The cauldron rises by the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony | Paris unveils ultimate spectacle with pomp, fervour and splendour

The magnificent City of Light, dotted with the spectacular Eiffel Tower and scores of majestic buildings featuring admirable architecture, welcomed the 33rd Olympic Games in a unique way, with the much-awaited Opening Ceremony on the Seine involving a stretch of Paris’ rich heritage, here on Friday. The riot of colours and lights turned the Seine and the pastel city into a surreal place, amalgamating history and contemporariness in a spellbinding show.

Mosques, mazar covered on Haridwar kanwar route; removed after flak

Facades of two mosques and a mazar along the kanwar yatra route in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar city were on Friday covered with large sheets of white cloth to “prevent trouble” but were removed by the evening after objections from various quarters. The sheets were hung on bamboo scaffoldings in front of the mosques and the mazar, all in the Jwalapur area.

17 share top rank as NTA declares final results of NEET-UG

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday released re-revised results, the fourth iteration, of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate exam that pave way for medical and para-medical course admissions. The latest results were published after the Supreme Court asked the NTA to deduct marks for a Physics question that NTA had said had two ‘correct’ answers.

NEET paper leak case: CBI arrests one more accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested one more accused, Pawan Kumar, from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district on July 26 in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case. This is the 37th arrest in the case in Jharkhand and Bihar.

ED attaches assets of Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudy’s kin, associates

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday provisionally attached movable and immovable properties, worth ₹14.21 crore, belonging to the family members and associates of Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy and his son and former Kallakurichi MP P. Gautham Sigamani in the illegal red earth quarrying case.The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a safety advisory expressing concern over the recent increase in fire accidents at airport buildings. The safety advisory laid emphasis on following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent and respond to fires, which could cause chaos, loss of life and flight disruptions.

NITI Aayog needs to be scrapped: Mamata Banerjee

A day before the meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for “scrapping” the body claiming that it had little use other than organising annual meetings. Six Opposition Chief Ministers are skipping the meeting protesting the alleged bias in the Union Budget which they claim, only catered for the NDA-ruled States. Ms. Banerjee and her Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren are the only Opposition Chief Ministers who are expected to attend the meeting.

India, U.S. sign agreement to protect cultural heritage

India and the U.S. on July 26 signed a cultural property agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation to protect cultural heritage of the two countries. Cultural property agreements prevent the illegal trade of cultural property and simplify the process by which looted and stolen antiquities may be returned to their country of origin.

Trump meets Netanyahu, mends relationship with key political ally

A beaming former U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to their first face-to-face meeting in nearly four years on Friday, patching up a political alliance important to both men that had broken down when the Israeli leader offended Mr. Trump by being one of the first to congratulate Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential victory.

BJP chief attacks Congress for politicising Agnipath scheme, PM’s Drass visit

Union Minister and BJP chief J.P. Nadda on Friday hit out at the Congress for politicising the Agnipath military recruitment scheme and the Drass visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay tributes to the soldiers on the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Delhi HC seeks the police’s reply to MP Mahua Moitra’s plea to quash FIR over derogatory remarks to NCW chief

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Delhi police to respond to Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra’s plea seeking the quashing of an FIR against her over an alleged “derogatory” social media remark on National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma. The court listed the matter for arguments on November 6.

Congress accuses Modi government of ‘unprecedented fiscal mismanagement’ in J&K

The Congress on July 26 accused the Narendra Modi government of “unprecedented fiscal mismanagement” in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a statement, asked why Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was “benevolent” towards Andhra Pradesh and Bihar but not to the Union Territory.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other INDIA bloc MPs stage a protest at Parliament premises alleging discrimination in the Union Budget 2024, during the Monsoon session, in New Delhi, on July 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Centre, Opposition face off in Parliament over Budget

In both Houses of Parliament, the Opposition attacked the government, accusing it of presenting a “discriminatory budget” that excluded the non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled States. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman issued a strong rebuttal to this in Rajya Sabha, hitting out at the Opposition for deliberately maligning the government, and giving a wrong impression that some States had been left out.

‘You are a woman… you don’t know anything’: Nitish Kumar shouts at RJD MLA Rekha Devi in Assembly

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool in the Assembly on July 24 and shouted at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Rekha Devi. The Chief Minister, who was speaking on reservation, was assuring the House that he was taking steps to ensure that the proposed quota hike of 65% is implemented. Despite his assurance, the Opposition continued sloganeering. Losing his temper, Mr. Kumar pointed his finger at Ms. Devi, the Masaurhi MLA, who was protesting, and said, “You are a woman, don’t you understand, these people never let women progress. You are a woman, you don’t know anything.”

Netanyahu gives fiery speech to U.S. Congress, seeking support for war in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and condemned American protesters in a scathing speech to the U.S. Congress on July 24, which triggered boycotts by many top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands of protesters to the Capitol to condemn the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis it has created.

Amid NEET row, UPSC to revamp its exam system with new tech

Amid widespread allegations of cheating in the NEET examination for medical college admissions, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is all set to revamp its own examination system through technological solutions such as Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and facial recognition systems, and closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance using artificial intelligence (AI).

RSS leader calls out the BJP’s Amit Malviya for trolling people who criticised the budget

Ratan Sharda, an author and leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, came down heavily on Amit Malviya, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell, on July 24, for trolling social media users who criticised the Union Budget. Terming it a “serious problem”, Mr. Sharda, who is also a columnist in the RSS’ English mouthpiece Organiser, said that the IT cell should instead focus on simplifying the government’s schemes for citizens who can benefit.

Rahul Gandhi briefs MPs on party line for Budget debate 

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told 20 Congress MPs, who are slated to speak in the debate on Union Budget, to ensure that in their speech rather than lamenting the funds allocated to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, they should highlight the States that have been ignored. 

Supreme Court urges a balance between railway needs in Haldwani and right to shelter of ‘encroacher’ families

The Supreme Court on July 24 urged a balance to be struck between railway infrastructure development at Haldwani, considered to be the doorway to the hills in Uttarakhand, and the fundamental right to shelter of nearly 50,000 people accused of illegally living on railway land. “They are also human beings…” a Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant observed.

India committed to Free Trade Agreement with the U.K., says Modi

India is committed to concluding a Free Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, after meeting the visiting Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy — the highest ranking official from the United Kingdom to visit India since the Labour government won a landslide victory in the recent election.

Centre defends fact-check unit, says right to correct information important

Defending the formation of a fact-checking unit (FCU), the Union government said in the Bombay High Court on July 24 that the right to know factually correct information and the right to not be misled were equally important as the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a). Stand-up artist Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, and the Association of Indian Magazines, have challenged the constitutionality of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 that permit an FCU of the Union government to identify “fake or false or misleading” online content “related to the business of the Central Government” and demand its removal. 

DRDO successfully tests Phase-II ballistic missile defence system

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system demonstrating the indigenous capability to defend against ballistic missiles of 5,000 km class. Phase 1 of the BMD, which can intercept ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000 km, has already been deployed.

Government admits BSNL data breached in May; forms telecom security panel

The Union government confirmed a data breach in BSNL’s systems, saying that the breach was reported on May 20. “Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) reported possible intrusion and Data Breach at BSNL on 20.05.2024,” Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said on Wednesday in a written response to a Lok Sabha query by Congress MP Amar Singh.

Joe Biden says he ended 2024 U.S. presidential bid to unite Democratic party

U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office for probably the last time as he explained his decision to “pass the torch” to Vice President Kamala Harris and end his 2024 presidential campaign. The address offered the public their first chance to hear directly from Mr. Biden his rationale for dropping out of the 2024 after weeks of insisting he believed himself to be the best candidate to take on former President Donald Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to the nation’s democracy.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman receives a warm welcome from BJP women workers on her arrival, at the party headquarters, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Budget 2024: Nirmala Sitharaman signals shift from earlier trickle-down strategy to a slew of schemes

Presenting her seventh Union Budget and the first after this year’s Lok Sabha election, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 unveiled a flurry of measures aimed at fixing the woes of unemployed youth, small businesses, and the middle class, and sought to strengthen the ruling NDA coalition’s bonds with support for multiple investment projects in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

Budget 2024: States ruled by non-NDA parties ignored, says Opposition; four CMs to boycott Niti Aayog meet

The Opposition slammed the Union Budget calling it an exercise in political jugglery to appease the BJP’s two key allies, Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, while doing little to address issues such as high rate of unemployment and inflation. States ruled by non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties, the Opposition said, have been ignored.

Budget 2024: Stocks wobble on capital gain tax plan

The stock markets reacted negatively to the Budgetary provisions concerning additional tax burden on investors and closed in the negative territory led by losses in banking stocks after undergoing high volatility. The key benchmark indices recovered most of the lost ground in the second half of trading.

Trump assassination attempt: U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle steps down

The director of the U.S. Secret Service said on July 23 she is resigning following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the agency tasked with protecting current and former Presidents could fail in its core mission.

Y.S. Jagan approaches A.P. High Court seeking Leader of Opposition status 

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy filed a writ petition in the High Court (HC) praying for a direction to the A.P. government to designate him as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, in accordance with Section 12-B of the A.P. Payment of Salaries and Pension and Removal Of Disqualifications Act, 1953.

NTA will release final NEET results within two days: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 23 hailed the Supreme Court’s decision on the NEET-UG issue and announced that the final results of the medical entrance exam would be declared within two days. The merit list would be revised according to the observations made by the Supreme Court, he said.

Nehru Planetarium set for revamp, India’s space achievements to take centre stage

Nehru Planetarium is getting ready for a revamp by the year end, with its gallery set to feature by 2025 new interactive screens focusing on India’s latest space missions and developments in the field of astronomy. The planetarium has now teamed up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to incorporate the country’s latest space missions into its shows.

Bombay High Court puts temporary hold on Indrani Mukerjea’s Europe trip 

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday passed an ad interim stay on a special court order that permitted Indrani Mukerjea to travel to Spain and United Kingdom until July 29. Ms. Mukerjea who is the prime accused in the alleged murder of her own daughter Sheena Bora, is currently out on bail.  

Sri Lanka apologises for forced cremations policy during pandemic 

Sri Lanka on Tuesday apologised for enforcing a “cremations only” policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, going against the religious sentiments of Muslims, as well as expert views that burials were safe. The government said the Cabinet approved a joint proposal from a group of ministers “to plead an apology on behalf of the government”, from all communities affected by the compulsory cremation policy during the pandemic, when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in office.

Paris Olympics preview | Indian pugilists capable of landing medal-winning punches

The presence of two World champions, including an Olympic medallist, and two Worlds medallists in the six-member Indian squad brightens up the country’s prospects in the Paris 2024 boxing ring. After the dismal performance of the male boxers in the initial qualifying phase and the loss of the women’s 57kg quota place due to Parveen Hooda’s missed dope tests, the boxing scene looked better as Amit Panghal (51kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) notched up two quota places and Jaismine Lamboria reclaimed the 57kg slot.

Paris Olympics preview | Will the ‘nucleus of Indian sports’ live up to its title?

The health of Indian sports will largely depend on the contribution of Olympic medals by the shooters in the Paris Games. It may sound ironical that a sport that has brought nought from the last two Games in Rio and Tokyo, finds itself as the nucleus of Indian sports. There will be 21 shooters, the best from any country including China, competing for 27 medals. Can quality come from quantity? Can there be another gold medal from shooting, the way Abhinav Bindra won by asserting his mastery in air rifle in the Beijing Games in 2008.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
| Photo Credit: PTI

Union Budget 2024-25: Nirmala Sitharaman to present Budget for a record seventh time in a row

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the Union Budget 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. It will be a record seventh consecutive Budget presentation for Ms. Sitharaman. The monsoon session of parliament started on July 22 with the tabling of Economic Survey 2023-24. A total of 20 hours has been allocated for the debate on the budget.

Major fire onboard INS Brahmaputra: one sailor missing, ship resting on its side

A sailor is missing after a major fire broke out onboard an Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on July 21 evening leading to the ship listing on one of its sides. “The fire was detected by the ship’s duty staff while carrying out routine maintenance work onboard the ship. The ship’s fire fighting team immediately commenced fire fighting action and was augmented by the fire brigade from Naval Dockyard, Mumbai and other units in the vicinity. No casualties have been reported in the incident,” Indian Navy spokesperson briefed on July 22.

Opposition questions Lok Sabha discussion on Olympics preparations four days before event, brings up treatment of women wrestlers

A discussion on India’s preparedness for the Paris Olympics held in the Lok Sabha on July 22 set off questions from the Opposition not just on the timing of the debate (the event is to begin this Friday) but also on the controversies such as harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. During the discussion, Congress member Deepender Hooda brought up the wrestlers’s case. Though he did not name Mr. Singh, Mr. Hooda said a situation should not arise where players have to fight their own government and the system.

India has moved from women’s development to women-led development: Economic Survey

Observing that India is transitioning from women’s development to women-led development, the Chief Economic Advisor on July 22 said there has been a 218.8% increase in budgetary allocation for schemes for the welfare and empowerment of women even as it acknowledged that women in India face the “’motherhood penalty” with a drop in female labour force participation rate around childbearing years.

Supreme Court asks IIT-Delhi to solve ‘ambiguous’ question from NEET-UG Physics paper

The Supreme Court on July 22 asked the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi Director to assign three of its finest professors to solve a tricky and “ambiguous” question in the NEET-UG 2024 exam’s Physics paper within 24 hours and report back. Their answer would impact the total marks of over four lakh candidates, including 44 students who scored perfect scores in the exam.

Nancy Pelosi endorses Kamala Harris as Democratic Party’s presidential candidate

Top Democratic leader and former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their party that he would be unable to defeat Republican Donald Trump.

U.P. government still not relocated family of Hathras gang-rape victim, Allahabad HC told

The Allahabad High Court has been recently informed that the family members of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was gang-raped and murdered in 2020, face difficulty in their daily movement due to security concerns which prevail as the Uttar Pradesh government has not complied with the court order for their relocation. 

Israeli parliament approves bill to label U.N. relief agency UNRWA as a terror organisation

The Israeli parliament gave preliminary approval on Monday to a bill that declares the main United Nations relief organisation for Palestinians a terrorist organisation and proposes to sever relations with the body. The vote against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is the latest step in a Israeli push against the agency, which Israeli leaders have accused of collaborating with the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza.

Government allowing ties of officials with RSS follows court cases in Himachal, M.P.

A compendium of instructions, part of a set of Rules, which governs the conduct of civil servants across the country is yet to reflect the changes brought in by a July 9 office memorandum that banned government officials from associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its activities.

India now among top 25 arms exporter nations: Economic Survey

India has transitioned from being an arms importer and found a place in the list of top 25 arms exporter nations, the Economic Survey revealed on Monday. Between 2015 and 2019, India held the distinction of being the world’s second-largest arms importer, but the narrative has changed now. Defence production has grown substantially in the country, from ₹74,054 crore in the financial year 2016-17 to ₹108,684 crore in 2022-23, boosting defence exports.

President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Joe Biden pulls out of U.S. presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris

U.S. President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump, leaving the presidential race in uncharted territory. He also announced his endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

At all-party meet, allies and rivals present long wish list for Modi Government

At the very first all-party meeting of the 18th Lok Sabha held on July 21, ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, both allies and rivals came up with a long wish list for the Narendra Modi Government. The Opposition demanded a discussion on the Uttar Pradesh Government’s order to display nameplates at eateries falling on the Kanwar Yatra route, the rising number of terror cases in Jammu, internal strife in Manipur and irregularities in NEET and other competitive exams. While the allies, TDP, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) demanded financial aid for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

State cannot claim ‘serious charges’ to oppose bail, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has clarified that seriousness of charges alone cannot be a factor to deny bail to undertrials nor can courts impose “freakish” bail conditions. A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered Sheikh Javed Iqbal, a man awaiting trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for nine years, to be released on bail, in yet another back-to-back decision which upheld the right of an individual’s personal liberty over the state’s claim that bail should not be made easy when serious crimes were involved.

Haryana suspends Internet, bulk SMS for 24 hours in Nuh ahead of Braj Mandal Yatra

The Haryana Government on July 21 beefed up security and ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra that was marred by violence last year. Two home guards were killed and at least 15 others, including several policemen, injured on July 31 last year as a mob in Nuh tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, pelting stones and setting cars on fire.

DoPT removed 58-year-old ban on government servants associating with RSS: Jairam Ramesh

The Central government, through a fresh office memorandum, has removed a 58-year-old ban on government servants from associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its activities, alleged senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. On Sunday, Mr. Ramesh posted on X a photo grab of a purported order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on July 9. It referred to the earlier memoranda issued on November 30, 1966, July 25, 1970 and October 28, 1980 on the subject, stating that those instructions were reviewed and it was decided to remove the mention of “Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S)” from the impugned memoranda.

Over 4,500 Indian students return from violence-hit Bangladesh: MEA

More than 4,500 Indian students have returned home from Bangladesh as the neighbouring country continues to reel under violent clashes that have killed over 100 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday that 500 students from Nepal, 38 from Bhutan and one from the Maldives have also arrived in India.

Karnataka draft Bill on job reservation for locals to be discussed in Cabinet on July 22

The State Cabinet that is meeting on Monday is likely to again discuss the proposed legislation to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector. There was a backlash from industry leaders and bodies after a draft Bill on job reservation for locals was approved, forcing the government to put it on hold.

Nepal PM K.P. Sharma Oli wins vote of confidence in Parliament

Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli comfortably won a vote of confidence in Parliament on July 22, nearly a week after he was sworn in to lead a coalition government in the Himalayan nation. Mr. Oli secured 188 votes in favour of the Vote of Confidence motion tabled by him while 74 votes were cast against the motion. Out of a total of 263 members of the House of Representatives, who were present, one member abstained.

What happens next as Joe Biden seeks to pass baton to Kamala Harris?

With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year. Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago on August 19-22. What was supposed to be a coronation for Mr. Biden now becomes an open contest in which nearly 4,700 delegates will be responsible for picking a new standard-bearer to challenge Republican Donald Trump in the fall. The path ahead is neither easy nor obvious, even with Mr. Biden endorsing Harris. There are unanswered questions about logistics, money and political fallout.

Odisha makes U-turn, says sports award to continue in name of Biju Patnaik

The Mohan Charan Majhi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha has made a U-turn on renaming State’s premier sports awards being conferred after legendary the late Biju Patnaik and clarified that no decision has been taken on change in nomenclature. The Sports and Youth Services Department in a July 19 notification replaced the existing Biju Patnaik Awards for Sports, Bravery, and State Awards with Odisha State Sports Award. The revised guidelines for the awards now include eight categories, compared to the previous five.