India New Live Updates, 5 August 2026: ‘Harassment, violence, torture’: Rahul Gandhi vs Amit Shah over students

Delhi’s construction industry is pushing back against a new winter pollution plan that could halt or restrict construction work regardless of daily Air Quality Index (AQI) levels, stating that it could hit workers’ livelihoods and disrupt supply chains.

The Delhi government’s ambitious action plan, notified last month, makes measures such as construction curbs and vehicle restrictions mandatory during the winter months, a departure from the existing system where restrictions are linked to pollution levels.

The move has prompted the Delhi chapters of the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to raise concerns with Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in separate meetings, The Indian Express has learnt. Read Here

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea seeking action against the organisers of the July 20 CJP protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The court stated that "Any aggressive approach from State may aggravate situation, precipitate further violence," adding that even if some "misguided elements" were involved in stone-pelting during the protest, "youngsters need to be pacified".

Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday interacted with Jharkhand student and their leader Devendra Nath Mahato on video call, who are on an indefinite hunger strike at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, in support of the protest over alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC CGL) examination and other recruitment exams. Mahato and the protesting students have been demanding a fair investigation into the discrepancies and transparency in the state's recruitment process.

Resident doctors across Maharashtra launched an indefinite strike on Wednesday in protest against the state government's decision to allow homoeopathy practitioners to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and prescribe allopathic medicines after completing a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP). The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has demanded an immediate halt to the BHMS-CCMP registration process until the matter pending before the courts is decided. While emergency and casualty services will continue for the first 24 hours, OPD services, routine duties and academic activities at government medical colleges have been suspended. MARD warned that emergency services would also be withdrawn from August 6 if the government fails to initiate talks. The agitation has received support from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and several other doctors' organisations, which argue that the policy lacks a clear legal and scientific regulatory framework. (PTI)

The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, with the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voting to maintain the status quo and retain its neutral policy stance. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said India's economic growth continues to be supported by resilient domestic demand and remains the fastest among major economies. While warning that headline inflation is likely to rise in the near term due to higher food and crude oil prices, he said inflation is expected to peak in the third quarter before easing. The governor added that the recent uptick in inflation is largely driven by food and fuel costs and is not broad-based across the economy.