West Bengal Police ordered 1,276 mosques and 199 temples to remove loudspeakers during a two-day statewide drive over allegations of sound levels exceeding prescribed limits. The report, published by Amar Desh Online on August 6, 2026, said nearly 1,500 religious institutions were affected. The information was attributed to a report by The Times of India.

Senior police officials said the action was taken equally against religious institutions of all faiths and without discrimination. In what was described as the state’s first such operation, police encouraged management committees at places of worship to remove microphones and comply with noise-pollution rules.

Under West Bengal’s Noise Pollution Control Rules, 2000, prior police permission is mandatory to use loudspeakers between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sound limiters must also be used, with noise levels kept strictly between 50 and 75 decibels. Representatives of several mosque and temple committees told the media that local police issued only verbal directions to remove loudspeakers, with no written instruction provided.

The Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, has announced a nationwide public outreach programme following its recent protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Founder Abhijit Deepke announced the initiative, titled “Kya Bolti Public,” on Thursday in his hometown of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He said the programme was intended to understand people’s problems.

CJP had begun its Jantar Mantar protest in June and July this year, demanding the resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET question-paper leak. The protest ended after Pradhan resigned on July 25. Deepke outlined the party’s future strategy alongside spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.

Deepke said education would be a priority in the campaign, citing rising fees at schools, colleges and coaching centres. He also raised concerns about declining public trust in institutions and questioned accountability in the Election Commission and judiciary. Ranka said the party stood with students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s JPSC and JSSC examinations, and that a delegation would visit Ranchi to meet them.

Students in Ranchi, Jharkhand, continued protests on August 6 over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, with their movement entering its 13th day after beginning on July 25. They demand cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission civil service examination, a CBI probe into the alleged question-paper leak and examination scandal, and broad reforms to examination procedures. They also seek a fixed deadline for a re-examination within six months if the test is cancelled.

JPSC-JSSC Reforms Forum spokesperson Jiban Kumar said five people, including two women, had joined the hunger strike to strengthen the movement and increase pressure for their demands. Six protesters are continuing an indefinite fast. Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahato has fasted since August 2, and concerns have been raised over his falling blood sugar and blood pressure.

The BJP said it would raise the issue in the assembly, while Congress, an ally of the JMM-led government, expressed support for the students. Student leaders warned of an assembly gherao on August 10 if demands are unmet. Ranchi authorities imposed Section 144 within a 750-metre radius of the assembly from August 6 to 12. CID investigators have arrested 19 people and questioned former JPSC chairman L. Khiyangte.

Students in Jharkhand, India, have held widespread protests for several days over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The movement began in Ranchi on July 25, raising allegations concerning JPSC and JSSC recruitment tests. Congress said it stands with the protesting students and described ensuring justice for them as its main priority.

A delegation led by Jharkhand Congress acting leader K Rauj met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and submitted a memorandum. Congress welcomed the decision to form a cabinet committee to hold discussions with the students. Protesters have demanded cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, an investigation by the CBI or retired High Court judges, and reforms to the recruitment system.

As the movement intensified, five students began a hunger strike, including Devendranath Mahato, a leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha. Soren said the students' allegations were being examined seriously, action was being taken against those involved in irregularities, and efforts were underway to find a permanent solution. Congress said it would continue discussions with the government over the students' demands and justice.

At least 14 people were killed by lightning in India’s Jharkhand state on Tuesday, August 4, amid ongoing monsoon rains. Local police said at least 10 of those killed were farmers in Giridih district who were working in crop fields in the open when lightning struck. Seven other people were injured in the incident.

The Indian Meteorological Department said heavy rainfall is likely in Jharkhand over the next several days, meaning the risk of lightning and adverse weather may continue. According to the department, more than 200 people died in Jharkhand alone in 2025, with most of those deaths caused by lightning.

Heavy seasonal rain has also increased casualties elsewhere in India this year. Severe flooding in the northeastern state of Assam has killed about 90 people so far. In the southern state of Kerala, at least 15 people have died in heavy rain, while thousands have been forced to leave their homes and move to safer shelters.

India’s parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has given Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg three days to publicly apologize over the temporary removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Facebook. The committee, led by BJP member of parliament Nishikant Dubey, described the episode as an attack on democracy, according to reports published on August 6, 2026.

The panel said removing the video showed disrespect toward the representative of more than 1.4 billion Indian citizens. It demanded action against those responsible for the removal alongside an apology, warning that the government could consider withdrawing Facebook’s safe-harbor protection if the demands are not met. Such a move could expose Facebook and its officials to direct legal and criminal complications over user-posted content.

The selfie-style video was first posted on Instagram on July 23 and later shared on Facebook, where it was removed for a period before Meta restored it amid criticism. Modi had promised strict action against question-paper leaks in the context of student protests. Meta attributed the removal to a technical error and expressed regret, but India’s electronics and information technology ministry rejected that explanation.

Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, says it will work as a pressure group rather than enter electoral politics for now amid India’s current situation. Founder Abhijit Deepke made the announcement before a core team meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, on Wednesday. He said the organisation has no immediate plan to form a political party and instead aims to build a grassroots social movement.

The meeting is expected to discuss declining public trust in institutions such as the media and judiciary, as well as rising unemployment and ethanol-blended fuel. Chief spokesperson Saurav Das said activist Sonam Wangchuk would serve as the group’s mentor or adviser. Deepke said accountability was needed in the judiciary, politics, media and Election Commission because people had lost trust in those institutions.

CJP says it is discussing with the government the withdrawal of cases filed against students who joined its recent protests against exam paper leaks and other irregularities. It is also providing legal and medical assistance to injured students. Leaders will review the recent movement, expand the organisation at the grassroots level and finalise future plans. Deepke also said CJP would support students protesting alleged irregularities in government job examinations in Jharkhand.

India deployed a National Response Team on Wednesday after a Chandipura virus outbreak killed 22 children, according to the country’s health ministry. The special team will assist health authorities following outbreaks in the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The report was published on August 5, 2026.

According to the World Health Organization, Chandipura virus spreads during the monsoon season through sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks. The virus can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, and is particularly fatal for children. Several child deaths linked to the virus have been reported in Gujarat.

Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said blood samples from 184 patients were tested, with Chandipura virus detected in 35 people. Rajasthan also reported the deaths of two children from the virus last month. Health authorities have stepped up surveillance, testing and preventive measures to control the infection.

Growing frustration among India’s young people over exam paper leaks and unemployment has emerged as a major political and social challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Following multiple entrance-exam paper leak cases last month, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid public anger. Modi announced special courts for swift trials of the accused and assigned technology entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to reform the examination system.

Analysts say the issue extends beyond exam reform to a widening gap between education and employment. India has more than 360 million people aged 15 to 29, but many graduates struggle to enter the workforce. Azim Premji University’s State of Working India 2026 report said youth unemployment is nearly four times higher than among other age groups. In 2023, 67 percent of graduates aged 20 to 29 were not employed, while only 2.8 million of roughly five million new graduates entering annually between 2004-05 and 2023 found jobs.

Economist Santosh Mehrotra called for reviving small and medium enterprises and adopting a manufacturing-focused industrial policy. Manufacturing’s GDP share fell from 17 percent in 2015 to 14 percent, while AI could put 8 to 12 percent of non-agricultural jobs at risk, according to a Goldman Sachs report.

Indian Booker Prize-winning writer Arundhati Roy said a recent two-week movement led by young people under the Kakaroch Janata Party, or CJP, had dealt a major blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public image, built over more than two decades. Roy made the remarks on Monday at the India International Centre in Delhi during the launch of the Hindi translation of her book, Meri Maa, Meri Gangster.

Roy said elections are not the only factor in politics and that public movements can quickly shake political narratives and images constructed over many years. She said an image built over 24 years with spending of crores of rupees, and in which some had described Modi as an incarnation of Vishnu, had been broken by the “cockroaches” in two weeks. She described it as a victory bigger than an electoral win.

Roy cautioned that the struggle was not over, saying democratic forces could face harder times if the government retained control of state institutions and power. She urged opposition parties and civil society to unite to protect democratic institutions. She also praised the maturity and responsibility of young participants in the Jantar Mantar movement despite differences of opinion.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian government has no involvement in an event in New Delhi where ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to deliver a virtual address. The position was reported on August 4, 2026, by Amar Desh Online.

An Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that the event in New Delhi is being organized by a private institution and has no connection with the Indian government. Bangladesh had sought an explanation from New Delhi regarding the Indian government’s position on the planned event.

The South Asian Foreign Correspondents’ Club is scheduled to organize the programme on August 5 to mark the second anniversary of the student-public uprising. Sheikh Hasina is expected to speak virtually at the event. The report cited Reuters as its source.

Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, has won the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar, India, becoming an MLA for the first time. According to results announced by the Election Commission and reported on August 4, 2026, Kishor received 64,151 votes. BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar received 44,827 votes, while RJD candidate Rekha Kumari finished third with 14,273. Kishor won by a margin of 19,324 votes.

The report described Bankipur as a BJP stronghold for nearly three decades. The seat had long been held by influential BJP leader Nitin Nabin and became vacant after he joined the Rajya Sabha. Before the election, Nabin had said that young voters still supported the BJP. Political analysts had also viewed Bankipur as a test for “Gen-Z” voters because of its large youth electorate and several educational institutions.

After his victory, Kishor said people would see visible changes in Bankipur within three months. He said his doors were open to people across Bihar and claimed the result sent a clear message from Bihar’s people to the BJP’s central leadership. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated Kishor in an X post, saying the public had chosen Jan Suraaj and that its verdict should be respected.

India is preparing to invest about 45,000 crore rupees, or roughly $4.7 billion, in rail infrastructure near its borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The programme aims to strengthen connectivity in strategically important areas, according to a report published on August 3, 2026. Bloomberg, citing multiple sources, said the funds would be spent in phases over the next 18 to 24 months.

The work is expected to include new rail lines, upgrades to existing routes and platform expansion in Punjab, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and other northeastern states. About 22% of India’s total rail infrastructure investment over the next two years could be earmarked for the border-focused programme. The network is intended to support passenger and freight movement and, when needed, transport troops and military equipment.

The report cited regional security conditions as an important factor behind the plan. India aims to build a modern, all-weather rail network in the Himalayan region, the Siliguri Corridor and the northeast to reduce troop deployment times and improve supply reliability. The initiative follows earlier road, rail and other infrastructure projects in border areas.

Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraaj Party defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by more than 19,000 votes in Bihar’s Bankipur assembly by-election held on July 30. Kishor received more than 63,000 votes, while Kumar secured about 45,000. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari received about 15,000 votes. The result marked a setback for the BJP in a constituency described as one of its strongholds.

Bankipur had been held by BJP national president Nitin Nabin before he moved to the Rajya Sabha, triggering the by-election after his resignation as legislator. Following the 2008 delimitation, Nabin won the seat four consecutive times from 2010 to 2025. His father, Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, had won the constituency four straight times between 1995 and 2005.

Political analysts said the contest was BJP’s first major electoral test after protests against alleged NEET exam paper leaks. The BJP’s state leadership acknowledged defeat and said recent anti-paper leak and anti-corruption protests affected the result. Kishor called the victory a win for Bihar’s people and said it conveyed their demand for capable and acceptable leadership.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani expressed concern over allegations that India exports arms and military equipment to Israel, calling such supplies a stain on humanity and India’s values. In a Jamiat statement posted on X on Sunday and reported on August 3, he urged the central government to immediately stop the exports through both public- and private-sector defence institutions.

Madani said supplying weapons despite knowing they are used in indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians, women and children is criminal and equivalent to assisting genocide. He described it as a blatant violation of international law and a betrayal of humanity and India’s core values. He also said military supplies to Israel conflict with India’s historical support for the rights and just demands of the Palestinian people.

An Amnesty International investigative report said several Indian government and private entities supplied significant arms, ammunition and military equipment to Israel between October 2023 and November 2025. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said dual-use goods are approved under strict legal and regulatory mechanisms, and maintained that all exports comply with national law, export-control policy and international obligations.