MHA refuses to share data on CAA beneficiaries
More than a year after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 became effective, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has refused to share data on the total number of beneficiaries under the Act. A Bharatiya Janata Party MP from West Bengal told The Hindu that fewer than 100 people in his constituency had received citizenship under the CAA even though the number of intended beneficiaries, mostly belonging to the Matua sect, were around 1 lakh. There are around 2.8 crore people from the Matua and Namasudra communities who stand to benefit from the CAA in the State.
U.S., E.U. reach an ‘across the board’ agreement on tariffs
The United States and the European Union reached a tariff deal after a brief meeting between President Donald Trump and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. A White House deadline was days away for imposing punishing import taxes on the 27-member E.U., which is America’s leading global trading partner.
Bihar SIR: 91.69% have submitted enumeration forms, says Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said 91.69% of electors registered in the 2025 voter list in Bihar had submitted enumeration forms as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and these voters will be included in the draft list to be published on August 1. Of the 7.89 crore registered electors as on June 24, over 7.24 crore had submitted enumeration forms indicating overwhelming participation, the poll body said in a statement.
Stop SIR in Bihar, refrain from ‘institutional arrogance’, says INDIA bloc
The Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc parties urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to refrain from “institutional arrogance”, and stop the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, saying it has effectively become a process of establishing citizenship. Speaking at a joint press conference, along with Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML-L) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Nilotpal Basu, Congress Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi said it was not an issue of “political obstinacy” or “institutional arrogance”.
Haridwar Mansa Devi temple stampede: Eight dead, several injured; Uttarakhand CM Dhami orders magisterial probe
Eight people died and about 30 were injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Officials said a massive crowd had gathered along the stairway route of the shrine, and the stampede occurred after a rumour that an electric line snapped created panic among the devotees. Those who died include people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand and aged between 12 and 60 years. Heart-wrenching videos from the spot were making rounds on social media soon after the incident that took place around 9 a.m.
Parliament to debate Pahalgam terror attack, but terrorists responsible for it are yet to be brought to justice, says Congress
With the Lok Sabha scheduled to start a 16-hour debate on Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor on Monday (July 28, 2025), the Congress said the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack have not yet been apprehended. The party also pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed 26 times that he stopped the India-Pakistan hostilities by “threatening to stop trade with them”. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to speak on Tuesday in the debate that could stretch for three days.
NCB, police in Rajasthan and Maharashtra bust inter-State synthetic drug syndicate
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in coordination with police in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, has busted an inter-State drug syndicate allegedly involved in the clandestine manufacture of synthetic drugs. The NCB said that on July 22, a laboratory was detected inside a buffalo barn located in a secluded village in Rajasthan’s Barmer district. During the raid, the Barmer police recovered several precursor chemicals, including chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene and bromine, along with equipment used to manufacture Mephedrone.
MEA ‘nearly lost the plot’ on Indus Treaty negotiations, says former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) nearly “lost the plot” over the Indus Water Treaty talks with Pakistan in 2016, as senior MEA officials entered into a tussle with the World Bank, before the issue was retrieved — the claim is made by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, India-appointed Executive Director at the World Bank (2014-2017), in his latest book, which recounts for the first time the tensions between the Modi government and World Bank President Jim Kim over the Kishenganga hydropower project. The point of contention was whether the World Bank, which has a limited role in guiding any disputes or differences between India and Pakistan, would decide to appoint the “court of arbitration” Pakistan had asked for, or a “neutral expert”, as India wanted.
RBI monetary panel member sees no challenges in Indian economy growing over 6.5% in FY26
The Indian economy is growing at a robust pace and will not face any challenge in achieving a growth rate upwards of 6.5% in the current financial year, RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Nagesh Kumar said. “Actually, more than a third of global economies are under the debt crisis…The industrialised economies are facing a lot of pressure, high inflation and the slowdown of economic growth,” he said.
India recorded over 7,000 suspected heatstroke cases, 14 deaths in March-June period: RTI
India reported 7,192 suspected heatstroke cases and only 14 confirmed deaths due to extreme heat between March 1 and June 24 this year, according to data obtained by PTI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The country had reported nearly 48,000 cases of heatstroke and 159 deaths due to extreme heat in 2024, the warmest year on record in India since 1901. The data, shared by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reveals that the majority of cases were reported in May, the peak of the summer season, with 2,962 suspected cases and three confirmed deaths.
26.34 lakh ‘ineligible’ beneficiaries will be temporarily suspended under Ladki Bahin scheme
The Maharashtra government has revealed that 26.34 lakh beneficiaries, who are ineligible under the Ladki Bahin Scheme, have been temporarily suspended for the June instalment. “The benefits for 26.34 lakh applicants have been temporarily suspended starting from June 2025. The instalments for the month have been disbursed to 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries,” said Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare, adding the suspended beneficiaries’ eligibility will be verified by the respective District Collectors.
TCS to cut workforce by 2%, affecting more than 12,000 jobs
IT services provider Tata Consultancy Services will reduce its workforce by 2% in its 2026 financial year, primarily affecting middle and senior management, the company said. The company is retraining and redeploying staff as it enters new markets, invests in new technology and deploys AI, but about 12,200 jobs will be cut as part of the process, it said. The $283 billion IT sector has had to contend with clients holding back non-essential technology spending because of weak demand, persistent inflation and lingering uncertainty over U.S. trade policies.
ICMR study finds only 28.5% of cancer patients receive radiotherapy in India
Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment in India, yet its expansion is hindered by high investment costs and effective planning, target estimation based on cancer burden are crucial to meet the radiotherapy demands of patients with cancer, noted a recent Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) study published in the UK-based BioMed Central (BMC) cancer journal early this month. India is faced with a substantial shortfall in radiotherapy utilisation across all cancer types and 28.5 percent of cancer patients receive radiotherapy, which is lower than the estimated optimal rate of 58.4 per cent. Breast, head and neck, lung and cervical cancer account for 60 per cent of India’s radiotherapy needs.
NCERT developing special module on Operation Sindoor for classes 3 to 12: Sources
The NCERT is developing a special classroom module on Operation Sindoor to help students learn about India’s defence strategy and diplomatic response, according to sources. The module will have two parts — first for students from class 3 to 8 and another one for students from class 9 to 12. A source said that the special module prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will have 8 to 10 pages focussing on India’s strategic military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused
England thrived in high drama yet again to take down Spain in a penalty shootout and win another Women’s European Championship title. England had fallen behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes — including Kelly – just as it did against Italy and Sweden previously in the knockout rounds.
ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes’ offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs
Drama unfolded in the high-intensity Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes’ offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play .Having worked hard to earn a creditable draw, Jadeja and Washington, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, refused Stokes’ offer after he had approached the umpire, which irked the England skipper no end.
Published – July 28, 2025 06:37 am IST
