India Archive

The Election Commission of India has removed more than 1.5 crore names from electoral rolls during the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in a continuous effort to keep voter lists accurate and ensure that only eligible voters remain listed. According to data shared by the authority and analysed by news reports, exactly 1,58,59,834 names have been taken off the draft electoral rolls published across 12 States and Union Territories.

On the tree-lined thoroughfare of Jawaharlal Nehru Marg in Jaipur, where the pink sandstone corridors of Rajasthan’s institutional sector usually hum with political discourse, an unusual protest unfolded. More than one hundred children stood outside the wrought-iron gates of the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary School for the Deaf. They did not chant slogans, nor did they block traffic with loudspeakers.

Mugdha Pradhan, the CEO and founder of the Pune-based health firm iThrive, has found herself at the center of a massive public backlash, though not for reasons one would expect from a wellness entrepreneur. A video featuring Pradhan unleashing an abusive rant aimed directly at Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral across social media platforms. While political criticism remains a fundamental part of public discourse, Pradhan’s remarks have crossed the boundaries of acceptable debate, drawing heavy criticism for their vulgarity and aggressive tone.

While women across diverse regions, religions, races, and social classes face daunting challenges when seeking justice for sexual abuse and harassment, allegations within Left-Liberal and self-identified progressive circles often rank lower in the hierarchy of victimhood when the accused perpetrator is ideologically aligned or politically useful. A classic example of this long-running pattern is the sexual assault case involving Tehelka Magazine’s former founding editor-in-chief, Tarun Tejpal.

In the quietly expanding suburban neighborhood of Suprabhat Nagar in Yedulapuram, sitting on the periphery of Khammam, daily life usually follows a quiet routine. For Gade Rajeshwar Rao, a healthcare worker employed at a private hospital in Khammam city, life revolved around long hospital shifts and providing for his family. Married since 2016 to Bhavani, a native of Raghavapuram in Suryapet district, the couple shared a home and were raising two young daughters.

Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on the central government’s E20 fuel policy on Friday, posting a 53-second video on social media platform X. Announcing a massive movement against the rollout of 20% ethanol-blended petrol, Gandhi accused the policy of being a vehicle for corruption and a direct attack on consumers. However, the dramatic video featured an ironic twist that quickly caught the internet’s attention.

A Mumbai Sessions Court on Friday, August 7, 2026, rejected the anticipatory bail applications of two Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) students. The two students stand accused of shouting slogans that demanded the immediate release of Delhi anti-Hindu riot accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam during an on-campus event. This gathering was organized on the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba in October 2025.

On August 6, 2026, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court delivered a landmark ruling by reversing the 2021 trial court acquittal of Tarun Tejpal, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka Magazine, in connection with a prominent 2013 sexual assault case. A division bench comprising Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar found Tejpal guilty of serious legal infractions, convicting him of rape and sexual harassment under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k), along with Sections 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code.

In a significant judicial development, Delhi’s Saket Court has handed a major setback to Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, an accused in the high-profile money laundering case linked to the Al-Falah Group. The group came under intense public and investigative scrutiny following the tragic Red Fort blast. The court officially dismissed two separate legal applications filed by Siddiqui.

On the morning of Thursday, August 6, 2026, on a sun-scorched stretch of National Highway 27 near Poonch in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi district, a speeding sedan swerved violently, mounted the concrete median, and struck the divider head-on. The collision crushed the engine bay back into the front seats, killing two young men instantly and leaving two others clinging to life.