Assam Flood Toll Reaches 68 as States Drop NEET Protest Cases

Assam is currently battling its most severe flood crisis in six decades, with the confirmed death toll rising to 68 over the past month. In just the last week of July 2026, 58 fatalities were recorded, while approximately 40 individuals remain missing across the state. Government data indicates that over 600,000 people have been affected, with tens of thousands forced to seek temporary shelter in relief camps. The Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, swollen by unprecedented rainfall up to 490 percent above normal in Upper Assam districts, have washed away homes and left families stranded.

As floodwaters begin to recede, the focus is shifting toward large-scale rehabilitation and animal welfare, with medical camps launched for farmed and companion animals caught in the deluge. Politically, the crisis sparked confrontation as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the BJP government over its 'flood-free Assam' promise. While state ministers coordinate recovery in hard-hit areas like Jorhat and Sivasagar, experts attribute the disaster to climate change-driven rainfall patterns, upstream deforestation, and aging embankments that failed to contain the volume of water flowing from the Himalayas.

In a separate administrative development, the state governments of Bihar and Assam officially announced the withdrawal of all criminal cases filed against students and activists who participated in protests following the NEET paper leak controversy. This decision follows widespread civil unrest and demonstrations led by groups like the All India Students Association. Authorities confirmed that legal proceedings and FIRs initiated during peak protests are being dismissed to ensure the immediate release of detainees, providing much-needed relief to students and shifting focus toward institutional exam reforms.