TODAY NEWS ON August 31, 2026

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

U.S. forces strike Iranian rocket launchers in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces have struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in the first military action in a month, a U.S. official said Sunday. Semi-official news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak Island in the strait. Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements.

Nepal struggles to preserve recovered bodies as flood toll touches 788

Four days after the flood in Nepal, the death toll in the disaster reached 788, and 2,502 people remained missing even as the preservation of recovered bodies became a challenge for the authorities, who continued with the rescue efforts. Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Nepal urgently required freezer units and DNA-testing kits, warning that the bodies must be preserved and identified quickly to prevent decomposition and contain public-health risks. He said the government is “putting all our resources at disposal in relief and rescue operations.”

17 days on, Parliament yet to be prorogued after end of Monsoon Session

Speculation abounds about a possible special session of Parliament to revive the Delimitation Bill, with the Monsoon Session yet to be prorogued, or formally ended, 17 days after the last meeting of the House. On August 13, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die, bringing Parliament’s Monsoon Session to a close. However, the session is yet to end formally. It remains technically alive, allowing the government to reconvene Parliament without issuing a fresh presidential summons.

Direct Karnataka to release backlog of 17.604 tmcft Cauvery water: T.N. to Supreme Court

The Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court on Sunday (August 30, 2026), seeking a direction to Karnataka to release 17.604 tmcft of water from the Cauvery River, the balance quantity as of August 27, based on the pro-rata formula. The State, in a supplementary affidavit settled by senior advocate G. Umapathy and re-settled by C.S. Vaidyanathan, also urged the court to order Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water between August 26 and September 8, as directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in its 56th meeting.

‘Anti-national’ graffiti at varsity whitewashed after West Bengal CM’s ultimatum

Graffiti in Kolkata’s Jadavpur University was whitewashed after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari issued a stern warning to weed out “anti-national” elements from within the campus. Slogans in support of Palestine and Maoist leader Kishenji were erased from the walls of the JU Arts hostel.

India, Uzbekistan upgrade ties to comprehensive strategic partnership; set $5 bn trade target

India and Uzbekistan on Sunday (August 30, 2026) decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of $5 billion in annual trade by 2030 following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two sides inked 11 agreements to boost engagement in several key sectors, including mining and tourism, and agreed to establish a framework for the long-term supply of Uranium from Uzbekistan to India in line with cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector.

All registered workers migrated to VB-G RAM G; e-KYC not mandatory for employment: Centre

The Union Rural Development Ministry on Sunday (August 30, 2026) said that every worker registered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), irrespective of whether e-KYC of their job cards has been completed, has been migrated to Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G].

Emotional Federer full of love and gratitude at Hall of Fame induction

An emotional Roger Federer said he was still writing his love letter to the sport that “meant the world” to him on Saturday (August 29, 2026) as the 20-time Grand Slam champion ​was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Federer, who was inducted alongside ‌broadcaster and journalist Mary Carillo, reflected on his storied career in a speech ​that brought him to tears a few times.

NEET-PG 2026: Power failure disrupts exam at two Jaipur centres; retest for those affected on Sept. 5

Technical disruptions during the NEET-PG 2026 examination at two centres in Jaipur on Sunday (August 30, 2026) led to chaos and protests by candidates who alleged that computers repeatedly shut down during the test. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the conducting authority for the exam, has scheduled a retest on September 5. Only the affected candidates can appear for the exam next month, which will be conducted at 3 p.m. in Jaipur, according to a notice issued by NBEMS

Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi flags perils of drug abuse, highlights opportunities for girls in space industry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the dangers of drug addiction, highlighted the economic avenues opening up for women and girls in India, including in the space industry, and lauded the cleanliness initiatives being undertaken by citizens. “Drug addiction does not just engulf a single individual. The entire family and society have to bear the consequences,” Mr. Modi said in his 137th ‘Mann ki Baat’ episode on Sunday (August 30, 2026). “I would like to commend those who raise awareness against drugs and step forward to help individuals struggling with addiction.”

As students protest in National law varsities, Justice Bhuyan pushes for appointment of SC Judges from legal academia

As student bodies across premier national universities object to Chief Justice of India’s remarks and refuse to have him over for their convocations, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Sunday (August 30, 2026) pushed for the activation of Presidential power to appoint ‘distinguished jurists’ as judges in the top court of the country. “While our Constitution has a provision for appointment of a jurist as a judge of the Supreme Court, no jurist has been appointed so far to the Supreme Court though the Constitution has completed more than 76 years,” Justice Bhuyan pointed out at the 13th convocation of the 2026 LLM batch of the National Law University, Delhi.

Switzerland rave shooting: One dead, five others wounded; police operation under way

One person was killed, and five others were wounded, some of them seriously, in a shooting at a rave party in northern Switzerland, local police said on Sunday (August 30, 2026). “The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way,” they said on X, adding that the motives and exact circumstances were not yet known. The incident in Aarau, north of Zurich, prompted a “large-scale” police response.

Icelandic voters reject proposal to restart negotiations to join European Union

Iceland’s voters rejected a proposal to restart negotiations on joining the European Union more than a decade after previous talks ended, the national broadcaster reported on Sunday (August 30, 2026). The vote will put the long-debated issue to rest more than a decade after a euro-sceptic government ended EU talks.