TODAY NEWS ON August 07, 2026

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

Lok Sabha passes Bill to authorise Govt. to permit banks to levy charges on UPI transactions

Lok Sabha on Thursday (August 6, 2026) passed a Bill to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 that authorises the government to permit banks and other service providers to levy charges on payments through unified payments interface (UPI) and other notified electronic payment modes. The Taxation and other Laws (Amendment) Bill w through which the government also amended the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, was passed without a debate due to persistent sloganeering by the Opposition over various issues, including alleged theft of donation at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

CJP to launch ‘kya bolti public’ campaign next month: Dipke

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will launch a ‘kya bolti public’ campaign next month to interact with people all over India and to get to know their issues, founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Thursday (August 6, 2026) hhe was addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the CJP’s core team meeting in his hometown Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. The core team had been holding talks at Mr. Dipke’s residence since Wednesday (August 5, 2026).

DMK lays down conditions to support delimitation Bill

As the Narendra Modi government explores the possibility of bringing in a constitutional amendment Bill to carry out a fresh delimitation exercise, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) may consider extending support if the government revises the legislation bringing in three essential changes to the Bill that reached the Lok Sabha in April.

Faced with Bangladeshi outrage, officials reiterate that India was not involved in Hasina’s press event

A day after the Bangladesh government said it was “outraged” by the press conference that deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Delhi on Wednesday (August 6, 2026), officials in New Delhi maintained that the Indian government’s policy remains the same and reiterated that India had no involvement in the event.

Centre opposes pleas for income-based creamy layer in SC/ST quotas

Opposing a batch of petitions in the Supreme Court of India, which seek a creamy-layer exclusion within the reserved categories of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as in the Other Backwards Classes (OBC), the Union government argued judicial precedents had clarified that the “principles of creamy layer do not apply to SCs and STs”.

FCRA Bill is ‘religion-neutral’, Shah assures Christian bodies

Amid concerns raised by Christian bodies over the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (FCRA), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (August 6, 2026) met two delegations, including one representing all Christian denominations and communities, and assured them that the proposed legislation was “religion-neutral”.

Laggard States need handholding to improve: Sitharaman

In a renewed push for the idea of federalism, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (August 6, 2026) said India needs every State to be “strong”, and that “laggard” States need to be given “every handholding” so they can improve. At the same time, the country also needs a strong Centre to manage defence, exports and manufacturing, which a few States cannot take care of for the whole country, she said.

Government spent ₹557.51 crore in PM Modi’s 77 foreign visits: MEA in Rajya Sabha

The government has spent around ₹557.51 crore between 2021 and July 2026 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 6, 2027). Responding to a question from V. Sivadasan of the CPI(M), Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita said Mr. Modi visited 77 countries during this period and that these visits and subsequent Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) helped in international partnerships “across the sectors”.

Trump signs 2 immigration actions to limit birthright citizenship and curb ‘birth tourism’

President Donald Trump said on Thursday (August 6, 2026) that he is once more trying to limit the number of people who are born in the country who can become American citizens, in a sign that even after his first attempt at limiting birthright citizenship was rejected by the Supreme Court, he’s ready to try again.

China-Japan tensions escalate after Tokyo labels Beijing as its ‘greatest strategic challenge’

China has lodged a “serious diplomatic” protest with Japan over its latest defence white paper, which portrayed Beijing as Tokyo’s “greatest strategic challenge” and made “brazen comments” on Taiwan, further escalating tensions between the two countries.

Bangladesh to hold presidential election on August 20: EC

Bangladesh’s presidential election will be held on August 20, the Election Commission announced on Thursday (August 6, 2026), two weeks after President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on health grounds before completing his five-year term. Mr. Shahabuddin, 76, was a longtime ally of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Iran threatens to hit Gulf states if U.S. launches new strikes

Iran has warned Gulf states that any new U.S. attack on its territory would trigger ‌retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources, as Tehran seeks to raise the cost ​of military action by threatening Washington’s closest regional allies. The warning was delivered through a flurry of high-level diplomatic contacts after ⁠U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on July 28, 2026, to strike Iran’s energy network and infrastructure, the sources said. Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts, as well as Pakistan’s Army chief. ‌All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Russia downed 605 Ukrainian drones overnight: Defence Ministry

Russia shot down 605 Ukrainian drones during the night over its territory and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the defence ministry said Thursday (August 6, 2026). “During the night... air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 605 Ukrainian aerial drones,” the ministry said in a statement.

Israel reports its first troop deaths in Lebanon amid ongoing talks in Rome

Israel reported on Thursday (August 6, 2026) its first military fatalities in southern Lebanon in more than a month, after carrying out fresh strikes despite ongoing U.S.-backed talks in Rome aimed at ending hostilities. The military identified the two reservists, who were killed in combat on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), as Major Harel Birenstock, 34, and Sergeant Major Tamir Vaknin, 33, of the 2855th Battalion, 55th Brigade.

Auto retail sales in July 2026 surge 26% YoY to 25.91 lakh units

In July 2026, the Indian automobile industry retailed 25,91,138 units, up 25.89% YoY, making it the strongest July growth in the series outside COVID-distorted base years, according to Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Growth during the month was broad-based with Wheeled Construction Equipment up 46.07% YoY, 2 Wheelers (2W) up 28.25% YoY, Tractors up 28.10% YoY, Commercial Vehicles (CV ) up 24.04%, Passenger Vehicle (PV ) up 19.13% YoY and 3-Wheeler (3W) up 16.16% YoY as per data released by FADA.