Harvard University is hosting a 9-day Ram Katha by spiritual leader Morari Bapu at its Sanders Theatre on the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day between August 15 and 23, 2026, honouring the Ramayana.

More than 1,300 US flags, surrounded by Indian Tricolours, formed the number "250" at Veterans Memorial Park, New Jersey, setting a Guinness World Record and marking both India's 80th Independence Day and America's 250th anniversary.

Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games after officially receiving the Commonwealth Games flag at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Games on August 2.

India and Japan have rolled out a fresh Next Gen People-to-People Partnership, targeting an exchange of more than 500,000 individuals over the coming five years, with 50,000 of these being skilled workers from India.

Sarnath has become India's 45th UNESCO world heritage site. Located near Varanasi in UP, it is one of the holiest places in Buddhism, where Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. 

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand has taken over the interim presidency of the international chess federation (FIDE) after its incumbent president Arkady Dvorkovich of Russia stepped aside.