The Train Waited: Rajdhani Express Stops So Elephants Can Cross Safely in Assam

For a few precious moments the usual rush of a railway journey gave way to something far more important the safe passage of a herd of wild elephants The Down Rajdhani Express was temporarily halted in Assam s Hojai district on Wednesday morning after forest personnel spotted an elephant herd approaching the railway track at Hawaipur near Lanka With the train approaching and the elephants attempting to cross every second mattered Thanks to quick coordination between the forest department the locomotive pilot and the Lumding Railway Control Room the train was stopped in time The elephants were allowed to cross the tracks safely before the Rajdhani resumed its journey A Small Halt A Big Act of CareThe heartwarming incident was shared on social media by Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah who described it as an unexpected halt that gave the adorable giants a safe passage The video captures a

20 Aug 2026

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India’s First Brand-Named Train Gets a Fizzier Identity: ‘Sprite Tejas Express’

India s railway landscape is about to get a distinctly fizzy makeover The Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express already known for its premium onboard experience is set to run as the Sprite Tejas Express becoming the first train in India to be commercially branded and named after a private brand The new identity comes through an advertising agreement between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation IRCTC and Sprite a Coca-Cola brand The arrangement is designed to generate non-fare revenue for the railway ecosystem while giving brands a new platform to connect with passengers The Sprite branding will be displayed through vinyl wrapping on five coaches while the train will also be announced as the Sprite Tejas Express at stations along its route From Tejas to Sprite TejasIntroduced in the Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express is operated and maintained by IRCTC and is regarded as India s first corporate-operated train on the Indian

19 Aug 2026

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Rajnath Singh Flags Off ‘Aparajita’: 28 NCC Girls Take on a 250-Km Trek Across the Mighty Himalayas

The Himalayas are about to become the classroom for young women Led by three women officers drawn from the Army Navy and Air Force a team of NCC girl cadets has embarked on Aparajita Parang La an ambitious expedition across the formidable Parang La Pass Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the expedition in Delhi marking the beginning of a demanding -km journey through some of the most remote landscapes of the Himalayas At an average age of just the team embodies a remarkable spirit of adventure The youngest participant is only Days Kilometres Metres Rising to metres Parang La connects Himachal Pradesh s Spiti Valley with Ladakh s Changthang region and is regarded as one of India s most challenging high-altitude trekking routes Over days the cadets will navigate a dramatic landscape that includes high-altitude deserts glaciers snowfields and river valleys Their route will take them through Kibber Dumla

19 Aug 2026

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Bring Plastic, Get an Education: How an Assam School Is Changing Lives

What if a school fee wasn't money but a bag of plastic waste That is the unusual idea taking root at Akshar Foundation School in Pamohi Assam where students bring plastic waste to school as part of their contribution towards education The initiative was started by Parmita Sarma and Mazin Mukhtar who wanted to tackle two problems at once limited access to quality education and the growing plastic waste problem in the community When the school began families were asked to send at least pieces of plastic waste every week with their children What might otherwise have been burned or discarded was instead collected and put to use The result Trash became a ticket to education From Plastic to a Cleaner CommunityThe idea emerged against the backdrop of India's enormous plastic waste challenge In Pamohi discarded plastic had often been burned creating another environmental problem Akshar's approach offered a different

18 Aug 2026

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President’s Honour for Tyson: The Brave Army Dog Who Took the First Bullet and Kept Going

When Indian Army personnel entered a suspected terrorist hideout in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year one soldier moved ahead of the team into the danger zone His name was Tyson The German Shepherd attached to Para Special Forces and part of the Army's Remount Veterinary Corps has been honoured during the Independence Day celebrations for his bravery during a counter-insurgency operation Tyson is the only animal among personnel named in the Mention-in-Despatches MiD approved by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of Independence Day nbsp It is a rare military recognition for an animal that placed itself directly between danger and the soldiers following behind He Took the First BulletThe extraordinary episode unfolded on February during Operation Trashi-I in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district As troops from the White Knight Corps along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF moved towards the suspected hideout Tyson was sent

18 Aug 2026

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They Once Wielded Guns. Now They Wear Bastar’s Heritage With Pride

For years the name Bastar was associated with forests conflict and Naxal violence But on National Handloom Day ten women from the region helped tell a very different story At a government event in Raipur former women Maoist cadres walked the ramp dressed in Chhattisgarh s exquisite handwoven textiles including its celebrated Kosa silk Before an audience of officials and guests at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Auditorium they took their place in the spotlight not as former insurgents but as women reclaiming their identity and showcasing the cultural heritage of their homeland They had rehearsed for days for the moment And when they finally walked onto the stage the applause was about much more than the clothes they wore From Conflict to ConfidenceThe ten women who participated in the event were once part of the Maoist movement and had lived on the other side of the conflict that has troubled

14 Aug 2026

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A Nation Will Sing: Vande Mataram to Echo From the Red Fort in a Historic Independence Day First

This Independence Day the Red Fort will echo with a song that has accompanied India s journey through freedom and nation-building for generations For the first time Vande Mataram will be rendered in its entirety at the Red Fort during the th Independence Day celebrations on August All six stanzas of the National Song will be sung giving the historic occasion an added resonance as India commemorates years of Vande Mataram s enduring legacy Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Independence Day celebrations from the Red Fort with this year s event also highlighting the energy and aspirations of Yuva Shakti and India s journey towards Viksit Bharat A Song That Will Rise Over DelhiThe ceremony will follow the traditional grandeur associated with Independence Day at the Red Fort After the Prime Minister hoists the Tricolour and it receives the Rashtriya Salute an Army band comprising a JCO and

14 Aug 2026

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68,000 Rakhis, One Powerful Bond: Sisters Across 14 Countries Send Rakhis for India’s Border Soldiers

Ahead of Raksha Bandhan Vadodara is witnessing an extraordinary expression of gratitude and affection for India s armed forces More than rakhis are being collected to be sent to soldiers serving in challenging conditions along the country s borders The initiative led by former teacher and writer Sanjay Bachchan has transformed a simple festive gesture into a powerful nationwide movement But the story goes back to That year Bachchan collected just rakhis and sent them to soldiers What started modestly has steadily grown year after year into a large public campaign connecting women with soldiers they may never meet but regard as brothers A Rakhi That Travels Across BordersThe affection behind the campaign has travelled much farther than Vadodara Women from more than cities across Indian states have joined the initiative making or purchasing rakhis and sending them to Vadodara for onward delivery to soldiers And the movement has crossed

12 Aug 2026

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International Youth Day 2026: Different Journeys, One Shared Dream for a Better Future

Young people may grow up in vastly different circumstances but many of their hopes are remarkably similar dignity opportunity quality education meaningful participation decent work and a sustainable future Observed every year on August International Youth Day shines a light on the aspirations challenges and contributions of young people worldwide The theme Different Contexts Common Aspirations recognises that where young people live can dramatically shape their opportunities even as their dreams remain connected by common goals nbsp As UN Secretary-General Ant nio Guterres puts it young people are already leading as organisers and innovators but they need the skills to go further including critical thinking problem-solving and digital literacy Turning Challenges Into InnovationThe observance puts particular focus on young people in Least Developed Countries LDCs Landlocked Developing Countries LLDCs and Small Island Developing States SIDS Many young people in these regions face overlapping challenges from poverty and climate change to

12 Aug 2026

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