Divya Bharti

Pro-Kannada groups called a 12-hour bandh in Karnataka on 13th August against releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Police detained several protesters near the border, while essential services, schools, and public transport ensured life remained largely normal in Bengaluru.

The Himachal Pradesh government has imposed a 60 paise per litre ‘Widow and Orphan Cess’ on petrol and diesel to fund welfare schemes. Charged at the first point of sale, the new levy highlights the cash-strapped state's growing reliance on additional public taxes.

The RBI is launching trials for polymer ₹10 and ₹20 notes to improve durability and security. While more expensive initially, these plastic banknotes last longer, reduce replacement costs, and will circulate alongside existing paper currency.

The Bankipura by-election saw Muslim voters and several other communities rally behind Prashant Kishor over the RJD, signalling a major political realignment driven by the desire to defeat the BJP.

The first phase of assembly elections in PoJK turned violent as Pakistani forces opened fire on protesters, leaving at least 19 dead. The clashes follow months of anger over reserved refugee seats, election rigging, and a government ban on local rights group JAAC.

President Donald Trump has approved a 30-year nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, enabling potential domestic uranium enrichment under US supervision.

By executing structural, multi-departmental reforms, the Yogi government changed Uttar Pradesh’s fight against encephalitis from reactive hospital treatment to proactive prevention. Massive door-to-door immunisation, clean water initiatives, and local critical care upgrades successfully reduced seasonal Japanese Encephalitis deaths by 95%.

The Ladakh administration announced that all seven districts, including the five newly created ones, will get elected Autonomous Hill Development Councils, granting local communities identical powers over land, finance, and district-level employment.

Archaeologists in Thailand have discovered two 2,000-year-old gold rings at an Iron Age burial site. One ring features an ancient Indian Brahmi inscription, offering fresh, concrete evidence of early maritime trade and cultural exchange between India and Southeast Asia.

India’s mandatory shift to E20 petrol has sparked debate over vehicle mileage and engine safety. While car owners express concern, the government defends the rollout as a highly strategic, decades-old national policy modeled after Brazil to slash oil imports and boost rural economies.