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)

The Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians on April 22, was ordered by Pakistan’s political and military leadership, reports said. Pakistani spy agency ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba were behind the attack, carried out by Pakistani terrorists to maintain secrecy. Sulaiman, a former Pakistani commando, led the assault. No Kashmiri terrorists were involved. The attack targeted people based on religion at Baisaran meadows. India responded with ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May, killing over 100 terrorists. Odisha’s CM said Pakistan’s role mirrors the 26/11 Mumbai attack, sparking widespread outrage in India. (PC: News18)

A 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, Odisha, has died after setting herself on fire. She had earlier complained of harassment by a college professor but said no action was taken. The girl died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on July 14. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said he was very sad about her death and promised strict punishment for those responsible. The college principal has been arrested for protecting the accused professor. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers protested when her body was taken for postmortem. The Crime Branch is now looking into the case. (PC: News18)

Security has been tightened at Amritsar’s Golden Temple after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) received a bomb threat via email on July 14. Punjab Police confirmed an FIR has been registered and cybercrime units are investigating. Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar assured foolproof security, urging the public to stay calm. Bomb squads and additional forces have been deployed. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla demanded swift action, calling the threat an attack on peace and humanity. Authorities emphasized vigilance and assured no compromise on security at the revered Sikh shrine, visited daily by thousands of devotees and tourists. (PC: HT)