The Conscience Network, A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship, written by Sugata Srinivasaraju, was released in Bengaluru by former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, former Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Chiranjiv Singh and writer K. Marulasiddappa. Senior journalist A.V.S. Namboodiri was the chief guest.

The book talks of the lesser-known but significant role of the Indian diaspora in the U.S., whose growing influence and vocal opposition to the Emergency emerged as a powerful force. Some of the book’s principal protagonists, including activist S.R. Hiremath, were present at the event.

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), a pioneer in accessible banking services, announced the nationwide rollout of Aadhaar-based Face Authentication facility for customer transactions — a breakthrough initiative aimed at empowering every Indian, especially the elderly and differently-abled, by making banking more secure, inclusive, and convenient.

The face authentication feature, developed under the framework of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), enables customers to perform banking transactions using facial recognition, eliminating the need for physical biometric inputs like fingerprints or OTPs. With this, IPPB strengthens its mission of “Aapka Bank, Aapke Dwaar” by making banking more accessible, inclusive, and customer-centric.

Speaking on the launch, Shri R Viswesvaran, MD & CEO, IPPB said, “At IPPB, we believe that banking should not just be accessible, but dignified too. With Aadhaar-based face authentication, we are ensuring that no customer is left behind due to limitations in biometric fingerprints or OTP verification. It’s not just a tech feature; it’s a step towards redefining financial inclusion at scale.”

IDBI Bank Ltd has announced the sudden and sad demise of Shri T. N. Manoharan who was serving as Independent Director and Part-time Chairman of the Bank on July 30, 2025.Part-time chairperson servicesIDBI Bank services

Shri T. N. Manoharan was associated with the Bank from February 24, 2022. He passed away on 30th July 2025 in Mumbai, while asleep presumably due to cardiac arrest.

The Bank has been benefitted from his vision and varied experience during his stint. The Board of Directors and all employees of the Bank express their profound grief and extend heartfelt condolences to his family.

After a temporary suspension of services due to drop in tourist footfall on the 155-years old Patalpani-Kalakund line, Western Railway resumed the operation of heritage trains last week.

The 9.5 km long Patalpani-Kalakund line, in the Dr Ambedkar Nagar (earlier Mhow)-Khandwa section in Madhya Pradesh, is considered to be one of the six heritage lines of the Indian Railways even though it still awaits official certification by the Railway Board.

It is a meter-gauge section which was preserved by the Indian Railways in 2018, since the line could not be converted to the broad gauge because of its difficult terrain. The first heritage train on the line set-off on December 25, 2018.

The final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 saw South Africa Champions taking on Pakistan Champions. After stellar performances from the two sides, it was South Africa Champions who registered an emphatic win in the final after a brilliant performance by skipper AB de Villiers.

The clash began with Pakistan Champions coming in to bat first after winning the toss. The side got off to a subpar start as opener Kamran Akmal departed after adding just two runs on the board. However, Akmal’s opening partner, Sharjeel Khan, put in an exceptional performance, amassing 76 runs in 44 deliveries.

Furthermore, Mohammad Hafeez added 17 runs to the board, with Shoaib Malik scoring 20 runs as well. Additionally, Umar Amin went unbeaten on a score of 36 runs, with Asif Ali scoring 28, alongside Aamer Yamin, who went unbeaten on a score of two runs, as Pakistan Champions posted a total of 195 runs in the first innings of the game.

Sometimes, a Formula 1 win is less about speed than strategy and gritty driving. Lando Norris held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a tense finish to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday (August 3, 2025) and boost his title chances.

Overtaking in Hungary is tough, but Norris had to work hard to keep the win as Piastri loomed behind him in the final laps.

Norris celebrated with a double fist pump on top of his car after claiming McLaren's 200th F1 win by less than a second to cut Piastri's standings lead to nine points from 16.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen broke new ground as he became the first-ever champion of the inaugural Esports World Cup 2025 on Saturday. The Norwegian legend, representing Team Liquid, defeated Alireza Firouzja with two consecutive 3–1 set wins in the Grand Final in Saudi Arabia. By becoming the champion of the first-ever Esports Chess World Cup, the 34-year-old bagged $250,000 in prize money. The Norwegian delivered a convincing performance throughout the four-day event, displaying consistent control and clock management at every stage.

Earlier on the final day, India’s Arjun Erigaisi lost to Hikaru Nakamura 2½–3½ to finish fourth. The tournament featured a fast-paced, no-increment format.

India launched a new collaborative initiative with the support of the UN World Food Programme to strengthen Rice Fortification and Supply Chain Management in Nepal. This initiative is part of India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative launched on 1st August 2025 by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, in New Delhi.

The project in Nepal will address gaps in Nepal’s fortified rice supply chain, particularly in procurement processes, data collection, and skilled workforce by facilitating knowledge exchange with India’s successful Public Distribution System. The project offers stakeholders from Nepal the opportunity to learn from India’s experience in leveraging digital technologies for efficient food supply chain management. Focus areas will include beneficiary management, storage and distribution models, monitoring and evaluation systems; and grievance redressal mechanisms.

The project will be implemented in three phases over a period of 12 months. The first phase will focus on needs assessment and stakeholder engagement. The second phase will include a study visit to India for Nepali officials, featuring hands-on demonstrations and expert briefings. The third and final phase will focus on the development of an action plan.

India launched the first set of four development projects under the “India-UN Global Capacity Building Initiative,” aimed at supporting countries of the Global South in meeting Sustainable Development Goals. The projects were officially launched by the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Tanmaya Lal, yesterday. According to the MEA, the India-UN Global South Capacity Building Initiative is a natural extension of India’s development partnership efforts.

In its first phase, the programme will support rice fortification and supply chain management in Nepal with the help of the World Food Programme, develop digital health platforms in Zambia and Lao PDR with UNDP support, train officials in census preparedness in Belize, Barbados, St Kitts & Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago in collaboration with the UN Population Fund, and provide vocational training in South Sudan with UNESCO support. The selected training courses are scheduled to begin in September 2025 and will be carried out through designated Indian training institutes under the ITEC framework.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Mr. Pingali Venkayya on his birth anniversary. In a social media post, Mr. Modi said Mr. Venkayya is remembered for his role in giving India the Tricolour, the pride of the country. The Prime Minister urged the countrymen to strengthen the Har Ghar Tiranga movement by flying the Tricolour and also asked the citizens to upload their selfies or photos on <http://harghartiranga.com> .