The National Cadet Corps (NCC) organised Cyclothon 2026 today in New Delhi to commemorate 79 years of India’s Independence. The Cyclothon was flagged off by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, in the presence of the Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth.

The event commenced from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and concluded at the same venue after covering the designated route through prominent landmarks of the National Capital. The event was organised under the theme of Clean India, Green India, Fit India.

The initiative aimed to inspire the youth to embrace fitness, environmental responsibility, and sustainable living while reinforcing the core values of patriotism, discipline, unity, and national service that form the foundation of the NCC.

The Ministry of Defence said that the Cyclothon reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to national missions such as TB Mukt Bharat, Swachh Bharat, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, and Har Ghar Tiranga.

Expanding its strategic bilateral ties with Australia, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has signed four key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) spanning clean energy, advanced manufacturing, inclusive school education, student mental health, and workforce mobility.

Signed during a high-level visit by an Australian delegation led by Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for International Education, Citizenship, Customs, and Multicultural Affairs, the agreements align directly with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s economic reconstruction drive, positioning the State as a premier national destination for international institutional collaboration, advanced industrial research, and global investments.

The MoU signing ceremony took place on Sunday in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Minister for HRD, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh and Australian Minister Julian Hill. Prior to the formal signing of MoUs, the high-level Australian delegation called on the Chief Minister at his camp office in Undavalli to deliberate on long-term economic, industrial, and academic partnerships.

Vishwesh Negi has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday (August 3, 2026).

Mr. Negi, a 2002-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), currently serves as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

According to the MEA, the ambassador-designate is expected to assume his new diplomatic assignment in Tehran shortly, taking charge at a crucial period for India-Iran strategic and trade relations.

DSC A24, the fifth ship of five Diving Support Craft (DSC) Project was launched today at Titagarh, Kolkata. The Ministry of Defence said that these ships offer superior stability, enhanced deck area, and improved sea-keeping characteristics, which make them suitable for undertaking Diving operations. It added that the ship has been designed and built in accordance with the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping.

The Ministry further said that with induction of these ships, Indian Navy’s capabilities in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage assistance and coastal operational deployment will be augmented. It highlighted that with 70 percent of main and auxiliary equipment sourced from indigenous manufacturers, Diving Support Craft are proud flag bearers of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of Government.

India plans to invest as much as ₹45,000 crore ($4.7 billion) into railway upgrades along its borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to people familiar, marking one of its most significant strategic infrastructure pushes amid shifting regional dynamics.

The spending — set to unfold over the next 18 to 24 months — will help build new tracks, platforms and network strengthening across Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and several northeastern states, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.

The border-state program represents about 22% of all railway infrastructure outlay planned over the next two years, underscoring the scale of the effort, the people said. The latest plan shows that the Narendra Modi-led administration’s vision to build border-area infrastructure goes beyond the $3.4 billion spending Bloomberg News had reported in September for constructing rail lines, including bridges and tunnels, in the northeastern parts of the country.

Lok Sabha has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill aims to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, for increasing the number of Judges of the Apex Court from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). In May this year, President Droupadi Murmu had promulgated an ordinance to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges from 33 to 37.

When the House met after the second adjournment at 2:00 PM, Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform is being effectively implemented. The Minister said that the Bill is an important step in that ongoing reform process within the judicial sector. Mr Meghwal said, the bill has been brought in view of the rising number of pending cases in the Supreme Court and to make the judicial system more efficient and effective. He said, this step will further strengthen judicial capacity, expedite the effective disposal of cases, and mark an important milestone in ensuring timely justice for citizens.

The Ministry of Ayush and the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the Ayush sector, with a focus on research, digital innovation, medicinal plants, drug administration and capacity building.

Under the agreement, the Ministry of Ayush will onboard the AIKosh platform and share eligible health research artefacts, including datasets, metadata, AI models, toolkits and relevant use cases. The integration is expected to foster collaboration, encourage innovation and support the responsible development of AI-based solutions for the Ayush sector.

The partnership will also enable access to GPU-based high-performance computing infrastructure through the IndiaAI initiative at subsidised rates, subject to applicable service-level agreements. Officials said the advanced computing resources would help address critical infrastructure needs and support the development and scaling of AI applications in healthcare and traditional medicine.

Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, with AC Milan saying their former captain's "example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA".

Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career with the club from 1977 until he retired in 1997, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups/Champions Leagues.

Regarded as one of the greatest defenders to play the game, Baresi captained Milan for 15 seasons, making 719 appearances and scoring 33 goals.

He was capped 81 times by Italy and was part of the squad which won the 1982 World Cup. He played and was captain in the 1994 final, which Italy lost to Brazil.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the ‘Samudra Manthan’ National Offshore Exploration Scheme, a central sector initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore to be implemented through FY2030-31.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “The Cabinet’s approval of ‘Samudra Manthan’ marks a transformative leap towards strengthening India’s energy security and unlocking our vast offshore potential. By combining investment, cutting-edge technology, skilled human capital and modern infrastructure, Samudra Manthan will give fresh momentum to ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

The scheme aims to accelerate offshore oil and gas exploration, strengthen India’s energy security, enhance domestic production and promote technological innovation in the upstream energy sector.
According to the government, the initiative reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of a modern-day “Samudra Manthan”, articulated during his Independence Day address in 2025, to unlock India’s offshore energy potential and advance the goal of Viksit Bharat.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31. Addressing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishanw said, a total financial outlay of 3.15 lakh crore rupees has been approved for this Scheme during the period of five years. Mr Vaishnaw said, the approval reiterates the Government’s commitment that the prosperity of farmers forms the foundation of the nation’s prosperity. He said, through the PM-KISAN Scheme, timely and transparent income support is being provided to eligible farmer families through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Mr Vaishnaw informed that more than 4.47 lakh crore rupees have been transferred directly into farmers’ bank accounts through 23 installments so far. He said, the assistance provided under PM-KISAN has enabled farmers to make timely investments in seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, agricultural machinery and other agricultural requirements.