TODAY NEWS ON August 23, 2026

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Exp and others

BCI Co-Chairperson demands Manan Mishra’s resignation, questions prolonged tenure amid NALSAR row

Pressure on reigning Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra escalated on Saturday (August 22, 2026), after a senior BCI member and its Co-Chairperson Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy demanded his resignation and called for an independent probe into a series of allegations concerning the functioning of the statutory body. The development came hours before a press conference proposed by the BCI was scheduled to be held at its office in New Delhi. The council, however, postponed the August 22 press conference, citing the possibility of a large gathering of advocates and concerns over the availability of space and arrangements for the media. The revised date has been indicated as August 24.

FIR registered against Abhijeet Dipke for ‘entering government school without permission, threatening teachers’

Police in the district have registered a case against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke and others for allegedly entering a government school without permission, disrupting official work and threatening teachers. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Ausa police station on a complaint filed by Sayyed Shamshadbano Khairatali (53), a teacher at a Zilla Parishad Urdu school.

Amid controversy, NCERT team head promises to bring out factual, unbiased textbooks

Following a political controversy over the reconstitution of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) committee that brings out political science textbooks for Classes 11 and 12, members of the newly formed panel have said “personal political affiliations will be set aside” while working on the books.

Canada retaliates as trade war with U.S. escalates

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory tariffs on the United States on Saturday (August 22, 2026), after walking away from a “bad deal” on trade in a deepening rift between the longtime allies. Negotiations between the neighbouring countries broke down on Friday (August 21, 2026) in Washington, putting into force new 50% U.S. tariffs impacting about $20 billion worth of goods, or 5.5% of Canadian exports to the United States.

Justice Nagarathna’s dissent warns of tearing the frayed safety net of labour law

At the heart of Justice B.V. Nagarathna’s 147-page poignant dissent is a stark foreboding that dismantling the expansive definition of ‘industry’ in a 1978 judgment may give free rein to the “skewed bargaining power” that the private sector and corporates wield over workers.

Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former U.S. senator from Kansas, dies at 94

Nancy Kassebaum Baker, a Kansas governor’s daughter who became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without following a spouse into office, has died. She was 94. Kassebaum Baker died Friday (August 21, 2026) of natural causes, according to her son, Bill Kassebaum.

SIR reports 16.38 lakh deceased voters, four times Karnataka’s average annual deaths

Of the over 1.08 crore voters identified till August 17, under the Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead, and Other (ASDDO) categories in Karnataka, over 16.38 lakh have been marked as “dead” – the figure is nearly four times the average number of deaths recorded in the State in a year, according to an analysis of demographic estimates done for the period between 2002 and 2024.

Sikh protesters burn Rahul Gandhi effigy over Sajjan Kumar ‘role model’ remark

Two days after former Congress MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riot convict Sajjan Kumar died, over 200 Sikh community representatives, including families of riot victims, gathered near Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence on Saturday afternoon (August 22, 2026), burning his effigy and beating it with slippers in an expression of anger over remarks allegedly describing Kumar as a “party role model”.

The protesters demanded a formal apology from Mr. Gandhi and his resignation, saying the Congress leadership had insulted the families who had spent decades seeking justice for the victims of the 1984 violence.

CJI advocates ‘Nyaya-nomics’ to drive growth

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday (August 22, 2026) highlighted that courts must speak the language of both rule of law and economics, coining the combination as “Nyaya-nomics”.He said courts must ensure trust, predictability and stability in the justice delivery system in order to spur economic growth. Chief Justice Kant was speaking at the 11th BRICS+ Legal Forum organised by the Bar Association of India.

Right to practice religion subject to reasonable restrictions in interest of public order: Patna HC

The right to profess and practice religion is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order and societal norms, the Patna High Court has said.

It made the remarks while dismissing a plea seeking permission for 300 devotees to take part in an annual religious procession in Bihar’s Siwan, where attendance has been restricted to maintain law and order.

U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products; Canada says it will retaliate

The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early on Saturday (August 22, 2026), and Canada immediately said it would retaliate, after last-ditch negotiations failed to resolve the latest strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. President Donald Trump’s import taxes will hit about 5% of what Canada ships to the United States every year, including products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.