The Lok Sabha passed the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 amidst opposition protest over the Special Intensive Revision exercise conducted in Bihar.

The National Sports Governance Bill seeks to provide for recognition of national sports bodies and regulate their functioning. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic Committee, and National and Regional Sports Federations for each designated sport. The national bodies will have affiliation with respective international bodies.

The bill provides that every national sports body will have a general body, consisting of equal number of representatives from each affiliate member and certain ex-officio members. It will have an executive committee consisting of up to 15 members, with at least two outstanding sportspersons and four women. The Bill empowers the central government to establish a National Sports Board which will grant recognition to the national sports bodies and register their affiliate units. The Bill also provides for constituting a National Sports Tribunal to adjudicate sports related disputes.

A self-help group (SHG) from a small village in Kundgol taluk of Dharwad district has bagged the ‘Equator Initiative Award’ given by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is also referred to as the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation.

The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group from Teertha village in Kundgol taluk is one among the 10 winners of the Equator Prize 2025. The awards were announced on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and are presented annually to honour nature-based solutions led by indigenous people and local communities that promote sustainable development and ecological resilience.

As per UNDP official release on its portal, Bibi Fatima Women’s SHG is the sole group from India to win the award, other winners are from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Tanzania. The award includes a cash prize of $10,000 (approximately ₹8.5 lakh). This year’s award selection was based on the theme Women and Youth Leadership for Nature-Based Climate Action”. Around 700 competitors from 103 countries competed for the prize.

Every year on August 10, World Biofuel Day is observed to underline the significance of biofuels as a sustainable source of energy. The day also commemorates the successful operation of an engine on peanut oil by German engineer Sir Rudolf Diesel on August 9, 1893.

In recent years, biofuels gained increased attention due to a number of factors such as the rising concerns about climate change and the increasing health issues caused by air pollution from burning fossil fuels, which are not only expensive but also limited in supply.

Hence, biofuel has been endorsed as a sustainable alternative to traditional fuel and energy sources both at the national and global levels.

IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD), in collaboration with the National Cancer Grid (NCG), has announced the launch of the Cancer AI & Technology Challenge (CATCH) Grant Program, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said in a release.

This initiative seeks to support the development and deployment of innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to strengthen cancer screening, diagnostics, treatment support, and healthcare operations across India.

The CATCH Grant Program will provide up to ₹50 lakh per project to selected teams comprising technology innovators and clinical institutions. The grants will be co-funded by IndiaAI and NCG.

International Youth Day is celebrated globally every year on August 12, recognising youth while highlighting their contributions, challenges, and potential.

The idea for International Youth Day was first proposed in 1991 by young people gathered in Vienna, Austria, during the initial session of the World Youth Forum.

The World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth adopted a resolution to declare August 12 as International Youth Day in 1999, and it was subsequently endorsed on December 17 by the United Nations General Assembly of the same year.

To check the supply of drugs from across the border, Punjab has launched a new Anti-Drone System (ADS) named ‘Baaj Akh’ from the border district of Tarn Taran, today. Three such ADS have been launched and six more will be launched soon to curb the smuggling of drugs through drones from across the border.

This system will immediately neutralize those drones that try to enter in the state from other side of the border. Launching the system, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the system will be deployed along the border from Pathankot to Fazilka as a second line of defense. He said this will be made functional in coordination with the BSF. He said that this will be a strong reply to the anti-national elements who use technology for anti-social activities in the state.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang launched ‘Nari Adalat’ today on the occasion of the first Amma Samman Diwas at Rongpo. ‘Nari Adalat’ is a community-based forum run by women to provide accessible and informal justice, especially in rural and semi-urban areas of Sikkim.

The idea behind ‘Nari Adalat’ is to empower women to address disputes and social issues that directly affect them, without having to depend entirely on the formal court system. Akashvani Correspondent reports that the primary aim of ‘Nari Adalat’ is to offer a supportive, non-intimidating environment where conflicts can be resolved locally. It focuses on minor disputes such as family disagreements, non-severe domestic violence cases, marital issues, among others. Unlike regular courts, which involve formal legal procedures, official judges, and lengthy processes, ‘Nari Adalat’ works in a flexible and dialogue-based manner.

In Madhya Pradesh today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the BEML Rail Hub for manufacturing project worth 1,800 crore rupees.

The facility, described as the ‘Brahma’ of rail coach manufacturing, will be set up on over 60 hectares of land in Umaria village of Raisen district. It is expected to provide employment to more than 5,000 people.

The unit will manufacture coaches for Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Metro trains. Speaking on the occasion, the Defence Minister said the unit has been named ‘Brahma’, after the creator in Indian tradition, and the high-speed trains in India will be equipped with coaches made here.

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav today highlighted India’s global leadership in environmental initiatives. During the state-level celebration of World Lions Day in Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat, Mr. Yadav mentioned several key projects spearheaded by Prime Minister Modi such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, International Solar Alliance, and the International Big Cat Alliance.

With five out of seven big cat species found in India, ongoing efforts like Project Lion, Project Tiger, and Project Cheetah continue to reinforce India’s eco-centric conservation model, which is now serving as an inspiration for the world. Mr. Yadav said that the Barda area of Gujarat has become the second habitat of lions.

During this programme, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth 179 crore rupees. Mr.Patel said that the lions of Gujarat have become the symbol of pride of the country today. He said that in a historic and emotional development, lions have naturally started living again in Barda Dungar after a gap of 143 years, marking a major milestone in India’s wildlife conservation journey.

Indian Railways has rolled out a brand-new Vande Bharat Express in Maharashtra, connecting Ajni (Nagpur) to Pune.

Covering 881 kilometres, this is now the longest Vande Bharat route in the country, surpassing the New Delhi–Varanasi record.

Not only is it the longest, but it is also the fastest train between Nagpur and Pune, clocking an impressive average speed of 73 kmph despite ten scheduled stops.

For the first time, several regions between Wardha and Manmad will be connected by a Vande Bharat service. The train will halt at Wardha, Badnera, Akola, Shegaon, Bhusaval, Jalgaon, Manmad, Kopargaon, Ahmednagar, and Daund Chord Line.