TODAY NEWS ON August 20, 2026

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

National Medical Commission proposes single licence for doctors to practise across India

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a registration system under which a medical practitioner, once registered with a State Medical Council and allotted a Unique Identification (UID) number in the National Medical Register, would be eligible to practise across India without obtaining fresh registration or a licence in another State.The proposal is part of the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified by the NMC on August 11, 2026.

RSS-linked academics in NCERT textbook panel

The NCERT has reconstituted the textbook development team for classes 11 and 12 political science with a mandate to integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion, with at least four of the members having direct or indirect links with the RSS. The team has been asked to develop the class 11 textbook by November and the class 12 book by July next year.

Congress backs two-stanza Vande Mataram; launches campaign against Ram temple funds row

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) decided to expand its student outreach programme, Chhatron Ki Goonj, to around 800 cities and towns, while announcing a nationwide campaign over the alleged theft of donations, which it calls “chanda chori”, at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It reaffirmed that Congress functions would feature only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, in line with the 1937 AICC resolution.

Supreme Court turns to Gen Z, Gen Alpha to educate elders on solid waste management

A concerned Supreme Court has turned to Gen Z and Gen Alpha to “educate” their elders against the careless and excessive generation of everyday garbage, saying a miniscule number of sanitary workers across the country cannot be expected to deal with solid waste produced by a population of 1.4 billion. A Bench headed by Justice S.V.N. Bhatti said the “general feeling” across society was regrettably that ‘I am entitled to generate but not to cooperate and control the impact of solid waste management at the threshold’.

Bangladesh to hold presidential election on August 20

Bangladesh will hold its presidential election on Thursday (August 20, 2026), with lawmakers set to choose between the ruling BNP stalwart Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 11-party Opposition alliance candidate Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed. The voting will take place for the first time in a presidential election after a gap of 35 years.

U.S. national debt now stands at $40 trillion

The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), a staggering milestone as defence costs, social programmes like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

China successfully recovers the rocket stage on land for first time

China has successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time, state media reported Wednesday (August 19, 2026). Although this marks China's first successful recovery on land, it is the second time the country has recovered a rocket stage, following a successful recovery on a sea platform in July.

Massive fire in Kolkata hotel kills nine, including eight Bangladeshi nationals

At least nine people died after a fire broke at a hotel in Kolkata’s Mirza Ghalib Street area in the early hours of Wednesday (August 19, 2026). Eight of deceased were identified as Bangladeshi nationals while one has been identified as a resident of Jharkhand. The deceased included six men, two women and a child. 

U.S. will re-evaluate advisory against travel to J&K: Sergio Gor after meeting with CM Omar

The United States will re-evaluate to downgrade its travel advisory against Jammu and Kashmir, visiting U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor said on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) after his meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “J&K is an important part of India. Delhi and the Chief Minister have made incredible steps to keep this place safe,” Mr. Gor, who is also the U.S. Special Envoy to South and Central Asia, said post the meeting in the U.T. He reached Srinagar earlier in the day on a two-day visit to J&K, and Ladakh.

Tamil Nadu government order seeking steps to prevent students from protesting withdrawn after row

The Department of Collegiate Education has withdrawn its order issued on August 17, 2026, urging colleges to take action to prevent students from participating in protests and agitations after it kicked off a controversy. The order, addressed to principals of all Government Arts and Science Colleges and Colleges of Education, asked them to take appropriate coordinated action to prevent students from participating in any protests or demonstrations. The order specifically referred to protests organised by the Left parties and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and sought an action-taken report from all institution heads. It was subsequently withdrawn.