Evening news wrap: CJP warns of another protest; SC slams police action against students during NEET protest

CJP warns of another protest; SC slams police action against students during NEET protest

The Supreme Court observed that the Constitution protects the right to peaceful protest, stressing that the presence of a demonstration alone cannot be used to justify alleged police excesses against protesters. The remarks were made by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant while hearing petitions accusing the police of using excessive force against students during the July 20 protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Read full story

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation may restart its agitation unless the FIRs filed against students and other protesters are withdrawn and those taken into custody are released without delay. In a post on X, Ranka tagged Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, alleging that the Centre had gone back on its assurance that no punitive action would be taken against protesters. He claimed that hundreds of students had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while several others were being detained or subjected to harassment in Delhi and other parts of the country. Read full story

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju appealed to the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha to participate in the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, saying the government was “humbly requesting” them to speak but they were refusing to allow proceedings.”I had high hopes this morning that Kharge ji would at least counsel his Congress MPs. After all, for a long time, they have been insisting on the need to discuss the NEET paper leak and the future of our students. We have brought forward such a crucial Bill,” Rijiju said.The Parliament was adjourned amid massive uproar by the opposition. Follow live updates

Although Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation brought his tenure as Union education minister to an end, it appeared to do little to diminish his stature within the NDA. Making his first appearance in Parliament two days after stepping down over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy, the BJP MP was welcomed by party colleagues with chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad” and loud displays of support. The reception drew immediate criticism from the opposition, with the Congress accusing the BJP of celebrating a leader who resigned in the wake of a major examination controversy. Read full story

The Pentagon has revised the way it reports casualties from the Iran war, introducing a new category for deaths and injuries recorded since July 7 that makes it harder to calculate the conflict’s overall human toll, according to a New York Times report. Under the revised reporting system, the defense casualty analysis system reinstated the deaths of four US soldiers killed last weekend after they were briefly removed from its website. However, the fatalities now appear under a separate section titled “overseas operations casualties starting July 7, 2026,” meaning anyone seeking the total casualty count must combine figures from two different webpages. Read full story