The controversy over Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement has triggered a wider debate online. While the actor defended her outfit and said culture and traditions should not be judged by a woman’s clothing, actor Abhijeet Dipke weighed in with a sharp comment. He said that while India debates clothes and such controversies, China is moving ahead by building robots. Dipke’s remark shifted the discussion towards India’s focus on innovation and technological progress. The ad had drawn criticism over Sanon’s outfit and a scene showing her tying a rakhi to a pet dog, while others defended the campaign’s modern interpretation of tradition. (PC: NDTV)

Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, has died aged 80. Her death was announced by her nephew, Brian Seaver. Parton wrote classics including *Jolene*, *I Will Always Love You* and *9 to 5*, and became one of country music's most successful artists. She recorded 25 US country No 1 singles and won 10 Grammy Awards. Beyond music and acting, Parton was widely admired for her charity work. Her Imagination Library donated more than 150 million books to children, while she also supported Covid-19 vaccine research and other causes. She leaves behind an extraordinary cultural legacy. (PC: The Guardian)

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has announced a nationwide strike on September 11 over delays in implementing a five-day banking week, differences over performance-linked incentive schemes and other pending demands, including pension-related issues. If the strike goes ahead, banking services, particularly in public sector banks, could be affected for four days in several parts of the country. September 11 falls on a Friday, followed by two bank holidays on Saturday and Sunday. September 14 is also a holiday in some states for Ganesh Chaturthi. The strike threat comes amid continued demands from bank unions for a five-day working week and resolution of outstanding issues concerning employees’ incentives and pensions. (PC: X/@IndianTechGuide)

The Rajasthan High Court has banned the sale of high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt (HFSS) food, including carbonated drinks, chips and trans-fat-containing bakery products, in school canteens and within 50 metres of school gates. A Jodhpur bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand also directed every school to establish a food safety and nutrition committee comprising teachers, parents and students within four weeks. Canteens must display calorie counts, ingredients and nutritional information within eight weeks and implement traffic-light labelling. The court directed the state to detail implementation of 2020 safe-food regulations and ensure balanced-diet standards for mid-day meals. It also flagged excessive screen time, paper leaks and inadequate rural school infrastructure. (PC: Money Control)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend the BRICS leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, marking his first India visit since October 2019. Beijing has already sent an advance team for security and protocol preparations, while Xi is expected to arrive with a large delegation of officials, businessmen and state-backed media representatives. His participation could further efforts to restore India-China ties strained by the 2020 border standoff. Since 2024, relations have improved through troop disengagement, resumed direct flights and visas, eased curbs on Chinese firms and the revival of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. However, over 50,000 troops remain deployed on both sides of the LAC, while visa issues and Arunachal Pradesh tensions persist. (PC: The Indian Express)

Delhi has reported 2,308 cases of H1N1 and other variants, along with 650 flu cases, as authorities step up monitoring of the situation. Health Minister Pankaj Singh said there was “no reason to panic” and described the situation as completely under control. He said around 3,000 patients, including those infected with H1N1 A and B strains, had received treatment, recovered and returned home. Government hospitals have adequate beds, doctors and medicines, he added. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also held a comprehensive review meeting. Meanwhile, around 2,200 dengue cases had been detected as of Monday. Officials from civic bodies and Delhi Cantonment were involved in assessing the situation and measures to prevent further spread.

India’s push for prominent, color-coded health warnings on packaged foods has faced resistance from major food companies, Reuters reported. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) abandoned its proposed colorful front-of-pack warnings after a tense March meeting with industry executives, instead proposing a black-and-white table showing sugar, fat and salt levels. Coca-Cola and industry groups argued such labels could confuse consumers and would not change eating habits. Health activists have challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which is scrutinizing the regulator’s approach. The dispute comes as nearly 80% of India’s packaged food and beverage products are estimated to be high in fat, sugar or salt, while consumers increasingly demand healthier products and greater transparency from global food brands. (PC: Reuters)

India has emerged as the most attractive data centre market among 10 Asia-Pacific markets outside China, with live IT capacity quadrupling in six years to 1.7 GW, according to BloombergNEF. Another 1.3 GW is under construction, while 3.2 GW of projects have secured land, power and permits. Reliance Industries and the Adani Group have committed $210 billion, while Google, Amazon and Microsoft have announced $84 billion. Maharashtra accounts for 55% of live capacity, with expansion expected across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. AI-focused campuses are driving investment, but rising electricity demand, transmission constraints and water-intensive cooling could challenge future growth, particularly in water-stressed cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai. (PC: The Economic Times)

India has eased duty-free raw sugar import rules, replacing an October 31 deadline with a two-month processing window from the date of filing the Bill of Entry. The move comes as sugar prices rise ahead of the festive season and the government steps up efforts to curb hoarding. Under the original August 20 notification, up to 1 million tonnes could be imported under a tariff-rate quota. Prices rose from Rs 48.18 per kg on July 20 to Rs 63.05 on August 24. The government cited lower production, weather-related crop damage, global supply concerns and hoarding. Domestic stocks stand at 3.5-3.9 million tonnes. From September 1, bulk sugar consumers face a 15-day stockholding limit. (PC: News18)

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi backed actor Kriti Sanon after her outfit in a Raksha Bandhan jewellery advertisement drew social media criticism. Sharing Sanon’s response on Instagram Stories, Gandhi said what a woman wears, does and where she goes is her choice, urging people to stop trolling women for exercising their freedom. Sanon questioned why women’s respect for culture and traditions continues to be judged by their clothes, saying culture resides in the heart, not the neckline. The advertisement showed her tying a rakhi to her brother and later to their pet dog, prompting criticism. BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut also criticised Sanon’s look, calling it “intentionally creepy”.