On August 30, as Raksha Bandhan graced the nation, schoolgirls and women expressed gratitude by tying rakhis on Army soldiers' wrists in Jammu and Kashmir. In Akhnoor Sector, local girls adorned soldiers, while Churanda village residents celebrated with soldiers at the Line of Control. BSF soldiers shared Rakhi joy with schoolchildren at the international border in the Samba Sector. In Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, women tied rakhis on CRPF soldiers, symbolizing the protective bond of Raksha Bandhan. In a touching video, Rajputana Rifles jawans were seen lovingly tied rakhi by women and girls, encapsulating the essence of affection and gratitude.

This year, Raksha Bandhan falls on August 30 and 31. According to Drik Panchang, the two dates are because of Bhadra Kaal, during which one should not perform Raksha Bandhan rituals. Therefore, you can tie Rakhi on these two dates. The Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Kaal end time is at 9:01 pm on August 30. Thus, you can perform rituals from this time. This year, the Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Poonch will last from 5:30 pm to 6:31 pm on August 30, and the Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Mukha will begin at 6:31 pm and end at 8:11 pm on August 30. The Poornima Tithi (Full Moon) starts on August 30 at 10:58 am and ends on August 31 at 7:05 am. (All times in IST)

Celebrating the sibling bond, schoolgirls tied rakhis to Prime Minister Modi at a Delhi school on Raksha Bandhan. As the beaming girls approached, PM greeted them warmly, asking their names and classes. In an endearing moment, one girl gave Modi a peck as he bent down to bless her. PM sat as the girls took turns tying rakhis with his photo. The heartwarming celebration reflected the festival's spirit of eternal brother-sister bonds. PM's joyful interaction highlighted his affection for children. His rakhi celebrations emphasized respect for women and connected him with the youth.

Elara Capital's leading annual conference, Ashwamedh, will take place from 4th to 6th September 2023 at Trident BKC in Mumbai. This year's conference brings together over 30 distinguished speakers and 175 corporate honchos along with thought leaders, policy makers, experts and business executives to discuss pressing global issues including macroeconomics, geopolitics, trade, digitisation, self-reliance in India, and commodities. With dialogues by eminent speakers like Nicholas Lardy, Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Josh Foulger, AK Bhattacharya, Douglas Fuller, and many more, the event aims to enable strategic conversations and insights on trends, challenges and opportunities for India in the global landscape. As part of its objective to provide a premier platform for dialogues, Elara Capital organises the Ashwamedh conference annually to allow stakeholders across government, industry and academia to come together.

ISRO shared an image of the Vikram lander captured by the Pragyan rover’s navigation camera on Wednesday morning. As informed by ISRO on Tuesday, the rover has detected several elements like sulphur, aluminium, iron, silicon, and oxygen near the unexplored lunar south pole region. ISRO confirmed these breakthrough findings by the rover's LIBS instrument, underscoring Chandrayaan-3's immense scientific potential. The six-wheeled solar rover steered to safer terrain earlier this week after spotting a precariously close crater edge. The imaging and discoveries highlight the mission's progress in advancing the lunar surface study and heralding more insights ahead.

Indian-American Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy advocates a stronger US-India alliance to reduce reliance on China. He wants India to commit to closing the Malacca Strait if a Taiwan conflict erupts. Following a breakout debate performance, Ramaswamy outlined his foreign policy vision, stressing the need to vigorously defend Taiwan due to its semiconductor dominance. He aims to counter China through enhanced partnerships with India, South Korea, and Japan. The entrepreneur-turned-politician favours strategic clarity against conventional Republican ambiguity. By urging an Indian role in Asian security, Ramaswamy signals ambitions to redefine US-India ties beyond the current cooperation.

Rajinikanth made a surprise visit to the bus depot in Bengaluru where he worked as a conductor before becoming an actor. The 72-year-old superstar spent a few minutes at the depot on Tuesday, taking pictures with the bus drivers and conductors there. It was a trip down memory lane for Rajinikanth, who worked at the Jayanagar depot and did plays in his free time before making his acting debut in 1975's Apoorva Ragangal. Encouraged by his friend to pursue acting, Rajinikanth went to acting school and landed a role in the Kamal Haasan-starrer, launching his career. The workers at the depot were delighted and excited to pose with the star, who wanted to revisit his past at the place where his journey to stardom began as a bus conductor.

The Queen unveiled a portrait of heroic WWII British spy Noor Inayat Khan at the RAF Club on Tuesday. Khan, an Indian princess, was the first woman infiltrated into Nazi-occupied France to aid the Resistance, before being executed at Dachau in 1944. She relayed crucial messages to Britain while evading capture. Camilla attended the portrait unveiling, renaming the room the Noor Inayat Khan Room. She praised the "very brave woman" painted posthumously. The portraitist faced challenges due to scarce photos of the undercover agent. But Khan's cousin called it an excellent likeness capturing her personality. Khan was awarded the George Cross in 1949 for her valour and sacrifice. The portrait honours the pioneering spy's remarkable legacy of courage.

On Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation announced that an instrument on its Chandrayaan-3 lunar rover has detected the presence of sulphur and other elements on the Moon's surface. This is the first time direct evidence of lunar sulphur has been found. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument made the in-situ measurements near the lunar South Pole. Previously, instruments on orbiting spacecraft were unable to unambiguously confirm the presence of sulphur. The discovery provides new insights into the composition of the Moon's surface.

The prestigious Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army celebrated 175 years since its raising on Saturday at the Sikh Regimental Centre in Jharkhand's Ramgarh Cantt. The ceremony commenced with homage at the War Memorial followed by an address by Colonel of the Regiment Lt Gen Menon. A commemorative medal, magazine, and trophy marked the milestone for the highly decorated regiment formed in 1846. With a glorious battle history exemplifying raw courage, the Sikhs proved their mettle in World Wars and post-Independence conflicts. Famed as the 'Saviours of Valley' for their 1947 Srinagar airlift, the regiment has an illustrious legacy.