A look at the top headlines of the day:

  1. India facing challenges of corruption and nepotism, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Take a pledge to stop disrespecting women, Narendra Modi asks citizens in Independence Day speech.
  2. Prohibitory orders in Karnataka’s Shivamogga after Hindus, Muslims clash over Savarkar poster: Some Muslim men allegedly attempted to replace it with a picture of 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.
  3. Mukesh Ambani, family get death threats, one detained: Security at the Reliance chairperson’s Mumbai home, Antilia, has been increased.
  4. Iran denies being involved in attack on Salman Rushdie: The author was stabbed in the neck and abdomen at an event in New York on Friday.
  5. Self-obsessed government trivialising sacrifices of freedom fighters, says Sonia Gandhi: On Sunday, the BJP had blamed India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Communist leaders for the country’s partition in 1947.
  6. Indians must not let ‘authoritarian arrogance’ undermine unity, says Manmohan Singh: Divisive politics may yield temporary benefits, but will impede the country’s progress, says the former prime minister.
  7. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar promises 20 lakh jobs in Independence day speech: The announcement comes two days after his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, said that Bihar would soon become the state to provide most number of government jobs.
  8. China launches fresh military drills near Taiwan as US lawmakers visit island nation: Beijing believes that Washington officials support pro-independence camps and give credence to the idea of Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
  9. Bharat Biotech says its intranasal Covid-19 vaccine is safe, generates immune response: The jab, designated BBV154, was tested on 3,100 subjects across 14 locations in India.
  10. Assam will withdraw one lakh ‘minor cases’, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma: The chief minister said this will reduce the burden on the judiciary.