| Markets |
Sensex & Nifty slip; IT drag continues |
Sensex dropped 281.09 pts (77,728.16) and Nifty fell 78.35 pts (24,287.65); Nifty IT led the decline, falling 1.75% to 30,807.80. |
| Defence |
Navy leases 2 MQ-9B Sea Guardians for ₹1,943 cr |
30-month deal with General Atomics costs ~₹32 cr/month per drone; bridges the surveillance gap ahead of the 31-drone delivery. |
| Census |
Ladakh begins Census 2027 self-enumeration first |
Digital self-enumeration runs until Aug 31; field population count is scheduled for Sept 1–30 to beat early winter blockades. |
| Elections |
ECI launches Electoral Literacy Club 2.0 in Patna |
CEC Gyanesh Kumar set a 6-month goal for ELCs across 15L schools, 70k colleges, and 1,420 universities, linked to ECI Net. |
| Aviation |
Air India shifts Visakhapatnam ops to Bhogapuram |
Entire flight operational hub moved in a single-day transition, prioritizing speed of transition over phased terminal migration. |
| Weather |
IMD issues Red Alert for Odisha and Gangetic WB |
Heavy downpours highlight the seasonal challenge: monsoon risks stem from stark regional distribution gaps rather than overall totals. |
| Economy |
FPIs inject ₹16,621 cr as Forex hits $707 bn |
Foreign portfolio inflows remain steady through mid-August, partnering with expanded reserves ($707 bn) to stabilize the rupee. |
| Rural Dev |
Lakhpati Didi target expanded to 6 crore |
Following the Aug 15 Red Fort declaration, Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will lead implementation steps at Pusa on Aug 18. |
| Culture |
India’s 1st virtual zoo opens at Indore Zoo |
Built for ~₹4.5 cr under a PPP model featuring a 14-D cinema and virtual safari, achieving public outreach without state capital deployment. |
| Sports |
FIH World Cup: India faces England after Wales win |
India meets England at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen following a 3-1 opening victory over Wales; England comes off a 4-1 win over Pakistan. |
