General
PM Modi begins four-day Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan visit for SCO summit; what's on agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. He will hold bilateral talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. Modi will then attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek. This visit aims to strengthen India's strategic partnerships in Central Asia. The summit will bring together leaders from ten member nations.
Pakistani drone detected in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, security forces put LoC sector on high alert
Security forces are on high alert after a Pakistani drone was detected near the LoC. Military personnel tracked the unmanned aerial vehicle over the Rajouri sector on Friday evening. This incident follows several other suspected drone sightings reported in Jammu and Kashmir recently. Security forces have intensified search operations in forward areas to detect any dropped materials. Border monitoring remains active as authorities await further official updates on the situation.
Junk foods will soon have labels warning of high salt, sugar and fat
Junk foods will soon feature prominent red warning labels on their packaging. These labels will highlight high levels of salt, sugar, and fat content. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has agreed to this new regulation. This move aims to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. The phased implementation will allow the industry time to adjust product formulations.
Clean energy push unfair on developing nations: CJI Surya Kant
Speaking at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, CJI Kant said, “Countries that are finally industrialising are being asked to move rapidly towards renewable power, and are often made to bear the brunt of criticism when they cannot move fast enough.” “The challenge, therefore, is to reconcile the urgency of the clean energy transition with the principles of fairness and shared responsibility that must underpin it,” the CJI said.
Nilekani committee seeks public ideas to fix exams
The panel, headed by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month amid heightened scrutiny of the examination system following NEET-UG paper leak controversy and youth protests over alleged lapses in the test’s conduct. It will also look at measures to improve accessibility and inclusion, while factoring in student well-being during the examination process.
National Testing Agency gets three senior officers amid exam overhaul
IPS officer Ravi Kumar Singh and IAS officer Prasanna Venkatesh V have been appointed directors at NTA, while Amit Samdariya, a 2016-batch Indian Revenue Service (customs and indirect taxes) officer, will join as joint director. The appointments were cleared through separate personnel ministry orders dated August 27. The personnel ministry has directed all three officers to take charge within three weeks.
Sonia memoir row deepens, Congress alleges government pressure
Penguin Random House India has made the decision not to publish Sonia Gandhi's memoir, leading to allegations from Congress regarding external pressure to omit references to Modi and China. In response, Penguin emphasized its commitment to editorial integrity and its role in verifying facts. They remain open to publishing the memoir in India, but uncertainties linger surrounding the rights for its release in the country.
From Reds to NGOs: RSS weekly expands ‘dimagi Naxal’ label
In an editorial, ‘Organiser’ termed NAC as marking the “classic takeover of the ‘dimagi Naxals’ of governance”. It said, “As the armed rebellion has failed miserably, the dimagi variant has taken charge.” The editorial added penetrating bureaucracy, policy machinery, legal system, academia, media and NGOs formed part of this “revolutionary strategy”.
Bangladeshi man, accused in Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, seeks to plead guilty; asks court for leniency
A Bangladeshi national accused of stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan inside his Bandra residence in January 2025 has approached a Mumbai court seeking permission to plead guilty in the case. Mohammad Shariful Islam, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest, also sought leniency from the court through his lawyer. Islam moved the application before the court on Friday, expressing his willingness to admit guilt in the case. His lawyer, Vipul Dushing, confirmed that the accused has sought to plead guilty and requested the court to take a lenient view. The court has sought a response f
Nandan Nilekani-led High-Powered Task Force invites suggestions to reform public examinations | Details
The government has opened a public consultation process to seek suggestions on overhauling India's public examination system, with a High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani inviting inputs from students, parents, teachers, experts and other stakeholders. The initiative comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the protests that followed in July. The developments led to the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and triggered changes at the National Testing Agency (NTA).
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