Senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and nominated Rajya Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha on 18 July.

He was recently appointed as Rajya Sabha MP. Sidhu was Member of Parliament from Amritsar from 2004-2014. His wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu is a BJP leader and a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

During the 2014 General Elections, Sidhu was asked to step down to allow Arun Jaitley to contest from the former's home constituency of Amritsar. According to reports, the former Indian cricketer is all set to join Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming 2017 Assembly Elections in Punjab. He may also be roped in to lead the party's campaign in Punjab.

In what appears to be a landmark day for Indian cricket, the Supreme Court on 18 July delivered its order on the recommendations of Lodha committee report - aimed at reforming the administration of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah, directed the BCCI to adopt all the Lodha panel recommendations within a span of six months.

The court specifically mentioned 'one state, one vote' policy and age cap amongst the other sweeping reforms to be implemented by the Indian cricket board. The bench also directed the Lodha panel to oversee the transition of the 'old' BCCI to 'new' BCCI.

The Parliament Monsoon Session of the Rajya Sabha kicked off on 18 July. To start the session, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad brought up the issue of the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

At 3.10 pm, Derek O'Brien of TMC, West Bengal addressed the house and said: If you want to Digital India. Make sure you understand Digital India. Else, it will become divisive India. At 2.45pm, Bharatiya Janata Party leader of House Arun Jaitley addressed the Rajya Sabha over the Kashmir issue.

Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 19 July on account of the passing away of Dalpat Singh Paraste, MP from Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.

The Parliament monsoon session began on 18 July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the newly-inducted Cabinet ministers to the Lok Sabha. Ahead of the monsoon session, PM Modi hoped that the members would observe "high standards of discussions and that important decisions are made."

While the government hopes to have a fruitful session, the opposition is likely to corner the Modi government over the Jammu and Kashmir violence, the Arunachal Pradesh crisis and failed NSG bid.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi said: "I spoke to all parties over the past days, everyone is in the mood to further development. All parties should work together to see to it that constructive discussions take place in monsoon session."

Baton Rouge, Louisiana was once again witness to violence involving law enforcement officers on 18 July, as a lone gunman opened fire, killing three police officials and leaving three more injured.

One of the injured police officials is reportedly in critical condition and is fighting for his life.

President Barack Obama condemned the attacks, and urged the people of America to come together and become a part of the solution to the recent spate of violence that the country has been reeling under.

The gunman, identified as Missouri resident Gavin Long, opened fire on police officials outside a convenience store, when they responded to reports of a masked individual with an assault rifle being spotted at the location.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Centre on 17 July, warning that the government's move to "reduce" the Central education budget would ruin the country.

"Don't mess around with the youth and education," Kejriwal said as he listed the initiates taken by the AAP government during a live interactive session in New Delhi. He also called for a repeal of the "no-detention policy" under which every student is promoted till Class 9.

"If this system continues then the future may be in peril, unemployment will be widespread. The Centre has a no-detention policy in place till Class 8. But it is found that in Class 9 students suffer from depression and even commit suicide as they can't read and write. This no-detention policy should end, this is ruining the country. I appeal to the Centre to clear the bill we have passed in this regard," he said.

For the first 40 minutes into his two-hour-long 'Talk to AK' session, Kejriwal highlighted his government's emphasis on education, health, power and water. He also spoke extensively on the issue of compensation to farmers for land and crop damage.

The Hyderabad police have arrested an eight-year-old boy for killing a six-year-old who protested against being bullied by him.

The eight-year-old Class 3 boy had, last Tuesday, repeatedly bullied his Class 1 schoolmate, who protested. This resulted in a fight in which the eight-year-old kicked the younger boy in the stomach and private parts, said the police.

The six-year-old died on Saturday due to uncontrollable internal bleeding, according to the Hindustan Times. The eight-year-old has been booked under section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not a mounting to murder), and will be produced before a juvenile court today.

The Union ministry of culture is rating writers and artistes around India in grades that will decide who will be sent to cultural events abroad.

Already, 185 artistes have been graded into three categories: O (outstanding), P (promising) and W (waiting) by a committee composed of ministry officials and certain artistes. Only artistes graded into the O and P categories will be sent to cultural festivals abroad. Once sent abroad, the artiste will have to wait for two years before getting another official invitation to take part in a foreign festival, according to The Indian Express.

Nearly 24 years after he was booked in a case of fraud in Kerala, now 59-year-old Mankunnil Suresh has moved the Supreme Court because no charge sheet has yet been filed in the case.

In his plea, Suresh asked for Rs 25 lakh as compensation for the 'insult' and 'agony' of living as an accused for 24 years without being able to prove his innocence. He also asked the Supreme Court to quash the case so he can 'live with dignity', according to the Hindustan Times.

Pro-freedom Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani has written to the heads of permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as organisations such as the European Union, ASEAN, OIC and SAARC, asking for their support and intervention to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The letter went to the heads of countries like China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, says The Economic Times. In the letter, Geelani asked them to advise India to take confidence building measures and "accept disputed nature of J&K, repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act and start a rapid demilitarisation process immediately".

After cracking down on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, the government is turning its attention to other preachers who they believe may be propagating jihad and terrorism, and has blocked three websites and blogs by preacher Mufti Abdus Sami who had been arrested by the National Investigation Agency early this year.

Sami, who is from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, had delivered lectures that radicalised about 24 young men in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and UP. His websites supported the Islamic State, says The Economic Times.

A 20-year-old Dalit woman in Rohtak, Haryana, was gangraped last week by the very same five men who had gangraped her in 2013, and had been jailed for the crime.

According to the woman's family, the men were out on bail and gangraped her again in revenge for being jailed, says NDTV.

The 2013 gangrape had taken place in Bhiwani, where the family then lived. The family says that the five upper caste men had demanded a settlement of Rs 50 lakhs for being accused and jailed in the case.