New research reveals 61 percent of Indian children face extra heat stress annually. Climate change has doubled young children's exposure to dangerous heat levels. This exposure outpaces all other age groups, affecting millions of youngsters. Future warming scenarios project even greater heat stress for Indian children. Developing nations and younger populations bear a disproportionate burden of this threat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked Rakshabandhan by celebrating the occasion with schoolgirls at his residence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined the festivities alongside students and cadets. Notably, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi sent heartfelt greetings to the nation, emphasizing the festival's essence of mutual respect and social harmony, while wishing for strengthened bonds of affection and trust among everyone.
Jairam Ramesh criticized the Centre's new digital education initiatives. He alleged the government announced free online coaching after Rahul Gandhi's remarks. Ramesh questioned the scheme's implementation, citing a report on past enrollment shortfalls. The government's focus should be on public education, not online coaching. Rahul Gandhi's campaign highlights student concerns and women's strength in India.
A comprehensive audit of nearly five thousand kilometers of highway projects will be carried out by a third-party inspection agency. Engineers India Ltd has been chosen for these essential quality checks, aiming to rectify issues related to project shortcomings and untimely road failures. The focus will be on expressways along with six-lane and four-lane national highways, ensuring elevated quality standards in infrastructure development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from August 29 to September 1. He will hold talks in Tashkent to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new economic opportunities. Discussions will cover trade, critical minerals, and healthcare cooperation between the nations. In Bishkek, he will attend the SCO Summit and highlight India's priorities. The visit also includes the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.
A significant collapse in the Himalayan region caused a seismic disturbance, leading to a violent flood surge that reached Rasuwagadhi at the Nepal-Tibet border within a mere seven minutes. Recovery efforts extended across multiple districts in both Nepal and India. Alarmingly, Nepal’s flood authorities were only informed after the surge had already impacted Bhote Koshi. In response, SMS warnings were promptly issued to those residing along the riverbanks.
NDRF has deployed 20 teams — 11 in UP and nine in Bihar — for evacuation, relief and rescue operations in case these areas experience floods and waterlogging. These include an NDRF team deployed in Kushinagar district, near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. In a media briefing, NDRF IG Narendra Bundela said floods have caused massive destruction in Nepal with hundreds of people, including Indian tourists, reported missing.
PM Modi’s bilateral with Putin, the first since the Russian President visited India in Dec 2025 for the annual summit, will follow external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow this week for a meeting of the 27th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation during which he also called on Putin.
Govt data showed India exported 2.4 million tonnes (MT) of diesel in July this year, up from 2.2 MT in the corresponding month last year, while total petroleum product exports rose from 5 MT to 5.5 MT. Diesel is currently commanding nearly 70% premium over crude, making exports lucrative for refiners despite the windfall gains tax govt brought in to ensure adequate domestic stocks.
The bench also directed states/Union territories and high courts to conduct periodic training and sensitisation programmes for judicial officers, police officials, prosecutors, protection officers, counsellors through judicial academies, police training institutions and other appropriate bodies. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih said there was a need for time-bound completion of trial in dowry cases and directed the high courts to periodically review pending criminal appeals.
From Sept 4, businesses will also get access to a self-serve ChatGPT ads manager, with daily campaign budgets starting at Rs 725, potentially opening the platform to smaller advertisers alongside large brands. An OpenAI spokesperson told TOI that the company expects early advertiser interest across travel, financial services, retail, and health and beauty.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed the criminal defamation case against senior advocate Pinaki Misra, stating that there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation that he harmed the complainant's reputation. The court emphasized that allowing the case to proceed would not serve justice and would unnecessarily place Misra on trial.
In Punjab, more than 76 lakh women have successfully registered for the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, with the state government allocating an impressive Rs 2,381 crore to support 68.06 lakh beneficiaries. Under this initiative, women from the general category receive Rs 1,000 a month, while those from the Scheduled Caste category benefit with Rs 1,500. Additionally, 'Satkar Sakhis' have been rewarded with Rs 52.
A NITI Aayog report identifies significant barriers to youth employment and skilling in India. Existing skilling programs often lack outcome orientation and placement support for participants. The report suggests affordable training and combining learning with earning opportunities. Bridging this gap is very important for realizing India's demographic dividend by 2047.
A training aircraft crashed near Kanpur Civil Airport on Thursday. The Tecnam P2006T twin-engine aircraft was on a local training flight when it went down. Both the trainee and instructor pilots on board sustained fatal injuries in the accident. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is investigating the incident and its circumstances. This crash follows a previous incident involving the same aircraft in June 2026.
The UNCCD has launched a Drought Resilience Index and Investment Facility. This initiative aims to strengthen global drought resilience by 2050. New AI tools will help countries assess and manage drought risks effectively. The facility will unlock finance for water security and land restoration projects. India advocates for proactive, technology-enabled drought preparedness over reactive relief.
The Hindu American Foundation issued an advisory for an upcoming RSS event in New York City. Activists have attempted to disrupt and cancel the celebration, prompting calls for vigilance. New York City Mayor Mamdani expressed no support for the event but cited jurisdictional limitations. The USCIRF urged US government sanctions against the RSS for alleged religious freedom violations.
