Good morning! Here’s your quick catch-up on the biggest stories making headlines.
Your UPI payments could soon come at a cost. Parliament has passed a Bill that empowers the government to allow banks and payment service providers to levy charges on UPI and other digital payment modes, making the next policy decision one to watch.
In national politics, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is looking beyond street protests. With a new leadership team in place and a nationwide campaign on unemployment and education costs set to begin, the party is testing whether it can turn public anger into political support.
Elsewhere in today’s Bhaskar Smart Brief, don’t miss our coverage of why RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on Gen Z and Gen Alpha could reshape the conversation around youth politics after the NEET protests.
Along with these, we’ve rounded up the other top stories you need to start your day.
Today’s Top Headlines
UPI charges loom as Lok Sabha clears transaction fee Bill
Digital payments have long been sold as free and frictionless, but that assumption could soon be tested. The Lok Sabha has passed a Bill empowering the government to authorise banks and payment service providers to levy charges on UPI and other notified electronic payment modes, including RuPay debit cards.
The legislation cleared the House without debate as Opposition protests disrupted proceedings. Whether the government chooses to permit such charges now becomes the key question, making the Bill one to watch. READ MORE
CJP to launch ‘Kya Bolti Public’ campaign next month
New political outfits often struggle to move beyond headlines, but some are betting on sustained grassroots outreach instead. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) now wants to expand its footprint nationally, launching a month-long public campaign focused on unemployment and the rising cost of education from September.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke has also unveiled the party’s National Working Committee, signalling a shift from protest politics to organisation-building. Whether the campaign broadens the party’s appeal will become clearer as it reaches towns and villages across India. READ MORE
‘Gen Z is more honest, patriotic’ says Bhagwat
Winning over young Indians has become a political priority, but it also demands listening rather than lecturing. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat struck that note by calling Gen Z and Gen Alpha more patriotic and honest than older generations, while arguing that the lack of dialogue helped fuel the Jantar Mantar protests.
The remarks are being viewed as a significant outreach to young people after the nationwide agitation over the NEET paper leak. They also signal how the RSS is reframing its engagement with India’s next generation. READ MORE
India’s costliest expressway sinks at 84 spots; faces scrutiny
Big-ticket highways are meant to inspire confidence, not raise questions about how they were built. Barely weeks after being showcased as a symbol of world-class infrastructure, the Lucknow–Kanpur Expressway is facing scrutiny after subsidence surfaced at 84 locations along the newly opened stretch.
The NHAI has blacklisted the contractor from future work for two years, while an IIT Kharagpur team will investigate what went wrong. Repairs continue across the expressway, but fresh cracks and repeated cave-ins have kept concerns over construction quality firmly in the spotlight. READ MORE
BCCI tightens fitness norms, cricketers must clear 2 km run in 8 minutes
Fitness is no longer just a benchmark for making India’s cricket team; it’s becoming a tougher hurdle to clear. With injuries rising and fitness standards under scrutiny, the BCCI has tightened its assessment criteria by making the Bronco test faster and pairing it immediately with a 2-km run.
The new benchmarks leave players with little room for error while giving the medical and team management a common fitness standard. The changes are expected to reshape how players prepare for selection, making endurance as important as skill. READ MORE
The Day Ahead
- NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe enters crucial phase; Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court likely to take cognisance of charge sheet on Aug 7
- Jharkhand PSC protest Day 14: Students to march to Assembly on August 7 over JPSC, JSSC corruption
- IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rain across WB; Kolkata, Medinipur & Bankura on alert as active monsoon, wind pattern strengthen
- Maruti Suzuki, Grasim, Lodha Developers, United Breweries and IDFC First Bank to declare dividends today
- Sunny Deol’s ‘Ghayal’ set to return to theatres from Aug 7; the iconic movie completed 36 years last month
Visual Of The Day
Water, Water Everywhere: A Jal Police post sits amid rising floodwaters as the Ganga overflows at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Prayagraj (Photo: PTI)
Today In History
Statement Of The Day
News With A Twist
Restaurant that bans clothes! Not guests
Some headlines leave you checking twice to make sure they’re real. From unusual dining habits to extraordinary personal feats, the day’s quirkiest news proves that reality often outpaces fiction in the most unexpected ways.
A restaurant in Florida invites guests to dine without clothes, while a 97-year-old Briton defies age by standing on the wing of a moving aircraft. In Indonesia, cobra has found a place on the menu, families in Britain and the US are sending loved ones’ ashes into space, and a modest scooter in Gurugram has racked up traffic fines worth 20 times its value. Here are five quirky stories that grabbed attention across the world. READ MORE
News in Headlines
- ‘Should I learn how to speak in Parl from you?’: Kharge to Rijiju READ MORE
- Tarun Tejpal gets 10-year jail term in 2013 rape case READ MORE
- Ex-CDS questions Trump’s Op Sindoor narrative READ MORE
- Atiq Ahmed’s youngest son killed in UP road accident READ MORE
- Asaram’s medical bail bid rejected; SC allows 24/7 jail caretaker READ MORE
- Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother claims Sonam’s family stayed in Meghalaya READ MORE
