India news Highlights, 16 July 2026 : Over 30 hospitalised after crowd rush amid Puri Rath Yatra

In another blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, actor Koel Mallick resigned as the party’s Rajya Sabha MP on Thursday, just three months after the party nominated her to the Upper House of Parliament. Koel Mallick is Trinamool’s fourth Rajya Sabha MP to quit amid the meltdown in the party in the aftermath of its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls in May. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, who resigned earlier, have joined the BJP.

Anjali Marar reports that ISRO has decided to tighten rules on resignations and voluntary retirement requests from senior scientific and technical staff working on key missions, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. The move comes after a rise in resignations and voluntary retirement requests from Group A personnel, which ISRO said was affecting projects of national importance. In a July 14 order, ISRO said such requests from staff involved in Gaganyaan and other crucial missions will no longer be accepted routinely and will have to be referred to the Department of Space for review.

The Supreme Court observed that introducing a third language from Class 9 increases the academic burden and stress on students. The court told the Centre and the CBSE that if a new language is to be introduced, it should ideally be done from Class 5 or 6, when students are better placed to learn it.

Sweety Mishra reports that a 16-year-old Class 10 student was stabbed to death in Howrah in West Bengal, in a suspected case of stalking and murder. The victim, identified as Ritika Samanta, was attacked while returning home on her bicycle after tuition classes in the Chandnibagan area of Andul on Wednesday evening. Police said the accused, 24-year-old Samir Das, allegedly intercepted her and stabbed her multiple times before being caught and beaten by locals. He was later handed over to the Domjur Police Station. Ritika was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died of her injuries. Police said the accused had allegedly been pursuing the minor and the murder appears to have followed her repeated rejection of his proposals. An investigation is underway.

Popular Marathi actor Sayaji Shinde urged the Government to engage in dialogue with activist Sonam Wangchuk. In a post on X, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) informed that the actor said tha tprominent citizens from all over India are uniting and speaking in one voice to demand accountability from the government.

The Delhi High Court said that Sonam Wangchuk needs to be regular medical check-ups by government doctors as his life is precious. The Delhi High Court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking urgent medical aid for activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 19 days at Jantar Mantar. Yesterday, the court sought a response from the Centre and the Delhi government.

With the Delhi High Court observing that “life of any citizen is precious”, the Central government on Thursday assured the Delhi High Court that activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health condition shall be regularly monitored on a daily basis by government doctors and experts and medical intervention needed to check the deteriorating health condition shall be taken.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear plea against Orissa High Court order staying release of animated movie 'Mahaprabhu Jagannath'. The petition will be heard on Friday.

Sonam Wangchuk has refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite appeals from political leaders and supporters. This is the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike. He said that ending the strike without any response from the government would send the wrong message. He urged people to join the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed Parliament march on July 20, calling it 'a real lesson in political science and democracy' for students. Dr. Satish Lamba, Senior General Physician, who examined Sonam Wangchuk said that he has lost over 9kg weight in 19 days since the strike. The doctor informed that on the 19th day, his total weight loss is more than 9 kg. So, he has lost over 9 kg on the 19th day of his indefinite fast. His blood sugar today is 80 mg/dL. His pulse rate is 72 beats per minute. His blood pressure is 105/61 mmHg while lying down and 101/65 mmHg while sitting. His hydration is fair, and he is mentally alert."

Atiya Firdos reports that a 45-year-old anesthetist was allegedly murdered inside his apartment in Dharwad, Karnataka, while his eight-year-old autistic son was critically injured in a suspected knife attack. The incident came to light on Wednesday at Ranka Apartment, opposite Pawan High School, where Dr. Kiran Honannavar was found dead with multiple injuries. His son, Nehith, was discovered with multiple stab wounds in another room and was rushed to a private hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police have taken Dr. Kiran's wife, Dr. Priyanka Katanahalli, an ophthalmologist, into custody on suspicion, as the three family members were the only occupants of the sixth-floor apartment and there were no signs of forced entry. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar said the suspect was giving inconsistent statements and appeared to be in an abnormal mental state. Police have registered a murder case and are examining CCTV footage, forensic evidence and witness statements to establish the motive and reconstruct the sequence of events. The post-mortem examination is expected to determine the exact cause and time of death.