Echo sentiments of Opposition to Home Minister: Rajya Sabha Chairman tells government

Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan directed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to “echo the sentiments of the Opposition” to Home Minister Amit Shah on the 14th day of the Monsoon Session, which has been marked by disruptions, especially in the first half of the day reserved for non-legislative work, including Question Hour. The Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments in the morning session. Twenty minutes into the sitting, with Opposition sloganeering drowning out the Zero Hour speeches of members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Rijiju raised a point of order.

Lok Sabha passes Bill to authorise Govt. to permit banks to levy charges on UPI transactions

Lok Sabha on Thursday (August 6, 2026) passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 that authorises the government to permit banks and other service providers to levy charges on payments through unified payments interface (UPI) and other notified electronic payment modes. The Taxation and other Laws (Amendment) Bill w through which the government also amended the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, was passed without a debate due to persistent sloganeering by the Opposition over various issues, including alleged theft of donation at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Parliament Monsoon Session: Opposition MPs continue protest over Ram temple donation ‘theft’, police action against students

Opposition MPs protested in Parliament House complex on Thursday (August 6, 2026) against the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and “police excesses” against student protesters. Amid rain, the MPs, carrying umbrellas and placards against the government, protested in front of the Makar Dwar of Parliament with slogans such as ‘chhanda chor, gaddi chor’, ‘Amit Shah jawaab do’ and ‘chanda chor kahan milenge, BJP ke daftar mein’.

Tarun Tejpal sentenced to 10 years in 2013 sexual assault case

The Bombay High Court on Thursday (August 6, 2026) convicted Tarun Tejpal, former editor of Tehelka magazine, in the 2013 sexual assault case and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The Goa Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar set aside the trial court’s judgment that had acquitted Tejpal. The Bench heard arguments on the quantum of sentence from both sides on Thursday. While Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta requested the court to award the maximum sentence, senior advocate Abad Ponda, representing Tejpal, appealed for leniency, stating that this was Tejpal’s first offence and he was 62 years old.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: Supreme Court refuses to further relax bail conditions of accused Ashish Mishra

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 6, 2026) refused to further relax the bail conditions of Ashish Mishra, the prime accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana dismissed Mishra’s application seeking relaxation of his bail conditions and permitting him to visit his native place to take part in family functions. The counsel for Mishra said that due to the existing restrictions, he is unable to attend family functions, including his daughters’ birthday celebrations.

Supreme Court stays arrest of Abhishek Banerjee’s aide Sumit Roy in Salboni land-grabbing case

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 6, 2026) stayed the arrest of Sumit Roy, Personal Assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the Salboni land-grabbing case. The top court, however, directed him to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. On August 3, the Calcutta High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Mr. Roy in connection with the alleged government land fraud case being investigated by the Salboni Police.

11 fishermen apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy near Needuntheevu islet

Eleven fishermen from Rameswaram, Pamban, Thangachimadam, and Kerala were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy personnel on the Neduntheevu islet on charges of poaching in the early hours of Thursday (August 6, 2026). According to information from the Fisheries Department officials, 434 tokens were issued to fishermen on Wednesday (August 5) from the Rameswaram jetty.

CJP to launch ‘kya bolti public’ campaign next month: Dipke

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will launch a ‘kya bolti public’ campaign next month to interact with people all over India and to get to know their issues, founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Thursday (August 6, 2026) hhe was addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the CJP’s core team meeting in his hometown Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. The core team had been holding talks at Mr. Dipke’s residence since Wednesday (August 5, 2026).

Tamil Nadu CM Vijay hails State, Agriculture Budgets; says they offer new hope to society

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday (August 6, 2026) said the Revised Budget Estimates, with its farsighted vision, had instilled new hope in students, youth, women, children, persons with disabilities, transgender persons, workers, fishermen, weavers, entrepreneurs, government employees, and other sections of society. In a post on social media, the Chief Minister congratulated Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson and Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth for presenting what he described as forward-looking budgets.

Bangladesh government ‘outraged’ over Sheikh Hasina’s press conference in India

Bangladesh’s government and public reacted with anger on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) after ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed a press conference in New Delhi, her first public appearance since being deposed, on the very day the country marked the second anniversary of the uprising that forced her from power. Ms. Hasina, convicted and sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal over the deadly crackdown on the 2024 protests, joined virtually from India to address an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in Delhi. Several of her associates, including her son Sazib Wazed Joy, former Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and former national cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan, joined the event.

Iran threatens to hit Gulf states if U.S. launches new strikes

Iran has warned Gulf states that any new U.S. attack on its territory would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources, as Tehran seeks to raise the cost of military action by threatening Washington’s closest regional allies. The warning was delivered through a flurry of high-level diplomatic contacts after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on July 28, 2026, to strike Iran’s energy network and infrastructure, the sources said. Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts, as well as Pakistan’s Army chief. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Russia downed 605 Ukrainian drones overnight: Defence Ministry

Russia shot down 605 Ukrainian drones during the night over its territory and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the defence ministry said Thursday (August 6, 2026). “During the night... air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 605 Ukrainian aerial drones,” the ministry said in a statement.

Israel reports its first troop deaths in Lebanon amid ongoing talks in Rome

Israel reported on Thursday (August 6, 2026) its first military fatalities in southern Lebanon in more than a month, after carrying out fresh strikes despite ongoing U.S.-backed talks in Rome aimed at ending hostilities. The military identified the two reservists, who were killed in combat on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), as Major Harel Birenstock, 34, and Sergeant Major Tamir Vaknin, 33, of the 2855th Battalion, 55th Brigade.

Auto retail sales in July 2026 surge 26% YoY to 25.91 lakh units

In July 2026, the Indian automobile industry retailed 25,91,138 units, up 25.89% YoY, making it the strongest July growth in the series outside COVID-distorted base years, according to Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Growth during the month was broad-based with Wheeled Construction Equipment up 46.07% YoY, 2 Wheelers (2W) up 28.25% YoY, Tractors up 28.10% YoY, Commercial Vehicles (CV ) up 24.04%, Passenger Vehicle (PV ) up 19.13% YoY and 3-Wheeler (3W) up 16.16% YoY as per data released by FADA.

Why has India’s hockey jersey turned saffron?

For decades, blue has been synonymous with Indian sport. So why has Hockey India decided to replace it with saffron as the primary colour of the men’s national team’s jersey ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup? The move has sparked criticism from former players, administrators, fans and politicians, raising questions that go far beyond the design of a kit. In this episode of In Focus, we look at how the decision was made, whether the federation followed due process, if players and support staff were genuinely consulted, and whether Hockey India’s technical explanation for the change stands up to scrutiny.

Published - August 06, 2026 06:23 pm IST