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Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday came down heavily against the Kerala government for not acting on the Justice Hema Committee report. he claimed the report to be a "smoking gun" that everyone ignored. He called it absolutely indispensable for action to be taken on the basis of the report and refuted that Kerala film industry's image be tarnished like this.

The Congress today claimed that the govt's move to withdraw the latest advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy was due to the criticism by the Leaders of the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge along with others have pushed for the withdrawal. 

The Centre on Tuesday asked UPSC to withdraw the latest advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy. This comes amid a row over reservation in the advertised posts. Union Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh wrote to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan and asked her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalized communities get their rightful representation in government services.

UPSC had issued a notification on Aug 17 for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry. They would be referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments. However, this decision had ignited criticism from opposition parties, which claimed that the lateral entry would undermine the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs and STs.

The Enforcement Directorate  informed the Supreme Court that it will file its response to BRS leader K Kavitha's bail plea in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy case by August 22. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation, informed a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan that the CBI's counter affidavit has already been filed in the matter.

Heavy rainfall early Tuesday caused significant flooding in several areas of Delhi. The deluge led to traffic jams and commuting difficulties. Areas near Ashram Bridge experienced severe water accumulation due to continuous rain. On Minto Road, the flooding was so extensive that parked vehicles were partially submerged. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts widespread light to moderate rainfall across Delhi and the southwestern National Capital Region on Tuesday. Additionally, the IMD has cautioned that central and eastern Delhi may experience moderate to intense rainfall during the morning hours.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will hear the rape-murder case of a young doctor in Kolkata that has led to protests by doctors across the country. Medics staged a symbolic protest on Monday by offering free elective outpatient services on the road outside the Health Ministry office in Nirman Bhawan here on the eighth day of their ongoing strike over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata even as there was no breakthrough in talks with the government. Protesting doctors sat on the road with sheets of paper showing their names and specialisations like ORTHO OPD, Neurology OPD and Psychiatry OPD.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris made an unexpected appearance at the Democratic National Convention's opening day in Chicago on Monday. In her address, the 59-year-old Vice President emphasized the unity among Americans, stating that they are bound together by a common aspiration for the nation's future. Harris observed that the attendees represented a diverse cross-section of the country, hailing from various regions and backgrounds.