NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||18-08-2026
NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||18-08-2026
TUESDAY| VOL—IV/2026/AUGUST
OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.
सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् ब्रूयान्न सत्यमप्रियम् ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥
Manusmriti (Chapter 4, Verse 138)
"Speak
the truth, speak what is pleasing (kind). Do not speak a truth that is harsh or
hurtful. And do not speak a pleasing lie to flatter someone. This is the
eternal path of righteousness (Dharma)."
INDIA:
(GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).
The government approved 31 more applications under
Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) with projected investment of
seven thousand 877 crore rupees. These approvals will result in a total
production of electronics components worth 82 thousand crore rupees and are
also expected to generate over nine thousand 500 employment opportunities.
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi yesterday held a meeting
with the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, DG of National Testing
Agency (NTA) and other senior officials in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has informed
that the progress of area coverage under Kharif Crops has recorded more than
one thousand lakh hectare area as of 14th of this month.
The government will soon constitute a high-powered committee
on banking to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
The Enumeration Phase of the ongoing Special Intensive
Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Delhi concluded yesterday.
Special initiatives will be undertaken under the Skill India
Programme PM-SETU to promote Bengal’s traditional folk industries, including
handloom and Dokra craft. Union Minister of State for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship, independent charge,
Jayant Chaudhary said this at a programme in Kolkata.
The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh conferred the National Anubhav Awards, 2026 to 15
selected awardees in New Delhi.
A 12-member high-powered committee has been formed in India
for the assessment of the restoration and management of Teesta Barrage Project
(TBP) in West Bengal as the Teesta River is gaining strategic importance. The
committee will look into water availability, existing utilization, future
demands and the status of the barrage and infrastructure.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin announced the new team of National Office
Bearers of the party. He has appointed
13 National Vice Presidents, including Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Tirath Singh
Rawat, Ram Madhav, Baijayant Jay Panda, Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal and Rekha
Verma. AT
LAST!!
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has paid tributes to Madan Lal
Dhingra on his martyrdom day yesterday. He is a less
known ‘Revolutionary. I will post a ‘BLOG’ on him.
BENGAL
FILES:
Politics & Governance:
100 Days of BJP Government Milestone: The newly formed state
government, led by Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari, finalized preparations to
mark its 100th day in office on Tuesday. Departments compiled exhaustive
administrative performance checklists.
Annapurna Yojana Launch: Monday marked the official rollout
of the state's flagship Annapurna Scheme. Direct financial transfers of ₹3,000
began hitting the bank accounts of over 1.2 crore eligible women across West
Bengal.
CM Adhikary presided
over the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a ₹4,000 crore manufacturing
ecosystem expansion driven by Amit Metaliks in Purulia. The project is
anticipated to create over 5,000 direct employment opportunities in the region.
Investigation Ongoing: Intense political and police focus
remained fixed on the Ashis Banerjee death mystery, as forensic teams continued
analysing the site of the former TMC MLA's alleged suicide in Rampurhat.
India and Nepal share a long-standing defence partnership
shaped by an open border, deep cultural ties, and regular military cooperation.
The relationship covers treaty-based security links, Gorkha recruitment, joint
exercises, training, equipment support, and veteran welfare.
Over 200 Indian peacekeepers deployed with the UN mission in
South Sudan have been awarded the prestigious UN medal for their exceptional
service.
India’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth about Rs
1,943 crore with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. on 17 August 2026.
The agreement covers the lease of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude
Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for the Indian Navy for 30
months.
The Qatar-India remittance service based on PosTransfer
powered by UPI is now available. It enables customers in Qatar to send funds
directly to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India through Qatar Post outlets.
India has reaffirmed a people-centric and humanity-first
approach to BRICS Collaboration, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
vision. Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs,
Sudhakar Dalela, said, during its BRICS Chairship, India has placed people at
the centre of collective efforts.
India will host the twelfth BRICS Environment Ministers
Meeting in New Delhi. The event will be held under the overarching theme of
India’s BRICS Chairship 2026 – Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation
and Sustainability.
Wildfires continue to spread across parts of Europe as
countries battle one of the hottest and driest summers on record. In Belgium,
one of the country’s largest wildfires continued to burn in the eastern High
Fens, near the German border, despite cooler weather and overnight rain.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged missiles and drones.
GULF
WAR:
US President Donald Trump says Iran should “put up the white
flag of surrender” as the two nations’ memorandum of understanding (MoU)
expired on Monday. He tells Fox News that his administration is holding talks
with the Revolutionary Guards – a claim denied by the IRGC.
US President Donald Trump
warned Oman against getting involved in a deal with Iran over control of
the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to bomb it if Muscat interferes with
Washington’s position on the strategic waterway.
Iran said it has reached an agreement with Oman on a plan to
manage the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz and the two sides are
now working to finalize details for a joint statement.
Fully reopening the waterway to commercial shipping has been
a key demand of the United States, but it remains unclear whether the deal will
meet Washington’s criteria.
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander
Brigadier General Yadollah Javani says Iran’s defensive posture is poised to
shift to an offensive one under a new “maximum deterrence” policy.
Erdogan stressed the importance of continuing talks with
Iran and said Turkiye was ready to contribute. He also told Trump that Israel
was attacking Palestinians in Gaza even as the ceasefire’s second phase was
supposed to be taking effect.
UNIFIL says the past two weeks have seen a marked rise in
Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon, recording an average of 137
projectiles per day between August 5 and 16, including 208 on Saturday and 185
on Sunday. UNIFIL’s mandate, in place since 1978, is set to expire at the end
of the year; any successor force is likely to be smaller and tied to a regional
agreement.
Oman is intensifying efforts to contain an oil spill from
the grounded vessel Caroline Bezengi near al-Qibliyyah Island, Dhofar
governorate, which has been leaking since a suspected explosion on June 8. The
ship lacks a reliable power source for rescue equipment, and its decks have
become slippery and unsafe. The spill now covers more than 2,000 sq. km (770 sq.
miles).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone
with Trump about bilateral relations, the wars in Iran and Gaza, and the Mecca
Joint Defence Agreement between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
A boat with 12 volunteers has left Bristol as part of a
wider campaign to break Israel’s blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. Israel has
attacked every flotilla trying to help Gaza since 2010, and volunteers on
previous missions say they were abused by Israeli forces.
‘We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt’ until Hamas disarms,
Kushner says. Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy says the US will not ‘restrict Israel’s
right to defend itself’ as strikes on Gaza continue. World must leave ‘GAZA’ issue to be solved by ISRAEL
whichsoever way it wants.
US and Iran “are essentially
making maximalist demands on each other”. In this way—a common ground can’t be
reached.
BALOCH
FILES:
The situation in Balochistan on August 17, 2026, escalated
sharply with a massive wave of coordinated rebel strikes, lethal military
counter-operations, and widespread civil protests against alleged state
repression.
BLA Escalation: 22
Coordinated Attacks Claimed
- The
Announcement: The insurgent group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) released an
official statement declaring an intensified, expanded phase of its armed
campaign.
- The
Claims: According to tracking by Mathrubhumi English and News18, the BLA claimed responsibility for executing
22 coordinated attacks across multiple districts over a rolling eight-day
window.
- Targets
& Logistics: The attacks combined roadside improvised explosive device
(IED) blasts, ambushes, and direct assaults on military checkpoints. The
BLA claimed these operations neutralized 26 Pakistani security personnel
and successfully targeted infrastructure to disrupt federal military
logistics and economic supply lines.
Pakistan Military
Operations: 6 Suspected Militants Killed
- Intelligence-Based
Operations: In an aggressive counter-insurgency push, Pakistani security
forces conducted two separate operations on Monday, killing six suspected
terrorists.
- Ziarat
& Harnai: Four armed militants were killed after troops surrounded an
abandoned house in the treacherous, mountainous border terrain between
Ziarat and Harnai.
- Killi
Zaik: Another operation 12 kilometres north of Baseema Camp resulted in a
heavy exchange of fire, killing two militants (including a high-value
target identified as Mushtaq Ahmed, alias Koh Yar) and injuring three
others. Large caches of ammunition and IED-making components were
recovered.
Fatal Quetta IED
Blast Targets Logistics Vehicle
- The
Strike: An IED planted by the roadside was remotely detonated against a
civilian logistics vehicle on the outskirts of the provincial capital,
Quetta.
- Casualties:
According to reports carried by Organiser, the explosion killed two non-local
labourers and left two others critically injured. The vehicle was
transporting water pipeline installation materials when it was hit. Armed
separatist groups have historically warned non-local contractors against
working on state-owned infrastructure projects in the province.
Widespread Protests
Over Alleged Jet Airstrikes
- Civil
Alliances: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) formally announced its
total backing of province-wide public protests organized by the
Balochistan National Party.
- The
Grievance: According to ANI News, the mass demonstrations are a direct
backlash against recent heavy bombardment by Pakistani jet aircraft in the
Sorab and Gwadar regions, which rights groups allege has caused severe
damage to local residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
Governance Decay
& Extortion Scandals
- Political
Shockwave: A major political controversy erupted following media
disclosures regarding a recent attack on Balochistan Home Minister Mir
Ziaullah Langove's convoy in Mastung.
- Extortion
Allegations: Prominent reports published by India Today highlighted allegations made by senior
journalists claiming that several sitting and former provincial ministers
have routinely paid "Bhatta" (extortion protection money)
directly to the BLA to operate safely, casting severe doubt over the
Pakistani state's administrative grip on the region.
LAW,
CRIME & PUNISHMENT:
Supreme Court refused
to interfere with the Election Commission’s decision to fix 2002 as the base
year for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Sikkim.
Supreme Court has
ordered stricter bail conditions for foreign nationals accused in cases under
the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, amid concerns over fake
sureties. WHAT BAIL ? NO BAIL—Mi-Lord!
The National Testing Agency NTA announced re-test for three papers of the
UGC-NET examination, English, Commerce and Sociology following complaints about
several errors in these papers. NTA said, the English paper will be held on 9th
September from 9 am to 12 noon in Shift 1, while the Commerce paper will be
conducted the same day from 3 pm to 6 pm in Shift 2. The Sociology paper will
be held on 10th September from 9 am to 12 noon in Shift 1.
In Jharkhand, following a 24-day protest by JPSC and JSSC
aspirants, the state government has cancelled the 2024 JSSC-CGL examination and
all competitive examinations conducted by the TDPL agency.
MISHAPS:
-
Deadly Hotel Fire in Tara Pith : A devastating fire broke
out around 5:00 AM on Monday at a four-story hotel near the famous Tara Pith
Temple in Birbhum district.
Casualties: At least seven pilgrims were killed and several
others were critically injured. The victims included five tourists from
Baghmara, Meghalaya (including two young children), and three from Alipurduar.
The Cause: The blaze reportedly started near an electrical
supply unit on the ground floor while most guests were asleep and spread
rapidly through fibre construction materials.
Government Response: The hotel owner was detained. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the
families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
-
Flood situation continues to remain grim in north Odisha,
with six districts affected and 126 villages still marooned amid rising rivers
and continuing rain. Around eight lakh people have been affected, while nearly
42-thousand hectares of cropland have suffered damage.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck Indonesia’s Flores
region early yesterday morning, with the latest tremor occurring at a depth of
around 10 kilometres. The earthquake comes days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude
quake struck eastern Indonesia.
WEATHER:
The low-pressure system over coastal West Bengal intensified
into a defined meteorological depression, moving north-northwest at 18 kmph. It
is causing rain in South- Southwest Bengal.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red
colour warning for very heavy rainfall to extremely heavy rainfall over
Jharkhand.
GAMES
& SPORTS:
In Men’s Cricket, Indian bowlers restricted Hosts Sri Lanka
at 284 in their first innings, taking a lead of 178 runs at Stumps on Day 3 of
the first Test in Galle.
Manav Suthar led the wickets column for India with four
scalps, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up three. Jadeja became only the fourth
player in Test cricket history to reach the milestone of 350 wickets and 4,000
runs. He is also the first Indian left arm bowler to achieve the haul.
At the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, India’s PV
Sindhu and Ayush Shetty have advanced to the second round of their respective
Singles’ events. Women’s Doubles pair of India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri
Gopichand and Men’s Doubles duo of M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan have
also cruise to the next round.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated
the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2026 in Dehradun yesterday. A total of 272 players from 14 Asian countries
are participating in the event, including 130 Indian players.
Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal March Into
Semifinals. The Elsewhere in the tournament, North East United FC handed
Shillong Lajong a heavy defeat to book their place in the final four.
Continental Football: Fresh off winning the Indian Super
League, East Bengal FC stands as India’s sole group-stage representative in the
AFC Champions League Two. They sit alongside FK Arkadag (Turkmenistan),
Al-Nahda (Oman), and Al-Khaldiya (Bahrain).
East Bengal FC Women’s team kicked off their AFC Women's
Champions League preliminary stage campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over
Bangladesh's Rajshahi Stars FC in Malaysia.
DAS KAPITAL:
RBI announced an overnight Variable Rate Reverse Repo
auction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh crore for Tuesday, August 18, amid its review of
prevailing and evolving liquidity conditions.
DALAL STREET:- It was a BLACK MONDAY .
*BSE SENSEX*: 77,728.16(
-281.09-0.36%)
*NIFTY 50*: 24,287.65
( -78.35-0.32%)
CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE:
The Indian Rupee (INR) showed mild volatility against major
global counters in early interbank trading, heavily influenced by fluctuating
Brent crude oil prices and active foreign fund flows.
US Dollar (USD): ₹95.42/-|| British Pound (GBP): ₹129.21/-
Euro (EUR): ₹110.46/-|| Chinese Yuan (CNY): ₹14.16/-
BULLIONS:
24-Carat Gold (99.9% Pure): Trading at ₹1,55,790/- per 10
grams, up from the previous session.
SILVER : Industry standard bar is trading at ₹2,55,000/- per
kg.
THE END.
Comments
Post a Comment