At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
New Delhi: India delivered a strong performance at the 37th International Biology Olympiad 2026, with all four members of its team winning medals, including one gold and three silver, at the global competition held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from July 12 to 19.
Bhavyaa Gunwal from Mahendragarh, Haryana, won the gold medal. Soumil Maity from Howrah, West Bengal, Nishit Kalani from Pali, Rajasthan, and Anmol Kumar from Mansa, Punjab, secured silver medals, according to an official statement.
The Olympiad brought together 307 students from 78 countries. Organisers awarded 31 gold, 61 silver, and 91 bronze medals during the competition.
The Indian team was accompanied by Prof. Rekha Vartak, retired faculty member of HBCSE-TIFR, Mumbai, and Dr. Anupama Ronad of HBCSE-TIFR as team leaders.
Dr. Ranjithsinh Devkar of M. S. University, Baroda, and Dr. Siddhesh Ghag of the UM-DAE Centre of Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai, served as Scientific Observers.
The Olympiad included rigorous practical and theoretical examinations that tested participants’ knowledge, analytical and problem-solving skills across several branches of biology, including molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, ecology, plant sciences and animal physiology.
Congratulating the team, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a matter of immense happiness that all four Indian participants returned with medals.
In a post on X, he praised Gunwal, Maity, Kalani and Kumar for their achievement. He said their success reflected their strong understanding of molecular biology, biochemistry, animal physiology, animal morphology, systematics, and plant computational biology.
This marked India’s 26th appearance at the International Biology Olympiad. Since joining the competition, 104 Indian students have participated, winning 17 gold, 69 silver, 17 bronze medals, and one honourable mention.
The country’s consistent performance has continued over the last decade, with Indian participants maintaining strong success rates in global competitions.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday chaired an all-party meeting ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and sought cooperation from political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju convened the meeting at the Parliament House Complex. It was attended by 58 leaders from 40 political parties, including Union ministers, according to an official statement.
Union Health Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Jagat Prakash Nadda, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan also attended the meeting.
Rajnath Singh welcomed the leaders before Rijiju briefed them on the upcoming session. Rijiju said the Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on July 20 and, subject to the exigencies of government business, conclude on August 13. The session will have 19 sittings over 25 days.
He also informed the leaders that the legislative agenda for the session had been published in Bulletin Part-II by the Secretariats of both Houses of Parliament on July 16.
Rijiju urged all political parties to cooperate to ensure the smooth conduct of parliamentary proceedings. He said the government was ready to discuss any important issue on the floor of either House in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.
Leaders of various political parties shared the issues they plan to raise during the session and assured the government of their cooperation. Rijiju took note of the issues and thanked the leaders for their participation and constructive suggestions.
Rajnath Singh concluded the meeting by thanking all the leaders for attending, sharing their views, and contributing to the discussions ahead of the Monsoon Session.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Debadatta Priyadarshi has brought pride to the state by winning a gold medal at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad 2026, as India scripted history with its first-ever all-gold performance at the prestigious international competition.
Debadatta was among the four-member Indian team that secured gold medals at the Olympiad held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from July 10 to 19.
The other gold medallists were Harshit Singla from Punjab, Kabeer Chillar from Delhi, and Sandeep Kuchi from Telangana, according to an official statement.
India finished joint first in the country-wise medals tally alongside China, Vietnam, and Individual Participants Group B (Russia). The 2026 edition of the Olympiad drew 363 students from 93 countries, making it the largest International Chemistry Olympiad held so far.
The achievement marks India’s best-ever performance in the history of the competition and its first clean sweep of gold medals.
The Olympiad tested participants through demanding theoretical and experimental examinations that assessed their knowledge, analytical ability, and practical chemistry skills.
The Indian delegation was led by Head Mentor Prof. Subhajit Bandyopadhyay. Dr. Indrani Sen of HBCSE, Mumbai, served as Mentor, while Dr. Anubendu Adhikary of IIT Kharagpur and Dr. Jayasree Gopalakrishnan of NES Ratnam College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai, were Scientific Observers.
Congratulating the students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the team’s outstanding performance reflected the talent and determination of India’s young minds. In a post on X, he said the students’ brilliance, dedication, and passion for science had made the entire nation proud and would inspire many more youngsters to pursue chemistry.
This was India’s 27th appearance at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Over the years, Indian students have consistently excelled at the global event, and the all-gold finish in 2026 stands as the country’s finest performance to date.
PV Sindhu won the Japan Open title on Sunday, defeating home favourite Akane Yamaguchi in straight sets, 21-17, 21-17, in a one-sided final held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
It was Sindhu’s first Japan Open title. The 31-year-old also became the first Indian to reach the Japan Open final in 43 years, since Prakash Padukone in 1983.
Sindhu won her last BWF Tour title at the Syed Modi International in 2024.
Soon after the victory, congratulatory messages poured in for the Indian ace shuttler.
Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated her on the emphatic victory.
“Historic triumph in Japan! 🇮🇳🏸 Congratulations to PV Sindhu on becoming the first Indian to win the Japan Open. The entire nation is proud of you,” he said in a post on X.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also extended heartfelt congratulations to Sindhu.
He said in a post on X: “Heartfelt congratulations to Indian star shuttler @Pvsindhu1 for clinching the title in the women’s singles category at the prestigious Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament held in Japan. Achieving her first Super 750 title of her career is a matter of pride for Indian sports.”
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, too praised the two-time Olympic medallist.
“Sindhu reigns supreme at the Japan Open. 🇮🇳🥇 Heartiest congratulations to @Pvsindhu1 on a magnificent triumph at the Japan Open 2026, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious tournament. Your commanding performance against home favourite Akane Yamaguchi was a masterclass in skill, resilience and composure. May you continue to scale even greater heights and bring more laurels to the nation,” he said in a post on X.
New Delhi: Activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking an urgent hearing to allow her husband to be shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to a private medical facility, alleging a lack of transparency in his treatment and describing his continued stay at the government-run hospital as “illegal detention”.
According to media reports, Angmo has also sought unrestricted access for Wangchuk’s lawyers and doctors who had been monitoring his health before he was hospitalised.
Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on Saturday, the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The police had said the action was taken on medical advice and in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court to ensure necessary medical care.
After meeting her husband at the hospital, Angmo said Wangchuk had continued his hunger strike despite being admitted. She alleged that the hospital had failed to maintain transparency regarding his medical condition and had refused requests to discharge him or allow his transfer to a private hospital.
Safdarjung Hospital, however, said Wangchuk was stable though showing signs of dehydration and added that he had declined medical treatment, according to media reports.
In a post on X, Angmo alleged discrepancies in the medical information shared by the hospital.
“I have lost faith in Safdarjung Government Hospital. The hospital told us Wangchuk’s potassium had dropped to 2.9, describing it as alarming and life-threatening. Yet, in its public health bulletin, it conveniently omitted the actual number, referring only to “decreasing potassium levels.” An independent laboratory test reported 3.5, well within the normal range.”
I have lost faith in Safdarjung Government Hospital. The hospital told us @Wangchuk66’s potassium had dropped to 2.9, describing it as alarming and life-threatening. Yet, in its public health bulletin, it conveniently omitted the actual number, referring only to "decreasing…
She further alleged that more than 100 police personnel had been deployed inside the hospital, including around 30 on the floor where Wangchuk is admitted, severely restricting the movement of family members and associates.
In another post on X, she wrote: “It is not medical care. It is illegal detention…I have therefore moved the High Court and sought an urgent hearing today, praying for permission to shift Sonam before his health deteriorates further. No family should have to fight the system simply to choose where their loved one receives medical care.”
According to media reports, Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 as part of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and broader concerns regarding transparency and accountability in the education system.
Before being taken to hospital, Wangchuk had announced plans to lead a march to Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. With the activist now hospitalised, Angmo has said she will lead the march on his behalf.
In a handwritten note shared from Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk appealed to supporters to make the Parliament march a success, describing it as the country’s “second freedom movement”. The note was signed: “Sent through Gitanjali, from my illegal detention at Safdarjung.”
The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the authorities to ensure daily medical monitoring of Wangchuk and provide appropriate treatment whenever required, observing that every citizen’s life is precious. The latest petition is expected to be heard urgently as concerns over the activist’s health continue to mount.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed that he was detained at a flat during the police operation that shifted Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital and was released only after the activist’s hospitalisation. Dipke later announced that the protest would continue as planned and said he would begin his own hunger strike. He also appealed to supporters to gather at Jantar Mantar, expressing apprehension that the police might clear the protest site overnight. Later in the day, he was allegedly targeted in an ink attack, following which the Delhi Police detained the accused.
Despite police appeals to vacate the protest venue, large numbers of supporters remained at Jantar Mantar into the evening, while three members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) continued their indefinite hunger strike. Opposition leaders also criticised Wangchuk’s removal from the protest site.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on X: “The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong … No amount of force can deter India’s students, and those of us who love and believe in them, from raising these issues.”
Several Opposition leaders also criticised the police action against Wangchuk and expressed support for the ongoing protest. Aam Aadmi Party national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to people to join the agitation in larger numbers, saying in a video message that Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke were “fighting for the future of your children” and that citizens must unite and take to the streets.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav described Wangchuk’s forcible removal from the protest site as “extremely condemnable”, alleging that the BJP responds to peaceful and united movements with force. In a post on X, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “A government that treats dissent as a threat instead of a democratic obligation cannot demand trust while evading accountability.”
England secured third place in the FIFA World Cup 2026, beating France 6-4 in an extraordinary match in Miami.
Bukayo Saka was the hero for England as he netted a fine hat-trick.
Declan Rice opened the scoring for England in the third minute, and Ezri Konsa doubled the lead in the 18th minute. Saka then scored two quick goals, giving his side a convincing 4-0 lead before half-time.
France bounced back in the second half, with Kylian Mbappe netting a superb goal in the 48th minute and Bradley Barcola further reducing the deficit in the 54th minute.
Mbappe completed his brace in the 66th minute, putting pressure on the Three Lions.
However, England were awarded a penalty after Malo Gusto tripped Djed Spence. Saka made no mistake and completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute.
France were in no mood to let it go, as Ousmane Dembele scored a fine goal in the 96th minute.
Two minutes later, Jude Bellingham dribbled past multiple French defenders to seal victory for England.
Saka was adjudged the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match for his incredible hat-trick.
Later, speaking to reporters, France Coach Didier Deschamps said: “It’s a loss. We were down 4-0; we played a disgraceful first half. We did show some fight, though, and there were things we did well. We had two chances to tie it up at 4-4, and after that, we pushed forward a little more… We did what we know how to do. It’s my fault; I must not have done what was needed in the first half… At least it looked like something, even if the loss hurts. Obviously, it would have been better to finish third.”
