BJP Leader's Takedown Of Rahul Gandhi, Silent Thumbs Up For Shashi Tharoor

The number of Shashi Tharoor's sympathisers and admirers in the BJP shows an uptick as his disagreements with senior Congress leadership pile up. His latest supporter is Tamil Nadu leader K Annamalai, who in a post on X today, drew a comparison between him and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over their comments on trade with the US and Donald Trump's imposition of 25 per cent tariff. 

While Mr Gandhi asserted that the Indian economy is "dead", Mr Tharoor's response was nuanced. Mr Annamalai, while being vociferous in his takedown of Mr Gandhi, made his approval of Mr Tharoor's comments clear.

"I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters," read Mr Annamalai's post on the issue. 

"When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the leader of the opposition who feels otherwise. LoP Thiru Rahul Gandhi avl continues to wear ignorance like a badge of honour. He is blind to India's rise, yet ever eager to echo foreign voices that undermine it," he added.

I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters.

When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the… pic.twitter.com/qejp39fAFF

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) July 31, 2025

Mr Tharoor said India has other options besides the US. "If we can't compete in America, we may have to diversify our markets outside of America. We are not out of options. If America is completely unreasonable with its demands, we have to move elsewhere. That is the strength of India; we are not a totally export-dependent economy like China," he said.

On the trade negotiations between the US and India, he said, "It is a challenging negotiation. We are negotiating with many countries. The US is not the only negotiation. We have ongoing negotiations with the EU, we already concluded a deal with the UK, and we are talking with other countries also... If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away". 

What had initially started as Shashi Tharoor's rift with the Kerala Congress has spread and a strong message came from Delhi when the career diplomat who had worked with the UN was not picked for the Centre's all-party delegations for the international outreach on Operation Sindoor. 

It did not help when Mr Tharoor, in the run-up to the visit and after, was vocal with his support for Operation Sindoor. 

While the Congress did not stop him from leading a team to the US, there have been criticism, there was speculation that the party was less than pleased after he was not picked to speak in the special debate in parliament about the operation. Sources, though, had said that Mr Tharoor was asked if he would speak and he had declined. 

But earlier this week, BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda took a dig at the Congress, saying the party is not allowing its own member and the noted orator to speak in Lok Sabha.

Even PM Modi took a dig at the Congress over this during his response to the discussion, speaking of "some (being) stopped from speaking in parliament" and "those who consider themselves the sons of Congress become unhappy if you praise India".

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Indus Tap To Pak Turned Off, India Invites Tenders For Hydro Project In J&K

The Centre set in motion plans to build the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydro Project on Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Tenders were invited for the project, which is expected to add to the challenges being faced by Pakistan following India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The new project will come up near Sidhu village in Ramban district of the Union Territory.The last date for online submission of bids is September 10.

Though conceived in the 1960s, this project, along with several others, had been in the freezer. After the suspension of the Indus water treaty, the government planned to push ahead with the construction of six stalled projects in the region. 

Besides the 1,856 MW project in Sawalkot, there are the Kirthai I and I facilities that will generate a combined 1,320 MW, and a 1,000 MW facility in Pakal Dul, as well as three others making a total of 2,224 MW.

Once these six are completed, Jammu and Kashmir could generate up to 10,000 MW of electricity, and there could be more water for irrigation and domestic consumption in the plains.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the point in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday while responding to the special discussion on Operation Sindoor.

"The Indus Water Treaty was one-sided and the farmers of India also have the right over the water, and now in a short time, drinking water will reach Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi from river Indus," he had told Rajya Sabha.

The Indus Water Treaty was put on hold after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, in which 26 people were killed. The decision has not been revoked despite appeals from Pakistan. 

Speaking in Rajya Sabha earlier in the day, foreign minister S Jaishankar said, "The Indus Water Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably gives up its support of terrorism. We have warned that Blood and water will not flow together".

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No Pakistan Cricket Team In '28 Olympics: Report. India To Qualify Due To...

In a major blow, Pakistan men's cricket team is likely to not qualify for the upcoming Olympics that is set to take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. As per a report, the International Cricket Council, the apex ruling body of the sport, has decided to go with the regional qualifying format, which will see teams like Pakistan and New Zealand missing out on the event as cricket makes it return to Olympics after a long gap of 128 years.

As per the report, number 1 ranked men's team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will earn an automatic qualification for the tournament along with hosts USA, who would represent the Americas.

"India and Australia to be awarded spots from Asia and Oceania respectively based on the ICC rankings. The International Olympic Committee favours regional qualifying to ensure all parts of the world are represented at the Games so it is a truly global event," said The Guardian in a report.

With USA set to qualify on the basis of being the hosts, West Indies' chances are also dim. "That would have implications for West Indian islands hoping to compete," the report further stated.

A total of six teams will be selected for the event. While qualification for five spots has been finalised, the process for the sixth team is yet to be determined, said the report.

Cricket's much-hyped return to the Olympics at LA Games will take shape at the Fairgrounds Stadium in the city of Pomena -- about 50km from Los Angeles -- from July 12 with the medal matches scheduled on July 20 and 29, 2028.

A total of six teams each in men's and women's sections and 180 players will compete in the T20 format in the quadrennial showpiece, which hosted cricket for the first and only time in 1900.

There are no matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 and most of the the matchdays will be double headers, according to the competition schedule released by the organisers.

The only time the gentleman's game was played at the Olympics was in Paris way back in 1900. Only two teams, Great Britain and France, competed in a two-day match with the former winning the gold medal.

With a total of 90 athlete quotas allocated in the men's and women's sections, the 12 competing teams can name 15-member squads.

Cricket's growing popularity can be gauged from the fact that three venues in the United States -- Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York -- organised several matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by USA and the West Indies.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had approved cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash as five new sports to feature at the 2028 Games.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Ridiculously High": Hyderabad School's Rs 2.5 Lakh Fee For Nursery Goes Viral

A photo showing the fee structure of a private school in Hyderabad went viral on social media as it mentions that the annual fee for the nursery is Rs 2,51,000. Anuradha Tiwari, founder of the Dharma Party of India, shared the fee structure in a post on X (formerly Twitter), which sparked debate over educational affordability and transparency for middle-income families in India.

Class- Nursery
Fees - Rs 2,51,000/-

Now, learning ABCD will cost you Rs 21,000 per month.

What are these schools even teaching to justify such a ridiculously high fee? pic.twitter.com/DkWOVC28Qs

— Anuradha Tiwari (@talk2anuradha) July 30, 2025

"Now, learning ABCD will cost you Rs 21,000 per month. What are these schools even teaching to justify such a ridiculously high fee," she wrote in the caption.

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As per the school's fee structure, the fee for pre-primary I and II is Rs 2,42,700 annually. Meanwhile, the fee for classes 1 and 2 is Rs 2,91,460 annually.

Some netizens have expressed frustration over the high fees, questioning the logic behind such charges for early education. Meanwhile, some suggested simply avoiding such institutions.

"If one cannot afford the fees, don't send your kids to this school. Simple and straight," a user said.

"This entire process has become a sort of scam. Certain things need to be regulated effectively," another said.

"India needs to reform its education policy because the Board exams are easy, and competitive exams are hard, so then comes private coaching, and because of the private coaching, India's education fees and inflation are very high. A large number of people go to private coaching institutes, and private coaching institutes do as they want and increase the fees as per their own wish," a third user commented.

Nasr School hasn't responded to the online criticism.

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Recently, Ashish Singhal, co-founder of CoinSwitch and Lemonn, discussed a similar issue of rising school fees for primary classes as he highlighted a report which stated that the fees are increasing by 10-30% every year, outpacing middle-class income growth.

In a LinkedIn post, Mr Singhal claimed that school expenses now consume nearly 19% of household income, and parents are even taking EMIs for kindergarten fees.

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Bengaluru Man, 70, Out For Walk, Mauled To Death By Stray Dogs Outside Home

A 70-year-old man, Seethappa, died after being allegedly mauled by a pack of stray dogs just outside his house in Kodigehalli, Karnataka, during the early hours of Sunday. According to his family members, the elderly man had stepped out for a walk around midnight as he was unable to sleep, when a group of at least eight strays allegedly attacked him. 

Seethappa suffered serious injuries to his hands, legs, and face, with portions of flesh torn off in the attack. His family members, who rushed out upon hearing the commotion, claim they witnessed the pack of dogs attacking him. He was declared dead at the hospital. 

The Kodigehalli Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. An Unnatural Death Report (UDR) has been filed in the matter.  Cops are examining CCTV footage and speaking to residents to establish the sequence of events.

This incident is the latest in a disturbing rise in stray dog attacks across the country. A couple of weeks ago, a three-year-old girl was viciously attacked in Shimla Nagar of Old Hubballi in Karnataka. The child, who was walking towards a shop, was attacked by a group of stray dogs in the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation area. CCTV footage of the attack showed the dogs biting her shoulder, back, legs, and arms, dragging her to the ground. She was rushed to KIMS Hospital with serious injuries.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Municipal Parishad (BBMP) recently launched a project worth Rs 2.9 crore to feed 4,000-5,000 stray dogs daily across Bengaluru. Through the scheme, BBMP planned to provide cooked meals of chicken, rice, and other meals to stray dogs. The aim was to reduce dog aggression, among other things. 

The move sparked public debate, with many questioning the move to feed stray dogs. 

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has expressed concern over increasing dog bite incidents across the country and said it's a "health and safety issue".

The Congress MP told NDTV that the Centre's data, shared in the Parliament, showed that over 37 lakh dog bite cases were reported last year, but "does not give a full picture because of the reporting mechanism."

The Congress MP has raised the issue of stray dogs, their rehabilitation, and incidents of dog bites in the past. Mr Chidambaram said he even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the concern.

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3 Reasons Why Bihar Roll Revision Can't Be Discussed In Parliament: Sources

There will be no discussion on Bihar voter list revision in Parliament despite the Opposition's demand, the government has indicated, underscoring a reason cited by former Speaker Balaram Jakhar, sources have said. 

The Opposition, which has been sticking to its demand for a discussion on Bihar's SIR, had raised the issue again today, and the row had delayed the discussion on Operation Sindoor.

The Opposition wanted a concrete assurance from the government that it would discuss the Special Intensive Revision of Bihar's electoral rolls immediately after the special discussion on Operation Sindoor ends. 

At the time, the government had accused the Opposition of cheating. 

Later, at 2 pm, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said if the rules allow and the Speaker is ready and it is decided in the Business Advisory Committee, the government was ready to discuss any topic. 

Because the government did not directly say it would discuss the issue of Bihar SIR, or refuse it, the Opposition found the assurance sufficient and the discussion on Operation Sindoor started in the Lok Sabha.

Government sources, however, made it clear that the voter list revision -- being run by the Election Commission in Bihar -- cannot be discussed in Parliament. 

About this, three arguments are being considered by the government, sources said.

The first is that the campaign being run by the Central Election Commission is not an election reform. Rather, it is an administrative step and the Election Commission has been taking such steps from time to time.

The second reason is that even if a discussion is held in both the houses of Parliament on the intensive revision of the voter list, there is no one to answer the questions that the Opposition could raise. 

The Election Commission cannot come to the House to present its side, sources pointed out. And although the Law Ministry is the nodal ministry for the Election Commission, it generally looks after only administrative work, and does not interfere in policy matters.

The third reason the government gave is that there are many such institutions which do not have a mechanism to present their side before the Parliament. In such situations, there cannot be a discussion about those institutions, sources said.

Government sources recounted an earlier instance when there had been a demand to discuss the functioning of the Election Commission. 

In 1986, then Speaker Balram Jakhar had said comprehensive election reforms can be discussed in Parliament, but it is not possible to discuss administrative processes and decisions.

The government is now of the view that the Bihar voter list revision cannot be discussed due to these reasons.

The Opposition, however, is very aggressive on this issue and wait is on for the government's formal arguments.

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All You Need To Know About UPI Changes Effective From August 1

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is set to implement a set of changes to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) from August 1, 2025. The changes, including balance check and transaction status, are aimed at making the interface stable and efficient. In a circular dated April 26, 2025, NPCI stated that they are working to reduce the response time of UPI transactions to improve the performance. It added that the adjustments will benefit remitter banks, beneficiary banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs), such as PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm.

Later on May 21, 2025, NPCI noted: "PSP banks and/or acquiring banks shall ensure all the API requests (in terms of velocity and TPS - transactions per second limitations) sent to UPI are monitored and moderated in terms of appropriate usage (customer-initiated and PSP system-initiated)."

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Here are the key changes:

Daily Balance Check Limit: The users can check their account balance only 50 times a day per UPI app. If they use multiple apps, the limit applies to each app separately.

Transaction Status Check Limit: They can check the status of a pending transaction only three times, with a minimum gap of 90 seconds between each check.

AutoPay Timings: AutoPay transactions will be processed in specific time slots: Before 10 AM, Between 1 PM and 5 PM and After 9:30 PM.

Linked Bank Account View Limit: The users can view their linked bank accounts only 25 times a day.

Payment Reversal Cap: They can raise a maximum of 10 payment reversal requests in 30 days, with a cap of 5 per sender.

Beneficiary Name Display: The recipient's registered bank name will be visible before confirming payment, reducing errors and fraud.

Stricter Rules for Banks and UPI Apps: NPCI will monitor API usage, and non-compliant banks and apps may face penalties or restricted access.

"Members are requested to take note of this compliance requirement and communicate it to relevant stakeholders and their respective partners for implementation by 31st July 2025," the circular added.

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IMF praises India's UPI

Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised India, saying that the nation makes faster payments than any other country with the quick growth of UPI. The usage of other instruments, including debit and credit cards, is on the decline.

"India now makes faster payments than any other country. At the same time, proxies for cash usage have fallen," the note said.

"Since its launch in 2016, UPI has grown quickly, while some proxies for cash usage have begun to decline. UPI now processes more than 18 billion transactions per month and dominates other electronic retail payments in India," the fintech note said.

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