A look at the headlines right now.

  1. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee dies at 93: Earlier in the day, AIIMS had said he was in a critical condition and was placed on life support.  
  2. Kochi Metro services suspended as heavy rain continues; toll rises to 73: The Supreme Court has asked officials to try to reduce Mullaperiyar dam’s water level to 139 feet.
  3. Rupee hits a new all-time low of 70.32 against the US dollar: The domestic indices also traded lower after data showed that India’s trade deficit had widened to a five-year high in July.
  4. ‘Creamy layer can’t be applied to deny quotas to SC/ST employees,’ Centre tells Supreme Court: People who fall under the ‘creamy layer’ among the Other Backward Classes do not get reservations in job promotions.  
  5. 45 tourists stranded at waterfall in Shivpuri rescued, some still missing: Rescuers are searching for eight missing people, said Superintendent of Police Rajesh Hingankar.
  6. Tamil Nadu authorities evacuate families in low-lying areas after flood alert: All major dams in the region are full because of surplus inflow of water from Karnataka and Kerala, said an official.
  7. Centre to consider freeing Delhi, Mumbai IITs from IIT Council’s control: The ‘eminence’ tag allows the two institutes more autonomy, but the IIT Act still requires the IIT Council to make decisions for them.
  8. Delhi Police question two employees at Surat magistrate office in connection with Aadhaar data breach, says report: The investigation is related to a news report in January that anonymous sellers on WhatsApp were providing access to Aadhaar numbers for a fee.
  9. Odisha announces its own health insurance plan, expected to benefit 70 lakh families: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the scheme on Wednesday during his Independence Day speech.
  10. US President Donald Trump revokes security access of former CIA Director John Brennan: The former intelligence official, a vocal critic of the president, said Trump was trying to ‘suppress freedom of speech’.