India News 22 August Highights: PM Modi meets BJP’s new national office-bearers at party headquarters

The BJP had earlier announced a rejig of its national office-bearers, with Smriti Irani returning as a national general secretary, Ram Madhav appointed national vice president and Piyush Goyal named national treasurer.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi on Saturday. (@NitinNabin X/ ANI Photo)BJP National President Nitin Nabin welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi on Saturday. (@NitinNabin X/ ANI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday evening to attend a meeting with the party’s newly appointed national office-bearers, the BJP said in a post on X. BJP national president Nitin Nabin welcomed Modi at the party headquarters. The BJP had earlier announced a rejig of its national office-bearers, with Smriti Irani returning as a national general secretary, Ram Madhav appointed national vice president and Piyush Goyal named national treasurer.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder and president Abhijit Dipke has been booked along with Ajay Shinde and four to five unidentified persons for allegedly entering a Zilla Parishad school in Latur district without permission, questioning teachers in front of students, filming the proceedings and putting the footage on social media.

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Interpol issues Red Corner notice against alleged Sambhal violence mastermind

Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive gangster Shariq Sata, who is accused of being the alleged mastermind behind the November 2024 violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, police said. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said Sata had earlier been declared a fugitive offender by a court, with proceedings also initiated to attach his property. The notice comes as authorities continue efforts to trace and bring Sata back to India.

Ram Mandir Trust meeting: Nine-page letter puts focus on management ahead of CEO selection

A nine-page letter detailing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, legal battles and construction of the Ayodhya temple has created a buzz ahead of the September 3 meeting of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. The meeting is expected to choose the Trust’s first chief executive officer amid the ongoing donation theft row.

The letter, dated August 18, has not been made public. It is widely believed to have been written by former Trust general secretary Champat Rai, though he has neither confirmed nor denied it. The letter also highlights the role of temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Misra, describing him as the final authority on construction-related decisions.

Sugar prices soar ahead of festive season as production, stocks fall

Sugar prices have risen sharply ahead of the festive season, with Dussehra and Diwali still weeks away. The all-India modal retail price of sugar rose to Rs 65 per kg on Friday from Rs 45 on July 21 and Rs 50 on July 31, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs. Ex-factory prices have also climbed sharply in major sugar-producing states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The rise has been attributed to lower-than-expected sugar production and stocks at a nine-year low. Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association had estimated gross domestic sugar production for the 2025-26 season at 343.5 lakh tonnes. After diversion of 34 lakh tonnes for ethanol production, net output was projected at 309.5 lakh tonnes.

CJP team attacked on way to inspect Rajasthan government school

Rajasthan has 611 government schools running without buildings, including 38 in state capital Jaipur, according to state government data. Of the 64,484 government schools with their own buildings, 2,047 lack toilet facilities and 1,049 do not have drinking water. Against this backdrop, a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) team led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka was allegedly attacked while on its way to inspect a government school in Bagru near Jaipur on Friday.

The team was visiting the school following allegations that classes were being held in a cowshed. The school building was declared unsafe and closed last year, after which students were shifted to a temporary enclosure that allegedly also houses buffaloes. The incident has brought renewed attention to the condition of government school infrastructure in Rajasthan.

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Aug 22, 2026 08:26 PM IST
NTA suspends Eduquity empanelment over AIAPGET exam lapses in Jaipur

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a show-cause notice to Eduquity Career Technologies Pvt Ltd over lapses during the AIAPGET examination at a centre in Jaipur.

Pending resolution of the notice, NTA said Eduquity's empanelment has been suspended with immediate effect.

The action comes after 49 candidates at the Jaipur centre were unable to complete the AIAPGET examination on August 22 due to a power failure, following which NTA announced a re-examination for the affected candidates on September 1.

Aug 22, 2026 08:17 PM IST
After new office-bearers meet, PM Modi says BJP organisational meetings bring new ideas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said organisational meetings are an opportunity for "new ideas and perspectives" aimed at strengthening the BJP and deepening its connect with people.

In a post on X, Modi said he had a "great interaction" with party colleagues and the newly appointed organisational team.

Modi's remarks came after he attended a meeting with the BJP's newly appointed national office-bearers at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Aug 22, 2026 07:39 PM IST
PM Modi arrives at BJP headquarters to meet new national office-bearers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday evening to attend a meeting with the party’s newly appointed national office-bearers, the BJP said in a post on X. BJP national president Nitin Nabin welcomed Modi at the party headquarters. The BJP had earlier announced a rejig of its national office-bearers, with Smriti Irani returning as a national general secretary, Ram Madhav appointed national vice president and Piyush Goyal named national treasurer.

Aug 22, 2026 06:46 PM IST
CJP chief Abhijit Dipke booked over alleged unauthorised entry into Latur school

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder and president Abhijit Dipke has been booked along with Ajay Shinde and four to five unidentified persons for allegedly entering a Zilla Parishad school in Latur district without permission.

According to the complaint, the group allegedly questioned teachers in front of students, filmed the proceedings and later uploaded the footage on social media.

Police have registered a case against Dipke, Shinde and the unidentified persons. Further details of the allegations and investigation are awaited.

Aug 22, 2026 06:30 PM IST
Alex Lanier beats Victor Lai in three-game thriller, Canadian settles for bronze

France's Alex Lanier defeated Canada's Victor Lai in a three-game semifinal at the World Badminton Championships in New Delhi on Saturday, leaving Lai with a bronze medal.

After the defeat, Lai said Lanier kept piling on the pressure and did not allow him to recover after winning consecutive points.

"It was hard to get the momentum back in my favour," Lai said.

Aug 22, 2026 05:12 PM IST
AIAPGET 2026: NTA announces re-exam for 49 candidates after power failure

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said 49 candidates appearing for the AIAPGET examination at a Jaipur centre could not complete the test on Saturday due to a power failure.

The exam was conducted for 36,979 registered candidates at 200 centres across the country. Of the 35,837 candidates who appeared, 35,788 completed the examination, NTA said. At Shri Satya Sai PG College in Jaipur, 192 candidates appeared, of whom 49 could not complete the test.

In a notice posted on its official X handle, NTA said the disruption was attributed to Eduquity Career Technologies Private Limited, the examination conducting agency, and expressed regret for the inconvenience. A re-examination will be held on September 1 at 10 am at Rajasthan College of Engineering for Women, Jaipur.

Aug 22, 2026 04:41 PM IST
Sanjay Singh targets government over schools, jobs, healthcare

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, speaking on the party's 'Fix the Schools' campaign, attacked the government over what he called poor conditions in education, employment and healthcare.

Singh said education and employment were concerns for every young person and family, but claimed people were facing inadequate schooling and a lack of jobs. He also criticised the state of healthcare, alleging that operations were being conducted "by candlelight".

He cited schools in Noida, Ghaziabad, the Prime Minister's parliamentary constituency and Gorakhpur, the Chief Minister's constituency, and accused the government of making "tall claims" while focusing on Hindu-Muslim politics.

Aug 22, 2026 03:47 PM IST
Champai Soren alleges JPSC-JSSC job irregularities, demands CBI probe

BJP MLA and former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren alleged irregularities in JPSC-JSSC recruitments and accused the state government of trying to suppress the issue.

Soren claimed that jobs were "sold" and said the arrest of the JPSC chairman and others indicated that irregularities had taken place. He said the facts must be established through due process before any recruitment can be cancelled.

Backing the protesting students' demand for a CBI probe, Soren said the government had withheld permission in four cases despite the CBI completing its investigations. He said the government's approach would only strengthen the students' movement.

Aug 22, 2026 02:23 PM IST
Congress leader Amin Patel accuses ABVP of trying to disrupt Rahul Gandhi's Pune event

Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Chhatron ki Goonj programme in Pune, Congress leader Amin Patel accused ABVP of attempting to disrupt the event and cause harm to the programme.

Patel said the city was an important place for the event. “From here, the Chhatron Ki Goonj will gain more strength and find a new path,” he said.

Aug 22, 2026 01:31 PM IST
BJP passes resolution on ‘historical legacy’ of Vande Mataram

The Bharatiya Janata Party has passed a resolution calling for the honour and protection of the “historical legacy of Vande Mataram”.

The BJP resolution condemned the Congress Working Committee’s August 19 decision to reaffirm its 1937 resolution and restrict the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at Congress programmes.

The party said it “unequivocally opposes” the Congress decision and resolved to reject what it described as “every attempt to subordinate the National Song to communal pressure, political appeasement or narrow vote-bank considerations.”

The BJP also announced a nationwide campaign through its Karyakartas to take the history, meaning, national significance and legacy of Vande Mataram to people across the country.

Aug 22, 2026 01:09 PM IST
Dr S Jaishankar to visit Russia on August 23-24 for trade, strategic talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Russia on August 23-24 at the invitation of Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. During the visit, Jaishankar will co-chair the 27th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. He will also meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss regional and global issues.

Aug 22, 2026 12:21 PM IST
Special NIA court rejects bail plea of Pulwama terror attack accused Insha Jan

A special NIA court in Jammu has rejected the bail plea of Insha Jan, an accused in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. The court said sufficient material existed to presume that the allegations against her were prima facie true

It also held that the bar under Section 43-D(5) of the UAPA prevented her release on bail at this stage. Jan, who was arrested in March 2020 along with her father, is facing trial under the UAPA, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and the erstwhile Ranbir Penal Code. The NIA has accused her of being part of the terror conspiracy and providing food, shelter and logistical support to Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives.

Aug 22, 2026 12:08 PM IST
Mallikarjun Kharge questions govt over rising sugar prices, low stocks and ethanol policy

Congress president and Member of Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday questioned the Modi government over rising sugar prices, declining stocks and the decision to divert sugarcane towards ethanol production. Kharge said sugar stocks were at a nine-year low despite India being the world's largest sugar producer and exporter. He questioned why exports were halted and one million tonnes of sugar was allowed to be imported duty-free. Kharge also asked who was responsible for the sharp rise in sugar prices ahead of the festival season.

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Aug 22, 2026 12:06 PM IST
Gujarat spurious liquor tragedy: Death toll rises to 9, three critical

The death toll from the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district rose to nine on Saturday, with one more victim dying during treatment. Three of the 17 people still undergoing treatment remain in critical condition, district officials said.

The victims consumed liquor containing methanol, a highly toxic substance. Seventeen patients have been discharged, while 18 others have sought medical consultation. Police have arrested 13 of the 21 accused named in the FIR registered at Vartej police station.

Aug 22, 2026 11:39 AM IST
Telangana pharma plant blast: 2 killed, 9 seriously injured in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri

Two people were killed and nine others seriously injured after an explosion at Hazelo Lab Pvt Ltd in Dotigudem village of Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, officials said. The blast occurred around 10.30 pm on Friday at the pharmaceutical company in Pochampally mandal. The bodies of the deceased were shifted for post-mortem examination, while the injured were taken to hospital for treatment. A fire official said a reactor may have exploded, but the exact cause of the blast was still being investigated.

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Aug 22, 2026 11:08 AM IST
3 steel factory employees die in fire at Ramgarh plant in Jharkhand

At least three employees of a steel factory in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district died and another was injured after a fire broke out at the plant, police said on Saturday. The fire broke out at the factory's captive power plant in Helal around midnight on Friday and later spread. Four employees suffered severe burn injuries and three died during treatment at a hospital, Ramgarh SP Mukesh Kumar Lunayat said. The deceased were identified as Sanjeev, Vinit and Abhishek. Police said the exact cause of the fire is being investigated.

Aug 22, 2026 10:56 AM IST
BJP chief Nitin Nabin holds first meeting with new national team

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday held his first meeting with the party's newly appointed national office-bearers to discuss poll strategy and grassroots outreach. The meeting focused on preparations for upcoming Assembly elections, grassroots mobilisation and communicating government initiatives to the public. The BJP's new national team has 65 office-bearers, including 51 new faces. The team includes 13 national vice presidents, including Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Ram Madhav. Former Union minister Smriti Irani has been appointed a national general secretary.

Aug 22, 2026 10:47 AM IST
NIA raids two location in Kashmir's Anantnag

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted raids at two locations in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district as part of its probe into a terror case. Officials said the searches were underway as part of the ongoing investigation.

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