Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh on Wednesday unveiled a book titled “Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Indian Handloom Sector: Methods and Case Studies”, marking a significant step toward promoting sustainability in country’s traditional handloom industry.

The publication, jointly developed by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms under the Ministry of Textiles and the Department of Textiles & Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi, provides practical methodologies for assessing and reducing carbon emissions in the handloom sector.

Highlighting the initiative, the Ministry said the book strengthens the government’s commitment to environmentally conscious handloom production and sustainable development. It offers simple, cost-effective steps for measuring carbon footprints, backed by real-world case studies of handloom products such as cotton bedsheets, floor mats, Ikat sarees, and Banarasi sarees.

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, on Sunday organized an Awareness Session on the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for District Nodal Officers, school heads, and teachers under the chairmanship of A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL. The session aimed to enhance awareness about the scheme and streamline processes for timely scholarship disbursement to deserving students.

The session covered districts including Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Shamli. Addressing participants, Srija emphasized that NMMSS is a merit-based scholarship designed to help students from economically weaker sections complete secondary education from Class IX to XII. Uttar Pradesh has the highest allocation of 15,000 fresh scholarships annually, she noted, urging officials to ensure timely verification of student applications on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

At least four persons were killed and dozens feared washed away in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand after flash floods triggered by torrential rain hit the Kheer Ganga river on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) afternoon. Rescuers have managed to retrieve two bodies so far, as Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the village of Dharali to take stock of the situation.

The floods hit hotels and residential buildings in Dharali town, situated 8,600 feet above sea level, where video footage recorded by residents showed giant waves of water gushing through the area and swallowing everything in their way, including people and homes.

At least 190 people were rescued, according to CM Dhami, as rescuers resumed their operations on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) in Dharali, searching for flash flood victims amid the rubble.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for heavy rainfall across Uttarakhand, particularly in the hill districts.

Actress and voiceover artist Kelley Mack, best known for her role in The Walking Dead, has died at the age of 33. Her family shared the news on Mack’s official Instagram page on August 5.

Kelly Mack was best known for her television roles, including Addy in Season 9 of The Walking Dead, Penelope Jacobs in Season 8 of Chicago Med, and appearances on FOX’s 9-1-1. Her film credits include playing Alice in Broadcast Signal Intrusion, Wilda in Delicate Arch, and Ricky in the upcoming film Universal.

In addition to acting, Mack was a screenwriter, collaborating with her mother, Kristen Klebenow, on several feature-length scripts. One of their projects, On The Black, is a 1950s college baseball story loosely inspired by her maternal grandparents’ time at Ohio University.

India and the Philippines on Tuesday announced the establishment of a Strategic Partnership during a State Visit by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to India, marking a significant step toward deepening bilateral cooperation. The announcement was made following bilateral talks between President Marcos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who outlined a comprehensive Plan of Action (2025-2029) to guide the partnership.

President Marcos, accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and a high-level delegation, including cabinet ministers and business leaders, arrived in India on August 4. On August 5, he was accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat. The visit included a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Modi, a call on President Droupadi Murmu, and a banquet in his honour. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also met President Marcos, who is scheduled to visit Bengaluru.

Argentina dominated the 2025 Pan American Cup, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments in Montevideo, Uruguay. The United States took silver in both categories, while Canada’s men and Uruguay’s women claimed the bronze medals. With these results, Argentina’s men and the USA’s women secured qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Argentina women had already qualified via the Pro League, allowing the USA to claim the continental spot. In the men’s final, Argentina overwhelmed the USA with a stunning 10-0 win, marking their fourth consecutive and fifth overall Pan American Cup title. Tomas Domene, who scored four goals in the final, was named player of the tournament. On the women’s side, Argentina defeated the USA 3-0 to clinch their seventh straight title, led by top scorer Agustina Gorzelany with ten goals in the tournament.

In Bihar, Pratyay Amrit, a 1989 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, will be the new Chief Secretary. He will assume charge on the 1st of next month. Pratyay Amrit will replace the current Chief Secretary of Bihar, Amrit Lal Meena, who is set to retire on 31 this month.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department, Bihar Pratyay Amrit has been appointed as OSD in the Chief Secretary’s office for now. He is also the Development Commissioner of the state.

The Boxing Federation of India announced the dates of 4th Sub-Junior Under-15 Boys and Girls National Boxing Championships which will be held from August 7 to 13 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The event will see the participation of over 700 young boxers, including 400 boys and 300 girls aged between 13 and 14, who will compete across 15 weight categories. At the recent Asian U-15 and U-17 Championships, Indian boxers bagged 43 medals and finished second overall.

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has inaugurated ‘Agnishodh’, the Indian Army Research Cell at IIT Madras, aimed at turning academic research into defence-ready technologies. The centre supports the Army’s Five Pillars of Transformation and focuses on self-reliance under the vision of “Swadeshikaran Se Sashaktikaran”.

The new research centre will collaborate with IIT Madras Research Park and entities like the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC) and the Pravartak Technologies Foundation, focusing on converting lab-scale innovations into deployable technologies. It will also help upskill military personnel in emerging domains, including additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, wireless communication, and unmanned aerial systems.

During his two-day visit, the Army Chief also addressed OTA Chennai officers, highlighting the need for integrated responses to grey zone warfare. He described Operation Sindoor as a landmark tri-service mission that demonstrated India’s ability to deliver precise and coordinated action, compelling Pakistan to seek a ceasefire within 88 hours. He said future wars will need both soldiers and smart technologies. He also honoured four veterans with Veteran Achievers Awards for their continued service.

A South African university launched an anti-poaching campaign on Thursday (July 31) with a unique approach – injecting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. It claimed that the method is harmless for the rhinos and allows customs agents to detect trafficked horns.

After six years of intense research and testing, the University of the Witwatersrand, supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), formally launched the Rhisotope Project. Five rhinos were administered radioactive isotope injections in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.

The university hopes the initiative will mark the start of mass treatment of South Africa’s declining rhino population.