The Centre said on Friday that it remains committed to ensuring justice for students and strict action against anyone who tries to compromise their future.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on X that he and J P Nadda held a detailed discussion with Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.

“Along with Union Minister for Health Sh @JPNadda Ji, met Shri Sonam Wangchuk Ji at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, and held a detailed discussion on students’ concerns. Assured a constructive dialogue and positive intervention from the Government, following which Sonam Ji decided to end his fast,” Dr Singh said.

He further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the “government remains committed to ensuring justice for students and strict action against anyone who tries to compromise their future”.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Central government and Members of Parliament across political parties that the issue of accountability in the country’s examination system would be taken up in Parliament.

According to the government’s statement, the Centre has responded positively to the key concerns raised by the protesters.

The government statement said, “Government is positive on not registering cases against those protesting peacefully in Jantar Mantar and those participating in the march to Parliament on July 20, 2026. Government has already assured a threadbare discussion to find solution to paper leak and educational reforms regarding examination in Parliament. Besides, the Government is also positively considering suitable compensation for the suicide victims of recent NEET paper leaks.”

Announcing the decision on its official X handle on Friday, Wangchuk’s team said the fast was called off following commitments from the government regarding key demands raised during the protest.

“END OF HUNGER… BEGINNING OF ACCOUNTABILITY…!” the post read.

It further stated, “Sonam Wangchuk ends his fast after 26 days upon getting assurance from the government and members of parliament of all political parties that the issue of accountability in the failing examination system will be discussed on the floors of the Indian Parliament. The government also gave assurance that families of suicide victims in the recent NEET examination paper leak will be given adequate compensation and that there will be no cases registered against the peacefully protesting students and youths.”

In a video message shared along with the announcement, Wangchuk explained the developments that led to his decision to end the fast.

“On the 26th day of my hunger strike, I want to share some important information. A short while ago, Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh came here. Leaders of the Ladakh Apex Body were also present. Before that, as you know, around 65 Members of Parliament from different political parties came here, signed their support, and requested me to end my hunger strike. They assured me that the issue of paper leaks would be discussed. The same assurance was conveyed by the Union Ministers as well. Over the last few days, it took some time to receive a written commitment, and today I have finally received that written assurance,” Wangchuk said.

India won the first T20I at the Harare Sports Club by seven wickets, thanks to a masterclass in aggressive fast bowling from dynamic Delhi-based fast bowling combination Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, before teenage batting phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history with an 18-ball half-century.

While Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi each claimed one wicket, Mayank claimed 2-18 and Prince 2-19. Zimbabwe was on the verge of scoring under 100 runs at 32/4. Zimbabwe did not lose many wickets later thanks to Ryan Burl (26), Wessly Madhevere (39), and Tadiwanashe Marumani (27 not out), who also helped them pass the 120-mark.

As Sooryavanshi’s 18-ball fifty, with four boundaries and as many sixes, made him the youngest player to score a half-century in international cricket, the chase was always going to be a stroll in the park for India. As India reached home with 40 balls remaining and took a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, his blitzkrieg rendered the chase a mere formality.

Shreyas Iyer also won as India’s T20I captain on his eighth try, thanks to the outcome. After a 21-month layoff due to injury, Mayank wasted little time having an impact in international cricket. He delivered a 144 kmph thunderbolt off the first ball of the game, which nipped away and caught Brian Bennett’s edge behind, resulting in a golden duck following a successful review by keeper Ishan Kishan.

Prince made sure the pressure was relentless from the other side even if debutant pacer Ashok Sharma was hit for consecutive boundaries by fellow debutant Ben Curran. Prince struck with his second ball in the fourth over of the attack, as Curran mishit a pull straight to midwicket.

Mayank next exploited his speed to harass Dion Myers, who gently chipped a length ball to mid-on, while skipper Sikandar Raza only scored four runs before hitting a back-of-a-length delivery from Shivam Dube directly to deep square leg.

Ryan Burl tried to restore himself with a few powerful strokes, including one six off deep mid-wicket by Dube. Burl, however, was unable to clear the long-off boundary, allowing leg-spinner Bishnoi to end their 32-run stand. Madhevere led the hosts’ late push as the death overs began.

He used anything loose to his advantage, sweeping Bishnoi over long-on for a six and collecting consecutive boundaries off Ashok Sharma. With a strong six off Dube, Marumani provided crucial support, propelling the hosts beyond the 100-run mark. India, however, re-established tight command in the last over.

When he attempted to sneak a second run after a good throw from Dube, Madhevere’s beneficial stay came to an end. Prince then dismissed Brad Evans on the very next ball for a duck as he misjudged a full toss and hit it straight to mid-off, capping off a clinical performance by the Indian bowlers.

Sooryavanshi destroyed Richard Ngarava in the second over, chasing 126 and hitting 20 runs by slamming two enormous sixes and a boundary. Despite Blessing Muzarabani dismissing Abhishek Sharma (1) in the third over, Sooryavanshi didn’t lose his momentum.

Sooryavanshi kept up his attack against Evans, hitting him for two boundaries in a row, and then smashing Muzarabani for two fours and a six down the ground. He did this by moving around the crease efficiently and hitting the pull shot effectively.

Even as Sooryavanshi completed his first international half-century in just 18 balls at the same location where he hit an explosive 175 in this year’s U19 World Cup final, Ishan Kishan took advantage of debutant Newman Nyamhuri’s shoddy lines to score three boundaries from the other end.

In the seventh over, he top-edged Ngarava to deep third man, which brought his knock to an end on the very next ball. At that point, India was in a dominant position, and Kishan, together with Shreyas Iyer (27 not out) and Tilak Varma (5 not out), made sure that India made it home without any additional issues.

Brief scores:
Zimbabwe 125/7 in 20 overs (Wessly Madhevere 39, Tadiwanashe Marumani 27 not out; Mayank Yadav 2-18, Prince Yadav 2-19)
India 126/3 in 13.2 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 50, Ishan Kishan 35; Blessing Muzarabani 2-26, Richard Ngarava 1-30)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the company’s Gemini app has increased its monthly active users (MAUs) to 950 million and has tripled its daily active users over the previous year as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence (AI) solutions throughout its consumer and business lines.

According to Pichai’s blog post, the fast increase in Gemini app usage has been driven by new AI-powered tools such Daily Brief and the customized Gemini Spark assistant, which is currently offered in the US and many other international regions.

Since its wider introduction last October, AI Mode has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users globally, according to him, who also emphasized the rising use of Google’s AI-powered Search experience. While sending billions of clicks to websites each week, the feature is increasing search activity.

Google has started working on Gemini 4, the company’s next-generation AI model, while also increasing its AI model portfolio with the introduction of Gemini 3. 6 Flash, Gemini 3. 5 Flash Cyber, and Gemini 3. 5 Flash-Lite.

Pichai states that over 9 million developers create apps each month using Google’s AI models, and that the company’s APIs process about 22 billion tokens per minute, up from 16 billion in the prior quarter.

Nearly 90% of Fortune 100 businesses are currently utilizing Gemini Enterprise, which is significantly contributing to the rapid development of Google Cloud, and the organization is also seeing widespread corporate adoption.

Cloud revenue increased by 82% from the prior year, reaching $514 billion due to a rise in demand for enterprise AI solutions and AI infrastructure.

Pichai stated that the company’s AI investments are transforming its operations across Search, YouTube, Cloud, and developer platforms, and Alphabet also disclosed a 24 percent increase in revenue year over year.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) hosted a Technology Transfer Event here, where four indigenous technologies were licensed to industry and an IoT-enabled rural water service, measurement, and monitoring system was commercially launched.

According to the Ministry of Science & Technology, the event, which was planned by CSIR‑Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR‑CSIO), Chandigarh, also included an award for royalties from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Panchkula, for authorized production of indigenous defense technologies.

Pump Academy Private Limited, Bengaluru, was given the right to manufacture the Induction Motor Stethoscope (MSCOPE), Portable & Universal Motor-cum-Pump Performance Monitor (PU-MPPM), and i-Power Quality Analyser (IPQA).

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Panchkula, received the beam combiner assembly and optical module for the head-up display (HUD) for SU-30 aircraft programs.

Prof. Shantanu Bhattacharya, Director of CSIR-CSIO, concurrently unveiled the commercial introduction of the Cost-Effective IoT-Enabled Water Service Delivery, Measurement, and Monitoring Sensing System designed for rural implementation via Biometry Technologies Pvt. Ltd. allows for sophisticated monitoring of rural areas’ water quality, amount, and service delivery.

He emphasized the laboratory’s growing innovation and technology commercialization ecosystem by giving an overview of the technology transfers and royalty accomplishments.

CSIR-CSIO has consistently reinforced its efforts to commercialise technology, according to Bhattacharya, who also noted that during FY26, the lab earned Rs 1. 67 crore in royalties from BEL for the authorised manufacturing of native military avionics technologies.

The technologies include head-up display (HUD), drogue lights, taxi landing lights, HUD I-level tester and boresight alignment tool technologies. He stressed that the success demonstrates CSIR-CSIO’s ongoing collaboration with Indian industry and increasing involvement in domestic defence manufacturing.

Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary of DSIR and Director General of CSIR, praised the lab’s efforts to expedite technology development, raise external cash flow (ECF), broaden industry relationships, and improve technology transfer.

In order to turn research into products and procedures that create value for the industry while providing concrete benefits to society, she stressed that the successful commercialization of native technologies is at the core of CSIR’s purpose.

ANDPL (Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited), the special purpose vehicle leading the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), on Tuesday introduced “Dharavi Didi,” an AI-powered interactive platform that operates around the clock and is designed to give residents access to official and authenticated information regarding one of India’s biggest urban redevelopment projects.

As the reconstruction project moves forward, the AI companion has been developed to satisfy the growing need for trustworthy knowledge.

Residents often want clarification on things like whether their homes have been surveyed, whether they qualify for rehabilitation, what paperwork is needed, and how long it will take to get new houses.

Until now, misinformation and misunderstanding were common consequences of relying on unverified sources and informal talks.

Residents may obtain quick Hindi, Marathi, and English answers from Dharavi Didi, which can be reached through Whats App, voice calls, and video calls.

To meet the needs of Dharavi’s many linguistic populations, the business stated that Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati support would be included in the following months.

The project, according to ANDPL, enhances its current Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) outreach initiatives by expanding formal involvement beyond office hours and field visits.

Residents may access reliable project-related information at any time of day thanks to the AI assistant’s design.

Dharavi Didi is accessible 24/7 to provide straightforward answers in an easy and conversational way, regardless of whether residents want to comprehend surveys, eligibility, necessary documents, or project updates. This is another effort to make authentic information easily available to every Dharavikar, in addition to our continuous Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) efforts.

According to an official with the ANDPL, residents no longer need to wait until office hours to receive responses from official sources.

In order to ensure ease of use, even for first-time digital users, the firm claimed that the platform had been designed with a straightforward interface.

The goal is to increase residents’ confidence in comprehending the redevelopment process and managing each stage by giving them direct access to verified information.

Our objective is to make sure every resident has immediate access to accurate and verified information. The official continued, stating that Dharavi Didi’s purpose is to respond to inquiries with clarity, instill trust through openness, and assist residents in making educated judgments during the redevelopment process.

The term “Dharavi Didi” was chosen to represent the platform’s role as a reliable resource for locals.

In order to assist Dharavikars through what the company refers to as one of the most important changes in their lives, the AI assistant has been designed to act like an elder sister who patiently listens and offers advice.

India is scheduled to host the 16th BRICS health ministers meeting starting on Wednesday. Senior health officials and health ministers from BRICS member nations will attend the meeting in order to advance cooperation on equitable access to high-quality healthcare, pandemic preparedness, digital health, and health security.

Under its BRICS Chairmanship in 2026, India’s dedication to promoting collective action on important global health objectives via the guiding topic of Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability is demonstrated by the three-day meeting in Chandigarh.

Discussions will center on strengthening collaboration in areas like health security, pandemic readiness, digital health, innovation, access to inexpensive medicines, traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, tuberculosis, healthy lifestyles, mental wellness, and robust health systems, according to Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava.

She pointed out that the conference would offer a crucial forum for improving collaboration and information exchange among BRICS nations in order to advance the health objectives of the Global South.

The meeting will include technical experts, high government officials, and health ministers from the 11 BRICS countries, including Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the senior officials’ meeting will start the event on Wednesday, and the BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting, which will be presided over by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, will follow on Thursday.

India will organize a high-level side event on Friday, focusing on utilizing interoperable digital health infrastructure and responsible artificial intelligence to improve continuity of care and build future-ready health systems across BRICS countries.

In an official statement, India said it has maintained current priorities while introducing two new priority areas—BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and Promotion of Mental Wellness, reaffirming its commitment to preventive and promotive healthcare, building on work completed during previous BRICS Chairships.

With a U/A certificate, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has approved the release of director Vishnu Edavan’s highly anticipated romantic entertainer ‘Hi,’ starring Nayanthara and Kavin.

Seven Screen Studios, the production company, posted on its social media sites to announce the news, saying, “A tale that will steal your heart now has its date locked. ” Headed for theatres on August 14, 2026, and censored with a UA! A Jen Martin music.

Additionally, Kureishi, Adithya Kathir, Sathyan, Radhika, Prabhu, and K Bhagyaraj are just a few of the performers who will be appearing in the movie, which is being co-produced by Zee Studios South, The Rowdy Pictures, and Seven Screen Studios.

The narrative of the movie spans three cities: Chennai, Coimbatore, and Pollachi. Additionally, they state that the picture would be a family-friendly entertainment with no antagonists.

Vishnu Edavan, who is directing this film for the first time, previously served as associate director for master director Lokesh Kanagaraj on a number of projects, including “Kaithi,” “Master,” and “Vikram. ”

While discussing his movie before, director Vishnu Edavan stated that it would be a complete family film that would highlight the meaning of true love.

This movie has high expectations since it is the first time that Nayanthara and Kavin will be working together.

Jen Martin will compose the music and Rajesh Shukla will film the movie, which is proud of its outstanding technical crew. Philomin Raj will handle the film’s editing, and Shekhar B will be in charge of art direction. Brinda will choreograph the film’s dances, and Dinesh Kasi will choreograph the stunts.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said that India was interested in establishing closer links with Panama due to its important location and high level of economic stability, which make it a desirable ally for New Delhi.

During a meeting in New Delhi on Monday with Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez, his Panamanian counterpart, EAM Jaishankar emphasized the eagerness of both parties to deepen their cooperation in his opening statements. He said he hopes Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez’s visit would help promote relations between the two countries in all areas.

The two of us had recently co-chaired the 5th India-SICA Ministerial meeting last September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. However, your current trip strengthens the momentum of high-level meetings we’ve had, and I think both of our leaders and governments are quite eager to broaden and deepen our alliance.

EAM Jaishankar stated, “And we definitely anticipate closer ties with Panama since you provide a very strategic position and great economic stability and potential for a partner like India. ”

He emphasized that Panama and India collaborate closely in the United Nations and other multilateral forums. EAM Jaishankar stated that India appreciates Panama’s desire to collaborate in a variety of industries, including trade, technology, pharmaceuticals, scholarships, and education.

Your logistics infrastructure, which is based around the Panama Canal, serves as a worldwide benchmark, acting as a gateway for the greater Latin American area and as a natural link for us to global trade routes. We appreciate your desire to work together in a number of fields, including technology, education, scholarships, pharmaceuticals, and, of course, trade, which is the most crucial. EAM Jaishankar stated that “as we ourselves accelerate our development towards the quest of Viksit Bharat or developed India by 2047, we do think our bilateral relationship will get more important, we note that you have had a consistently high growth trajectory. ”

He thanked Panama for supporting India’s right to self-defense in the aftermath of the terrorist assault in April 2025 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

I want to express my gratitude to you and the Panamanian government for your display of solidarity and backing for our right to self-defense in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist assault last year, as well as for your very clear condemnation of terrorism in all of its manifestations and forms. Once more, I think your visit adds to the momentum that already exists between our two countries, and I anticipate our conversations today, which I am very certain will contribute to broadening our collaboration.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told Parliament on Monday that there is no plan currently being considered by the government to abolish the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on equity transactions for retail and domestic investors.

As part of the annual budget process and legislative reforms, the minister further stated in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha that tax policies, such as capital gains rates, are evaluated regularly after considering macroeconomic parameters.

From Rs 72,249 crore in assessment year (AY) 2024-25, which corresponds to financial year 2023-24, to Rs 1,29,158 crore in AY 2025-26, which corresponds to FY 2024-25, LTCG tax receipts on equity transactions surged. Through LTCG tax, the government collected Rs 2. 01 lakh crore over the course of the two years.

The LTCG tax on equity mutual funds and listed equities has been set at 12. 5%, which applies only to profits over Rs 1. 25 lakh each fiscal year. A long-term capital asset is one that has been kept for over 12 months.

The minister stated that the 12. 5% LTCG tax rate on equity investments is the same for FPIs, domestic investors, and retail investors in response to concerns about whether Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have been excluded from paying the levy while domestic and retail investors still do.

For investments in equity, the tax rate of 12. 5% on LTCG is the same for FPIs as it is for local and retail investors. The minister said that the government has rationalized the tax treatment relevant to FPI investments in G-Secs only by exempting such investments from income tax on any interest or capital gain through the Income-tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.

The government is willing to hear worries brought up by stock market investors about the tax system, including issues regarding LTCG and short term capital gains (STCG) tax, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who stated this in May of this year.

However, she did not promise a lower tax rate.