Top News on August 20: Nifty 50, Sensex end higher, Badlapur protests, BJP releases RS bypolls list and more

India sounded an alert for potential Mpox cases on Tuesday as the BJP released its list of candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls. Protests raged in several parts of the country over the Badlapur sexual abuse row and the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case. Meanwhile Nifty 50, Sensex ended higher thanks to robust buying in banking, financial and auto stocks amid a largely firm trend in global equities.

Stock Market Surge
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty found firmer ground on Tuesday, propelled by robust buying in banking, financial and auto stocks amid a largely firm trend in global equities. Easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and falling global crude oil prices also bolstered sentiment.

Mpox Alert in India
The central government directed airport, ports and border authorities to remain vigilant on Tuesday amid a global surge in cases. Three Delhi hospitals — Safdarjung hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and Lady Hardinge — have been asked to set up isolation facilities while AIIMS Delhi outlined the protocol for handling suspected patients.

Badlapur Sexual Assault Row
Thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station in Thane district and stormed a local school building on Tuesday. The development came in response to the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by the school sweeper in the washroom. The police resorted to lathi charges as protesters occupied the railway tracks and pelted them with stones.

RS Bypoll Candidates
The BJP announced nine candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypolls on Tuesday. The list includes two union ministers as well as several politicians who recently joine the ruling party.

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu will contest the September 3 elections from Rajasthan while George Kurian has been fielded from Madhya Pradesh. The party fielded former BJD leader Mamata Mohanta from Odisha and ex-Congress leader Kiran Choudhary from Haryana. Manan Kumar Mishra will contest the bypolls from Bihar, Dhairyashil Patil from Maharashtra and Rajib Bhattacharjee from Tripura.

(With inputs from agencies)