President Murmu gives assent to Bill criminalising insult to Vande Mataram

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) gave assent to a Bill that criminalises intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, giving it the same legal protection currently accorded to the national anthem, a government statement said. With the President’s assent, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has become a law.

Jharkhand students’ protests LIVE: Over 100 ABVP workers detained during march to Assembly over police action on students

Several ABVP workers were detained during their march to the Jharkhand Assembly here to protest against police action on students agitating over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state, a senior officer said.

Parliament Monsoon Session Day 17 updates: Rajya Sabha passes Tribunals Reforms Bill; LS passes Bill to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’

The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) without any debate by voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition MPs. The Bill proposed to rename the State of Kerala as ‘Keralam’. Further, the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 was passed in Rajya Sabha. Replying to the debate on the Bill, Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said tribunals play a complementary role to ensure speedy justice.

Bike taxis are not public transport vehicles, Karnataka tells Supreme Court

The Karnataka government on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) submitted in the Supreme Court that a State High Court decision to allow bike taxis ignores the low safety standards of motorcycles, higher accident fatality rates, congestion, and their limited utility as public transport vehicles.

Supreme Court sceptical about binding SIR Tribunals to timeline; seeks disposal details

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) hesitated to bind Appellate Tribunals, hearing applications filed by persons excluded from the West Bengal electoral roll in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, to a specific timeline even as it sought details of their disposal rates from the Election Commission of India.

Tamil Nadu Assembly adopts resolution seeking abolition of NEET for medical education

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to do away with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, citing repeated irregularities in the conduct of the examination, proliferation of coaching centres, and loss of lives. The lone BJP MLA M. Bhojarajan opposed the resolution and staged a walkout before the voting.

M.P. Parameswaran, renowned nuclear scientist and CPI(M) theorist, dies at 92

M.P. Parameswaran, former nuclear scientist who later became prominent as a CPI(M) theorist, people’s science movement activist and writer, passed away in Thrissur, Kerala, on Tuesday (August 11, 2026). He was 92. Mr. Parameswaran was one of the earliest and foremost members of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP). His ideas on the ‘fourth world’ had triggered wide debate and eventually led to his expulsion from the CPI(M) in February 2004.

Massive Colombia earthquake triggers frantic search for missing as death toll tops 100

Search and rescue efforts were underway early on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) in dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 111 people and leaving many trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings.

Trump secretly flew out of Turkiye after NATO summit because of Iran threat: report

U.S. President Donald Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that the Republican president was flying on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday (August 10, 2026).

Syria sentences former president Bashar al-Assad to death over killings, torture

A Syrian court sentenced ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to death on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) after a trial in absentia, convicting him of crimes including killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest during the country’s nearly 14-year war.

Published - August 11, 2026 06:05 pm IST