Sanitation Workers End Three-Week-Long Strike as Panjab Govt. Relents

Sanitation workers across Panjab ended their nearly three-week-long strike on 1 Aug, after the state government implemented its decisions for sanitation workers, ensuring them better salaries and job security. Panjab Education Minister Harjot Bains said that from 1 Aug, outsourced sanitation workers will be brought under the contractual system with an enhanced monthly salary of USD 215, of which USD 178 will be given as in-hand salary, while the remaining will be deposited toward their savings. Additionally, sanitation workers serving on contract since 2021 will be regularized—a major demand raised during the negotiations. Referring to the recent Barnala baton-charge incident on 22 Jul, Bains said the concerned Deputy Superintendent of Police was suspended immediately, while the police personnel at the police station were transferred. National Human Rights Commission member Priyank Kanoongo had met the injured sanitation workers in Barnala on 29 Jul. Following the Barnala incident, sanitation workers called a state-level bandh on 30 Jul. Main markets in Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, and Samana remained shut. In Hoshiarpur, workers of the Municipal Corporation Safai Karamchari Union (cleanliness workers union), including a large number of women workers led by the union's president, Karanjot Adiya, assembled at the Municipal Corporation complex before taking out a protest march through the city's main bazaars on two-wheelers. The strike had paralyzed sanitation services in urban areas, leading to overflowing waste collection points, foul smell, and growing concerns over public health, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season. Health concerns grew in Ludhiana, Panjab’s richest city, as rainfall inundated homes and commercial establishments, while age-old sewer lines overflowed and mingled with the growing mountains of garbage that had piled up on every street corner. Meanwhile, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal had to invoke emergency powers under Sections 233 and 234 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, directing immediate alternative arrangements for sanitation services citing the risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases. On 28 Jul, the Panjab Government had announced a welfare package for safai sevaks (waste workers) and sewermen, which was rejected by the sanitation workers’ union. The agitation had also renewed debate over the modernization of Panjab’s sanitation system. Following the meeting with Bains, the sanitation workers’ unions decided to resume garbage lifting and sanitation work across Panjab with JCBs (diggers and excavators) deployed to do the heavy lifting of garbage piles from the initial days (earlier coverage).

BJP protests Panjab paper leak | Photo by Indian Express

Opposition Alleges Instances of Paper Leaks in Panjab; CM Denies Allegations

Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) Member of Parliament (MP) Swati Maliwal accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to address examination irregularities in Panjab, claiming that the state had witnessed six major paper leaks over the past five years. Demanding Education Minister Harjot Bains’ resignation, Maliwal alleged that several instances of cheating had also come to light, including the pharmacy examination conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) on 19 Jul with nearly 7K candidates appearing, for which the police said they found no evidence of a question paper leak or the involvement of any government official but arrested seven masterminds, recovered 27 battery-operated wireless cheating devices, including pen cameras and real-time dictation tools, and detained 28 candidates. Opposition parties allege that the following paper leaks and malpractices took place in Panjab since the AAP came to power in 2022: the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) conducted on 21 Dec 2025, for which the probe initiated by the Panjab Vigilance Bureau is still ongoing even though results were declared the recruitments remain frozen; the Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) held on 30 Jun 2024; Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET), which constitutes two papers (Papers 1 and 2) held on 12 Mar 2023; Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), scheduled for 24 Feb 2023, was cancelled at the last minute after an alleged paper leak and the Naib Tehsildar (revenue officer) Exam, which was to be held on 22 May 2022 was cancelled due to allegations of massive cheating and rigging, and was re-conducted on 18 Jun 2023. Bharatiya Janata Party also staged protests outside Parliament in New Delhi on 28 Jul demanding Bains’ resignation. On 29 Jul, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged cases of examination paper leaks in Panjab. However, Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann contends that there had not been a single competitive examination paper leak during the AAP’s tenure in office. Meanwhile, several student, farmer, and employee organizations launched an indefinite protest outside BFUHS in Faridkot on 29 Jul, demanding action against those responsible for the leak of the Pharmacy Officer recruitment paper and the resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put the pharmacist recruitment on hold following a petition demanding investigation into the cheating racket (earlier coverage).

Leader of Opposition mic turn off during his address in Parliament | Photo by The Tribune

LS Passes Anti-Paper Leak Bill Amid Uproar Over Police Crackdown on Students

The Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, amid chaotic protests by the Indian National Congress (INC). Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech on the legislation. Gandhi said that his microphone was turned off during his speech when he raised the issue of the brutality inflicted on students. He called the Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the police action on protesting students. Countering Rahul’s charge, Union Minister Jitendra Singh told Parliament that no firing took place during the 20 Jul police crackdown on students protesting against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test paper leak at Jantar Mantar—the protest site. Singh said, ‘It has been clarified repeatedly that no firing took place at all. Tear gas was used.’ On 3 Aug, the Panjab Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) unanimously passed a resolution against the union government over recurring examination paper leaks and the crackdown on student protests across India. Incidentally, Delhi Police records state that pellet guns were used against the agitating students, while medical reports of those present at the protest site cite gunshot injuries. Veteran eye surgeon Dr. Indu Singh from Amritsar, who spent years treating nearly 450 victims from the Kashmir valley, said that the case of a 19-year-old student who sustained pellet gun injuries, including damage to an eye, revived painful memories for her. She said, ‘The pellets were unlike anything we had encountered before. They could not be removed with the instruments designed for iron particles or glass fragments. We had to redesign our surgical instruments to deal with these injuries. Those modified instruments are still with us today, but I sincerely pray I never have to use them again.’ Davinder Singh Bhangu Shekhupuria, who lost his left eye after being hit by a pellet on 13 Feb 2024, during the farmers’ protest at the Shambhu interstate border between Panjab and Haryana during Farmers Protest 2.0 (2024–25), said, ‘I hope these students don’t have to spend the next two years rebuilding their lives the way I have.’ The injury ended Shekhupuria’s studies, altered his future, and ‘left emotional scars that remain far deeper than the physical wound,’ he says (earlier coverage).

Piles of logs left behind by river Brahmaputra after floods in Sivsagar district, Assam | Photo by The Tribune

Kartarpur Corridor Remains Closed; Sikhs Offer Relief in Assam & Iranian Sikhs Return

The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor—closed on 7 May 2025 during Operation Sindoor (vermillion mark)—will stay closed for Indian Sikhs, said the union government. Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated in the Parliament that despite Sikh community leaders, Members of Parliament, and civil society urging 'early reopening' of the Kartarpur Corridor in view of its immense religious and emotional significance, 'the extant security scenario compels Sri Kartarpur Corridor to remain suspended.' Meanwhile, as devastating floods continue to batter Assam, claiming at least 85 lives and affecting more than 332K people across seven districts, a Gurdwara in Sivasagar has been providing shelter, food, and essential services to hundreds of displaced families. The Gurdwara located near Station Chariali has opened its doors to nearly 200 flood-hit families while serving over 2K freshly prepared meals every day through its community kitchen. Apart from offering shelter, the Gurdwara has arranged generators, mobile phone charging facilities, and fans after floodwaters disrupted electricity supply across the region. Sikh non-profit organizations such as Global Sikhs, Sikh Riders, Sachkhand Foundation, and many others have also joined efforts to provide relief, rations, and aid to those affected by the floods. The apex Sikh management body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, has offered support to the Assam government for relief and rehabilitation efforts in flood-affected areas. Additionally, nearly 50 Iranian Sikhs stranded in Tehran due to the ongoing West Asia war have been flown back to India, with the government facilitating their evacuation. Other Sikh families continue to stay in Iran. The families have been taking shelter at the historic Gurdwara Bhai Ganga Singh Sabha in Tehran. Speaking after his arrival in New Delhi, a third-generation Iranian Sikh Lajpal Singh Anand said, 'Thanks to the Indian government's timely efforts, we are back safely with our families in India.' Concurrently, a Tamil Nadu man, Prakaasam (now Prakash), who went missing 23 years ago after leaving home, has reunited with his 68-year-old mother Sundari after being rescued from bonded labor. Prakash left his home in Coimbatore in 2003 at the age of 16. The non-government organization Apna Farz Seva Society (Our duty is to serve), Patiala facilitated the reunion. Prakash was rescued in 2022 after a video showing him held captive at a dairy farm near Amritsar became public (earlier coverage).

Waris Punjab De protest in Chandigarh

‘Waris Punjab De’ Show of Strength & INC Woes Continue

A protest march by thousands of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De, WPD) leaders, workers and supporters, demanding the release of Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh and Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners) ended in a clash with police at the Chandigarh-Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar) border on 29 Jul. The demonstrators, joined by members of other Sikh organizations, attempted to march towards the residences of Panjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Police were deployed in large numbers near Burail Jail, where barricades were erected to prevent the march from entering Chandigarh. The protesters breached the barricades and security police used water cannons to stop them. The protesters then climbed the water cannon and damaged its nozzle. The march was called off after WPD submitted a memorandum to the Officer on Special Duty to the Panjab CM, Navraj Singh Brar. The Chandigarh Police has lodged a First Information Report against Member of Legislative Assembly and WPD leader Manpreet Singh Ayali and 14 others. Amritpal’s father and senior WPD leader Tarsem Singh called the FIR politically motivated. He said the demand for the release of Bandi Singhs had been pending for years and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the Sikh community that the issue would be addressed. He also questioned the credibility of the police because the FIR included the name of former Panjab minister late Ajaib Singh Mukmailpur. This, he said, was a hurried attempt to weaken public support for the movement. While WPD is gaining popularity in north Panjab, the large support for the protest march in Chandigarh shows WPD might now be inching towards occupying the space Shiromani Akali Dal once occupied in Panjab. Meanwhile, the rivalry between senior Indian National Congress (INC) leaders in Panjab, supporters of INC state unit president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, led to a clash on 1 Jul at a party meeting in Sangrur. The groups nearly came to blows in the presence of Bhupesh Baghel, All India Congress Committee General Secretary in-charge for Panjab. Channi also skipped Parliament when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) and instead led a protest in Panjab over the alleged paper leak issue. The posters at the march showed only Channi, without even the INC logo or any prominent party face (earlier coverage).

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj | Photo by The Tribune

Panjab Assembly Session Begins, ‘Akal Takht’ Rejects Govt. Response to JJGGSS Act

The Panjab Vidhan Sabha’s (Legislative Assembly) Monsoon Session is being held from 3–10 Aug. A major focus of the session is the call made by Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne) to make changes to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (JJGGSS) (Amendment) Act. On 29 Jul, the last day of the deadline set by the Akal Takht to respond to its instructions, ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Inderbir Singh Nijjar submitted the Panjab government’s response to objections raised by the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht has rejected the Panjab government’s response as 'unsatisfactory', with officiating Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj saying that it failed to honor the commitment made by Sikh legislators before the Takht on 29 Jun. Giani Gargajj said the government had accepted only 10% of the objections and recommendations submitted by the Akal Takht. Despite rejecting the response, Giani Gargajj said the Akal Takht remained open to further dialogue if the government wished to continue discussions on the legislation. He announced the formation of a committee to engage with the government on the issue. Responding to a question regarding Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa’s request for guidance, Giani Gargaj said that Sikh MLAs attending the Assembly session should limit their interaction to the Speaker and participate only in the proceedings of the House. He said they should neither face Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, nor look at him, nor respond to anything he says. On 30 Jul, the Akal Takht issued letters to Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhawan and all Sikh MLAs, urging them to uphold their religious duty by ensuring that any amendments to the JJGGSS Amendment Act, 2026, are made in accordance with the sentiments of the community and the directives of the Akal Takht. Meanwhile, a 60-year-old Balwinder Singh, resident of the Khokhar Kalan village, Mansa district, who served as a Granthi (reciter) at a Gurdwara in Birewala Jattan village, Mansa district, allegedly died by suicide on 29 Jul after being subjected to continuous mental harassment over Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture and charter) sacrilege in 2024. Some Nihangs (traditional warriors) staged a protest by blocking the road at Tinkoni Chowk, Mansa. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the sacrilege incident at Birewala Jattan village (earlier coverage).

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari | Photo by The Mint

Citizens Against E20 Petrol; Farmers Say Do Not Dump Policy

On 1 Apr 2026, the Indian union government made E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) the norm in petrol pumps. The Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, claimed that India had reached its blending target five years in advance. When proposing E20, Gadkari said the blending would bring down fuel costs for citizens. However, despite the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's assurance that E20 was rolled out only after being tested for Indian vehicles, citizens continue to raise concerns about reduced mileage and long-term vehicle damage. Since ethanol retains moisture, the damage is to motor parts, besides vehicle owners experiencing a drop in mileage and vehicle pickup speeds. Motorbikes and cars sold after 2023 are E10 compliant; older vehicles are not. On 30 Jul, Gadkari informed the Parliament that E20 petrol can reduce vehicle fuel efficiency up to 6%, depending on the vehicle category and its age, but there is no damage to vehicles. Vehicle owners say the 6% figure is from ideal laboratory conditions, but on the ground the drop is up to 20%. On 27 Jul, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that the government had conducted 'no assessment' to determine how many vehicles in India were currently fully compatible with E20 petrol. Using the union government’s own data, an independent media house fact-checked the issue and found that since ethanol blending gained pace, consumers have had to shell out approximately USD 8.3B more between 1 Apr 2023–31 Mar 2026 to cover the loss in mileage of ethanol-blended fuel. However, Panjab's farmers are supporting the ethanol blending program, arguing that this initiative has become one of their sources of income and a tool to diversify the cropping pattern. This comes in the wake of Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal holding a national town hall against the plan to promote E20 petrol. The farmers' claim of marginal increase in income might be true, but the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, informed the Parliament on 29 Jul that the Food Corporation of India sold rice to ethanol distilleries at USD 23 per quintal between June 2025–June 2026, around 40% below its average procurement cost (earlier coverage).

Representational Picture | The Tribune

Honor Killing in Kotkapura; Research Scholar Dies of Electrocution in PU

A 20-year-old woman, Mahakpreet Kaur, was allegedly murdered by her own family in Faridkot district in a case of honor killing after she married a man against her family's wishes. The woman was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon before her body was dumped in a field along the Amritsar-Bathinda National Highway near Kotkapura, Faridkot district. Police said the incident took place on 27 Jul evening when the couple was traveling on a motorcycle towards Kotkapura and were intercepted by members of Mahakpreet's family. Jagdeep Singh reportedly managed to escape from the spot, but Mahakpreet was caught by her relatives and apparently stabbed by her father. Her body was recovered on 28 Jul, following which it was shifted for a post-mortem examination. Mahakpreet had married Jagdeep Singh, also from the same village, on 4 May. Jagdeep has lodged a complaint with the police with an application for protection in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The application remains pending. Police have filed a First Information Report against her father, two uncles, and two relatives. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old research scholar, Jyoti Yadav, at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh died due to electrocution amid heavy rain at the university’s south campus on 28 Jul. The victim was a resident of Rewari, Haryana, who was pursuing her PhD from the Department of Biotechnology. Jyoti was on her way to the department when she took an unpaved path to avoid waterlogging. However, within seconds, she came in contact with an electric current, suspected to have spread from an electric junction box. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her ‘brought dead’. A case of death by negligence has been registered. Following a meeting with Jyoti’s family members, the PU authorities announced financial assistance of USD 16,790 and a job for her brother. As news of Jyoti's death spread, student groups launched protests against the university authorities. PU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Renu Vig faced students’ anger on the last day of her tenure—after serving as the university’s first woman VC for over three years. Meenakshi Goyal has taken over as the new acting VC of PU (earlier coverage).

Truckers in US | Photo by India Today

Trump’s Proposal To Replace Truckers with Veterans to Impact Panjab

US President Donald Trump has proposed replacing immigrant truck drivers with American military veterans, claiming many undocumented truckers are unsafe and responsible for deadly crashes. The remarks, made during the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, come as his administration steps up its crackdown on undocumented workers in the trucking industry. If the proposal moves forward, it could have implications for 150K Panjabi immigrants who have increasingly found work in the US trucking sector over the past few years. Sikhs dominate the US trucking industry both as drivers and owners. The overwhelming majority operate legally as US citizens, permanent residents, or authorized workers. The proposed action could have implications for the US trucking industry, which has long faced driver shortages and increasingly relies on immigrant workers. The Trump administration is also weighing a plan to charge international students USD 100K to stay in the US and work after graduating. Meanwhile, after releasing the picture of a Panjab resident who died in February 2025, Amritpal Singh, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified another Panjab resident, Gurpreet Singh, as a wanted accused in an alleged transnational organized crime case. According to the FBI, Gurpreet is wanted for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organization accused of racketeering conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, and distribution of controlled substances. Newly unsealed court documents provide fresh insight into the purported underworld connections of Gurpreet Singh, an accused cocaine smuggler whose name also appears in files stemming from a high-profile Toronto police corruption probe. The FBI Los Angeles X handle also mentions the Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organized crime group. Indian media reporting the issue mentioned the name Amritpal in its headlines instead of suffixing or clarifying that this person was different from the jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh. Concurrently, a 25-year-old Panjab-origin Sikh Uber driver, 25-year-old Mandeep Singh, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault following an investigation by the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) into an alleged incident in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Simultaneously, five Panjabis have been arrested in Thailand for allegedly abducting three Indians and demanding a ransom for their release. The five suspects were arrested at a hotel in Khlong Tan, Bangkok, while they were waiting to board an outbound flight (earlier coverage).

CWG 26 Silver Medalist Weightlifter Harjinder Kaur | Photo by The Tribune

10.

CWG 2026: Harjinder & Lovepreet Win Silver; India Signs Off With 39 Medals

Harjinder Kaur, daughter of a marginal farmer from Mehas village, Patiala district, won a silver medal in the women’s 69 kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) on 28 Jul in Glasgow. Recalling the family's journey, Harjinder’s brother Pritpal Singh said, ‘There was a time when people criticized our family for encouraging our daughter to pursue sports, but we never paid attention to such remarks.’ Arranging money for Harjinder’s training, diet, and travel to competitions was a constant challenge. Recognizing her passion and talent, her father, Sahib Singh, took loans to ensure she could continue chasing her dream. Additionally, Lovepreet Singh from Bal Sikander village, Amritsar district, shattered the CWG snatch record and came close to gold before finishing just a kilogram behind New Zealand's David Andrew Liti to claim silver in the men's 110 kg weightlifting competition. Lovepreet’s father is a tailor, while his grandparents earned a living selling vegetables. Encouraged by his family to pursue sport instead of the family profession, he took up weightlifting at the age of 13 and has since emerged as one of India's leading heavyweight lifters. Furthermore, Gulveer Singh from Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh etched his name in the history books as he became the first-ever Indian to win a CWG medal in the men's 5K m final. He is also the first-ever Indian to win a medal in both 5K m (bronze) and 10K m (silver) in the same edition of the CWG, and became the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of an athletics event at the competition. Ishroop Narang from Chandigarh gave her all in the bronze medal play-off but lost to Canadian Coralie Godbout as India's Judo campaign ended without any medal on the concluding day of the CWG on 2 Aug. As the curtain came down on India's campaign in the 2026 CWG, the contingent signed off with 39 medals—13 gold, 17 silver, and nine bronze. It was a campaign defined by historic firsts in boxing, para sports, and judo, as the Indian contingent produced one of its most memorable performances despite a reduced sporting program. Jaismine Lamboria from Bhiwani, Haryana, who won the gold medal in the 57 kg weight class in boxing, was the country's flag-bearer during the closing ceremony (earlier coverage).

Notes

Updates

IN: Supreme Court closes case against ex-PM Manmohan Singh in coal block allocation case.
IN: Petrol bomb thrown at BJP office in Panjab, party questions law and order (earlier coverage).
ISR: Amnesty claims Indian firms sent 2,596 weapon shipments to Israel used in the Gaza massacre (earlier coverage).

Gen Z Protest: Education Minister Pradhan Resigns; Sikhs Earn Praise

Panjab: Opposition raises issues with cheating in exam; Sanitation workers beaten; ‘Waris Panjab De’ focuses on Hindu-Sikh unity; PHHC Stays Fund Diversion Under Welfare Scheme. Sikh: Sikhs earn praise at Gen Z protest; Gurdwaras host and ‘Nihangs’ protect student protesters; Grewal is new NCM chairman; Two movies await release—and other stories.

Modi Visits Panjab, Criticizes Opposition; Farmers To Protest Indo-US FTA

Panjab: Farmers protest Indo-US FTA; Students march to Indian Parliament; Chandigarh police detains PU students; Rank 22nd in Investment Friendliness Index. Sikh: Controversy on GGS Shipment, DSGMC forms National Capital Region body, Sikh Woman murdered in UK—and more stories.

Sanitation Workers End Three-Week-Long Strike as Panjab Govt. Relents