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

Supreme Court proposes special courts for speedy trial in Manipur violence cases

The Supreme Court on Friday (July 24, 2026) proposed the establishment of special courts to conduct day-to-day trials in cases arising out of the 2023 Manipur violence and directed the investigating agencies to expedite the pending probes to ensure that there is no further “inordinate delay”. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan was hearing a batch of petitions relating to the ethnic violence in the State. Referring to status reports filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigation Team, the Bench noted that the prevailing law and order situation had made the examination of witnesses difficult, with many having been displaced or relocated.

Gujarat rains displace 38,000 people; Army, NDRF launch rescue operations

“Relentless downpours continued to paralyse Gujarat for the third consecutive day on Friday (July 24, 2026), cutting off dozens of villages and throwing life out of gear, with 38,000 people relocated to safer places and more than 352 rescued,” officials said. With more than 400mm of rainfall recorded in some locations in 24 hours, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army swung into action in flooded areas, while authorities shut schools and cancelled Mumbai-bound trains.

Government bars communication infra-providers from sharing data outside India

The government has barred communication infrastructure providers, including those involved in cloud-based networks for telecom services, mobile towers and satellite gateways, from sharing any data outside the country, according to an official notification. The Department of Telecom, in a notification for the authorisation framework for infrastructure providers, has made it mandatory that all telecommunication data should be stored within the country.

As temporary tariffs expire, U.S. imposes 10% ‘forced labour’ tariffs on India

Even as the U.S.’ temporary 10% tariffs come to an end today, it has announced permanent tariffs related to its investigation into forced labour on 60 of its trading partners, including India. India’s tariff rate remains at 10% instead of the proposed 12.5%. The U.S. had in February 2026 imposed a temporary 150-day 10% tariff on all of its trade partners, which expired on July 24. In March, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative had also launched two separate investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act, 1974.

U.S. strikes Iran and Bahrain; warns of incoming fire as clashes over shipping routes escalate

Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday (July 24, 2026), warning residents to shelter from detected fire hours after the U.S. military said it had wrapped up its 13th night of strikes against Iran. Iranian State media reported that four people had been killed and nine injured in the bombardment. U.S. Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Spain declares national emergency over wildfires near Madrid and in Avila

The Spanish government declared a national emergency after a series of wildfires threatened communities near Madrid and in the neighbouring province of Avila, forcing more than 10,000 people to evacuate as firefighters struggled to contain the ⁠blazes. The Interior Ministry said the decision was taken because of the simultaneous outbreak of several fires, adverse weather conditions and the need to mobilise extensive resources from different public administrations, increasing the complexity of firefighting and civil protection efforts.

Centre sacks 47 NTA officials, tightens law to tackle paper leaks

In a move to crack down on exam malpractices, the Centre has taken a slew of actions, including strengthening the anti-paper leak law and terminating services of up to 47 officials in the National Testing Agency (NTA). The Union Cabinet on Friday (July 24, 2026) cleared a proposal to introduce amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, endowing the anti-paper leak law with tougher penalties and time-bound trial mechanisms.

AISA calls for ‘Bihar Bandh’ on July 25, against police lathi charge on protesting students

Protest marches and dharna were witnessed in several districts of Bihar on Friday (July 24, 2026) by the students and locals demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak. Protesters holding banners, posters and placards carried out the protest marches in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Khagaria, Darbhanga, Bettiah (West Champaran), Supaul, Jamui, Samastipur, Madhubani and Buxar. In Vaishali, the protesters burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dharmendra Pradhan.

Did not cut any deal with government: Sonam Wangchuk

After being criticised by several social media users for ending his hunger strike in the presence of Union Ministers, activist Sonam Wangchuk released a long video message on Friday (July 24, 2026) where he asserted that he “did not cut any deal” with the government and ended the fast as he feared a crackdown against students and protestors at Jantar Mantar. He said he did not press for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as it is inevitable due to the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and movement by the youth across the country. He ended the fast around 12:30 a.m. Friday (July 24), in the presence of Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, his wife and civil society leaders from Ladakh. Mr. Nadda served him soup to end the strike.

166,000 evacuated as wildfires spin out of control in France, Spain

Over 166,000 people were evacuated in France and Spain as unprecedented forest fires raged near Madrid and Bordeaux, a French city flanked by tourist havens and world-renowned vineyards. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (July 24, 2026) asked the army to mobilise to help contain the worst wildfire the country has ever seen after seeking European Union help, as a local official warned the blaze was heading towards Bordeaux.

PM Modi thanks people for ‘insightful’ suggestions on video in another Instagram reel

The government and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held talks on Friday (July 24, 2026) at the Constitution Club of India after the Centre “agreed” to the CJP’s demand that the meeting be held at a neutral venue. The CJP has said the “strictest action” the government could take against examination irregularities was to remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that a Bill providing for stringent action against paper leaks would be introduced in Parliament.

Wake-up call for government, says Gitanjali Angmo

Hours after activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk ended his fast at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram late on Thursday night (July 23, 2026), his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo described the students’ ongoing agitation in the backdrop of the NEET paper leak as a “very successful movement” that had put focus on education reforms and awakened the entire country. She expressed the hope that it would also serve as a “wake-up call” for the present regime.

SpaceX launches Starship on another test flight, this time with the most advanced Starlinks

Towering 407 feet (124 metres), Starship soared from the company’s base at the southern tip of Texas. NASA monitored the flight, a critical step toward using the Starship as a lunar lander for moon crews. Elon Musk’s SpaceX replaced six of the 33 engines on the first-stage booster after they failed to ignite last week, resulting in a last-second launch abort. The previous Starship flight in May also experienced engine trouble, which prevented the booster from making a controlled return. Top news of the day: CJP-Government talks to continue tomorrow amid Pradhan resignation demand; Centre orders GitHub to remove Bitchat app over security concerns, and more

Resignation of Pradhan non-negotiable: CJP to Union Ministers

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is spearheading protests against the NEET paper leak, has told two Union ministers that its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is “non-negotiable”. The group has also asked for ₹1 crore compensation for families of those who committed suicide after the cancellation of the NEET test on May 3. The two sides will meet again on Saturday (July 25, 2026).