Scientists discovered a new species of blind, blood-red eel named Rakthamichthys anchi in Goalpara district, Assam. The species was found in dug-out groundwater wells and is phreatobitic, living exclusively in groundwater aquifers. The eel is blind and lacks body pigment; its blood-red colour is due to visible blood vessels beneath transparent skin. The word “anchi” means “blood” in the Garo language. Rakthamichthys is an endemic Indian genus of swamp eels. Rakthamichthys anchi is the second species of the genus discovered in Northeast India.

Aadi Perukku is a traditional festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Amman and celebrates the importance of water for agriculture and prosperity. Devotees offer prayers on riverbanks and near water bodies, especially along the Cauvery River. Major celebrations take place in Tiruchirappalli (Tiruchi) and Dharmapuri.

The Union government released an additional tax devolution instalment of ₹1,09,019 crore to states on 1 August 2026. The funds were released to strengthen liquidity for capital expenditure and developmental activities. Uttar Pradesh received the highest allocation of ₹19,208 crore. The early release was supported by strong GST collections, which crossed ₹2.11 lakh crore in July 2026.

TakeMe2Space, a Hyderabad-based space startup, developed the PowerBank-50, India’s first satellite battery to achieve “flight heritage” status. The battery successfully flew on Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 mission (Mission Aagaman) launched on 18 July 2026. It powered Cosmoserve Space’s experimental payload at an altitude of 450 km. PowerBank-50 stores more than 50 Wh of energy, weighs 380 g, and supports missions of up to 5 years in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). It features high-energy-density lithium-ion cells, an intelligent Battery Management System (BMS), and cell heaters for operation in extreme space conditions.

Cholanaikkan is one of Asia’s last surviving cave-dwelling indigenous tribes. The tribe lives in the Karulai Reserve Forest and Vadakkekotta Hills in Malappuram district, Kerala. Tribe members recently came out of the forest to receive government documents at a special camp (Adalat) organised by the district administration. They were provided health cards, caste certificates, ration cards, and bank accounts. The Cholanaikkans mainly depend on collecting forest produce for their livelihood and rarely leave the forest.