Here are the day’s updates:

Retail inflation shows first decline in six months, was 3.15% in July, shows government data

Retail inflation, which is based on the Consumer Price Index, eased slightly to 3.15% in July, government data showed on Tuesday. The inflation figure was 3.18% in June, an eight-month high. It had last shown a decline in January and had been rising gradually ever since. Retail inflation in rural areas declined from 2.21% in June to 2.19% in July. In urban areas, it declined from 4.33% to 4.22%. Consumer food price inflation stood at 2.36% in July compared to 2.25% in June.

Sensex falls over 600 points after passenger vehicle sales show worst decline in two decades

The benchmark share indices fell sharply on Tuesday after poor data for passenger vehicle sales in July led to a decline in major automotive stocks. The BSE Sensex lost 623.75 points to close at 36,958.16, while the National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 declined 183.80 points to end the day at 10,925.85. The automotive sectoral index on the Nifty declined about 4%, its worst decline since 2016, reported Reuters.

J&K lockdown: Women’s press corps criticises curbs on communication, lack of media freedom

The Indian Women’s Press Corps on Tuesday said it was “deeply concerned” over the continued communication blackout in Jammu and Kashmir which has resulted in the lack of press freedom. The region has been under intense security clampdown since August 4, a day before the Centre announced that it was revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and splitting the state into two Union Territories.

Unnao rape: Court frames charges against Kuldeep Singh Sengar for murder of complainant’s father

A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges against expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others in the alleged murder of the complainant’s father. The woman’s father died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma also charged the Uttar Pradesh legislator, his brother Atul Sengar, three police personnel and five others for allegedly setting up the complainant’s father in an Arms Act case in 2018.

J&K: Centre now says stone pelting incident took place on Friday, continues to deny police firing

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday admitted that there was a stone pelting incident in Srinagar after afternoon prayers at a local mosque on Friday, August 9. The ministry said authorities showed restraint in their response and “no bullets have been fired” in Jammu and Kashmir since the state lost its special status last week.

Unnao rape: Court frames charges against Kuldeep Singh Sengar for murder of complainant’s father

A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges against expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others in the alleged murder of the complainant’s father. The woman’s father died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma also charged the Uttar Pradesh legislator, his brother Atul Sengar, three police personnel and five others for allegedly setting up the complainant’s father in an Arms Act case in 2018.

Karnataka: Disqualified rebel MLAs move Supreme Court for urgent hearing of pleas

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the rebel Karnataka legislators to communicate their urgency to the court registrar to list their pleas challenging former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s decision to disqualify them from the state Assembly last month. Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the rebel MLAs, told the court that the pleas should be listed on August 19 for hearing.

Former PM Manmohan Singh files nomination for Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday filed his nomination as the Congress candidate for byeelections to a Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan. Singh filed the nomination in Jaipur in the presence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and other senior leaders.

J&K: SC refuses to lift restrictions, says Centre should be given more time to restore normalcy

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to pass any orders on lifting the restrictions placed in Jammu and Kashmir, and said the Centre should be given more time to restore normalcy in the region. The court was hearing a petition filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla against the restrictions and “other regressive measures” taken by the Centre over the past week.

J&K: Don’t need a plane, but ensure us freedom to travel, Rahul Gandhi responds to governor

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday responded to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik’s invitation to visit the state, declining Malik’s offer of an aircraft but asking for “freedom to travel and meet the people”.

Congress is speaking in different voices on J&K matter out of frustration, says Prakash Javadekar

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday claimed the Congress was speaking in different voices on the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status because of its “frustration, despair and directionless politics”.

Unnao rape case: SC refuses to seek status report on 20 cases filed against complainant, her family

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report in connection with the status of 20 cases filed against the Unnao rape complainant and her family members.

Jammu and Kashmir: Man seen talking to Ajit Doval in viral video says he didn’t know who he was

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had visited Shopian district in South Kashmir on August 7, two days after the Indian government revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution. In a video the government released that day, Doval was seen talking to residents and eating rice. However, one of the residents in the video has now told Huffington Post that he did not know the man he was interacting with was Doval.

Punjab: Educational institutions shut, highway blocked after Ravidas temple in Delhi is razed

Protests broke out in several parts of Punjab’s Doaba region on Tuesday after a 500-year-old Ravidas temple in New Delhi’s Tughlakabad area was demolished on Saturday, Hindustan Times reported. The 15th-century temple was pulled down on the basis of a Supreme Court order on a petition against alleged encroachment by temple authorities.

Passenger vehicle sales drop for the ninth consecutive month, 31% decline reported in July

The automobile industry continued to experience a downturn for the ninth consecutive month as passenger vehicle sales fell 30.9% in July, Reuters reported citing data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Automakers sold a total of 2,00,790 passenger vehicles in July and domestic passenger vehicle production was down nearly 17% last month.

UP: Priyanka Gandhi heads to Sonbhadra to meet families of 10 Adivasis killed last month

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday left for Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh, where 10 Adivasis were killed in a shootout last month. Gandhi met party workers in Varanasi after her arrival at 10 am, and headed to Sonbhadra by road. Gandhi will talk to the families of those killed in the incident in Umbha village about development works, and find out the steps taken by the Adityanath government to improve their security.

Assam NRC: Supreme Court rejects government plea to re-verify names included in draft list

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it cannot order the reopening of the National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam on the basis of certain legal challenges. Last month, the top court had extended the deadline for the publication of the final NRC from July 31 to August 31 but declined the Centre and Assam government’s petitions seeking time to conduct a “sample re-verification process” of the names included in the draft register published on July 30, 2018.

Supreme Court admits Kashmir Times editor’s petition against curbs on journalists

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider an urgent listing of a plea filed by Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin against restrictions imposed on journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. The court asked Bhasin to hand over a memo to the registrar for urgent listing of the plea.

Donald Trump’s Kashmir mediation offer is off the table, says Indian envoy to US

Indian Ambassador to the United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday said US President Donald Trump had made it clear that his offer to mediate in the Kashmir dispute was “not on the table anymore”.

Shobhaa De refutes former Pakistan envoy’s claim that he influenced her 2016 article on J&K

Author and columnist Shobhaa De on Monday refuted former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit’s claim that in 2016 he had influenced one of her articles on Jammu and Kashmir asking for a plebiscite to resolve the dispute. The article was written after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. De called Basit’s statement “dangerous, malicious, and unfair to anybody who believes in the truth”.

Floods leave more than 200 dead in four states, 85 killed in Kerala

The toll in floods in India crossed 200 on Monday, with 85 of those deaths in Kerala. In Malappuram district, 45 people are still missing while seven remain untraceable in Wayanad.

J&K crisis: UNSC chief Poland calls for bilateral resolution even as Pakistan tries to raise matter

Poland’s Ambassador to India Adam Burakowski on Monday said Kashmir was a problem that India and Pakistan have to resolve bilaterally. “Poland hopes that both countries can work out a mutually beneficial solution bilaterally,” Burakowski said.

‘I will send you a plane, come here’: J&K governor criticises Rahul Gandhi’s Kashmir remarks

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his remarks about reports of violence in the Valley. Malik said he would sent Gandhi an aircraft to visit the Valley and observe the situation.

Voices from Jammu and Kashmir must be heard for idea of India to prevail, says Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that the central government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution was not liked by many citizens of the country, PTI reported. Singh added that the country was going through a “deep crisis” and needed the cooperation of like-minded people.