Construction of India’s first high-speed rail corridor, the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, is progressing across Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station, the southern terminus, is being constructed nearly 30 metres underground, with excavation and foundation work nearing completion. In Gujarat, Surat station’s structural framework and roofing are complete, while interior finishing is underway. Inspired by Surat’s diamond-cutting industry, the station reflects the city’s commercial identity. The corridor will have 12 stations and trains are expected to operate at up to 320 kmph, covering the route in about two hours. The first service is expected in August 2027. Three advanced depots at Thane, Surat and Sabarmati will support maintenance and repairs. (PC: News18)  

NSG explosive detection dog Donny has received the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card on Independence Day 2026 for his technical aptitude, reliability and operational performance. Donny played a key role in post-blast RSP operations following the Red Fort blast in New Delhi in November 2025. On November 10 and 11, he was deployed to sanitise the VBIED blast site, where he conclusively confirmed the presence of explosives. On November 12, Donny was sent to Khandawali in Faridabad to sanitise a vehicle suspected of transporting explosives linked to the blast. He again detected and confirmed explosives, with the NSG highlighting his confirmations as evidence of his value in critical security missions. (PC: X)

The Jharkhand government has announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all recruitment exams conducted by TDPL. The decision came after days of protests by students and job aspirants in Ranchi. Student leader Devendra Mahto ended his hunger strike at Sadar Hospital after the government accepted the key demands. Student leaders Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti also ended their hunger strikes. State ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari met the protesters at the hospital. Students celebrated the decision at the protest site. They had demanded action over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams conducted by JPSC and JSSC.

The Indian government has said X must follow the law in India after Elon Musk announced a new rule on content takedown requests. X will now make government orders to remove or restrict content more visible to users. The platform may show which government department sent the request and the legal reason behind it. Musk said the change would make government censorship more transparent. An Indian government official told PTI that X will have to follow the law of the land. The new policy is expected to help users understand why their posts or accounts were restricted or removed.

Vande Bharat trains are becoming a key part of Indian Railways’ premium travel network. The trains carried nearly 3.98 crore passengers in FY26, a 34% rise from the previous year. Indian Railways is expanding the network as demand for faster and more comfortable travel grows. AC 3-tier and AC Chair Car were the only passenger categories to make profits in FY25. AC 3-tier earned ₹3,645 crore, while Chair Car made ₹377 crore. Vande Bharat Sleeper services also showed strong demand. They carried 1.21 lakh passengers in their first three months. The network now has 162 services.

Two more Air India pilots have failed to clear a first drug test, sources said. The tests were ordered after the Phuket-Delhi flight incident that left several people injured. The final test results are still awaited. The two pilots have been removed from flight duties until the results arrive. Air India ordered all pilots to undergo drug tests under new safety rules. More than 300 pilots have completed the tests so far. The move came after the pilot of the Phuket-Delhi flight failed two urine tests. Marijuana was reportedly found in his system. The flight had earlier suffered a sudden 300-foot drop.

The Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) Student Wing has announced a two-day general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 17, demanding implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census exercise begins in the state. The house-listing phase of Census 2027 is scheduled to begin with self-enumeration from August 17, while the main house-listing operation is scheduled from September 1 to September 30. The strike comes amid growing protests in Imphal and across Manipur’s valley districts against preparations for the Census. Students, market bodies and civil society organisations have opposed the exercise and threatened to boycott the process, intensifying tensions over the upcoming population-counting exercise. (PC: PTI)

Tyson, a German Shepherd assault dog of the Indian Army’s 2 Para Special Forces, has been honoured for his exceptional courage during a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir. During Operation Trashi-I in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar on February 22, Tyson moved ahead of the troops and detected a terrorist hiding in a suspected hideout. He charged at the terrorist, who opened fire and hit Tyson in the leg. Despite being wounded, Tyson continued the assault, helping troops confirm the terrorists’ position. Security forces subsequently engaged and neutralised 3 Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Tyson was airlifted to Command Hospital, Udhampur, and later recovered. He was among 89 recipients of Mention-in-Despatches announced by President Droupadi Murmu ahead of Independence Day 2026. (PC: X)

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the CBI and Enforcement Directorate over allegations of disproportionate assets against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the agencies, “If it is so serious, why has your agency kept quiet?” The court directed the Allahabad High Court to defer its August 20 hearing until the Supreme Court considers Gandhi’s challenge. It also ordered the CBI and ED not to submit any probe report to any authority in the meantime. Gandhi is challenging an Allahabad High Court order directing the agencies to verify the allegations. His lawyer Kapil Sibal called the proceedings a “witch-hunt” and questioned the petitioner’s legal standing. (PC: NDTV)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said security forces dismantled the alleged Pakistan-based, ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network ahead of Independence Day, foiling plans for subversive attacks. The Home Ministry said a coordinated operation on August 12 led to 253 detentions across 14 states and more than 80 FIRs. Officials linked the network to grenade, IED and petrol-bomb attacks, targeted killings and espionage. Security agencies recovered IEDs, grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings, pistols, ammunition and CCTV cameras. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of detentions at 62, followed by Haryana with 52 and Delhi with 51. The Centre said the crackdown reflected its zero-tolerance policy on cross-border terrorism. (PC: HT)