TODAY NEWS ON August 17, 2026
News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Exp and others
NTA to reconduct UGC-NET exams for English, Sociology, and Commerce after complaints
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is reconducting the UGC-NET exams for English, Sociology, and Commerce following multiple complaints from candidates about errors in the question papers for these subjects. The NTA stated that while the English and Commerce re-exams will be conducted on September 9, the Sociology re-exam will be conducted on September 10.
After Jharkhand protesters burn Soren and Rahul effigies, State Government calls for fourth round of talks
Kumar Rajat, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Ranchi Sadar, confirmed in a WhatsApp message to The Hindu that students have been invited by the government to hold talks between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday (August 17, 2026), at the State guest house in Ranchi. This would be the fourth round of meetings with the government. Protesting students burnt the effigies of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the 23rd day of their protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, alleging that the State Government was not serious about their demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged irregularities in competitive exams for government jobs.
Congress rejects Shah’s Vande Mataram charge, calls it a ‘political diversion’
The Congress on Sunday (August 16, 2026) strongly rebutted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s charge that the party had insulted the National Song Vande Mataram, asserting that it has always respected the song and accusing the BJP of trying to manufacture a political controversy. The fresh exchange came a day after a row erupted during Independence Day celebrations at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi, where Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was seen gesturing towards party president Mallikarjun Kharge while Vande Mataram was being sung.
CISF official confronted in Delhi Metro for photographing woman; suspended
An ASI-rank CISF official was allegedly involved in a scuffle with passengers inside a Delhi Metro coach after a woman accused him of photographing her, police sources said on Sunday (August 16, 2026). A video of the incident, which took place around 1 p.m., has surfaced online. In the video, the woman can be seen confronting the official over the issue inside a metro coach, they said. A senior CISF officer said the official has been suspended.
T.N. CM Vijay condemns killing of three Tamils by Karnataka Forest Department personnel
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Sunday night strongly condemned the killing of three Tamils in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district by the Karnataka Forest Department. In a post on X, Mr. Vijay said Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar, who hail from Tamil Nadu, had been living in Hanur taluk of Karnataka. “They were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department personnel in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area in the early hours of August 15. I strongly condemn this killing. The explanation given by the Karnataka Forest Department regarding the incident is unacceptable,” he said.
Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday (August 16, 2026) to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea after he said South Korea declined to help denuclearise Iran. Mr. Trump said in a social media post that the exercises slated to begin this week are costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” while Mr. Trump has been in the White House. “Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Israel’s Ben Gvir advocates killing ’30 to 40’ people in Gaza nightly while speaking to ex-hostage
An extremist Israeli lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night, comments that surfaced on Sunday (August 16, 2026) and were quickly shared by Palestinian media. “It’s no secret, I disagree with the Prime Minister,” Itamar Ben-Gvir said. “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat — there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people,” he added.
Israel vows to go after Hezbollah as it names another killed
Israel vowed Sunday (August 16, 2026) it would hit Hezbollah again if threatened, as it identified what it described as a commander killed in strikes a day earlier that also left several children dead. The Israeli military identified one of those killed on Saturday (August 15, 2026) as Abu Hassan Alaa, saying he was a senior commander of Hezbollah’s Badr unit who had been involved in firing drones at Israeli troops.
Cristiano Ronaldo hints at retirement, says upcoming year could be his last
Cristiano Ronaldo is inching closer to retirement. “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” Ronaldo, 41, told Vogue in an interview published on Sunday (August 16, 2026). Ronaldo, whose Al Nassr contract runs until June 2027, previously has stopped short of giving a timeline of when he’d be ready to call it a career.
‘Propitious environment needs to be created’: Bangladesh says PM Tarique Rahman will not visit India until Hasina’s extradition
Bangladesh said on Sunday (August 16, 2026) that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not visit India until New Delhi extradited Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi former premier who fled during a 2024 uprising. The countries have had a strained relationship since deadly anti-government protests brought down Ms. Hasina’s government and prompted her to escape to neighbouring India, where she remains. She faces the death penalty in Bangladesh after being convicted of crimes against humanity, and Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition.
FDA notice to Shah Rukh, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over Vimal Elaichi ad
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a show-cause notice to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their advertisement for Vimal Elaichi, claiming it prima facie amounts to “indirect or surrogate” promotion of prohibited pan masala and tobacco-related products. The use of the expression “Vimal Elaichi” in the advertisement appeared to create an association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand and could mislead consumers while indirectly promoting the prohibited product, FDA said.
ONGC gets U.S. licence to resume full Venezuela operations, eyes operatorship
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has secured a licence from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), allowing it to resume full operations in Venezuela after years of limiting activity because of sanctions-related risks, a senior company official said. The U.S. approval removes a key hurdle for ONGC’s Venezuelan investments and could pave the way for the state-run explorer to expand production, sign new agreements and take over operatorship of some projects from Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, Anupam Agarwal, director-finance at ONGC, said at an investor call post first-quarter earnings announcement.
Thousands evacuate after Indonesia earthquake kills 51, cuts roads
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake smashed an area in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 51, blocking roads and causing landslides, authorities said on Sunday (August 16, 2026). Thirty-six people were seriously injured in the Saturday morning (August 15, 2026) quake in East Nusa Tenggara province, while 77 had minor injuries, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus told a televised meeting. The quake, followed by some 341 aftershocks, is the Southeast Asian nation’s deadliest since a 2022 quake killed hundreds in West Java.
At least 12 killed, 10 injured in Polish bus crash in Hungary
A dozen people were killed and at least 10 injured after a Polish bus overturned at night on a motorway in eastern Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Sunday (August 16, 2026) morning in a Facebook post. The bus ran into a ditch and tipped over early on Sunday (August 16, 2026) near the town of Mezokeresztes in eastern Hungary, police said, adding that the bus was heading towards the city of Nyiregyhaza on the motorway when the accident happened. State news agency MTI said there were 57 passengers and two drivers on the bus. Pictures from the scene showed a badly damaged red bus lying on one side in a ditch by the motorway with windows smashed and belongings and suitcases scattered around.
In one of its largest aerial attack, Ukraine kills atleast six in Russia
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia on Sunday (August 16, 2026), killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that it had destroyed 822 drones overnight, with 600 headed toward the Russian capital. Five people were killed in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region, where three towns came under attack, local Governor Yury Slyusar said.
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