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.

The transition from LPG to piped gas has seen a mere 20% uptake among eligible consumers, which remains a concern for the government despite extensive promotional efforts. Households have been targeted with informational notices and camps, but the challenge persists. To spur conversion, new incentives for distributors are being rolled out, complemented by the introduction of nodal officers to enhance administrative support in the field.

“Govt of India stands with Nepal in this hour of crisis. I spoke with CMs of Bihar and UP regarding the disaster in Nepal. In border areas likely to be affected, local administration and rescue teams, along with NDRF, have been placed on high alert,” Shah said on X, expressing condolences to families of those who lost their loved ones in the disaster.

A group of dissidents that includes senior netas like Charanjit Channi and Sukhjinder Randhawa has been seeking the replacement of state chief Amarinder Raja Warring ever since the AICC announced a clutch of poll-related panels while sticking with Warring at the helm two months ago. Now, sources said, the dissidents themselves have proposed that a Hindu Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief be appointed.

The digital counterpunch against Rahul’s campaign obviously complements BJP’s efforts, but the party has denied any association with the website. The website itself makes no direct mention of the people behind it, but as it trended on social media, some attributed its creation to “nationalist researchers” and Gen Z-ers, the very generation Rahul is targeting in his hops across cities.

“We don’t approve of the caste census being done through this methodology. Govt should cancel the present questionnaire and prepare a fresh one through consultations with political parties, experts, and the public so that a correct headcount of every caste and community is collected and the caste census is precise, relevant, and beneficial,” it said.

The committee on health and family welfare has recommended that kidney transplant facilities be expanded to at least three govt medical colleges in large states and one in every small state and UT, besides setting time-bound targets to increase organ retrieval centres and transplant infrastructure, particularly in underserved and hilly regions.

The accident occurred around 5.30pm. Officials suspected the driver had lost control of the vehicle, which rolled into the gorge, killing six occupants — Mohd Shafiq (32), Nazakat Hussain (34), Sheraz Ahmed (30), Musarat Naz (19), Mohd Fareed (21), and Zulfat Bi (25) — on the spot, police said. Upon receiving information, cops reached the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals.

“Terrorists often switch off such communication devices after contacting their handlers across the border,” said a source, adding that Iridium sets can be used on smartphones through the “Iridium GO!” mobile application, which creates a local Wi-Fi network that an iOS or Android phone can connect to. The operation continued until late Tuesday, but no satellite set or other suspicious material was found.

ustice Mehta, who also hails from Rajasthan HC, has accused Justice Sharma of lacking in leadership qualities and alleged there was maladministration and malpractice on both judicial and administrative sides of HC. CJI Kant told TOI that the matter can be resolved only as per the established mechanism. “The Supreme Court cannot allow individual complaints concerning judges to be determined through competing claims in the media,” he said.

These included advancing consultations for an “early and substantial harvest” of boundary delimitation, setting up more meeting points and hotlines to improve border management, improving understanding of LAC and addressing the ground situation through diplomatic and military engagements, and expanding trans-border trade and river cooperation. The consensus was announced in a rare joint statement after the talks.

The road transport ministry has proposed these changes, along with the mandatory provision for buses and other heavy vehicles to use genuine reflective tapes to improve visibility at night and in bad weather, through draft amendments to Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Amendments in automotive vehicle standards are being made because efforts to persuade drivers and make them aware of the need to use low-beam mode have not yielded desired results.

Speaking at the launch event in Lucknow, CM Yogi said the scheme was aimed at making the journey of women more convenient and dignified and strengthening their self-reliance.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday participated in the Shobha Yatra of Tapkeshwar Mahadev Ji, which commenced from Shivaji Dharamshala in Arhat Bazaar and will pass through major routes of Dehradun before reaching the historic Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple.