No FIR, So We Sit’: Rahul Gandhi Protests With Pellet-Injured Student in Delhi
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday staged a sit-in outside the Parliament Street Police Station with student protester Sahil Lochab, demanding an FIR over alleged pellet-gun firing during the July 20 student protest in Delhi. Gandhi accompanied Lochab to the police station after the student sought to file a complaint over his alleged pellet injuries. After the FIR was not registered, Gandhi sat on a dharna outside the DCP’s office and demanded action. The controversy stems from the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest, during which students marched towards Parliament over demands including action on alleged NEET irregularities. While Delhi Police has denied using pellet guns, a CRPF internal inquiry reportedly found that an RAF personnel fired seven pellet rounds, with five hitting protesters. Gandhi has demanded accountability and a formal investigation into who authorised the firing and the injuries suffered by protesters. The issue has also reached the Supreme Court, where a petition has challenged the use of pellet guns for crowd control. The police and authorities have disputed aspects of the allegations, making the registration and investigation of an FIR the immediate point of contention.
Bangladesh to Hold Presidential Election Today After 35 Years, Two Candidates in Race
Bangladesh is set to hold its presidential election today, August 20, with two candidates in the race for the country’s 23rd president. Voting will take place in the session chamber of the National Parliament, from 2 pm to 5 pm. The president will not be elected directly by the public; instead, eligible members of Parliament will cast their votes. A total of 349 MPs are eligible to vote in the election. The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated its former Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the presidency. The opposition 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has fielded Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmad, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Election Commission declared the nominations of both candidates valid on August 16, clearing the way for the contest. The election is significant because it will be the first contested presidential election in Bangladesh in 35 years. The last presidential election involving more than one candidate was held in 1991, when BNP’s Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badruddoza Chowdhury. Since then, presidents have generally been elected without a contest. Mirza Fakhrul is widely expected to win because the ruling BNP has a clear majority in Parliament. Reports indicate that BNP holds 250 seats, giving the party enough support to secure the presidency. The 11-party alliance has decided to contest the election despite not having a parliamentary majority, saying that an election without competition would not reflect the spirit of democracy. Under Bangladesh’s constitutional system, the president is elected indirectly by members of Parliament. The current election was scheduled after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as president on July 24, following which Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as acting president. The Constitution requires an election to fill a vacant presidential post within 90 days of the vacancy. The voting process will be conducted through an open ballot in Parliament. With two candidates remaining in the race, MPs will cast their votes during the scheduled three-hour period. The outcome is widely anticipated to favour Mirza Fakhrul, but the contest marks an important development in Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics as the country holds its first competitive presidential election since 1991.
Big Relief for Tamil Nadu: CM Vijay Raises Health Insurance Cover to ₹25 Lakh, Hikes Milk Price
Good News for Tamil Nadu: ₹25 Lakh Health Cover, Higher Milk Procurement Price Announced The Tamil Nadu government has announced major measures to boost healthcare, medical education and support milk producers. Key decisions include raising health insurance coverage, increasing milk procurement prices and investing in medical infrastructure. Health Insurance Cover Proposed to Rise from ₹5 Lakh to ₹25 Lakh One of the key announcements concerns the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, under which the annual treatment coverage limit is proposed to increase from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh, providing greater financial support to families facing serious illnesses and costly treatments. The government has also announced additional medical and surgical services for transgender people, which will be available at selected government hospitals in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Chengalpattu. Milk Procurement Price Increased to ₹41 Per Litre The government has also announced relief for milk producers by increasing the procurement price from ₹38 to ₹41 per litre. Around 3.16 lakh milk producers are expected to benefit from the decision. In addition, the government incentive provided to milk producers has been increased from ₹3 to ₹5 per litre. The increase in the procurement price is expected to put an additional burden of around ₹30 crore per month, or approximately ₹360 crore annually, on the government. ₹351 Crore for Medical and Nursing Education The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned ₹351 crore for medical and nursing education. The plan includes the creation of 6,098 additional seats across government medical and allied institutions. These include 660 B.Sc Nursing seats, 1,925 seats in nursing colleges and schools, 2,778 seats across 12 paramedical courses and 735 seats in medical courses. The government will also establish seven new government nursing colleges in the state. 400-Bed Multispeciality Hospital to Come Up in Preambular As part of efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure, a 400-bed multispecialty hospital will be established in Preambular at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. The proposed hospital is expected to provide modern and specialized healthcare facilities to people in the district and surrounding areas. Government Vehicles for All MLAs In another Assembly announcement, Chief Minister Vijay said government vehicles would be provided to all Members of the Legislative Assembly to help them travel within their constituencies and carry out public-service and development activities more efficiently. Overall, the government’s measures focus on expanding healthcare coverage, strengthening medical and nursing education, improving hospital infrastructure and supporting milk producers, with the aim of benefiting people across Tamil Nadu.
24-Day Protest Yields Results: Jharkhand Cancels JSSC-CGL, All TDPL Exams and Orders Comprehensive Probe…
Amidst the ongoing 24-day student protest in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand government has accepted the protesting students’ biggest demands and has decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam scheduled for 2024. This decision was made on Monday, August 17th, after nearly four and a half hours of discussion in a special cabinet meeting chaired by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Chief Minister Hemant Soren addressed the media after this information. He stated that the decision to cancel the 14th JPSC PT and backlog civil service exams had already been made during talks with the protesting students. He added that the government has now decided to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the recruitment exams conducted by the GPSC and JSSC from 2014 to the present. All major and minor errors since 2014 will be investigated. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren stated that the results published by the TDPL and all TDPL activities are cancelled. The Chief Minister stated that a decision has been made to form a committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to implement examination reforms. The committee will study the necessary reforms in the examination system and provide necessary suggestions. Furthermore, the government has also sought suggestions from the people of the state regarding examination reforms, and a system for submitting suggestions has been established on an online portal. He stated that the government wants the new examination system to be one that leaves no room for malpractice at any level. The entire process, from exam administration to question paper security, the role of agencies, evaluation, and results, will be made more transparent. The Chief Minister stated that the government has enacted strong laws in student interests and has the capacity to implement them. He stated that the government does not want to allow the interests of the youth, their future, and their confidence to be compromised under any circumstances. The Chief Minister stated that several issues related to examination reforms were agreed upon in previous meetings between students and ministers during the agitation. The government will implement those agreed points to bring transparency in the examination system.
NTA Cancels UGC-NET Papers for Three Subjects After Audit Finds Factual Errors, Typos & Repeated Questions; Rahul Gandhi Questions Paper Leaks..
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has admitted to significant irregularities in the UGC-NET June 2026 exam question paper. Serious allegations surfaced, including numerous spelling mistakes, strange names of thinkers, and blatant copying of old questions from previous years. Following this, the NTA has cancelled the English, Commerce, and Sociology exam papers. This decision was made by the NTA based on the report of an audit committee formed after complaints from candidates and experts regarding serious irregularities in the question papers. The NTA will conduct re-exams for these three affected subjects in September 2026. The NTA has released a new exam schedule for the re-exams. Candidates will not be charged any additional examination fees for re-exams. Here is the re-exam schedule: According to a report in the Indian Express, on Sunday, August 16, the NTA released the provisional answer keys for 84 subjects for the UGC-NET June 2026. However, the answer keys for some papers were withheld. Following this, the NTA issued a separate notice in the evening. It stated that a major decision had been made regarding English, Commerce, and Sociology. According to the NTA, the committee formed to review these three papers found several errors. These included factual errors, typos, and translation errors. The committee found the names of several prominent scholars misspelled in the question paper. The names of some books were also incorrect. Furthermore, some questions contained language errors. Grammar errors were also found in several places. Gender and number mismatches were also found. There were also punctuation errors. Moreover, non-standard terms were used for concepts for which pre-established and commonly used terms exist. It was also discovered that many questions had already been asked in previous exams. Following these discrepancies, the committee recommended that the NTA re-examine the three subjects. Rahul Gandhi Targets PM Modi After NTA Cancels Three UGC-NET Papers Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi and the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the decision to re-examine the UGC-NET exam in three subjects due to errors in the question papers. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on the social media platform X, “Modi ji, look what your NTA has done again.” The UGC-NET exams for Sociology, English, and Commerce were held between June 22 and 30. After nearly two months, the NTA canceled all three exams because they had prepared incorrect question papers and re-asked old questions. Rahul Gandhi said, “Thousands of candidates who prepared diligently for years, filled out forms, paid fees, and traveled to far-flung exam centers will now have to do it all again in September. The NTA makes mistakes, but the students of the country suffer the consequences. I said this in Kota, Dehradun, and Prayagraj, and I will continue to say it. This is no longer an education system. It has become just a money-and-labor-sucking machine. It takes away your money, your years, your mental health, and your self-confidence, and gives you nothing in return, not even a job. The NTA is still not answering the real question. Were these papers leaked before the exams?”
‘Dimagi Naxal Party’ Explodes on Social Media, Crosses 1.7 Lakh Followers in 24 Hours..
Following the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), another new party has emerged in the headlines. The party is being called the ‘Dimagi Naxal Party’. Similar to the Cockroach Janata Party, a new social media account called the ‘Dimagi Naxal Janata Party’ has emerged. The party is gaining popularity on social media. This account has gained more than 1.7 lakh followers in just 24 hours. On the other hand, this account, named @DNJP_India, currently follows more than 15 accounts, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, comedian Kunal Kamra, actor Prakash Raj, and many other popular names on social media.This account emerged on social media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech on August 15th. In that speech, he referred to the elimination of armed Naxalites and urged the nation to be vigilant against “mindful Naxalites” lurking in ambushes. In his speech, PM Modi targeted those with Naxalite ideologies who seek to spread unrest despite the weakening of armed Naxalism. Although PM Modi did not name any specific group during his speech, his comment sparked a significant political controversy. Opposition leaders retaliated. Some leaders, including Congress leader P. Chidambaram, said they were proud to be called “mindful Naxalites.” In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi said, “Even though the Naxalites who took up arms in the jungles have been eliminated, the mindless Naxalites are still looking for opportunities. They are seeking ways to resort to violence and trying to lead the country down the wrong path. Such people must be identified and isolated.” Following his speech, the “Dimagi Naxal Party” has come into the spotlight. Several accounts with this name are visible on Instagram. Pages created by the “Dimaggi Naxal Party” on various social media sites are rapidly gaining popularity. Within a day of its launch, it gained more than 50,000 followers. Currently, its Instagram page has more than 150,000 followers. The party’s slogan is “Think, Research, Protest.”
Delhi University Drops Delhi Sultanate Paper From PG History Syllabus: What’s the Reason?
Delhi University has revised its MA History syllabus for the 2026-27 academic session, removing a paper on the Delhi Sultanate from the third semester. The decision has drawn attention because the course had focused specifically on medieval North India and the structures of political authority during the Delhi Sultanate period. The paper, titled “The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th–14th Century)”, dealt with state formation, governance and political, religious and cultural developments during the period. Why Was the Paper Removed? According to the latest reports, the change is part of a larger restructuring of the postgraduate History curriculum. Delhi University has aligned the revised syllabus with the Postgraduate Curriculum Framework 2024 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The university notified the revised syllabus on August 7. Importantly, the Delhi Sultanate period has not been removed completely from the university’s History curriculum. The university continues to teach the subject in other courses, including at the undergraduate level. Several Other Papers Also Dropped The Delhi Sultanate paper is not the only proposed course missing from the final third-semester list. A paper titled “History of North India, c. 1400–1550” has also been left out. Several other proposed courses, including papers on gender and women in early India, political processes in ancient India, and religion and society in ancient Indian literature, were also not included in the final list. Reports indicate that only a portion of the electives initially proposed by the History Department made it into the notified curriculum. What Does This Mean for Students? For students joining the MA History programme from July 2026, the revised syllabus will determine the courses available in the third semester. The latest changes reflect Delhi University’s broader effort to restructure postgraduate programmes under the new national academic framework, with greater emphasis on revised course structures, learning outcomes and research-oriented study.
Independence Day 2026: 1,057 Police, Fire and Correctional Personnel Honoured With Gallantry and Service Medals
Independence Day 2026: Ahead of India’s 80th Independence Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced Gallantry and Service Medals for 1,057 personnel from the Police, Fire Services, Home Guard and Civil Defence, and Correctional Services. The awards recognise personnel for acts of bravery, dedicated service and distinguished records during their careers. 301 Gallantry Medals Announced A total of 301 Gallantry Medals have been awarded, including 272 to police personnel and 29 to Fire Service personnel. These medals recognise exceptional acts of courage, including saving lives and property, preventing crimes and apprehending criminals. Of the 301 gallantry awards, 197 went to personnel serving in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, while 51 were awarded to personnel from Jammu and Kashmir, 12 from the Northeast and 41 from other regions. 92 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service The government has also announced 92 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service. These include 83 awards for Police Service, four for Fire Service, three for Civil Defence and Home Guard personnel, and two for Correctional Service personnel. In addition, 664 Medals for Meritorious Service have been awarded to personnel for valuable service marked by dedication and commitment to duty. The honours highlight the contribution of personnel working across different public safety and security services and recognise their courage, professionalism and continued dedication to the nation.
India Will Become a Major Power in Space Sector Over Next 20–30 Years: Scott Morrison
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has praised India’s rapidly growing space sector, saying the country has the potential to emerge as a major global space power over the next 20 to 30 years. Speaking about India-Australia cooperation, Morrison highlighted the growing importance of space collaboration between the two countries. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed strong emphasis on developing India’s space industry and described the sector as “burgeoning.” Praise for India’s Space Achievements Morrison recalled India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing, saying it demonstrated the country’s advanced space capabilities. He also praised India’s astronauts and the country’s plans for future human spaceflight missions. India is also preparing for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, with Australia supporting the mission. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans for a temporary space-tracking terminal on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to support Gaganyaan. India-Australia Space Cooperation Space has emerged as an important area of cooperation between India and Australia. The two countries have been working to expand collaboration in space science, technology, research and related infrastructure. The partnership also reflects broader cooperation between New Delhi and Canberra in areas including critical technologies, cybersecurity and resilient supply chains. Morrison’s remarks underline the growing international recognition of India’s ambitions in space and its potential to play a much larger role in the global space industry in the coming decades.
Lok Sabha Creates History, Opens Proceedings with Vande Mataram
For the first time, Lok Sabha began the final sitting of the Monsoon Session with Vande Mataram on Thursday, following the enactment of a new law that grants the National Song legal protection and prescribes norms for its official rendition. On the last day of the Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha proceedings opened with Vande Mataram on Thursday, marking a first in Parliament’s history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and members across party lines were present in the House. After six stanzas of the National Song were played, the Lower House was adjourned sine die, bringing the Monsoon Session to a close. The development comes days after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to legislation providing legal protection to Vande Mataram. The law makes intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the National Song a punishable offence, placing it on a similar legal footing as the National Anthem. The government had earlier issued protocols governing the song’s rendition at official functions. In an order dated January 28, the Union Home Ministry prescribed that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung during occasions such as the arrival of the President, the unfurling of the Tricolour and addresses by governors. The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die after a session marked by repeated disruptions and sharp exchanges between the government and the Opposition. Since the session began on July 20, proceedings were frequently stalled over issues including the police crackdown on student protesters during the NEET paper leak agitation and the Ram Mandir donation theft case. The final day witnessed rival protests by the BJP and the INDIA bloc at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex, highlighting the political divisions that dominated the session. The BJP staged a protest targeting Rahul Gandhi, accusing the Congress of remaining silent on the ongoing protests in Jharkhand, while Opposition parties continued to press the government on their own demands.