The Hindu

Sonia tried to stop Vande Mataram, claims BJP; Congress rejects charge - The controversy comes amid the Home Ministry’s guidelines mandating full rendition of Vande Mataram; Congress maintained that Sonia was merely seeking a chair for Mallikarjun Kharge and that the National Song was rendered in full

As Govt. mulls MDR on UPI, data shows cash usage quickening - An analysis by The Hindu shows that the growth in the value of UPI transactions has been consistently slowing since 2021-22, although the current rate of growth is still higher than that of cash with the public

Padikkal’s maiden Test century puts India in control on the opening day - The left-hander adds 150 with Rahul for the second wicket before the latter retires hurt on 77; opener Jaiswal’s promising innings cut short after a mix-up; Prabath, the lone successful bowler for the home side; only 73 overs possible as rain interrupts play at the Galle International Stadium

The making of an agitator - Devendra Nath Mahto The student leader has emerged as the most prominent face of the agitation over alleged irregularities in the conduct of exams in Jharkhand

Why has the Centre opposed creamy layer for SC/STs? - What did the Centre argue in the Supreme Court? What is the context for its position? What is sub-categorisation and what is the creamy layer concept? What is the Centre’s position on sub-categorisation? What could happen next in the Supreme Court?

TB vaccine offers clue to shape immunity against Alzheimer’s - Modern anti-amyloid drugs are expensive, experts said, whereas BCG is cheap and has decades of safety data behind it; however, they also cautioned that any conclusions about the vaccine’s relevance to disease will have to wait for a larger trial

Bar and Bench committed to your growth, CJI tells youth - The Chief Justice’s message comes after Bar Council’s attempt to stop professional enrolment of 2026 batch of NALSAR University students; he praises the youth’s resilience and social awareness

Modi pitches reforms, reaches out to Gen Z - PM, addressing the nation on Independence Day, promises AI skilling programmes, free coaching

Safety not on the platter - Food safety inspections over the past few days in the Karnataka capital have challenged the assumption that a higher-priced meal or a well-known brand, by default, ensures good standards, writes Afshan Yasmeen

Growing your own food, time for leisure: what life is like in a blue zone - A blue zone, a concept introduced by journalist Dan Buettner, demographer Michel Poulain, and physician Gianni Pes, describes a region with high longevity; Ogimi, a village in Okinawa, Japan, is a lush landscape dotted with small farms where residents live with a strong sense of purpose

What does Anthropic stand to gain and risk with its IPO? - What is Anthropic planning? Who does it compete with? What threat do Chinese and open source models pose? How could recursive learning decide the race?

Iran fires back at Trump’s threat to declare Hormuz a U.S. territory - The waterway is and will remain Iranian, the Islamic republic’s officials say in response to Trump’s claim; the strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, says Gharibabadi; UAE says one of its ADNOC vessels came under attack

India’s lunar future - Moon Base NASA has invited ISRO to participate in its latest lunar programme, which seeks to build a human outpost near the Moon’s south pole, where sunlight is available for longer periods and permanently shadowed craters contain significant deposits of water ice

India begins with a solid win over Wales - Captain Harmanpreet nets a brace after Sanjay puts the former champion ahead; Fulton’s men score all three goals from penalty corners

States turn to solar sops to cut loss via subsidised power - The approach primarily entails that States’ additional subsidy on subsidising power is treated as capital expenditure for financing rooftop solar installation, according to a senior official

The warrior tradition - Nihang Sikhs The recent attack on the Akali Dal chief in Maharashtra has brought the community, traditionally regarded as ‘Guru’s army’, back to public attention

Messy make-up - A large number of schoolchildren in Kerala are taking an early morbid fascination towards cosmetics, which experts term Cosmeticorexia. Navamy Sudhish examines the mental and physical consequences of the obsessive behaviour

Telangana SIR leaves fate of 94 lakh electors uncertain - After draft rolls are published tomorrow, 119 EROs will have 60 days to issue notices and conduct hearings; BLOs’ door-to-door visits to explain the enumeration process largely did not happen

Why has Bashar al-Assad been sentenced to death? - What are the charges against the former Syrian President, his brother, cousin, and others? Where are they right now? Why will it be difficult for the Shaara government to carry out the sentence? Why has Amnesty International expressed concerns over the judicial proceedings?

India’s lunar future - Moon Base NASA has invited ISRO to participate in its latest lunar programme, which seeks to build a human outpost near the Moon’s south pole, where sunlight is available for longer periods and permanently shadowed craters contain significant deposits of water ice