Kartik Kansal, a candidate with muscular dystrophy, has cleared the UPSC civil services exam four times but was denied service. Despite ranking high in 2021, he was not allocated a service due to his disability. Kartik, an IIT Roorkee graduate and ISRO scientist, uses a wheelchair and meets all physical requirements for the IAS. A retired IAS officer, Sanjeev Gupta, highlighted the issue on social media. Kartik's case is pending in the Central Administrative Tribunal. New merged criteria from 2024 might rectify the oversight and allow him to join the IAS.

A massive landslide hit pilgrims near Cheedwasa on their way to Kedarnath, killing three and injuring eight on Sunday morning. The State Disaster Response Force quickly started rescue operations, and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief and offered condolences to the victims' families. He assured continuous monitoring of the rescue efforts and promised all necessary assistance to the injured. The pilgrims had started their journey from Gaurikund when the landslide struck.

Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew and given police "shoot-on-sight" orders. This comes as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on civil service job quotas, sparking violent protests. The system reserves over half the jobs for certain groups, including veterans' children. Clashes have left at least 133 dead. The government has closed all schools indefinitely. Many students, including nearly 1,000 from India, have returned home. The curfew was briefly lifted for essential errands. Authorities hope the measures will control the unrest ahead of the court's decision.

Seven bodies have been recovered from a landslide-hit area in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. The landslide occurred on July 17 following incessant rains. Rescue operations are ongoing, with three people still missing. Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya confirmed the involvement of NDRF, Navy, Coast Guard, and local authorities. Continuous landslides and river flow are complicating efforts, said SP Narayan. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the affected Shirur village. A red alert for heavy rainfall is in effect for July 20, with an orange alert for July 21, issued by the Regional Met Centre of Bengaluru.

Gavin Dasaur, a 29-year-old man from Agra, was shot dead in front of his wife during an alleged road rage incident in Indiana, USA. The incident occurred on July 16 after a dispute over overtaking with a truck driver, who then opened fire, killing Gavin on the spot. His family alleges police lapses in the investigation and seeks strict punishment for the accused. Gavin, who had been living in the US since 2016, ran a transport business and recently married. His wife and family are demanding justice and the death penalty for the shooter.

Israeli warplanes killed three people in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida after a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian. The strikes, which triggered a raging fire and black smoke, were Israel’s first claimed in Yemen. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned of more operations against the Houthis. The Houthi-run health ministry reported 87 injuries, mostly severe burns. The drone attack and subsequent strikes escalate tensions in the region, with concerns over impacts on Yemen's vital aid lifeline through Hodeida port.

Violence in Bangladesh has escalated with at least 133 dead as student protests demand government job quota reforms. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government imposed a national curfew and deployed the military, granting police shoot-on-sight orders for curfew violators. A nationwide internet shutdown has hampered communication, and major newspapers are unable to update. Nearly 1,000 Indian students have returned to India, while the US State Department warned against travel to Bangladesh. The protests highlight frustration over high youth unemployment and the controversial job quota system favoring relatives of 1971 independence war veterans.

A global tech outage caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected nearly 8.5 million Microsoft devices, the company reported on Saturday. The disruption led to significant issues for air passengers worldwide, including delays and flight cancellations, as well as impacts on various industries from banking to media. Microsoft is working with CrowdStrike, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform to accelerate a fix for the affected Windows devices, which constitute less than one percent of all Windows machines.

The Union health ministry, alongside experts from AIIMS and NIMHANS, reviewed Chandipura virus and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Since June 2024, 78 AES cases have been reported, mostly in Gujarat, resulting in 28 deaths, with 5 linked to the Chandipura virus. Experts stressed the need for comprehensive studies and highlighted vector control, hygiene, and public awareness as crucial measures. Gujarat's government plans a mega drive for vector control to combat the spread of these diseases, primarily affecting children.

In response to escalating violence in Bangladesh, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has facilitated the return of nearly 1,000 Indian students. With the help of local authorities and various agencies, 778 students returned via land ports, while around 200 flew home from Dhaka and Chittagong. The unrest, which began as an anti-quota protest, has claimed over 105 lives and injured hundreds. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions remain in contact with over 4,000 remaining students, providing necessary assistance.