Jharkhand government holds talks with student protesters in Ranchi; meeting inconclusive

A delegation of the Jharkhand Government comprising Ministers on Friday (August 7, 2026) held talks for the first time in State capital Ranchi with student protesters demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged irregularities in competitive exams for government jobs. The students’ protest under the JPSS-JSCC Reform Manch entered the 14th day. The two hour-long meeting, though, ended without any agreement with the students firm on continuing their protests.

Meta ramps up censorship of protest, political reels

Posts by political leaders, parties, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members, and ordinary protestors have started disappearing from Instagram at a rapid pace, following tense meetings between the company’s leadership and the Union government. The Indian Youth Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, and the news portal Scroll.in are among those whose posts have been blocked in India. 

India counters China, formally names 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh

In response to frequent attempts by China to rename some places in Arunachal Pradesh, India on Friday (August 7, 2026) formally identified 27 places — including land, passes, a lake and a monument — in the border State by their standard names on the official Indian map.

Indian government does not endorse comments made at Sheikh Hasina press meet, says MEA

The Government of India ‘does not endorse’ the comments made at the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s August 5, 2026 press conference that targeted the current government in Dhaka under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday. Speaking at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated the stated position that the press event was organised by a “private media entity” and that the government had no involvement in the press event.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye sign joint defence agreement

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday (August 7, 2026) signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca committing to “collective defence” and “collective deterrence”, at a time when Saudi Arabia is under attack from Yemen’s Houthis and West Asia remains engulfed in the ongoing war against Iran.

Supreme Court to examine impact of data protection law on RTI, investigative journalism

The Supreme Court on Friday (August 7, 2026) agreed to examine if the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 can be used to cripple the Right to Information Act by classifying all data as “personal” and, separately, gag investigative journalists. The court said both the DPDP Act and the RTI Act were central legislations. There was a need to actually harmonise them.

No solar, wind, renewable energy project within 1 km of international border, says Home Ministry

Amid surge in applications for solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects in border areas, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued new national security guidelines, introducing a blanket ban on such projects within 1 km of the international border and mandating security clearance for projects located up to 50 km away. The guidelines impose restrictions on foreign participation and staffing, stating that the applicants should not engage engineers, staff, employees, labour from Pakistan, Bangladesh and China without the MHA’s permission.

U.S. accounts for 67% of India’s LPG imports, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri

The U.S. now accounts for about 67% of India’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports, according to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri. Addressing the CII International Energy Conference, he said the shift follows an earlier government decision to source roughly 10% of India’s LPG requirements from the U.S. as part of a broader effort to diversify energy supplies.

PM meets NDA MPs over breakfast, raises concern over Parliament disruptions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (August 7, 2026) hosted about 45 MPs from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent parties over breakfast, during which he expressed concern that repeated disruptions in Parliament were denying the country an opportunity to hear talented new MPs.

Dominant Praggnanandhaa makes the winning moves at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz

Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa clinched his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title in emphatic fashion, sealing the championship with a round to spare here. The 20-year-old finished with 23.5 points, comfortably ahead of Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, the contender for the world championship title this year.

Published - August 08, 2026 07:09 am IST