from the UK has been booked by Pune Police for allegedly attempting to induce people to convert to Christianity. The individual is accused of using religious gatherings to spread misconceptions about Hindu traditions and make superstitious claims to attract followers, violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025 and the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026.
The Supreme Court has established a five-member high-powered committee, led by former top court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, to investigate allegations of police excesses against student protesters and violence against police personnel during recent demonstrations in Delhi.
BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, a descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has demanded an unconditional apology from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi. This demand follows an alleged incident at the AICC headquarters on Independence Day, where Chatterjee claims there were attempts to prevent the full singing of "Vande Mataram," which he described as a "shameless repetition of a historical mistake."
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council has voiced strong opposition to any directive making the singing of 'Vande Mataram' compulsory, especially for Christians. They argue that patriotism should not be reduced to forced conformity and that India's constitutional values of liberty, pluralism, and freedom of conscience must be respected. The council also called for dialogue and sensitivity from state institutions.
Chief ministers from southern states convened at the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Kovalam, where Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar advocated for the 1971 census as the basis for delimitation and a freeze on Lok Sabha seats, while also addressing the contentious Cauvery water and Mekedatu dam issues.
Mundhe said the FDA was examining advertisements for products other than tobacco-related items and would act wherever misleading claims or other violations were found.
The Maharashtra government has approved the deployment of sovereign artificial intelligence solutions from Sarvam AI for its departments, with a two-year outlay of Rs 11.26 crore. This initiative includes the Indus AI workspace for 2,500 users, ensuring government data remains within India, along with citizen outreach agents and speech models for the MahaAI platform.
Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has uncovered a Rs 1.5 crore WhatsApp fraud, leading to the arrest of two key SIM and OTP suppliers in West Bengal. The investigation revealed a sophisticated international cybercrime network spanning China, Pakistan, India, and Hong Kong, operating a "boss scam" and utilizing a "Cybercrime as a Service" model. Police recovered a significant portion of the defrauded amount and secured thousands of devices.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that investigating agencies cannot impose a blanket debit freeze on a person's bank account during cybercrime investigations. The court stated that restraint must be proportionate to the suspected proceeds of crime, directing banks to de-freeze accounts beyond the disputed amount. This ruling aims to protect innocent account holders from complete financial deprivation due to minor disputed transactions.
US states, including Delaware, New York, and New Jersey, are issuing proclamations to commemorate August 15 as 'India Day', recognising India's independence and the significant contributions of the Indian American diaspora to the American fabric.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) proceeded with a discussion on former student Umar Khalid's book, "Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power," despite the university cancelling the original venue booking. The event, planned to observe Indigenous Peoples' Day, was held outside an academic building after the JNUSU condemned the university's "arbitrary" decision.
The Delhi government has approved a new bill, the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Services) Bill, 2026, which aims to make time-bound delivery of government services a legal right for citizens. This reform seeks to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency through a technology-driven framework, including digital service delivery, automatic escalation for delays, and a grievance redressal mechanism.
A Nigerian national was arrested in Delhi by the Uttar Pradesh STF for allegedly creating fake profiles of US and UK citizens on social media and cheating victims on the pretext of sending expensive gifts and foreign currency.
Actor Prakash Raj has claimed his name was deleted from Bengaluru's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision process, affecting 6.5 million voters. He expressed frustration and questioned the ruling dispensation, while reports indicate his name was marked as "permanently shifted" due to a previous case involving multiple voter IDs.
Chandigarh is set to launch the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), or digital rupee, for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) on August 14. This initiative makes Chandigarh the first Union Territory to fully roll out CBDC-based DBT for food subsidy, enhancing transparency and efficiency in welfare delivery. The digital rupee, issued by the RBI, will be purpose-bound for purchasing foodgrains from authorised merchants.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked Women's Reservation Bill, highlighting its 40-year struggle. The bill aims to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and increase Lok Sabha seats, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. Despite previous setbacks and ongoing efforts to secure numbers, the government continues to push for this crucial legislation.
Three months after winning power in West Bengal, the BJP is confronting a significant political challenge: how to expand and consolidate its presence without adopting the very political culture it campaigned against, particularly concerning the integration of former TMC leaders and the need to curb practices like extortion and intimidation among its own cadres.
The US on Monday announced that it had revoked more than 1.75 lakh visas during President Donald Trump's tenure for a range of crimes from reckless driving to sexual assault.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has expanded the 1600-number series to include utilities, courier, and logistics companies, introducing the new 1601 series to help consumers identify legitimate calls and prevent widespread fraud and impersonation.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday accused the Centre of resisting the Supreme Court's bid to facilitate quashing of FIRs against students and protesters and demanded that the outfit's members be included in the high-powered committee announced by the court to examine allegations of police excesses and violence against cops.
For 17 years, Mani Bhavan was Gandhi's Bombay home and nerve centre of the freedom movement.
'Think of the brain like a machine, and Alzheimer's is like rust.'
'Like a rusty machine breaks down, a rusty brain also breaks down. And when it breaks down, you have memory loss, cognitive issues and so on.'
The Karnataka High Court has strongly criticised a judicial officer, Principal Civil Judge Gayathri of Malur, for her 'wholly unbecoming' conduct in an alleged road rage incident, where CCTV footage showed her and her husband engaging in a verbal altercation after their car was overtaken. The court also raised concerns about the alleged misuse of her official position to initiate criminal proceedings against citizens, including a 70-year-old man.
Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has issued an apology to law students, particularly those from NALSAR, for any hurt caused by the recent controversy surrounding their convocation and enrolment, urging them to make independent decisions.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Prayagraj, emphasising that India's youth are its greatest strength. He raised concerns about the lack of employment opportunities, the declining value of educational credentials, and issues like exam paper leaks, urging youth to bring change through love and affection.
A young woman, identified as Rhiya, became a symbol of Mumbai's solidarity protests over the NEET paper leak, captured in a viral image standing with outstretched arms to stop a police van amidst heavy rain, condemning alleged police brutality against agitators in Delhi.
Students at NALSAR University of Law have written to the university administration, opposing the proposal to invite the Chief Justice of India as the chief guest for their convocation. Their objection stems from the CJI-led Supreme Court bench's refusal to urgently list a plea concerning alleged police brutality during a 'Chalo Sansad' protest, which students feel contradicts the university's values.
The Allahabad High Court has criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police's approach to citizen security, emphasising that preserving human life should be the state's top priority, not just prosecuting murderers. The court was hearing a petition from a Badaun resident who sought police protection due to a land dispute.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the strong health cooperation within BRICS, emphasising the critical role of digital health and artificial intelligence in ensuring continuity of care. Speaking at the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' meeting, she noted shared challenges among member nations and showcased India's advancements in digital health infrastructure and AI strategy.
The Union home ministry directed all the states and Union territories on Monday to adhere to the Flag Code, underlining that while flags made of paper may be waved by the public on occasions of important national, cultural and sports events, those should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the events.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure all roads have properly demarcated, encroachment-free spaces for pedestrians, emphasising that the right to walk on a footpath is a fundamental right.
The Central government has approved an additional Rs 1,000 crore for electric two-wheelers (e2w) under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme, extending incentives for the segment until March 2028.
The NDA's parliamentary party meetings will now be known as 'Mangal Milan', with the first under this new name scheduled for July 21. This change was informally discussed in the Union cabinet. Additionally, the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), comprising 20 MPs who defected from the TMC, is seeking formal recognition and parliamentary facilities, including a party office and designated floor leaders.
The Calcutta high court has held that voter identity cards, Aadhaar and PAN cards are not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document issued to regulate the departure of citizens and is not intended as proof of citizenship. This statement comes amidst a debate on its use for verifying citizenship, particularly concerning electoral rolls, and has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
The protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged paper leaks and irregularities in public examinations, initially led by students, has now entered its seventh week and is increasingly drawing support from senior citizens, who view it as a fight for the nation's future and education reforms.
