An IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Chennai carrying 224 people experienced a left-engine failure shortly before landing late Tuesday night, prompting Chennai airport authorities to declare a full emergency. Flight 6E-723 was due to arrive at 11:30 pm on August 11, when the pilot detected the engine failure and alerted air traffic control. Emergency procedures were immediately activated to ensure a safe landing. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 25 at 11:37 pm, with all 224 passengers and crew accounted for. The emergency was withdrawn at 11:47 pm, and airport operations continued normally. No injuries were reported. (PC: Reuters)

A food safety inspection at a Zepto warehouse in Hoskote, Bengaluru Rural, has exposed serious hygiene and food-handling violations. Officials found organic waste, discarded wrappers and bottles, accumulated dirt, and empty cardboard boxes inside the facility. The inspection also identified problems including non-compliant labelling, misbranding, and unhygienic storage and handling of food products. The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department sealed the warehouse and issued a notice to the facility. Officials have also recommended legal action against the operator. The raid is part of a wider food-safety enforcement drive in Bengaluru aimed at ensuring compliance with FSSAI standards and protecting consumers. 

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a nationwide campaign to improve government schools in villages, beginning August 15. The initiative calls on parents to conduct social audits of basic facilities, including electricity, drinking water, functional toilets and mid-day meals. Dipke has also challenged sarpanches to improve schools under a “Sarpanch Challenge,” with successful efforts to be publicly recognised through before-and-after photographs. The campaign will begin from Dipke’s village in Hingoli, Maharashtra. The CJP says the initiative aims to address rural educational infrastructure gaps and ensure children of farmers and labourers receive facilities comparable to those available in urban schools. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced stricter packaging rules for pan masala, banning plastic-based and plastic-laminated packaging. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, manufacturers must use plastic-free paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials. Aluminium foil, metallised layers and synthetic polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester and PVC are also prohibited. Tin and glass containers are permitted alternatives. The amendment, notified in August 2026, aligns pan masala packaging with existing plastic-waste management provisions and aims to reduce plastic pollution while strengthening regulatory compliance across the industry. 

India’s economy has slipped from fourth to sixth place globally, with nominal GDP estimated at $3.92 trillion in FY2025-26, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told Parliament, citing the IMF’s April 2026 World Economic Outlook. The IMF ranking is based on nominal GDP measured at current US dollar exchange rates. Chaudhary said rankings can change due to exchange-rate movements, prices, economic growth, national-account revisions and shifts in other major economies. India had overtaken the UK in 2022 to become the fifth-largest economy and was later reported to have surpassed Japan. The government is focusing on manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure and MSMEs, alongside PLI schemes, logistics reforms, public investment, FDI and tax reforms. (PC: iStock)

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced new packaging requirements for pan masala, banning plastic, aluminium foil and metallised layers. The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, were notified in the Gazette of India on August 10. Under the new rules, pan masala manufacturers can use only plastic-free paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials, along with tin or glass containers. The move specifically targets plastic used in pan masala packaging and removes several previously used materials from permitted options. The new requirements mark a regulatory shift towards plastic-free packaging for pan masala products, with manufacturers required to adopt the newly specified alternatives. (PC: Getty Images)

Candidates shortlisted for the CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust were reportedly asked questions about religious practices, food habits, families and work experience. The 18 shortlisted candidates were selected from 5,200 applicants. A 34-point Google form reportedly asked whether candidates were staunch Hindus, wore a shikha or janeu, ate non-vegetarian food or consumed alcohol. Eight candidates faced interviews in Ayodhya on Tuesday, including four former IAS officers. The CEO will oversee administrative, financial and security matters at the Ram Temple, which attracts devotees. (PC: HT)

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced new packaging rules for pan masala, banning plastic-based materials, aluminium foil and metallised layers. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, manufacturers can use plastic-free paper, paperboard, cellulose and other naturally derived materials. Tin and glass containers are also permitted. The rules specifically prohibit polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC and other synthetic polymers, copolymers and laminates in packaging. The amendment, notified in the Gazette of India on August 10, does not ban pan masala itself but regulates how the product can be packaged. (PC: India Today)

Prashant Kishor has promised to arrange jobs for at least 10,000 youths in Bihar’s Bankipur within 3 months. During his “gratitude tour”, the Jan Suraaj leader asked educated families to submit their children’s CVs to his office. Kishor said he had contacted people across the country to create employment opportunities for Bihar’s youth. He also promised major improvements in government schools within a year, saying Bankipur children would be supported with private-school fees if needed. Kishor further pledged action on ration cards, full 5 kg foodgrain entitlements and ₹1,100 pensions for eligible senior citizens within 3 months. (PC: NDTV)

A Zepto warehouse in Bengaluru’s Hoskote was sealed on Tuesday following a special inspection by Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA). Officials said they found unhygienic food handling and storage conditions, non-compliant labelling, misbranding and other violations of food safety regulations. The department issued a notice to the warehouse and recommended legal proceedings before the adjudicating officer. Zepto said it fully cooperated with authorities and was taking steps to address the observations. The action is part of a wider food safety drive across Bengaluru targeting storage and distribution facilities. Officials have also seized expired or unfit food items during recent inspections. (PC: HT)