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Of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations, 26 registered readings in the very poor range, while the remaining 13 reported poor air quality.
Mundka reported the worst AQI at 365, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data at 7 am.
A layer of smog covered the capital on Sunday, with the AQI at 305 in the very poor range, slightly lower than the previous day, as temperatures remained in single digits in the national capital amid the ongoing cold spell.
Mundka recorded the highest AQI at 365, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data at 7 am. Out of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations, 26 reported air quality in the very poor range, while the remaining 13 recorded poor levels.
Stations with very poor air quality included RK Puram (326), Punjabi Bagh (320), Chandni Chowk (308), Rohini (341), Vivek Vihar (304), Bawana (352), Sirifort (318), Wazirpur (337), Anand Vihar (327), Ashok Vihar (325), and Sonia Vihar (320).
Locations reporting poor air quality included Alipur (282), NSIT Dwarka (239), Mandir Marg (212), IGI Airport (227), Aya Nagar (263) and eight other stations.
According to CPCB standards, an AQI between 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Delhi’s air quality fluctuated sharply over the week, with the AQI recorded at 279 on Sunday, 304 on Monday, rising to 372 on Tuesday, and standing at 342 on Wednesday. It remained in the ‘very poor’ category with 304 on Thursday and 327 on Friday.
According to the Decision Support System for Delhi’s air quality management, transport within the city was the largest local contributor at 14.8%, followed by industries in Delhi and nearby areas at 7.3%, residential sources at 3.6%, and construction at 2%.
Among neighbouring NCR districts, Jhajjar contributed 13.9% and Rohtak 5.2%.
The incident occurred around 1 am, with cops initially suspecting that the fire was triggered due to a cylinder blast near the kitchen area.
A devastating fire ripped through the popular nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane late last night in Arpora, North Goa, resulting in the deaths of 25 people.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed that following the fire incident at Arpora, six people have been injured. He assured that these six injured persons are currently in a stable condition and are receiving the highest standard of medical care.
I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people have lost their lives and 6 have been injured. All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry…
Goa Chief Minister Sawant told PTI that an FIR has been lodged in connection with the tragic Arpora fire incident against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub where the fire occurred. He added that both individuals will be arrested.
The officials confirmed that the majority of deaths resulted from suffocation due to smoke. The authorities have confirmed the identities of four tourists and 14 staff members among the victims. The identity of the remaining seven individuals is still being established to determine if they were tourists or employees.
#WATCH | Goa: 25 people died in a fire at Birch restaurant in Arpora, North Goa last night. Latest visuals from outside the restaurant. pic.twitter.com/4yOjHZ3NIV
The incident occurred around 1 am, with cops initially suspecting that the fire was triggered due to a cylinder blast near the kitchen area. However, it has been ruled out. According to the Goa Director General of Police (DGP), cylinders were intact during inspection.
Officials noted the blast was reportedly so powerful that the flames engulfed the entire building within seconds, leaving little time for those inside to escape.
The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem examinations, while official details regarding the number and condition of the injured are still awaited.
Rescue operations continued through the night, and authorities are working to identify the victims and inform families.
The Director General of Police has stated that the probe will also examine the club’s safety measures, gas connection systems, and its emergency exit plan to determine whether there were any violations.
Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the scene and, after nearly two hours of intense efforts, the blaze was finally brought under control.
The nightclub has been sealed for now, and questioning of the owners and management is currently underway. As per initial information, the club had not abided by the fire safety norms.
Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant described the day as “very painful” following the tragic fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora.
Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people.
I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.
Chief Minister Sawant confirmed that he has ordered a full inquiry to determine the exact cause of the blaze, meticulously examining whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed.
Following the fire tragedy in the Goa club, BJP MLA Michael Lobo highlighted that while some victims were tourists, the majority were local workers employed in the restaurant’s basement.
He also told reporters that most of the victims died from suffocation after running toward the basement.
President Draupadi Murmu conveyed her sympathy, stating she is “Deeply pained by the tragic fire incident in North Goa district resulting in the loss of precious lives.”
Deeply pained by the tragic fire incident in North Goa district resulting in the loss of precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.
She added, “My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”
Following the fire tragedy in Arpora, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sorrow and extended condolences to the families.
The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those…
Calling the incident “deeply saddening,” the Prime Minister said, “The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed his grief over the devastating fire accident in Goa, stating that the “tragic loss of lives” was “deeply painful.”
The tragic loss of lives in a fire accident in Arpora, Goa, is deeply painful. The local administration is carrying out rescue and relief operations and providing the necessary care to the affected. My sincerest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and…
Amit Shah also confirmed that the local administration is actively engaged in rescue and relief operations and is focused on providing all necessary care to those affected by the tragedy.
Condemning the Goa nightclub fire tragedy as a “criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has demanded a transparent probe.
Deeply pained by the tragic fire in Arpora, Goa that claimed more than 20 lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured.
This is not just an accident, it is a criminal failure of safety and governance. A thorough,…
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also demanded a thorough investigation and full accountability following the fire tragedy in Goa.
My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the 23 souls lost in the tragic fire at Arpora, Goa. This is an unimaginable loss. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured.
This tragedy demands a thorough investigation, full accountability, and measures to ensure…
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik conveyed his sorrow and offered prayers to the grieving families who lost their near ones in the Goa club fire tragedy. He further extended his wishes for the swift recovery of all those who sustained injuries in the devastating incident.
PM Modi said that when the world is fragmented, India stands as a bridge builder.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the 23rd edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, criticised the linking of the Hindu faith with India’s rate of growth.
“There is an attempt to malign the Hindu way of life by terming India’s slow growth a few decades ago as the Hindu rate of growth,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi said that when the world is fragmented, India stands as a bridge builder.
“We are at a juncture, where 1/4th of the 21st century has passed, and the world has seen many ups and downs – financial crisis, global pandemic, etc. These situations in some way or the other challenged the world… today the world is full of uncertainties, but amid this, our India is appearing in a different league. India is full of self-confidence,” said PM Modi. “When the world talks about slowdown, India writes stories of growth. When the world faces trust crisis, India becomes a pillar of trust.”
The Prime Minister also took a jibe at the previous government and stated that the earlier systems “did not have faith in their own citizens”.
“Our government broke that way of working. A citizen’s self-attested document is enough to prove its authenticity,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister said that a government’s “biggest aspect” is the trust the citizenry puts in it.
“We have to make the country rid of the colonial mindset from every corner. I want to take the citizens forward with the vision for the next 10 years,” the PM said.
The PM announced that self-attestation would now suffice for many official processes, a move designed to cut red tape and empower citizens.
The reforms, he said, were part of the Jan Vishwas Bill Provisions, which also include the decriminalisation of minor compliances to ease the burden on ordinary people.
PM Modi emphasised the transformative impact of guarantee-free loans, noting that Rs 37 lakh crore has already been disbursed to small vendors, hawkers, and economically weaker sections
“Even those demanding just Rs 1,000 are receiving loans without guarantees. This is governance that trusts its people,” he declared, underlining the administration’s focus on financial inclusion.
Turning to the issue of unclaimed funds, the Prime Minister revealed startling figures — Rs 78,000 crore lying idle in banks, Rs 14,000 crore with insurance companies, Rs 3,000 crore in mutual funds, and Rs 9,000 crore in dividends.
He said the government has launched special district-level camps to help citizens reclaim their rightful earnings, with thousands of crores already returned.
“This is Modi searching for people to claim their hard-earned money,” the Prime Minister remarked, stressing that restoring public faith is the government’s greatest capital.
Nikita, a resident of Karachi, alleged that she married Vikram Nagdev, a Pakistani-origin man living in Indore on a long-term visa, on January 26, 2020, in Karachi, according to Hindu customs.
Nikita further alleged that during the COVID-19 lockdown, Vikram forced her to return to Pakistan.
A Pakistani woman has accused her husband of abandoning her in Karachi and secretly preparing for a second marriage in Delhi. The woman, identified as Nikita Nagdev, has released a desperate video appeal seeking justice from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking outrage among social groups and legal bodies in both countries.
Nikita, a resident of Karachi, alleged that she married Vikram Nagdev, a Pakistani-origin man living in Indore on a long-term visa, on January 26, 2020, in Karachi, according to Hindu customs. A month later, Vikram brought her to India on February 26. But within months, Nikita says her life was turned upside down.
On July 9, 2020, she was abandoned at the Attari border under the pretext of a “visa technicality” and forcibly sent back to Pakistan. Since then, she claims, Vikram has never attempted to bring her back. “I kept requesting him to call me to India, but he refused every time,” she said in her emotional video message.
In her video from Karachi, Nikita pleaded, “If justice is not served today, women will lose faith in justice. Many girls face physical and mental abuse in their marital homes. I request everyone to stand with me.”
She also described the shocking behaviour she allegedly faced immediately after her wedding. “When I returned to my in-laws’ home from Pakistan, their behaviour completely changed. I learned my husband was having an affair with one of my relatives. When I told my father-in-law, he said, ‘Boys have affairs, nothing can be done.'”
Nikita further alleged that during the COVID-19 lockdown, Vikram forced her to return to Pakistan, and is now refusing her entry into India. “Every woman deserves justice in India,” she said.
Once back in Karachi, Nikita discovered that Vikram had been preparing for a second marriage with a Delhi woman. Distressed by the prospect of being replaced while still legally married, Nikita filed a written complaint on January 27, 2025.
The case came before the Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre, authorised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Notices were issued to Vikram and his alleged fiancée, and a hearing was conducted. However, mediation failed. The Centre’s April 30, 2025 report stated that since neither spouse is an Indian citizen, the matter falls under Pakistan’s jurisdiction, and recommended that Vikram be deported to Pakistan.
The notice marks one of the most severe interventions by the DGCA in recent years and follows mounting public anger over what officials described as “massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers”.
The primary trigger for the crisis was IndiGo’s failure to make “adequate arrangements”, the DGCA said.
India’s aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer, holding him accountable for a week-long operational crisis that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country and forced the airline to cancel nearly a thousand flights in a single day.
The notice marks one of the most severe interventions by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in recent years and follows mounting public anger over what officials described as “massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers”.
According to the DGCA, the primary trigger for the crisis was IndiGo’s failure to make “adequate arrangements” for the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots, a change notified months in advance and effective from November 1. The regulator said the airline’s inability to adjust its rosters and resources in time led to widespread cancellations, delays, crew shortages and cascading disruption across its 138-destination network.
“It has been observed that scheduled flights of M/s Indigo Airlines have recently faced massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers,” the notice read.
“It has also been noticed that the primary cause of said flight disruptions is non-provisioning of adequate arrangements to cater to the revised requirements for smooth implementation of the approved FDTL scheme for the airline.”
The notice accuses IndiGo of failing to plan for revised duty and rest requirements for cockpit crew, non-compliance with Rule 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, violations of multiple Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) governing duty periods and failing to provide information, assistance, or facilities mandated for passengers during cancellations and delays.
“As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline,” the document states. “You have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to passengers.”
The CEO has been directed to respond within 24 hours, failing which the regulator will “decide the matter ex parte”, potentially opening the door to penalties ranging from financial sanctions to operational restrictions.
After five days of travel chaos, the airline said it had restored 95 per cent of its network, operating to 135 of its 138 destinations by Saturday. It expects to run more than 1,500 flights by the end of the day.
In a statement, IndiGo again apologised for the week’s disruptions, saying it was “committed to build back the trust of our customers”.
A Kanpur-based man has opened up about the host of issues he has had to face since moving back to India from Ireland.
The former NRI compared traffic in Ireland vs India, among other things (Representational image)
A Kanpur-based man has opened up about the host of issues he has had to face since moving back to India from Ireland. Akash Tiwari, Manager of AI and Innovation Strategy at Coursera, said that he is now worrying about problems that he never even had to think about back in Ireland.
In a post shared on the social media platform X, Tiwari listed three of the many problems he has been facing since settling down in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
‘So many issues’ in India
“Moving back to India has brought so many issues in my life, that I never had to worry about in Ireland,” said the Coursera manager. According to his LinkedIn profile, Tiwari spent over three years working in Dublin, Ireland.
He said that since settling down in Kanpur, he has to deal with daily power cuts. Electricity issues, in fact, formed the first of his grievances.
“I am in Kanpur, and on an average there’s a power cut for 4-5 hours everyday. We don’t have electricity even at the time of writing this,” he said.
Tiwari contrasted this with Ireland, where he faced just one power cut in three years — and that too for just 15 minutes. He revealed that he was informed about the power cut one month in advance.
“In Dublin, over my 3+ years of stay, electricity was cut for 15 mins, just once, to change my meter and I was notified about this cut 1 month in advance,” wrote Tiwari.
AQI and traffic
Moving back to India 🇮🇳 has brought so many issues in my life, that I never had to worry about in Ireland 🇮🇪
1. Electricity: I am in Kanpur, and on an average there’s a power cut for 4-5 hours everyday. We don’t have electricity even at the time of writing this. In Dublin, over…
Power cuts alone did not prompt Tiwari to pen the post. He also highlighted other issues like the air quality and traffic chaos in India.
“Mad traffic and honking,” he wrote on X, adding: “These are man made – artificially created issues. They shouldn’t be there at the first place AND people could focus on other important things in life.”
In the comments section, as many people agreed with Tiwari, the Ireland-returned executive wondered why the people of India have to cry for basic necessities.
Describing the incident as “very painful day” for the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday promised swift action for those found responsible for a fire.
Goa Fire Accident Live Updates: Victim being rescued. (PTI)
A deadly fire that broke out on Saturday night at a club on Romeo Lane in North Goa occurred at a venue that lacked the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) and violated fire safety norms, Director of Fire & Emergency Services Nitin V. Raiker said on Sunday.
According to Raiker, most of the 25 people who died in the Arpora nightclub fire in North Goa succumbed to suffocation. He stated that the blaze, triggered during a club party with a fire show, spread through the wooden structures of the building, and smoke descended to the basement where many victims were trapped.
“Most people died due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area. I received information that there was a club party going on, and a fire show was organised in the club. The wooden parts of the club caught fire, and smoke spread throughout the building. The smoke descended to the basement, and many people died due to suffocation. They had not obtained any fire NOC, and no fire protection measures were followed. The department had not granted any fire NOC for running this club,” he told CNN New18.
Raiker further said that fire services rushed to the spot immediately after the incident was reported and the blaze was brought under control within half an hour.
“The incident happened at 12:30 am. We received the information that there is some fire incident at Romeo Lane. Fire services were rushed towards the spot immediately. In half an hour we extinguished the fire,” he said.
According to the Goa Police, the death toll in the Arpora nightclub fire has risen to 25. The victims include four tourists and 14 members of the club’s staff, while the identities of seven others are yet to be established.
#BreakingNews | Goa Police Issues Statement, Death Toll Rises To 25 After Goa Nightclub Cylinder Blast
4 Tourist, 14 Club Crew Among Dead, Identity Of 7 Yet To Be Established@imvivekgupta And @mayuganapatye Shares More Details
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the Arpora nightclub fire, calling it a “deeply saddening” tragedy. He said he had spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and assured full support.
PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident.
Describing the incident as “very painful day” for the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday promised swift action for those found responsible for a fire.
The death toll was reported to be 23 at first, and has risen to 25 now.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people. I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss,” he wrote on X.
“I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident. The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed. Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law- any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” CM Sawant added.
The 23rd India-Russia summit saw the two sides sign a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and Joint Stock Company Gazprom Media Holding of Russia.
Representative image showing a visa. Credit: iStock Photo
India would soon launch a free 30-day e-Tourist Visa and a 30-day Group Tourist Visa for the citizens of Russia, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday.
The 23rd India-Russia summit saw the two sides sign a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and Joint Stock Company Gazprom Media Holding of Russia. Besides, two more MoUs for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and the National Media Group of Russia, as well as for Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati of India and the BIG ASIA Media Group of Russia.
An addendum to the MoU for cooperation and collaboration on broadcasting between Prasar Bharati, India, and ANO TV-Novosti, as well as a MoU between “TV BRICS” Joint-stock company and “Prasar Bharati (PB)”, were also inked on Friday.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Putin inked an MoU on scientific and academic collaboration between the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, India and the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Tomsk State University”, Tomsk, Russia, and an agreement regarding cooperation between the University of Mumbai, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Joint-Stock Company Management Company of Russian Direct Investment Fund.
During President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India and Russia emphasised their commitment to enhancing bilateral trade and cooperation across various sectors, including energy, nuclear, and military. Let’s take a look at outcomes of Putin’s high stakes visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the India-Russia Business Forum, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday Photo : ANI
India and Russia reaffirmed shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, discussed and commended their wide ranging cooperation in the energy sector, cooperation in building stable and efficient transport corridors, broaden cooperation in nuclear energy, among other sectors, during President Vladimir Putin’s 2-day visit to New Delhi on December 4-5.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised the special nature of this long standing and time-tested relationship, which is characterised by mutual trust, respect for each other’s core national interests and strategic convergence. They underscored that, as major powers with shared responsibilities, this important relationship continues to be an anchor of global peace and stability that should be ensured upon the basis of equal and indivisible security.
According to the India-Russia Joint Statement, PM Modi and Vladimir Putin positively assessed the multi-faceted mutually beneficial India-Russia relations that span all areas of cooperation, including political and strategic, military and security, trade and investment, energy, science and technology, nuclear, space, cultural, education and humanitarian cooperation. It was noted with satisfaction that both Sides are actively exploring new avenues for cooperation while further strengthening cooperation in the traditional areas. Let’s take a look at key outcomes of Vladimir Putin’s highly anticipated India visit.
Trade and Economic partnership
India and Russia reaffirmed ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including by increasing India’s exports to Russia, strengthening industrial cooperation, forging new technological and investment partnerships, especially in advanced high-technology areas and finding new avenues and forms of cooperation.
PM Modi-Vladimir Putin welcomed the adoption of the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India – Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030 (Programme 2030), and set a target to achieve USD 100 Billion trade.
Both the nations appreciated intensification of the joint work on a Free Trade Agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union covering sectors of mutual interest.
The two sides welcomed steps to ensure long-term supply of fertilisers to India and discussed the potential establishment of joint ventures in this area.
Both the nations the current and potential cooperation between Indian and Russian companies in fields such as oil and oil products, oil refining and petrochemical technologies, oilfield services and upstream technologies and related infrastructure, LNG and LPG related infrastructure, various existing projects in their countries, underground coal gasification (UCG) technology, nuclear projects, etc.
Trade and Connectivity
India and Russia agreed to deepen cooperation in building stable and efficient transport corridors.
The focus will be on expanding logistics links for improving connectivity and enhancing infrastructure capacity to support the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Chennai–Vladivostok (Eastern Maritime) Corridor, and the Northern Sea Route. They welcomed the signing of the MoU on the Training of Specialists for Ships Operating in Polar Waters.
Cooperation in Russian Far East and Arctic
India and Russia have also confirmed to intensity trade and investment cooperation in the Far East and the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
This means that there will be more investment and cooperation between the two nations in the sectors of agriculture, energy, mining, manpower, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, maritime transport, etc.
Civil Nuclear Cooperation, Cooperation in Space
The countries will broaden cooperation in nuclear energy, including fuel cycle, life cycle support for operating Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) and non-power applications, as well as to elaborate new agenda of interaction in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy and related high technologies.
The countries welcomed progress achieved in implementation of KKNPP including the construction of the remaining NPP units and agreed on adhering to the timeline for supplies of equipment and fuel.
Both held discussions on second site in India for Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The Indian side will strive to finalise formal allotment of the second site in accordance with earlier signed agreements.
Military and Military Technical Cooperation
In order to boost Make-in-India, India and Russia partnership will jointly work in research and development, co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems.
Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India program through transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian Armed Forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
Cooperation in Science & Technology
India and Russia called for ramping up government-to-government, academia and private sector collaboration to promote application of critical and emerging technologies.
Recognising the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing, the two Sides expressed interest in deepening cooperation in exploration, processing and recycling technologies of critical minerals and rare earths.
Both Sides called for ramping up government-to-government, academia and private sector collaboration to promote application of critical and emerging technologies.
Cultural cooperation, Tourism and people to people exchanges
India and Russia agreed that cultural interaction and people to people exchanges are an important component of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
They appreciated the participation in major international cultural forums, book fairs, festivals and art competitions organized in both countries and welcomed the holding on a parity basis, of Cultural Exchange Festivals in their countries, aimed at the fullest demonstration of Indian and Russian culture.
Counter Terrorism
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of combating such common challenges and threats such as terrorism, extremism transnational organized crime, money laundering, terrorist financing and illicit drug trafficking.
Regional and International Issues
India and Russia noted with appreciation the close coordination between India and Russia on Afghanistan, including through the dialogue mechanism between the Security Councils of both countries. They emphasised the important role of the Moscow Format meetings.
The Leaders welcomed the counter-terrorism measures against international terrorist groups, including ISIS and ISKP and their affiliates, and expressed confidence that the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan would be comprehensive and effective.
They stressed the need to ensure urgent and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
The BJP suggested that the Gandhi family must start using the Nehru surname if they have such respect for the former prime minister.
The project to vilify Jawaharlal Nehru is the main goal of the ruling establishment today, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has said, ripping into the BJP for allegedly trying to erase the first prime minister from the country’s history.
It’s the Congress that underestimated Nehru’s contribution, the BJP fired back, claiming that they only highlighted attempts to cover up his “mistakes” and not disrespect him.
In her remarks yesterday at an event at Jawahar Bhawan to launch the Nehru Centre India, Gandhi further alleged a systematic attempt to denigrate, distort, demean, and defame Nehru.
“The sole objective of this is to not only diminish him as a personality but also his universally recognised role in India’s independence struggle and his early decades as a leader of an independent nation challenged by unprecedented problems, but it is also to demolish his multifaceted legacy in a crude and self-serving attempt to rewrite history,” she said, calling such attempts “totally unacceptable.”
Those behind the project to diminish Nehru belong to an ideology that had no role in the freedom movement and the making of the constitution and that fanned an atmosphere that led to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, she claimed.
“Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the project to vilify Jawaharlal Nehru is the main objective of the ruling establishment today. Their goal is not just to erase him; it is actually to destroy the social, political, and economic foundations on which our nation has been founded and built,” added the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson.
Gandhi said Nehru continues to serve as a beacon of light to the millions of India’s citizens and that it is inevitable that such a monumental figure will have his life and work analysed and critiqued—and that is indeed as it should be.
Although the temptation to divorce Nehru from his times and the challenges that he had to face and to look at him, devoid of the historical context in which a function has become quite widespread, she added.
The BJP differed with Gandhi’s views, suggesting that if she had such respect for the former prime minister, she would have added the Nehru surname to the family line.
“It’s time she stops crying wolf all the time. If she had great respect for Nehru, she would have added the surname of Nehru to the family line. They are the people who have underestimated Nehru’s contributions. It’s not the BJP or the current dispensation that is indulging in it,” BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told NDTV.
He alleged attempts to cover up Nehru’s fault, from scams to the 1962 Sino-India war, underscoring that it was only human to make mistakes.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi issued a passenger advisory, announcing that IndiGo flight operations are gradually returning to normal following the airline’s disruption, which resulted in over 1,000 flight cancellations on Friday and over 550 flights on Thursday.
IndiGo flight cancellations enter the fifth day
Disruptions from IndiGo’s flight cancellations continued into the fifth day on Saturday with multiple flights cancelled across the country. The airline, struggling with widespread operational chaos for the past four days, recorded over 1,000 cancellations on Friday and 550 on Thursday as well.
Meanwhile, Delhi Airport issued an advisory stating that operations are gradually returning to normal, while a petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking the Chief Justice’s intervention over passenger losses caused by the suspension of flights.
OPERATIONS RETURNING TO NORMALCY: DELHI AIRPORT
Delhi Airport has issued an advisory stating that flight operations are gradually returning to normal and urged passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.
“We are glad to update that Indigo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy following the brief disruption. Please check the status of your booking and flight before leaving from home,” Delhi Airport said in a post on X. On Friday, the airline had cancelled all domestic departures from Delhi airport until midnight.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking Chief Justice of India’s intervention after passengers suffered losses due to IndiGo flight suspensions. The plea urges the Court to take suo motu cognisance, direct the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA to submit status reports, and constitute a special bench for immediate hearing.
Meanwhile, the DGCA has attributed the disruptions to IndiGo’s “misjudgment and gap in planning” in implementing new pilot duty-hour regulations.
INDIGO CEO PETER ELBERS APOLOGISES
The airline’s CEO Peter Elbers firmly indicated that normal operations are expected to resume sometime between 10 and 15 December.
“December 5 was the most severely impacted day, with the number of cancellations well over 1000. I extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience it has caused to our customers. It will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we anticipate between 10 to 15 December,” Elbers said in a video message.
TAKING STRICT ACTION: CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu attributed the chaos to IndiGo’s poor crew management and its handling of the DGCA’s new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. In an interview with ANI, the minister explained that the disruptions led the Civil Aviation Ministry to provide IndiGo with temporary relief from certain regulatory requirements.
“We have formed a committee which will inquire into all this so that they can establish where things went wrong and who did it wrong. We are taking strict action on this, so that whoever was responsible into this needs to pay for it,” Naidu said.
A new study suggests cats meow more frequently and loudly at male caregivers because men tend to speak less to them, prompting cats to work harder for attention. Researchers found this pattern across 31 cats in Turkey, though larger global studies are needed to confirm the behaviour.
Representative Image: Do Cats Meow More At Men Because They ‘Don’t Listen?’ Scientists Explain Photo : iStock
Ever feel like your cat “talks” more when a man walks into the room? Turns out, there might actually be science behind it. A new study suggests that cats tend to meow at men more often and louder than they do at women. And no, it’s not because they adore men more… it might be because men simply pay less attention.
Published in the journal Ethology, the study set out to observe real, unfiltered human–cat interactions rather than relying on owners’ self-reports. Led by Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas from Ankara University in Turkey, researchers monitored 31 cats and their caregivers in their own homes.
Each cat wore a tiny chest-mounted camera so scientists could analyse the first moments after their humans returned home. What stood out? Cats consistently greeted male caregivers with noticeably more meows, purrs, and chirps compared to female caregivers, regardless of the cat’s age, breed, sex, or the size of the household.
On average, the cats let out 4.3 meows in the first 100 seconds when a man walked in, while women got just 1.8 meows in the same time.
According to the study’s author: “Male caregivers might engage less frequently in verbal behaviours compared to female caregivers. This difference could prompt cats to use vocal signals more actively to elicit responses from male caregivers.”
During Vladimir Putin’s high-security visit to Delhi, Prime Minister Modi presented the Russian president with a Gita translated into Russian, a symbolic cultural gift reinforcing long-standing ties. Former envoy Rajiv Bhatia called the trip crucial.
Modi and Putin Photo : AP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose a distinctly civilizational touch for his engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, gifting him a copy of the Bhagavad Gita rendered in Russian. Officials and analysts see the choice as a nod to India’s soft-power tradition—using scripture and culture to signal friendship beyond hard security and energy deals. The meeting comes as New Delhi balances its historic Moscow ties with closer links to Washington and the West, especially under the shadow of the Ukraine war.
In an interview ahead of talks, Putin underlined that Moscow and New Delhi do not frame their cooperation as part of any anti-Western bloc. “Neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have never approached our collaboration to work against someone,” he said, arguing the partnership rests on mutual interests rather than confrontation. He also took aim at the G7’s “Big Seven” image, asking what was “so big” about them when India ranks third globally by purchasing power parity while the UK lingers around 10th place.
Presented a copy of the Gita in Russian to President Putin. The teachings of the Gita give inspiration to millions across the world.@KremlinRussia_Epic.twitter.com/D2zczJXkU2
On the ground, Delhi Traffic Police rolled out a sweeping advisory for Friday, flagging diversions and rolling closures across central Delhi from 9 a.m. to noon due to “administrative exigencies” tied to the high-profile visit. Commuters were urged to avoid corridors such as W Point, A Point, ITO, BSZ Marg, Delhi Gate, JLN Marg, Rajghat and Shanti Van Crossings, Hanuman Setu–Y Point, Netaji Subhash Marg, Saleem Garh bypass and the stretch from Pragati Maidan Tunnel to Hanuman Setu, among others. Authorities said security and route sanitisation for Putin’s convoy were the main drivers of the restrictions.
The summit unfolds amid tightened anti-drone measures, layered police and paramilitary deployments and coordination between Indian agencies and Putin’s own security detail. Officials expect intermittent delays near government complexes, with advice for office-goers to use metro services where possible during the peak security window.
Why the Visit Matters, Beyond the Optics
Former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia called Putin’s India trip “a very important visit,” pointing to its timing as the first by the Russian leader since the Ukraine invasion and since visible strains in India–US ties. He noted it also follows India’s prominent role at recent G20 meetings, suggesting multiple strategic layers—from defence and energy deals to rupee–ruble trade mechanisms and sanctions navigation. “First of all, the focus will be on bilateral relations and how to deepen and strengthen this relationship… I think the limelight will be on the economic dimensions,” Bhatia observed, capturing the underlying agenda behind the warm optics and cultural gifting.
IndiGo’s crisis deepens as it seeks temporary FDTL relaxations, warns of more cancellations until December 8, and admits planning lapses.
Passengers wait outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as several Indigo flights were either cancelled or delayed on Thursday. (Photo: AP) Photo : AP
It seems IndiGo’s crisis is far from over, as the carrier has sought temporary relaxations in flight duty norms from aviation watchdog DGCA, saying that operations will be fully restored only by February 10. Since the implementation of the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, IndiGo has faced a severe operational crisis, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights. On Thursday, approximately 550 flights were cancelled, leaving commuters struggling to navigate the situation.
The airline, which was summoned by the authorities, acknowledged that the disruptions stemmed from misjudgment and planning gaps. IndiGo also informed the regulator that there will be more cancellations until December 8, and from that day, services will be further reduced, according to a PTI report.
Notably, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has expressed his displeasure at IndiGo’s handling of the situation despite having ample preparation time.
IndiGo’s On-Time Performance Plunges to 19.7%
IndiGo, which typically operates around 2,300 flights a day and prides itself on punctuality, saw its on-time performance crash to 19.7 per cent on Wednesday, a sharp drop from 35 per cent the previous day.
The civil aviation minister has directed the airline to proactively inform passengers of any likely cancellations well in advance, while the DGCA will conduct strict real-time monitoring of its operations.
With airfares showing an uptick amid widespread cancellations, authorities are keeping a close watch to ensure prices are not hiked due to the disruptions. The ministry said officers have been stationed at IndiGo’s operational control centres for continuous oversight.
IndiGo Seeks Relaxations Till February 10
In a move likely to raise concerns within the pilots’ community, IndiGo has requested exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) requirements for its A320 operations until February 10, 2026, as part of efforts to stabilise flight schedules.
The DGCA will now assess the relaxations sought by the airline.
Updating the regulator on crew availability for its A320 fleet, IndiGo said it has 2,357 captains and 2,194 first officers available in December. This is lower than the requirement in November – 2,422 captains and 2,153 first officers – numbers that rose following the rollout of the second phase of the FDTL norms. In October, the requirement stood at 2,186 captains and 1,948 first officers.
These figures highlight a shortage of pilots, a central reason behind the ongoing disruptions. With the new FDTL rules limiting the number of night landings per pilot, night operations have also taken a hit. The airline also shared future projections with the regulator, noting that crew requirements were higher than anticipated.
What’s Next For IndiGo?
IndiGo has told the regulator that corrective steps are underway and full flight normalcy will be restored by February 10, 2026, though more cancellations are expected in the coming days. From December 8, the airline will cut flight operations to minimise disruptions, according to a DGCA statement.
The regulator has asked IndiGo to submit a detailed roadmap on crew hiring plans, aircraft induction, training, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments and mitigation measures. A progress report will also be required every 15 days.
During an inspection at Delhi’s Terminal 1, DGCA found IndiGo’s passenger-handling manpower “inadequate” and instructed the airline to urgently ramp up staff and support services.
Kengeri police arrived at the scene and are working to identify the deceased and establish the circumstances that led to the suspected suicide.
File photo of Bengaluru Metro. (Photo Credit: X)
A man died on the spot after he reportedly jumped in front of a moving metro train approaching Bengaluru’s Kengeri station on Thursday, leading to an immediate disruption of services on the Purple Line.
Kengeri police arrived at the scene and are working to identify the deceased and determine what led to the suspected suicide. Authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Namma Metro, in a post on X, announced that services between Mysuru Road and Challaghatta were suspended because of the incident, adding that normal operations would resume after clearance and safety checks.
In a separate statement on X, Namma Metro officials expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to commuters. Police teams reached the spot soon after receiving alerts from locals and carried out preliminary checks, dispatching additional officers to secure the area and verify the sequence of events.
The deceased has not yet been identified, though officers estimate he was between 35 and 40 years old. While no identification documents were recovered, police found a mobile phone and some cash in his pocket and are attempting to contact his family through numbers stored on the device.
CCTV footage captured the man suddenly jumping from the platform onto the tracks as the train approached, prompting investigators to conclude that it was a clear case of suicide. Police said there was no indication of foul play.
The suspension of services during peak hours caused significant disruption, leaving thousands of office-bound commuters stranded. Passengers from Kengeri, RR Nagar, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Vijayanagar and other parts of West Bengaluru were forced to rely on BMTC buses, leading to heavy crowding across multiple routes.
Calling Putin’s trip “a very important visit”, Shashi Tharoor said the Russian President’s presence in India “has great value for our country”.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor underlined the strategic importance of the visit. (PTI)
As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on a two-day state visit on Thursday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the significance of the visit, saying it is a reaffirmation of India’s long-standing ties with Russia while asserting that deepening these ties does not come at the expense of India’s relations with any other country.
Calling Putin’s trip “a very important visit”, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said the Russian President’s presence in India “has great value for our country”, describing the Moscow–New Delhi relationship as an important pillar of India’s foreign policy. In a turbulent global environment, he said, it was essential for India to stabilise and strengthen partnerships that have historically served its national interests.
“It’s a very important visit, I do believe that his visit has a great value to our country. It’s an important relationship we have with Russia. President Putin is an important partner, we look forward to welcoming him,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI.
VIDEO | As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on a state visit, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) says, “It’s a very important visit, I do believe that his visit has a great value to our country. It’s an important relation we have with Russia. It does… pic.twitter.com/Xazl4BIrCZ
Tharoor further stressed that deeper engagement with Moscow does not undermine India’s ties with any other nation, including, United States, China and Europe.
“No one should misunderstand that this will affect our relationships with other countries, because India has the capacity to have independent relationships with different governments. We are a nation that has always believed in sovereign autonomy,” he added.
Reiterating India’s long-held diplomatic doctrine, Tharoor said “sovereign autonomy is a cardinal principle of Indian foreign policy”, asserting that New Delhi will continue to maintain “strong relations with all”.
Highlighting the practical value of the relationship, Tharoor emphasised recent years where Russian cooperation — particularly in oil, gas and defence — has been crucial. He cited Operation Sindoor as an example, saying the Russian-made S-400 system had played a decisive role in intercepting several Pakistani missiles targeting major cities, “including Delhi”.
“The value of defence imports from Russia was demonstrated once again during Operation Sindoor when the S-400 protected us from a number of Pakistani missiles that were targeting our cities, including Delhi,” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Russian President Vladimir Putin’s India visit, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “It’s hugely significant. It is a crucial relationship, and has been for a long time. In today’s rather turbulent world, where so many relationships have become uncertain, it… pic.twitter.com/5voE1sTVjX
Tharoor said any agreements that emerge during President Putin’s visit would be part of “strengthening a vital relationship” — one that, in his view, does not undermine India’s partnerships with Washington, Beijing or any other global actor.
Earlier today, Tharoor stressed that India must sustain its bilateral relationships with Russia, China and the United States. He added that New Delhi cannot accept the idea that one partnership should be shaped or limited by the nature of another. India, he insisted, should retain its sovereign autonomy to define the terms of its engagement with every country.
“I believe that we have maintained good relations with Russia, with America and with China. At different times, there are different emphases. But I would say that my understanding is a lot of talks have already taken place at the expert level to work out some possible agreements that might be signed when President Putin is here. And that would be very valuable for us,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI.
The raids were conducted on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI for creating fake export documents, including invoices and shipping bills, to falsely show goods as being exported to Nepal and Bangladesh while actually selling them domestically, thereby evading customs duty of Rs 190 crore.
The raids are being conducted at 15 locations in 10 states.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday again grilled Delhi-based businessman Vikas Garg, who is also the Chairman of Ebix Inc, in connection with a money laundering case tied to a Rs 190 crore customs duty fraud and forgery case.
Earlier, he was questioned for over eight hours last month in the same case. Several employees working for Garg are also under the ED’s radar and have been summoned for questioning in Mumbai. The case involves the alleged illegal import and diversion of betel nuts and other materials by forging export documents, causing losses of crores to the exchequer.
According to sources, Garg is the prime accused in the case and was questioned for over six hours at the ED office by investigators again on Tuesday. Garg’s accomplices and employees were also earlier questioned by agency officials, sources said. During searches at Garg’s premises and those linked to his employees, officials found some incriminating documents.
According to ED sources, the raids that took place on November 12 at the premises and residence of Garg, his employees, and other accused were based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR that accuses Garg and several others of conspiring to defraud the government through falsified export records and forged customs documents.
Garg, along with his family members, is a promoter of several listed firms including Vikas Ecotec, Vikas Lifecare, Eraaya Lifespaces, and Advika Capital. He recently made news for acquiring the Nasdaq-listed company Ebix Inc.
Garg’s name had earlier surfaced in the Mahadev betting app money laundering case, where ED officials alleged that he received proceeds of crime worth crores from key accused Harishankar Tibrewal.
Investigators also suspect him of manipulating share prices of certain listed companies using illicit funds. Following previous raids in April, Garg was questioned several times in Raipur, and SEBI was asked to probe suspected market manipulation by his firms.
FORGED EXPORTS, DUTY-FREE IMPORTS DIVERTED TO INDIAN MARKET
The latest ED action stems from a CBI FIR filed in 2023 against Garg and seven others, including Titan Sea & Air Service Pvt. Ltd., its directors, and associated companies. The FIR was based on findings from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which uncovered a large-scale import fraud involving the misuse of Free Trade Warehousing Zones (FTWZ) in Maharashtra.
Sources from the agency said searches were conducted under Section 17 of the PMLA, 2002 in the case of M/s Titan Sea & Air Services Pvt Ltd and others, recorded on the basis of an FIR registered by CBI for creating fake export documents including invoices and shipping bills to misrepresent goods as being exported to Nepal and Bangladesh, while actually selling them domestically and thereby evading customs duty of Rs 190 crore.
The residential and business premises of Vikas Garg, one of the key persons behind the evasion of customs duty of Rs 190 crore, and his employees — in whose names entities were incorporated outside India for effecting imports and exports — were searched on November 12. Incriminating evidence related to imports and exports and digital devices of key persons were seized.
WHAT DOES THE CBI FIR SAY
According to the FIR accessed by India Today TV, Titan Sea & Air Service Pvt Ltd., a Mumbai-based firm headed by Jagannath Rai and Chandra Shekhar Rai, was authorised to import duty-free materials for re-export under Section 7 of the SEZ Act, 2005. Instead, between 2015 and 2017, the company allegedly diverted PVC Resin and betel nuts — imported duty-free from Dubai and Indonesia — into India’s domestic market without paying customs duty.
Investigators allege that the accused forged shipping bills and customs seals to falsely show exports to Nepal and Bangladesh through land customs stations, while the goods were actually sold domestically to Sakshi Marketing Pvt Ltd, Delhi, and other buyers.
The CBI has also named Pradeep Kumar Mittal, a Dubai-based businessman linked to Al Duquq General Trading LLC and Land Star Ltd, UAE, alleging that Garg acted as his associate in India. The FIR further mentions Jitendra Bansal and Brij Mohan Bishnoi of GRC India Logistic, who allegedly helped falsify transport documents to divert the goods.
LOSS TO EXCHEQUER PEGGED AT RS 190 CRORE
Officials estimate that the diversion of duty-free imports caused a loss of approximately Rs 190 crore to the government between 2015 and 2017. The CBI has booked the accused under multiple sections amounting to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery of the IPC and those of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) is weighing new rules for emergency contraception.
Morning after-pills provide roughly 85 % effective in preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse
An expert committee under India’s top drug regulator has recommended mandatory boxed warnings on emergency contraceptive pills, advising that they should not be used more than twice a month and that other contraceptive options be preferred.
The Drug Consultative Committee of the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) also advised adding a clear warning that these pills—commonly called morning-after pills which contain levonorgestrel as an active pharmaceutical ingredient—do not protect against HIV or any sexually transmitted infections.
The recommendations were made at a meeting chaired last month by Drug Controller General of India Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi.
According to the meeting minutes reviewed by India Today, the panel has asked that the warnings appear prominently on the primary pack, outer carton and in the package insert, alongside guidance urging users to consult registered medical practitioners for suitable alternatives.
STATES’ CONCERNS SPUR STRICTER OVERSIGHT
The push for tighter labelling comes amid renewed demands from some southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, to move emergency contraceptive pills from Schedule K to Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945—effectively making them prescription-only.
Tamil Nadu’s drug authorities have repeatedly expressed concerns that easy access to emergency contraceptives could harm young girls, citing reports of adverse effects such as heavy menstrual bleeding.
Some gender-rights advocates, however, warned that restricting access or adding discouraging warnings could function as a “shadow-ban,” undermining women’s reproductive autonomy.
“This is too much,” said a gender rights activist.
Emergency contraceptive pills have been available in India since 2003 and are roughly 85 percent effective in preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. Some of the popular brands include i-pill and Unwanted-72, among others.
HOW INDIA REGULATES ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS
India offers two broad categories of oral contraceptives: hormonal and non-hormonal. Non-hormonal pills, approved since 1990, contain the non-steroidal compound centchroman (ormeloxifene) and are taken once a week.
Sold under brand names such as Chhaya and Saheli, they work by preventing sperm from reaching the egg and are generally considered safer than hormonal options.
Nalanda’s Dharmaganja was a vast ancient library complex housing diverse manuscripts. Its destruction remains one of the greatest intellectual losses in history.
Ruins of Nalanda University ancient center of Buddhist higher learning, Nalanda, Bihar, India.
More than a millennium before modern universities took shape, India nurtured one of the world’s greatest intellectual hubs, Nalanda Mahavihara in present-day Bihar. At the centre of this ancient learning ecosystem stood its famed library complex, Dharmaganja, often referred to as Dharma Gunj, meaning “Treasury of Knowledge.”
According to CSE IIT Kanpur’s archival compilation on ancient Indian libraries, Dharmaganja was not a single hall of scrolls but a vast, multi-building library complex designed to serve thousands of resident students and teachers. The complex housed three major library buildings Ratnasagara, Ratnodadhi, and Ratnaranjaka each dedicated to specific subjects and levels of scholarship.
Educational heritage notes from Young INTACH emphasise that Nalanda’s library was a comprehensive academic repository, not a monastic bookroom as often imagined. Manuscripts preserved here covered logic (Nyaya), grammar (Vykaraa), medicine (Ayurveda and Buddhist medicine), astronomy (Jyotisha), mathematics, literature, linguistics, and global Buddhist philosophy. The diversity of subjects is repeatedly highlighted in ancient travel records, especially those of the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), who studied at Nalanda in the 7th century CE. His writings, translated by Victorian scholar Samuel Beal, describe “large storehouses of manuscripts” and rigorous scholarly activity centred around them.
Archaeological work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) supports the scale of intellectual activity at Nalanda. Excavated structures reveal large monasteries, lecture halls, and storage rooms believed to be part of the library complex. While folklore often exaggerates the number of storeys or manuscripts, historical sources consistently agree that Dharmaganja was one of the largest ancient knowledge repositories in Asia.
The UNESCO World Heritage dossier notes that scholars from China, Korea, Tibet, Japan, and Southeast Asia flocked to Nalanda specifically for its library resources. Many carried back manuscripts copied at Dharmaganja, spreading Indian knowledge traditions across Asia.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday, the moment inevitably looped back to his very first India trip a quarter-century ago. In 2000, a 47-year-old new Russian president arrived in winter-soaked Delhi to reboot an old partnership. The 2000 visit saw him do a namaste in Parliament, stroll through the Taj Mahal, and deliver a quiet nuclear nudge to India by posing in front of the nuclear reactor for Pokhran tests.
Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila at the Taj Mahal during his first visit to India in 2000. (Image: File)
Six months after India’s Parliament raised a toast to US President Bill Clinton in 2000, it was time to raise another. This time, for an old ally. December had arrived, and Delhi had begun to experience the cold, but the India-USSR ties needed a new warmth. The task rested on the shoulders of the leader of the Communist Union’s struggling heir, Russia. A 47-year-old former KGB officer was sworn in as the Russian President just months ago. As the new President, Vladimir Putin, landed in New Delhi for the first time in 2000, exactly 25 years ago, he had the task cut out — breathe new life into a historic partnership by transforming it into a “strategic” one. Russia, led by Putin, and India, by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, did just that.
“The [Central] hall once again came alive to exchange vows with an old flame: Russia,” India Today Magazine reported in December 2000 on Vladimir Putin’s address in Parliament.
Putin’s 2000 visit to India, marked by namaste and a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, just months after Clinton’s, was significant on many counts. In fact, it proved to be a stellar one.
In 2000, both India and Russia were struggling. Moscow was reeling from the collapse of the USSR, and New Delhi was recalibrating its foreign policy while battling the nuclear pariah tag. Putin’s visit came against this backdrop.
The visit saw the revival of the partnership that had languished since the early 1990s. Defence deals on T-90 tanks and Su-30 fighter aircraft, the framing of trade mechanisms, and a formal strategic partnership breathed new life into the Indo-Russian ties. Putin, flying to Mumbai and visiting the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), sent a subtle nudge acknowledging India’s nuclear capabilities.
With Putin back in India on a state visit in 2025 (probably his 10th visit), the significance of his first trip 25 years ago stands out. Whether as Prime Minister or President, Putin has remained a constant, and it was that inaugural visit that laid the foundation for enduring ties between Russia and India. Today, amid the turbulence stirred by the US under Donald Trump and India’s expanding multilateral outreach, Russia continues to stand out as a steady, “natural ally”, a perception that Putin’s predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, had remarked in the 1990s.
PUTIN’S FIRST INDIA ITINERARY: FROM RAJ GHAT TO TAJ
Putin’s 2000 India visit began in New Delhi, where he, along with his now-former wife Lyudmila Putin, were received with full ceremonial honours. Putin then visited Raj Ghat, where he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
His meetings with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, top Indian officials, and business leaders, focused on reinforcing bilateral ties and discussing regional security. In the Central Hall of Parliament, diplomatic courtesies were exchanged where Putin “bowled over the gathering with a namaste, flattering references to India’s magic and charm, and made the right noises about Kashmir,” reported India Today Magazine in December 2000.
Putin, along with Lyudmila, were formally hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where he met then Indian President KR Narayanan, who months ago had exercised his powers to grant clemency to the five Russian citizens convicted in the Purulia arms drop case. “For us, Russia has been a friend in need, and we see in you the greatest friend of India,” Narayanan said during his address.
The highlight of the trip for the paparazzi of yesteryears was Putin’s visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, along with Lyudmila. He boarded a special flight on one of the Ilyushin-96 planes and touched down with a 32-member delegation on December 4.
“It is beautiful. It’s good,” Putin said after his 50-minute stay at the Taj Mahal. “I feel good. It’s nice to be here,” he told reporters about his impressions of the Mughal-era mausoleum, reported news agency UNI.
PUTIN’S NUCLEAR NUDGE TO INDIA 25 YEARS AGO
Soon, Vladimir Putin boarded the plane for Mumbai. While Putin insisted India sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), he was set to make a statement that would resonate across the world. In Mumbai, he visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), “India’s leading nuclear research centre, where reactors and bombs were designed”, reported the New York Times.
Putin at the BARC was a subtle yet unmistakable acknowledgement of India’s nuclear capabilities. It was a nudge for India at a time when the country was still facing global isolation on the atomic front. It was also a signal of Russia’s support for India’s Pokhran nuclear tests.
As former BARC chief Anil Kakodkar recalled, Putin’s first priority while at the BARC was to take a photograph with him and R Chidambaram, then chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, in front of the Dhruva reactor, the generator used in the Pokhran tests, reported The Times of India in 2022.
“Through this picture, Putin conveyed his support for the N-tests,” Kakodkar told the newspaper.
Later that day, when Putin visited the BARC’s auditorium, the famed “football”, the black box said to contain nuclear missile launch codes, drew attention of many.
HOW PUTIN SEALED MAJOR DEALS WITH INDIA IN 2000
The 2000 visit was more than ceremonial. It cemented a formal strategic partnership. A long-term political and defence relationship was framed. India finalised contracts for 310 Russian T-90 tanks and the licenced production of Su-30 fighter aircraft, while the Russian Navy offered the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov (later INS Vikramaditya).
Trade mechanisms were revitalised to address the declining bilateral trade since the fall of the USSR in the early 1990s. Strategically, Putin’s visit reinforced mutual trust between India and Russia.
Sudhir Kumar, who bid 1.17 crore for VIP number plate ‘HR88B8888’ but failed to pay, faces a Haryana government probe. State Transport Minister Anil Vij ordered an investigation into Kumar’s assets and income. The bidder forfeited his 11,000 security deposit. The number plate will soon be re-auctioned.
Left: State Transport Minister Anil Vij | X
The man who bid ₹1.17 crore for India’s costliest number plate ‘HR88B8888’ and then failed to pay has now landed in deep trouble. The Haryana government will now investigate Sudhir Kumar’s assets.
State Transport Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that during a recent online auction for the vehicle number HR 88 B 8888, an individual placed the highest bid of ₹1 crore 17 lakh.
Vij has ordered his department to thoroughly probe the assets and income of Sudhir Kumar, Director of transportation service Romulus Solutions Private Limited.
“We offer VIP number plates via auction. Several people bid for the number ‘8888’. However, after winning the auction by placing the highest bid, the bidder (Sudhir Kumar) did not pay the amount. Instead, he let his security deposit of ₹11,000 be forfeited,” Vij said.
Vij has directed his department to check if Kumar has a net worth of ₹1.17 crore, the bidding amount for the VIP number plate.
A total of 45 bidders participated in the auction for the VIP number plate. After placing the bid, the bidder allowed his security amount to be forfeited. As per the process, a bidder has to deposit ₹10,000 as security and ₹1,000 as registration fees, while the base price is fixed at ₹50,000.
The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has also issued directions for SIM binding for the prevention of misuse of telecommunication identifiers to ensure telecom cybersecurity.
TRAI Blocks 21 Lakh Mobile Numbers, 1 Lakh Entities For Spam & Fraud | File Pic (Representative Image)
Over the past year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), acting on citizen complaints, facilitated the disconnection and blacklisting of more than 21 lakh mobile numbers and around one lakh entities involved in sending spam and fraudulent messages. The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has also issued directions for SIM binding for the prevention of misuse of telecommunication identifiers to ensure telecom cybersecurity.
“The DoT has observed that some of the app-based communication services that are utilising Indian mobile numbers for identification of their customers, users or for provisioning or delivery of services, allow users to consume their services without the availability of the underlying SIM within the device in which app app-based communication service is running. This feature is being misused to commit cyber-frauds, especially from operating outside the country,” said an official.
“The issue of SIM binding in messaging apps and its misuse has been raised by multiple government bodies and agencies. DoT issued directions on November 28 to prevent the misuse of telecommunication identifiers and to safeguard the integrity and security of the telecom ecosystem,” the official said.
A Delhi man used ChatGPT to make a scammer beg for forgiveness. The story, shared on Reddit, has since gone viral, and the internet is impressed by the man’s smartness.
Representative Image: Delhi Man Uses ChatGPT To Hunt Down Scammer, Makes Him Beg For Forgiveness: ‘Maa Kasam, Ab Nahi Karunga’ Photo : iStock
A bizarre scam story from Delhi has grabbed attention online after a man revealed how he turned the tables on a fraudster using ChatGPT. In a detailed post titled “Used ChatGPT to locate a scammer and made him beg me” on r/delhi, he narrated how a routine attempt at impersonation spiralled into a full-blown tech-driven sting operation.
The incident began when he received a Facebook message from someone posing as his college senior, an IAS officer, offering “Army transfer/cheap goods.” The scammer claimed a “CRPF officer friend” was being relocated and was offloading premium appliances and furniture at heavily discounted rates. But he immediately sensed something was wrong, noting that his actual senior already had his phone number. After confirming on WhatsApp, he realised, “It was fraud.”
Instead of ignoring or blocking the fake profile, he decided to play along. Soon, another number contacted him, this one sporting a profile picture of someone in an army uniform and sent photos of items for sale, pushing him to make a payment through a QR code. The impersonator grew increasingly aggressive, urging him to send the money quickly. “This felt immediately wrong,” he wrote, describing how the scammer amped up the urgency as soon as payment came up.
Pretending he was having trouble scanning the QR code, he quietly turned to ChatGPT for help. He asked the model to generate a fake payment page, one that appeared genuine but was capable of capturing the user’s location and front-camera image. “I fed the AI a prompt for a simple, functional webpage,” he explained, and within minutes the code was ready. After hosting the page online, he told the scammer that uploading the QR code there would “expedite the payment process.”
Blinded by greed, the scammer clicked the link. The moment he opened it, the trap worked. The man instantly received the scammer’s precise GPS location, IP address, and even “a clear, front-camera snapshot of him sitting.” He then confronted the scammer by sending back his own photo and the collected details.
What followed was pure chaos. The scammer panicked and began calling repeatedly from multiple numbers — all belonging to him — pleading for mercy. He begged the man not to escalate the matter, at one point promising he would “abandon this line of work entirely.”
Though the man admitted the scammer would probably return to his schemes soon enough, he didn’t deny the thrill of the moment, saying “the satisfaction of stealing from a thief is crazy.”
The Enforcement Directorate has initiated a money laundering investigation into a large-scale operation involving the illegal sale of codeine-laced cough syrup, estimated at Rs 100 crore.
Enforcement Directorate (File Image)
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case in connection with a multi-state racket involving the illegal distribution and sale of codeine-laced cough syrup, a restricted pharmaceutical drug, said sources.
It has been estimated that an organised racket to the tune of Rs 100 crore involving shell companies and fake billing and forged medical records was operating across UP and other states.
The federal probe agency has issued an urgent summons for Subham Jaiswal, the alleged mastermind of the syndicate, directing him to join the investigations on December 8. Subham Jaiswal has been missing since the crackdown began.
Earlier in the day ED officials visited Jaiswal’s residence in Varansi and served copies of summons to his family. The ED case stems from bunch of FIRs filed in UP.
On November 30, Subham Jaiswal’s father, Bhola Jaiswal, was arrested at Kolkata’s international airport as he was attempting to flee India. He was subsequently handed over to the U.P. Police and is facing charges, along with his son, for allegedly selling restricted or prohibited pharmaceutical drugs.
The crackdown on the organized syndicate began with a series of raids across Uttar Pradesh between October and November by the state government’s Food Safety Drug Administration. The operation was launched after a truck was seized in October, leading to uncovering of an elaborate network web of shell companies and fake billings said sources
On November 23, UP Police filed an FIR against owners of 12 medical owners and 2 others for selling codeine laced cough syrups. The complainant in the case was drug inspector Uttar Pradesh.
Inspection by drug department revealed that illegally 37 lakh bottles of codeine based cough syrup worth crores were sold through a dozen medical stores. The value was around Rs 55 crores.
Cyclone Ditwah weakened to a low-pressure area over North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Chennai faces a yellow alert with rain likely all week, featuring partly cloudy skies, showers, thunderstorms, and lightning.
Cyclone Ditwah Weakens, But Chennai Faces Rain and Thunderstorms This Week (Representative Image)
Cyclone Ditwah has weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and surrounding regions. However, Chennai residents are still facing its influence. The entire state of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, is currently on a yellow alert for two days. This means the city will experience more rain. However, the city saw a bit clearer sky after three days, allowing sunshine to appear.
According to the IMD, the depression, which is the remnant of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah, located over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts, has moved slowly in a southwestward direction. By 0530 hrs IST on 3 December 2025, it had weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and surrounding regions.
“The Depression (Remnant of Cyclonic Storm #Ditwah) over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North #Tamil_Nadu-#Puducherry coasts moved slowly southwestwards and weakened into a #Well_Marked_Low Pressure area over North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and neighbourhood at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 03rd December 2025. It is very likely to continue to move southwestwards slowly across north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and weaken further into a low-pressure area during the next 24 hours,” said the IMD in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The Depression (Remnant of Cyclonic Storm #Ditwah) over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North #Tamil_Nadu–#Puducherry coasts moved slowly southwestwards and weakened into a #Well_Marked_Low Pressure area over North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and neighbourhood at 0530 hrs… pic.twitter.com/smUPlnsv8w
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 3, 2025
The city is under yellow alert for just two days. However, the IMD forecast has predicted rain for the entire week.
Chennai Weather Forecast
4 December – The day will have a partly cloudy sky with chances of moderate rain or thunderstorms. These conditions suggest a mix of sunshine and showers, with occasional heavy bursts and lightning.
5 December – Expect partly cloudy skies again, accompanied by the possibility of moderate rain or thunderstorms. The weather is likely to alternate between dry spells and wet periods, with some thunder and lightning activity.
6 December – Partly cloudy skies will persist, with a likelihood of moderate rain or thunderstorms during the day. The atmosphere may be unstable, leading to occasional rain showers accompanied by thunder and lightning.
7 December – The forecast shows partly cloudy skies with potential for moderate rain or thunderstorms. Intervals of rain and sunshine are expected, with the chance of thunder and lightning strikes.
The video of Mahesh Rekhe chanting mantras from Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandina Shakha was shared by the Ministry of Culture on Instagram.
The Madhyandini Shakha of Shukla Yajurveda contains prose mantras for rituals. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
A 19-year-old grabbed attention online for his perfect recitation of mantras from the Shukla Yajurveda Shakha. Mahesh Rekhe recited almost 2,000 mantras of the Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandina Shakha daily, without interruption, for 50 days. The recitation was the toughest ritual of Dandakrama Parayanam. The young man’s feat even garnered praise from the central government’s Ministry of Culture, which shared the video of Rekhe’s recitation on Instagram.
“His extraordinary feat, last achieved some 200 years ago, marks a historic moment in India’s centuries-old Vedic traditions and his deep dedication to preserving our ancient spiritual heritage,” the ministry wrote in the caption.
While Rekhe’s recitation of the Shukla Yajurveda has led to an outpouring of praise, many may not know that the mantras have a use in daily life as well. Here is all you need to know.
What Is The Madhyandini Shakha of Shukla Yajurveda?
It includes the Madhyandina Samhita (1,975 mantras) as well as the Ishavasya Upanishad, Madhyandina Shatapatha Brahmana, and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The text focuses on prose mantras for rituals like Ashwamedha and Agnihotra.
The Shukla Yajurveda features unique recitation styles. It is different from the Krishna Yajurveda’s mixed format. Training includes eight years of prakriti methods. This is followed by four years of advanced vikriti methods. The recitation is prevalent in North India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Nepal.
Historical Development
The Madhyandina Shakha originated from sage Vajasneya, who was a disciple of Yajnavalkya. Yajnavalkya, in turn, is believed to have received the mantras from the sun god Surya. The Madhyandina Shakha was named for midday recitation timing or its geographical spread.
Composed around 1200-800 BCE, the key texts were standardised by 500 BCE. The Madhyandina Shakha was preserved in commentaries by Sayana and Madhvacharya. It also influenced texts such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
How Is Madhyandina Shakha Used In Present Times?
The Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandina Shakha is pivotal to Hindu rituals, life-cycle ceremonies, and Vedic education in parts of India. Priests chant the mantras during yajnas like Darshapurnamasa, Agnihotra, Ashwamedha, and Vaajapeya, as well as advanced sacrifices like the Agnishtoma. The Madhyandina Shakha, through the Katyayana Shrauta Sutra, also guides 16 samskaras in the Paraskara Grihya Sutra and yajna procedure.
Vedic schools teach the 1,975 mantras over 12 years through prakriti and vikriti paths.
The Madhyandina Shakha rituals have been modernised by assimilating regional customs, condensing complex yajnas into shorter homas, and using simplified mantras. Priests use Madhyandina Samhita verses for daily rites. Devotees can also use printed and online guides for understanding and reciting the mantras.
Sandhyavandanam Rituals And Home Worship
Madhyandina Shakha is essential for learning the daily Sandhyavandanam. This involves purification, chanting the Gayatri Mantra, and deity prayers for spiritual discipline. The practices include Achamanam, Arghya, Pranayama, Marjanam and Gayatri japam thrice daily. Examples of home worship are Ganapati Homa for obstacle removal, Agnihotra for health and prosperity, and simplified samskara rites.
The Sandhyavandanam rituals include the following steps
1. *Achamanam (Purification)*:
– “ॐ अग्निरिति भस्म वायुरिति भस्म जलमिति भस्म स्थलमिति भस्म व्योमेति भस्म” – Sipp water thrice while touching body parts. This is done to invoke elements for inner cleansing before daily prayers.
– “ॐ आच्युताय नमः ॐ अनन्ताय नमः ॐ गोविन्दाय नमः” – Sip water thrice with the right hand to invoke Vishnu and purify the body.
2. *Pranayama (Breath Control)*:
– “ॐ आपोज्योतीरसोऽमृतं ब्रह्म भूर्भुवःस्वरोम्” – The mantra is chanted while inhaling, retaining, and exhaling air to purify the mind and breath in morning/noon/evening routines.
– “ॐ आपो ज्योतिरसोऽमृतं ब्रह्म भूर्भुवः स्वः” – This is chanted while controlling the breath to calm the mind and align with cosmic elements.
3. *Arghya (Sun Offering)*:
– “ॐ भूर्भुवःस्वः ॐ तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्” – Make three offerings of water to Surya for cosmic energy at dawn/dusk.
– “ॐ सूर्याय नमः” (Say this three times with water offerings to the rising sun) – This invokes solar energy for vitality.
Other Home Puja Verses
4. *Marjanam (Sprinkling)*:
– “ॐ पृथ्वी त्वया धृता लोका देवि त्वं विष्णुना धृता” – Sprinkle water on head for purity and protection in daily lamp-lighting rituals or deity worship.
Vladimir Putin is visiting India on an invitation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it is the first since the Russian leader launched his war against Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin is visiting India on an invitation from PM Narendra Modi. (Reuters Photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Delhi on Thursday evening, marking the beginning of a two-day state visit to India during which the two nations are expected to sign multiple agreements. Putin is visiting India on an invitation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it is the first since the Russian leader launched his war against Ukraine.
The visit, Putin’s first to India since 2021, is a historic one, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the India–Russia strategic partnership and the 23rd bilateral summit between the two nations.
Following his arrival, President Putin will attend a private dinner hosted by PM Modi at his official residence.
On Friday morning, he will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by a tri-service Guard of Honour. The President will then pay his respects at Rajghat before holding formal talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House.
Major announcements and agreement signings are expected after the talks, followed by a joint media statement.
Putin will be accompanied by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and Transport Minister Roman Nikitin.
In addition, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina will also be part of the visiting contingent.
REGULAR, HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE
Russian presidential aide Uri Ushakov said the bilateral talks between Putin and PM Modi will be “regular and confidential.”
On September 1, the two leaders met in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. They have also remained in contact over the phone and have had five telephonic conversations so far this year.
Ahead of the trip to Delhi, President Putin received National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Moscow twice as part of preparatory consultations.
The visit coincides with the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Joint Statement elevating the relationship to a “special and privileged strategic partnership.” Both sides expect the summit to review cooperation in security, economy, finance, transport, technology, education and culture.
ECONOMIC FOCUS: TRADE DEFICIT, 2030 ROADMAP
Ushakov said PM Modi and Putin will discuss in detail the expanding trade and economic partnership, with bilateral trade rising 12 per cent in 2024 to USD 63.6 billion. Russia is prepared to address India’s concerns over the widening trade imbalance and has proposed mechanisms to shield bilateral transactions from external pressure.
A major deliverable is expected to be the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of Russian-Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030, along with sectoral agreements covering trade, energy, agriculture, health and media.
The August meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in Moscow reviewed large ongoing projects spanning industrial cooperation, innovative technologies, mining, transport links, space, healthcare and labour mobility.
BUSINESS FORUM AND INDUSTRY COOPERATION
On Friday afternoon, Modi and Putin will jointly address the India–Russia Business Forum at Bharat Mandapam, where investment opportunities, manufacturing partnerships and technology collaboration will be highlighted.
Ushakov pointed to growing people-to-people links: in 2024, Russians made more than 80,000 trips to India while Indians visited Russia over 40,000 times. He said tourism and cultural exchange have considerable potential for expansion.
DEFENCE TALKS AND BRAHMOS UPGRADES
Defence cooperation will feature prominently during the talks. India and Russia are likely to review the development of advanced BrahMos variants, including lighter air-launched models such as the BrahMos-NG and extended-range versions.
Discussions are also expected on hypersonic projects, long-range air-to-air missiles and India’s planned procurement of additional S-400 missiles. BrahMos, a flagship joint venture, saw operational deployment during Operation Sindoor, and India has begun exporting the system, starting with the Philippines.
The Indian government has dropped an order for a state-run cybersecurity app to be preloaded on all new smartphones. The rare policy reversal came amid criticism from politicians, privacy advocates and tech companies.
The Indian government has backtracked on an order to preload a state-backed cybersecurity app on smartphonesImage: Richard Kujur/DW
The Indian government on Wednesday scrapped a recent directive to smartphone makers to install a non-removable cybersecurity app developed at its behest on new devices before purchase.
Reports of the order given to phone manufacturers on November 28 had aroused protests from opposition parties and privacy advocates.
Sources also indicated that major phone manufacturers Apple and Samsung were planning to circumvent the directive.
What has the government said?
The Communications Ministry said in a Wednesday statement that the “[g]overnment has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.”
“The app is secure and purely meant to help citizens from bad actors in the cyber world,” the statement said, adding that it was dropping the directive because the app was becoming very popular anyway, with 600,000 downloads of the app, called Sanchar Saathi (“communication partner”), since Tuesday.
The statement came a day after ministers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came out in defense of the app, saying it was meant only to help track and block stolen phones to prevent their misuse.
However, they were reticent in the face of criticism as to why the app could not be deleted from devices.
At a debate held shortly before the government rollback was announced, opposition lawmakers slammed the directive.
Randeep Singh Surjewala of the Congress party said the app “could be a possible kill switch that can turn every cell phone into a brick, which the government could use against journalists, opposition leaders, and dissidents, if it so desires.”
Surjewala also warned against the risk of hacking, which could “expose sensitive information, including passwords, bank account numbers and personal data.”
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.
Pregnant woman rescued by Indian forces in Sri Lanka. Credit: X@IndiainSL
A nine-month pregnant woman was safely evacuated and provided urgent medical care by India’s disaster response force in Sri Lanka, as New Delhi intensified rescue and relief operations across the cyclone-hit island nation, the Indian mission here said on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity.
As of Monday, 390 people have been killed, with 352 missing, in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
In a social media post, the Indian High Commission said a nine-month pregnant woman in Puttalam district was safely evacuated and given medical care by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
A 9 month pregnant woman in Puttalam was safely evacuated and given medical care by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team @NDRFHQ.#OperationSagarBandhu continues to stand by those who need it the most.
“Operation Sagar Bandhu continues to stand by those who need it the most,” it said.
India launched the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, Operation Sagar Bandhu, to help Sri Lanka recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
In another post, the mission said NDRF teams, working with local authorities, delivered food and essential supplies to nearly 800 people stranded in inaccessible areas of Puttalam on Monday.
The High Commission said Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters air-dropped more than 5.5 tonnes of relief material across affected zones, including over Aranayake from a hover point where landing was not possible.
“The crew also winched up four critically injured survivors from a remote area near Ganthuna and transported them to Rivisanda for urgent medical care,” it said.
Search operations for missing persons continued in Badulla, where NDRF teams recovered one deceased individual from beneath more than five feet of debris in a complex effort.
The HJS submitted a written complaint at Panaji police station, demanding registration of a criminal case against Singh for insulting Chamundi Daiva and thereby hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
Ranveer Singh at IFFI(L), the complaint filed by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Credit: Special Arrangement
Mumbai: As criticism erupted over Ranveer Singh’s mimicry of a pivotal scene from Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1 during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 closing ceremony in Goa, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has submitted a written complaint at Panaji police station even as the actor tendered an unconditional apology.
In a statement, Ranveer Singh said: “My intention was to highlight Rishabh’s incredible performance in the film. Actor to actor, I know how much it would take to perform that particular scene in the way that he did, for which he has my utmost admiration. I have always deeply respected every culture, tradition and belief in our country. If I’ve hurt anyone’s sentiments, I sincerely apologise,” he said.
According to the HJS, Singh referred to the sacred deity of the Koti Tulu community, Shree Chamundi Daiva, as a “female ghost”.
The HJS submitted a written complaint at Panaji police station, demanding registration of a criminal case against Singh for insulting Chamundi Daiva and thereby hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
The memorandum was handed over to Police Sub-Inspector Sahin Shetye by Pramod Tuyekar and Dilip Shetye on behalf of HJS.
“This incident has created an atmosphere of resentment in society, and the possibility of disturbance to public peace cannot be ruled out. The Samiti has therefore urged that, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sections 299, 194 and 302 relating to deliberate wounding of religious feelings and promoting enmity in society, a formal offence be registered against Ranveer Singh and a thorough investigation be conducted,” HJS spokesperson Ramesh Shinde said and sought an apology from Singh.
Police suspect the killing may be connected to an inter-gang rivalry and have registered a case.
Representative of gun and bullets. Credit: iStock Photo
A man, who was once a close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was shot dead near Timber Market in Sector-26 here on Monday night, said police.
The victim, identified as Inderpreet Singh alias Parry (35), was rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where doctors declared him dead.
Police suspect the killing may be connected to an inter-gang rivalry and have registered a case.
According to officials, Parry, who had multiple criminal cases registered against him, left a private club in an SUV on Monday evening. He was also accompanied by another person, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, in the vehicle, preliminary investigation revealed.
Soon after the vehicle moved a short distance, the unidentified companion opened fire at Parry. About five empty shells were found inside the SUV.
Moments later, another vehicle that had been trailing the SUV stopped nearby. An assailant stepped out and fired again at Parry to ensure he was dead, before fleeing in the same vehicle.
Police said more than 10 shots were fired in the attack.
After the incident, an unverified Facebook post under the name Hari Boxer Arzoo Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the crime, alleging that Parry extorted money from local clubs and planned attacks on their associates. Police are verifying the authenticity of the post.
Parry was once an associate of the Bishnoi gang, but he was believed to have shifted his loyalties towards another gangster, Goldy Brar, who had already parted ways with the Bishnoi group.
A resident of Chandigarh Sector 33, Parry had multiple criminal cases registered against him in the Union territory and Punjab, including attempt to murder, extortion, assault, rioting and offences under the Arms Act.
The Heron MK II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), already in service with the Indian Army and Air Force, will now be incorporated into the Indian Navy.
After Operation Sindoor, all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces have selected the Heron MK II for emergency procurement (Representative Image)
India has signed up to procure additional satellite-linked Heron MK II drones under emergency provisions. The decision comes after the effective use of Heron MKII during Operation Sindoor.
The Heron MK II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), already in service with the Indian Army and Air Force, will now be incorporated into the Indian Navy, reported PTI citing a source working with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
After Operation Sindoor, all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces have selected the Heron MK II for emergency procurement, the official stated, but did not disclose the numbers. “We are very proud that all three branches decided to purchase and operate the Heron Mark II,” he said. “For us, India is a major customer,” the unnamed IAI official told the news agency. “Our partnership spans over three decades and generations of systems.”
Notably, the defence ministry in September had issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the acquisition of 87 MALE drones, with a focus on an indigenous “Make in India” programme that allows foreign collaboration.
The UAVs have now evolved from simple surveillance tools to the “Queen of the battlefield,” operating thousands of kilometres away, providing multi-sensor capabilities, and even playing a major role against enemy air defences, the official said.
5 Things To Know About Heron MK II Drones
The Heron MK II is a satellite-linked Medium Altitude Long Endurance or MALE UAV
The Heron MK II drones are capable of reaching an altitude of 35,000 feet
Heron MK II drones can remain air-borne for 45 consecutive hours.
It is operated by the Israeli Air Force and over 20 other entities globally.
These drones are primarily deployed along the international borders along Pakistan and China for long-range surveillance.
#WATCH | Indian Air Force’s newly inducted Heron Mark2 drones operating from a forward air base in the northern sector.
The long-endurance drones have the capability to cover entire borders with both Pakistan and China in a single sortie. pic.twitter.com/3X9dqfJHWW
The Bombay High Court’s Nagpur bench has overturned the life sentence of Nishant Agrawal, a former engineer at BrahMos Aerospace, due to insufficient evidence linking him to espionage for Pakistan’s ISI.
In June last year, a sessions court awarded life imprisonment to Nishant Pradeepkumar Agrawal, former engineer with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, arrested in 2018 on the charge of spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. (Photo: By Arrangement)
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has set aside the life sentence of former BrahMos Aerospace engineer Nishant Agrawal, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove he acted against India’s national interest in an espionage case dating back to 2018.
Agrawal, arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had been sentenced to life in June last year by a Nagpur sessions court. The High Court, however, cleared him of the major charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and the Information Technology Act. It upheld only one conviction, for negligence, under Section 5(1)(d) of the OSA, which carries a three-year sentence. He will receive credit for the time he has already spent in custody.
A division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Pravin Patil said the prosecution had produced no evidence to show that Agrawal engaged in conduct threatening the “unity, integrity, security or safety of India” or that he intended to “strike terror in society”. The bench said the prosecution also failed to establish “the circumstances or the conduct of the accused or his known character to show purpose prejudicial to the safety or interest of the state.”
The court noted Agrawal’s strong professional record at BrahMos Aerospace, where he served as a Senior System Engineer and was recognized with the Young Scientist Award. His Annual Confidential Reports were consistently marked “very good” or “outstanding,” the judges said. They pointed out that he was part of the core team that delivered 70 to 80 BrahMos missiles to the armed forces between 2014 and 2018.
Despite having access to sensitive information, the court said “none of the conduct of the appellant was ever found against the national interest or (it was shown) that he had any such intention since joining BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.” It added that there was no proof he “tampered or misused the information available” on his office computer.
On Agrawal’s online communications with a person identified as “Sejal Kapoor,” the court said they appeared to relate to a job interview. Chat logs showed he had shared his bio-data and downloaded applications for employment in the United Kingdom’s aviation sector, the judges noted.
MEA spokesperson rejected Pakistan’s claim of delayed overflight clearance for humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, calling it misinformation and affirming India’s prompt approval.
India on Tuesday called Pakistan’s claim that New Delhi delayed in giving overflight clearance sought by Islamabad as “ridiculous”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan submitted a request at around 1 pm (IST) on December 1, 2025, seeking permission for an aircraft to use Indian airspace for a humanitarian assistance mission to Sri Lanka, and the clearance was given the same day.
In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal hit out at Pakistan for spreading anti-India misinformation.
“We reject the ridiculous statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan which is yet another attempt of spreading anti-India misinformation. The request for overflight clearance for Pakistani aircraft carrying humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka was received by the High Commission of India in Islamabad at around 1300 hrs on December 1, 2025. Given the urgency of humanitarian assistance, the Government of India processed the request expeditiously the same day and granted the overflight permission as per the itinerary proposed at 1730 hrs on December 01, 2025,” he stated.
The MEA said India remains committed to assisting the people of Sri Lanka in these challenging times through all available means.
India also called out a pattern of misinformation emerging from Pakistan, noting that this incident follows recent attempts by Pakistani media and diplomatic handles to spread incorrect claims — including false reports regarding India’s participation in an Oxford Union debate.
Pakistani media made misleading claims that India refused to grant airspace to Pakistan for humanitarian aid flights headed to flood-hit Sri Lanka.
At least 355 people were killed, and over 300 are still missing after landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
Cyclone Ditwah, packing strong winds and heavy rains, brought the island nation’s worst floods in a decade when it struck on Friday, setting off landslides in the hilly central region.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said it was the first time the entire country had been struck by such a natural disaster, which he called the “largest and most challenging” in Sri Lanka’s history.
The test has placed India in “an elite club of nations” with advanced in-house escape system testing capability, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.
The test was witnessed by officials from Indian Air Force and Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
The DRDO has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system at controlled velocity, validating some of the key safety parameters including complete aircrew recovery.
The test has placed India in “an elite club of nations” with advanced in-house escape system testing capability, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.
In a rocket-sled test, the system coupled with a rocket propulsion mechanism is run at a high speed on a pair of rails to simulate a moving aircraft in mid-air, a senior official said.
Defence Minster Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, IAF, Aeronautical Development Agency, and HAL on the successful test. He described it as a significant milestone for India’s indigenous defence capability towards self-reliance.
“Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of fighter aircraft escape system at precisely controlled velocity of 800 km/h- validating canopy severance, ejection sequencing and complete aircrew-recovery at Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh,” the defence minister’s office said in a post on X.
The complex dynamic test, conducted at a rail track rocket sled facility in Chandigarh, was conducted in collaboration with Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and it propelled India into “an elite club of nations” with advanced in-house escape system testing capability, the ministry said in a statement.
“A dual-sled system with the LCA aircraft forebody was propelled to precisely controlled velocity through phased firing of multiple solid propellant rocket motors,” it said.
The test was witnessed by officials from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has “conducted a successful high-speed rocket-sled test of fighter aircraft escape system at controlled velocity,” the ministry said.
“The test at rail track rocket sled facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh, validated canopy severance, ejection sequencing and complete aircrew-recovery,” the ministry said.
It further said “the canopy fragilisation pattern, ejection sequencing and complete aircrew recovery process was simulated using an instrumented anthropomorphic test dummy, which recorded critical loads, moments, and accelerations that would be experienced by ejected pilots”.
The entire sequence was captured through onboard and ground-based imaging systems.
The third-party system glitch at several airports late Tuesday affected Air India and other airlines, causing brief delays.
Flight delays across mulitple airports (File photo)
Moments after Air India reported a third-party system glitch at several airports, the airline said that the issue has been fully resolved. It added that check-in at all airports is now functioning normally and that “all our flights are operating as per schedule.”
In an updated post on X, Air India said, “The third-party system has been fully restored, and check-in at all airports is functioning normally. All our flights are operating as per schedule. We thank our passengers for their understanding.”
The third-party system glitch at several airports late Tuesday affected Air India and other airlines, causing brief delays.
“A third-party system disruption has been affecting check-in systems at various airports, resulting in delays across multiple airlines, including Air India,” the airline had earlier said in a statement.
The flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the Departure Delay Index at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi at an unusually high level of 4, indicating numerous flight delays and cancellations, after the initial announcement of a third-party system glitch was reported late Tuesday.
“Our airport teams are working diligently to ensure a smooth check-in experience for all passengers. While the system is progressively getting restored, some of our flights may continue to experience delays until the situation fully normalises. We request passengers to check their flight status,” Air India had further stated.
Barely a month back, flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were thrown into disarray after a technical snag hit the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, delaying more than 800 flights and stranding hundreds of passengers across terminals.
Sources said the disruption affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a crucial communication network that feeds data to the Auto Track System (ATS), which generates flight plans for controllers.
The government and its Sanchar Saathi app were meant to work 24×7 for phone users. Snooping fears made people protest, and communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia made the app optional. People fail to realise the benefits of moves until they are shoved down their throats, like Nitin Gadkari did with ethanol-mixed petrol.
The Department of Telecommunications directed phone companies to ensure that every new device sold in India comes with the Sanchar Saathi app pre-installed. (Image: Getty Images)
We Indians are a truly exceptional species. We never sweep our own streets, never fix our own potholes, never discipline our own children, but the moment the government tries to do any of these things for us, we suddenly discover 99 problems with them. God forbid the government wants to add just one more and make it a round century, we weaponise the social media to defeat the devious plans.
You vote for a government that promises to work 24×7 for the nation, and the moment it actually tries to work 24×7 on the average citizen, the above-average citizens (who read three tweets and become constitutional scholars) start screaming “1984! Pegasus!” while the below-average citizens are blissfully ignorant as they are busy arguing important things like whether Virat Kohli should open or bat at No. 4.
So the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), in a rare burst of efficiency, told phone companies: “Every new phone sold in India will come with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed. It can’t be disabled or uninstalled. It’s for your own good. Do it in 90 days.”
Twenty-four hours of Twitter trends later, the Honourable Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia appears to explain it all and take a step back.
“If you want, activate it. If you don’t want, don’t activate it. If you really, really don’t want, you can even delete it. It was never mandatory, it was always optional,” he clarified, butter smooth.
Translation: We tried to slip one tiny surveillance app past you, but you noisy narakasurs made such a tamasha that we are now pretending it was your idea all along.
People instantly accused the government of building another digital jaal to spy on citizens. Who else is supposed to keep an eye on citizens? We have an obesity epidemic because we have been misusing our freedoms by chomping off analogue paneer cooked in axle grease. We misuse our freedom of speech by using unparliamentary language about our parliamentarians. Why? Because we believe no Big Brother is listening to us or watching us. Our roads are like audis with auditioning for Roadies on all the time.
Just give Sanchar Saathi permanent access to your camera, mic, location, contacts, WhatsApp forwards, and that secret folder. Within a week, you will see miraculous self-improvement: polite conversation, healthy diet, early mornings, no road rage, no forwarding of “Send this to 10 people or your mother will die” messages. Surveillance is not a bad word; it’s a twelve-letter nation-building app. Nitin Gadkari has done the road-building. Who will build the driving etiquettes?
We are already watched 24×7 anyway. CCTV cameras follow you from your home to the office loo. We love Chinese CCTV cameras with dubious server locations. Arvind Kejriwal did not deliver on the obscene number of CCTV cameras he promised to keep Delhi safe, and his party was overthrown.
So please make up your mind, janata: do you want Big Brother or not? Because right now, you want Big Brother only when he is installing cameras to catch the guy who stole your scooter, not when he wants to check why you are ordering 3 am biryani every night.
Some say citizens must have a choice. Choice? The less said, the better. Take a look at the people they choose to represent them in Assemblies and Parliament. Including the woman who couldn’t take an oath in her local language in Bihar. We have seen that in every state.
Only veteran politicians understand the secret sauce of choice. Nitin Gadkari and Hardeep Puri decided that your car will run on 20% ethanol whether your engine is compatible or not? People cried “my car is coughing”, “my mileage is dead”, “this is adulteration”. Gadkari ji smiled the smile of a man who knows best and as if to say said, “Arre, it’s good for the environment, for farmers, for the ethanol industry.”
Today, everyone is quietly filling E20 and pretending their cars always sounded like tractor engines. That, my friends, is how you handle choice in a democracy: limit the pure petrol to two pumps in a city and say you got choice, baby. Do not forget to label the crybabies anti-national, and you are set.
Under the pretext of purchasing leaked data in bulk for marketing, we spoke to ‘Rakesh’ at length. And among other things, he said he’d done no wrong in creating the ProxyEarth.org website.
We published a report about a website called ProxyEarth.org that allows you to fetch the personal data (address, ID proof, alternate numbers, etc.) of Indians using only phone numbers.
While the website had not been blocked in India at the time of writing this, in the aftermath of our report, it began running at a reduced capacity, often with glitches. Nevertheless, we decided to dig deeper.
India Today Fact Check’s investigation led us to a man who identifies himself as Rakesh, one of the key persons behind ProxyEarth.org. While this might not be his real name, we will henceforth refer to him as such for convenience.
Under the pretext of purchasing leaked data in bulk for marketing, we spoke to Rakesh at length. And among other things, Rakesh said he had done no wrong in creating this website.
Who is ‘Rakesh’?
Rakesh has a fairly wide but anonymous presence online. But we managed to connect his many accounts thanks to a common element: his profile photo, which is an anime-style portrait of a young man wearing a plaid shirt and featuring the Indian flag and the logos of CapCut and Adobe After Effects.
We found Instagram, X, and YouTube accounts featuring the same photo. All of these accounts share more or less the same type of content: hacks for pirating premium video editing apps, sending bulk messages, temporary OTPs, live webcams, etc.
We were still looking for a face when we found the Threads account connected to his Instagram. It had a different profile photo — not exactly a real face, but something close. It appears to be a heavily edited version of a real person’s face, with the same After Effects logo in the back. We aren’t sure if this is actually Rakesh.
How we found him
Upon examining the source code (backend) of the website, we found mention of a Telegram channel called “@uploadfileofficial”. On that channel, we found the link to another Telegram channel called “@rakeshxofficial”.
On “@rakeshxofficial”, he identified himself as an editor and a programmer. Both channels had the same profile photos mentioned earlier.
‘I did nothing wrong’
While investigating the web of multiple social media accounts, websites, and Telegram channels, we found a phone number. We then called this number on the pretext of buying a package of leaked data.
Rakesh believed us and asked for details about the kind of data we wanted. During this conversation, he said that he worked with a team of 10–12 people, who had together created the ProxyEarth.org website. He said that this was only one of their many projects.
Rakesh also claimed that he was from Bihar, from a town bordering Eastern Uttar Pradesh. This matched with his number’s TrueCaller information.
Rakesh said that he was not doing anything wrong. He told us that he was not responsible for any of the data breaches — he was only using existing data leaks to power the website. He said that he had only merged multiple such databases for this website.
We found that whenever you enter a mobile number on the website, it initiates an API call to connect with leaked databases at the backend. As we mentioned in our previous story, there have been reports of several major leaks related to Indians in the last couple of years.
Scholars noted that Dandakrama, revered as the crown of Vedic recitation for its complex svara-patterns and phonetic precision, has been performed only three times in recorded history, with Devavrat’s recitation being flawless and completed in the shortest span.
19-year-old Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe from Maharashtra was felicitated for completing the Dandakrama Parayanam in uninterrupted 50 days.( Screenshot- X/@sringerimath)
Varanasi witnessed an extraordinary spiritual moment as 19-year-old Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe from Maharashtra was felicitated for completing the Dandakrama Parayanam, a highly complex recitation of nearly 2,000 mantras from the Shukla Yajurveda (Madhyandina branch). The feat, regarded as one of the most intricate in the Vedic tradition, was accomplished in 50 uninterrupted days, marking the first such classically pure performance after almost 200 years.
In honour of his achievement, Devavrat was presented with a golden bracelet worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1,11,116. The recognition came with the blessings of the Jagadguru Shankaracharyas of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham.
A vibrant procession from Rathayatra Crossing to Mahmoorganj, accompanied the celebration. Over 500 Vedic students, traditional musicians, and the resonant sound of shankhadwani turned the city into a grand Vedic festival. Devotees lined the streets, showering flowers as the procession passed.
During the ceremony, a special message of blessings from Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahasannidhanam was delivered by Asthana Vidwan Dr. Tangirala Shivakumar Sharma.
Scholars noted that Dandakrama, revered as the crown of Vedic recitation for its complex svara-patterns and phonetic precision, has been performed only three times in recorded history, with Devavrat’s recitation being flawless and completed in the shortest span, the official X handle of Sringeri Math posted.
PM MODI APPRECIATES DEVAVRAT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, expressed joy and pride on X after learning of the remarkable achievement of 19-year-old Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe. He said Devavrat’s accomplishment would inspire future generations, noting that every follower of Indian culture would be pleased to know that the young scholar flawlessly completed the Dandakrama Parayanam, comprising 2,000 mantras of the Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandina branch, over an uninterrupted span of 50 days.
Modi, who is also the MP from Varanasi, said he felt proud that this extraordinary spiritual discipline was performed on the holy soil of Kashi. He extended his respects to Devavrat’s family, saints, scholars and all institutions across the country that supported his rigorous Vedic practice.
BEACON OF INSPIRATION FOR SPIRITUAL WORLD: YOGI
Reacting to the achievement, Yogi Adityanath said that 19-year-old Vedic practitioner from Maharashtra had achieved an extraordinary feat by memorising 2,000 Vedic mantras through unique sadhana and remarkable memory, calling it a new beacon of inspiration for the entire spiritual world.
“It is a matter of special pride for me that this Vedic ritual was accomplished on the sacred soil of divine Kashi. My heartfelt congratulations to his family, acharyas, saints, sages, and all institutions whose support made this sadhana successful,” he wrote on X.
The Chief Minister expressed his pride that this Vedic ritual was accomplished on the sacred soil of divine Kashi and congratulated Devavrat’s family, acharyas, saints, sages, and all institutions whose support made this sadhana successful.
“Devavrat Ji, may your achievement become a guiding light of inspiration for generations to come. Heartiest congratulations with best wishes for your continued success,” Yogi further wrote.
The Court has ordered States that have not given consent for CBI investigations to give such consent so that the CBI can tackle the matter on a pan-India basis.
CBI and Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to launch an investigation into digital arrest scams in India.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi today took note of three kinds of cybercrime highlighted by amicus curiae – namely digital arrest scams, investment scams and part-time job scams.
It noted that such cybercrimes may involve extortion attempts or a scheme to lure victims to deposit large sums of money before they are duped.
It went on to note that investigation into digital arrest scams must be prioritised by the CBI.
“Digital arrests scams require immediate attention of the premier investigating agency of the country. Therefore we proceed with a clear direction that CBI shall firstly investigate cases on digital arrests scam. The other categories of scams shall be taken up in the next stages,” the Court ordered.
It also issued the following directions to strengthen the CBI probe ordered today.
– The CBI shall have free hand to probe the role of bankers under the Prevention of Corruption Act, where bank accounts are opened for the purposes of digital arrest scams.
– The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been asked to assist this court as to whether artificial intelligence or machine learning could be implemented to identify such suspicious accounts and freeze such proceeds of crime.
– The authorities under the Information Technology Intermediary Rules 2021 have been ordered to cooperate with the CBI as and when required during the probe.
– States that have not granted consent to CBI for investigations within their respective States have been directed to grant consent for the probe, so that the CBI can carry out comprehensive action on a pan-India basis.
– Having regard to the magnitude of such crimes and the fact that these crimes could extend beyond India’s territorial jurisdiction, the CBI should request Interpol authorities for assistance as and when needed.
– If facts cited expose an alarming and negligent approach of telecom service providers in issuing SiIM cards or multiple SIM in the same name, the Department of Telecom is to submit a proposal to the Court for preventing such misuse of SIM cards.
– States are to expeditiously establish State cybercrime centres. If any impediment is faced, States should inform the Court of the same.
The Court passed the order in a suo motu case initiated by it in October this year to address the growing menace of digital arrest scams across the country.
The Bench today noted that more and more digital arrest scam cases have come to light since the Court took judicial notice of the issue. It also expressed concern that senior citizens are often targeted in such scams.
“No sooner cognizance was taken, several victims have emerged and impleadment applications have been filed. Pursuant to our earlier directions, it is revealed that several FIRs have been registered in different States. The gravity and enormity of the crime can be judged by the fact that most of the States in one voice has stated that most of the time senior citizens have been targeted by the fraudsters by various means,” it said.
The Court added,
“Fraudsters continue to coin different terms to defraud. In part time jobs scam the victims are lured to perform free tasks like posting positive reviews, etc. and when the right stage come, victims are made to pay large amounts.”
The Court also emphasised that when senior citizens are targeted in such cybercrime, such cases must be investigated on priority.
During the last hearing of the matter, the Court had expressed shock that almost ₹3,000 crores were extorted from people in cyber frauds, particularly digital arrest scams.
The suo motu case was registered after a couple, who are senior citizens, wrote to the Supreme Court stating that they were defrauded of ₹1.5 crore between September 1 and 16 by scammers impersonating as officials of the CBI, Intelligence Bureau and the judiciary.
The tremor was recorded at 07:26:35 IST at a depth of 35 km. No immediate damage was reported.
Earthquake hits Bay of Bengal (Representational image) Photo : iStock
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday morning, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The tremor was recorded at 07:26:35 IST at a depth of 35 km.
“EQ of M: 4.2, On: 02/12/2025 07:26:35 IST, Lat: 20.56 N, Long: 92.31 E, Depth: 35 Km, Location: Bay of Bengal,” the National Centre for Seismology posted on X.
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) December 2, 2025
A similar earthquake of magnitude 4.3 had struck the Indian Ocean region on November 21. “EQ of M: 4.3, On: 21/11/2025 02:41:20 IST, Lat: 3.00 N, Long: 95.58 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Indian Ocean,” the NCS said.
An earthquake measuring 3.2 on Richter scale hit parts of Haryana late on Monday evening, according to the National Center for Seismology. The earthquake struck at around 9.22 pm and its epicenter was located in Haryana’s Sonipat at a depth of 5 kilometres.
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) December 1, 2025
Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit Nepal’s Bajhang district of Sudur Paschim province. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by the earthquake, officials said.
India is poised to finalize a Rs 10,000 crore deal for 275-300 additional S-400 missiles from Russia, enhancing the capabilities of its existing air-defense systems.
Surface-to-air Akash missiles. (File Image)
A Rs 10,000 crore deal for 275-300 S-400 missiles from Russia is likely very shortly. These are “additional missiles,” for the three S-400 air-defence systems that the Indian Air Force (IAF) already has, with two more due next year.
India has an agreement in place for five systems, and three are already with the IAF and were deployed during Operation Sindoor, the four-day anti-terror operation against Pakistan. Highly-placed sources said the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, and including the chief of defence staff and the three chiefs, has cleared the Rs 10,000 crore deal. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is expected to be in Delhi later this week, the two-day visit beginning Friday.
Another deal (a multi-billion dollar one) for an additional five systems is already under discussion, top government sources said. “We have started talking, but the cost consideration is there,” highly-placed sources added.But there will be no announcement during the Putin visit. Cost-related negotiations will take time. Besides, it has not reached the “formal procurement track as yet.” This means that it is yet to be placed before the Defence Procurement Board, after which the DAC and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will follow.
India has long wanted ten S-400 systems, including three along the India-Pakistan border, one each in Maharashtra and Gujarat, two in the North-east, one in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest for training/repair.
However the final deployment, the two already contracted for, have to come next year and the signing of the other five will have to happen. These will be necessary for about a decade till Project Kusha, the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s air-defence systems (three kinds are being planned) are ready.
A Kuwait–Hyderabad IndiGo flight was diverted to Mumbai following a specific human bomb threat received via email.
A file photo of an IndiGo flight (PTI)
A Kuwait to Hyderabad IndiGo flight was diverted to Mumbai on Tuesday after a threat message warned of a human bomb onboard the aircraft.
The threat, conveyed through a detailed email received at the Hyderabad airport, was assessed as specific by authorities.
Following the message, the flight landed at the Mumbai airport and was being checked in the isolation area on the airport premises.
All precautionary measures were put in place.
Security teams, including emergency responders, were on standby as officials monitored the situation closely.
There was no immediate information about the number of passengers on the aircraft.
An official statement by the IndiGo airlines was yet awaited.
On Monday, a private school in the Mira Road area of Thane district of Maharashtra received a bomb blast threat, prompting the police to launch a search for any suspicious object, which turned out to be a hoax.
Anchal’s brothers Himesh and Sahil, their father Gajanan Mamidwar, and three others have been arrested for Saksham’s murder
Days after Saksham Tate (20) was beaten to death in Maharashtra’s Nanded over an inter-caste relationship, his lover, Anchal Mamidwar (21), has alleged that two cops were among the several people who provoked her brothers to attack Saksham.
Heartbreaking visuals of Anchal “marrying” Saksham’s corpse have circulated on social media. The young woman, visibly in shock, told NDTV that her family members had assured her and Saksham that they would accept their decision to marry each other. “We were together for three years. We saw a lot of dreams. My brothers had assured me that they would organise our wedding. But they betrayed us at the last moment,” she said.
Anchal clarified that she connected with Saksham on Instagram and not through her brothers. She said her family members hung out with Saksham. “They would be nice to him and eat together. They convinced him that all is well. We had no idea something like this would happen,” she said.
‘He Is A Jai Bhimwala’
Anchal, who is from the Special Backward Class, said her family members had told her that Saksham is a ‘Jai Bhimwala’—a reference to Dalits who greet each other by saying Jai Bhim. “One day, my father told Saksham that if he wanted to marry me, he would have to come into our religion, Hindu Dharma. Saksham was ready to do everything to marry me. But I don’t know what happened,” she said.
A Cop’s Dare
Anchal accused two policemen—Dheeraj Komalwar and Maheet Asarwar—of provoking her brothers. Anchal’s family members reportedly have a criminal record. “Around 11 am on the day Saksham was murdered, my younger brother took me to the police station and asked me to file a false complaint against Saksham. I refused. The cops told my brother, ‘you keep coming here after killing people. Why don’t you kill the man your sister is involved with?’ My brother replied, “Okay, I will kill him by evening and come to you.” Anchal asked how people can trust cops if they act like this. Saksham, it is learnt, also had a criminal record.
The Attack
On Thursday evening, Saksham was with his friends when Anchal’s brother, Himesh Mamidwar, started an altercation that turned into a fight. Himesh allegedly shot Saksham, and the bullet hit his ribs. He then smashed a tile on the 20-year-old’s head, killing him on the spot. Himesh, his brother Sahil, their father Gajanan Mamidwar, and three others have been arrested. They have been charged with murder, unlawful assembly, and rioting under BNS and sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Arms Act.
Funeral Turns ‘Wedding’
The next evening, when preparations for Saksham’s last rites were on, Anchal reached his home and “married” the corpse. “I was in love with Saksham for the past three years, but my father opposed our relationship over caste differences. My family often threatened to kill Saksham, and now my father and brothers, Himesh and Sahil, have done it. I want justice. I want the accused to be hanged,” she told the media. She said she would be living with Saksham’s family.
Permission was officially granted and communicated to the Government of Pakistan through official channels at 1730 hrs (IST) on Monday, with the clearance processed within a minimal four-hour notice period, they said.
Sri Lanka has suffered from massive floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
India has granted rapid clearance for Pakistan’s aid flight carrying relief material to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka, firmly rejecting “baseless and misleading” claims circulating in Pakistani media that New Delhi had denied permission to use its airspace.
Officials confirmed that the request for overflight was submitted by Pakistan at approximately 1300 hrs (IST) on Monday, seeking same-day permission to fly over Indian airspace. Given the purpose of the request–to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka–India processed the request with exceptional speed.
Permission was officially granted and communicated to the Government of Pakistan through official channels at 1730 hrs (IST) on Monday, with the clearance processed within a minimal four-hour notice period, they said.
Officials emphasised that this clearance was a purely humanitarian gesture, made despite Pakistan maintaining a ban on Indian airlines’ use of its airspace.
India’s reaction came in the wake of reports by certain Pakistani media outlets claiming that India “refused to grant airspace” for the aid flights.
Officials categorically labelled these allegations as “baseless and misleading.”
Sri Lanka has suffered from massive floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah. At least 334 people have been confirmed dead across Sri Lanka as authorities continue to battle rising floodwaters in parts of the capital, Colombo.
India has sent 53 tons of relief material to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu as part of its emergency response to Cyclone Ditwah.
According to an official release, India has handed 9.5 tons of emergency rations from two Indian Navy Ships in Colombo; deployed three Indian Air Force aircraft for airlifting another 31.5 tons of relief materials including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food items, medicines and surgical equipment, two BHISHM cubes along with five persons medical team for on-site training, and 80 persons special Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist in rescue efforts.
The investigating officers needed time to probe the sloganeering in solidarity with slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, they said.
A total of 23 protesters were arrested during air pollution protest in Delhi last month in November.
A Delhi court on Monday remanded three protesters to three days of police custody in a case relating to the alleged use of pepper spray on police personnel during a demonstration at the India Gate over pollution last month.
The trio was identified as Ravjot, Gurkirat and Kranti.
The court also remanded seven other accused protesters to seven-day judicial custody.
While Delhi Police requested 10 days of police custody for Ayisha Wafiya and three other women, the court granted them only three days of judicial custody.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Aridaman Singh Cheema passed the order, directing that the women be interrogated only by female investigating officers.
The decision followed arguments from the defence counsel, who claimed the women had been subjected to rape threats and sexual harassment by male police officers.
While arguing for police custody, Delhi Police said that some of the arrested students had attended a conference of the banned Radical Students’ Union (RSU) in Hyderabad in February and that several videos allegedly showed their links to the Naxalite movement.
The investigating officers needed time to probe the sloganeering in solidarity with slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, they said.
The investigating officers also argued that further custody was necessary due to new evidence, including videos showing the students raising controversial slogans and WhatsApp chats revealing coordination among the group, and to trace the source of their funding, as the accused were found travelling to a conference and using expensive phones.
Opposing the plea for further custody, the defence contended that the accused had cooperated fully, had already been interrogated and had spent two days in police custody in a related case.
Their devices had been seized, and there was no further possibility of tampering with the evidence by the accused.
Since the primary virtual evidence was already in police custody, there was no further need for custodial interrogation, the defence counsel argued.
Many of the members played no active role in coordinating and organising the protest beyond being members of a WhatsApp group and being present at the venue on the day of the protest, showing there was no meeting of minds between the accused protesters, the defence counsel said.
Delhi Police was also accused of acting in a “lackadaisical” manner, as there have been no leads on who sourced the pepper spray at the venue of the protest, despite more than a week of custodial interrogation, it argued.
Eight of the accused — Vishnu Tiwari, Akshay, Sameer Fayis, Banka Akash, Prakash Kumar Gupta, Aahan Arun Upadhyay, Vagisha Anudeep and Ayisha Wafiya — were produced before the court after the expiry of their two-day judicial custody on Monday.
On Saturday, the court rejected Delhi Police’s application for seven-day police custody and only remanded them to two-day judicial custody.
Barring Ayisha, who has been remanded to three days of judicial custody, the rest of the accused, who have been remanded to seven days of judicial custody, will be produced before the court on Tuesday.
Samantha first gave a glimpse of her unique ring in an Instagram post in February this year.
Samantha’s wedding features portrait-cut diamonds, experts say. (Photos: Instagram/Samantharuthprabhuoffl)
Actress Samantha’s dreamy pictures from her temple wedding with filmmaker Raj are all over the Internet. But what truly has fans buzzing is her massive wedding ring.
Known for her bold and edgy choices in life, Samantha brought that same spirit to her wedding ring. Instead of choosing a conventional wedding band or an extravagant solitaire, the actress opted for something far more exquisite and attention grabbing.
At first glance, Samantha’s wedding ring exudes an edgy, bold and geometric vibe. But there is more to it. We spoke to several jewellery designers to break down what makes this massive sparkling ring so special and to understand the craftsmanship behind the piece that sealed Samantha and Raj’s love story.
“It is made with portrait-cut diamonds – a large one in the centre, surrounded by smaller ones attached like petals. These diamonds are custom-cut. The kaarigar has to be shown the ring’s design first to cut them accordingly, and only then can the ring be made,” Hafsa Qureshi, founder of MISSHK Fine Jewellery, tells India Today.
A portrait-cut diamond is a very thin, flat diamond with a perfectly clear, transparent surface. Making one requires slicing the diamond extremely thin without breaking it, a skill only highly trained kaarigars or cutters possess. Because of this, portrait-cut diamonds are not mass-produced and are custom-made to fit a specific design or frame.
“The centre is a lozenge portrait-cut diamond of around 2 ct, and around it sit eight custom portrait-cut diamonds shaped like petals. It looks effortless on her hand, but the engineering behind it is extremely complex. Only a few workshops in the world cut and assemble portrait diamonds at this level,” says Priyanshu Goel, a jewellery expert and content creator, in an Instagram reel posted on Monday.
Samantha first gave a glimpse of her wedding ring earlier this year in February in an Instagram post.
Art Deco era-inspired
Experts add that the ring draws inspiration from the Art Deco era, evident in its geometric cuts and architectural form.
“This approach draws from modernist and Art Deco design principles, where negative space, symmetry, and sculptural presence become as important as the stones themselves,” says Trishank Gupta, co-founder and managing director, Eleve Diamonds.
“It is set in either white gold or platinum, most often platinum because it is strong enough to hold these diamonds securely,” adds Hafsa.
Historically, platinum-cut diamonds were used in Mughal and Nizami jewellery.
Growing demand for unconventional designs
The edgy, modern design is poised to usher in a new genre of engagement rings in the Indian market.
“Samantha’s wedding ring stands out for its striking, contemporary design, characterised by clean, sculptural proportions and a high-impact silhouette. The centre stone features a portrait-cut diamond, prized in modern fine jewellery for its broad, elongated shape, refined mirror-like elegance, and wide visual spread,” says jewellery designer Varda Goenka, founder of Varda Goenka Fine Jewels by Diagold.
“Rings like this signal a strong shift towards architectural bridal jewellery, pieces defined by shape, silhouette and negative space rather than ornate detailing,” adds Ricky Vasandani, CEO and co-founder, Solitario.
Sri Lanka continues to face severe devastation in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The cyclone has claimed over 200 lives in Sri Lanka, leaving many displaced. The country has announced a national emergency.
The cyclone has claimed over 200 lives in Sri Lanka, leaving many displaced. (Photo: Reuters)
India has granted rapid overflight clearance for Pakistan’s humanitarian aid flight bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka, countering claims in sections of the Pakistani media that New Delhi had refused access to its airspace, according to news agency ANI. Officials said the request was processed within hours because it involved urgent relief operations.
The clarification rejected online claims that India had refused airspace access, prompting New Delhi to assert that it had, in fact, acted expeditiously due to the urgent nature of the mission.
According to Indian officials, Pakistan submitted its formal request at around 1:00 PM (IST) on 1 December seeking same-day permission to fly over Indian airspace. The clearance was issued four hours later.
“The official request for overflight was submitted by Pakistan to us at around 1300 (IST) hrs today seeking permission to fly over Indian airspace same day i.e. 1 December 2025. Given the fact that the request pertained to humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, Government of India expeditiously cleared the request and intimated the Government of Pakistan at 1730 hrs (IST) today through official channels. It was processed at the shortest notice period of 4 hrs,” the officials said.
Sri Lanka continues to face severe devastation in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The cyclone has claimed over 200 lives in Sri Lanka, leaving many displaced. The country has announced a national emergency.
The scale of the disaster has forced the government in Colombo to seek extensive support from regional partners, with India leading relief efforts under a major deployment of naval, air and disaster-response assets.
PM MODI OFFERS SUPPORT UNDER OP SAGAR BANDHU
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to express condolences over the “loss of lives and widespread devastation” caused by the cyclone and promised further support under Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to introduce two new bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday that will be aimed at imposing new tax/cess on demerit goods. The proposed bills are — The Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, and The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025.
Cigarettes are seen during the manufacturing process in the British American Tobacco Cigarette Factory (BAT) in Bayreuth. Credit: Reuters photo
The Union government plans to impose new levies on ‘sin goods’ such as cigarettes, gutkha and pan masala, which will keep the prices of these demerit items high, as the current structure of compensation cess is likely to be discontinued by March 2026.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to introduce two new bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday that will be aimed at imposing new tax/cess on demerit goods. The proposed bills are — The Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, and The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025.
The Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, seeks to replace the GST compensation cess on tobacco products with an excise duty.
With the introduction of the GST in July 2017, the main tax rates on tobacco and tobacco products came down substantially. However, the government imposed additional levy in the form of compensation cess. As a result, the prices of these items remained elevated.
Initially, the cess was introduced for five years to compensate the states for any revenue shortfall. As per the terms of the introduction of the GST regime, states were guaranteed 14% annual growth in tax revenue for five years beginning from July 2017. However, the cess was extended till March 2026 to repay loans taken by the Union government to support states during the revenue shortfall caused by the Covid pandemic.
“Compensation cess levied on tobacco and tobacco products, wherever applicable, will be discontinued once interest payment obligations and loan liabilities under the compensation cess account are completely discharged,” the Union finance minister noted in the ‘statement of objects and reasons’ of the proposed Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
In order to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence, it is imperative to amend the table in Section IV of the Fourth Schedule to the said Act (Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017), the minister stated.
The ‘Health Security se National Security Cess’ Bill will replace the compensation cess on pan masala. Through this, the government seeks to “augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health”.
It will “levy a cess for the said purposes on the machines installed or other processes undertaken by which specified goods are manufactured or produced”.
A tragic bus collision in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district resulted in the deaths of at least 11 individuals and left over 20 injured. The accident occurred when two state-run buses collided near Vivekananda Polytechnic College. Rescue operations were swiftly initiated by police and fire services, with injured passengers transported to various hospitals for treatment. Chief Minister MK Stalin announced compensation for victims’ families, while President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences.
Tamil Nadu Bus Smash-Up Kills 11, Injures 20 — A Routine Ride Turns Fatal Photo : PTI
A quiet Sunday evening turned tragic in Tamil Nadu as two state-run buses collided head-on near Karaikudi, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than 20 others injured. The accident, described by officials as severe, happened in the Sivaganga district, prompting urgent rescue operations and state-level intervention.
The crash took place around 5:00 PM near Vivekananda Polytechnic College under the Tirupattur sub-division, according to a release issued by the Sivaganga district police. One of the buses belonged to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and was travelling from Kangeyam to Karaikudi, while the other government bus was on its way from Karaikudi to Dindigul. The impact of the collision was strong enough to cause immediate fatalities and leave many critically injured.
Rescue teams from the Police Department and Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the spot soon after the incident, pulling passengers out of the wreckage. Senior officials including the Sivagangai District Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Tirupattur authorities reached the spot to monitor the situation and oversee the rescue efforts.
Injured Shifted to Multiple Hospitals Across the District
Passengers who survived the crash were rushed to nearby medical facilities, with many shifted to the Karaikudi Government Hospital, Tirupattur Government Hospital, and Sivagangai Government Hospital for treatment. Doctors are continuing to monitor those with severe injuries as families wait anxiously for updates outside emergency wards.
This tragic collision comes just days after a similar road accident in Tenkasi district, where six people died and over 50 were injured. The back-to-back incidents have renewed concerns about road safety and long-distance transport across the State.
CM Stalin Announces Compensation; President Murmu Offers Condolences
Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and immediately dispatched the Sivaganga District Collector along with District In-Charge Minister KR Periyakaruppan to oversee relief and medical assistance.
He also announced ex-gratia for the affected families — Rs 3 lakh for the kin of each deceased victim, Rs 1 lakh for those severely injured, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.
Cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu has caused three deaths, 150 cattle fatalities, and damaged 57,000 hectares of farmland amid heavy rains.
Docked boats at the Marina Beach as Red Alert issued in Tamil Nadu due to Cyclone Ditwah in Chennai on Sunday. (ANI Video Grab)
Three people have died in rain-related incidents triggered by cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu over the last 24 hours, state revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran said on Sunday, adding that nearly 150 cattle have died and 57,000 hectares of farmland has been damaged in the delta districts due to the impact.
“Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since last evening. While two persons died due to wall collapse in Tuticorin and Thanjavur, respectively, a 20-year-old youth died due to electrocution in Mayiladuthurai,” he said, briefing reporters at the State Emergency Operations Centre.
He added that the heavy rains due to the cyclone also damaged crops in about 56,000 hectares in various districts which are inundated. “Crops in about 24,000 hectares in Nagapattinam district, over 15,000 hectares in Tiruvarur district and about 8,000 hectares in Mayiladuthurai district, are affected,” the minister said. “After the flood water recedes, district officials will calculate the actual damage and accordingly the Chief Minister will announce a compensation to farmers.”
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ditwah, which killed over 300 people in Sri Lanka, was centered about 80km east of Jaffna (Sri Lanka), 140 km southeast of Vedaranniyam (Tamil Nadu), and 280km south-southeast of Puducherry.
IMD had issued a red category warning for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts.
In a statement issued later, the IMD said that the cyclone weakened into a deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts by November 30 evening.
“The Cyclonic Storm Ditwah over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts moved northwards with the speed of 5 kmph, weakened into a Deep Depression and lay centered over the same region around 5.30pm. It was about 90 km east of Cuddalore, 130 km northeast of Karaikal, 90 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 180 km north-northeast of Vedaranniyam and 140 km south-southeast of Chennai. “The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 80 km,” the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai said.
“It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and weaken gradually further into a depression around December 1st morning.”
It is likely to get colder, with a 2-3 degree C fall in minimum temperature expected over the next two days over northwest and east India, India Meteorological Department has warned.
According to the proposed health and national security cess legislation, the levy is expected on the production capacity of specified items
Apart from the cess bill, the government also intends to introduce The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to 100% from 74%.(File/HT Photo)
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday to levy “Health Security se National Security Cess” on pan masala and any other items notified by the central government to meet expenditure on national security and for public health, people in the know said on Sunday.
The bill may immediately impose a cess on pan masala and could later extend it to other sin goods such as cigarettes and tobacco products (excluding bidis), they said. It is also expected to empower the central government to add any item to the list in the future in the interest of public welfare. Once the bill becomes an act, the proposed cess will come into effect on the date the government notifies it in the official gazette, the people added.
Apart from the cess bill, the government also intends to introduce The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to 100% from 74%. The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 is on the schedule of the Lok Sabha’s list of business for Monday along with The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
According to the proposed health and national security cess legislation, the levy is expected on the production capacity of specified items. Individual producers or firms will self-declare location-wise production capacity of their units for the purpose of the cess, they said.
Citing the example of pan masala, they said a cess of about ₹100 per month per machine is expected to be levied if a facility has a production capacity of 500 units of 2.5gm pouches or packets per minute per machine. The cess rates may increase with the increase in production speed as well as the weight of specified goods (pan masala in this case) in each pouch, or packet, or tin, or container, they added.
For example, if a machine has the capacity to produce more than 1,000 to 1,500 units of 2.5gm pouches, or containers, the cess amount would be ₹30.3 lakh per month per machine, they said. If these pouches weigh more than 2.5gm but less than 10gm, the cess is expected at ₹1,092 lakh per month per machine. And, if the weight of the containers exceeds 10gm, the levy would jump to ₹2,547 lakh per month per machine, they added.
Procedural details, regulatory mechanisms and other nitty-gritty would be detailed when the government will frame rules after the bill is passed in Parliament, they said. Regulatory mechanisms and inspections will be hi-tech with a wide use of digital technologies, they said.
The introduction of the cess bill is expected to replace the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation cess on tobacco products that will cease to exist after the government services the remaining principal and interests of back-to-back loans taken during the Covid period to compensate states for their revenue losses. The bill was distributed among the MPs on Sunday. In both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Business Advisory Committee meetings, the government pitched the bill as a priority.
The 56th GST Council in September 2025 decided to remove compensation cess in a phased manner until the remaining liability of the back-to-back loans taken to fund state revenue losses during the pandemic period is discharged. This was expected by December this year, the people mentioned above said. The GST Council had empowered the Union finance minister, who is also the chairperson of the Council, to decide the actual date on this matter.
While the levy of compensation cess ended on almost all sin goods and luxury items from September 22, it continued along with 28% GST on pan masala, gutkha, cigarettes, chewing tobacco products like zarda, and unmanufactured tobacco till loan repayment and interest payment obligations under the compensation cess account were completely discharged. All tobacco products, except bidi (18%) attract a special 40% GST rate. Specified items, as per the proposed bill, will, however, attract health and national security cess, they said.
At the time of launching the GST regime, the law assured states a 14% increase in their annual revenue for five years of the transition period from July 1, 2017 up to June 30, 2022, and also guaranteed that their revenue shortfall, if any, would be made good through a compensation cess levied on luxury goods and sin products such as liquor, cigarettes, other tobacco products, aerated water, automobiles, and coal.
The GST compensation cess was, however, extended from June 30, 2022 till March 31, 2026, only to retire debts taken on behalf of states to meet the revenue shortfall during the Covid period. While states have no claims for compensation from July 1, 2022, it was earlier decided that the cess will continue till March 31, 2026 to service the back-to-back loans released to states when compensation cess collection fell in 2020 and 2021 because of a slump in economic activity due to the pandemic.
More than 4,000 military personnel and police officers participated, reinforcing the marathon’s message of respect and solidarity for those who serve the nation.
More than 24,000 runners took part in the 9th Adani Ahmedabad Marathon
The city of Ahmedabad transformed into a vibrant celebration of endurance and unity as more than 24,000 runners took part in the 9th Adani Ahmedabad Marathon at the Sabarmati Riverfront Sports Park. Anchored in the purpose-led theme of#Run4OurSoldiers, the marathon once again brought the city together in a spirited tribute to India’s Armed Forces, with this year’s run carrying deeper significance in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.
The event was flagged off by Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Ltd.; Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor; Major General Gaurav Bagga; fitness ambassador and actor-presenter Mandira Bedi; Olympic medallist and Padma Shri awardee Gagan Narang; Preeti Jhangiani, actor-producer and Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association; and renowned designer Aaquib Wani, along with senior leaders from Adani Sportsline, the sports arm of the Adani Group.
Also present at the occasion was Indian cricketer and Gujarat Giants’ newest signee Yastika Bhatia.
More than 4,000 military personnel and police officers participated, reinforcing the marathon’s message of respect and solidarity for those who serve the nation.
Runners competed across the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 km, and 5 km categories on a course showcasing some of Ahmedabad’s most iconic landmarks, including the Gandhi Ashram, Atal Bridge, and Ellis Bridge. The official marathon jersey-designed by award-winning creator Aaquib Wani-captured the event’s spirit and its tribute to soldiers.
With a prize pool of over Rs 40 lakh across the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K categories, winners were rewarded across multiple competitive and age-group divisions.
Recognised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and listed on the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) Global Marathon Event List, the recognised registry of certified marathons and distance-running events that meet global standards for course accuracy, measurement, and event quality, the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon has grown into one of India’s most respected distance-running events.
Speaking at the event, Pranav Adani said, “Since 2017, the Ahmedabad Marathon has become a landmark event embraced by our beloved city. This year, the message of #Run4OurSoldiers resonated even more deeply as our Armed Forces stood tall during Operation Sindoor. The participation of over 24,000 runners shows how the event has grown into a movement the city proudly owns.”
Major General Gaurav Bagga, General Officer Commanding, Indian Army, added, “The Adani Ahmedabad Marathon is more than a sporting event, but it is a living testament to the enduring bond between the Armed Forces and the citizens we serve.
“Witnessing over 4,000 personnel run shoulder to shoulder with thousands from across the nation was profoundly heartening. Such overwhelming participation is not merely about numbers; it reflects the unity, discipline, and positive spirit that define India. In every stride, one could feel the pulse of a nation moving forward together.”
Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Indian Air Force, expressed, “Today, we are thrilled to see such a massive and enthusiastic crowd coming together to support our Armed Forces by participating in the 9th Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2025. This event is a testament to the importance we place on fitness, and it is heartening to see such a wonderful initiative of the Adani Group in honour of the Armed Forces.
“The overwhelming response and energy on display today are really impressive. A truly memorable experience today, set against the stunning backdrop of the beautiful Sabarmati Riverfront. ”
India is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, with the birth rate dropping sharply over the past two decades, an official said.
While birth rates are falling, life expectancy continues to rise due to improvements in healthcare.
India’s population is expected to stabilise by 2080 at 1.8 or 1.9 billion due to dipping total fertility rate, which is currently below the replacement level at 1.9, an official said.
India is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, with the birth rate dropping sharply over the past two decades, he said.
“In 2000, our TFR was 3.5 and today it stands at 1.9. This is a drastic decline,” Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) general secretary Anil Chandran told PTI.
He said India’s population is expected to peak at 1.8 or 1.9 billion by 2080, when growth is expected to stabilise.
“All estimates show that India’s maximum population will remain below two billion,” Chandran added.
He attributed the fall in fertility primarily to increasing development and education levels. Increased female literacy, he said, has directly shaped decisions around marriage and childbearing, leading to smaller families.
Greater use of contraceptives and wider access to birth control have further accelerated the decline, he said.
“Couples today are better informed and exercise greater control over when and how many children to have,” Chandran said.
He said that late marriages and growing economic opportunities — especially for women pursuing careers — have also significantly influenced reproductive choices.
“Development is inversely proportional to birth rates. Illiterate groups still have fertility levels above three, but among the educated, TFR ranges between 1.5 and 1.8,” he said.
Citing Kerala’s example, Chandran said the state achieved replacement-level fertility (2.1) between 1987 and 1989 and now has a TFR of around 1.5.
West Bengal’s fertility rate has also seen a sharp fall. According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2023, the state’s TFR has dropped to 1.3, down from 1.7 in 2013 — a decline of nearly 18 per cent and well below the replacement level of 2.1. West Bengal now ranks among the lowest in the country, on par with Tamil Nadu and just above Delhi, while recording the lowest urban TFR and the second-lowest rural TFR nationally, he said.
The demographer noted that while birth rates are falling, life expectancy continues to rise due to improvements in healthcare.
“More people are living beyond 60, and this brings new challenges of elderly care, especially as younger people migrate for work,” he said, adding that solutions such as elderly day-care facilities are increasingly being discussed.
Though cross- LoC trade remains suspended due to the hostilities between India and Pakistan since 2019, the ruling by a division bench is reaffirmation of the government’s stand that PoK is part of Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ruled that trade between Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir or PoK across the Line of Control is intra-state trade and therefore, no GST can levied on it.
Though cross- LoC trade remains suspended due to the hostilities between India and Pakistan since 2019, the ruling by a division bench is reaffirmation of the government’s stand that PoK is part of Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India.
Even after the scrapping of Article 370, the J&K assembly continues to have 24 vacant seats reserved for the PoK. As per the erstwhile constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the entire J&K including PoK is an integral part of India. J&Ks separate constitution was also scrapped with revocation of Article 370.
The High court, while considering petitions from traders across the Line of Control, said cross-LoC trade between Jammu and Kashmir and the PoK was intra-state because the PoK is part of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Therefore, the location of suppliers and the place of supply of goods were within the then State of Jammu Kashmir (now the Union Territory). The cross-LoC trade affected by the petitioners during the relevant tax period was nothing but intra-state trade,” said the division bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Sanjay Parihar.
The petitioners had challenged show cause notices issued by the Superintendent CGST under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. They argued that when trade began in 2008, intra-state sales tax was governed by the Jammu and Kashmir Value Added Taxes Act, which exempts cross-LoC trade from tax.
However, in 2017, when the GST regime was implemented, authorities began investigating the petitioners to determine if they had paid GST on their outward and inward supplies and show cause notices were issued to them.
The petitioners challenged the notices, arguing that the cross-LoC trade regulated by the Government of India’s SOP issued on October 20, 2008, constitutes intra-state trade and is therefore exempt from the provisions of the CGST Act. They further contended that even if intra-state trade were assumed, the demand for tax would be invalid because it involved a barter system with no monetary exchange.
In 2008, following improved relations between India and Pakistan as confidence-building measures, both governments had agreed to permit free cross-LoC trade between them under specific terms and conditions.
However, on April 9, 2019, the Indian government suspended cross-LoC trade on grounds that trade routes were being misused to funnel illegal weapons, narcotics and counterfeit currency.
A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs at the time revealed that probe by the National Investigation Agency had uncovered concerns that cross-LoC trade were operated by individuals closely associated with banned terrorist organisations.
The two most significant CMBs between India and Pakistan were the cross-LoC bus service and cross-LoC trade.
Police have arrested three key operatives of the module – one each from Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh – and seized a semi-automatic pistol, 10 live cartridges, and mobile phones containing incriminating chats.
Search operations are underway to trace other operatives of the module, police said. (Representational)
The Special Cell of Delhi Police has busted a Pakistan-backed terror module led by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, currently based in the neighbouring country, an official said on Sunday.
Police have arrested three key operatives of the module – one each from Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh – and seized a semi-automatic pistol, 10 live cartridges, and mobile phones containing incriminating chats and reconnaissance videos from their possession, Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Pramod Singh Kushwah, said.
“The module was involved in the November 25 grenade attack outside the City police station in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, which was carried out on Bhatti’s instructions. Bhatti has been coordinating operations from Pakistan using encrypted platforms and social media channels,” the Additional CP said.
“Those arrested have been identified as Vikas Prajapati alias Betu (19), a resident of Datia in Madhya Pradesh, Hargunpreet Singh alias Gurkaranpreet Singh (19) from Firozpur in Punjab, and Asif alias Arish (22) from Bijnaur in Uttar Pradesh,” the officer said.
He said the breakthrough came after a team started tracking Bhatti’s activities, including his online communication patterns.
It was found that Prajapati, wanted in an arms-smuggling case, was in frequent contact with Bhatti on social media. Prajapati’s location kept shifting between Gurdaspur and Delhi, with Bhatti frequently instructing him to switch off his cellphone to avoid tracking, the officer said.
“Prajapati was arrested in Madhya Pradesh after a two-day manhunt. His interrogation revealed the module’s modus operandi. Bhatti and his Pakistan-based associates targeted young Indians on social media, luring them with money and an aura of gangster glorification,” the Additional CP said.
They selected the recruits by scanning their profiles, gave remote instructions for reconnaissance, arranged payments digitally, and used them as disposable foot soldiers for terror strikes, the officer said.
Prajapati told police that he contacted Bhatti through social media after being influenced by his online persona.
Bhatti allegedly used Prajapati to receive an arms parcel in Gurdaspur, which contained a grenade. On Bhatti’s instructions, Prajapati conducted a recce of the City police station in Gurdaspur and the Town Hall police station in Amritsar, before handing over the grenade to Hargunpreet Singh and his associate.
During questioning, Hargunpreet, a 12th pass from Firozpur, confessed that he carried out the grenade attack on November 25 outside the City police station while riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by an associate.
The passage of the six bills marks a shift in Assam’s education framework, with key laws such as the Fee Regulation Amendment Bill and the Provincialisation Amendment Bill cleared. The opposition says the process lacked proper scrutiny and debate.
The passage of the six bills marks a shift in Assam’s education framework, with key laws such as the Fee Regulation Amendment Bill and the Provincialisation Amendment Bill cleared.
The Assam Assembly on Saturday, November 29, passed six bills associated with the Education Department. All the bills passed were in the absence of the opposition parties after the walkout.
The Assembly cleared four major amendment bills. These included the Assam Non-governmental Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Teachers and Re-organisation of Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The House also passed the Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (Regulation of Posting and Transfer) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The debate on four bills, all moved by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, lasted for more than four hours. Congress, CPI(M) and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi said that none of the amendments they proposed were accepted. They asked the government to allow voting, but the request did not get a response.
Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia said the amendments needed discussion and voting. CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi supported his demand.
Two other bills were passed through voice vote. These were the Azim Premji University Bill, 2025 and the North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM) University Bill, 2025. Both were introduced by Education Minister Pegu on the last day of the Winter Session.
Pegu said the government wanted to improve the state’s education system through these measures. “Today in the Assam Legislative Assembly, along with The Rabindranath Tagore University (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Su-Ka-Pha University Bill, 2025 aimed at strengthening Assam’s education sector,” he wrote on his X account.
He added that the bills would help reorganise institutions, manage fees and improve staff-related processes.
India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to aid Sri Lanka, sending 27 tons of relief, NDRF teams, and setting up an emergency help desk as over 123 lives were lost.
A total of around 27 tons of relief material delivered by air and sea. (X/@DrSJaishankar)
Cyclone Ditwah: India has launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative to support Sri Lanka as the island country battles Cyclone Ditwah, which has claimed at least 123 lives and left over 130 people missing.
Disaster Management Centre Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda said relief operations were underway with 43,995 people moved to state-run welfare centres after their homes were destroyed in the week-long heavy rains.
The DMC said as many as 1,48,603 individuals from 44,192 families were suffering due to widespread flooding, while 5,024 families (approximately 14,000 people) had taken shelter in 195 emergency centres.
The first tranche of relief materials was handed over after the consignments were transported by the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri to the island nation.
The first shipment, comprising 4.5 tonnes of dry rations and 2 tonnes of fresh rations, was sourced from the Indian naval ships which are currently docked in Sri Lanka. The supplies included staple foods, ready-to-eat items, dairy and bakery products, beverages and other essential materials.
On Saturday, an IAF C-130J aircraft carrying around 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food items, landed in Colombo.
Operation Sagar Bandhu | Humanitarian Assistance
In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah across Sri Lanka, India swiftly launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to bolster relief efforts.
The Indian Air Force promptly deployed one C-130 and one IL-76 from Hindan Air… pic.twitter.com/cIT7gKiPNs
Later, an IAF IL-76 aircraft carrying 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, four sniffer dogs and specialised relief equipment to support rescue operations, reached the island nation.
The contingent, led by 8th Battalion Commandant P K Tiwary, flew out from Hindon Air Base with inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication gear and medical kits, as part of India’s HADR outreach under Operation Sagar Bandhu.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also shared the update on X, saying that a total of around 27 tons of relief material delivered by air and sea.
Vijay’s brother, Ravi Kumar, who lives in Jagrambass village in the Badhra subdivision, has written to the MEA asking for urgent help.
Vijay Kumar Sheoran hailed from Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri (Credits: X)
A 30-year-old Indian-origin man was stabbed to death in Worcester, United Kingdom, on November 25. Vijay Kumar Sheoran hailed from Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri and had resigned from his job at the Central Board of Excise and Customs earlier this year to pursue higher studies.
While British police have not released any details about the incident, Vijay’s family in Haryana fears that someone from Haryana or Punjab may be involved in the crime.
The family has reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), seeking help from the Indian High Commission in London to bring his mortal remains back as soon as possible.
Vijay’s brother, Ravi Kumar, who lives in Jagrambass village in the Badhra subdivision, has written to the MEA asking for urgent help.
“Our family is devastated by this incident. We request the MEA to help us in getting my brother’s body back for the last rites. Due to the complex legal formalities and documentation in the UK, it is difficult for us to manage on our own,” Ravi wrote.
He said Vijay had last served in Kochi before leaving his government job to study abroad. Ravi also requested help from Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
MLA Urges Centre To Step In
Charkhi Dadri MLA Sunil Satpal Sangwan has also raised the matter publicly. In a post on X, he appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and other officials to assist the family and ensure that Vijay’s mortal remains are brought home quickly.
Deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Vijay Kumar Sheoran, an Indian student from Village Jagrambas, District Charkhi Dadri (Haryana), who lost his life following a brutal stabbing incident in Worcester, United Kingdom.
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Vijay Kumar Sheoran, an Indian student from Village Jagrambas, District Charkhi Dadri (Haryana), who lost his life following a brutal stabbing incident in Worcester, United Kingdom,” he wrote in a post on X.
The campaign was a direct and emotional pushback against the apex court’s directive, issued on November 7, 2025, in a suo motu petition related to dog bite incidents
The letters collectively call for a stay, recall, and reconsideration of the November 7 order. Representational image/PTI
More than 50,000 citizens across India, including nearly 10,000 from the National Capital Territory of Delhi, participated in a massive letter-petition campaign on Saturday, urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its controversial November 7 order concerning community dogs. The citizens, comprising students, homemakers, professionals, and activists, opted for the traditional, deeply personal format of handwritten letters to the Chief Justice of India, aiming to convey the sincerity and depth of public concern regarding the fate of stray animals.
The campaign was a direct and emotional pushback against the apex court’s directive, issued on November 7, 2025, in a suo motu petition related to dog bite incidents. The order specifically instructed all states and union territories to “forthwith” remove stray dogs from sensitive institutional areas—including educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots, and railway stations—and relocate them to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. Crucially, the court explicitly directed that the dogs must not be released back into the same location, carving out a significant exception to the ABC Rule’s core “Capture-Sterilise-Vaccinate-Release” (CSVR) principle.
Animal welfare activists leading the movement strongly criticised the order, labelling it as unscientific, impractical, and, potentially, a “death sentence” for the animals. They argued that the country severely lacks the necessary infrastructure, including functional and humane shelters, to house the millions of stray dogs that would be displaced. The forceful removal and displacement of vaccinated, sterilised, and familiar community dogs, they contend, would not only cause immense suffering but also create a vacuum in their territories, which could swiftly be filled by new, unsterilised, and potentially aggressive dogs, thereby worsening the problem it sought to solve.
The nationwide response, with postal receipts being uploaded from cities ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, underscores a section of the public’s deep emotional connection with community dogs and the growing support for humane, coexistence-based solutions. The letters collectively call for a stay, recall, and reconsideration of the November 7 order, urging the Supreme Court to prioritise rigorous implementation of the existing ABC rules—focusing on sterilisation, vaccination, and the creation of designated feeding zones—rather than mass relocation and displacement.
The collection undergoing digitisation is immense, comprising over 25 million documents belonging to more than 1,300 individuals and organisations
By removing geographical barriers, the initiative aims to strengthen the study of modern India’s historical and political evolution. (Representational image/Getty)
The Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) has launched a comprehensive digitisation project of its vast and rare archival collection, the Ministry of Culture announced on Saturday. This landmark initiative is designed to achieve the dual objectives of ensuring the long-term preservation of fragile historical documents and significantly enhancing remote access for genuine research scholars worldwide. The PMML, housed at the historic Teen Murti Bhavan, is a premier national institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing the legacy of all Prime Ministers of India since Independence.
The collection undergoing digitisation is immense, comprising over 25 million documents belonging to more than 1,300 individuals and organisations pivotal to modern and contemporary Indian history. This material includes irreplaceable personal papers, correspondence, seminal speeches, private diaries, and newspaper articles, which are regularly consulted by bona fide historians and scholars. The digitisation effort is a crucial measure against the natural degradation of these paper-based records, safeguarding them for future generations.
To facilitate the remote access component, the PMML has developed a dedicated, secure IT platform for its new Digital Archives. A substantial portion of the most frequently requested material has already been digitised, uploaded, and made available through this new system. Registered scholars may now submit online requests for specific archival documents without the mandatory need to physically visit the PMML premises in New Delhi. Once an online request is approved, the material is securely made available on the scholar’s desktop in a strictly view-only format.
According to PMML Director Ashwani Lohani, this transformative project marks a significant milestone in leveraging technology to enhance accessibility and reflects the institution’s commitment to promoting high-quality research. By removing geographical barriers, the initiative aims to strengthen the study of modern India’s historical and political evolution, allowing more global scholars to contribute to the field directly from their respective locations. The launch of the PMML’s Digital Archives is poised to revolutionise how historical research on India’s post-independence journey is conducted.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya has said that Lord Ram was always present in Ayodhya, even during the long absence of a grand temple, highlighting his divine will.
Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Lord Ram didn’t return to Ayodhya but he was always present there even during the old temple, in the tent and now in the newly constructed grand temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi, said Jagadguru Shankaracharya.
In an exclusive conversation with Times Now Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar on Frankly Speaking, when asked to comment on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya being completed after a long wait of 500 Years and whether the Pran Pratishtha should have taken place before the temple was completed, Jagadguru Shankaracharya said that in Ayodhya, when this grand temple was not there for 500 years and when the movement of the Ram Mandir was going on, then also Lord Ram was present there. He was also present in the make-shift tent after the temple was demolished.
So Ayodhya has been a place where Lord Ram wanted to stay with his own wish, Jagadguru Shankaracharya said.
Speaking further on this issue, Jagadguru Shankaracharya said that according to Ramayan, when everyone was fed up with Ravan, then people worshiped god and requested for a solution.
During that time, Raja (King) Dashrath had also took some resolves (Anushthaan) to have a son, however, no one had requested the God that Lord Ram should take an avatar in Ayodhya, Jagadguru Shankaracharya mentioned.
But Lord Ram did come as an avatar in Ayodhya and also as the son of Raja Dashrath. This happened only because of the will of the God, he said.
Police sources also revealed that the NIA sleuths recovered Rs 18.5 lakh in cash, along with some gold biscuits and foreign currency, from Shahid’s hostel room at the university.
Police personnel conduct investigation in the aftermath of a blast near Red Fort, in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo
Faridabad: Dr Shaheen Shahid, arrested in the “white-collar terror module” case linked to the November 10 Delhi blast, revealed that she had planned to recruit women to carry out the terrorist act, Faridabad police sources have revealed.
They said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) brought Shahid, a former pharmacologist at Al-Falah University, to the university campus on Thursday in connection with the probe, and that during questioning, she revealed she had planned to recruit women for the mission.
Police sources also revealed that the NIA sleuths recovered Rs 18.5 lakh in cash, along with some gold biscuits and foreign currency, from Shahid’s hostel room at the university.
Earlier in the week, the agency brought Dr Muzammil for identification, and soon, the NIA could bring Dr Adil Ahmad for spot identification to the university. Muzammil and Adil Ahmad are two other suspects arrested as part of the probe.
Sources also revealed that Shahid had also lived in Saudi Arabia for four years. She worked as a professor at a medical college in Saudi Arabia from 2014 to 2018.
During Shahid’s on-site questioning at the campus, the NIA team took her to the medical ward, classroom, and her cabin to gather details of her activities and contacts there.
A senior police officer said on Saturday that the agency has prepared a list of the people with whom she interacted.
The NIA team also took her to a chemical shop from where, according to sources, Dr Muzammil allegedly purchased materials to prepare explosives.
After about four hours of investigation, questioning and identification of several locations, she was taken back to Delhi at about 9:00 pm.
India’s new criminal code still defines rape solely as a man assaulting a woman, rendering male and transgender survivors legally invisible. Their cases remain unrecorded, untreated, and unpunished, thereby creating a dangerous systemic blind spot, reports Venkatesh R.
A legal erasure. Credit: DH Illustration
Disbelief, shame, silence — survivors of sexual violence grapple with an array of emotional and psychological shocks. For male and trans survivors, the burden is heavier still: the law does not even acknowledge that they can be victims.
India rewrote its British-era criminal laws in 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Yet what remained untouched was its imagination of who a rape survivor can be. In the eyes of the law, that survivor is still only a woman.
Under Section 63 of the BNS, rape is defined solely as a “man” committing the act against a “woman.” Men and most trans people simply do not exist in that definition. They disappear before the law even begins to speak.
This isn’t a drafting slip — it’s a worldview. Advocate K M Sai Apabharana, partner at Allied Law Practices, explains that when male or transgender survivors report sexual assault, they are pushed into provisions meant for “hurt,” “grievous hurt,” or “criminal force.” None of these captures the sexual nature of the violence, and the penalties are far lighter. “They provide limited legal avenues for redress,” she says.
What the law refuses to name, society refuses to see. In police stations, courtrooms, and even therapy rooms, survivors who are not women are met with disbelief, laughter, or silence. Their trauma doesn’t fit the statute, and so it doesn’t count.
Arvind Narrain, lawyer and co-founder of Alternative Law Forum, spells it out more bluntly: “The victim is gender-specific… the only person who can be subjected to sexual violence is defined as a woman.” That single clause narrows the entire legal imagination, pushing survivors outside the frame before they can even report a crime.
The result is legal improvisation. “If the sexual-violence part is out of the picture,” Narrain says, “then you’re left with assault, grievous hurt, hurt, criminal intimidation”. None of these, he points out, comes close to naming sexual violence for what it is.
Odisha’s Paradip Port has created history by achieving the fastest ever 100 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput in a financial year on November 27. The coveted 100 MMT mark was achieved on December 9, 2024, during the last financial year. The record was achieved in 241 days in the current fiscal year against 253 days in the previous financial year.
Odisha’s Paradip Port has created history by achieving the fastest ever 100 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput in a financial year on November 27, an official statement said on Friday. This is the 9th consecutive year the port has crossed the 100 MMT mark and clocked 100.15 MMT, exhibiting a growth of 4.78 per cent year-on-year basis, 12 days earlier than the last financial year, according to the statement.
The coveted 100 MMT mark was achieved on December 9, 2024, during the last financial year. The record was achieved in 241 days in the current fiscal year against 253 days in the previous financial year, the statement said. Despite market challenges, the port continues to set new benchmarks. Faster operations, system improvements and consistent support from stakeholders have helped Paradip Port Authority (PPA) stay ahead.
Growth in coastal thermal coal, container cargo, gypsum & flux, POL and Steel cargo has strengthened PPA’s position as a leading coastal shipping hub. Coal cargo handling constitutes around 45 per cent of total cargo volume at the port, and it has shown 3.76 per cent growth against the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Similarly, containerised cargo volume has grown by 32 per cent, gypsum & flux volume has surged by 24 per cent, steel cargo by 35 per cent, and petroleum oil and lubricants (POL) by 31 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis in the current fiscal, the statement said.
Paradip Port Authority (PPA) Chairman P.L. Haranadh said that with a clear focus on efficiency and growth, the port is on track to target an all-time high in this fiscal. He congratulated all employees of the port, the user industries, stevedores, steamer agents, trade unions and public-private partnership operators for the “amazing accomplishment in the ability of the port to serve them”.
Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing has filed a fresh FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, intensifying the ongoing legal and political dispute. The FIR is based on a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate concerning alleged fraudulent financial transactions.
Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing has filed a fresh FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, acting on a complaint routed through the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The move, registered on October 3, deepens the long-running political and legal battle over the newspaper’s finances and the alleged takeover of its parent company.
CASE BUILT ON ED COMPLAINT
The FIR follows the ED’s complaint shared with Delhi Police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, a provision that allows the agency to ask another authority to register a scheduled offence. Along with the two senior Congress leaders, six individuals and three companies have been named as accused.
The FIR invokes sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of movable property), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
Those named include Sam Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, and three companies, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Dotex, a Kolkata-based firm, has been described in earlier investigations as a shell entity that transferred Rs 1 crore to Young Indian, the company in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are key stakeholders.
ALLEGATIONS AROUND AJL TAKEOVER
According to the FIR, the accused were involved in a criminal conspiracy to gain control of AJL, the company linked to the National Herald newspaper, by fraudulent means. The allegations centre on a series of financial transactions through which Young Indian is said to have acquired control of AJL by paying the Congress party Rs 50 lakh, despite AJL’s assets being valued at nearly Rs 2,000 crore.
S Jaishankar’s comments come against the backdrop of recent trade disputes and steep US tariffs, including a 50 per cent rate on Indian imports levied by US President Donald Trump.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. (File photo)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a veiled reference to the US amid ongoing trade tensions, said on Saturday that politics nowadays increasingly ‘trumps’ economics in an “uncertain world”. Speaking in Kolkata after receiving an Honorary Doctorate from IIM-Calcutta, he stressed the importance of diversifying India’s supply sources to safeguard national interests.
“This is an era where politics increasingly trumps economics and that is not a pun. In an uncertain world, it is all the more important that we continuously diversify supply sources to guarantee our national needs,” he stated.
His comments come against the backdrop of recent trade disputes and steep US tariffs, including a 50 per cent rate on Indian imports levied by US President Donald Trump.
Jaishankar highlighted the evolving nature of Washington’s policy. “The United States, long the underwriter of the contemporary system, has set radically new terms of engagement. It is doing so by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis,” he said.
India and the US are currently negotiating two parallel tracks—one to address tariff issues and another aimed at establishing a comprehensive trade agreement.
While both sides hope to expand trade volumes and resolve long-standing market access barriers, tensions persist.
Nevertheless, recent data shows India’s exports to the US have declined less than expected.
Officials say India has “avoided the worst impact of the 50% US tariffs” and is “ready to wait” for a more favourable deal.
Both nations are working toward a target of doubling bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030, up from the current USD 191 billion.
Washington is pushing for greater access to India’s agricultural and high-tech markets, while New Delhi seeks improved mobility for Indian professionals along with clearer rules on digital trade and data flows.
Jaishankar also addressed the behaviour of other major economies, saying that China “has long played by its own rules” and continues to do so, contributing to a fragmented global landscape.
This uncertainty, he noted, leads many countries to hedge their strategies.
“In the ensuing scenario, other nations are unclear whether attention should be on visible competition or the trade-offs and understandings that punctuate it. Faced with such pulls and pressures of globalisation, of fragmentation and of supply insecurity, the rest of the world responds by hedging against all contingencies,” he observed.
He underscored India’s drive toward self-reliance and a stronger industrial foundation.
“India has been actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries. India has been making exponential advancements in infrastructure as well as in the latest scientific developments,” he said.
With a third of global production now concentrated in China, Jaishankar argued that supply chain resilience has become more critical, especially as “conflicts and climate events have added to the possibility of that disruption”.
Jaishankar noted that India is narrowing infrastructural gaps through major improvements in transport, energy, and power.
Pakistan claimed that the Indian side pulled out of the Oxford Union debate, but connecting the dots suggests the debate was never meant to happen. It was a staged stunt, designed to show Indians as unwilling to engage in an open debate. Oxford Union President Moosa Harraj, the son of the Pakistani defence production minister, used the good ol’ cheating playbook of Pakistan.
Moosa Harraj, the president of the Oxford Union, is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister. (Images: X)
Pakistan, which has a long history of deceit and double-dealing, used the prestigious Oxford Union debate platform to stage a drama and claim “victory” against the Indian side. A look at the details of how participants were invited, and the information passed on reveals that the debate was never meant to be conducted at all. It was Pakistan’s ploy that used Pakistani-origin Oxford Union President Moosa Harraj, son of a Pakistani federal minister.
The Oxford Union debate is an open intellectual dialogue, but the drama behind the motion “This House believes That India’s Policy Towards Pakistan Is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy” has now been exposed by Indian participants as a stunt orchestrated by Moosa Harraj.
Harraj has now gone off the grid. India Today Digital tried to contact him over a period of 15 hours over calls, WhatsApp messages and SMS texts, for his version of the events, but he remains evasive.
Harraj is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj.
Every fact points in the direction that the Oxford Union debate was planned to construct a chimaera of sorts of an India-Pakistan debate planned months in advance, only to portray Indians as unwilling to engage.
Once you consider Harraj’s Pakistani defence links, it makes all the more sense.
This is much like a repeat of the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan declared victory even after its airbases were dotted with craters by Indian strikes. India also destroyed terror hubs deep inside its territory, which made Pakistan squirm like a fish out of water. The Pakistani establishment rushed to the Indian DGMO begging for a ceasefire, but cunningly claimed to its people that it had won the war.
Had the Oxford Union debate taken place, Pakistan would have struggled to back its claims with evidence, while Indian speakers and seasoned politicians, armed with proof of Pakistan’s decades-long terror sponsorship, and proof of links of Pahalgam terrorists too, would have exposed Islamabad on a global stage.
It would have been a bloodless war, heavily weighted in India’s favour. So, Pakistan chose the easier route from its old playbook of deceit. It claimed victory without a fight after misleading the Indian participants.
It’s only fair to say that Moosa Harraj resorted to a tactic his country is often accused of. Selling what it doesn’t have.
INDIAN SPEAKERS EXPOSE THE FARCE SURROUNDING OXFORD UNION DEBATE
J Sai Deepak, the advocate-author invited to speak against the motion, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi have both gone public with identical timelines that leave little room for doubt that Harraj intended to make the debate happen.
Chaturvedi said she accepted an invitation in June, then heard absolutely nothing from the Union for five months. A second invitation landed two days before the proposed date, which was too late for any serious parliamentarian to rearrange the schedule.
J Sai Deepak also said he had been confirmed as a speaker, with General MM Naravane (Retd) and BJP veteran Subramanian Swamy as the other speakers from the Indian side. However, Narvane and Swamy also couldn’t attend the debate and the confirmation was given at least five months in advance.
“Before I could get back to the Union with alternatives, they called me to inform that they had reached out to Mr Suhel Seth and Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi, and that they had confirmed. I thought that was the end of the matter,” Deepak said on X.
However, after Deepak landed in London, he was informed that both Seth and Chaturvedi had cancelled “because of the short notice”.
When the Pakistan High Commission posted “all three Indian speakers had decided to pull out”, Deepak wrote, “Trust the Pakistanis to make a pigsty even out of the @OxfordUnion. And as always, they are genetically incapable of being truthful.”
On November 27, at 3.13 pm UK time, J Sai Deepak received a call from an Oxford Union organiser that the Pakistani speakers, including Hina Rabbani Khar and Gen Zubair Hayat, hadn’t landed in London, just hours before the debate dinner. Deepak was already in the UK after rescheduling court hearings, but refused to travel to Oxford, calling the handling of the event “abysmal”.
At 4.55 pm, Union President Moosa Harraj personally rang Deepak to apologise, admitting he had known since 10 am that his side would not show yet withheld the information for hours. By then, the Pakistan High Commission had already tweeted that India “walked out”.
Deepak on Friday discovered the Pakistani delegation had actually arrived at Oxford.
Extremely heavy rain continues across many parts of Tamil Nadu as cyclonic storm Ditwah, which earlier devastated Sri Lanka, is getting closer to Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast.
A man stands on rocks as waves crash against the seaside during rough sea conditions triggered by Cyclone Ditwah in Ramanathapuram. (Photo: PTI)
Cyclonic storm Ditwah is progressing steadily, tracking parallel to the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast, triggering heavy rainfall across coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the adjoining southern districts of Andhra Pradesh. The severe weather has disrupted normal life across several parts of southern India, with air, rail, and road services significantly affected.
The storm, which had weakened earlier today, has now re-intensified as it neared the coastline, according to weather department officials, who also mentioned that a landfall is unlikely.
The cyclone-triggered downpour has disrupted normal life in many regions, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt. Multiple disaster response personnel, including teams from the SDRF and the NDRF, are on standby. Several areas remain under red alert for very heavy rainfall.
After causing widespread destruction in Sri Lanka, the cyclone is currently centred on the Vedaranyam coast in Nagapattinam district, about 80 km east of Karaikal and 250 km south of Chennai.
According to the latest bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department, the system is very likely to move nearly northwards, running parallel to the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts over the next 24 hours. While moving northward, the cyclonic storm will come within a minimum distance of 50 km from the coast by Sunday morning and 25 km by evening.
Under its influence, sea conditions along the coast have turned turbulent. Choppy waves damaged a few mechanised fishing boats anchored near Mandapam, and portions of nearby roads have been breached due to severe sea erosion. Vedaranyam has been receiving continuous heavy rainfall, inundating several areas and crippling salt production, with nearly 9,000 acres of salt pans affected.
Districts including Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, and the Puducherry–Karaikal region have been classified under the red alert zone in anticipation of extremely heavy rain. An orange alert has been issued for Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts.
The IMD has also warned of gale-force winds at speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, likely to prevail on Sunday morning. Wind speeds are expected to decrease gradually, turning squally at 45-55 kmph, gusting up to 65 kmph by the morning of December 1. Sea conditions, currently “high,” are likely to improve gradually, becoming very rough to rough on December 1 and 2 before improving further, officials said.
CYCLONE PREPAREDNESS ON A WAR FOOTING
Tamil Nadu’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K. Ramachandran said it remains uncertain whether the cyclone will strike near Chennai, but the state government is fully prepared to roll out rescue and relief measures on a war footing.
“About 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, are on standby. We are planning to airlift 10 additional teams from other states. The Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard have been alerted. Monitoring teams will also be dispatched to districts tomorrow,” he said.
So far, no fatalities have been reported. However, 16 livestock have died and 24 huts have been damaged. “There has been no major impact from the rain yet, but we are monitoring the situation closely and have deployed rescue and relief teams,” he added.
Nearly 6,000 relief camps have been set up across districts. Based on weather office updates suggesting that the storm may move parallel to the Chennai coast, the public has been urged to adhere to safety instructions issued by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
An official said 14 NDRF teams have already been deployed in vulnerable districts, including Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Mayiladuthurai. Additional teams have also been allocated for Puducherry and Chennai. Fishermen have stayed away from the sea for the second consecutive day due to rough conditions.
Extremely heavy rain continues across many parts of Tamil Nadu as cyclonic storm Ditwah, which earlier devastated Sri Lanka, is getting closer to Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast.
A man stands on rocks as waves crash against the seaside during rough sea conditions triggered by Cyclone Ditwah in Ramanathapuram. (Photo: PTI)
Cyclonic storm Ditwah is steadily advancing towards the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, bringing heavy rain to coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining southern parts of Andhra Pradesh. The severe weather has disrupted normal life across several parts of southern India, with air, rail, and road services significantly affected.
The storm has now weakened as it approached the coastline, and a landfall is unlikely to happen.
The cyclone-triggered downpour has disrupted normal life in many regions, with Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts bearing the brunt. Multiple disaster response personnel, including teams from the SDRF and the NDRF, are on standby. Several areas remain under red alert for very heavy rainfall.
After causing widespread destruction in Sri Lanka, the cyclone is currently centred on the Vedaranyam coast in Nagapattinam district, about 80 km east of Karaikal and 250 km south of Chennai.
According to the latest bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department, the system is very likely to move nearly northwards, running parallel to the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts over the next 24 hours. While moving northward, the cyclonic storm will come within a minimum distance of 50 km from the coast by Sunday morning and 25 km by evening.
Under its influence, sea conditions along the coast have turned turbulent. Choppy waves damaged a few mechanised fishing boats anchored near Mandapam, and portions of nearby roads have been breached due to severe sea erosion. Vedaranyam has been receiving continuous heavy rainfall, inundating several areas and crippling salt production, with nearly 9,000 acres of salt pans affected.
Districts including Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, and the Puducherry–Karaikal region have been classified under the red alert zone in anticipation of extremely heavy rain. An orange alert has been issued for Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts.
The IMD has also warned of gale-force winds at speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, likely to prevail on Sunday morning. Wind speeds are expected to decrease gradually, turning squally at 45-55 kmph, gusting up to 65 kmph by the morning of December 1. Sea conditions, currently “high,” are likely to improve gradually, becoming very rough to rough on December 1 and 2 before improving further, officials said.
CYCLONE PREPAREDNESS ON A WAR FOOTING
Tamil Nadu’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K. Ramachandran said it remains uncertain whether the cyclone will strike near Chennai, but the state government is fully prepared to roll out rescue and relief measures on a war footing.
“About 28 disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF, are on standby. We are planning to airlift 10 additional teams from other states. The Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard have been alerted. Monitoring teams will also be dispatched to districts tomorrow,” he said.
So far, no fatalities have been reported. However, 16 livestock have died and 24 huts have been damaged. “There has been no major impact from the rain yet, but we are monitoring the situation closely and have deployed rescue and relief teams,” he added.
Nearly 6,000 relief camps have been set up across districts. Based on weather office updates suggesting that the storm may move parallel to the Chennai coast, the public has been urged to adhere to safety instructions issued by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
An official said 14 NDRF teams have already been deployed in vulnerable districts, including Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Mayiladuthurai. Additional teams have also been allocated for Puducherry and Chennai. Fishermen have stayed away from the sea for the second consecutive day due to rough conditions.
FLIGHTS HIT, TRAINS AFFECTED
Authorities at the Chennai International Airport said 54 flights to various destinations were cancelled due to the cyclone. After IMD warned that the storm could bring heavy to very heavy rainfall with wind speeds of 10-15 knots, gusting to 25 knots from the northeast direction, the airport said it has stepped up precautionary measures in a post on X.
The Southern Railway announced changes to train operations due to the storm. The release also mentioned that wind speeds at the Pamban Bridge have receded and are within permissible limits, and train traffic to Rameswaram will resume soon.
Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing has filed a fresh FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, intensifying the ongoing legal and political dispute. The FIR is based on a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate concerning alleged fraudulent financial transactions.
The FIR follows the ED’s complaint.
Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing has filed a fresh FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, acting on a complaint routed through the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The move, registered on October 3, deepens the long-running political and legal battle over the newspaper’s finances and the alleged takeover of its parent company.
CASE BUILT ON ED COMPLAINT
The FIR follows the ED’s complaint shared with Delhi Police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, a provision that allows the agency to ask another authority to register a scheduled offence. Along with the two senior Congress leaders, six individuals and three companies have been named as accused.
The FIR invokes sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of movable property), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
Those named include Sam Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, and three companies, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Dotex, a Kolkata-based firm, has been described in earlier investigations as a shell entity that transferred Rs 1 crore to Young Indian, the company in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are key stakeholders.
ALLEGATIONS AROUND AJL TAKEOVER
According to the FIR, the accused were involved in a criminal conspiracy to gain control of AJL, the company linked to the National Herald newspaper, by fraudulent means. The allegations centre on a series of financial transactions through which Young Indian is said to have acquired control of AJL by paying the Congress party Rs 50 lakh, despite AJL’s assets being valued at nearly Rs 2,000 crore.
Pakistan claimed that the Indian side pulled out of the Oxford Union debate, but connecting the dots suggests the debate was never meant to happen. It was a staged stunt, designed to show Indians as unwilling to engage in an open debate. Oxford Union President Moosa Harraj, the son of the Pakistani defence production minister, used the good ol’ cheating playbook of Pakistan.
Moosa Harraj, the president of the Oxford Union, is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister. (Images: X)
Pakistan, which has a long history of deceit and double-dealing, used the prestigious Oxford Union debate platform to stage a drama and claim “victory” against the Indian side. A look at the details of how participants were invited, and the information passed on reveals that the debate was never meant to be conducted at all. It was Pakistan’s ploy that used Pakistani-origin Oxford Union President Moosa Harraj, son of a Pakistani federal minister.
The Oxford Union debate is an open intellectual dialogue, but the drama behind the motion “This House believes That India’s Policy Towards Pakistan Is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy” has now been exposed by Indian participants as a stunt orchestrated by Moosa Harraj.
Harraj has now gone off the grid. India Today Digital tried to contact him over a period of 15 hours over calls, WhatsApp messages and SMS texts, for his version of the events, but he remains evasive.
Harraj is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj.
Every fact points in the direction that the Oxford Union debate was planned to construct a chimaera of sorts of an India-Pakistan debate planned months in advance, only to portray Indians as unwilling to engage.
Once you consider Harraj’s Pakistani defence links, it makes all the more sense.
This is much like a repeat of the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan declared victory even after its airbases were dotted with craters by Indian strikes. India also destroyed terror hubs deep inside its territory, which made Pakistan squirm like a fish out of water. The Pakistani establishment rushed to the Indian DGMO begging for a ceasefire, but cunningly claimed to its people that it had won the war.
Had the Oxford Union debate taken place, Pakistan would have struggled to back its claims with evidence, while Indian speakers and seasoned politicians, armed with proof of Pakistan’s decades-long terror sponsorship, and proof of links of Pahalgam terrorists too, would have exposed Islamabad on a global stage.
It would have been a bloodless war, heavily weighted in India’s favour. So, Pakistan chose the easier route from its old playbook of deceit. It claimed victory without a fight after misleading the Indian participants.
It’s only fair to say that Moosa Harraj resorted to a tactic his country is often accused of. Selling what it doesn’t have.
INDIAN SPEAKERS EXPOSE THE FARCE SURROUNDING OXFORD UNION DEBATE
J Sai Deepak, the advocate-author invited to speak against the motion, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi have both gone public with identical timelines that leave little room for doubt that Harraj intended to make the debate happen.
Chaturvedi said she accepted an invitation in June, then heard absolutely nothing from the Union for five months. A second invitation landed two days before the proposed date, which was too late for any serious parliamentarian to rearrange the schedule.
J Sai Deepak also said he had been confirmed as a speaker, with General MM Naravane (Retd) and BJP veteran Subramanian Swamy as the other speakers from the Indian side. However, Narvane and Swamy also couldn’t attend the debate and the confirmation was given at least five months in advance.
“Before I could get back to the Union with alternatives, they called me to inform that they had reached out to Mr Suhel Seth and Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi, and that they had confirmed. I thought that was the end of the matter,” Deepak said on X.
However, after Deepak landed in London, he was informed that both Seth and Chaturvedi had cancelled “because of the short notice”.
When the Pakistan High Commission posted “all three Indian speakers had decided to pull out”, Deepak wrote, “Trust the Pakistanis to make a pigsty even out of the @OxfordUnion. And as always, they are genetically incapable of being truthful.”
On November 27, at 3.13 pm UK time, J Sai Deepak received a call from an Oxford Union organiser that the Pakistani speakers, including Hina Rabbani Khar and Gen Zubair Hayat, hadn’t landed in London, just hours before the debate dinner. Deepak was already in the UK after rescheduling court hearings, but refused to travel to Oxford, calling the handling of the event “abysmal”.
At 4.55 pm, Union President Moosa Harraj personally rang Deepak to apologise, admitting he had known since 10 am that his side would not show yet withheld the information for hours. By then, the Pakistan High Commission had already tweeted that India “walked out”.
Deepak on Friday discovered the Pakistani delegation had actually arrived at Oxford.
INDIANS WOULD HAVE MADE MINCEMEAT OF PAKISTANI PARTICIPANTS
Seasoned politicians such as Chaturvedi, who has been the spokesperson of the Congress and now a Rajya Sabha Member, and high-calibre counsels such as Deepak can be scathing when it comes to defending India. Even other experts the Union reached out to, such as Narvane and Swamy, are known for their analytical approach towards countering Pakistan.
One must note that previously, whenever Indian diplomats have spoken at the Oxford Union, it has drawn the attention of the world. In 2015, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s 15-minute speech on whether Britain should pay reparations for colonising India obliterated the opposition and is still one of the most-watched speeches of Oxford Union.
Pakistan neither has substance nor facts to counter New Delhi in its policy towards Islamabad.
In fact, this might never have even been about the debate, but to manufacture yet another narrative amid high tensions between India and Pakistan. And as one knows, meaningful dialogue has never been the mode of engagement of Pakistan. It’s usually terror and lies.
S Jaishankar’s comments come against the backdrop of recent trade disputes and steep US tariffs, including a 50 per cent rate on Indian imports levied by US President Donald Trump.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. (File photo)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a veiled reference to the US amid ongoing trade tensions, said on Saturday that politics nowadays increasingly ‘trumps’ economics in an “uncertain world”. Speaking in Kolkata after receiving an Honorary Doctorate from IIM-Calcutta, he stressed the importance of diversifying India’s supply sources to safeguard national interests.
“This is an era where politics increasingly trumps economics and that is not a pun. In an uncertain world, it is all the more important that we continuously diversify supply sources to guarantee our national needs,” he stated.
His comments come against the backdrop of recent trade disputes and steep US tariffs, including a 50 per cent rate on Indian imports levied by US President Donald Trump.
Jaishankar highlighted the evolving nature of Washington’s policy. “The United States, long the underwriter of the contemporary system, has set radically new terms of engagement. It is doing so by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis,” he said.
India and the US are currently negotiating two parallel tracks—one to address tariff issues and another aimed at establishing a comprehensive trade agreement.
While both sides hope to expand trade volumes and resolve long-standing market access barriers, tensions persist.
Nevertheless, recent data shows India’s exports to the US have declined less than expected.
Officials say India has “avoided the worst impact of the 50% US tariffs” and is “ready to wait” for a more favourable deal.
Both nations are working toward a target of doubling bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030, up from the current USD 191 billion.
Washington is pushing for greater access to India’s agricultural and high-tech markets, while New Delhi seeks improved mobility for Indian professionals along with clearer rules on digital trade and data flows.
Jaishankar also addressed the behaviour of other major economies, saying that China “has long played by its own rules” and continues to do so, contributing to a fragmented global landscape.
This uncertainty, he noted, leads many countries to hedge their strategies.
“In the ensuing scenario, other nations are unclear whether attention should be on visible competition or the trade-offs and understandings that punctuate it. Faced with such pulls and pressures of globalisation, of fragmentation and of supply insecurity, the rest of the world responds by hedging against all contingencies,” he observed.
He underscored India’s drive toward self-reliance and a stronger industrial foundation.
“India has been actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries. India has been making exponential advancements in infrastructure as well as in the latest scientific developments,” he said.
With a third of global production now concentrated in China, Jaishankar argued that supply chain resilience has become more critical, especially as “conflicts and climate events have added to the possibility of that disruption”.
Jaishankar noted that India is narrowing infrastructural gaps through major improvements in transport, energy, and power.
PM Modi inaugurated a 77-foot bronze statue of Lord Ram in Goa, marking the 550th anniversary of the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Jeevottam Mutt.
Lord Ram’s 77-foot bronze statue, world’s tallest, unveiled by PM Modi in Goa Photo : PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled Lord Ram’s 77-foot-tall bronze statue as part of Shree Samsthan Gokarn Jeevottam Mutt’s 550th year celebrations at Partagali, in Cancona, South Goa. The newly unveiled statue is the tallest in the world, as per the Goa government.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister also made 9 requests to the people which he termed as 9 resolutions saying the dream of Viksit Bharat will only be realised when we protect the environment.
The 9 Requests Made by PM Modi Are:
To conserve water
To plant trees
Cleanliness mission
Adopt Swadeshi
Desh Darshan – We must strive to understand the different parts of the country
Make natural farming a part of our lives
To adopt a healthy lifestyle, increase millets and reduce the amount of oil in our food by 10 per cent.
Embrace yoga and sports
Help the poor in some way or another
During the occasion, PM Modi said that India is witnessing a “cultural renaissance”, and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and expansion of the Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain reflect the “awakening” of the nation.
“The restoration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, grand redevelopment of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and expansion of the Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain, all these reflect the awakening of our nation, which is advancing its spiritual heritage with renewed strength,” Modi said.
This renaissance will inspire future generations to stay connected to their roots, he said.
PM Modi Reflects Upon Goa’s History
Referring to Goa’s history, Modi said there were times when Goa’s temples and local traditions had to face destruction.
“It was the time when the language and cultural identity came under pressure. But these circumstances could not weaken the spirit, instead, they contributed to determination,” he said.
“This is the uniqueness of Goa. Its culture has preserved its core essence through every change and has also revived itself with time,” the prime minister added.
Lauding the Mutt, Modi said over the past 550 years, this institution has endured “countless cyclones” of time.
“Eras changed, periods changed, many transformations occurred in the country and society, but amidst changing eras and challenges, the Mutt did not lose its direction; rather, it emerged as a centre that provides direction to people, and this is its greatest identity,” he said.
The path to “Viksit Bharat” (developed India) passes through unity, the prime minister said, adding, “When society comes together, when every region and every section stands united, only then a nation makes great strides.”
The mission of the Shri Samsthan Gokarn Jeevottam Mutt is to connect people’s hearts and build a bridge between tradition and modernity, the PM said. “Therefore, in the journey of developed India, the Mutt plays a key and central role,” he added.
The PM also inaugurated a theme park based on Ramayana on this occasion, and said the new additions will become permanent centres of meditation, inspiration and devotion for the coming generations.
“Being in the company of sadhus and saints is a spiritual experience,” said Modi, who also visited the temple on the mutt premises.
Amit Shah attends the 60th All India Conference of Director Generals in Raipur. PM Modi to chair, focusing on Viksit Bharat, security, and innovation in policing from Nov 28-30.
The Union Home Minister expressed confidence that the country will be completely free from the problem of Naxalism before the next DGsP/IGsP conference. (PIB)
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the three-day 60th DGsP/IGsP Conference in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur and said that the government is on course to eliminate Naxalism nationwide before the next conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police.
In his address, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the DGP/IGP Conference has emerged as a forum for resolving problems, challenges and strategies related to the internal security of the country, from policy formulation to policy resolution.
#WATCH | Union Home Minister Amit Shah attends 60th edition of the All India Conference of Director Generals/Inspector Generals of Police in Raipur, Chhattisgarh
PM Modi will chair the Conference on 29-30 November. The three-day Conference, from 28 to 30 November, aims to review… pic.twitter.com/HxcNYY9ycr
Referring to the Modi government’s actionable points for the complete eradication of Naxalism, the Home Minister said that the central government has strengthened the security cordon by building 586 fortified police stations in the last seven years and as a result, the number of Naxal-affected districts has come down from 126 in 2014 to just 11 today.
The Union Home Minister expressed confidence that the country will be completely free from the problem of Naxalism before the next DGsP/IGsP conference.
Shah said that the country has been facing the problem of Naxalism for the last 40 years. He said that the Modi government has provided a permanent solution to the problem of Naxalism, North-East and Jammu and Kashmir, which has become a nuisance for the country, and soon they will become like the rest of the country.
Highlighting the achievements of the Modi government, the Home Minister said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) laws have been strengthened, three new criminal laws have been enacted along with strong laws for narcotics and fugitives.
He said that after the full implementation of the three new criminal laws, India’s policing will become the most modern in the world.
Referring to the Modi Government’s action against terrorism and extremism, Shah said that after the Centre banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), nationwide raids were conducted on their hideouts and arrests were made, which is an outstanding example of Centre-State coordination.
He said that security forces and police are delivering strong blows to extremism, radicalisation and narcotics by focusing on three key aspects: accuracy of intelligence, clarity of objectives, and synergy in action.
While Supreme Court lawyer J Sai Deepak provided a concrete timeline of events, the Pakistan High Commission in the UK claimed that the Indian delegation withdrew at the last moment, lacking “confidence,” even without an iota of proof.
Hina Rabbani Khar was one of the Pakistani delegates, while Sai Deepak was to represent the Indian side.
Did Pakistan walk out of a debate against India at the UK’s iconic Oxford Union even before it started? And did it subsequently pin the blame on the Indian delegation for not showing up when they actually did?
The quizzical turn of events on Thursday was blown open by a tweet from the Pakistan High Commission in the UK, which accused Indian speakers of backing out at the last moment from a debate titled “India’s Policy Towards Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy,” thereby handing a “walkover,” as it claimed.
“The Pakistani speakers had already arrived in #London and were scheduled to proceed to #Oxford today. Earlier this morning, however, the Oxford Union informed the organisers that all three Indian speakers had decided to pull out, offering no substantive explanation for their inability to attend a debate they had previously confirmed,” wrote the Pakistan High Commission in the UK.
According to the Pakistan High Commission, the speakers from their side included former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, the country’s envoy to the UK Mohammad Faisal, and former army general Zubair Mahmood Hayat.
The tweet also listed former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane, Subramanian Swamy, and former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot among India’s speakers.
Back in Islamabad, Pakistani news anchor Wajahat Kazmi was rejoicing Pakistan’s “intellectual win,” claiming that “the Indian side attempted to offer little-known, lower-tier replacements who did not match the standard of the announced Pakistani panel.”
‘SHAMELESS AND DESPERATE SPIN FROM AATANKISTAN’
Quick to rebut the Pakistani claim of events, senior advocate J Sai Deepak said he had been confirmed as a speaker, with MM Naravane and Subramanian Swamy as the other speakers from the Indian side.
Sai Deepak also posted an email from the Oxford Union confirming his participation in the November 27 event last month.
Dismissing the Pakistan High Commission in the UK’s tweet, Deepak wrote, “Trust the Pakistanis to make a pigsty even out of the @OxfordUnion. And as always, they are genetically incapable of being truthful.”
Deepak said he was later informed by the Oxford Union that neither Swamy nor Naravane could attend the event, and he was asked to suggest alternatives.
“Before I could get back to the Union with alternatives, they called me to inform that they had reached out to Mr. Suhel Seth & Ms. Priyanka Chaturvedi, and that they had confirmed. I thought that was the end of the matter,” he went on.
However, Deepak was informed that both Seth and Chaturvedi had cancelled “because of the short notice.”
The same was confirmed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, who said that the Oxford Union had actually reached out to her in July and that she had accepted their invitation on the condition that it would not clash with any Parliament session.
“Then they disappeared all this while and mailed me out of the blue on 25th November asking me to confirm my presence, for which they got a stinker from me for their unprofessional conduct and I refused to be party to such pathetic management. Shameless and desperate spin once again from Aatankistan,” Chaturvedi clarified on X.
Despite the odds stacked against him, Deepak went to the UK and even managed to put together a team comprising Manu Khajuria and Pt Satish K Sharma, who are based in the UK, at the last moment.
Deepak then pointed out that three hours before the debate dinner, he received a call from the Union informing him that the debate had been cancelled because the Pakistani side hadn’t arrived in the UK.
“Obviously, I was unhappy given the time & effort that had gone into this. I conveyed my displeasure at the abysmal handling of the event,” Deepak wrote.
Deepak even shared his call log on his X thread to show that he had received a call from the organiser, Moosa Harraj, who was apologising for cancelling at the last moment.
Airbus has warned that intense solar radiation could affect flight-control data in A320 aircraft, forcing IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express to ground dozens of planes for urgent software and hardware fixes.
Air India said parts of its A320 fleet will undergo software and hardware realignment.
Air carriers IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express are bracing for widespread flight disruptions after Airbus warned that intense solar radiation could corrupt data used by flight-control systems in A320-family jets.
According to sources cited by news agency PTI, between 200 and 250 aircraft in India require immediate software updates or hardware realignments, forcing airlines to ground planes as engineers carry out the fixes.
The warning stemmed from an Airbus analysis of a recent A320 incident abroad, where the aircraft briefly pitched down due to a suspected malfunction in an Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC).
In response, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive instructing carriers to install serviceable ELAC units before the next flight of any affected aircraft. ELAC systems manage key flight-control functions.
India operates roughly 560 A320 family aircraft, and nearly half may need intervention. With so many jets headed for inspection, officials are preparing for a sizeable operational hit across major airlines.
IndiGo said on Saturday that it is aware of the notification issued by Airbus, the manufacturer of the majority of its fleet, regarding A320 family planes.
“Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes,” the airline said.
In a statement, Air India Express said, “We have initiated immediate precautionary action in response to an alert requiring a software fix on the Airbus A320 fleet. While a majority of our aircraft are not impacted, the guidance applies to operators worldwide and may result in adjustments to flight operations, including potential delays or cancellations.”
Air India, in a separate post on X, said parts of its A320 fleet will undergo software and hardware realignment, which will lengthen turnaround times.
“This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations. Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers till the reset is carried out across the fleet,” the airline said.
However, none of the three carriers disclosed how many aircraft were impacted.
A320-family jets — A319s, A320ceo/neos and A321ceo/neos — form the backbone of India’s domestic network, so even a brief wave of groundings is expected to disrupt thousands of passengers each day.
Airbus acknowledged that the required fixes will disrupt airline operations but said precautions are necessary.
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in service that may be impacted. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority,” the company said.
The aircraft maker said it has been working with aviation regulators to request immediate precautionary action through an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), enabling airlines to deploy software and hardware protections and keep their fleets safe to fly.
Nikhil Kamath dropped a black-and-white teaser hinting at Elon Musk’s upcoming appearance on his WTF podcast.
The 39-second video captures Nikhil Kamath and Elon Musk casually sipping coffee and laughing their hearts out.
Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath has officially confirmed that Elon Musk will feature on an upcoming episode of his wildly popular ‘WTF’ podcast and this revelation has sent social media into a frenzy. The news came via a sleek, black-and-white teaser shared on social media, giving fans their first glimpse of the duo together.
The 39-second-long clip shows Musk and Kamath in what appears to be a factory setting, casually sipping coffee and exchanging glances before bursting into laughter.
Accompanying the clip was a playful caption that read, “Caption this”, with Musk tagged directly, teasing viewers about his appearance on the next episode of “WTF is?”. Take a look:
At the time of writing this report, the post had already racked up 3.3 million views, 33,000 likes and over 3,100 comments.
The teaser sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, though not everyone was convinced it was real, with many commenters speculating that the highly polished footage could have been generated using artificial intelligence. One person even commented simply, “Is this AI?”
Additionally, fans also began speculating about the topics the two titans might discuss, from technology and space exploration to business insights and perhaps even some surprises.
Others responded with humor and excitement. Memes and jokes flooded X (formerly Twitter), with one fan quipping, “We got Elon Musk and Nikhil’s podcast before GTA VI.” Another praised Kamath’s growing influence, writing, “Dude, your podcast is like one of the most influential globally.”
Predicting digital chaos, one fan declared, “The internet is going to break,” while another added, “At this pace, even God may soon get a request from Nikhil Kamath’s team.”
Kamath’s ‘WTF’ podcast has become a magnet for some of the world’s most high-profile figures. Past guests include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, biotech pioneer Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, industrialist Kumar Birla, Perplexity AI’s Aravind Srinivas, and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.
The United States is preparing one of the most significant changes to graduate lending in more than a decade. The new framework will reshape borrowing limits, programme categories and access to federal loans for thousands of students.
The new framework will reshape borrowing limits, programme categories and access to federal loans for thousands of students.
The United States government is preparing for a major shift in how graduate and professional students borrow money for higher education.
The administration, led by President Donald Trump, plans to introduce new federal loan limits from July 1, 2026, marking one of the most significant adjustments to graduate lending rules in years. The changes are designed to redefine how much students may borrow and which programmes qualify for the highest borrowing caps.
Under the new proposal, undergraduate loan rules remain unchanged. Dependent undergraduate students will continue to access up to USD 7,500 per year depending on their class level. The more substantial changes target graduate and professional students, who will face newly defined ceilings.
Graduate students may borrow up to USD 20,500 annually, capped at USD 100,000 in total, while students enroled in programmes classified as professional may access up to 50,000 dollars per year, with a total limit of 200,000 dollars. Graduate PLUS loans, which previously allowed borrowing up to the full cost of attendance, will be discontinued.
At the core of this reform is a critical definition: what counts as a professional degree.
Under the Department of Education’s criteria, a professional degree must represent completion of all requirements necessary to begin practice in a specific profession and demonstrate skills beyond those expected at the bachelor’s level.
FIELDS AUTOMATICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR HIGHER LIMITS
Using this definition, the department has identified 11 fields that automatically qualify for the higher borrowing ceiling reserved for professional degrees. These programmes typically require doctoral-level credentials and prepare students for licenced practice.
MORE FIELDS MAY QUALIFY
Beyond these 11 areas, the department has noted that more than 40 additional fields may qualify if they meet specific standards related to licensure, skill level, and doctoral pathways.
Institutions will hold responsibility for determining whether individual programmes satisfy the criteria, meaning classification could vary between universities.
CONCERNS FROM PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
Several national bodies have raised concerns about exclusions under the proposed rule.
Organisations representing nursing and social work have argued that their fields require extensive graduate training yet fall outside the definition used for higher borrowing thresholds.
They warn this may push students towards costlier private loans and deepen existing workforce shortages.
PM Modi celebrated the emergence of over 300 startups, particularly highlighting the contributions of Gen-Z engineers and scientists who are innovating in various areas of space technology.
He remarked that global companies now want to manufacture satellites in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually inaugurated Indian space startup Skyroot’s Infinity Campus in Hyderabad and discussed how when the government opened the space sector, the country’s youth, especially the Gen-Z generation, came forward to take full advantage of it. Unveiling the company’s first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, which has the capability to launch satellites to orbit, the PM highlighted the government’s ‘historic’ space reforms that are opening up the space sector to private players.
“Today, over 300 Indian space startups are giving new hopes to India’s space future. Most of these space startups began with small teams, sometimes two people, sometimes five, sometimes in a small rented room, with limited resources but with determination to reach new heights. I had the opportunity to meet them,” he said, adding this spirit gave birth to the private space revolution in India.
#WATCH | At the inauguration of Indian space startup Skyroot’s Infinity Campus, PM Modi says, “India’s youth puts the nation’s interests first. They utilise every opportunity wisely. When the government opened the space sector, the country’s youth, especially our Gen Z, leapt… pic.twitter.com/77156uCM6V
India’s youth taking every new opportunity: PM Modi
The Prime Minister said today, Gen Z engineers, Gen Z designers, Gen Z coders and Gen Z scientists are creating new technologies. Be it the propulsion system, composite materials, rocket stages, satellite platforms, India’s youth are working in areas that were unimaginable a few years ago, he said.
“They utilise every opportunity wisely. When the government opened the space sector, the country’s youth, especially our Gen Z, leapt forward to take full advantage of it. Today, India’s more than 300 space start-ups are giving new hope to India’s space
future,” he said.
The PM said that today in India’s space ecosystem, private sector was emerging with flying colours. Over 300 space startups were giving new hopes to the sector. “The Infinity Campus is a reflection of India’s new thought, innovation and the bigger youth power. Youth’s innovation, risk taking-ability and entrepreneurship are touching new heights,” the PM noted.
“India’s private space talent is making its own identity in the world. Today, India’s space sector is becoming an attractive destination for global investors. Today, the demand for small satellites is increasing rapidly in the world,” Modi added.
He traced the journey of the Indian space programme from its nascent stages– where rocket parts were moved in a bicycle, to building the “most trusted launch vehicle.”
The journey might have started with limited resources but the growth proved determination decides dreams, PM Modi said. In these changing times, space sector is expanding so much, covering the areas of communication, weather prediction, urban planning and national security, among others.
“So that is why we have made historic reforms in space sector, opened it up to the private sector, made new space policy. Startups and industry were linked with innovation, set up In-Space,” he said.
The Assam government has passed ‘Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025’ with strict punishment including jail-term.
Representational image
Assam has passed a bill to ban Polygamy and making it an offence that can lead up to 10 years of jail. Polygamy is a practice of marrying more than one person at a time. In this, a man can have multiple wives or a woman having multiple husbands.
The bill passed in the Assam Assembly prohibits and eliminates practices of polygamy and polygamous marriage in the state of Assam and matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
The draft law will apply across the state, except in Sixth Schedule areas, and to the members of any Scheduled Tribe within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366, read with Article 342 of the Constitution of India.
The bill proposed a 7-year imprisonment for any offenders for unlawful polygamy and a 10-year imprisonment for concealing a previous marriage.
Additionally, under the new act, compensation and legal protection will be provided for women in illegal marriages. An offender with repeated violence will face stricter penalties.
“The Gaonburah, Village Head, Quazi, parents or the legal guardians of the contracting party of the polygamous marriage, shall if, dishonestly or fraudulently hides, and intentionally takes part in the performance or solemnization of polygamous marriage, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to two years and shall be liable to a fine which may be extended upto Rs 1 lakh,” said in the bill.
It kept people belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category and areas under the Sixth Schedule out of the purview of the legislation.
What Assam CM Himanta Bisawa Sarma Said on anti-Polygamy Bill
During the passage of the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the portfolio of the home and political departments, said the law is “irrespective of religion and not against Islam as being perceived by a section”.
Speaking at the Assembly after the bill was tabled, Himanta Biswa Sarma cited the example of Turkiye to justify the need for the bill. He said that the bill is “not against Islam” and urged people to back the bill and be a “true muslim.”
“Islam can’t promote polygamy. If this bill passes, then you will get a chance to be a true Muslim. This bill is not against Islam. The true Islamic people will welcome this Act. Countries like Turkey have also banned Polygamy, there is an arbitration council in Pakistan…,” Assam CM said.
“The Hindus are not free from polygamy. That’s also our responsibility. This bill will cover people from Hindu, Muslim, Christian and all other societies,” he added.
Despite the CM’s request to all opposition members to withdraw their respective amendments to send a message from the House that the bill is passed unanimously to empower women, AIUDF and CPI(M) went aheadwith their modification suggestions, which were defeated by voice vote.
Himanta Biswa Sarma on UCC
Talking about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Sarma said this will be implemented in Assam if he becomes the CM again after the Assam assembly polls next year.
“I assure the House that if I return as CM, the UCC bill will be tabled on the first session of the new government and will be implemented,” Sarma said.
A vehicle registration number, HR88B8888, was auctioned for an unprecedented Rs 1.17 crore, marking the highest price for a number plate in India.
Who Owns HR88B8888, India’s Most Expensive VIP Registration Number
A recent auction for fancy vehicle number plate saw a bidding of Rs 1.17 crore, becoming the costliest ever registration number ever auctioned in India.
The number plate in focus is HR88B8888, which is a Haryana number meant for premium vehicles, sold for a whopping Rs 1.17 crore.
Who Made Rs 1.17 Crore Bid For HR88B8888?
According to reports, a Haryana-based businessman identified as Sudhir Kumar turned to be the highest bidder for India’s most expensive number plate ever.
The Badhra sub-division in Charkhi Dadri district fetched the highest bid amount for vehicle registration number ‘HR-88-B-8888’, official sources on Wednesday said.
According to officials, the auction was made during an online bidding process on the designated portal, with Rs 1,000 as the participation fee and Rs 10,000 as the security deposit.
How ‘HR-88-B-8888’ Will Be Allotted To The Highest Bidder
Officials said that he (the bidder) has five days to deposit the bid money, after which the number will be allotted if the entire process is completed.
What Haryana Businessman Said on Bidding Rs 1.17 Crore Amount
Contacted over the phone on Wednesday evening, the businessman, who is in his late 30s and did not wish to be named, said he hails from a village in Bhiwani district and his family now lives in another Haryana district.
He said that the reserve price or base price for the fancy number was Rs 50,000 and he had not expected to go this far and make the highest bid of Rs 1.17 crore.
“I had not kept any specific amount in mind and liked the number and just went ahead,” he said, adding he has not yet decided the vehicle for which the number will be used.
Asked if he has purchased the vehicle, he said, “We are figuring that out.”
Responding to a question, he said, “I was not expecting that this bid would generate such a hype.”
“We are in the transport business. We also have a software company and we are into developing a transport-related mobile app for commercial transportation and this business is in its early phase,” he said.
Additionally, the PWD and MCD have been asked to sanitise sewer lines that run under and around the monument.
The Mughal monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was rocked by a bomb blast on 10 November, claiming 15 lives. (PTI)
A web of more than 200 additional cameras and Under Vehicle Scanning Systems will tighten surveillance at the Red Fort. The decision has been taken following multiple high-level meetings involving several stakeholders, after the 10 November blast, News18 has learnt.
At present, there are over 600 cameras installed within a close radius around the Fort. Officials aware of the developments told News18 that an additional 200 cameras will be installed to strengthen vigil around the monument.
The Mughal monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was rocked by a bomb blast on 10 November, claiming 15 lives and injuring around 30. The blast was termed a terror attack orchestrated by Jaish-e-Mohammad in a suicide-style bombing, when an explosive-laden i20 car was detonated in front of the Red Fort.
The investigation revealed that ahead of the blast, the i20 car had been parked in the Red Fort’s parking area for over three hours. It was captured on the CCTV cameras at the entry and exit points, but could not be traced within the parking zone due to a lack of internal CCTV coverage.
However, the parking area will not only get additional cameras now but may soon also receive its first Under Vehicle Scanning System. This will help scan all vehicles entering the monument for any suspicious items.
“The Red Fort and some of its peripheral area fall under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India. Following a detailed survey, the Delhi Police may write to the ASI for technological upgrades as required,” said a senior police officer.
Additionally, the PWD and MCD have been asked to sanitise sewer lines that run under and around the monument. This is to ensure such spaces are not used for any suspicious activity.
With New Delhi recording dangerous AQI levels, the US Embassy has floated a tender for 1,200 boxes of True HEPA filter sets for its Blueair air purifiers.
The US Embassy in New Delhi has issued a tender to procure 1,200 sets of Blueair True HEPA filters amid severe winter pollution.(ANI)
With Delhi NCR recording some of the worst air quality levels of the season, the US Embassy in New Delhi has floated a solicitation for supplying 1,200 boxes of True HEPA filter sets for Blueair 500 and 600 Series purifiers.
Delhi-NCR’s air quality has deteriorated sharply through November 2025, with the city repeatedly slipping into the severe and hazardous categories on multiple days. Against this backdrop, the US Embassy in New Delhi has initiated a major procurement exercise to secure 1,200 boxes of True HEPA Particle Filters for its extensive network of Blueair air purifiers.
The US Embassy in New Delhi uses Blueair air purifiers. While the exact models are not announced, the information in the tender refers to Blueair’s older large-room purifier lineup. It includes models like Blueair 501, Blueair 503, Blueair 510, Blueair 601, Blueair 603 and Blueair 650E. All of them use the same shape and size of filter. The Model-503 is one of Blueair’s most common large-room HEPA purifiers.
The tender request has been issued under Solicitation Number 191N6526Q0002 seeks “competitive proposals” from suppliers for filters compatible with the Blueair 503 model and the broader 500 and 600 Series range. According to the pricing sheet on page 2 of the solicitation, the requirement specifically calls for “True Hepa Particle Filter, (Set of 3), 500/600 Series for Blueair Purifier, Model 503, BLF-500PA” with a total quantity of 1200 boxes .
The procurement document sets a deadline of 30 November 2025 at 2:00 PM for all offers. The tender was floated on 18 November 2025.
While the embassy does not explicitly state the number of purifiers in operation, the scale of the order suggests a wide deployment of Blueair units across embassy buildings, consular sections, residential compounds, and staff facilities. A single box contains a complete set of three filters required for one purifier, which indicates that the mission may be supporting hundreds to more than a thousand air purifying units to counter the sustained exposure to Delhi’s pollution.
Given the recurring winter smog patterns in Delhi, the embassy’s move reflects the growing need for continuous filter replacement cycles. High particulate concentrations cause HEPA filters to saturate far more quickly than their normal life expectancy. With the city’s AQI pushing beyond 400 at times, government offices, corporates, schools, and foreign missions all rely heavily on premium air purifying systems to maintain indoor air safety.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered content creator Samay Raina and other comedians to organise at least two events a month to raised funds for the corpus setup for the treatment of persons with disability.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order in a case moved by the Cure SMA India Foundation for action against the online content that violates the right to life and dignity of persons with disability.
The Foundation accused Raina of making insensitive remarks in relation to the high-cost treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and ridiculing a person with disability. Other comedians also are facing similar allegations in the case.
The Court noted that in pursuance with the earlier orders, the respondents Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakar aka Sonali Aditya Desai and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, volunteered to hold events to generate funds for the cause. They also sought permission to share the success stories of the differently-abled.
The Court said it was up to Raina and other respondents to persuade the specially-abled persons to join them in their programs.
“We leave it to respondents 6 to 10 to persuade and invite the specially abled persons on their platforms to promote the cause of generating funds to provide timely treatment to specially abled including those suffering from SMA. We are confident that if respondent 6 to 10 show sincerity about showing their achievements.. they will also come on the platform for wider publicity of their cause. We hope and expect that such few memorable events will take place before we hear matter the next date. Let such two programs be held twice a month,” the Court ordered.
Fishermen have been pulled off large stretches of the Bay, multiple districts of southern states are on red or orange alert as officials said that Cyclone Ditwah’s landfall timing will hinge on its shifting track over the next 24 hours.
The storm name Ditwah was suggested by Yemen, likely a reference to the Detwah Lagoon on Socotra Island. (Image: ANI)
Cyclonic storm Ditwah, which grew out of a deep depression near the Sri Lanka coast, is now tracking toward north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh, according to the India Meteorological Department. Officials said that the system is being treated as a cyclonic storm, with no forecast upgrade to a severe cyclone for now.
Gale winds near the core may hit 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph, while outer bands are expected to deliver 35-45 kmph winds, gusting to 55 kmph. Similar wind conditions are likely over parts of the Arabian Sea close to Kerala, Lakshadweep, and the Maldives. Fishermen have been advised to stay away from large stretches of the Bay of Bengal for the next five days.
Tamil Nadu has issued a red alert for Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai, signalling the possibility of more than 20 cm of rain in the next 24 hours. An orange alert is in place for five surrounding districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Chengalpattu.
Chief Minister MK Stalin met the state’s disaster management authority to assess preparedness and review special measures. Following the warning for November 29 and 30, Stalin has directed all departments to coordinate relief work.
The storm name Ditwah was suggested by Yemen, likely a reference to the Detwah Lagoon on Socotra Island. In the 24 hours before Thursday’s briefing, Tamil Nadu saw scattered rain, with Thangachimadam recording 3 cm, while Puducherry and Karaikal stayed mostly dry.
Overall, the northeast monsoon has delivered around 35 cm so far, slightly above the seasonal average, though Chennai remained 31 per cent below normal. A clear landfall forecast will depend on how the system’s track evolves.
In Andhra Pradesh, the state disaster management authority said the depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka coast had strengthened into a cyclone moving north-northwest. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected across South Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, with the system projected to approach the north Tamil Nadu–Puducherry–south Andhra stretch between the evening of November 29 and the morning of November 30.
Chittoor, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya and Sri Sathya Sai districts may face two days of heavy to very heavy rain.
The weather department has also issued an orange alert for Puducherry between November 28 and December 1 under the impact of the merging cyclone. The administration has urged residents to stay indoors unless they have no choice but to step out, warning against taking shelter under trees, lamp posts or inside ageing structures.
Parents have been advised to keep children away from open spaces during this period.
Authorities said anyone needing assistance or guidance can reach emergency services through 1077, 1070 or 112, or contact the disaster management authority on its WhatsApp helpline at 94889 81070.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, is battling the worst of the weather. Continuous rainfall for three days has triggered floods and landslides, leaving 47 people dead. All schools and institutions have been shut, seven districts are under a red alert, and the Air Force has been deployed for rescue operations.
Alert locals rescued a 25-year-old man from a car that sank into a highway-side pond in Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit witnessed a dramatic rescue on Thursday, when alert locals sprang into action to pull a 25-year-old man from a sinking car after he lost control of the vehicle and plunged into a roadside pond.
The speeding Maruti Suzuki Ertiga reportedly veered off the road near the pond and was fully submerged within minutes, as a terrified crowd gathered along the highway.
A chilling video of the rescue, showing bystanders hauling the driver, Shivam, out of the submerged vehicle, quickly went viral across social media platforms.
According to eyewitness accounts, a boatman present at the pond and another young passerby immediately jumped into the water upon spotting the sinking car. Acting with remarkable speed, they managed to retrieve Shivam from the completely submerged vehicle—just minutes before the situation could have turned fatal.
“I was passing along the highway when I saw a car sinking into the pond. Without a second thought, I jumped in and assisted the boatman in pulling the driver out,” said one of the rescuers, Dinesh Kushwaha.
Upon being alerted, City Magistrate Vijay Vardhan Tomar and senior police officer Naresh Tyagi, along with teams from the police and the fire brigade, rushed to the scene. Rescue personnel later retrieved the car from the pond.
“Our teams reached the spot as soon as the information was received. The driver was evacuated, rushed to hospital, and the vehicle has been safely recovered,” a police officer said.
Shivam was swiftly transported to Pilibhit Medical College, where he is undergoing treatment. Doctors described his condition as serious but stable, adding that he had received timely emergency care.
The incident has drawn attention to critical safety lapses along the busy highway stretch that skirts the pond on three sides. Despite being a high-security and high-traffic corridor, the route lacks adequate safety barricades, according to the locals.
The area houses the official residences of the District Magistrate, the Superintendent of Police, a local court complex, and lies close to the residence of state minister Sanjay Singh Gangwar. However, residents argue that the absence of protective barriers around the pond has made the zone prone to recurring accidents and drowning incidents.
Local ward member Sunita Singh accused authorities of repeated negligence, claiming multiple complaints had been ignored.
In Churachandpur, amidst ongoing conflict in Manipur, a young tribal boy exemplified courage at a Territorial Army recruitment camp.
manipur.
In a state scarred by conflict and uncertainty, a quiet moment of courage unfolded today at the Territorial Army recruitment camp. Among rows of determined youths stood a young tribal boy far too small for the oversized dreams he carried hoping that the Army might be the answer his family desperately needs.
With hardship tightening its grip on his home, the boy arrived with nothing but determination in his eyes and the simple wish to lift his helpless family out of financial struggle. His presence at the camp, tender yet resolute, captured both the pain and resilience of Manipur’s tribal communities surviving through one of the most turbulent times in recent memory.
In a region where opportunities are scarce and despair often overshadows hope, this child’s attempt to join the Territorial Army reflects more than just a career choice. It’s a plea for stability, a fight for dignity, and a symbol of how conflict pushes even the youngest shoulders to carry adult burdens.
As the strife in Manipur continues to disrupt lives and tear communities apart, the sight of this young boy stepping forward for recruitment is a powerful reminder of the human stories hidden beneath the headlines of courage born from necessity, of innocence touched by adversity, and of a future generation yearning for peace.
Bengaluru hosts thousands of start-ups, outsourcing firms, and global tech giants from Google to Microsoft.
Bengaluru, home to nearly 12 million people, is known as India’s “Silicon Valley”
In India’s tech capital Bengaluru, the morning “rush hour” lasts so long it devours half the workday, throttling productivity in a city often viewed as the poster child of a booming economy.
Entrepreneur RK Misra, co-founder of a multimillion-dollar start-up, avoids scheduling in-person meetings until nearly noon — then squeezes them in before gridlock returns.
The “situation is pretty bad. And it hurts by not being able to plan your day”, Misra said, describing his gruelling 16-kilometre (nine mile) commute, which can take up to two hours at peak times. “It also discourages people from doing anything other than work, because there’s no work-life balance any more.”
Bengaluru, home to nearly 12 million people and state capital of Karnataka, is the “Silicon Valley” of the world’s fifth biggest economy — hosting thousands of start-ups, outsourcing firms, and global tech giants from Google to Microsoft.
Yet its flagship Outer Ring Road (ORR) business district is clogged with traffic, pocked with potholes, and often flooded during the monsoon. Water shortages plague the summer months.
The roughly 20-kilometre (12-mile) ORR corridor, lined with swanky tech parks, hosts dozens of Fortune 500 offices, and more than a million employees.
Frustration boiled over in September when Rajesh Yabaji, CEO of digital trucking logistics platform BlackBuck, announced he was moving his company out of ORR.
Yabaji said he snapped after the “average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5+ hours (one way)”, he wrote on social media, adding that the roads were “full of potholes and dust, coupled with lowest intent to get them rectified”.
‘Now or never’
Pharma tycoon Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of Biocon, chimed in.
“I had an overseas business visitor to Biocon Park who said; ‘Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the government want to support investment?” she wrote on social media.
Bengaluru had the world’s third-slowest traffic in 2024, according to the TomTom Traffic Index — far worse than San Francisco or London.
Manas Das, of the Outer Ring Road Companies Association, works with city authorities to resolve infrastructure woes for global tech companies. “Companies would like to get the basics right — and today those basics are getting compromised,” Das said.
BS Prahallad, technical director of the government-backed Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, set up to manage major projects, said an average resident needed 90-100 minutes to cover 16 kilometres.
“Something has to be done, now or never,” he told AFP. “The next step is, we will decay.”
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar wrote last month on X that “10000+ potholes” had been identified, with half fixed so far. “Instead of tearing Bengaluru down, let’s build it up — together,” he said.
“The world sees India through Bengaluru, and we owe it to our city to rise united!”
Borrowing a page from London’s playbook, authorities have also decided to split the municipal corporation into five smaller bodies and set up an overarching Greater Bengaluru Authority.
Shivakumar said this move would “transform the way Bengaluru is planned and governed”.
‘Choking on pollution’
The southern Indian city was not always an overrun metropolis. Once part of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore, it was known as “garden city” or a “pensioner’s paradise”.
India’s software boom kicked off in the 1990s, with outsourcing companies striking gold. Waves of investment since then from Silicon Valley companies and start-ups helped quadruple the state’s software exports from 2014 to 2024 to $46 billion.
Venture capitalist TV Mohandas Pai, former chief financial officer of Indian IT giant Infosys, said the city’s infrastructure was “possibly three to five years behind”.
Rapid expansion clogged waterways, cut trees, and filled wetlands, straining the infrastructure, ecologist Harini Nagendra said. “We have flooding because water has no place to go, drought because the water is not infiltrating into the ground,” she said.
“People are choking on pollution, choking on the concrete — and all the dust that comes with the construction, traffic, smog, heatwaves,” she added.
The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a Rs 7,280-crore rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) scheme to cut import dependence on China. The 7-year plan isn’t just crucial for the EV, wind energy, electronics and defence sectors, it will help New Delhi geopolitically.
With the Rs 7,280-crore scheme, India will not only establish a long-term rare earths ecosystem, it will also escape China’s chokehold. (Image: Getty Images/File)
It is that crucial component of an electric vehicle (EV) that you do not see. It is also at the heart of the F-35 that scares enemies from the sky. From wind turbines to smartphones to laptops, we depend on rare earth magnets for everyday products without even realising. The next phase of the world’s growth depends on these rare earth magnets, and on Wednesday, India unveiled a Rs 7,280-crore plan to boost their domestic production.
China has a near-monopoly on the production of rare earth magnets. Beijing controls around 90% of the global market, a dominance it uses to gain geopolitical advantage. The government’s Rs 7,280-crore plan comes at a time when China’s tighter export norms on rare earths are set to heighten supply challenges for Indian industries.
The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet for establishing a complete domestic manufacturing ecosystem for rare earth permanent magnets (REPM), a material on which India currently has near-total import dependence.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is a push for the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
WHAT IS INDIA’S RARE EARTH PERMANENT MAGNETS SCHEME ALL ABOUT?
The initiative aims to establish a domestic supply chain that transforms NdPr (neodymium–praseodymium) oxide into high-performance sintered NdFeB (neodymium–iron–boron) magnets, that are used heavily for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, defence applications, consumer electronics and medical imaging equipment.
A release by the government’s PIB mentioned that with this initiative, India will establish its first-ever integrated REPM manufacturing facilities. The government has set a target of achieving 6,000 MTPA of REPM manufacturing facilities.
The PIB release also mentioned that the scheme will be rolled out over the next seven to ten years through a combination of capital subsidies, viability gap funding and production-linked incentives.
The scheme will support the creation of integrated REPM manufacturing facilities, involving conversion of rare earth oxides to metals, metals to alloys, and alloys to finished REPMs.
Rare earth permanent magnets are the strongest commercially available magnets and have no viable substitutes in most high-performance applications. A typical mid-size electric car requires 1-2 kg of NdFeB magnets, while a single 3-MW offshore wind turbine needs around 600 kg.
With India targeting 30% electric vehicle penetration by 2030 and aggressively expanding renewable energy capacity, demand for these magnets is expected to grow exponentially within the next decade.
At present, India imports most of its rare earth requirements, with China accounting for over 90% of global refined magnet production and around 70% of mined output.
MOST VIABLE SOURCES OF RARE EARTH MINERALS ARE IN SOUTH INDIA
Despite possessing the world’s fifth-largest rare earth reserves of approximately 6.9 million tonnes of rare earth oxide equivalent, India contributes barely 1% to global production.
India’s recoverable resources are primarily locked in the southern states. Kerala hosts the richest monazite belts, particularly along the Kollam-Alappuzha-Kanyakumari stretch, where Indian Rare Earths Limited operates major plants at Chavara and Manavalakurichi.
Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral rich in rare earth elements (such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium) and thorium, commonly found in beach and river sands.
Odisha’s Ganjam, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts, especially the Chatrapur mineral sand belt, are estimated to hold over three million tonnes of heavy mineral resources.
Andhra Pradesh’s coastal zones in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and the Krishna-Godavari region, along with Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts, are the other key locations.
However, smaller occurrences have been reported in Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand also.
WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO EXTRACT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS?
Extracting and processing rare earth elements is difficult as monazite contains thorium and uranium, and is hence classified as a radioactive mineral, bringing operations under strict oversight of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
Separating the 17 individual rare earth elements requires hundreds of stages of solvent extraction, consumes large quantities of acids and generates substantial volumes of toxic and radioactive waste. Producing one tonne of rare earth oxide can leave behind 70–100 tonnes of hazardous tailings.
The programme will be jointly overseen by the Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Mines and NITI Aayog.
In the ongoing ₹252-crore drugs case, social media influencer Orhan Awatramani, popularly known as Orry, appeared before the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Crime Branch, Ghatkopar Unit on Wednesday. Orry arrived around 1:30 p.m. and left the ANC office at 9:00 p.m., after nearly 7.5 hours of interrogation.
Orry leaves ANC Ghatkopar office after 7.5 hours of questioning | Instagram and IANS
In the ongoing ₹252-crore drugs case, social media influencer Orhan Awatramani, popularly known as Orry, appeared before the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Crime Branch, Ghatkopar Unit on Wednesday. Orry arrived around 1:30 p.m. and left the ANC office at 9:00 p.m., after nearly 7.5 hours of interrogation.
Second Summons Issued After Earlier Postponement
The ANC had issued a second summons to Orry for questioning today. He was earlier summoned on November 20, but had informed officers that he would be unavailable until November 25. Following this, a fresh summons was issued, compelling him to appear on November 26.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: Social media influencer Orry leaves after being questioned in connection with a ₹252-crore drugs case by the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) Ghatkopar Unit pic.twitter.com/WIDhSBfMGj
Mumbai, Maharashtra: Social media influencer Orry appeared at the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) Ghatkopar Unit on Tuesday for questioning in connection with a ₹252-crore drugs case. pic.twitter.com/pEVd67jnjB
Orry Leaves After Hours Of Questioning; Kapoor Also Interrogated
After extensive questioning by the Ghatkopar ANC, Orry walked out of the office at night without speaking to the media. On Tuesday, November 25, in the same ₹252-crore drugs case, the Ghatkopar ANC unit interrogated Bollywood actor Siddhanth Kapoor for nearly 5 hours.
India celebrates Constitution Day on November 26, honouring the adoption of its Constitution in 1949. The Constitution, the longest written in the world, originally comprised 395 Articles and was meticulously handwritten.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister JP Nadda read the Preamble of the Indian Constitution during Constitution Day celebrations at Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore)
India marks Constitution Day on November 26, commemorating the adoption of the nation’s guiding document in 1949. As the country reflected on the legacy of the Constitution and its journey from a handwritten manuscript to the backbone of the world’s largest democracy, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted its role in shaping national identity, strengthening institutions, and moving India away from a colonial mindset.
Interesting Facts About the Constitution of India
-Constitution Day, or Samvidhan Divas, is observed every year on November 26 to mark the adoption of the Constitution in 1949.
-The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.
-Over 53,000 citizens watched the Constituent Assembly debates from the visitors’ gallery during the nearly three-year drafting process.
-India has the world’s lengthiest written Constitution, originally containing 395 Articles, 22 Parts, and 8 Schedules.
-The Constitution was handwritten, not printed, with 90,000 words, in both English and Hindi.
-It was crafted by artists of Shantiniketan under the guidance of Nandalal Bose, with calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in Delhi.
-The original copies are preserved in nitrogen-filled glass receptacles in the Parliament Library, created with the help of the National Physical Laboratory and the Getty Conservation Institute, USA.
-Each part of the Constitution opens with artwork depicting episodes from Indian history, designed by Nandalal Bose.
-The 22 illustrations portray scenes from Mohenjo-Daro, Vedic times, the Maurya and Gupta periods, the Mughal era, and the freedom movement.
-284 members of the Constituent Assembly signed the Constitution on January 24, 1950.
-On the same day, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was announced as India’s first President.
-The Constituent Assembly had 15 women members, including Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Hansaben Mehta, Sucheta Kripalani and G. Durgabai.
-The National Flag in its present form was adopted on July 22, 1947, just before Independence.
-The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha after India became a Republic was G.V. Mavlankar.
Some More About the Preservation of the Original Constitution:
The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and came into force on January 26, 1950, marking India’s transition into a sovereign democratic republic. In the early years, the original documents were kept wrapped in flannel cloth with naphthalene balls.
In 1994, following preservation practices used in the United States, India shifted the manuscripts into a controlled gas chamber created in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory and the Getty Conservation Institute, US, as per Sansad’s website.
Muskan, accused of murdering her husband Saurabh, gave birth to a daughter named Radha, coinciding with Saurabh’s birthday. Her in-laws have requested a DNA test to confirm the child’s parentage.
Accused Muskan and Sahil (her boyfriend) allegedly drugged, stabbed, and dismembered her husband Saurabh Rajput before sealing his remains in the blue drum. (FIle Image)
Muskan, accused of killing her husband and hiding his body in a blue drum, has named her newborn daughter Radha, even as her in-laws have demanded a DNA test to confirm the child’s parentage. The baby was born on November 24 at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College in Meerut, the same day as her slain husband Saurabh Rajput’s birthday.
Dr. Shagun, head of the hospital’s gynecology department, said Muskan would be sent back to Meerut district jail on Wednesday. Jail Superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said the infant could stay with her mother in the women’s barrack until she turns six. The jail will provide clothes, nutrition, and medical care for the baby, he added.
Saurabh’s brother, Rahul, said he had already sought a DNA test and would move a fresh plea in court. He alleged that Muskan and her lover, Sahil Shukla, killed Saurabh, stuffed his body in a cement-filled blue drum, and fled to Himachal Pradesh.
Rahul also demanded a DNA test on Muskan’s elder daughter, saying the Rajput family would take responsibility for both children only if proven to be Saurabh’s biological offspring. Otherwise, he said, the family would “have no relation” with Muskan or the newborn.
Saurabh’s mother, Renu Rajput, supported the demand, saying the family would accept the baby only after the DNA results.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal questioned the powers given to booth-level officers, who, under the SIR notification, were allowed to effectively decide whether a person was a citizen.
Supreme Court | File Image. FIle pic
The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised sharp questions about the use of Aadhaar during the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and asked if a foreigner who has still managed to obtain an Aadhaar card and receive welfare benefits should be allowed to vote.
The issue came up even though the court had earlier directed that Aadhaar card can be added as the “12th document” in the Bihar SIR process. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioners, if Aadhaar alone could become an automatic route to voting rights.
“Aadhaar is the creation of a statute. Nobody can dispute the use of Aadhaar card to avail welfare benefits… but does it mean that since he has got Aadhaar, he should be made a voter also?” the CJI asked.
This came after Sibal began arguing challenging the legality of the SIR exercise being carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI). He said that such concerns might apply to border States but could not applied uniformnly to States like Kerala and Bihar.
The second phase of the SIR covers 51 crore people across 12 States and Union Territories.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi pointed out that the ECI has the authority to verify entries in the voter list, especially when those entries appear doubtful. He said enumeration forms were part of this verification process, and the Commission could not operate like an “inert post office”.
Sibal argued that the process itself was exclusionary. He also warned that millions of illiterate women could be at risk of being left out of the voter list simply because they might struggle to fill out the enumeration forms.
“Any exclusionary step or attempt taken by the EC is against the constitutional scheme… Any exclusion of a name from the electoral roll must follow a reasonable process,” he said.
He also questioned the powers given to booth-level officers (BLOs), who, under the SIR notification, were allowed to effectively decide whether a person was a citizen.
According to the petitioners, the SIR had turned into a form of “citizenship screening”, placing the burden of proof on existing voters.
Justice Bagchi noted that the ECI’s authority to examine documents flows from Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act and Article 326 of the Constitution, which clearly requires voters to be citizens. He said there was always some residual power available to a constitutional authority to conduct a preliminary enquiry.
Sibal clarified that he was not questioning the ECI’s jurisdiction, only what he described as an “unreasonable” and rushed process. He said there was no justification for completing the SIR within two months.
Chief Justice Kant, however, observed that the court could not stop the process simply because of doubts about time limitations. He said that the Bihar SIR had shown that the fears of mass exclusion did not materialise. Only a little over three lakh names were removed, and very few objections were raised.
During searches, police recovered Rs 5 lakh in cash, 171 cheque books, 75 ATM cards, 20 mobile phones, laptops, computers, several passbooks, credit cards and a Hyundai Verna car.
AI-generated image used for representation
A routine investigation by Puducherry’s Cyber Crime Police has uncovered a major cyber-fraud being operated by engineering college students. The probe has revealed that a group of students helped cybercriminals move large sums of money by selling access to bank accounts belonging to friends and classmates.
The incident came to light after two students — Dinesh and Jayapratap — approached the police when their bank accounts were unexpectedly frozen. They told the officers that they had shared their account details with their friend Harish, who later emerged as one of the key accused.
Police soon learnt that Harish had collected more than 20 bank accounts from students and people outside the campus. These were turned into “mule accounts” to route scam money, with investigators estimating that at least Rs 7 crore passed through them.
Seven men have been arrested so far, including four engineering graduates. They have been identified as Thomas alias Hayagriva, Harish, Ganesan, Govindaraj, Yashwin, Rahul and Ayyappan. During searches, police recovered Rs 5 lakh in cash, 171 cheque books, 75 ATM cards, 20 mobile phones, laptops, computers, several passbooks, credit cards and a Hyundai Verna car.
One of the central figures, Ganesan, allegedly handled the conversion of withdrawn money into cryptocurrency. According to investigators, he worked with cyber-criminals in China and transferred the converted funds through Telegram in return for commission payments.
Speaking to NDTV, Puducherry’s Senior Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Nithya Radhakrishnan, IPS, said, “We have been able to apprehend those who were laundering money for cyber-criminals, not merely the account holders. This shows how organised and international these networks have become,” she said.
A senior officer said that there were no names written in the diary entry, while adding that the woman “did not blame anyone”.
Police said that an autopsy has been conducted and the body has been handed back to the family.(HT file photo)
The 38-year-old daughter-in-law of a pan masala company owner, who died, allegedly by suicide, at her home in southwest Delhi, had written a diary entry before the incident.
The diary, which was recovered from her room at her house in Vasant Vihar, mentions “relationship issues”. Police officers are investigating the other entries in the diary.
“In a diary entry, she mentioned issues in her relationship,” a senior police officer aware of the investigating said on the condition of anonymity, according to an earlier HT report.
The officer further said that there were no names written in the above entry, while adding that the woman – the daughter-in-law of the owner of Kamla Pasand Pan Masala – “did not blame anyone” in her diary.
Deceased’s brother alleges ‘torture’ by in-laws
The woman’s brother has alleged that she was being “harassed” and “tortured” by her in-laws and husband. “Her husband used to harass her. We recently learned that he had illegally married someone else,” the brother said.
He further said that the deceased’s family had brought her back to Kolkata, adding that her “in-laws came to take her home.” “They promised to take care of her, but they tortured her. We have been facing these issues since last year,” the brother claimed, and said his sister had only returned because her husband’s family had promised to “fix things.”
He further alleged that her husband and mother-in-law had continued to torture her. The businessman’s lawyer, Rajender Singh, has denied these allegations as “baseless.”
“Her mother has been with us since yesterday. Both families are grieving, and everyone wants her to be cremated with dignity,” Singh said, adding that there was “no note or complaint” against anybody.
The woman lived with her husband and two children. On Tuesday, her husband had gone to the gym in the morning, while her children had left for school.
According to the senior officer, her husband returned home and found her dead in the dressing room in their bedroom. Following this, she was rushed to the hospital, but was declared brought dead, deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said. He added that an autopsy has been conducted and the body handed back to the family.
Major areas in Delhi recorded an AQI above 300, including in Burari, Anand Vihar, Chandani Chowk, ITO, Jahangirpuri and others.
The CAQM revoked GRAP Stage 3 restrictions after Delhi AQI saw some improvements and added that restrictions under the first and second stage of GRAP will be intensified.(PTI)
Delhi woke up to ‘very poor’ air quality on Thursday morning, a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management revoked the restrictions under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR. The overall AQI of the city at 8 am stood at 351.
Major areas in the national capital recorded an AQI above 300, including in Burari, Anand Vihar, Chandani Chowk, ITO, Jahangirpuri and others.
On Wednesday at 4 pm, the city’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 327, falling in the ‘very poor’ category. It was slightly better than Tuesday’s 353 AQI and Monday’s 328 AQI. This made it the 21st day straight of AQI over 300.
The AQI was recorded at 369 in Delhi’s Burari, 390 in Anand Vihar, 348 in Dwarka, 394 in Jahangirpuri, 388 in Narela and 400 in Rohini.
#WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from AIIMS as a layer of toxic smog blankets the city. AQI (Air Quality Index) around the area is 347, categorised as ‘Very Poor’, as claimed by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). pic.twitter.com/yndukz4v1y
The CAQM revoked GRAP Stage 3 restrictions and added that restrictions under the first and second stage of GRAP will be intensified.
Forecasts issued by IMD and IITM indicate that the air quality in city is likely to remain in ‘very poor’ category in the coming days.
The the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) also made it clear that the construction and demolition sites that were previously issued a closure notice will not be allowed to resume work unless they receive specific order from Commission.
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday directed Delhi and NCR states to draw up a scientifically planned greening strategy to achieve long term improved air quality, news agency PTI reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of political sabotage after her helicopter was grounded due to lapsed licensing and insurance. She claimed this was an attempt to hinder her outreach efforts ahead of a rally in Bongaon, where she arrived late after traveling by road.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a rally, at Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. (@AITCofficial/X) Photo : PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of attempting “political sabotage” after her helicopter was grounded hours before she was to fly to Bongaon. Officials, however, said the aircraft was barred from flying because its licence and insurance had expired.
Banerjee said she was told around 10 AM that the hired chopper “would not fly”, forcing her to cancel her scheduled 12:30 PM landing in the Matua-dominated region. She later travelled by road, arriving late for the rally.
“I apologise for being late,” she told the crowd, adding, “Elections are yet to begin, but the confrontation has already started. Just before leaving home, I was informed the helicopter cannot fly.”
She accused the BJP of trying to block her outreach. “Don’t play games with me. When I play, you won’t even know. You cannot defeat me politically,” she said.
The BJP rejected her charge, calling it baseless.
“These allegations are laughable,” state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said. “If authorities said the helicopter cannot fly, there must be legitimate reasons. She should stop politicising everything.”
Senior officials said the aircraft had not been used by the chief minister for nearly six months and underwent a routine trial flight on Monday. The expired licence and lapsed insurance were not detected during checks, they said.
“The licence lapse should have been flagged immediately. Allowing a trial flight without fully verifying documents is unacceptable,” a senior bureaucrat said, reports PTI, adding the oversight surfaced only on Tuesday morning.
Officials said Banerjee was displeased and sought an explanation. An inquiry has been ordered to determine how the error occurred and why it was not caught earlier.
Mamata Warns Matua Belt of ‘Voter Delisting’ Under CAA, Calls EC a ‘BJP Commission’
Meanwhile, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of endangering voters in Matua-majority areas, warning that individuals declaring themselves foreigners under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act could be “immediately delisted” from electoral rolls. Speaking at a rally in Bongaon before leading a three-kilometre march to Thakurnagar, she sharply escalated her attack on both the EC and the BJP.
Banerjee urged people not to panic as the Special Identification Revision (SIR) of voter rolls continues across Bengal. Claiming that 35–36 deaths, including several suicides, were linked to fear around the process, she said the exercise had turned “chaotic” and warned that the draft rolls would reveal “the disastrous situation created by the Election Commission and the BJP”.
The chief minister alleged the EC had become “a BJP Commission” acting on “instructions from Delhi” and would use “AI as a tool for manipulation”. She said she would support the SIR if carried out over two or three years, questioning why it was being rushed “coercively” ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Sharp Attack on BJP Over Citizenship and SIR
Banerjee insisted no legitimate voter would be removed after the enumeration. “I have come to assure you, not to ask for votes,” she told the crowd. She accused the BJP of using “crores of rupees and all central agencies” to target her but warned she would “shake” the party’s foundation if politically provoked.
Referring to reports of booth-level officers under strain, she claimed 10 BLOs were hospitalised and three had died during the SIR process. She also questioned why the exercise was being conducted in BJP-ruled states if the intention was to identify “illegal Bangladeshis”. “Does that mean there are ‘ghuspaithiyas’ in double-engine states?” she asked.
Matua Politics in Focus
The chief minister reiterated that under the CAA, anyone identifying as a foreigner risks voter delisting. She accused BJP-aligned groups close to the Matua Mahasangha of issuing “misleading certificates” describing people as Bangladeshi till 2002, calling it “a big fraud”.
She contrasted this with certificates from the Ramakrishna Mission, which she said avoid mentioning nationality. “Just because someone speaks Bengali, how are they Bangladeshi?” she asked, adding that she too could have been labelled one had she not been born in Birbhum.
The SIR exercise and the broader CAA debate have deepened political tensions in the Matua belt, where both the TMC and BJP are vying for influence.
BJP Wont Stay in Power in 2029
Banerjee also asserted that she would “shake” the BJP’s foundation if challenged in Bengal, and later escalated her attack by predicting the saffron camp “will not stay in power in 2029”, as Bengal “understands the poll game unlike Bihar”, where the INDIA bloc lost the elections post the SIR.
An Arunachal Pradesh woman, Pema Wang Thongdok, criticised online trolls after facing harassment at Shanghai airport, where she claims Chinese officials detained her for 18 hours.
Indian national Pem Wang Thongdok
The Arunachal Pradesh woman who was harassed in China has slammed online trolls after the Shanghai airport ordeal. She stressed that any action taken by the Indian government is for the good of every Indian, not just her, striking a strong note of unity. Pema Wang Thongdok had accused Chinese officials of detaining her for 18 hours at the Shanghai airport during what was meant to be a three-hour layover while travelling from London to Japan on November 21. The immigration officials refused to recognise her Indian passport, claiming that her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, was “part of China,” she alleged.
Last night, Thongdok posted a note of thanks to everyone who stood by her, along with a pointed message for those who allegedly tried to troll her over the Shanghai incident.
“I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue, and while I’m new here and not active on X, it’s because I have a very high-profile full-time position working in the financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trollers,” Thongdok wrote on X.
I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue and while I’m new here & not active on X it’s because I have a very high profile Full time position working in the financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trollers! The right people get it
“I don’t even live in India so any action that Indian govt takes will be for the benefit & pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalis living here, not mine. We are one nation we stand for one another (sic),” she added.
Arunachal Resident Narrates Airport Ordeal in Shanghai
Pema Wang Thongdok claimed that she was detained, mocked and blocked from boarding her connecting flight in Shanghai after Chinese immigration officials claimed that her passport was “invalid” because she is from Arunachal Pradesh. Pema Wangjom Thongdok, who has been residing in the United Kingdom for nearly 14 years, was travelling from London Gatwick to Osaka via Shanghai for a holiday. Thongdok claimed that she was denied access to food and was not allowed to leave the restricted area despite having flown 12 hours from London.
She said the trouble began moments after she passed the e-gates and joined the queue for security clearance for her next flight.
Narrating her experience at Shanghai airport, Thongdok claimed that a Chinese immigration official walked up to her, took her name, pointed at her passport and repeatedly said “India, India”, before taking her out of the queue without explanation. She was then taken near the manual immigration counters, where she was told, “Arunachal not India. Your visa not acceptable. Your passport invalid.”
What followed, she said, was 18 hours of confusion and humiliation.
The passenger said that she interacted with nearly 10 different immigration officials, none of whom gave a clear reason for detaining her. At one point, she alleged that officials mocked her, saying she should “apply for a Chinese passport” and that she was “Chinese, not Indian.” She told that the Airline staff of China Eastern joined the laughter and repeatedly sent her back and forth between the transfer desk and immigration desk without answers.
Despite telling officers that she had previously transited through Shanghai without a visa and that the Chinese embassy in London had confirmed that a short layover did not require one, she said officials refused to allow her to re-enter the line or board her flight to Japan.
The situation grew worse, she told, as she struggled to contact family due to slow Wi-Fi and restrictions on Google, WhatsApp and other apps.
“I told them I had transited through Shanghai before without a visa and that the Chinese embassy in London had confirmed that a short layover doesn’t require one, but they still wouldn’t let me go back into the queue or board my flight to Japan. The whole situation got worse because I couldn’t even contact my family – the Wi-Fi was really slow and you can’t open Google, you can’t open WhatsApp or Facebook. I wasn’t given any food and they wouldn’t allow me to leave that part of the terminal, even after a 12-hour flight from London.”
After repeatedly demanding to know the legal basis for the detention and asking for a way to communicate with someone outside, she said that she was finally allowed to use a landline to call a friend in London. With help from that friend, she contacted the Indian embassies in Shanghai and Beijing.
