India news Live Hughlights, 29 July 2026: CJP says anti-paper leak Bill focuses on punishment, not prevention

Farmers clash with police while attempting to breach barricades over moong procurement in Bhopal.

Hundreds of Waris Punjab De supporters are marching on Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residences to demand the release of their leader - Amritpal Singh.

They entered Chandigarh after breaching barricades at Sector 45 and are moving towards Sector 34.

Singh is also a Lok Sabha MP; he contested the 2024 election as an independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib despite sitting in an Assam jail and defeated the Congress' Kulbir Zira by over 200,000 votes.

Manraj Grewal reports from Chandigarh that following massive student protests regarding the alleged electrocution death of PhD scholar Jyoti Yadav on the Panjab University campus, the university has taken significant administrative action by appointing Prof. Meenakshi Goyal as the officiating Vice-Chancellor and suspending two engineering officials, Anil Thakur and Lakhwinder Singh Dhanoa, pending an investigation. These developments come after students demanded accountability, a campus-wide safety audit, and appropriate compensation for the victim's family, as both police and university authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, "The Modi government has resorted to strong-arm tactics to impose E20 petrol. A few days ago, I wrote to 29 companies that manufacture motorcycles, scooters, petrol-powered two-wheelers, petrol-powered four-wheelers, cars, and SUVs in India. In my letter, I asked them to clearly state whether vehicles manufactured before 2023 are compatible with E20 petrol. I also asked that if they believed E20 could be safely used in those vehicles, would they compensate consumers if their vehicles were damaged because of E20 fuel? And if the use of E20 resulted in reduced mileage, would they compensate owners for that loss as well? I sent this letter to all 29 companies. None of them responded in writing. However, I had detailed phone conversations with officials from nine of these companies. According to them, the Modi government is openly threatening manufacturers. They told me that, from a technical and engineering standpoint, using E20 fuel in vehicles manufactured before 2023 could damage the vehicle, including the engine and fuel train system, and could also reduce fuel efficiency. They further alleged that the government warned them that if they publicly disclosed these facts, they would face consequences, including the closure of their plants or enforcement action by agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Income Tax Department, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which could ultimately shut down their companies."

Syeda Firdos from Bengaluru reports in late July 2026, widespread political unrest emerged following student-led agitations by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against NEET examination paper leaks, which demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement gained significant traction as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition endorsed these demands, staging a high-profile sit-in at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence that resulted in mass detentions. This led to intense nationwide confrontation, with the BJP organizing counter-protests that frequently escalated into violent clashes with Congress workers in cities such as Patna and Bengaluru, while also fueling accusations of "anarchy" from government leaders. The ensuing political gridlock paralyzed Parliamentary proceedings, with the Opposition steadfastly demanding accountability before agreeing to debate, and although Pradhan eventually resigned, the political climate remained highly charged due to ongoing tensions between the Congress and AAP, alongside internal factional disputes within regional party units.

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday (Jul 29), quashed the Centre's 2021 Office Memorandum that created a mechanism for granting retrospective environmental clearances (ECs) to projects that had begun construction or operations without obtaining prior environmental approval.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two vessels allegedly transporting weapons to Ukrainian ports near Odesa, according to Russian state media.

Syeda Firdos from Bengaluru reports that investigators explained that the head was likely dragged to the playground from nearby railway tracks by stray dogs after officers failed to locate it during their initial, low-visibility search for the victim’s body. While authorities have ruled out foul play and confirmed the death was an accident, they are still working to officially confirm the identity of the deceased, who is believed to be a 28-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs staged a protest on the Parliament premises over the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. Carrying placards and raising slogans of "chanda chor gaddi chhodd," the lawmakers demanded accountability over the alleged misuse of temple donation funds.

The Special Fast Track Court listed the chargesheet for consideration on August 3. The court granted three more days to CBI to file all the annexure in the charge sheet as the record is voluminous. The court pointed out that there no statement, list of documents filed with the chargesheet. The CBI said that the records are voluminous these are being scanned, according to news agency ANI.

Delhi police registered an FIR over an alleged abusive social media post against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the CJP protest.

Shubham Tigga from Rachi reports that Misir Besra, a senior CPI (Maoist) Politburo member carrying a Rs 1 crore bounty, was arrested near Dhanbad alongside two associates, Tumba Manjhi and Biren Hansda, during a joint operation by the CRPF and CoBRA. This major arrest occurred just a day after 16 other CPI (Maoist) cadres surrendered to the Jharkhand Police in Ranchi under the government's Operation Navajeevan-II. A native of Giridih district with a career spanning nearly four decades, the 65-year-old Besra is considered one of the organization's most influential leaders in building its armed and organizational structure across Jharkhand.

Mustafa Plumber from Bengaluru reports that the Karnataka High Court has stayed investigations into a criminal case against Bengaluru doctor Dr. Nagendrappa, who was arrested on charges of assault following a dispute over a couple's alleged illegal residency in India. Justice M. Nagaprasanna sharply criticized the police for registering an FIR against the doctor—who had alerted authorities about the individuals' illegal status—just 15 minutes after the doctor's report to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO), calling it a potential abuse of process given the lack of preliminary inquiry or evidence of injury. Describing the situation as an example of the system shielding illegal immigrants, the court urged the state government to prioritize national security over appeasement and take action against those facilitating the illegal stay of foreign nationals, with the next hearing set for August 6.