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Rakesh Pal passed away in Chennai on Sunday due to a heart attack, according to officials. Sources told ToI that Rakesh Pal developed chest pain at INS Adyar when he was in discussion with the officials about the preparations for defence minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Chennai. He was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) around 2.30 pm, but he died without responding to the treatment around 7 pm. Chief minister MK Stalin and defence minister Rajnath Singh were to visit RGGGH to pay their respects to Rakesh Pal.

Padma awardee doctors have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to quickly enact a special law addressing violence against healthcare professionals following the Kolkata rape-murder incident. They recommended an immediate ordinance to enforce «the harshest possible punishment» for those who engage in physical or verbal violence against healthcare workers. These demands come in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, coupled with accusations of a botched investigation and cover-up. Healthcare professionals and organizations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have launched widespread protests advocating for a central law to ensure medic safety. Notable signatories of the letter include Dr. Balram Bhargava, former Director General of ICMR, Dr. Randeep Guleria, former AIIMS Delhi Director, and Dr. S K Sarin, Director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. In the letter, the doctors have expressed their significant concern and called for PM Modi's immediate intervention. The letter emphasizes the brutal nature of the event and the urgent need to address violence, especially against women, girls, and healthcare professionals.

Vinesh Phogat returned to India on Saturday after her Paris Olympics 2024 journey, greeted by an overwhelming crowd of supporters. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in New Delhi to welcome her back, despite the disappointment of her disqualification from the Olympics for being overweight after reaching the 50kg final. Vinesh’s appeal against this disqualification was also rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), adding to the emotional weight of her return. Vinesh's arrival at her home village Balali was marked by a deeply emotional reunion with her uncle and mentor, Mahavir Singh Phogat. The embrace they shared resonated with many, capturing the emotional toll of her Olympic journey and the support she received from her family, particularly during her most challenging moments. This reunion, which was widely shared on social media, moved many of her supporters and fans, highlighting the strong bond between Vinesh and Mahavir. Throughout Vinesh’s struggles during the Olympics, Mahavir had been a steadfast pillar of support, offering encouragement even as the weight of her disqualification weighed heavily on her.

Agnibaan. The company used an industrial 3D printer to make the semi-cryogenic rocket engine as “a single piece in less than a week—right from the place where the fuel enters the engine, till the exhaust and nozzle," Srinath Ravichandran, Agnikul’s co-founder and CEO, told Mint. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, fabricates complex objects by depositing materials layer by layer.

Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), is facing allegations of a conflict of interest. Documents reviewed by Reuters show that Buch continued to earn revenue from Agora Advisory Pvt Ltd, a consultancy firm where she holds a 99% stake, during her tenure at SEBI. This situation raises questions about potential violations of SEBI’s 2008 policy, which prohibits officials from holding other professional positions that could lead to a conflict of interest.

Supporters of arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan gathered near the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Sunday evening in an unprecedented show of camaraderie to protest the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The supporters gathered outside the stadium even as a Durand Cup match between the two major Indian football clubs was cancelled amid concerns over the law and order situation. In a rare sight, supporters of the two clubs held each other's flags and raised slogans demanding justice for the victim's family, with a huge contingent of the police keeping a vigil on the situation. Supporters of the Mohammedan SC, another major football club, also joined the protests a while later. Actor Usashi Chakraborty and theatre personality Sourav Palodhi were among the protesters wearing the jerseys of the clubs they support.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team investigating the rape and murder of a trainee doctor conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Sunday. Earlier the same day, the CBI carried out psychological testing on the main accused, with assistance from a psychologist who arrived in Kolkata on Saturday. The Supreme Court has also taken suo motu cognizance of the case and is set to hear it on August 20. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will handle the proceedings. The heinous crime has sparked nationwide outrage and elicited strong reactions from numerous sectors. Earlier on Sunday, football fans protested near Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, leading to the cancellation of a Durand Cup match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Junior doctors and students continue to demonstrate at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in response to the incident.

Raksha Bandhan, a festival that celebrates the sacred bond between brother and sister, will be observed on Monday. On this special day, sisters fasten a sacred thread known as a Rakhi around their brothers' wrists, offering prayers for their well-being and seeking their protection. Mehndi, the intricate art of decorating hands and feet with henna patterns, plays a vital role in Indian festivities, and Raksha Bandhan is no different. The custom of applying mehndi on this day elevates the celebratory atmosphere and adds to the occasions' beauty.

Stree 2’ has proved to be an unstoppable force at the box-office. The Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao-starrer has broken all BO records. The horror comedy has crossed Rs 135.55 crore within five days of release, as per a report by box-office tracking portal Sacnilk.com. According to reports, 'Stree 2' grossed Rs 163 crore in India and an additional Rs 25 crore overseas within three days. The film is anticipated to surpass the Rs 200 crore global mark by Sunday. The horror-comedy faced competition at the box office from two other major Bollywood releases. While the producers announced that Stree 2 achieved a net collection of Rs 100.1 crore within its first two days, industry trackerSacnilk observed a more than 40 percent increase in earnings on Saturday. On its third day in theaters (August 17), early estimates show the film raked in Rs 44 crore, with an overall Hindi occupancy rate of 61.96 percent.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Indian Medical Association president Dr. RV Asokan has written an emotional letter addressing the growing protests for doctors' safety following the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The 32-year-old's semi-naked body was discovered on August 9 in the hospital's seminar hall. «We failed her in life but, we as a nation did not let her down in death. It is difficult to capture the mood of the nation. Anger, revulsion, frustration, helplessness,» Dr. Asokan expressed in his letter. The incident has sparked outrage among medical professionals across the country. According to Dr. Asokan, the trainee doctor was on a 36-hour duty and had her dinner at 2 am before going to sleep in the seminar room adjacent to the ward. She was the only child of lower middle-class parents who are now inconsolable.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has denied that the franchise requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for the next IPL season. This comes amid reports that BCCI might bring back a provision allowing franchises to retain retired international players as uncapped, a rule scrapped in 2021. Recent media reports suggested that CSK had approached BCCI during a recent meeting to treat former captain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player. However, Viswanathan refuted these claims in a conversation with the Times of India. «I’ve no idea about it. We’ve not requested it. They (the BCCI) have themselves told us that the ‘uncapped player rule’ may be kept, that’s all. They (the BCCI) haven’t announced anything as yet. The rules and regulations will be announced by the BCCI,» said Viswanathan.

Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren could join the BJP, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar on Sunday claimed that the ruling INDIA bloc in the state would not face any problem if the JMM veteran crosses over to the saffron camp. If Soren switches sides, it would create a fissure among BJP leaders in the state, Kumar said. «The ruling alliance will not have any problem as Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will be the face of the INDIA bloc in the assembly poll this year. But this will certainly create a fissure among BJP leaders,» the Congress leader said while responding to a query on speculations about Champai Soren. Notably, Champai Soren left for Delhi on Sunday, amid speculations that he is likely to join the BJP, sources said.

Indian businesses need to align cyber security budgets with their growth objectives to ensure sustainable expansion in the face of increasing digitalisation and associated risks, a top official of Kaspersky has said. The emergence of new-age technologies, including artificial intelligence and GenAI, is critical for companies to boost their businesses. «In order to grow businesses, you need to digitise. If you don't digitise, you are not going to have that business growth value,» Adrian Hia, Managing Director for the APAC region at Kaspersky, told PTI. At the same time, the digitalisation of businesses increases the attack surface area, opening avenues for risks like sophisticated cyberattacks.

Health services at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital remained affected for the third consecutive day on Sunday, with resident doctors resolving against withdrawing the indefinite strike, which began Friday, till the Calcutta High Court delivers verdict in the rape-murder case. Earlier in the day, private medical practitioners who observed a 24-hour strike called off their protest at 6 AM, said Indian Medical Association's Goa unit president Sandesh Chodankar. Healthcare services at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, one of the oldest medical colleges, remained crippled for the third consecutive day due to the strike by senior and junior resident doctors under the aegis of the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD). Doctors demonstrated outside GMCH Complex in Bambolim demanding justice for the junior trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, triggering nationwide outrage.

Josh Hazlewood, Australia's premium fast bowler, acknowledged that Australia's recent results against India have been a significant gap in their record. The first Test of the series between Australia and India will be played at the Optus Stadium, Perth from November 22. «There are quite a few players who have never beaten India in a Test series. It's quite astounding to say that,» Hazlewood was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

ISRO's latest satellite launch vehicle ' SSLV' is the first rocket in its category to be ready for commercialisation with two others, 'Vikram' from Skyroot and 'Agnibaan' from Agnikul Cosmos, expected to vie for market share to place small satellites in orbit. According to industry estimates, the satellite launch market in India is expected to grow from USD 720 million in 2022 to USD 3.5 billion by 2033 and small satellites are likely to be the most preferred modes for a number of applications ranging from providing internet connectivity to earth observation. Space start-ups such as Pixxel and Satsure have already announced plans to have constellations of small satellites for the range of services they plan to offer and Indian launch vehicles will vie to be the preferred rockets to place these satellites in orbit. «Larger launch vehicles are there, but with a large number of satellites being launched, companies do not want to wait, they want to launch a satellite as soon as they can and small vehicles are tailor made for them,» Lt Gen A K Bhatt (retd), Director General of Indian Space Association, told PTI.

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday anticipated a festive trade of over Rs 12,000 crore across the country during the Rakhi festival. The trade body said that the markets are witnessing a massive rush for Rakhi shopping, and people are very enthusiastic about the festival. It urged customers to celebrate the festival with Indian goods. Observing the demands for indigenous Rakhis, the trade body stated that customers prefer indigenous Rakhis over Chinese Rakhis during this year's festive season.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India conducted inspections, sampling and testing of mixed spice blends after Hong Kong suspended sales of some blends of the MDH and Everest brands in April over high levels of a pesticide. Britain then tightened controls on all spice imports from India, while New Zealand, the United States and Australia have said they were looking into issues related to the brands.

district court in Pune has dismissed an application filed by the US fast-food major Burger King Corporation (BKC) to restrain its local namesake from using the trademark ‘Burger King’ In an over 13-year-old case, district Judge Sunil G. Vedpathak, while dismissing the US fast-food major’s petition also dismissed the counterclaim filed by the Pune-based firm. “Admittedly plaintiff (BKC) has registered its trade mark Burger King under class 42 pertaining to restaurant services as of October 6, 2006. So, considering the fact that defendants are prior users of the trademark in question, I am of the opinion that the plaintiff has no cause of action to seek relief of perpetual injunction,” said the court in his 57-page order. “Thus, in the absence of cogent evidence, I find that the plaintiff is not entitled to damages, rendition of accounts and the relief of perpetual injunction,” it further added.

Let the good times roll: IT services eye a better future That segment has since recovered, and some banking sub-segments have recovered enough to increase their tech spending. Infosys chief financial officer Jayesh Sanghrajka told analysts last month that the company saw a recovery in areas such as mortgages, capital markets and card payments. Infosys reported its first sequential growth in this segment in six quarters.

No other nation describes its elite as “creamy layer" because “cream" is enough to convey the idea of a top layer. But this is the least of India’s flaws. A few days ago, India tried to reform an injustice within its social justice programme when a Supreme Court bench said that caste is not a homogenous entity, and that the “creamy layers" of oppressed castes should not be entitled to the same benefits as the poor among them.