Memories of Partition from a railway station in Delhi

New DelhiAug 15, 2026 10:18 AM IST The matter was also reviewed in a recently-held meeting on the Yamuna rejuvenation by the Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh.(Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Even as Haryana releases 330 cusecs of drinking water everyday for Delhi from the Yamuna river through Munak Canal, the Capital receives only 230 cusecs after accounting for 30% conveyance loss, according to officials. Eyeing a resolution of the persistent leakage issue, the Delhi and Haryana government are now planning to conduct a joint survey, The Indian Express has learnt. Three meetings have already been held between the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Haryana Irrigation department for the repair of the Delhi Sub-Branch canal (DSB), the key channel that originates in Haryana and supplies drinking water to the Capital, and address the transmission losses, said officials. The matter was also reviewed in a recently-held meeting on the Yamuna rejuvenation by the Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh.Highlighting another measure that is being considered, a senior government official explained, “The Delhi Chief Secretary has written a letter to Haryana Chief Secretary for a joint survey to ascertain the right way to develop a 1,000-cusec new pipeline,”a senior government official said. Another official added, “Haryana’s Irrigation department has informed that a consultant for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) afresh is to be appointed… Delhi has already conveyed consent to bear its share for the lining of the DSB.” During the meeting with the Delhi Water Minister, the ongoing problem of river pollution and frothing was also discussed, said officials, adding that a six-point action plan has been made to reduce the frothing in the Yamuna. The action plan includes redesigning of the Okhla barrage to moderate the plunge and churn at the barrage gates that whip surfactant-laden water into foam, stop dumping of garbage into the river and clear solid waste accumulated in the channel, clear water hyacinth and other floating vegetation whose decay adds to the organic load. Besides, there are also plans to remove the dhobi ghats, to end the direct discharge of detergent into drains, and unauthorised units discharging untreated effluent into the drainage system.Story continues below this ad Officials said that between December 1, 2025 and July 22, 2026, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in a survey inspected 11,230 units and closed 584 water-polluting units. Besides, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) also flagged 188 polluting industrial units in non-conforming areas between April 8 and July 23 and shared details with the MCD for action.

New DelhiUpdated: Aug 14, 2026 09:26 AM IST Top news on August 14, 2026.Good morning,The only surviving local militant, active in the Kashmir Valley, is now under police scanner. Mohammad Lateef Bhat, an accused in the killing of a policeman and two non-local workers, in two separate attacks in South Kashmir in July, evaded capture during a joint Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian Army operation. The attack was the first militant hit in the Valley since the Pahalgam attack last year. The police last Friday announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for information on Bhat, and put up posters with his photograph across South Kashmir and Srinagar. Around 30 Pakistani nationals and Lashkar operatives are said to be in the Valley, hiding out in its dense mountainous forests. With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition: Attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal The other story of Jharkhand A long wait for Padma Shri 🚨 Big Story Education and more… The Jharkhand government has decided to cancel the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services examination, which is being counted as a win by protesters in Ranchi. However, for over 2,200 candidates who had cleared the Prelims, the announcement has meant a setback. The Indian Express spoke to eight such aspirants — from an engineer who gave up a job, to an Adivasi woman who took time out from helping her father at work, to a wheelchair-bound aspirant who spent years preparing — all said that while they support strict action on paper leaks, cancelling an exam without a thorough investigation defies logic. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) has asked such students to submit carbon copies of their OMR sheets. For these aspirants, cancelling it would mean going through the process — and all the uncertainty that comes with it — yet again. Omissions: Postgraduate students pursuing History at Delhi University (DU) can no longer opt for the course on Delhi Sultanate, according to records reviewed by The Indian Express. The paper, “The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th-14th Centuries)”, taught in Semester III, has been dropped from DU’s new syllabus, alongside several other long-running courses on medieval, ancient and modern India. The course examined how the medieval state was formed, how authority was exercised, and how political, religious and cultural life evolved. Official records show these courses were cleared at various stages of the syllabus approval process but did not figure in the final notification issued on August 7. ⚡ Only in Express Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, addressing the House on the last day of the Monsoon Session on Thursday, said the productivity in Lok Sabha had fallen to 19 per cent, while that of Rajya Sabha was 39 per cent. However, this is not unprecedented. Data on every Parliament session, available since 2009, show there have been sessions where one or both Houses have occasionally seen even bigger washouts. In the recent session, the prospect of a discussion on the police action against students in the July 20 protests over paper leaks considerably thinned by Wednesday. The protests and disruptions prevented any significant legislative business in Parliament, with some Bills passed by voice votes without debates.Story continues below this ad 📰 From the Front Page Attack: Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was injured on Thursday in a kirpan attack by a man dressed as a Nihang at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji, Mugat in Maharashtra’s Nanded. The 64-year-old leader sustained a hand injury and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His alleged assailant, identified by police as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh from Pune, was arrested. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a probe into the incident, as he spoke to Badal and enquired about his well-being. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also interacted with Badal’s wife and MP Harsimrat

New DelhiAug 13, 2026 01:48 AM IST The birds were seized from five shops in Kabootar Market.As many as 863 birds and animals were rescued from five pet shops in Kabootar Market near Delhi’s Jama Masjid on Wednesday, including 431 protected or scheduled species. The rescued protected birds included 183 Ring-necked Parakeets, 72 Plum-headed Parakeets, 63 Alexandrine Parakeets and 113 Muniya birds, police said.The raid was conducted by the Central District Police along with People For Animals (PFA), World Wide Animal and officials of the Forest & Wildlife Department. The operation followed information received by PFA on August 9 regarding the alleged illegal sale, possession and confinement of protected birds and animals at pet shops in the market. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said during the raid, teams found a large number of birds and animals confined in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. “Apart from the 431 protected or scheduled birds, 432 other birds and animals were rescued: 148 Budgerigars, 57 Cockatiels, 96 Lovebirds, 18 Guinea Pigs, nine Grey Squirrels, 41 White Mice, 11 Rabbits and 52 non-protected parakeets and other pet birds,” Singh said. The protected birds were seized by WWF, while the animals and birds rescued on account of alleged cruelty and improper conditions were taken into appropriate care by the PFA as per law.Story continues below this ad Police identified five residents of Kabootar Market in connection with the case; they have been bound down and a case has been lodged. They were questioned about the source, procurement, transportation and sale of the recovered birds and animals. Investigators are also attempting to trace the wider supply chain and identify possible suppliers, transporters, distributors and other establishments allegedly connected with the illegal wildlife trade. No previous criminal involvement of the five has been reported or verified so far, police said.Story continues below this ad Ring-necked parakeets or Indian ringnecks, Plum-headed Parakeets, Alexandrine Parakeets, and Muniya birds are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making their capture, sale or possession a punishable offence, carrying a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, a jail term of up to three years, or both. A research has shown that for tiny passerines or miniature perching birds like these, mortality rate is high even before they are put on sale or traded. The 2025 study published in International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies said “mortality in consignments could be substantial, particularly for small passerines moved in bulk”. Last year, a report by Delhi University’s Animal Law Cell, reported then by The Indian Express had highlighted recurring violation patterns from pet shops across Delhi. These infractions varied from the public sale of unweaned puppies to exotic reptiles and birds confined in cramped, dirty cages lacking veterinary medical care or any consideration for their species-specific requirements. The research had also flagged that a “large and rapidly expanding unregulated online trade” has been operating within Delhi. The proliferation of irregular and often cruel pet trade in Delhi, as highlighted in the survey, stemmed from a mix of regulatory gaps, weak enforcement, and market demand.

Himmat kicked the ball to the stumps after failing to gather it. (Twitter screenshot)It was a moment of frustration but it ended up being one of stunned joy for Himmat Singh and his teammates in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as he effected a freak run out that forced a Super Over on Tuesday. Chasing side Outer Delhi Warriors needed one run to win off the last ball of the 15-over match. The batsman went for a big hit but he could only manage to get the ball down the ground. Although the single was not on at all due to Himmat being too close to the non-striker’s end, the batsmen went for the run with this being the last delivery. Himmat, who was captain of the bowling side New Delhi Tigers, arrived but fumbled the ball, seemingly missing out on what would’ve been an easy run out. He then kicked the ball in frustration and it incredibly went and hit the stumps anyway, before batsman Pratham Saluja could make his ground. pic.twitter.com/qWcaaN7ewD — ‘ (@stumpsrattled) August 4, 2026 https://platform.x.com/widgets.js In footage that has gone viral on social media, Himmat’s body language can be seen changing almost instantly from frustration to elation while many of his teammates had their heads in their hands. Outer Delhi Warriors went on to win the match in Super Over anyhow. Himmat made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year with Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh at the top of the order. He had caught the eye during the 2024 Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 197 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 148. Himmat has thus far failed to impress in the IPL though. He never got to bat in the three games he played in 2025. In 2026, he played six matches in which he scored 92 runs at a strike rate of 133.33 and average of 30.67. The 2026 edition of the Delhi Premier League started on July 31. The league stage is scheduled to end on August 25 and the final is set to be held on August 30.

New DelhiAug 4, 2026 04:20 AM IST Rahul Gandhi seems really proud of the Congress MPs from Kerala and does not hide it either. On a day when the Lok Sabha was adjourned following protests by the Opposition, Rahul was surrounded by the party MPs from Kerala. Rahul introduced former Kerala PCC president and Kannur MP K Sudhakaran as the “lion of Kannur”, referring to Sudhakaran’s fierce political rivalry and ideological turf war with the Communists in northern Kerala. He then turned to Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal, calling him “tiger of Alleppey”. When Mavelikkara MP K Suresh entered, a journalist asked Rahul what he would call him. Rahul said “he is the elephant”, apparently referring to longevity of Suresh’s term. This is Suresh’s eighth stint as a Lok Sabha member. Joining LagDays after the Centre carried out a major Secretary-level reshuffle, several senior officers are yet to take charge of their new assignments. Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, who was appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has not yet assumed his new office. Consequently, Naresh Pal Gangwar is yet to take up his new assignment as Higher Education Secretary. Meanwhile, Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bhardwaj retired Friday, leaving the ministry without a full-time Secretary for time being. Plaque Promise On the occasion of Natio­nal Organ Donation Day Monday, several donor fami­lies were felicitated by apex organ regulator — National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) — in New Delhi. However, one of the persons felicitated at the ceremony, a child, was upset for not receiving a wo­oden plaque along with the certificate. He wanted to show it to others back home. While officials from NOTTO could not arrange a plaque immed­iately, they promised to send it to the child afterwards.

New DelhiAug 3, 2026 04:20 AM IST Several MPs from across party lines turned up to watch the debut solo Kuchipudi performance of Rashtriya Lok Dal leader and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary’s younger daughter Ilesha Singh on Saturday evening. Among the attendees were Anurag Thakur, Surendra Singh Nagar, Kartikeya Sharma, R P N Singh, Rajiv Shukla, Rajeev Rai, Mahima Kumari Mewar, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, and Rajeev Rai. Chaudhary’s ministerial colleague Anupriya Patel was also seated in the front row. MPs who otherwise leave for their respective constituencies on weekends stayed back to mark their presence. Ilesha’s guru Raja Reddy had special words of praise for Chaudhary and his wife Charu for introducing both their daughters to the traditional dance form. Humid, HumaneFormer South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri cut short his speech at a “Gen Z sammelan” due to inclement weather conditions on Sunday. Among the party’s first offline events of its kind aimed at reaching out to the youth in the wake of violent clashes between protesters and security personnel in Delhi last month, Bidhuri cut short his address after observing that the young attendees were visibly uncomfortable due to high humidity, leaving the stage open to Delhi Minister Ashish Sood.