India successfully facilitated a significant diplomatic meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. This interaction, a diplomatic breakthrough given ongoing West Asia conflicts, occurred as BRICS adopted a declaration urging restraint and protection of civilians in the region, highlighting the bloc's commitment to peace and stability.
Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET and CUET UG 2026 exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) faced tough questions from a parliamentary standing committee regarding safeguards against paper leaks and hacking vulnerabilities.
If the government wishes that protests like the one that took place at Jantar Mantar during the last few weeks should not recur, it must refocus its energies on jobs, not just the examination system, points out A K Bhattacharya.
'We desperately want India to send the army as the evacuation process needs to be escalated immediately.'
Australian tunnel expert Arnold Dix, known for the Silkyara tunnel rescue, is now assisting in a complex search-and-rescue operation in Nepal following devastating floods. He is applying lessons learned from the Silkyara operation, particularly the principle of "never confuse unlikely with impossible," as he works with Indian and Nepali teams to locate people potentially trapped in the Chilime hydropower tunnel and other sites.
The Supreme Court has informed the Centre that it will closely monitor the steps taken to curb NEET examination paper leaks, emphasising that 'ad hocism has caused trouble for years' and demanding a comprehensive overhaul of the examination process.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing to significantly increase its silver jewellery testing capabilities and expand its national laboratory network, driven by a shift in consumer demand from gold to silver and a broader push for enhanced product certification and surveillance.
The CBI informed a Delhi court that Manisha Sanjay Waghmare, an accused in the NEET paper leak case, circulated question papers to students for money. The agency opposed her bail plea, stating students paid for leaked physics, chemistry, and biology papers. Waghmare's counsel argued against the allegations, citing no recovery of cash or incriminating evidence from her. The court reserved its order on her bail plea for June 9, amidst the ongoing investigation into the cancelled NEET exam.
The Indian education ministry has undergone a significant reshuffle of top officials, including the removal of higher education secretary Vineet Joshi, amidst widespread controversies surrounding NEET-UG paper leaks and CBSE digital evaluation glitches, with the opposition demanding the resignation of Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Delhi High Court has questioned the Centre's decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, asking how the rights of 150 million users can be curtailed due to concerns over a few miscreants. The court reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's condition deteriorated further on Wednesday, with doctors reporting that he has lost more than seven kilograms since beginning his indefinite fast 11 days ago.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the Indian government's temporary restriction on Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, calling it a 'new trick' that punishes students instead of tackling the root cause of paper leaks. He highlighted the suicides of two students, Umesh and Riya, linking their deaths to the 'broken, corrupt system' and the government's alleged failure to protect students from exam mismanagement.
The CBI has arrested a doctor and a physics teacher in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case, bringing the total number of arrests to 13.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 toppers are Punjab's Aryan Gupta and Haryana's Panshul Bansal, who secured joint All India Rank 1 with 715 out of 720 marks each.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Supreme Court that the NEET-UG exam will transition to a computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year, following consultations with the Centre and recommendations from a high-level committee.
The NEET-UG re-exam was held at centres across the country and overseas on Sunday amid tight security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the examination.
The Lok Sabha has approved an amendment to India's anti-paper leak law, introducing stricter punishments including jail terms of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh, in response to recent large-scale student protests and the NEET paper leak case.
A 20-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide at her home in Delhi after the NEET exam was cancelled. Family members suspect the cancellation of the national entrance test led to her taking this extreme step.
A parliamentary panel has summoned officials from the Union Education Ministry, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the CBI to address concerns regarding the conduct of examinations.
It is about proving that the agency can still deliver when the stakes are high.
While charger deployment is yet to begin, the scheme has supported the sale of 2.65 million EVs as of July 22.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian concluded his visit to India for the 18th BRICS Summit, announcing that Iran and the UAE agreed to move past previous tensions. This diplomatic breakthrough occurred during talks with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince on the summit sidelines. Pezeshkian also met with PM Modi to discuss bilateral ties and West Asia developments, with Modi emphasising dialogue for regional peace. The BRICS summit adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, calling for global governance reforms and de-escalation in West Asia.
After reviewing the preparations at the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pradhan said meetings have been held under the Cabinet secretary, and all the states have been asked to cooperate.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is rapidly deteriorating on his 17th day of hunger strike, prompting widespread appeals from prominent political figures and Bollywood celebrities for him to end his fast and for the government to address the urgent demands for NEET examination reforms.
According to the National Testing Agency, the results for IIT-JEE will be declared on February 16, 2026.
Dialogue must be encouraged rather than adoption of hardline stands, violence and use of force, recommends Biswajit Dasgupta.
The Supreme Court has emphasised the need for accountability regarding the NEET paper leak issue, acknowledging the trauma experienced by students and their families. The court is hearing pleas related to the matter and has asked the Centre to file an affidavit.
India is set to introduce a new amendment to its anti-paper leak law in the Lok Sabha, aiming to establish fast-track courts across all states and union territories for swift trials and significantly harsher penalties for exam malpractices, including jail terms of 5 to 10 years and fines up to Rs 50 lakh for individuals, and up to Rs 10 crore for organised crimes.
Amidst widespread student protests over the NEET paper leak, the Indian government has introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposes significantly stricter punishments, including jail terms of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh for individuals involved in paper leaks, and up to Rs 10 crore for organised crimes, aiming to enhance transparency and fairness in public examinations.
Education sector experts agree that using the "best technology" was essential to ensure students did not have to sit for an examination all over again because of a question paper leak.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of responding to student demands for accountability and educational reforms with 'cowardice and wanton cruelty,' treating them as 'enemies of the nation.' She further alleged that the government has degraded India's education landscape and routinely chooses violence over dialogue.
An Air India A320 flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop due to multiple technical glitches, including triple hydraulic failures and autopilot disconnection, injuring 17 people. An investigation by AAIB, with assistance from French agency BEA and Airbus, is underway, while the pilot-in-command is undergoing confirmatory psychoactive substance testing.
A rocket designed and developed by ISRO is being transferred to industry for production.
Nine ISRO associations want to know whether this is simply an effort to expand India's industrial capacity or part of a larger policy under which ISRO itself will eventually withdraw from rocket manufacturing.
The CBI has arrested a Pune-based lecturer for allegedly leaking the physics paper of NEET UG 2026 to a select group of aspirants. The lecturer, employed with a Pune school, is termed as another 'source' for the paper leak. The CBI investigation continues with searches and analysis of seized documents.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused Reliance Group, which has a partial Meta stake, of lobbying for a ban on Telegram in India and sabotaging its access for users outside India through BGP hijacking. A senior telecom industry source dismissed these claims as 'fake news,' stating Durov confused Reliance Communications with Reliance Industries Ltd. The allegations come as the Indian government has ordered Google and Apple to delist Telegram temporarily and disable its message-editing feature in India due to concerns over paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination.
The CBI has arrested a doctor and a physics teacher in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case, bringing the total number of arrests to 13. The investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
The CBI Director has updated a parliamentary panel on the NEET-UG paper leak investigation, while education ministry officials outlined measures for a fair retest.
Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver-medallist judoka Tulika Maan has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures, leading to her withdrawal from the ongoing Glasgow edition. This comes after another judoka, Arun Kumar, was also withdrawn for a dope test failure.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk emphasised the enduring relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent resistance, stating, "His path is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. This experiment is successful today."
