The day was dominated by the CBI's chargesheet in the NEET-UG paper leak, revealing that NTA's own experts memorized questions and used chits, with the conspiracy orchestrated via Telegram and WhatsApp. This story led from early morning, with multiple outlets detailing the 'multi-state criminal conspiracy' and the cash trail. By afternoon, severe monsoon flooding in Delhi-NCR became the secondary lead, as waterlogging and traffic jams paralyzed the capital under an IMD red alert. Geopolitically, the signing of a defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—treating an attack on one as an attack on all—drew India's cautious reaction and Iran's dismissal. Other developments included PM Modi's meetings with rebel MPs from TMC and Uddhav Sena, and the Jharkhand student protests, where government talks remained inconclusive.