Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was sworn in for his fourth term after securing over 99 per cent of the vote. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Faustin Ntezilyayo, during which Kagame pledged to uphold peace, national sovereignty, and national unity. In a post on X, the President expressed his gratitude to the citizens for their support. However, Rights activists have criticized the election outcome, arguing that it highlights the lack of democratic processes in the country. Only two out of eight candidates were allowed to run in the presidential race,  and those who criticised Kagame were barred from participating.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, released the 25th issue of its publication titled “Women and Men in India 2023”.

The publication is a comprehensive and insightful document that attempts to bring a holistic view of the situation of women and men in India and provides data on a wide range of topics such as Population, Education, Health, Participation in Economy, Participation in Decision making etc. among others. It presents data disaggregated by gender, urban-rural divide, and geographical region, which helps to understand the disparities that exist between different groups of women and men. The publication includes important indicators as derived from published official data of different Ministries/Departments/Organizations.

“Women and Men in India 2023” not only highlights the progress made towards gender equality but also identifies the areas where significant gaps remain. By examining various socio-economic indicators, the publication offers some analysis of trends over time, thereby enabling policymakers, researchers, and the general public to make informed decisions and contribute to the development of gender-sensitive policies.

The report is a crucial resource for understanding the demographic changes and their implications for both women and men in India. It serves as a vital tool for advocacy and action to promote gender equity and ensure that development efforts are inclusive and sustainable.

IIT Madras has been ranked top in the NationalInstitutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 for Higher Education Institutes in the overall category. Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru has been placed second and IIT, Bombay at third position in the Overall category in IndiaRankings 2024 which was released today by Union Minister for EducationDharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi. In the University category, the top three positions are held by the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, Jawahar Lal University (JNU), New Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. IIT, Madras got the first position in the Engineering category followed by IIT, Delhi and IIT, Bombay. Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad ranked top among all institutes in the Management category followed by IM, Bangalore and IIM, Kozhikode. Proving its supremacy in the Medical category AIIMS, Delhi has clinched first position followed by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and Christian Medical College(CMC), Vellore.  This year the awards were given in 16 categories and three new sections namely State public universities, OpenUniversities and Skill Universities. Among State Public Universities in India Rankings 2024Anna University, Chennai was placed first followed by Jadavpur University, Kolkata and Savitri Bai Phule University, Pune. In the top 100 College list three colleges of Delhi secured place from first to third rank. Hindu College, Delhi leap frogged to the first position in the College category followed by Miranda College and St. Stephen’s College. In the Open University category IGNOU got first position among all contenders. More than 6500 higher educational institutions with more than 10 thousand applications in different categories had applied for NIRF rankings in 2024.

A joint exercise between the militaries of India and Sri Lanka got underway in the island nation on Monday to facilitate interoperability and sharing of best practices, the defence ministry said.

The 10th edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ at the Army Training School, Maduru Oya, will be conducted from August 12-25. It will enhance the joint military capability so as to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under the UN mandate, the ministry said.

Joint exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Sri Lanka. Its last edition was conducted in Pune in November 2023.

The Reserve Bank of India on Monday imposed penalties on five entities, including CSB Bank, Union Bank of India and Muthoot Housing Finance for contravention of various regulatory norms.

A penalty of Rs 1.86 crore has been imposed on CSB Bank for non-compliance with certain directions issued by the RBI on 'Guidelines on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by banks' and 'Master Circular on Branch Authorisation'.

In another statement, the RBI said a penalty of Rs 1.06 crore has been imposed on Union Bank of India for non-compliance with certain norms on 'Creation of a Central Repository of Large Common Exposures-Across Banks' and 'Know Your Customer (KYC)'.

Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre beat Roundglass Punjab Hockey Club Academy 5-3 in the penalty shootout to clinch the women's title in the Hockey India Junior Men and Women Academy Championship Zone A & B, here on Monday. (More Sports News)

The two teams were earlier tied 2-2 as Prabhjot Kaur (34’) and Surekha Bahala (54’) found the back of the net for Odisha Naval Tata, whereas Rubby (14’) and Ribka (45’) scored one each for Roundglass Punjab.

Ghumanhera Riser’s Academy trumped Salute Hockey Academy 5-1 with Priya producing a hat-trick in the third-place contest.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on August 9 gave its approval for 8 railway projects worth Rs 24,657 crore, bolstering development process in aspirational and tribal-dominated districts, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a press briefing.

Out of these 8 projects, three will be developed in Odisha's southern and western regions, the minister said.

Moreover, the these projects will cover 14 districts across seven states- Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal- and increase the existing network of Railways by around 900 km, the minister said.

The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday approved the Maharashtra Logistics Policy 2024, which aims to generate around ₹30,573 crore in revenue over the next five years. Formulated based on recommendations from the State Economic Advisory Council, this policy envisions substantial growth over the next decade and is expected to create approximately 5,00,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The policy focuses on reducing logistics costs by 4-5 per cent from the current 14-15 per cent, minimising logistics time, implementing green initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, and utilising technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and intelligent logistics management systems.

It also aims to promote green logistics parks, sustainable design, and modal shifts, while attracting domestic and foreign investment to establish Maharashtra as a global logistics hub.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that it was a proud moment for the people of the country as President Droupadi Murmu was honoured with the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, and said that this reflects the strong ties and mutual respect between the two nations.

President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country’s highest civilian award on Saturday. The award is in recognition of her achievements in public service and dedication to education, social welfare and empowerment of women
PM Modi posted on X, on Sunday, emphasising that the award is also a recognition of her monumental contribution to public life for several years.

“It is a proud moment for us to see Rashtrapati Ji being honoured with the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the nation’s highest civilian award. This reflects the strong ties and mutual respect between our countries. It is also a recognition of her monumental contribution to public life for several years,” PM Modi said on X.

With its tiger population plunging in recent years, Chhattisgarh Wednesday cleared a long-pending proposal to notify a new tiger reserve – the third largest in the country.

The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which integrates an existing national park with a wildlife sanctuary, is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats. It spans 2,829 square kilometres across four northern districts of the state.

The decision comes after the Chhattisgarh High Court, while hearing a PIL on July 15, granted four weeks to the state government to clear its stand on declaring that area a tiger reserve.