In JP Nagar’s Dollar Colony, Bengaluru locals have carved a touching stone mural of Pikachu—a beloved stray dog—behind Clarence Public School. The tribute features his likeness surrounded by handwritten messages, recalling how the canine warmed neighbourhood hearts before his tragic death in a road accident . Shared by resident Nithin Kumar on X, the mural went viral, prompting emotional responses: “This moved me to tears” . Coinciding with the gesture, BBMP has rolled out a ₹2.88 crore feeding initiative to nourish approximately 5,000 stray dogs daily with nutritious chicken‑rice meals, aimed at reducing aggression. (PC: Money Control)

NCERT’s new Class 8 social science textbook describes the Mughal and Delhi Sultanate periods as a “darker time” in Indian history. The book highlights Babur’s brutality, Akbar’s temple destruction, and Aurangzeb’s religious intolerance, while adding a disclaimer that no one today should be blamed for past events. A “Note on Some Darker Periods in History” explains the inclusion of these details. NCERT defended the changes, saying the new books align with NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023. Officials said the approach is evidence-based and encourages students to understand history’s darker chapters without assigning modern-day blame. (PC: X)

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde test-drove a Tesla Model Y outside the Mumbai Assembly a day after the company opened its first showroom in India at Bandra Kurla Complex. Videos show Shinde driving the Pearl White Model Y, surrounded by security and media. He also attended the inauguration, calling Mumbai the “right city and state” for Tesla’s India entry. Tesla’s Model Y prices in India start at ₹59.89 lakh, significantly higher than US rates due to import tariffs. A second showroom in Delhi is expected in July. Bookings have begun; deliveries start December quarter onwards. 

Residents of Bengaluru’s JP Nagar have honoured a beloved stray dog named Pikachu with a mural after his tragic death in a road accident. Named after the famous Pokémon character, Pikachu was adored by locals for years. The mural was installed near Clarence Public School by Indie Dogs Universe and The Great Indian Dog Stories. The tribute went viral after a resident shared it on social media, sparking emotional reactions. This comes as BBMP announced plans to feed 5,000 street dogs daily with nutritious meals, spending ₹2.88 crore annually on food, transport, and cleaning to ensure better animal welfare. (PC: X)

Violent protests broke out outside the Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday following the death of a 20-year-old B.Ed. student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore. The woman died after setting herself ablaze on campus, reportedly due to prolonged sexual harassment by her department head. Protesters clashed with police, attempting to breach barricades. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons. The victim had allegedly filed multiple complaints, which went ignored by college authorities. She succumbed to 90% burns at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday night. The incident has sparked outrage across Odisha demanding justice and accountability. (PC: India Today)

An RTI request by India Today TV unveiled that although Aadhaar has issued approximately 138 crore numbers, only 1.15 crore have been deactivated upon death. This means millions of deceased individuals still hold active IDs, as UIDAI lacks a mechanism to deactivate cards based on death registrations. State registrars may capture Aadhaar numbers on death certificates, but a formal deactivation system is missing. The government is evaluating amendments to enable sharing this data for deactivation, but currently, no systematic linkage exists between death records and the UIDAI database, raising concerns over data accuracy and identity misuse. (PC: India Today)  

The Supreme Court of India, during the hearing of a petition by Cure SMA India Foundation against remarks made on the show India’s Got Latent, asserted that the right to dignity (Article 21) outweighs freedom of speech (Article 19). A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi emphasized that while free expression is fundamental, it cannot override another person’s dignity. The Court directed the Centre to establish constitutional-compliant guidelines for regulating online content and asked influencer Samay Raina and others to respond to the petition within a week. The hearing underscores the need to balance speech rights with respect and inclusion. (PC: Instagram)  

On July 15, the Juvenile Justice Board in Pune ruled that the 17-year-old boy accused in the Porsche crash case will be tried as a juvenile. The incident in May 2024 at Kalyani Nagar killed IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. Pune Police had urged adult trial citing the “heinous” nature of the act and alleged evidence tampering. The boy initially got bail with a 300-word essay condition, sparking outrage. Later, the Bombay High Court ruled his observation home remand illegal. Defence counsel confirmed today’s decision rejecting the police plea. (PC: The Hindu)

India captain Shubman Gill revealed King Charles III sympathized with Mohammed Siraj’s dismissal during their meeting at St James’s Palace after the Lord’s Test. “The King said the way Siraj got out was very unfortunate,” Gill told reporters. India lost by 22 runs despite a spirited fight. King Charles praised India’s performance and admitted he watched the match highlights. “He asked how we felt after that ending,” Gill added. India’s men’s and women’s teams attended the event in London. Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 couldn’t prevent defeat. The fourth Test begins in Manchester on 23 July after an eight-day break. (PC: X)

India’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary report on the Air India Flight 171 crash has raised new questions. The Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad last month, killing 260 people. The report mentions fuel cut-off switches were flipped seconds after take-off, but no cockpit voice transcript was shared. Aviation experts criticize the report as selective, lacking crucial details on pilot actions. Speculation about pilot error or intentional action has been condemned by India’s pilots’ association. Investigations continue, with experts demanding transparency. A final report is expected within a year, though delays are common in aviation probes. (PC: BBC)