Category: India

Bhagwant Mann defended himself with a “mask theory” at a press conference, but the video he presented was different from the one that triggered the Akal Takht’s action and the wider sacrilege row, prompting fresh attacks from the opposition.

As Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday defended himself by claiming that an impostor wearing a mask of his face had been used to make a fake video to defame him, the opposition raised a key question: the video shown by Mann at his press conference was not the same video that is at the centre of the controversy.

During the press conference, Mann played a video on a screen showing a man whom he claimed was an impostor wearing a mask resembling his face.

The Chief Minister pointed to certain marks near the man’s ears, claiming they indicated that he was wearing a mask.

Mann alleged that the video had been shot in a hotel in Canada using the mask. He also showed a clip of Canada-based Jagman Samra holding what he claimed was a mask of Mann’s face.

According to the Chief Minister, such masks were being used to create fake videos to defame him on a religious front. He further claimed that Jagman Samra had also made a similar mask of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

However, the video shown by Mann on Thursday was not the one at the centre of the controversy.

The controversy stems from another video that had gone viral, in which a man was allegedly seen sprinkling liquor on photographs of Sikh Gurus. Canada-based Jagman Samra had alleged that the person in the video was Bhagwant Mann, triggering a major political and religious controversy in Punjab.

As the controversy intensified, the Akal Takht Sahib took cognisance of the video and summoned Mann to the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat on January 15.

During his appearance before the Akal Takht Jathedar, Mann reportedly said that the video was AI-generated.

However, on June 15, the Akal Takht Sahib released a forensic report stating that the video was not AI-generated but was original.

Following the report, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj directed the Sikh community to boycott Bhagwant Mann.

Amid mounting criticism over both the video and the Akal Takht’s directive, the Punjab government obtained a forensic report from Gurugram, which claimed that the man seen in the video was not Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Soon afterwards, Haryana Police arrested two persons after an complaint by Jaspreet Singh claimed that two Punjab Police officials had paid Rs 10 lakh to forensic experts to obtain a fabricated report.

Initially, Mann termed the Haryana Police action as politically motivated and blamed the BJP. On Thursday, however, he presented the “mask theory”, claiming that fake videos had been created using a mask resembling his face.

The opposition, however, pointed out that the video shown by Mann was different from the one on which the Akal Takht had acted.

Reacting to Mann’s claims, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “CM Mann is coming out with a different theory every day. Today he is talking about a mask. But the big thing is that the video he is showing is not the one in question. The video in question is the one in which liquor is allegedly being sprinkled on the photographs of the Gurus. CM Mann is lying every day.”

Majithia further questioned why the alleged mask theory did not feature in the forensic report obtained by the Punjab government from Gurugram if Mann’s claim was correct.

Canada-based Jagman Samra also rejected Mann’s claims. In a video message, he said, “CM Mann must prove the mask theory he is talking about today. Bring someone who can say they were asked to wear a mask of the CM. Can anyone show a bill for the mask? A lot of things will be said now, so not much heed should be paid. If there was a mask, then why was Rs 10 lakh allegedly paid to obtain a forensic report?”

Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira also questioned the Chief Minister’s claims, saying, “The CM has raised more questions by holding this press conference. Why is there no mention of the mask theory in the forensic report obtained by the Punjab government?”

The two videos are also visibly different.

The video at the centre of the controversy shows a man inside a room with photographs of Sikh Gurus on the wall. The man is seen allegedly sprinkling liquor on the photographs while a television is visible in the room.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bhagwant-mann-mask-theory-opposition-says-press-conference-video-differs-from-viral-row-clip-2934553-2026-06-26

Twelve bonded labourers were rescued from a factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, where they were allegedly held captive, beaten and forced to work without pay for nearly two years.

A joint team comprising the Labour Department, police and district administration conducted a raid on a utensil-manufacturing factory in Muzaffarnagar on Monday and rescued 12 bonded labourers who had allegedly been held captive and subjected to severe abuse.

According to officials, impoverished workers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal were allegedly lured to the factory with promises of employment and wages. However, once they arrived, their mobile phones and Aadhaar cards were confiscated, they were denied proper food and water, and were allegedly forced to work under brutal conditions without pay.

Authorities also revealed that two pit bull dogs were kept at the facility to prevent workers from escaping. The rescued labourers claimed they lived in constant fear of the animals and were regularly beaten if they failed to meet work demands.

Police are investigating reports that several workers may have died during the nearly two years they were allegedly held captive. Two suspects, identified as Shivam Tyagi and Pradeep Balyan, have been arrested. Officers recovered sticks, belts and other objects allegedly used to assault the labourers.

Officials stressed the document’s primary purpose is to enable international travel and establish identity abroad.

Amid growing public confusion over the use of passports as proof of citizenship and eligibility for government benefits, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that an Indian passport is strictly a travel document and should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship.

The clarification came during a detailed briefing on India’s rapidly expanding passport and mobility ecosystem, which highlighted major reforms aimed at making passports more accessible, secure and globally accepted while facilitating overseas employment and international travel for millions of Indians.

Officials stressed that while passports are issued to Indian citizens, the document’s primary purpose is to enable international travel and establish identity abroad. Questions have earlier been raised about other documents as proof of citizenship, including Aadhaar and Voter ID cards.

The government also showcased significant improvements in passport services, with processing times now reduced to as little as five working days in many cases. According to officials, applicants are spending less than 45 minutes at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), reflecting the impact of technology-driven reforms and streamlined procedures.

A major milestone highlighted during the briefing was the nationwide rollout of chip-enabled e-passports. Since May last year, all newly issued Indian passports have been embedded with secure electronic chips containing biometric information and security features compliant with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The move is expected to strengthen document security, reduce fraud and improve acceptance at international border checkpoints.

India’s passport service network has also witnessed dramatic growth. From a limited footprint a decade ago, the network now comprises 545 passport service centres across the country, representing a six-fold expansion. The government plans to open 20 additional Passport Seva Kendras this year, with the objective of ensuring that at least one passport facility is available in every Lok Sabha constituency by 2027.

Officials noted that the passport network now covers nearly every parliamentary constituency, with only around 30 districts yet to receive a dedicated centre. Special mobile passport teams have also been deployed to remote and difficult-to-access regions, while dedicated outreach camps conducted last year helped issue passports to nearly 300,000 people in underserved areas.

Despite these gains, passport penetration remains relatively low. Only about 10 per cent of India’s population currently possesses a passport. The government said expanding access to travel documents remains a priority as international mobility becomes increasingly important for education, employment and business opportunities.

The MEA also highlighted India’s growing global mobility partnerships. The country has signed 27 mobility agreements with 25 nations, including major destinations such as the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and several Gulf countries. These arrangements are designed to facilitate smoother movement for students, apprentices, researchers, professionals and business travellers.

Visa access for Indian passport holders has improved steadily, with 27 countries currently offering visa-free entry. An additional 47 countries provide visas on arrival, while 66 nations extend e-visa facilities to Indian travellers.

On overseas employment, officials said the upgraded eMigrate 2.0 platform has significantly improved the emigration clearance process. Since its launch in October 2022, nearly 700,000 Indian workers have obtained emigration clearance through the portal. Randomised processing systems introduced in 17 passport offices have further enhanced transparency and reduced delays.

The government is also focusing on worker welfare. Pre-departure orientation programmes now provide country-specific cultural training and job-related skills to workers heading overseas.

Next week, India will host a major Human Resource Mobility Forum involving Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and Denmark to connect skilled Indian workers with ethical employers abroad.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/passport-travel-document-not-proof-of-citizenship-centre-11682989?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Ketan Agarwal fell to his death in a gorge at the Lohagad Fort while trekking with Siya. Initially, it was declared an accidental death. Police probe, however, revealed a sinister plan.

Ketan Agarwal had no inkling of his fiancee Siya Goyal’s alleged affair with Chetan Chaudhary, but had felt something amiss because her phone would remain busy for hours, Vishal Agarwal, his father, told NDTV. The businessman added that his family would have called off the wedding had Siya indicated she was in a relationship with another man.

Siya and Ketan, daughter and son of wealthy businessmen in Maharashtra, were engaged in February. Both families were planning a grand wedding in November. On June 18, however, Ketan fell to his death in a gorge at the Lohagad Fort in Pune while trekking with Siya.

Initially, it was declared an accidental death. But Ketan’s sister’s suspicion led to a police investigation, which revealed that Chaudhary and Siya had pushed him.

According to the police, Siya and Chaudhary were in a relationship.

Ketan’s father, however, said that the woman never laid bare her intentions.

“We didn’t know that she wasn’t happy. Every other day, Ketan and Siya would go to dinners. She used to call him, my daughter and my wife…Siya never told my son about her affair. He, however, once told me that Siya’s phone would remain in waiting mode… her phone always used to remain busy,” he said.

He said that when Ketan confronted her about her phone being busy, she said she had been talking to her friends.

‘We Would Have Cancelled The Wedding’

The businessman said that if Siya had anonymously sent her photo with her boyfriend to Ketan’s family on WhatsApp, they would have cancelled the marriage.

“If she had an affair with someone, she could have told anyone about it. She could have sent her and the man’s photos to us on WhatsApp…We would have called off the wedding. We hadn’t forced her to get married to Ketan,” he said.

He suspects that Siya’s parents and her aunt knew about the affair and pressured Siya to get married to Ketan.

“Maybe they had some planning that we don’t know as of yet. The police will find this in the investigation. We don’t know why they did this,” he added.

Siya had initially succeeded in passing the crime off as an accident. However, her behaviour after her fiance’s death evoked suspicion.

The businessman said his daughter, Sanjana, asked several general questions to Siya, but she had no answers.

“Sanjana didn’t have suspicion before. But after Ketan’s death, she was suspicious about Siya’s role. Because it was unlike him to stop on the edge of the cliff… When the police brought the body out of the gorge, Sanjana asked several questions to Siya, but she couldn’t answer any of the queries. The questions were general — how did this happen, when did this happen, why did he go to the edge? She had no answer,” he said.

Re-NEET 2026: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan briefed the cabinet on successful completion of the NEET re-examination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday applauded the successful conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET UG) re-examination, saying the exercise demonstrated a “whole-of-government” approach and praising ministers and officials for their collective effort.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, the prime minister described the re-exam as having been organised “smoothly and with integrity,” according to sources. He commended all ministers involved for their roles in planning and execution and urged that the same coordinated model be adopted for similar occasions in the future.

If everyone works together, any challenge can be overcome, the prime minister told the cabinet. The NEET UG 2026 re-exam was conducted on June 21 for more than 20 lakh candidates across 5,440 centres in India and 14 centres abroad.

Also present in the meeting, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan briefed the cabinet on successful completion of the NEET re-examination. Pradhan explained the ministers on the ground-level details of the re-exam, outlining the responsibilities undertaken by multiple ministries, state governments and departments. Pradhan highlighted the fact how all the state governments and different ministries came together for a shared and coordinated effort.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Tuesday, Pradhan congratulated all aspirants, their parents, and all those involved in the successful conduct of the retest. He said that the National Testing Agency organised the NEET re-exam in just 38 days, which generally takes around six months of preparation.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/education/re-neet-2026-whole-of-government-approach-prime-minister-lauds-successful-conduct-of-neet-re-exam-11681528?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

A drunken man climbed an 11,000-volt electricity pole and lay on overhead wires in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district, triggering panic among villagers. Officials suspended power supply and safely rescued him after hours of persuasion, with police confirming he was intoxicated.

A drunken man’s bizarre stunt atop an 11,000-volt electricity pole triggered panic in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district on Tuesday evening, with villagers fearing a fatal accident.

The man, Deen Dayal, climbed a high-voltage electricity pole in Parsa Khurd village and stretched himself across the overhead power lines. As news of the incident spread, residents rushed to the spot, and a large crowd gathered below, anxiously watching him remain perched above.

According to locals, a stroke of luck prevented a tragedy. Power supply to the line had reportedly been cut just minutes before Deen Dayal climbed the pole. Villagers said the stunt could have turned fatal if electricity had been flowing through the line.

As the man refused to come down, police and electricity department officials launched a coordinated effort to avert any mishap. Bhitauli police immediately contacted the power department and ensured that electricity supply to the line remained suspended during the rescue operation.

For several hours, villagers, police personnel and officials appealed to Deen Dayal to climb down. Their efforts eventually succeeded, and he descended safely from the pole, drawing relief from the crowd gathered at the scene.

Bhitauli Station House Officer Satyendra Kumar Rai said the man was under the influence of alcohol when he climbed the electricity pole.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/up-maharajganj-drunk-man-climbs-11000-volt-electricity-pole-lies-on-wires-rescued-2933576-2026-06-24

A Brazilian psychic’s bizarre prediction of an alien invasion during the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Brazil and Scotland in Miami has gone viral online. Vo Bahiana, who has over 23 million followers, claims recurring dreams showed UFOs abducting players and fans from Hard Rock Stadium. Despite widespread attention on social media, there is no evidence supporting her extraordinary claims.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 encounter between Brazil and Scotland is expected to play a crucial role in the race for qualification to the knockout stages. However, ahead of the much-anticipated fixture at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, attention has unexpectedly shifted away from football after a viral prediction by a Brazilian psychic claimed that aliens could invade the match.

Vo Bahiana, a social media personality and self-described psychic with more than 23 million followers, has attracted global attention after sharing an emotional video in which she described dreams of UFOs appearing above the stadium and abducting players and fans.

“I have to tell you that I dreamed again about aliens invading the soccer field in Miami. And I clearly saw the players being carried off by the first ship that arrived,” Bahiana said while fighting back tears in the video.

A Brazilian psychic has made a wild prediction, claiming that aliens will invade the World Cup and abduct hundreds of fans live during a match. pic.twitter.com/vA01xs6WNq

— ProfNet Media (@ProfNetMedia) June 24, 2026

According to her account, a spacecraft would hover above the stadium before extraterrestrial beings emerge and abduct players and fans. She further claimed that a larger “mothership” would arrive afterwards, taking thousands of people from the venue.

“I saw so much screaming, so much crying, so many tears, suffering,” she said. “They are saying that on the 24th, something very bad is about to happen at this game, at this soccer field in Miami.”

Bahiana, who has built a substantial online following through predictions related to natural disasters, celebrity deaths and political events, alleged that the extraterrestrials would use giant mechanical-arm-like devices to remove people from the stadium.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/aliens-at-fifa-world-cup-2026-psychic-makes-viral-claim-of-ufo-invasion-during-brazil-vs-scotland-match-video

 

After two days of ministerial-level talks , Goyal appreciated US trade representative Greer’s leadership and the sustained efforts of both negotiating teams.

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and US trade representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday concluded “multiple rounds” of discussions on an interim trade deal , and made “substantial progress” the commerce ministry said in a statement , although it did not elaborate on the resolution of outstanding issues such a valid tariff architecture.

After two days of ministerial-level talks , Goyal appreciated Greer’s leadership and the sustained efforts of both negotiating teams in advancing discussions in a “constructive and forward-looking” manner. “Concluded a series of meetings with @USTradeRep Ambassador Jamieson Greer and his delegation this morning. We reviewed progress of the ongoing India–U.S. trade discussions and explored avenues to further deepen our economic partnership,” Goyal said in a post on X.

The two ministers noted “substantial progress” made by negotiating teams in recent months, the commerce ministry statement said. “Discussions focused on pathways to conclude an interim agreement as an important milestone toward a comprehensive BTA [bilateral trade agreement],” it added.

An interim-deal is a precursor to a comprehensive BTA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump in a joint statement on February 13, 2025, envisaged wide-ranging strategic and economic cooperation, including a BTA aimed at more than doubling total bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, a goal since branded “Mission 500.”

While the ministry’s spokespersons did not provide latest status of outstanding issues, people familiar with the discussions said on condition of anonymity that the only outstanding issue for an interim BTA is determination of a valid tariff architecture for Indian goods in the American market as all other issues have been already settled in the framework jointly released on February 7.

“We know that India has a long history of agriculture of manufacturing, but we also know that they’re moving forward in technology. They want to move forward in AI. They want to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on the technologies of the future and trade of the future. And that’s some of the exciting opportunities that we’ll have between the United States and India is to capitalize on that,” Greer said in a video statement released by the US embassy in New Delhi.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have an amazing relationship. They’ve nurtured it over many years. Just last week, they met at G7 in Evian, France and I was there and they agreed to take the relationship to the next level. This includes the trade deal that we’re working on, but it includes every aspect of the relationship and we expect the relationship to continue developing and only going to a higher and higher level with every passing week,” he added.

After the US Supreme Court on February 20 invalidated the US tariffs on imports from all countries, including India, the two partners have been renegotiating a valid tariff framework, with New Delhi keen on one that would give India an edge over its competitors like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the people cited above added. Once the interim deal is announced, New Delhi and Washington will move to conclude a wide-ranging BTA to achieve Mission 500, they said.

The Donald Trump administration has since levied a 10% duty on Indian imports, but this expires on July 24. On June 22, at an event in Mumbai, Goyal said that while he would like to close an interim deal at the earliest, that deadline had no meaning for India. “I have said it very often, India never negotiates with a deadline,” he had said at the event.

Greer’s New Delhi visit from June 22–24, leading an official US delegation, marked “a key step” in ongoing efforts to advance “a balanced, mutually beneficial” India-US BTA and “to finalize an interim deal in line with the joint statement” of February 7, 2026, the ministry said in its statement on Wednesday.

“The two leaders [Greer and Goyal] conducted a comprehensive review of core BTA elements, including enhanced market access, digital trade, supply chain resilience, reduction of non-tariff barriers, and expanded cooperation in strategic sectors,” it said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/recipe/craving-a-quick-but-filling-snack-chef-ranveer-brar-shares-his-recipe-for-bombay-masala-sandwich-101782305044187.html

The DGCA said interim action had been taken against the crew and the concerned air traffic controller for failing to report the incident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has de-rostered the operating crew of an Air India flight and an air traffic controller after an aircraft briefly entered Pakistan’s Lahore airspace while attempting to land at Amritsar on June 22, officials said.

The regulator said interim action had been taken against the crew and the concerned air traffic controller for failing to report the incident.

The incident involved Air India flight AI479 from Delhi to Amritsar, operated by an Airbus A321 (VT-PPV), at around 10.10 pm on Monday. According to the DGCA, the aircraft was on approach to Amritsar when it was instructed to hold because the runway was being inspected following a bird-strike report involving an earlier flight.

What did the DGCA say?

“After the aircraft commenced approach during radar vectoring, the aircraft briefly entered the Pakistan airspace. The event was coordinated with Pakistan ATC authorities. The aircraft finally diverted back to Delhi and safely landed at Delhi,” the regulator said.

Air India confirmed the incident. “The crew operating flight AI479 from Delhi to Amritsar on 22 June had marginally infringed into the Pakistan airspace while manoeuvring a go-around at Amritsar airport. The incident has been reported to the regulatory authorities and is being investigated internally,” the airline said.

An official familiar with the matter said, “The Amritsar ATC asked the pilot to continue towards the international boundary and the aircraft crossed into Lahore airspace at around 10.08 pm by about three miles.”

What we know about the incident

According to airport officials, the incident occurred outside the hours during which approach surveillance services are available at Amritsar airport. “Before this incident, 6E 5028, after landing at Amritsar at 4.29 pm, reported a bird hit, because of which the next five arriving flights were asked to hold,” an official said. “The Air India flight from Delhi was the fourth in the queue to land,” he added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/crew-atc-de-rostered-after-ai-flight-enters-pakistan-airspace-101782328896666.html

Pune Police detain Neeraj in Ketan Agarwal murder case, allege Siya and Chetan planned the killing at a cafe.

In the latest development in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, the Pune Police have detained Neeraj, a friend of accused Chetan, in connection with the Ketan murder case and are investigating his possible involvement. The investigators also found that Siya and Chetan allegedly planned the murder during meetings at a cafe and made multiple attempts before allegedly killing Ketan during a trek at Lohgad Hill.

Earlier, the police claimed that Siya Goyal, was under pressure from her family to go ahead with their marriage despite having reservations about it.

According to police sources quoted by ANI, investigators reached this conclusion after questioning the accused and examining digital and circumstantial evidence. A senior police official said Siya wanted more time for herself and was not mentally prepared for marriage.

Police further alleged that Siya had developed feelings for co-accused Chetan Chaudhary, but was not willing to marry him either. Investigators suspect that she intended to continue her relationship with Chaudhary while allegedly plotting Ketan’s murder.

The probe found that Siya and Chaudhary first met at a Diwali party last year and gradually grew close, police said.

Ketan, 26, died after falling into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. Initially, the incident was treated as an accidental fall after Siya informed his family that he had slipped during a trek. However, police now allege that Siya, 20, and Chaudhary, 22, pushed him into the gorge.

Investigators said CCTV footage from Lohagad Fort proved crucial in the case. The footage showed a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt following Ketan and Siya from some distance. Police later identified the man as Chaudhary and noted that he was wearing a hoodie despite temperatures being around 33 degrees Celsius.

“While investigating the case, we stumbled upon certain circumstances surrounding the incident that raised suspicion and prompted a deeper probe. We checked CCTV cameras installed at the ticket counter of the fort, where we spotted Ketan and Siya walking together,” a police officer involved in the investigation said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/chetan-siya-plotted-ketan-agarwals-murder-over-cafe-meetings-multiple-failed-attempts-before-killing-ws-l-10171747.html

A new book claims the US president rejected official tariff data and insisted India’s duties on American goods were at least 175%.

United States President Donald Trump refused to accept his own administration’s data on Indian tariffs and lashed out at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for presenting figures that he believed vastly understated New Delhi’s duties on American goods, according to a new book.

Trump was convinced that India imposed tariffs of at least 175 per cent on US products, even though official figures compiled by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) showed considerably lower rates, according to Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.

The book, written by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, offers an account of the first 14 months of Trump’s second term and draws on extensive interviews and reporting from inside his administration.

According to the authors, the confrontation occurred as Trump and his advisers were preparing the sweeping tariffs that he would unveil as part of his “Liberation Day” trade offensive in April 2025.

“Nobody has f***ing given me any numbers. Hard facts of how much China tariffs us, how much India tariffs us. You give me bulls**t numbers,” Trump is quoted as telling his officials.

Lutnick then presented the president with the tariff figures recorded by the USTR. Instead of accepting the data, Trump reportedly accused his administration of providing him with false information.

“No, these are bullshit numbers,” Trump said, according to the book, repeatedly dismissing the government’s data as “f***ing bullshit” despite Lutnick’s attempts to explain the figures.

Trump reportedly believed that India’s tariffs on American goods were at least 175 per cent and possibly even higher.

How High Were India’s Tariffs On US Goods?

Although the 175 per cent figure cited by Trump was far above the average tariff rates recorded by US authorities, Washington has long accused India of maintaining steep duties and other barriers to American exports.

A White House fact sheet issued during the subsequent India-US trade negotiations said India had some of the highest tariffs imposed on US products by any major economy.

It claimed that Indian tariffs averaged as much as 37 per cent on agricultural products and exceeded 100 per cent on certain automobiles. The Trump administration also complained about regulatory and non-tariff barriers that it said restricted American exports.

Peter Navarro, Trump’s senior trade adviser, and considered the chief architect of Trump’s tariff strategy, later described India as the “maharaja of tariffs” while defending Washington’s aggressive trade measures against New Delhi.

From ‘Liberation Day’ To 50% Tariffs

The reported clash between Trump and Lutnick took place before Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, 2025, as part of an attempt to impose what he called reciprocal duties on countries that maintained trade surpluses or barriers against the United States.

India was subsequently subjected to a 25 per cent US tariff.

Relations deteriorated further in August 2025, when Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent levy over India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The move raised the combined tariff on several Indian exports to 50 per cent, placing India among the countries facing Washington’s steepest trade barriers.

Trump accused New Delhi of helping finance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine through its oil purchases. India defended its imports, arguing that its energy decisions were guided by market conditions and the need to ensure affordable supplies for its population.

The tariff dispute deepened tensions already caused by Trump’s repeated claim that he had stopped a potential war between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, an assertion New Delhi rejected.

The worsening relationship also disrupted trade negotiations, with planned visits by negotiating teams being delayed or cancelled.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/these-are-bullshit-numbers-inside-trumps-clash-with-howard-lutnick-over-india-tariffs-ws-l-10169994.html

Alka Yagnik’s Padma Bhushan appearance renewed awareness about sensorineural hearing loss, prompting fans’ support and hearing health discussions.

Veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik was conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan by Droupadi Murmu during the investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. While fans celebrated the recognition of one of India’s most beloved voices, many also expressed concern after seeing the singer’s appearance in videos from the event.

While receiving her award, the 60-year-old singer was escorted by a staff member as she looked frail. While social media was flooded with congratulatory messages, there were also heartfelt wishes for Alka’s recovery from Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL), a rare hearing disorder she revealed she was battling in 2024.

Yagnik’s diagnosis brought attention to a condition that affects millions worldwide and highlighted the importance of hearing health awareness.

#WATCH | Delhi | Eminent playback singer Alka Yagnik conferred with Padma Bhushan by President Droupadi Murmu

(Video source: Rashtrapati Bhavan) pic.twitter.com/ui2U9koEMy

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2026

Vishal Agarwal, father of the 26-year-old real estate director, has described how Siya pushed Ketan from the fort on June 14. When Ketan survived by grabbing a bush, Siya shouted that a snake was approaching and then hugged him.

Four days before Ketan Agarwal was pushed to his death from Maharashtra’s Lohagad Fort, his fiancee Siya Goyal made an attempt on his life at the same location, according to an account given by Ketan’s father.

Vishal Agarwal, father of the 26-year-old real estate director, has described how Siya pushed Ketan from the fort on June 14. When Ketan survived by grabbing a bush, Siya shouted that a snake was approaching and then hugged him.

“On June 14, they both went to the fort alone, and Siya pushed Ketan. After the push, Ketan grabbed a bush and escaped. Fearing the secret would be revealed, Siya shouted ‘snake, snake’,” Vishal Agarwal said.

He added that when Siya and Ketan arrived at the airport ahead of a pre-wedding trip to Bali, Ketan’s passport was missing.

“When they arrived at the airport, everyone’s passports were there, but Ketan’s passport was missing. It seemed as if it had fallen somewhere. They tried to search for it, but the passport was nowhere to be found. Therefore, they returned. After returning, on the third or fourth day, she quarrelled with him again, arguing that they had to go to Lohagad Fort,” he said.

“And then, on June 14, she went to Lohagad. They were both alone at that time. She pushed Ketan. After being pushed, Ketan slipped backwards, and escaped by grabbing hold of a bush. He then began to regain consciousness, realising that he had been pushed and that he had survived. Siya immediately shouted, ‘snake, snake’ and went and hugged him,” he added.

Ketan Agarwal, a resident of Gahunje in Pune district and director of a family-run real estate business, died on June 18 after falling nearly 400 feet into a gorge near Lohagad Fort. The fort, linked to the history of the Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is one of the 12 forts in Maharashtra listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Initially, the death was treated as an accident. Siya told Lonavala rural police that Ketan had slipped and fallen while the couple was on an outing at the hill fort amid strong winds. An accidental death report was registered. Police later examined the circumstances and found them suspicious.

On Tuesday, officers arrested Siya and her alleged lover, Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, 22, a resident of Kondhwa in Pune, on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. Siya ran her own bakery while Chetan had a dry fruits manufacturing company. Both met through mutual business links.

Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill of Pune rural said the investigation looked at multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. Police established that Siya was in a relationship with Chetan and viewed Ketan as an obstacle.

The two allegedly conspired to kill Ketan. Siya took him to Lohagad Fort under the pretext of an outing, while Chetan was called to the spot later. They then pushed him off the fort, police said. Local crime branch officers first took Chetan into custody based on suspicion. During interrogation, he reportedly disclosed the plot. Siya was arrested on the basis of that information. She and Chetan have been remanded to seven-day police custody.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/siya-goyal-ketan-agarwal-fiancees-failed-attempt-4-days-before-murder-a-snake-excuse-and-a-hug-11676614?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Since fleeing India, Nirav Modi has faced extradition proceedings, asset seizures and multiple recovery actions by banks and enforcement agencies.

Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi has suffered another legal setback in the United Kingdom.

The London High Court has ruled in favour of Bank of India, holding Modi liable to pay more than $10.7 million — over Rs 100 crore at current exchange rates — in a long-running loan dispute linked to his business empire.

The judgment marks a significant victory for the state-owned lender as it continues efforts to recover dues from one of India’s most high-profile economic offenders.

What’s The Case About?

The dispute relates to a loan extended by Bank of India to Dubai-based Firestar Diamond FZE, a company linked to Nirav Modi. The bank argued that Modi had personally guaranteed the loan and was therefore responsible for repaying the outstanding amount.

Modi had contested the claim in the UK courts. In a rare move, he even appeared personally before the London court earlier this year to fight the case.

However, the High Court ultimately sided with Bank of India, concluding that the lender’s claim was valid and enforceable. The ruling means the bank can now pursue recovery of the money through legal channels available in the UK.

Another Setback In A Long Legal Battle

The verdict adds to a growing list of legal defeats for Nirav Modi in Britain.

In March this year, the London High Court rejected his attempt to reopen proceedings against his extradition to India. The court’s decision reinforced earlier rulings that cleared the way for his return to face charges in India.

Modi has remained in custody in the UK since his arrest in London in March 2019. Multiple bail applications have been rejected by British courts over the years.

The Shadow Of The PNB Scam

Nirav Modi is one of the key accused in the multi-billion-dollar Punjab National Bank fraud case that shook India’s banking sector in 2018.

Indian investigative agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, have accused him of fraud, criminal conspiracy and money laundering. Authorities allege that the fraud involved thousands of crores of rupees and exploited banking guarantees issued by Punjab National Bank.

Since fleeing India, Modi has faced extradition proceedings, asset seizures and multiple recovery actions by banks and enforcement agencies. According to government disclosures, fugitive economic offenders collectively owe public sector banks more than Rs 58,000 crore, with recovery efforts continuing across jurisdictions.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/business-news/bank-of-india-nirav-modi-london-court-diamond-100-crore-fraud-extradition-11678871?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Ahead of the arrival of large groups of Indian pilgrims, India’s Ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami, undertook the sacred Parikrama around Mount Kailash himself.

For thousands of devotees, seeing the sacred Mount Kailash and taking a dip in the holy waters of Lake Manasarovar is a dream that often takes years, sometimes even decades, to come true. This year, that dream is finally becoming a reality again as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has officially resumed after a five-year suspension.

Ahead of the arrival of large groups of Indian pilgrims, India’s Ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami, undertook the sacred Parikrama around Mount Kailash himself. The ambassador and his team were there to inspect facilities, review preparations and ensure that everything was ready for the thousands of devotees expected to undertake one of the world’s most challenging and sacred pilgrimages.

Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami Shares Essential Information For All Pilgrims

Embassy of India Welcomes #KMY2026 Pilgrims | Video 2: Ambassador @VDoraiswami Shares Parikrama Experience & Key Travel Tips#KailashManasarovarYatra2026 #IndiaInChina @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy pic.twitter.com/W2cEQv7slR

— India in China (@EOIBeijing) June 21, 2026

After completing the Parikrama, Doraiswami shared a detailed video message from Tibet, describing the experience as a “journey of a lifetime” and offering valuable advice for pilgrims preparing to follow in his footsteps. Speaking about the overwhelming beauty of the region, he said that pilgrims are in for an unforgettable experience when they first see Mount Kailash rising above the Tibetan landscape. Calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he described the mountain and lake as among the most breathtaking sights he has ever witnessed.

According to him, visitors should also expect to see large crowds this year. The timing of the yatra coincides with a special year in the traditional Tibetan and Chinese calendars, making the pilgrimage even more significant and attracting additional visitors to the region.

Officials Checked Everything Before Pilgrims Arrive

In the video posted on X by the Embassy of India in Beijing, China, Doraiswami revealed that he and his colleagues travelled across all the major entry points used by Indian pilgrims. They inspected the routes through Nathu La and Lipulekh Pass, visited hotels where pilgrims will stay, checked kitchens, reviewed room facilities and examined medical centres along the route.

The team also worked closely with Chinese authorities to ensure that transport and security arrangements were in place. Pilgrims entering through Nathu La Pass will first complete immigration and customs formalities before being transported further by specialised transit buses. The ambassador said extensive efforts have been made to make the journey as smooth and safe as possible.

While speaking enthusiastically about the experience, Doraiswami also repeatedly reminded pilgrims that Kailash Mansarovar is not an easy trip. The entire Tibet Autonomous Region sits at very high elevations. Most of the journey takes place above 3,500 metres, while the Parikrama itself climbs to nearly 5,600 metres and in some places approaches 6,000 metres above sea level. Even during his video message, the ambassador could be seen stopping occasionally to catch his breath because of the thin air.

One of the most important points highlighted by Doraiswami was the risk of high-altitude sickness. The ambassador advised pilgrims to immediately seek help if they feel unwell and to carefully follow the instructions of medical professionals stationed along the route.

What Should Pilgrims Pack?

Doraiswami strongly advised pilgrims against carrying open footwear, saying the cold temperatures and difficult terrain make proper shoes essential. Waterproof trekking shoes are highly recommended, as weather conditions can change rapidly.

He also urged travellers to dress in layers. Temperatures can fluctuate significantly during the day, and conditions around Mount Kailash can shift from sunshine to rain and even snowfall within hours. Warm jackets, rain protection, gloves, caps and sunglasses should all be considered essential items rather than optional extras.

The ambassador particularly warned about the strong ultraviolet radiation at high altitudes. Many visitors focus on the cold but forget that the mountain sun can be intense enough to cause severe sunburn.

Pilgrims With Medical Conditions Should Take Extra Care

Ambassador Doraiswami also had a special message for pilgrims with existing health conditions. People suffering from heart problems, diabetes or other chronic illnesses should consult their doctors before undertaking the pilgrimage. They should carry all prescribed medicines, understand how altitude may affect their condition and seek professional advice before travelling. While medical facilities are available during the yatra, they are basic due to the remote location.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/travel/indias-ambassador-to-china-completes-kailash-mansarovar-yatra-parikrama-shares-key-advice-for-pilgrims-11674762?pfrom=home-ndtv_icymistories

 

Rohit Sharma was awarded the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, in recognition of his contributions to Indian cricket.

Rohit Sharma added another major national honour to his decorated career as he was conferred the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. The India cricket great was among the prominent names from sport recognised in the Padma Awards 2026, with the honour marking another milestone in a career built on consistency, leadership and some of Indian cricket’s most memorable modern triumphs.

Rohit’s name had been announced among the Padma Shri awardees on Republic Day eve earlier this year, with the formal conferment taking place during the Civil Investiture Ceremony. The Padma Shri is India’s fourth-highest civilian award and is given for distinguished service across fields, including art, public affairs, science, social work, medicine, literature, education, industry and sports.

For Rohit, the recognition comes after a long international career in which he has grown from one of India’s most gifted batters into one of its defining white-ball figures. Known for his elegant strokeplay, remarkable six-hitting ability and record-breaking ODI double-centuries, Rohit Sharma has also been central to India’s leadership group in recent years. His impact has stretched beyond individual records, with his captaincy and batting forming a major part of India’s modern cricket narrative.

Eight sportspersons named for Padma Shri in 2026

While Rohit remained the headline name from Indian cricket, the Padma Shri sports list for 2026 reflected a wider spread across disciplines. India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur was also named for the honour, making it a significant year for cricket in the Padma Shri sports category. Harmanpreet has been one of the most influential figures in Indian women’s cricket, both as a power-hitter and as a leader who helped shape the team’s rise on the global stage.

Hockey also had strong representation, with Baldev Singh and Savita Punia included in the Padma Shri list. Savita, one of India’s finest goalkeepers, has been a central figure in the women’s hockey team’s progress over the last decade. Baldev Singh’s inclusion added another hockey name to a sports list that balanced current achievers with long-serving contributors.

The other Padma Shri awardees from sports were Bhagwandas Raikwar from Madhya Pradesh, K Pajanivel from Puducherry, Praveen Kumar from Uttar Pradesh and Vladimer Mestvirishvili from Georgia, who was honoured posthumously. Praveen Kumar’s recognition added a para-sport dimension to the list, while Mestvirishvili’s posthumous honour underlined the contribution of coaches and mentors in shaping Indian sporting success.

The eight Padma Shri sports awardees for 2026 are Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Baldev Singh, Bhagwandas Raikwar, K Pajanivel, Praveen Kumar, Savita Punia and Vladimer Mestvirishvili.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/rohit-sharma-honoured-with-padma-shri-as-indias-2026-list-recognises-eight-sportspersons-across-fields-this-year-101782225454018.html

 

The underlying science of the implant relies on groundbreaking medical research proving that cancer tissue operates as an electrically active entity

In a revolutionary leap for neurotechnology, a San Francisco-based longevity startup with close ties to Elon Musk’s Neuralink has commenced human testing of a specialised brain implant designed to detect and treat cancer. The company, Coherence Neuro, recently achieved a historic milestone by successfully testing its flagship device in three consenting patients, as per a Wired report. This pioneering procedure marks the first time a brain-computer interface (BCI) has been utilised specifically to track and disrupt the electrical signatures of aggressive tumours, signalling a profound shift in the global war against terminal illnesses.

The initial trials were conducted by briefly placing the button-sized implant into the brains of patients already undergoing surgical procedures for tumour removal. The device remained active for approximately thirty minutes to evaluate acute safety and signal clarity before being carefully extracted. By focusing its first clinical application on glioblastoma—a notoriously aggressive and terminal form of brain cancer—Coherence Neuro aims to transform oncological care from a sequence of brutal, systemic interventions into a continuously monitored and seamlessly managed condition.

Disrupting the Electrical Networks of Tumours

The underlying science of the implant relies on groundbreaking medical research proving that cancer tissue operates as an electrically active entity. Aggressive brain tumours are known to actively hijack the bioelectrical signals of healthy surrounding brain tissue to stimulate and accelerate their own growth. Coherence Neuro’s proprietary system, named SOMA, is engineered to intercept this process.

The micro-implant works by reading the subtle, hyper-specific electrical properties of malignant masses while simultaneously emitting targeted electrical stimulation intended to stave off tumour development. This dual-action hardware pairs with a coin-sized wearable worn over the ear and a mobile application, allowing clinicians to remotely monitor real-time data and adjust therapeutic stimulation without requiring patients to make exhausting, repetitive hospital visits.

The Neuralink Connection and Future Frontiers

Founded in 2022 by engineering doctorates Ben Woodington and Elise Jenkins, Coherence Neuro boasts deep structural links to the highest echelons of the neurotechnology sector. Neuralink’s head neurosurgeon serves as an active adviser and investor in the firm, and key investigators from Musk’s high-profile trials are slated to spearhead Coherence’s upcoming long-term clinical studies.

Source : https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/mind-boggling-elon-musk-linked-startup-tests-brain-implant-that-could-fight-cancer-in-humans-10169295.html

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed this sentiment, highlighting that ballistic missiles were not addressed in the recent memorandum of understanding. Both leaders stressed the importance of regional stability and diplomatic efforts.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said Tehran’s ballistic missile programme was not included in the preliminary agreement that helped end the recent conflict and would “never” be part of future negotiations with the United States. Speaking during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, Pezeshkian said Iran remained willing to engage in dialogue despite deep mistrust of Washington.

“We do not trust America because it attacked us twice during the negotiations, but we are still ready for dialogue and peace,” he said. He added: “We are holding on to our strengths in the upcoming negotiations, and no negotiations have taken place regarding ballistic missiles, nor will they.”

Pezeshkian also defended Iran’s missile capabilities, describing them as essential to the country’s security. “If we did not have our missiles, which are for our self-defence, Israel and America would have plowed through Iran the way they did Gaza,” he said.

At a joint news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said ballistic missiles were never discussed during negotiations that led to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington. “There is no mention of ballistic missiles in the MOU because it was never on the table,” Sharif said.

He also criticised what he described as double standards, arguing that Iran should not face restrictions while other countries retain missile capabilities.

Sharif praised Iran’s leadership for helping secure both the ceasefire and the agreement with the United States. “Please convey my warmest regards to His Eminence, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Thanks to his leadership, Iran has been able to achieve this MOU and, as a result, a ceasefire with dignity and honour,” he said.

The Pakistani Prime Minister added that Islamabad hoped to continue acting as a mediator “until a lasting peace is achieved”. Sharif also thanked Iran for its cooperation and said Pakistan remained committed to promoting regional stability through diplomacy.

This comes days after President Trump suggested that Iran retaining conventional missile capabilities might not pose a significant problem. “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some,” Trump said while attending the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. “Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but (Iran) can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/iran-president-masoud-pezeshkian-ballistic-missiles-us-peace-talks-pakistan-pm-shehbaz-sharif-trump-article-154737951

According to the party’s state general secretary, Rahul Kothari, 33% of women have been included in the executive committee. People belonging to all castes and communities have found a place in it. The first meeting of the executive committee will be held in Orchha on July 15. Some more BJP leaders may be included in the committee as special invitee members.

BJP’s state unit president Hemant Khandelwal announced the party’s executive committee on Tuesday.

Khandelwal took one year to announce the names of its members. The committee consists of 106 members, 41 permanent invitee members, and more than 100 special invitee members.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jyotiraditya, ministers from the state cabinet Kailash Vijayvargiya, Prahlad Patel, and Rakesh Singh, and other leaders have been included in the committee.

Thirteen ministers have been kept out of it. Among the ministers, Karan Singh Verma, Praddhuman Singh Tomar, Nagar Singh Chouhan, Rakesh Shukla, Dharmendra Lodhi, Gautam Tetwal, Dileep Jaiswal, Narayan Singh Pawar, Narendra Patel, Lakhan Patel, Radha Singh, Pratima Bagri, and Dileep Ahirwar are out of the committee.

The permanent invitee members in the committee include Kaptan Singh Solanki, Satyanarayan Jatiya, Suresh Pachouri, and Deepak Saxena.

All divisional in-charges, district in-charges, heads of various morchas, and the coordinators of various cells have been included as special invitee members.

In comparison to last year, the party has reduced the committee by 200 members. As a result, several MPs and legislators are out of the committee.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bjps-state-executive-committee-announced-13-ministers-kept-out

The BJP-led government in West Bengal has announced plans for a greenfield airport near Kalyani, around 50 km north of Kolkata. Once operational, it will make Kolkata India’s third metropolitan region with multiple commercial airports. Mamata Banerjee, as the CM, had resisted the Centre’s plan for a second airport.

India’s civil aviation map is undergoing a big transformation. After the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the urban agglomeration in and around Kolkata is set to become the country’s third metropolitan region to be served by multiple commercial airports. Mamata Banerjee, as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, had opposed the Centre’s push for a second airport for the Kolkata Metropolitan Area. With the BJP in power now, Kolkata has joined the race for airports.

The West Bengal government on Monday announced plans for a greenfield airport near Kalyani, around 50 km north of Kolkata, reviving a proposal that has been discussed for years, but never executed.

The project, after its completion, would give the Kolkata Metropolitan Area a second airport alongside the existing Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum.

The announcement was made during the presentation of the West Bengal Budget 2026-27. Bengal’s Finance Minister, Swapan Dasgupta, said the government would develop a greenfield airport near Kalyani as part of efforts to improve connectivity and support economic growth in the region.

The announcement comes after the previous government of Mamata Banerjee opposed the Centre’s push for a second Kolkata airport. She argued that acquiring 1,000 acres would require evicting residents. Now, with the BJP now in power in West Bengal, the long-pending Kalyani proposal appears to have regained momentum.

The proposal places Kolkata in a small club of Indian metropolitan regions that operate, or are set to operate, multiple airports.

INDIA’S EMERGING MULTI-AIRPORT CITIES

Delhi was India’s first major multi-airport urban region.

For decades, the National Capital Region (NCR) was served primarily by the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. In 2019, it gained a second civilian airport when commercial flights began operating from the civil enclave at Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad.

Then, earlier this month, the NCR added its third civilian airport and second international gateway with the opening of the Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh.

After the NCR, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) became the second urban agglomeration to host multiple airports. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, with just one functional runway, has long operated near capacity.

To address future demand, the Centre developed the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is expected to significantly expand aviation capacity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The Kolkata-Kalyani combination would make the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, eastern India’s first and India’s third such metropolitan region.

Globally, major cities such as London, New York, Tokyo and Paris rely on multiple airports to handle passenger traffic and cargo operations, while also accounting for future growth. Aviation planners see multi-airport systems as essential for large urban agglomerations.

WHY DOES KOLKATA NEED A SECOND AIRPORT?

Speaking before security chiefs from BRICS nations and partner countries, including Russia, China, Iran, Brazil and South Africa, Doval said the grouping has a very special role to play in a world increasingly defined by instability and complex geopolitical challenges.

At the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting in New Delhi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval delivered a sharp assessment of the global security environment, warning that traditional mechanisms for conflict resolution are weakening at a time of rising transnational threats.

Speaking before security chiefs from BRICS nations and partner countries, including Russia, China, Iran, Brazil and South Africa, Doval said the grouping has a very special role to play in a world increasingly defined by instability and complex geopolitical challenges.

“We are here from different continents, from different areas, and it’s a grouping where we bring with us very diverse experiences,” Doval said. He noted that global systems designed to manage conflict were “probably getting blunted,” urging BRICS members to consider how they can collectively respond to emerging challenges.

NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS TAKE CENTRE STAGE

The NSA stressed that modern security threats are no longer confined within borders and increasingly bypass conventional defence and diplomatic frameworks.

He highlighted the growing scale of non-traditional risks, including cyberattacks, terrorism in evolving forms, and technology-driven security vulnerabilities.

“We need to be cognisant of the new security threats and challenges. Non-traditional threats have transcended national borders and have developed defeat systems against conventional responses,” he said.

Doval added that rapid digitalisation has expanded the attack surface for hostile actors, making critical infrastructure, communication systems and financial networks more vulnerable than ever before.

TECHNOLOGY AND HYBRID WARFARE RISKS

Warning against emerging hybrid threats, Doval pointed to “innovative disruptive technologies” and increasingly sophisticated cyber operations as key concerns for national security establishments worldwide.

He said modern terrorism is becoming more camouflaged and adaptive, requiring coordinated international responses rather than fragmented national efforts.

“These threats are evolving in ways that challenge traditional responses. Today’s security environment demands collective deliberation and shared strategies,” he noted.

BRICS PUSH FOR COORDINATED RESPONSE

The BRICS NSA meeting is focused on strengthening cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security, and combating transnational crime ahead of the upcoming BRICS Leaders’ Summit.

Officials said India is pushing for deeper intelligence sharing and enhanced coordination among member countries to tackle radicalisation, cyber threats, and risks to critical infrastructure.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ajit-doval-brics-meet-global-security-tools-failing-cyber-threats-2932942-2026-06-24

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged youngsters working abroad to return home, promising regular jobs and fair recruitment. He said transparent hiring and stronger education would help the young people build their future in the state.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday urged young people from the state who are working abroad to return, saying his government would provide regular employment opportunities and make them partners in Punjab’s socio-economic progress.

Speaking at an event where he handed over appointment letters to 665 newly recruited candidates of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Mann said transparent recruitment had restored young people’s faith in the system and led to reverse migration, with many now choosing to return to Punjab instead of looking for opportunities overseas.

Mann said the state had created a record by providing 68,268 government jobs in four-and-a-half years and had ended the era of cash-for-jobs and recommendations. Targeting previous governments, he said many youngsters had left Punjab and settled abroad, but the trend was now changing.

“Now things have changed. A reflection of this change can be seen from the fact that a woman present here today has got three jobs and is among the successful candidates receiving appointment letters. This is a new era. I urge the youth to call their friends and relatives living abroad and tell them not to search for green pastures in foreign lands but to come back to Punjab and get jobs here,” he said.

The Chief Minister said, “The era of cash payments and favouritism has ended in Punjab. Today, youths are getting jobs solely on the basis of merit and eligibility. Government jobs can now be obtained purely on merit and due to the transparent recruitment process adopted by the state government, not even a single appointment has been challenged in court.”

He said the newly recruited youngsters should use their positions to serve the needy and underprivileged. “The newly recruited youths should ensure maximum welfare of the public so that every section of society benefits from it. These recruitments have been carried out through a completely transparent process and the youths have secured jobs after clearing examinations in tough competition,” he said.

Mann also said the state government had given priority to education and taken major steps in the sector. “No so-called freebie or concession card can eliminate poverty or other social maladies in the state. Education is the key that can pull people out of this vicious cycle by improving their standard of living. Therefore, our government is tirelessly making efforts to improve the standard of education and empower the common people,” he said.

He said Punjab had surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the top position in primary and middle-school education. “Our government has upgraded primary and middle-school education, strengthened the system, introduced smart classrooms and provided advanced training to teachers.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bhagwant-mann-urges-punjab-youth-abroad-to-return-promises-regular-jobs-ptag-2932647-2026-06-23

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a bilateral meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in New Delhi.

India on Monday stressed “stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations” with China, with the two sides preparing for the 25th round of boundary negotiations expected to be held later this year to discuss new mechanisms for the management of the border.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a bilateral meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting in New Delhi.

“The two sides reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted progress towards gradual normalisation,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, wrote on X.

“The NSA underlined that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides.”

Wang, who is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, is also Doval’s counterpart in President Xi Jinping’s government in Beijing. They also double up as the special representatives of the two governments for the boundary negotiations.

“The discussions were constructive and forward-looking,” Jaiswal said after the meeting between Doval and Wang.

The meeting between Doval and Wang took place almost 10 months after they met in New Delhi in August, 2025, and held the 24th round of negotiations to settle the dispute over the boundary between India and China.

Wang will host Doval for the 25th round of boundary negotiations in China later this year.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/nsa-ajit-doval-meets-chinese-foreign-minister-in-delhi-amid-preparation-for-25th-round-of-india-china-boundary-talks-4048899#google_vignette

Tata Electronics said on Monday ​it had detected a recent “cybersecurity incident”, after researchers said World Leaks posted purported component design and specification papers of Apple and Tesla, both customers ‌of the Indian group.
The ransomware group has posted more than 200,000 files on the dark web, the security researchers told Reuters.

“A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected,” Tata Electronics told Reuters in a statement.

Apple was investigating the breach and ​a “full analysis was going on”, a source familiar with the matter said, adding that Tata had received a ransom demand related to the incident.
Apple (AAPL.O), did not ​respond to requests for comment. Tata Electronics declined to comment on the ransom demand.
The breach is the latest setback for Apple’s supply ⁠chain in India, where Tata faces scrutiny over alleged contamination of farmlands near one of its iPhone parts plants, Reuters reported.
Tata is emerging as one of Apple’s most important manufacturing ​partners outside China, an expansion that is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to make India an electronics manufacturing powerhouse.

Tata was hit by a cyberattack on its British ​Jaguar Land Rover group last year that resulted in a six-week output halt.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, a unit under India’s IT ministry that oversees cyber incidents, did not immediately respond to Reuters emails seeking comment.

APPLE ‘FACTORYDATA’

World Leaks, which has previously claimed responsibility for a Nike break-in, said on its dark net website that it was publishing stolen data from Tata Electronics.
Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of ​the data and could not immediately reach World Leaks for comment.
The World Leaks website says the Tata Electronics data comprises more than 200,000 files totalling over 630 gigabytes. ​A database on its website shows several purported Apple files and folders, some titled “com.apple.factorydata”, and documents referring to “material specification”.

Indian cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, who reviewed the Tata files on World Leaks for Reuters, ‌said they ⁠also contain emails, event logs spanning several years and passport copies of employees including foreign nationals.
Rajaharia has previously advised Indian police on cyber incidents.
The website is only accessible on the dark web, or dark net, beyond the reach of search engines.
A second security researcher who reviewed the data dump, Rakesh Krishnan, told Reuters it had been accessible on the dark web since at least June 10.

TESLA DOCUMENTS, ‘TRADE SECRET’

Tata also makes parts for Tesla, industry sources say.
One folder on the World Leaks database was labelled “NV36 Chargeport Controller – North America”, a ​purported reference to parts used in an ​upgraded version of Tesla’s Model Y SUV.
Another ⁠purported Tesla 2023 document described as “TRADE SECRET” showed certain drawings for its project Highland – a publicly known internal codename for its revamped Model 3 sedan.

Tesla (TSLA.O), did not respond to requests for comment.
Rajaharia also shared a screen recording of his review of the files. It showed ​a search for “Apple” returned 181 files and folders, while a search for “Tesla” returned files including what appeared to be manufacturing specifications ​and an assembly document ⁠dated May 2025.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/indias-tata-electronics-hit-by-cyber-breach-claiming-expose-apple-tesla-trade-2026-06-22/

In a significant political development, six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs joined Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday. The MPs, including Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patil, formally switched camps in the presence of Shinde and senior party leaders.

In a significant setback for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs on Monday crossed over to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dramatically altering the political landscape in Maharashtra and strengthening the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

The high-profile defections, dubbed “Operation Tiger” by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, were formalised at an induction ceremony where the Shiv Sena leader declared the exercise a complete success.

“Operation Tiger has been successfully completed. My operations are foolproof,” Shinde said, describing the incoming MPs as seasoned leaders with strong grassroots connections. He also claimed that the Shiv Sena under his leadership has now become the second-largest party in Maharashtra in terms of Lok Sabha representation.

The MPs who joined the Shinde camp are Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).

With the latest exodus, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction’s strength in the Lok Sabha has fallen from nine MPs to just three. The remaining MPs with the UBT camp are Arvind Sawant from Mumbai South, Anil Desai from Mumbai South Central and Rajabhau Waje from Nashik. Meanwhile, the Shinde faction’s tally has increased from seven to 13 MPs.

The rebellion became apparent after six MPs stayed away from a key parliamentary party meeting convened by the UBT leadership in Delhi. The dissident lawmakers subsequently approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking recognition as a separate group. Their decision to move as a bloc of six enabled them to satisfy the two-thirds requirement under the anti-defection law, shielding them from disqualification proceedings.

Recalling his 2022 revolt that split the undivided Shiv Sena, Shinde said the latest development represented the next phase of the party’s expansion. He maintained that both moves were aimed at preserving the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

Several rebel MPs justified their decision by citing developmental concerns in their constituencies. Nagesh Ashtikar and Omraje Nimbalkar argued that remaining in the Opposition had restricted their ability to secure adequate funds and execute projects. They said the MPLAD allocation of Rs 5 crore was insufficient to meet local development needs and that the absence of support from the state government had weakened their effectiveness at the grassroots level.

MP Ashtikar said he held no personal grievances against Uddhav Thackeray but expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of trust and the aggressive language used by some senior party leaders after the MPs skipped the Delhi meeting.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/operation-tiger-successful-6-sena-ubt-rebel-mps-join-shinde-sena-in-mumbai-amid-political-turmoil

India’s credit ecosystem has expanded over the past decade, yet a large section of the population remains outside the formal lending framework.

For millions of Indians, the dream of owning a home often runs into a familiar obstacle: no credit history.

Young professionals. First-job earners. Migrant workers. Freelancers. People who have never taken a loan or owned a credit card.

Despite earning regularly and paying their bills on time, many of them struggle to prove their creditworthiness when they finally apply for a home loan.

That, however, may be beginning to change.

Lenders and fintech firms are increasingly exploring alternative data sources to assess borrowers who are “new-to-credit” — a category that includes people with little or no formal borrowing history. Among the strongest indicators emerging in this space is something millions already do every month: pay rent.

The idea is simple. If a person has paid rent consistently for years, often accounting for a significant portion of their monthly income, that payment behaviour may offer valuable insight into their ability to handle future loan EMIs.

The Credit History Problem

India’s credit ecosystem has expanded rapidly over the past decade, yet a large section of the population remains outside the formal lending framework.

A TransUnion CIBIL study found that more than 160 million Indians were classified as credit underserved, while nearly half the adult population had little or no formal credit history. The absence of a credit score often makes it difficult for first-time borrowers to access loans despite having stable incomes and sound financial habits.

This gap is particularly visible among young urban workers.

Many spend years paying rent before they consider purchasing a home. In expensive cities, rent can consume 20-30 per cent or more of monthly income, making it one of the largest recurring financial commitments households undertake.

Yet those payments have traditionally remained invisible to lenders.

Why Rent Payments Matter

Industry experts argue that rental history captures a form of financial discipline that conventional credit models often miss.

Sarika Shetty, Co-Founder and CEO of RentenPe, says renters who consistently pay on time are effectively demonstrating their ability to manage a recurring financial obligation month after month.

According to Shetty, verified rent payment records can provide lenders with a clearer picture of an individual’s payment behaviour, reliability and financial discipline, especially when conventional credit data is limited or absent.

The logic closely mirrors how lenders evaluate EMI repayment histories.

A tenant who has paid Rs 20,000-Rs 40,000 every month for several years has already demonstrated the ability to manage a recurring expense comparable to a home loan instalment.

“The goal is not to replace traditional credit scores but to strengthen them by incorporating real-world financial behaviour that has historically gone unrecorded,” Shetty argues.

A Global Shift Towards Alternative Data

The use of alternative data in lending is not unique to India.

Across global financial markets, lenders increasingly analyse utility payments, telecom bills, digital transactions and rental payments to assess borrowers who lack conventional credit records.

India’s lending ecosystem is also moving in that direction.

Recent industry discussions and policy developments have focused on expanding credit access for new-to-credit borrowers through wider use of digital data and alternative financial signals. The broader push aligns with efforts to improve financial inclusion and bring more first-time borrowers into the formal credit system.

Banks and financial institutions are increasingly evaluating non-traditional indicators such as utility payments, telecom bills and digital transaction histories when assessing first-time borrowers.

Rental payment records could become a natural extension of that trend.

Building A Financial Identity Through Rent

Several fintech firms are now trying to formalise rental history and convert it into a usable financial profile.

Shetty says RentenPe has developed an “R Score” based on verified rent payment data to help establish a documented rental history for tenants.

The broader idea, she says, is to create a rental identity layer that allows responsible renters to build financial credibility over time and potentially improve access to future financial products, including home loans.

While such models are still evolving, they reflect a growing recognition that financial responsibility extends far beyond traditional loan repayments.

What It Means For First-Time Homebuyers

The implications could be significant.

For decades, aspiring homeowners often faced a paradox: they needed a credit history to obtain a home loan, but needed access to credit to build that history in the first place.

Recognising rental payments could help break that cycle.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/business-news/rental-history-home-loan-no-credit-history-cibil-score-personal-finance-11673653?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A preliminary examination of her mobile phone revealed two SIM cards and a Facebook account containing what officials described as objectionable content, including links to foreign profiles.

A woman has been arrested in Jaipur by Rajasthan’s Anti-Terrorism Squad over alleged connections to a sleeper cell linked to the Pakistani terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed. The arrest was made following intelligence inputs, with investigators saying the case raises concerns about online radicalisation and foreign influence operations targeting individuals within India.

The arrested woman has been identified as Babita Dhakad, also known by the alias Khadija. Originally from Gangapur, she had been residing in Jaipur at the time of her arrest and was a homemaker. She was taken into custody on Sunday.

What Was Found On Her Phone

A preliminary examination of her mobile phone revealed two SIM cards and a Facebook account containing what officials described as objectionable content, including links to foreign profiles. Her friend list on the platform reportedly included several accounts displaying flags associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and other terror organisations, as well as images of armed individuals.

Her WhatsApp account was also found to contain conversations with multiple Pakistani numbers and foreign contacts, according to police.

Role Of A Pakistan-Based Cleric

Investigators say a cleric based in Pakistan facilitated her religious conversion over the phone. According to sources, the cleric told her that a man named Abu-Ubaidah wished to marry her and that she was instructed to offer prayers, recite the Quran and practise the faith as part of the process.

Investigators also allege there were plans to bring her to Pakistan, with agencies suspecting she was being prepared to travel via Nepal, Saudi Arabia or the UAE.

Suspected Links To Past Terror Cases

According to sources, the woman’s name has come up in connection with a network involving individuals linked to previous terror cases, reportedly including close associates of Masood Azhar. Investigative agencies are also looking into suspected connections to the Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking case.

It has also emerged that she is wanted in connection with an attack on an Indian Army camp near Balini Vij in Jammu on 29 November 2016, which was allegedly orchestrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Qari Zarar and resulted in the deaths of six Indian Army soldiers.

ATS Superintendent of Police Manish Tripathi said the investigation was still at an early stage and that all evidence gathered so far was digital and required further verification.

“It is possible that these organisations radicalised her and ensnared her in their web; it is also possible that they intended to convert her religion. The investigation is currently in its initial stages, so we cannot yet say whether she actually converted or not. However, preliminary findings suggest that for the past six to seven months, they had been attempting to convert her and wanted to use her to orchestrate incidents in India,” Tripathi said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pak-marriage-proposal-name-change-jaipur-woman-arrested-over-jaish-links-11673162?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Allegations that crores of rupees in donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya were misappropriated have led to a political and legal controversy.

The authorities handling donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya have come under the scanner following allegations that crores of rupees donated by devotees have been embezzled.

The claims have led to demands for an independent investigation, sharp attacks on the ruling-BJP by opposition parties, and a SIT probe ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government.

How the controversy began

The issue first came to light after former Samajwadi Party MLA, Pawan Pandey, alleged that between ₹7 crore and ₹7.5 crore in donations made to the Ram Temple had been stolen or embezzelled.

Opposition leaders amplified the allegations, questioned the handling of temple funds, and demanded transparency from the temple administration.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has rejected the allegations. Trust member Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj said all transactions are properly recorded and handled transparently. Trust general secretary Champat Rai also denied claims of any embezzlement.

Legal action

A dispute over licence fees for FIFA World Cup screenings has triggered concern among Kerala’s football fans and community organisers. The row reached the state Assembly, where the government promised intervention and a possible resolution.

Licence fee notices issued for public screenings of FIFA World Cup matches have sparked a backlash in Kerala, with football fan clubs and community organisers warning that the move could affect a long-standing culture of free match screenings across the state. The issue reached the Kerala Assembly on Monday, prompting the government to step in and begin discussions with stakeholders.

CPIM MLA PA Muhammad Riyas raised the matter in the Assembly, saying several public representatives had received complaints from football fans and local organisers after notices were issued by ZEE and Eagles FC Kerala, which holds licensing rights in the state.

ROW OVER LICENCE FEE NOTICES

Riyas said Kerala’s passion for football, particularly during the World Cup, is recognised around the world and that community screenings have become an integral part of the state’s sporting culture.

“Kerala’s love for football and World Cup is known globally. Even FIFA recognised it. People are taking small amount from their pockets and setting up screens for matches which is attended by people across age groups,” he said.

According to the MLA, fan clubs and local groups that organise screenings for residents have been left worried after receiving notices demanding licence fees.

“ZEE and Eagles FC Kerala that has licensing rights in Kerala have issued notice to few clubs and groups saying they will have to pay license fees. The organisers are in great trouble and many of us have received multiple complaints regarding this. Requesting state govt to hold discussion with centre and licensing agencies regarding this,” Riyas said.

The issue has drawn attention from football enthusiasts across Kerala, where large public screenings of major international tournaments often attract crowds cutting across age groups and communities.

GOVT DIFFERENTIATES COMMERCIAL AND FREE SCREENINGS

Responding to the concerns, Sports Minister OJ Janeesh said the state government was not a stakeholder in the agreement signed between FIFA and ZEE and that details of the arrangement were not publicly available.

He, however, indicated that the government sees a distinction between screenings organised for commercial gain and those arranged free of cost by football fans.

“Many concerns have been raised by football fans. State govt is not a stakeholder in the agreement that was signed between FIFA and ZEE. The agreement details are not available on public platforms,” he said.

“Govt sees the screenings organised by malls and other businesses for their business interest and those screenings organised for free by football fans, is seen as two separate scenarios. Govt is also of the opinion that there should not be any issues regarding this free screening.”

Janeesh said the government moved quickly after receiving complaints and had already initiated talks with those involved.

“As soon as we got info regarding this, state had entrusted sports department special secretary to hold discussions with those concerned. We are hoping to settle this issue soon. The discussions are going on positively,” he said.

CHIEF MINISTER PROMISES SOLUTION

The Delhi High Court held that the bescoms’ challenge to the government’s preliminary notice for CAG audit was premature while leaving the legality of the audit to be decided by the Supreme Court.

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to interfere with the Delhi government’s proposal to initiate a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit of the national capital’s major power distribution companies, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, holding that the challenge was premature as no audit had yet commenced.

A vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia dismissed BSES Rajdhani’s petition, observing that the June 6 notice issued by the Delhi government under the CAG Act was merely a preliminary step giving the discoms an opportunity to present their objections before any decision is taken on entrusting the audit to the CAG.

The order comes amid a multi-forum legal battle over more than Rs 38,000 crore in accumulated regulatory assets, with proceedings currently pending before the Supreme Court, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) and the Delhi High Court.

“The Impugned Notice, therefore, cannot be regarded as adverse to the Petitioners. Rather, it is in furtherance of the statutory requirement under Section 20(3) of the CAG Act, which contemplates an opportunity of being heard before entrustment of audit to the CAG by the Hon’ble LieutenantGovernor,” the court observed.

Dismissing the petition on maintainability grounds, the High Court reiterated that courts ordinarily do not interfere with a show-cause notice unless it is shown to be without jurisdiction, perverse or otherwise legally unsustainable.

RS 38,000 CRORE REGULATORY ASSETS IN FOCUS

The case centres on “regulatory assets”, which are dues owed to power distribution companies when electricity tariffs are kept below the actual cost of supply due to regulatory or government policy decisions. In its 2025 judgment, the Supreme Court directed electricity regulators across the country to take steps to liquidate such accumulated regulatory assets.

In Delhi alone, the outstanding regulatory assets exceed Rs 38,000 crore.

While the Delhi government has sought a CAG audit of the discoms, the companies contend that the Supreme Court envisaged an independent audit by a chartered accountant, not by the constitutional auditor.

The June 6 notice directed BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna to submit written representations and appear before the government regarding the proposal to entrust the audit to the CAG under Section 20 of the CAG Act. Monday’s High Court order effectively cleared the way for those proceedings.

LARGER LEGAL QUESTION OPENS

While refusing to quash the notice, the High Court also addressed the discoms’ broader challenge to the legality of a CAG audit.

BSES relied on the Delhi High Court’s 2015 judgment in the URJA case, which ruled that the CAG did not have the mandate to audit private power distribution companies (discoms) in the capital under the existing provisions of the Electricity Act. It further submitted that the Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling on regulatory assets required the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to appoint an independent chartered accountant to examine the issue.

The High Court, however, observed that there was “no legal impediment” to the Delhi government or the DERC initiating the process for a CAG audit, provided the requirements of Section 20 of the CAG Act are complied with.

The court also noted that the Supreme Court’s regulatory assets judgment did not specify which agency should conduct the audit. At the same time, it clarified that since the issue is already pending before the Supreme Court, all questions relating to the legality and validity of a CAG audit remain open.

APTEL ORDERS UNDER CHALLENGE

The latest proceedings stem from ppellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) orders passed in March and May this year, which set aside the Lieutenant Governor’s earlier approval for a CAG audit.

APTEL instead directed that an independent chartered accountant be appointed to conduct a strict audit in accordance with the Supreme Court’s regulatory assets judgment. It also observed that there did not appear to be sufficient public interest to warrant a CAG audit of the Delhi Discoms.

Those orders have since been challenged by the DERC before the Supreme Court, where the matter is awaiting hearing.

“All rights and contentions of the Parties in relation to compliance with the timelines specified in the RA Judgment and the orders passed by the APTEL (Appellate Tribunal for Electricity) are kept open, subject to the outcome of the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court,” observed Justice Karia.

DISCOMS LIKELY TO APPEAL

Sources told India Today that BSES is preparing to challenge Monday’s ruling before a division bench, contesting both the finding on maintainability and the High Court’s observations on the legality of a CAG audit.

According to sources in the company’s legal team, the discoms are expected to argue that even the issuance of the preliminary notice violates the CAG Act and runs contrary to the Supreme Court’s directions. They are also likely to contend that Section 20 of the CAG Act does not permit such proceedings against a private company.

A member of the BSES legal team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Supreme Court would remain “the key battleground”, as it is already examining the validity of the APTEL orders that had set aside the earlier CAG audit process.

According to sources in the Delhi government, the renewed push for a CAG audit has gained significance after the DERC approved an increase in electricity tariffs, resulting in higher surcharges on consumers’ power bills.

With electricity bills set to rise, the government is seeking greater scrutiny of the discoms’ finances while also attempting to contain the political fallout from the tariff hike.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/delhi-high-court-bses-yamuna-rajadhani-cag-audit-notice-regulatory-assets-row-2932083-2026-06-22

Yogesh Dighe and Rikeba Jakap, residents of Badlapur, died on the spot.

Two people died, and one sustained serious injuries as a BMW car rammed a divider on the Mumbai-Vadodara Highway in Mumbai’s Badlapur.

The BMW Z4, a high-performance car, was completely shattered in the accident, with its parts scattered on the road.

At the time of the accident, the speed of the car was around 250 km per hour.

The accident took place around 3 am on Sunday. The car was travelling from Titwala towards Badlapur. The driver lost control and the vehicle overturned on the divider. According to eyewitnesses, the accident was so severe that body parts were found scattered several metres away.

Yogesh Dighe and Rikeba Jakap, residents of Badlapur, died on the spot. Anand, the third occupant, is seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thane.

They were returning from a birthday party.

The bodies were sent to a government hospital for a post-mortem.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-2-killed-in-bmw-crash-near-mumbai-car-in-pieces-body-parts-metres-away-11667343?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A bus and a truck collided on NH-27 in Jalpaiguri’s Ulladabri area, killing one person and injuring 25 others. Police are examining whether rain-slick roads caused the crash as the state announced compensation and treatment support.

At least six persons were killed and 29 others were injured in a collision between a bus and a truck in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district on Sunday, police said. The accident took place in Ulladabri area on NH-27, with police suspecting slippery road conditions to be the reason behind the mishap.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, in a social media post, said he was deeply saddened by the incident and announced Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the next of kin of the person killed, Rs 1 lakh for the grievously injured passengers and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.

“Local sources have reported at least six death. The injured persons have been shifted to a hospital and their condition is being monitored,” a senior police officer said. The officer said the exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained.

“Prima facie, it seems slippery road conditions due to rainfall may have contributed to the mishap. However, an investigation has been initiated and all aspects are being examined,” he added. The accident led to temporary disruption of traffic on the highway.

CM SUVENDU ADHIKARI EXTENDS CONDOLENCES AND ANNOUNCES COMPENSATION

In a social media post, the CM said he was “deeply saddened” by the accident and extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. “My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this horrific incident. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved kin and pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured passengers,” he said.

Deeply saddened by the tragic road accident at Ulladabri Jorabadh on NH-27 in Maynaguri today, wherein a truck slammed into a bus carrying ill-fated passengers.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this horrific incident. I offer my deepest…

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) June 21, 2026

Adhikari said the Jalpaiguri district administration and the police were carrying out rescue and relief operations and added that he had asked North Bengal Development Minister Nisith Pramanik and Minister of State for Transport Anandamay Barman to coordinate with district authorities and oversee rescue efforts.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bengal-jalpaiguri-bus-truck-crash-kills-one-injures-25-on-nh-27-2931197-2026-06-21

 

Seven Nihang Sikhs have occupied the Nagarasu Gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district for over 30 hours, with one elderly sevadar still held hostage.

Seven Nihang Sikhs have occupied the Nagarasu Gurdwara on the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district for more than 30 hours, with one elderly sevadar still being held hostage.

The standoff at the gurdwara has emerged as a major challenge for the administration. According to officials, the Nihang Sikhs climbed onto the roof of the shrine after a dispute with the gurdwara management and allegedly attempted to take control of the premises. Reports also suggest that sevadars were assaulted during the confrontation.

The seven Nihang Sikhs allegedly took two sevadars hostage during the incident. A video released from the site showed the release of one sevadar, while an elderly sevadar remains in their custody.

Police, district administration officials and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident. Authorities deployed additional security forces and have been attempting to resolve the situation through negotiations. However, no concrete solution has emerged so far.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rudraprayag-gurdwara-standoff-seven-nihangs-on-roof-punjab-delegation-meets-dgp-held-hostage-2931240-2026-06-21

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal questions lack of FIRs in the Ram Temple donation row, alleges theft of crores in offerings and valuables. He claims action against those involved could destabilise the government, while the SIT probe continues.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday questioned the alleged lack of action in the Ram Temple donation row, claiming that no FIR has been registered despite allegations of large-scale theft of donations and suggesting that action against those involved could destabilise the government.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said that the Ram Temple represents the faith of crores of Hindus and questioned why no FIR had been filed despite allegations that donations worth crores of rupees had been stolen.

“The Ram Temple holds the faith of crores of Hindus. From that very Ram Temple, donations worth crores of rupees have been stolen, yet not a single FIR has been filed. Whom is the government protecting? No matter how big the people involved in this sin may be, throw them straight into jail. Protecting the faith of crores of people is essential,” Kejriwal wrote.

In a video message shared along with the post, the former Delhi Chief Minister alleged that cash and valuables donated to the temple had been stolen and questioned the absence of action by investigative agencies.

“Hundreds of millions of rupees in donations have been stolen from Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. It is being said that cash worth about 200 crore rupees has been stolen. And many boxes of diamonds and jewellery have been stolen. And not even one FIR has been filed. Neither the UP police filed an FIR, nor the ED filed any FIR, nor the CBI filed any FIR,” Kejriwal said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ram-temple-donation-row-arvind-kejriwal-questions-no-fir-says-action-could-topple-government-aap-2931300-2026-06-21

A nine-month-old girl was allegedly taken from her home in Gorakhpur and assaulted by her 12-year-old maternal uncle. Police said the child is stable in hospital as legal action continues.

A 12-year-old boy allegedly kidnapped his nine-month-old niece from beside her sleeping mother and raped her after watching pornographic content, police said in a shocking incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur.

The accused, who is the infant’s maternal uncle, allegedly took the child away from her home in the middle of the night and abandoned her in an injured and unconscious state inside a tin shed in a nearby field. The girl was found the next morning with serious injuries, following which she was rushed to a hospital.

According to the survivor’s mother, she was sleeping with her nine-month-old daughter on Friday night when she woke up around 2 am and realised that the child was missing.

The family searched for the infant throughout the night, but their efforts yielded no result. On Saturday morning, villagers found the child lying unconscious in the tin shed located nearly half a kilometre away from her house. Police were informed after locals noticed injuries on the child.

The police immediately took the girl for medical examination and admitted her to a hospital. Her condition is currently stated to be stable.

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage, inspected the crime scene and questioned people in the area. The probe led them to suspect the child’s maternal uncle.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/gorakhpur-child-rape-12-year-old-maternal-uncle-arrested-up-police-2931371-2026-06-22

 

Asaduddin Owaisi has urged Amit Shah to stop demolitions of mosques and dargahs in Rajasthan’s border districts. He has alleged selective targeting of Muslim religious sites while officials have yet to respond.

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday alleged that mosques, dargahs and other Muslim religious structures were being selectively targeted for demolition in Rajasthan’s border districts and called upon Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and halt the exercise.

In a post on social media platform X, Owaisi claimed that a series of demolitions had taken place in the districts of Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer and Barmer, affecting several Muslim places of worship. He described the actions as “discriminatory and targeted” and urged the Centre to take immediate steps to stop them.

Owaisi said he had spoken to AIMIM’s Bikaner district president, Shafi Jameel Qasmi, who informed him that four mosques in Bikaner and nine mosques and dargahs across Phalodi, Jaisalmer and Barmer had already been demolished. He further alleged that notices had been issued to hundreds of other religious sites in the region.

‘ONLY MUSLIM PLACES OF WORSHIP ARE TARGETED’

Among the structures facing action, Owaisi said, is the approximately 250-year-old dargah of Hazrat Mahmood Shah Jilani located on the Ramgarh-Tanot Bypass Road in Jaisalmer.

According to Owaisi, authorities have cited national security concerns as the basis for the demolitions. However, he questioned the justification, claiming that residents of the affected areas had no involvement in activities that could pose a threat to national security.

“Only Muslim places of worship are being targeted,” he alleged.

The AIMIM chief also referred to allegations by authorities that some of the structures had been built on grazing land. He claimed that in cases where documents showed the structures were situated on private property, the grounds for action had reportedly shifted to the absence of necessary permissions or approvals.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rajasthan-mosque-demolitions-owaisi-urges-amit-shah-to-stop-action-in-border-districts-2931315-2026-06-21

Indian shares advanced in early trade on Monday, tracking Asian peers after U.S.-Iran peace talks over the weekend ​raised hopes the months-long conflict could be heading for closure.
The ‌first round of U.S.-Iran talks ended with progress on a roadmap for a final deal within 60 days, helping calm investor nerves after a tense opening marked by Tehran’s ​announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. ​President Donald Trump repeating his threats to resume attacks on ⁠Iran.

India’s benchmark Nifty 50 (.NSEI), rose 0.5% to 24,133, while the BSE Sensex (.BSESN), ​added 0.52% to 77,192.54, as of 10:00 a.m. IST.
Thirteen of the 16 ​major sectors gained. The broader small-caps (.NIFSMCP100), and mid-caps (.NIFMDCP100), added 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively.
“With Iran-U.S. peace talks progressing, we believe the market recovery is likely to sustain, with the only ​major concern at this stage being the rainfall deficit,” said G. Chokkalingam, ​founder and head of research at Equinomics Research.
Shares of Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), rose 2.3% after ‌its ⁠annual general meeting with brokerages saying the IPO-bound Jio Platforms, AI and new energy businesses would be key growth drivers for the oil-to-telecom conglomerate.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indian-shares-set-rise-us-iran-talks-progress-oil-eases-2026-06-22/

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined International Yoga Day celebrations at Kolkata’s Red Road and urged people to make yoga a daily habit. Highlighting this year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing,” he said yoga promotes fitness, reduces stress, keeps diseases at bay and helps maintain vitality with age. Modi also praised Bengal’s spiritual legacy and yoga traditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in World Yoga Day in Kolkata’s Red Road along with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Addressing millions of participants, Modi said that June 21 had become the day of the world’s largest collective celebration and also urged everyone to make it part of everyday life.

“Yoga keeps a person fit and healthy. Yoga connects everyone and brings everyone together. Yoga is not merely a means of physical exercise. Yoga is not limited to any particular age group,” said Modi.

Referring to this year’s theme ‘Yoga for Healthy aging’, the Prime Minister had mentioned that Yoga keeps people active and energised even as people grow older.

“When we get over 50 years of age, Yoga gives the people the strength of 30 years of age. This year’s theme means that we can work to ensure that age does not reduce human potential. Yoga keeps a person flexible, reduces stress and keeps diseases at bay,” further added Modi.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/make-yoga-a-part-of-everyday-life-pm-modi-urges-on-international-yoga-day-in-kolkata

Supporters of India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party banged steel plates with spoons in a protest Saturday to demand the resignation of the education minister over allegations of examination irregularities and repeated paper leaks.

The protest near Parliament in New Delhi by hundreds of students and young supporters of the nascent movement added to the pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government while also seeking wider support among Indians.

Authorities deployed heavy security and police used cameras and drones to monitor the protest.

Some carried placards and others banged plates, their noise cutting through the crowd protesting and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The banging of plates appeared to satirize Modi’s call for Indians to step onto balconies and rooftops and bang utensils in solidarity with front-line health workers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and Boston University student, urged supporters on social media to bring plates and spoons on Saturday. “There is a virus called Dharmendra Pradhan that has to be removed,” he told the crowd, adding that the CJP was open to talks with the government if Pradhan stepped down.

“This is just the beginning. If Dharmendra Pradhan doesn’t resign or if no action is taken regarding this issue, this protest will not end here,” said a CJP supporter, Deepak Kumar.

The exam paper for a nationwide medical program was leaked last month through social media app Telegram. Authorities subsequently postponed the exam and also temporarily banned Telegram in India. The exam is scheduled to be held on Sunday. The government says the leak is under investigation.

“We study in poverty, live in poverty for 24 hours everyday, for years at length, and after that our (exam) papers get leaked. Will I not get angry at this?” said student Vicky Kumar.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-cockroach-party-exam-leaks-protest-05fc69ad9aa4c59486acb734af5baa64

Pawan Khera took up the mantle to chastise his senior colleague. His message, though sarcastic, conveyed the party’s stern stance on Tharoor, drawing a sharp response from the MP.

A global issue, support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then reciprocal sniping — this peculiar trajectory has characterised Shashi Tharoor and the Congress’ relationship on several occasions over the past two years. The MP’s endorsement of PM Modi’s G7 message on the safety of Indian sailors has added to this acrimony. The Congress is upset, and it hasn’t minced words in making its displeasure clear.

Pawan Khera took up the mantle to chastise his senior colleague. In a dig at Tharoor, he wrote, “My senior colleague Dr Shashi Tharoor’s admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say”.

“Tharoor ji somehow heard forceful assertions, robust pushback, and uncompromising diplomacy that never made it into the official record. Perhaps the rest of us are constrained by ordinary human senses,” he added.

My senior colleague Dr Shashi Tharoor’s admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world. He now seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say.

According to the official MEA readout of the Modi–Trump meeting on the sidelines of the… pic.twitter.com/6U7BFRxAgZ

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) June 20, 2026

Tharoor, known for his eloquence and iron grip on English vocabulary, wasn’t impressed with Khera’s wordplay.

“For those who believe I ‘heard’ words that Narendra Modi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks,” he clarified.

Unfazed by his Congress colleague’s attack, the career diplomat-turned-politician said he stands by his summary of PM Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, where he had talked about Indian seafarers’ safety.

“I read widely and retain what I read. I have never in my life been accused of misrepresenting or distorting any facts or statements, and I stand by my summary of what I read in the print media about these remarks, which were reportedly made when our PM was seated next to,” he added.

For those who believe I “heard” words that @narendramodi never said at the G-7, I was merely alluding to widely published reports about his remarks. If you want to hear a report, here’s one:https://t.co/dWkVwhWY0N

Otherwise this was Google Gemini’s summary:

“At the G7…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 20, 2026

Hours before Khera’s remark, Thaoor rued that his statement had become a subject of partisan politics.

“Frankly, I find it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors is being twisted into a partisan political controversy. Three Indians lost their lives. My remarks were about the safety of our citizens and the principle that civilian seafarers should never be targets of military action. If some people are more interested in scoring political points than addressing that concern, that says more about them than it does about me,” he had said.

What Tharoor Had Said

Differing from the Congress’ stance, Tharoor had said that PM Modi made India’s position clear to the US President.

“PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the President. It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message PM Modi conveyed,” he said.

The BJP construed Tharoor’s remark as praise for PM Modi.

“Shashi Tharoor has exposed Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders are openly praising PM Narendra Modi’s diplomacy! When it comes to protecting India’s national interest, PM Modi comes first. When it comes to speaking against India’s national interest, Rahul Gandhi leaves everyone behind,” said its spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari.

Tharoor’s tensions with his party began soon after Operation Sindoor, as he was chosen by the BJP-led government to lead a delegation to put forth India’s position. He wasn’t the Congress party’s pick for the panel, but he went abroad anyway.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/he-hears-what-pm-doesnt-say-congress-shashi-tharoor-in-fresh-bout-11664950?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

 

 

A software engineer’s viral post comparing Indian and US startup cultures has sparked debate online.

Long working hours, late night calls and endless meetings are often seen as part of startup life. But for software engineer Devaansh Bhandari, working at a remote US based startup showed him that things can be very different.

In a post on X that has resonated with many professionals online, Bhandari reflected on his experiences at multiple Indian startups before joining a US startup seven months ago. While he expected salary to be the biggest difference between the two work cultures, he said what stood out most was how employees were treated.

“I’ve been working at a remote US startup for around seven months now. Before this, I worked at multiple Indian startups. I thought the biggest difference would be the salary. It wasn’t. It was the way people are treated,” he wrote.

According to Bhandari, employees at some of the startups he worked for in India were expected to be available almost all the time.

“Getting a call at 11 PM on a Sunday wasn’t unusual,” he recalled.

‘I stayed awake until 4 AM’

One incident from his college days continues to stand out in his memory.

“I still remember one incident from college. I had an exam at 8 AM the next morning, but I stayed awake until 4 AM because the founder wanted to launch the product that day,” he wrote.

What frustrated him, he explained, was that the work was not urgent.

“The launch wasn’t blocked by any critical bug. We were adding animations and visual polish, not fixing something that couldn’t wait.”

Bhandari also highlighted the difference in how work is organised at his current company. Instead of spending hours in meetings, the team relies largely on asynchronous communication.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/my-founder-kept-me-awake-till-4-am-before-an-exam-software-engineer-compares-indian-and-us-startup-cultures-101782005054355.html

“Yoga can help human life to aspire for constant growth,” said Modi, adding that the target “is to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 12th International Yoga Day (IYD) celebrations at Kolkata’s Red Road on Sunday morning, taking part in a mega event as thousands joined open-air yoga sessions across the state for the first time.

“Yoga is not just for a better personal life but for the world’s future,” Modi said in his inaugural address.

The celebrations started at 6:30 am when the Prime Minister reached the venue from Lok Bhawan (formerly Raj Bhawan), where he spent the night. He was accompanied by Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Ayush Prataprao Yadav and other senior dignitaries.

“June 21 is the longest day in our part of the world, and now it is the day the world celebrates its biggest festival. Yoga has connected the world to India. It brings people together. Today I offer my best wishes to the world community,” Modi said.

“It is a special occasion for me to be in Bengal on International Yoga Day. Swami Vivekananda introduced Yoga to the world. It gives me a spiritual feeling to take part in a community yoga event here. Rabindranath Tagore said we belong to the world community. Rishi Aurobindo said Yoga connects us to spirituality even if we cannot feel it immediately,” Modi said, referring to several Bengali luminaries.

“This year’s theme is Yoga for Healthy Ageing. Yoga can keep us healthy even as we age. It means that age does not reduce human potential. Yoga can help human life aspire for growth. Our target must be to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30. We must be more resistant to lifestyle diseases at 70 than we were at 50. This is where Yoga can help us,” Modi said.

“Yoga can help us tune our bodies to be flexible. It can increase our energy level. It can help us be calm, lead a stress-free life and keep lifestyle diseases away. With regular practice, yoga teaches us to be lifelong learners of our body and mind. The more we know ourselves, the better we can manage ourselves.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/age-does-not-reduce-human-potential-pm-modi-leads-international-yoga-day-2026-celebrations-in-kolkata-west-bengal-101782006201530.html

The Congress has urged Goa’s Education Department to withdraw its circular mandating Yoga Day attendance on Sunday. The dispute has widened into a debate over parental choice, holidays and the politicisation of yoga.

The Congress on Saturday asked Goa’s Education Department to withdraw its circular making it compulsory for school students and teachers to attend Yoga Day programmes. The Directorate of Education has instructed all schools to hold yoga sessions on Sunday, June 21, which is observed as International Yoga Day.

The party said yoga should remain a matter of personal choice and objected to making attendance mandatory on a Sunday. It said the weekly holiday is often reserved for family time, prayer and religious observance, and that parents should be free to decide how their children spend the day.

In a statement, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said, “Yoga is a personal choice, and should never become a compulsory obligation.” He added, “Sunday is the only day many families spend together. It is also a day of prayer and religious observance for many communities across Goa,” and said parents should have the freedom to decide how their children spend their weekly holiday.

Responding to the statement, Goa BJP Medical Cell co-convenor Dr Sneha Bhagwat said it was “sad and unfortunate” that the circular was being politicised. She said a student could attend a yoga session at any place near their house and added, “Yoga is for health, wellbeing, mental and emotional stability which is a very much a necessary right for students.”

Bhagwat said more than 193 countries have accepted yoga and claimed that over 300 research papers have shown that a daily 20-minute yoga practice can improve life expectancy and quality of life “by 70 per cent”. She also claimed that research had established that yoga can prevent 90 per cent of idiopathic diseases, where the exact cause is not known.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/goa-yoga-day-circular-congress-seeks-withdrawal-of-mandatory-sunday-attendance-ptag-2930585-2026-06-20

An unidentified person allegedly tried to set fire to the PWD Sub-Divisional Office in Jafrabad. Posters and a social media video backing a farm loan waiver have widened the police probe.

Maharashtra’s Jalna district has triggered a police investigation after officials recovered diesel-filled bottles and posters demanding complete farm loan waivers from the scene.

The incident took place at the Public Works Department (PWD) Sub-Divisional Office located on the Jafrabad-Chikhli Road in Jafrabad. According to officials, an unidentified person allegedly poured diesel at the main entrance of the office late at night and attempted to set the premises on fire.

Fortunately, the fire did not spread and a major mishap was averted. However, the office’s main entrance gate sustained damage during the incident.

Officials said the matter came to light on Saturday morning when employees arrived at the office and noticed signs of attempted arson. Senior authorities were immediately informed, following which police teams rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.

During the inspection, police recovered a bottle containing diesel and two empty water bottles from the premises. Preliminary findings suggest that a diesel-filled bottle was thrown into the office compound but failed to ignite, preventing what could have been a serious fire.

Investigators also found around 30 to 35 posters scattered across the office hall and surrounding area. The posters reportedly carried slogans demanding a complete waiver of farmers’ loans and messages critical of the government.

VIDEO SUPPORTING FARM LOAN WAIVERS GOES VIRAL

Adding another dimension to the case, a video related to the incident surfaced on social media shortly after the attempted attack. The video allegedly features slogans supporting farm loan waivers and protesting against government policies.

Police officials said the identity of the person behind the incident has not yet been established. A case is being registered against unknown persons, and efforts are underway to trace the suspect through CCTV footage and other available evidence.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/maharashtra-pwd-office-arson-bid-linked-to-farm-loan-waiver-posters-police-probe-2930720-2026-06-20

Kerala reported 13 more Shigella infections on Saturday, taking June’s total to 133. The rise came as health teams intensified surveillance while Nipah contacts in Kozhikode tested negative.

Shigella infections continued to rise in Kerala on Saturday, with 13 more cases reported even as health authorities stepped up surveillance and containment measures, officials said. The state has reported five deaths linked to the disease so far this month, while the total number of Shigella infections recorded in June has risen to 133.

In a separate health update, the Kerala Health Department said all 15 people who developed symptoms after being identified as contacts of a Nipah patient in Kozhikode have tested negative. The patient remains on ventilator support at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, and 104 people are still under observation.

According to a statement from the Health Minister’s Office, of the 13 new Shigella cases, four were reported in Kozhikode, three each in Malappuram and Kannur, two in Palakkad, and one in Kollam. Kozhikode and Wayanad continue to account for the highest number of cases reported in June. Shigella outbreaks have been declared in Kozhikode with 40 cases, Wayanad 18, Thiruvananthapuram 15, Malappuram 19, Thrissur 11, Kannur 10, Kollam 9, Alappuzha 3, Idukki 3, Palakkad 3 and Ernakulam 2. This year, the total number of Shigella cases reported in the state has reached 209 and the death toll stands at 6.

Shigella is a highly contagious bacterial infection that mainly affects the intestines and spreads through contaminated food, water or poor hygiene. The disease commonly causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps, and can be particularly dangerous for children, elderly people and those with weakened immunity.

On the Nipah situation, the Health Department said the test result of a healthcare worker who developed symptoms after being included in the contact list of the Kozhikode patient had returned negative. No new people were added to the patient’s contact list on Saturday. Of the 104 people under observation, four have been classified as very high-risk, 14 as high-risk and 86 as low-risk contacts. Health workers also visited 81 houses in Division 5 of Ramanattukara municipality, where the Nipah case was reported, as part of surveillance activities.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/kerala/story/shigella-cases-kerala-rise-133-june-nipah-contacts-test-negative-ptag-2930648-2026-06-20

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underlines the importance of self-reliance in securing India’s borders amid new-age threats. He said changing warfare and Operation Sindoor underline the need for constant adaptation and capability.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that self-reliance, or Aatmanirbharta, is central to ensuring India’s national security on its own terms, stressing that technological agility, strategic foresight and institutional innovation are critical in an increasingly volatile global security environment.

Interacting with personnel at the Eastern Air Command Headquarters in Shillong, Singh said modern warfare is no longer limited to traditional battlefields and now includes hybrid threats, cyber challenges, information warfare, supply chain disruptions and the increasing use of drones.

“In such a situation, traditional preparedness alone is not sufficient for the defence forces,” he said, adding that India must continuously adapt to emerging security challenges.

Reiterating the government’s push for defence self-reliance, Singh said Aatmanirbharta was crucial for ensuring national security “on our own terms”. He said Operation Sindoor reflected the success of this approach and sent a clear message to adversaries.

“Through Operation Sindoor, we demonstrated to terrorists and their handlers that India will not compromise on its security and sovereignty,” Singh said, describing it as a reflection of the armed forces’ capability, vigilance and resolve.

He said the Eastern Air Command plays a critical role in safeguarding India’s eastern frontier and has consistently demonstrated operational readiness across multiple roles, including border management, disaster response and high-altitude operations.

Singh praised the personnel for their commitment under difficult conditions, noting their role in both security operations and humanitarian assistance during crises. “Whenever the nation faces a natural disaster or crisis, you are always the first to step forward,” he said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rajnath-singh-aatmanirbharta-operation-sindoor-india-security-2930760-2026-06-20

Two men allegedly posed as CBI officers and robbed a trader of Rs 25 lakh at Balapur bus stand. Police arrested them within 12 hours, recovered the cash and began checking its source.

In a swift breakthrough, the Akola Local Crime Branch (LCB) arrested two men within 12 hours of their allegedly posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and robbing an elderly trader of Rs 25 lakh in Maharashtra’s Akola district. Police recovered the entire stolen amount along with other valuables.

According to police, the incident took place on June 19 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. when a nearly 70-year-old businessman from Khamgaon, who operates a Pico call centre, boarded a bus at the Balapur bus stand.

Investigators said one of the accused, who was already acquainted with the victim, identified him and executed a pre-planned scheme. The accused allegedly used Google to create a fake CBI identity card and approached the trader posing as a CBI officer.

Claiming that the businessman was involved in illegal financial transactions, the accused allegedly threatened him with legal action and demanded that he hand over his mobile phone and a bag containing cash. The victim was also told to accompany them to a police station.

To make the operation appear genuine, the first accused called his accomplice to the spot and pretended that the trader was being taken for official questioning. However, as soon as the victim got off the bus, the two men fled with the cash and mobile phone.

Initially unaware that he had been deceived, the trader waited at the bus stand for a police vehicle that never arrived. Realising he had been duped, he later filed a complaint at Balapur Police Station.

Given the seriousness of the case, Akola Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak constituted a special investigation team. Under the leadership of Police Inspector Nitin Levarkar, a team comprising three officers and 20 personnel launched an intensive probe.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/fake-cbi-officers-rob-elderly-trader-of-rs-25-lakh-in-akola-police-crack-case-in-12-hours-2930788-2026-06-21

A Delhi NGO worker was allegedly molested and disrobed by a mob in Odisha’s Rayagada after being mistaken for a child-lifter. The attack has triggered a sharp political row as police arrested 21 people and promised more action.

The alleged molestation and disrobing of a 22-year-old NGO worker in Odisha’s Rayagada district after a mob mistook her and a male colleague for child-lifters has triggered a political storm, with the opposition attacking the state government over women’s safety and the BJP asserting that police acted swiftly.

Police said 21 people have been arrested so far and three criminal cases registered in connection with the June 16 incident. The two NGO workers, both from Delhi, had travelled to the area for research work and returned home after receiving treatment at a local hospital.

According to Rayagada Superintendent of Police Raj Prasad, the incident occurred at Kandulguda village under Kalyansinghpur police station on the night of June 16. Villagers allegedly mistook the woman and her male colleague for child-lifters and assaulted them.

“More arrests could be made in the coming days after verifying the video footage,” Prasad told reporters.

The two were conducting research under an NGO in Odisha’s Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts. Recounting the incident, the woman told reporters, “The locals assaulted me, pulled me by my hair, tore my clothes and touched me inappropriately even though we had no link with child lifters.”

Both victims later received treatment at a local hospital before returning home.

Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and BJD president Naveen Patnaik described the incident as a “barbaric and shameful” act and said it raised serious questions about “humanity and the dignity” of women in the state.

In a post on X, Patnaik said, “This heinous, barbaric incident that occurred in Rayagada, Kalyansinghpur, with a Delhi student has shaken, shamed, and worried the entire Odisha.”

He also questioned the state’s response, asking why Odisha’s image was being tarnished and whether the government and police administration had become helpless in ensuring citizens’ safety.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/child-lifter-rumour-sparks-mob-attack-on-ngo-worker-in-odisha-21-arrested-2930711-2026-06-21

Nearly a year after the Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, about 9% of victim families have not accepted the ₹1 crore ex-gratia compensation, while 4% have not taken the interim ₹25 lakh payment. Air India and Tata Sons said 96% families received interim aid and 91% accepted final payouts, with delays linked to documentation and disputes.

Nearly a year after the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171, about 9% of the families who lost loved ones in the disaster have still not accepted the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 1 crore while around 4% of them haven’t even accepted the interim payment of Rs 25 lakh.

Two Separate Financial Packages Offered

Air India and its parent company, Tata Sons, have disbursed hundreds of millions of rupees in financial aid following the tragic crash in Ahmedabad last year that killed 260 people. ​The financial package is split into two distinct channels, including the legal interim compensation from the airline operator, and an independent philanthropic fund from the parent group. However, a small percentage of families have yet to accept the final packages.

Air India confirmed to the Free Press Journal that 96% of the affected families have accepted the initial interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh provided directly by Air India, while 91% have accepted the separate ex-gratia payout from the Tata Sons group. ​Separate from Air India’s legal liabilities, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran established the ‘AI171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’, which offered a blanket Rs 1 crore ex-gratia financial assistance package to the families of all deceased victims. According to the airline, 91% of families have accepted and received this payout.

Documentation, Disputes Delay Acceptance

According to the airline, the remaining 4% of cases for interim compensation involve incomplete documentation or ongoing family inheritance disputes. Similarly, the 9% of the families retaining to accept the ex-gratia compensation, consist of incomplete paperwork or instances where families have actively declined to accept the payment.

Moreover, around 94% of individuals injured on the ground have received either a one-time full and final settlement or interim compensation, scaled to the severity of their injuries and loss of livelihood. The carrier said that the remaining 6% collected claim forms from the helpdesk but have not yet submitted them.

With the bulk of interim payments settled, Air India has begun the process for final compensation. A few families of the victims have claimed that the airline has asked them to sign indemnity waivers, legally binding the beneficiaries to give up their right to sue the airline in the future for extra compensation. Many of these families are waiting for the final investigation report to plan their future course of action.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/a-year-after-ai-171-crash-about-9-of-victims-families-yet-to-receive-compensation-15-families-await-receiving-digital-devices

The CBSE-OSM controversy exposes deeper faults in cybersecurity audits, procurement and institutional accountability

In February 2026, Nisarga Adhikary, a 19-year-old security researcher and Grade 12 student, discovered vulnerabilities in the online platform used for Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) pilot on on-screen marking (OSM) system. CBSE used a platform developed by Coempt Eduteck Private Limited, a private company that also provides technology solutions to state education boards and universities.

Keeping aside the purported merits and efficiency of OSM, as well as the controversies surrounding the procurement process, it is worth examining the failures that led to CBSE’s embarrassing OSM pilot and discussing how security should be addressed in mission-critical systems going forward.

Nisarga reported the vulnerabilities he found to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on February 25 and received an acknowledgement from the agency the following day. Security researchers often report vulnerabilities to CERT-In because of its status as the national nodal agency for receiving and responding to vulnerability, and incident reports. However, many are unaware that CERT-In has no real enforcement powers.

Following Nisarga’s responsible disclosure, Coempt Eduteck Private Limited fixed the most serious of the several vulnerabilities he had reported. The vulnerability in question involved a client-side hardcoded credential that could be used to bypass the normal authentication process altogether, effectively functioning as an easily discoverable backdoor for anyone who examined the application. Nisarga sought updates from CERT-In on the status of his report for several weeks but did not receive a satisfactory response.

That remained the case until May 22, when Nisarga publicly disclosed all the vulnerabilities he had discovered, on his blog, including those that had not been fixed. It is worth noting that public disclosure of vulnerabilities is a recognised practice in the cybersecurity industry, particularly when vendors are unresponsive — a process commonly known as “full disclosure.” Google’s own vulnerability disclosure policy provides a 90-day disclosure timeline from the date of initial notification, which is reduced to seven days when there is evidence of active exploitation.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/indias-cyber-vulnerabilities-begin-long-before-a-breach-4046682#google_vignette

Deadlines for new lines: ORR line trial run by October, full Pink Line by March 2027

Bengaluru: In his first review meeting of the Namma Metro project on Friday, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda blamed “mismanaged” metro worksites for Bengaluru’s “visual disfigurement” and some of its severe traffic congestion.

He also set fresh timelines for opening some new lines but conceded that the deadlines could still go unmet given the BMRCL’s “notorious” track record.

The nearly three-hour meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Tushar Girinath, BMRCL Managing Director J Ravishankar and other senior officials.

Gowda, who took charge last Tuesday, was blunt in his assessment of BMRCL, saying it had never met or even come close to meeting a deadline since the foundation stone for the first metro line was laid 25 years ago.

At the meeting, he pulled up BMRCL officials and said the delays were inexplicable. “This culture has to change. This is an engineering challenge… there’s nothing impossible in engineering.”

Criticising worksite mismanagement, Gowda added: “Your contractors take it for granted to take as much space, cause as much disruption and for as long as they want. And you don’t enforce worksite management. Instead of three or four years, you’re taking six or seven years (to complete a metro line).”

Later, speaking to reporters, he said metro construction had unnecessarily occupied road space, while debris and materials dumped at sites had contributed to traffic congestion, garbage black spots and flooding. He asked BMRCL to explore alternative work sites.

Responding to a question from DH, Gowda acknowledged some improvement at metro worksites along the Outer Ring Road (ORR). “Road space taken for the work and debris dumping have reduced but they still occupy one portion of the road, from Veerannapalya to Hebbal,” he noted.

The minister set a new timeline for the full opening of the 21.26-km Pink Line, which will link Kalena Agrahara to Nagavara.

On long-awaited metro connectivity to the ORR tech hub, Gowda said he had directed BMRCL to begin trial runs on the KR Puram-Marathahalli and Marathahalli-HSR Layout stretches by October 2026. He noted that Marathahalli and Silk Board stations would be delayed due to pending works. The 19.75-km line from KR Puram to Silk Board, which falls under Phase 2A, will open about five months later, he said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/krishna-byre-gowda-blames-mismanaged-metro-sites-for-bengalurus-visual-disfigurement-4045540

India secured a major diplomatic victory as Vivek Aggarwal, a senior IAS officer and Union Secretary, was elected Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The MEA hailed the appointment as a “major win for India”, highlighting the country’s growing influence in combating money laundering, terror financing, and emerging financial threats globally.

In a significant diplomatic and strategic achievement for India, senior bureaucrat Vivek Aggarwal, who is a Secretary in the Government of India, has been elected as the Vice President of the global anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describing the announcement as a “major win for India”.

Announcing the development in a post on X on Saturday, the MEA said, “Major win for India in FATF! Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Government of India, has been elected the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force.”

The ministry said the appointment reflects India’s growing role in global efforts to combat terrorism financing and illicit financial networks.

“As India continues to champion a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, this leadership role reinforces our relentless focus on combating global terrorist financing networks and dismantling illicit financial systems,” the MEA stated in its post.

Major win for India in FATF!

Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Government of India, has been elected the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force.

As India continues to champion a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, this leadership role reinforces our relentless…

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 19, 2026

Highlighting Aggarwal’s experience in the field, the ministry noted that he previously headed India’s FATF delegation and served as Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND).

“His profound expertise as the former Head of India’s FATF delegation and former Director of FIU-IND will advance FATF’s mandate to secure financial integrity,” the post added.

The FATF is an intergovernmental body that develops policies and standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and threats to the international financial system.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/major-win-for-india-top-bureaucrat-vivek-aggarwal-elected-vice-president-of-anti-terror-financing-watchdog-fatf

Tension flared at Kolkata Airport on Friday as TMC and BJP supporters clashed ahead of Abhishek Banerjee’s arrival from Delhi, where he had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

TMC and BJP supporters clashed at Kolkata Airport on Friday evening just before the arrival of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was returning from Delhi after meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

A group of BJP supporters gathered at Kolkata Airport late on Friday evening, allegedly carrying eggs. A large number of TMC supporters also reached the airport and engaged in scuffling with BJP supporters near the arrival gates.

In a very short time, the situation turned tense as supporters of both parties became involved in a clash. A scuffle broke out between the two groups outside the arrival area, prompting police and security personnel to rush to the spot.

TMC supporters alleged that BJP workers had assembled at the airport to hurl eggs at the Lok Sabha MP upon his arrival. Police intervened and brought the situation under control outside the exit gate.

To avoid any possible attack on Banerjee and prevent further escalation, police and security forces escorted him out of the airport through a different gate. Banerjee later left the airport from the alternate exit under security cover.

One TMC supporter claimed BJP activists arrived with eggs and provoked TMC workers despite being requested not to bring such confrontational tactics to the airport. The supporter further alleged that some BJP workers misbehaved with TMC members and even displayed weapons, questioning how they were allowed inside the airport premises despite security arrangements.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tmc-bjp-workers-clash-at-kolkata-airport-as-abhishek-banerjee-returns-after-meeting-om-birla-in-delhi-2930201-2026-06-19

Despite being banned in 31 countries over concerns about DNA damage, toxicity and environmental harm, Dimethoate continues to be sold in India due to its low cost and effectiveness, with regulators opting for partial restrictions instead of a complete ban.

A pesticide that has been banned across much of the developed world continues to be widely available in India’s agricultural markets.

Dimethoate, a decades-old organophosphate insecticide, remains popular among farmers because it is significantly cheaper than newer alternatives and offers broad-spectrum pest control. However, scientists and regulators in several countries have raised serious concerns about its impact on human health, environmental safety, and genetic integrity.

FROM BATTLEFIELD CHEMISTRY TO AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

Dimethoate belongs to the organophosphate family of chemicals, a class linked to the same scientific principles that led to the development of deadly nerve agents such as Sarin and Tabun during World War II.

German scientists originally developed organophosphate compounds for military applications that targeted the nervous system. After the war, similar chemical mechanisms were adapted for agricultural use. Instead of attacking humans, they were used to disrupt the nervous systems of insects, causing paralysis and death.

Dimethoate was first developed in the United States in 1951 by scientists working for American Cyanamid and was commercially introduced in 1956. It soon became one of the world’s most widely used insecticides.

WHY SCIENTISTS CONSIDER IT DANGEROUS

Scientific studies have identified Dimethoate as a potentially genotoxic and mutagenic chemical, meaning it may damage DNA and genetic material within cells. Long-term exposure has been linked to increased concerns about cancer risk and other health problems.

One of the biggest concerns is that after application, Dimethoate can degrade into Omethoate, a metabolite considered significantly more toxic than the original chemical. Some studies suggest Omethoate may be up to ten times more toxic than Dimethoate itself.

Dimethoate is also a systemic pesticide. Rather than remaining on the surface of plants, it is absorbed and transported throughout plant tissues, including fruits and vegetables. As a result, residues can remain inside produce and cannot be completely removed through washing.

Environmental experts have also highlighted its harmful impact on pollinators, particularly bees, which play a critical role in food production and ecosystem health.

WHY MANY COUNTRIES HAVE BANNED IT

Dimethoate has been banned across the European Union, including countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. China has also prohibited its use, while the United States and Australia have imposed significant restrictions.

France was among the earliest countries to act against Dimethoate after pesticide residues were detected in cherries and other fruits. The issue eventually escalated into a wider European dispute over agricultural imports. France refused to import produce from countries still using the chemical, creating trade tensions within Europe.

By 2019-2020, the European Union moved toward a complete ban, citing concerns over consumer safety, environmental protection and pesticide residues in food.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dimethoate-india-pesticide-ban-regulation-industry-influence-dna-damage-cancer-2930182-2026-06-19

Single At 60, Lagaan Actor Suhasini Mulay Found Love On Facebook, Married Scientist Atul Gurtu Within 75 Days

Veteran actress Suhasini Mulay, known for her memorable performances in films such as Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar, has revealed how she found love at the age of 60 and married within just 75 days of meeting her future husband. The actress remained single for decades because she could not find a partner who shared her belief in equality and mutual respect. A chance interaction on Facebook eventually changed her life.

Speaking about her journey, Suhasini said that she got married for the first time at the age of 60. Until then, she had not found the right life partner. Her husband, physicist Atul Gurtu, is a renowned scientist. While she admitted that she often struggles to understand the scientific subjects he discusses, she described him as a wonderful human being.

The actress recalled that she joined Facebook only after a co-star suggested that the platform could help her connect with people and explore work opportunities. While browsing one day, she came across Atul’s profile and was intrigued to see a physicist actively using social media. Curious about his work on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), she sent him a message asking, “What is LHC?” That simple question sparked a conversation that would eventually transform both their lives.

As their conversations continued through emails, Atul hinted that he was looking for a life partner. Suhasini initially found the idea amusing. She recalled thinking, “When I couldn’t find the right person in 60 years, how could I suddenly find one now?” Unsure about taking the relationship further, she sought advice from a close friend. The friend encouraged her not to shut the door before giving the possibility a chance and suggested that she could always walk away if things did not work out.

Even after deciding to move forward, Suhasini remained cautious. When Atul asked for her phone number, she jokingly replied, “Good girls don’t give their phone numbers to strangers.” Concerned about fake online profiles, she verified his identity by matching his Facebook details with information about the organisation where he worked. Encouraged by another childhood friend who reminded her that she had spent her entire life fearlessly on her own, she finally decided to trust the process.

Source : https://www.spotboye.com/trending/trending-news/single-at-60-lagaan-actor-suhasini-mulay-found-love-on-facebook-married-scientist-atul-gurtu-within-75-days/6a33be447eb3077d4511f6f9

India is coordinating with multiple ministries & stakeholders to ensure the safe return of ships & energy cargoes from the Persian Gulf amid regional tensions. While LNG carrier Disha safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz & is set to berth at Dahej, no other Indian-flagged vessel has exited the region. Authorities have repatriated over 3,639 seafarers, while port ops across India remain normal.

Director in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Opesh Kumar Sharma, on Thursday, said that the government is closely coordinating with multiple ministries and stakeholders to facilitate the safe return of Indian vessels and energy cargoes from the Persian Gulf region.

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing, Sharma said no other Indian-flagged vessel exited the Persian Gulf after the Malta-flagged LNG carrier Disha crossed the Strait of Hormuz on June 15 and proceeded towards India.

Responding to questions on India’s preparedness following indications that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could gradually resume, Shrama said the government was working in coordination with all concerned agencies.

While briefing the media on the recent developments in #WestAsia, Shri Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, stated that all Indian vessels and crew currently in the Persian Gulf are being closely monitored.@mib_india#India #PressBriefing… pic.twitter.com/tDrn80mqU3

— Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (@shipmin_india) June 18, 2026

“We are closely coordinating with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ministry of External Affairs, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that all and everyone is prepared and our vessels return as soon as possible,” Sharma said.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/no-other-indian-flagged-vessel-moved-out-after-disha-shipping-ministry-on-efforts-directed-towards-safe-return-of-vessels-from-persian-gulf-video

Cross-voting came as a reality check for the JD(S), which had only 18 votes but had entered the fray only to test party cohesion ahead of the Bengaluru civic polls and the Assembly election two years from now.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Council election Thursday delivered a major setback to the BJP and JD(S) after some of their lawmakers cross-voted, helping the governing Congress bag five out of seven seats.

According to the BJP, three of its MLAs and eight from JD(S) voted for Congress. The JD(S), however, claimed that four of its MLAs and seven from BJP cross-voted.

Despite cross-voting, the BJP won two seats. This is being seen as a reflection on BJP state president BY Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka.

Cross-voting came as a reality check for the JD(S), which had only 18 votes but had entered the fray only to test party cohesion ahead of the Bengaluru civic polls and the Assembly election two years from now.

Now with 39 MLCs, the Congress has a majority in the 75-member Legislative Council.

Soon after the results, jubilant Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the cross-votes a “stamp of approval” for the government’s guarantees and policies.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/karnataka-legislative-council-polls-congress-smirks-as-cross-voting-hits-bjp-jds-party-jubilant-over-stamp-of-approval-newsalert-4044122

The survivor said the attackers took her to a desolate place outside her house and raped her. When she tried to raise an alarm, they sliced her chest and thigh with a blade.

Five men barged into a house in Bihar’s Begusarai, locked the homeowner and brutally gang-raped his wife. The survivor was later admitted to a hospital with the complaint of severe pain in the lower abdomen. Shockingly, during treatment, doctors removed a live bullet, a stone and a piece of wood from her private parts, revealing the extent of brutality she was subjected to.

The incident took place on June 11 near the Chakiya Police Station. The survivor said that around 11.30 pm, she had gone to the toilet when five men forcibly entered her house and locked her husband in a room. After she came out, they gagged her.

She said the attackers took her to a desolate place outside her house and raped her. When she tried to raise an alarm, they sliced her chest and thigh with a blade.

“I called my younger sister-in-law, and she came and got my husband out and called the police. We were told to go to the hospital. We went to Barauni hospital, and from Barauni, we were referred to Sadar hospital. I was treated, but I had continuous pain in my private parts. During that medical examination, the doctors said the pain was because of injuries sustained during the crime. Then we went home. I was in a lot of pain, so we again came to Sadar hospital. During the medical examination, a bullet, a stone and a piece of wood were removed. I still have pain,” she told reporters.

The survivor said she wasn’t aware of the objects as she had lost consciousness.

3 Men Had Broken Into Her House Months Ago

She said three months ago, three criminals had broken into her home and thrashed her. They also tried to sexually assault her before fleeing with money and jewellery. She said the police were informed, but they took no action.

DSP Anand Kumar Pandey said that a scientific investigation is underway into the shocking case.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bihar-horror-woman-gang-raped-bullet-inserted-in-private-part-cuts-on-body-11654810?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The woman, from Rajkot, drank acid and was rushed to a hospital by her husband.

A married woman in Rajkot has attempted suicide after a man and his accomplices sexually exploited and blackmailed her, and tried to force her to change her religion.

In her police complaint, the survivor said she connected with the main accused on Instagram four months ago, where he used the profile name ‘Jiddi Boy’. After they had known each other for a few months, he went to Rajkot and took her to a hotel with the help of an accomplice named Anisha Kashmi. Officials said the man then sexually assaulted the survivor inside the hotel room and captured photos and videos to blackmail her, threatening to ruin her life if she disclosed the incident.

The woman discovered two months later that the man was actually Afzal Karabhai Sida from Junagadh. After this, Afzal and Anisha began hosting social media live sessions to publicly harass and defame her. When she informed her husband and submitted an initial application to the police, two other men, Ravi Gosai from Ahmedabad and Vijay Chudasama from Junagadh, threatened her to withdraw the complaint.

The survivor alleged that Afzal and Anisha subjected her to intense mental pressure to get her to divorce her husband and undergo a religious conversion. Afzal forcibly took her to various shrines, where he made her wear threads and drink water as part of a superstitious practice, followed by direct threats to force her to embrace Islam.

When she attempted to cut off ties, Afzal blackmailed her with the photos and videos. Due to the constant harassment, the survivor attempted suicide by drinking acid at her home. Her husband rushed her to a hospital, saving her life. The survivor then approached the police again.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gujarat-rajkot-woman-attempts-suicide-after-man-abuses-her-forces-her-to-change-religion-11656541?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed an SIT to probe the alleged theft of donations to Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The allegations of theft of donation money at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya have left Prime Minister Narendra Modi worried, said Nripendra Mishra, a retired IAS officer who heads the Temple Construction Committee.

He revealed that the probe will be challenging for a special investigation team (SIT) because the CCTV footage had automatically been deleted.

“I would say that the Prime Minister is worried. There are two types of worries. He is worried about the money of the devotees. He is also worried that this is a completely shabby system. It’s a broken system. And how will he convert this broken system into a healthy system — that is the big thing that he is looking for,” he added.

He said the CCTV footage of the premises gets deleted after 45 days.

“CCTV footage has a period. The CCTV installed in the donation room has a total duration of 45 days. After 45 days, the CCTV footage will automatically be erased. You can say that before being erased, you could have converted it digitally, and you could have it in the archives,” he said.

He explained the system of receipts.

“If you give your jewellery, you will get the receipt. It will be written in it. But the donations that are kept in front of God, in which people put their money, and some people put their rings, earrings… that is a field where there should be proper accounting,” he said.

“If there is no proper accounting, there will be a doubt that this has happened. And then we will have to study it and develop it from a mathematical equation, what the trend was? What was the trend in 6 months? We will have to relate how many visitors came,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-worried-about-broken-system-ex-ias-nripendra-mishra-on-ram-temple-row-11656117?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The techie said he got selected in the H-1B lottery on his first attempt and adopted a dog and bought a car after switching to H-1B status.

An Indian techie has opened up about returning home after spending 5 years in the US, saying a series of layoffs, visa troubles and mounting uncertainty left him “exhausted and defeated”.

In a Reddit post titled, “Returning to India after 5 years in the U.S. feeling completely defeated. How do I start over?”, the 26-year-old said he moved to the US in 2021 for his master’s degree and later landed a job at a startup. He even got selected in the H-1B lottery on his first attempt and adopted a dog and bought a car after switching to H-1B status.

“I wanted to move to a better-paying company because my salary was pretty average, but I felt loyal to my CEO since he had trusted me and given me an opportunity when he hired me. So I stayed,” he wrote.

However, the techie said that things took a turn when he was laid off just 4 months after moving to H-1B. Unable to find another job within the 60-day grace period, he changed his status to B-2 and later faced removal proceedings after receiving a Notice to Appear (NTA).

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/h1b-setbacks-and-job-loss-force-indian-techie-to-return-home-after-5-years-in-us-i-feel-like-an-absolute-failure-101781802742221.html

Rajasthan Police arrested social media influencer Netal and her alleged lover Gumansingh for allegedly murdering her husband, Tejaram, and dumping his body in a water tank in Barmer after luring him under the pretext of searching for her.

Rajasthan Police have arrested a social media influencer and her alleged lover for the murder of her husband in Barmer district, uncovering what investigators described as a pre-planned conspiracy that ended with the victim’s body being dumped in a water tank in a secluded field.

The case came to light on June 4 when the body of 42-year-old Tejaram was found inside a water tank in a field near Malpura Phanta. Following the discovery, the victim’s brother, Mahesharam, accused Tejaram’s wife, Netal (36), and her alleged lover, Gumansingh (30), a resident of Mithra village, of murdering him.

According to the complaint, Gumansingh worked as a taxi driver and was allegedly involved in an extramarital relationship with Netal. Mahesharam claimed that Tejaram had become aware of their relationship, leading him to suspect that the two had conspired to kill his brother and dispose of the body in the tank. Police subsequently registered a case and launched an investigation.

Using technical evidence, witness statements and other material collected during the probe, police cracked the case and arrested both accused. Barmer DSP Ramesh Kumar Sharma said police produced the accused before a court. The court sent Netal to judicial custody, while Gumansingh was remanded to two days of police custody for further questioning.

During the investigation, police found that Netal, a mother of four, was highly active on social media and had around 42,000 followers on Instagram, where she was known as a social media influencer. Investigators said she came into contact with Gumansingh through Instagram, and the two later met in person. Their acquaintance allegedly developed into a relationship.

Police said Tejaram worked at a building construction site in Chitalwana in Jalore district and often stayed away from home for work. When he learned about the alleged relationship between his wife and Gumansingh, frequent disputes reportedly broke out between the couple. Tejaram had allegedly warned his wife to stay away from the taxi driver.

Investigators said Netal and Gumansingh then plotted to eliminate Tejaram. As part of the alleged plan, Netal called her husband on June 2 and told him she was fed up with him and was leaving home. She then switched off her phone.

Concerned after being unable to contact his wife, Tejaram left Jalore in search of her. When her phone remained switched off, he contacted Gumansingh. According to police, Gumansingh told him to come to Dhorimanna in Barmer so they could search for her together.

Police said Tejaram reached Dhorimanna on the evening of June 2, where Gumansingh gained his trust and allegedly served him a large amount of alcohol. After Tejaram became heavily intoxicated, Gumansingh allegedly drove him in his taxi to a field near Malpura Phanta, around 30 kilometres away from Dhorimanna.

There, police said, Gumansingh threw the unconscious Tejaram into a water tank in the field. Tejaram allegedly drowned and died. After the incident, the accused allegedly discarded the victim’s bag and mobile phone outside the tank before fleeing the scene.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rajasthan-barmer-influencer-murder-case-arrested-tejaram-killing-2929370-2026-06-18

India and the US are in the final stages of concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump directing officials to expedite its completion.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday said India and the United States are in the “final stages” of concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump directing officials to complete the deal at the earliest.

Speaking at a briefing after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the G7 Summit in Evian, France, Misri said substantial progress has already been made in negotiations and highlighted the upcoming visit of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to advance discussions.

“With the United States, we have made significant progress already on the conclusion of an interim free trade bilateral trade agreement. We are in the final stages of concluding that agreement.

Next week, in fact, the United States Trade Representative, Mr Jamieson Greer, will be visiting India to take forward these discussions. In the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister and President Donald Trump yesterday in Evian, this was a major subject of discussion. Both leaders once again gave instructions for this agreement to be concluded at the earliest possible,” Misri said.

The proposed trade agreement figured prominently in the discussions between PM Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit on Wednesday. Trump said the two countries were “very close” to finalising the trade deal.

“We had, in particular, some very good conversations with Prime Minister Modi, India. And we’re doing trade deals, we’re doing a lot of things, a lot of things are happening between the United States and India,” Trump said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-us-interim-trade-deal-final-stages-modi-trump-greer-visit-2929480-2026-06-18

The Bihar government has transferred 29 IPS officers in a wide police reshuffle affecting key districts and city postings. The move is the first major administrative overhaul under Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and takes immediate effect.

In the first major administrative shake-up since Samrat Chaudhary took over as Bihar Chief Minister, the state government has transferred 50 senior officers across the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), signalling a significant restructuring of the bureaucracy and law enforcement apparatus.

The Home Department transferred 29 IPS officers, including SPs posted in more than a dozen districts. The reshuffle affected key districts such as Banka, Khagaria, Kaimur, Sheikhpura, West Champaran (Bettiah), Aurangabad, Saharsa, Bagaha, Sheohar, Katihar, Jehanabad, Purnea and Vaishali.

Among the notable IPS postings, Patna City SP (West) Bhanu Pratap Singh was appointed SP of Khagaria, while Patna City SP (East) Parichay Kumar was made SP of Katihar. Gaya City SP Kota Kiran Kumar was posted as SP of Jehanabad, and Bhagalpur City SP Shailendra Singh was transferred as SP of Sheohar. Sanket Kumar and Ms Shailja were appointed Patna City SP (West) and SP (East), respectively.

Soon after the IPS transfers, the government also ordered the transfer of 21 IAS officers, including several district magistrates and senior departmental officials.

One of the most significant changes was the appointment of Kundan Kumar as the new District Magistrate of Patna, replacing Tyagarajan S.M. Tyagarajan has been appointed chairman of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) and will continue to hold additional charge as Special Secretary in the Health Department.

Senior IAS officer Anand Kishor was relieved of his long-held additional responsibility as chairman of the Bihar School Examination Board. He will now serve exclusively as Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department.

In another key change, Principal Secretary Robert L. Chongthu was moved from the Minority Welfare Department to the Parliamentary Affairs Department. Mohammad Sohail has been reposted as Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department and will also continue to hold additional charge as Secretary of the General Administration Department.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bihar-govt-reshuffles-50-ias-ips-officers-in-first-major-bureaucratic-overhaul-under-cm-samrat-chaudhary-2929512-2026-06-19

The student was identified as Anunkeerthana, who had already appeared for NEET twice and was preparing to take the examination again.

A 19-year-old NEET aspirant died by suicide in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district, triggering fresh protests against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and reigniting the state’s long-standing demand for exemption from the medical entrance examination.

Police identified the student as Anunkeerthana, who had already appeared for NEET twice and was preparing to take the examination again. Investigators said she was distressed over having to reappear for the test following the recent NEET question paper leak, which led to a re-test for affected candidates.

“The frustration of yet another test seems to have driven her,” a senior police officer told NDTV.

Police said no suicide note was recovered from the scene. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to her death.

The incident sparked protests in Coimbatore, with demonstrators demanding that NEET be scrapped. The ruling DMK has also announced a statewide protest reiterating its demand for a NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET since its introduction, arguing that the examination disproportionately benefits students from affluent backgrounds who can afford expensive private coaching. The state government has maintained that the test places students from poor and rural families at a disadvantage despite strong performance in Class XII board examinations.

For nearly a decade before NEET was introduced, Tamil Nadu admitted medical students solely on the basis of Class XII marks, without any entrance examination. Supporters of the earlier system argue it improved access to medical education for students from government schools and rural areas.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed a bill seeking exemption from NEET, but it did not receive presidential assent, leaving the national entrance examination in force in the state.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/19-year-old-neet-aspirant-dies-by-suicide-in-tamil-nadu-coimbatore-11652017?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

The Supreme Court’s draft AI Regulations go well beyond existing precedents from other countries. But a few critical areas still need addressing.

A well-reasoned decision is pronounced by a trial court in Andhra Pradesh, but the case laws referred to in the judgment turn out to be non-existent and mere Artificial Intelligence (AI) hallucinations. The Supreme Court of India noted this in Gummadi Usha Rani vs Sure Mallikarjuna Rao (2026) and voiced its concern and the need to protect constitutional mandates.

The case triggered a seminal move — the Supreme Court issued the draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courts, 2026 (AI Regulations, hereafter). A possible trendsetter, the Supreme Court’s binding AI Regulations, once passed go well beyond existing precedents such as the UK’s Guidance for Judicial Office Holders (2025) and Singapore’s Guide on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools by Court Users. It could perhaps pave the way for a much-awaited parliamentary foray into enacting laws to regulate AI.

The Supreme Court balances constitutionality with adoption of technology in decision-making through its stated objective of “innovation over restraint”, in its responsible exploration, development and integration of AI systems and tools. It has adapted, and expanded, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s AI Principles of fairness, non-discrimination, transparency, explainability, accountability, data protection and privacy. It assures purpose limitation and proportionality.

To obviate cases such as the oft-quoted Roberto Mata vs Avianca Inc, (2022) — in which a US district court dismissed a personal injury case against Avianca, a Colombian airline, and fined the plaintiffs’ lawyers for submitting fake, AI-generated precedents — the Supreme Court’s AI Regulations mandate full and transparent disclosure of submissions that are AI-generated [Regulation 20(h)] and also, for accountability, of judicial officers using AI tools [Regulation 8]. It specifically invalidated basing any defence claims on the fact that an output is from an AI system, its hallucination or opaqueness.

Judgments from American courts, including in State v. Loomis (2016), reiterated the need for human oversight of AI use in judicial decision-making. Though the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) — a controversial recidivism-predicting AI tool — the court laid down guardrails.

Similarly, the AI Regulations emphasise that AI is subservient to human judgment and judicial authority [Regulation 4] and places accountability squarely on the judicial officer [Regulation 8]. It also mandates transparency through full disclosure that AI tools were used in submissions made to courts [Regulation 20(h)].

Permitting AI use for administrative functions such as case management is a crucial step towards solving persisting systemic ailments such as the country’s mammoth backlog. The Supreme Court has already adopted AI in its SUVAS (translation tool) and SUPACE (research and workflow tool) projects. The AI Regulations expand the scope for such positive adoption of AI [Regulation19].

The use of the heading “Prohibited Use of AI” in Regulation 20 may be misleading, as not all provisions of the regulation prohibit absolute use of AI tools or systems, despite the provision explicitly stating that the regulation is strictly “absolute and non-derogable”. For instance, Regulation 20(a) prohibits use of personal data to train, test, or refine AI systems, but this can be allowed with prior approval of the appropriate authority or as under applicable laws. Similarly, Regulation 20(h) permits submissions made using AI tools, with due disclosures.

While Regulation 20(b) and (c) restrict algorithmic decision-making and adjudication or sentencing, respectively, they do so with the qualifier that the human judicial authority shall determine adjudicative decisions and adjudication shall be mandatorily done by the human-in-the-loop, with AI output being merely advisory. These provisions are reminiscent of the “High Risk” category under the European Union’s AI Act. The use of generative AI by the Punjab and Haryana High Court — reportedly to understand “jurisprudence on bail when the assailants assaulted with cruelty” while rejecting bail, but qualifying AI usage as merely advisory — is illustrative of the above provisions.

Provisions such as risk scoring to evaluate flight risk, recidivism, bail eligibility, or determination of credibility of parties or witnesses; use of undisclosed, opaque, or unexplainable AI systems in court processes; predicting, profiling, or inferring future conduct or behaviour of parties, accused persons, witnesses, or legal representatives in court processes using AI systems; surveillance or continuous monitoring of judicial officers, advocates, litigants, or persons in court premises or court processes, except as permitted under applicable laws; and use of AI systems that compromise the confidentiality of judicial deliberations or the independence of judicial decision-making — Regulation 20 (d) to (g) and (i) — are absolutely prohibited. It is necessary to delineate those provisions that set limited prohibitions from ones mentioned herein above.

Similarly, understanding the risk not just of AI bias but also of AI outcomes prejudicing judicial decisions — as the ProPublica report on COMPAS cautions against — will be necessary while permitting high-risk usage.

Advocating the need for a sovereign cloud set-up to process sensitive judicial data is a welcome recognition of evolving data sovereignty principles, especially if private entities are engaged.

However, “developing” AI systems and tools being left out of the scope of the AI Regulations seems an inadvertent miss, and should be addressed soon, as all components, including explainability, transparency, intellectual property rights, data ownership, purpose limitation, and usage, apply from development to deployment.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/real-test-of-supreme-courts-ai-regulations-reducing-pendency-of-court-cases-ai-rules-india-prevent-misuse-101781744057878.html

India and the European Union on Wednesday emphasised the need to speed up the signing and implementation of a free trade agreement

India and the European Union on Wednesday emphasised the need to speed up the signing and implementation of a free trade agreement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top EU leadership discussed ways to enhance cooperation in key areas such as defence and security and in shaping a resilient multipolar global order.

Modi met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the margins of the G7 Summit in the French resort town of Evian, less than five months after the two sides concluded negotiations on the FTA and finalised a comprehensive strategic agenda during a visit to New Delhi by the EU leaders.

“This has been a great time for India-EU ties as we have concluded the Free Trade Agreement,” Modi said on social media, referring to the EU leaders’ participation in this year’s Republic Day celebrations.

“During our talks, we discussed how to further deepen economic linkages in the times to come. Our growing cooperation can play an important role in strengthening peace, stability and prosperity in today’s global environment,” he said.

Costa and von der Leyen said in identical social media posts that India and the EU “have been moving fast to deliver on our commitments” after concluding the “mother of all trade deals”. The two sides will sign the free trade agreement by the end of the year, accelerate work on an investment agreement, step up security and defence cooperation, and join forces on connectivity by advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), they said.

Modi said the two sides discussed ways to deepen economic linkages. “Our growing cooperation can play an important role in strengthening peace, stability and prosperity in today’s global environment,” he said.

The leaders described the conclusion of negotiations for the FTA as a “historic achievement” and stressed its expeditious signing and implementation in order to unlock trade and investment opportunities and contribute to the diversification of supply chains amid geopolitical turbulence, the external affairs ministry said in a readout.

The leaders also discussed progress in implementing the India-EU Comprehensive Strategic Agenda finalised in January, and regional and global issues. They welcomed developments in West Asia and reiterated their shared commitment to “shaping a resilient multipolar global order” that contributes to peace, stability and sustainable development, the readout said.

Modi also held a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the margins of the G7 Summit to review bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, technology, sustainable development, education and mobility. The leaders welcomed the signing of the defence industrial cooperation roadmap and the operationalisation of a transit visa waiver for Indian nationals.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-eu-push-for-early-signing-of-free-trade-deal-in-france-101781704756614.html

A techie claimed that their firm fired 45 developers, 90% of the team, to replace them with AI.

An anonymous tech architect has exposed the brutal reality of AI-driven job displacement in a viral social media post. The employee recounted returning from a corporate meeting with instructions to terminate 45 colleagues, effectively eliminating 90 per cent of the firm’s technical workforce. The individual claimed that the dramatic downsizing was fueled by AI completely replacing front-end development tasks. Even more alarming was the company’s cynical rationale; executives believe they can easily reverse the experiment if it fails, claiming that Bengaluru has a massive oversupply of engineering talent.

“I just got back from a meeting with instructions to lay off 45 people from our tech team,” wrote a Reddit user, adding, “That’s 90 percent of all the tech roles in the company. Reportedly the remaining 3 architects including me will be doing all the work from now on until the axe comes for us.”

In a Reddit post, the techie shared the company’s view on the layoffs. “Their POV is that if this restructuring does not pay off lets say in 6 months we are gonna come to know and then we can again hire back devs as devs are dime a dozen in Bangalore with oversupply.”

In the remainder of the post, the individual provided a detailed breakdown of their latest technical projects and outlined the company’s core operations.

What did social media say?

An individual commented, “I was recently laid off, too. I worked in a small start-up with very few employees to begin with, and they decided to lay off 4 out of 6 developers (only kept the team lead and one junior) and 2 out of 3 QA (only kept the QA lead), so they could cut costs and invest more into AI.”

Another expressed, “How can they eliminate 90% of tech roles – who will own the operational side of the system?? E.g. support work, on-call duty, outages, etc. Have you guys already built agentic workflows to solve this, and hence humans are not required?” The OP responded, “1 architect will do all full-stack work. 1 architect is going to do all devops and tech ops work. 1 architect will head QA, and 3 people will be under him. We are B2B. We never directly interact with customers; it always comes via PM as a feature request which gets built, tested and deployed.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/firm-says-developers-are-dime-a-dozen-in-bangalore-while-laying-off-90-of-its-team-101781682493797.html

A woman strongly urged Indians to leave the country and relocate overseas, suggesting destinations such as the USA, the UK, and Australia.

A video by a content creator urging Indians to relocate abroad for five to six years has ignited a fierce debate on Instagram. She argued that leaving the country, even for a few years, will teach people valuable lessons and reshape their lives. She further claimed that this stint would drastically boost bank balances. While many enthusiastic viewers agreed and asked for relocation tips, the post also drew sharp criticism.

“5–6 Saal Abroad = Life Change | Reality You Must Know,” content creator Ruchi wrote on Instagram and shared a video. In the video, she is seen walking outside while recording herself. It opens with a text insert that says, “Bas 5-6 saal ke liye India chhod do.”

In her video, Ruchi strongly advocates that individuals should take the leap and relocate outside of India for at least a few years. She firmly believes that the inevitable challenges, independence, and daily struggles one faces while navigating an entirely unfamiliar environment serve as a lesson for life.

Expanding on this philosophy, she claimed that after spending a few transformative years living abroad, people experience substantial growth in their bank balances and financial independence. She said that expats also discover that the entire experience has deeply reshaped their lives for the better.

What did social media say?

Many online users echoed Ruchi’s sentiments, eagerly reaching out to seek her practical advice on successfully relocating abroad. On the flip side, the post sparked a counter-perspective, with several people arguing that they would still choose to stay and invest in their future, building a fulfilling life right here in India.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/bas-5-6-saal-ke-liye-india-chhod-do-woman-in-america-strongly-urges-people-to-move-abroad-101781746730871.html

The ED searched 11 premises in Karnal, Delhi and Goa in the Mahesh Timber money laundering probe. The agency alleges manipulated letters of credit and forged trade papers were used to route the proceeds.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Unit, has conducted search operations at 11 premises in Karnal, Delhi and Goa linked to Ashok Mittal, Sourabh Dhingra, Bharat Bhushan Mittal, Raman Singhal and others as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving M/s Mahesh Timber Pvt Ltd.

The searches were carried out on June 16 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation stems from a CBI FIR registered against M/s Mahesh Timber Pvt Ltd, its directors and others for alleged offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the ED, the case relates to the fraudulent enhancement of Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) through unauthorised SWIFT amendments that were not reflected in the bank’s Finacle system. The alleged fraud caused a wrongful loss of about Rs 155.21 crore to Oriental Bank of Commerce and other consortium banks.

The agency’s investigation found that M/s Mahesh Timber Pvt Ltd, in alleged conspiracy with associated entities and individuals in India and Singapore, transferred around Rs 195.02 crore through manipulated FLCs without any genuine import of timber.

Customs verification reportedly established that several Bills of Entry and Bills of Lading submitted to banks were forged and fabricated. The ED alleged that a network of firms, including Amazon Exports Pte Ltd, Mahesh Timber Singapore Pte Ltd, Traffic Media India Pvt Ltd, BVM Shipping Pte Ltd and Pearl Maritime Pte Ltd, was used to create a facade of timber imports from Singapore to India, enabling the fraudulent transfer of funds through inflated FLCs.

The investigation has highlighted the alleged roles of Ashok Kumar Mittal, Raman Singhal and Deepak Singla. The ED said Mittal and Singhal held directorial or key managerial positions in several of the entities involved during the relevant period.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mahesh-timber-case-ed-searches-11-premises-over-fake-timber-imports-flc-fraud-2928722-2026-06-18

A man was allegedly beaten to death in Bihar’s Samastipur’s Harpur Bhindi village on Wednesday. The killing sparked an NH-28 blockade as residents demanded swift arrests and a thorough probe.

Tension prevailed in Bihar’s Samastipur district after a man was allegedly beaten to death by miscreants in Harpur Bhindi village under Tajpur police station limits on Wednesday. The incident triggered massive protests, with angry residents blocking National Highway-28 and demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible.

The deceased was identified as Kusheshwar Rai, a resident of Harpur Bhindi village. According to family members, Rai had recently sold a piece of land and was returning home with Rs 2 lakh, which he had received as part of the pending payment for the transaction.

Family members alleged that some unidentified persons intercepted him on his way home and assaulted him. Rai died at the spot due to the injuries sustained in the attack.

Relatives who reached the scene claimed that the bag containing the cash was missing. They suspected that Rai was first assaulted and may have later been forced to consume a poisonous substance, though the exact cause of death is yet to be established.

Enraged by the incident, villagers staged a protest with the body and blocked the Samastipur-Patna-Muzaffarpur route on NH-28. Protesters also burned tyres on the road, causing severe traffic congestion and long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.

The demonstrators demanded the immediate arrest of the killers and a thorough investigation into the incident. Police personnel reached the spot and attempted to persuade the protesters to clear the road, but they remained firm on their demands.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/bihar/story/samastipur-murder-nh-28-blockade-kusheshwar-rai-killing-protest-2928732-2026-06-18

Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT India Tour’ visit to Kolkata last year had spiralled from a grand celebration into an aggressive stadium riot due to rampant VIP mismanagement and severe security breaches.

Football legend Lionel Messi’s office has written to Kolkata Police, saying the promoter of his Kolkata event last year was not responsible for the chaos that disrupted the programme at Salt Lake Stadium and instead attributing the breakdown to alleged breaches of protocol and security arrangements by former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas and others.

According to an email dated June 17, sent by Messi’s office and shared by promoter Satadru Dutta, the decision to cut short the programme was beyond the organiser’s control.

“In my opinion, the unfortunate decision to have to terminate the event early was not in the control of the event promoter, Mr Satadru Dutta, and he was not responsible for this. Rather, it was a precautionary measure necessitated by the breach of event protocol and security arrangements on the ground by parties that were not part of the original event plan,” the letter said.

Messi’s much-publicised ‘GOAT India Tour’ stop in Kolkata in December 2025 descended into chaos amid allegations of mismanagement and serious security lapses. What was billed as an hour-long appearance ended after barely 20 minutes when Biswas and several political leaders allegedly entered the pitch to take selfies and interact with the Argentine star. Disappointed fans, many of whom had paid premium ticket prices, later vandalised parts of the stadium following Messi’s departure.

The letter alleged that pre-approved arrangements for Messi’s appearance were violated. It said the agreed protocol stipulated that no dignitaries would be present on the field and that only three camera operators would be allowed. However, it claimed that the then sports minister entered the field and participated in activities that were not part of the scheduled programme.

“During Mr Messi’s appearance at the stadium, the approved protocol of there being no dignitaries on the field and (permission of) only three camera operators was disrupted when the then sports minister entered the field of play and became involved in activities that were not part of the scheduled programme,” it said.

The communication further alleged that several unauthorised individuals, along with around 40 unaccredited photographers and camera operators, gained access to restricted areas, disrupting planned activities and raising concerns over Messi’s security, comfort and personal space.

“These actions, together with the presence of several other unauthorised individuals and approximately 40 unaccredited photographers and camera operators in restricted areas, disrupted the agreed events planned for the visit and created concerns regarding Mr. Messi’s security, comfort, and personal space and made it impossible for him to interact with the events and individuals planned on the stadium field,” the letter added.

It further said Messi’s early departure from the venue was “purely a consequence of unauthorised personnel becoming involved on the field and trying to alter the agreed plans, plus the unsecure nature of the many unaccredited people on the field.”

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lionel-messi-argentina-football-kolkata-salt-lake-event-email-aroop-biswas-protocol-breach-2928629-2026-06-17

 

Reacting to the move to temporarily ban Telegram, Kejriwal alleged that the government was resorting to symbolic measures instead of addressing the root cause of paper leaks.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday criticised the Centre’s decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, calling the move “absurd” and alleging that the government was not serious about tackling paper leaks.

The Centre on Tuesday ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram until June 22 ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG retest. The National Testing Agency (NTA) said the measure was aimed at curbing cheating networks and the spread of misinformation related to the examination.

Defending the decision, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the restriction was part of efforts to ensure a fair and malpractice-free conduct of the re-examination.

Reacting to the move, Kejriwal alleged that the government was resorting to symbolic measures instead of addressing the root cause of paper leaks.

“The Modi government has no intention of stopping paper leaks. That is why such absurd steps are being taken — transporting question papers in Army aircraft and shutting down Telegram. Will these measures stop paper leaks? Absolutely not,” he said in a post on X.

The former Delhi Chief Minister further claimed that paper leaks had become a multi-crore racket and alleged that those responsible enjoyed political protection.

“The paper leak business is worth thousands of crores. The money reaches the highest levels. If paper leaks stop, where will the money come from to buy MLAs and MPs?” he alleged.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/neet-ug-2026-retest-telegram-curbs-kejriwal-slams-centre-move-2928671-2026-06-17

The Panchana Dam water dispute is increasingly being viewed as more than a fight over irrigation. Many observers see it as reflecting broader social and political tensions, particularly between sections of the Gujjar and Meena communities.

The waters of the Panchana Dam, eastern Rajasthan’s largest earthen dam, have once again become the centre of a major dispute. What began as an irrigation issue has now evolved into a complex social, political and legal conflict.

The situation has reached a point where the dam’s water is neither reaching farms as intended nor resolving the long-standing grievances of farmers who have been fighting for what they consider their rightful share.

On one side, residents of 39 villages have been guarding the dam for the past month to prevent the release of water. On the other, farmers from 35 villages are staging protests, demanding that water be released into irrigation canals in accordance with a High Court order. Both sides claim legitimacy, deepening the standoff.

39 VILLAGES GUARDING DAM, 35 VILLAGES WANT WATER RELEASE

Farmers from villages located in the submergence zone have been camping near the Panchana Dam since May 16. Under the banner of the Panchana-Gudla Sangharsh Samiti, residents of 39 villages have maintained round-the-clock vigil at the site.

Their argument is that large tracts of their land were submerged during the construction of the dam, giving them the first right over its water. They allege that while they lost their land for the project, they never received the irrigation benefits that were promised at the time.

Meanwhile, farmers from the command area have been protesting for the past 10 days in Khandip village, located on the border of Karauli and Gangapur City.

These farmers argue that they regularly received canal water between 1992 and 2005 and therefore cannot be deprived of their share now. They are demanding the immediate release of water into the canal network, citing a May 2026 High Court directive and warning that continued delays could severely affect agriculture.

HIGH COURT INTERVENTION YET AGAIN

In May 2026, the High Court directed the Rajasthan government to release water from the Panchana Dam into the command-area canals without delay.

However, this is not the first time the judiciary has stepped in. Over the past two decades, courts have intervened in the dispute on three separate occasions. Despite repeated orders, little has changed on the ground, with successive governments struggling to implement a lasting solution.

The agitation in Khandip is being led by Congress MLA Ramkesh Meena. He has accused the government of failing to implement the court’s directions despite clear orders.

He has warned that if the government fails to present a concrete roadmap by June 27, protesters will launch a rail blockade agitation on June 28.

TRACKING THE CONFLICT

Hundreds of candidates returning from a constable recruitment exam triggered chaos at Katihar Railway Station after being stopped from boarding the Rajdhani Express.

Scenes of chaos unfolded at Bihar’s Katihar Railway Station on Tuesday evening when hundreds of candidates returning from a constable recruitment examination surged towards the Rajdhani Express, triggering a major commotion that eventually led to a police action.

The unrest began when a large number of candidates of the Prohibition Constable Recruitment Examination gathered at the station to return home after the examination. As the Rajdhani Express arrived, candidates, faced with overcrowding and limited travel options, rushed to board the train. Many managed to enter the reserved coaches amid the heavy rush.

Railway Police personnel subsequently removed the candidates from the train, sparking protests and heated exchanges on the platform. Visuals from the station showed large crowds attempting to board the Rajdhani Express while police escorted them out of the coaches.

The situation escalated further when a group of agitated candidates moved towards the locomotive, allegedly attempting to stop the train from departing. Railway Police repeatedly appealed to the crowd through public announcements, urging them not to proceed towards the engine and to maintain order.

However, as the crowd continued to advance and tensions mounted, the Railway Police used mild force and carried out a lathi charge to disperse the gathering and prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

During the confrontation, a woman candidate was seen engaged in a prolonged argument with police personnel before women police officers intervened and moved her away from the scene. Police also detained an individual described as an anti-social element who was allegedly involved in creating disturbances amid the crowd.

For a brief period, panic and disorder gripped the station, with candidates gathering on both sides of the railway tracks as authorities struggled to manage the sudden surge of passengers.

Railway DSP AK Akela later reached the station and helped restore normalcy. He said candidates had been prevented from boarding the Rajdhani Express due to overcrowding and noted that a large number of students had arrived from Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar after the first shift of the examination.

Akela said the railways had arranged special trains from Kishanganj and Forbesganj, along with additional services, to accommodate the examinees. Acknowledging the inconvenience faced by the candidates, he said the administration’s priority was to address their difficulties while managing the unexpected rush.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/katihar-railway-station-chaos-lathi-charge-after-examinees-stopped-from-boarding-rajdhani-2928674-2026-06-17

P Radha Gayatri was on a trip with her husband, Soumya Sricharan, who also works in the IT sector but in Pune.

A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie, police said on Tuesday. The woman has been identified as P Radha Gayatri, who worked with an IT firm in Gurugram and lived in Delhi’s Kidwai Nagar East.

She was on a trip with her husband, Soumya Sricharan, who also works in the IT sector but in Pune. Police said Gayatri and her husband reached the Kiana Homestay at Tipridhar (also referred to as Tipri Dhar) late on the night of June 14 after travelling from Delhi to Rishikesh the previous day.

They checked into a room named ‘Bliss’ around 11:30 pm. According to the husband’s account, the couple had consumed alcohol during the night and gone to sleep around 3:30 am. When he woke up in the morning, he found his wife naked, unresponsive and on the floor in a pool of urine, with blood oozing from her nose. Mussoorie police received information on Monday morning about an unresponsive woman at the homestay. Police reached the location along with a 108 ambulance.

A pharmacist attached to the ambulance examined her and declared her dead at the scene. A police statement said the body of the woman was found on the floor without clothes. Bloodstains were observed on the bedsheet. Two empty liquor bottles and food items were recovered from the room.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/p-radha-gayatri-soumya-sricharan-musoorie-delhi-techie-on-vacation-with-husband-found-dead-in-pool-of-urine-and-blood-11643702?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

As Rahul Gandhi prepares to address thousands of students in Kota over alleged exam irregularities and paper leaks, the BJP has accused Congress of politicising the issue, setting the stage for a high-voltage showdown.

With the NEET paper leak controversy once again at the centre of national debate, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to hold a major student convention in Rajasthan’s Kota on today evening, positioning the event as a platform to amplify concerns over examination irregularities, paper leaks and youth unemployment.

The programme, scheduled for 5.30 pm at the Shri Ram Rangmanch in Dussehra Ground, has triggered a political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP even before Gandhi takes the stage.

A day ahead of the event, Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of crushing the aspirations of millions of young Indians through “paper leaks, exam mismanagement, cancelled recruitments, skyrocketing fees, privatisation and scams”.

“My young and Gen Z friends, one thing is clear to me, and I want you to engrain this in your heart as well: securing the future of every young Indian is the government’s responsibility. Yet, both responsibility and integrity are concepts alien to the Modi government,” Gandhi wrote on X.

“Paper leaks, exam mismanagement, cancelled recruitments, skyrocketing fees, privatisation, and scams — these are the very tools with which they are shattering crores of dreams every day,” he said, adding that he wanted to discuss these issues directly with students.

The Congress has projected the Kota programme as the first in a nationwide series of student conventions focused on issues affecting young people, particularly alleged paper leaks and examination-related controversies.

CONGRESS GEARS UP FOR STUDENT OUTREACH

Ahead of Gandhi’s visit, Congress leaders intensified preparations in Kota. A meeting of the Mahila Congress was held at the party office in Gumanpura, where leaders discussed mobilisation efforts and assigned ward-level responsibilities to ensure strong participation.

Among those present were Mahila Congress national secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Deepti Singh, City District Congress Committee president Rakhi Gautam and Mahila Congress city president Shalini Gautam.

Party workers have been tasked with reaching out to students and young people across the city and encouraging participation in the interaction.

Deepti Singh described Kota as the centre of aspirations for lakhs of students from across the country and said Gandhi’s interaction carried special significance at a time when concerns over examinations and employment were growing.

She said issues such as the alleged NEET irregularities, questions surrounding examination systems and rising unemployment had become major concerns for young Indians.

Shalini Gautam said the event was not merely a political programme but an opportunity to bring students’ voices to a national platform and discuss issues related to education, employment and the future of the youth.

BJP ACCUSES CONGRESS OF POLITICISING STUDENTS

The BJP, however, launched a sharp attack on Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of exploiting students’ concerns for political gain.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the programme had been organised by Gandhi’s “toolkit gang” to mislead students and create political controversy ahead of the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21.

“When students want to study and rewrite their exam, why is it that you and your leaders are threatening students and other stakeholders?” Bhatia asked.

“The entire protest has been sponsored by the toolkit gang, whose kingpin is Rahul Gandhi. The motive is to play with the future of the youth, who are preparing to write their exam,” he claimed.

Bhatia questioned the timing of the programme, arguing that students should be concentrating on preparation for the re-examination rather than attending political events.

He also pointed to paper leak incidents during the previous Congress government in Rajasthan and asked whether the party had apologised to students affected during that period.

POLITICAL ROW DEEPENS

The controversy widened further after BJP workers staged a protest in Kota, arguing that students should be allowed to focus on their studies in the days leading up to the examination.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, meanwhile, accused the administration of removing hoardings promoting Gandhi’s programme. He claimed the action reflected nervousness within the ruling BJP and alleged a political conspiracy to undermine the event.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/neet-paper-leak-row-rahul-gandhi-kota-student-convention-bjp-clash-2928194-2026-06-17

 

Long before the BJP won Bengal, Mithun Chakraborty had built a connection with audiences that politics alone could not create. In 2026, that old screen nostalgia turned into political recall as Bengal voted for change. Mithun da is one of the unsung heroes of the BJP’s Bengal sweep.

“In 2026, the masnad (throne) will be ours [BJP’s], and we will do everything to achieve the goal.” That was what Mithun Chakraborty predicted after the BJP’s setback in West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The BJP did ascend the Bengal throne in 2026. And Mithun emerged as one of the silent heroes of the victory.

It’s been over a month since the BJP won the Bengal Assembly polls, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule. But in the saffron party’s breakthrough victory, Mithun Chakraborty stands out as the figure whose role has not been discussed much.

Mithun, fondly known as Mithun Da, embodied the overlap between Bengal’s cultural influence and politics. Throughout the Assembly polls, Mithun did not operate like a conventional neta. It was his screen legacy and the nostalgia attached to it that stayed alive in public memory.

While the BJP’s campaign itself revolved around Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s central face, anti-incumbency sentiment, and the BJP’s long push into Bengal, Mithun’s contribution seemingly worked in different ways. He was not the loudest voice in the room, nor the most visible face on the ground. His presence, though, seemingly had emotional familiarity, especially among millennials and older Bengali voters who grew up watching him dominate cinema screens through the 1980s and 1990s. Mithun is the Mahanayak.

In Bengal, where cinema and politics have historically overlapped, that kind of recall matters a lot.

The optics after the BJP’s victory, with Mithun standing beside Modi and the Prime Minister leaning in to whisper in the veteran actor’s ear, became symbolic in itself. Such proximity to the top leadership is often read as a marker of value and trust. In politics, these visuals carry their own weight beyond formal roles.

That positioning also sits within his broader connect with the RSS. In 2019, he met RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur for an hour-long discussion. In February 2021, he hosted Bhagwat for breakfast at his Mumbai residence.

The BJP tried to make inroads into West Bengal for decades, struggling to move beyond single-digit seat tallies. In that context, Mithun’s proximity to the party’s top leadership suggested that even if he did not campaign extensively, he was viewed as more than a celebrity face — someone who could help soften the BJP’s image in a state that has been resistant to BJP’s brand of politics.

Ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly election, Mithun took a hard stand against illegal immigration from Bangladesh. “As long as people like Mithun Chakraborty have a drop of blood in their body, this state will never become Bangladesh,” he said.

After the results, it seems even his son, Mahaakshay Chakraborty, by sheer coincidence, is also witnessing a better time professionally. Mahaakshay-starrer Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past has performed better-than-expected at the box office.

MITHUN’S JOURNEY FROM A NAXAL TO A FILMSTAR TO A POLITICIAN

Mithun Chakraborty’s own journey has seemingly mirrored Bengal’s political moods. Both have shifted quite drastically over the decades.

Born Gouranga Chakraborty in Kolkata in 1950, he was briefly associated with the Naxalite movement during the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s. Like many young Bengalis of that generation, he was drawn toward radical Left politics at a time when rebellion carried intellectual and emotional appeal.

Personal tragedy was involved, and accounts mention the death of his brother in an accident, which reportedly pushed him away from that Naxal world.

Cinema is where he reinvented himself.

After training at FTII Pune, he made a remarkable debut in Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa (1976), playing a tribal hunter trapped within structures of exploitation and power. The role earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor and immediately established him as a serious performer. Interestingly, his early filmography still reflected the anti-establishment themes that aligned with his youthful politics. Even The Naxalites (1980) kept him connected to that imagery of rebellion.

But Mithun’s true transformation came in the 1980s, when he shifted from parallel cinema to mass stardom. Disco Dancer (1982) turned him into a phenomenon not just in India, but across the Soviet Union and parts of Eastern Europe. Suddenly, he was no longer merely an actor with critical acclaim. He had become a pop-cultural export. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award.

Unlike many stars who remained confined to metropolitan audiences, Mithun’s appeal spread deep into smaller towns and working-class belts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.

That became especially important in his home state.

By the 2000s, Bengali cinema was going through one of its many identity crises, caught between fading mainstream formulas and niche urban storytelling.

Mithun stepped into that vacuum with films like Yuddho (2005), MLA Fatakeshto (2006), and Tulkalam (2007). Critics in elite circles often dismissed these films as loud or unsophisticated, but they connected powerfully with audiences across West Bengal.

Mithun was following a formula here. He played men who fought corrupt systems, protected families, defended women, and punished political wrongdoing. He was often framed less as a glamorous superstar and more as a dependable elder-brother figure. He was angry, emotional, and morally certain.

That image translated surprisingly well into politics.

MITHUN CHAKRABORTY’S NON-LINEAR POLITICAL JOURNEY

Mithun Chakraborty’s political journey has never been ideologically linear.

In 2014, Mamata Banerjee nominated him to the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) representative. At the time, he was seen as close to the TMC ecosystem and had even reportedly played a mediating role between Mamata Banerjee and Pranab Mukherjee during the 2012 presidential elections.

But by 2021, Bengal’s politics had changed dramatically.

The BJP was aggressively attempting to position itself as the primary challenger to the TMC, and Mithun joined the party at a high-profile rally attended by PM Modi in Kolkata. His induction immediately generated buzz, because he brought something the BJP had long struggled to cultivate in Bengal. Organic cultural familiarity.

At one point, he even showed CM ambitions, but it seemingly died down. On the sidelines of a conclave of ABVP, the RSS’s students’ organisation, in Kolkata in 2023, Chakraborty declared that he would change West Bengal in six months if he became CM.

Unlike imported campaigners or purely ideological faces, Mithun already belonged to Bengal, and had an emotional connect.

Just two years before this, during the 2021 campaign, he was already leaning heavily into his cinematic identity, using famous dialogues and punchlines from his films to energise election rallies.

“Ami joldora o noi, belebora o noi. Ami ekta cobra. Ami jaat gokhro, ek chhobol-ei chhobi.” [I am neither a harmless water snake, nor a grass snake. I am a pure cobra. One bite, and you become a photograph (dead).]

“Marbo ekhane, lash porbe shoshaney.” [I will hit you here (on the spot), but your dead body will fall in the crematorium.]

There was energy around the campaign, but the BJP lost the polls. But it significantly expanded its footprint in the state. Mithun’s role was not necessarily measurable in seats, but it definitely helped the party appear less alien to sections of Bengali voters.

By 2026, his campaigning was understandably less intense. Age had reduced the relentless roadshow politics and political attacks seen in 2021.

Yet his symbolic value arguably increased. Even limited appearances generated attention. When he voted in Belgachia and publicly expressed confidence about the BJP’s prospects, it reinforced the sense that he was emotionally invested in the BJP’s Bengal goal.

And after the victory, the optics mattered once again. Mithun in his signature maroon beret with a star insignia and silver goggles, his towering frame beside PM Modi, as the Prime Minister warmly patted his arm, speaking to him, congratulating him. The visuals went viral.

MILLENNIALS STILL REMEMBER MITHUN, HIS FILMS, AND THE NOSTALGIA ATTACHED TO THEM

Mithun’s appeal today is rooted less in Gen Z and more in generational memory.

Millennials and older audiences remember Mithun as a constant presence during the era of VHS tapes, satellite television, and dubbed action cinema. In many households across eastern India, his films played repeatedly for years.

Even when critics mocked the low-budget aesthetics of some of his films, audiences remained loyal because Mithun represented resistance, masculinity, family honour, and survival.

Critics argue that his switches between parties reflect opportunism. Instead, with the BJP, he positioned himself as a loyal campaigner who repeatedly said he was “not a leader” but someone following one — PM Modi.

As a matter of fact, after the BJP’s drubbing in the 2021 Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while several familiar faces deserted the party, Mithun remained loyal.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mithun-chakraborty-west-bengal-polls-bjp-victory-mimoh-return-tmc-loss-pm-narendra-modi-2927582-2026-06-17

 

A verbal altercation broke out between SpiceJet staff and passengers at West Bagdogra Airport after flight to Delhi was cancelled.

A SpiceJet staff member was involved in a heated verbal altercation with passengers, including shouting abuses at them, following the cancellation of a flight at West Bengal’s Bagdogra Airport last week. The airline has suspended the female employee after a video of the confrontation went viral on social media.

The footage shows heated exchanges between SpiceJet staff and passengers as security personnel attempted to bring the situation under control. Travellers alleged that repeated delays and the eventual cancellation of the Delhi-bound flight on June 13 triggered frustration and unrest at the airport.

“Due to this unpredictable cancellation, some of the irate passengers and our staff members got involved into a verbal altercation… SpiceJet has taken necessary disciplinary action against the staff member. She has been served with immediate suspension of services and sent to refresher training,” the airline said in a statement.

SpiceJet said the flight was cancelled following a series of operational challenges, including adverse weather conditions that forced the aircraft to initially divert to Kolkata.

One of the passengers, Noman Shaikh, said flight SG 151 was scheduled to depart at 4.10 pm but faced repeated delays throughout the day.

“We were informed that the flight would depart at 10 pm. However, later in the evening, we were told that it had been cancelled,” Shaikh said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/spicejet-bagdogra-airport-row-staffer-suspended-after-sg-151-cancellation-west-bengal-2928091-2026-06-16

 

According to exclusive details obtained from intelligence sources and corroborated by recent satellite imagery, Beijing is rapidly advancing the project despite persistent objections from New Delhi.

China has officially commenced the construction of the world’s largest dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, located just 50 kilometres from the Indian border. The infrastructural development has triggered significant concerns regarding its potential impacts on Arunachal Pradesh and other crucial downstream regions along the Brahmaputra river.

According to exclusive details obtained from intelligence sources and corroborated by recent satellite imagery, Beijing is rapidly advancing the project despite persistent objections from New Delhi.

The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation, taking note of all developments on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows into India as the Siang before becoming the Brahmaputra. Indian officials have raised serious alarms that the mega-dam could drastically alter water flow, disrupt the local ecology, severely affect agriculture, and trigger unpredictable flood patterns across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

While the project is ostensibly designed for massive hydropower generation as part of China’s broader infrastructure push in Tibet, its downstream implications remain highly volatile for India.

In a written response in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that it carefully monitors all activities relating to the Brahmaputra river basin, including Chinese plans for hydropower exploitation. To counter these challenges, the government is actively implementing necessary preventive and corrective measures to safeguard the lives, properties, and livelihoods of Indian citizens residing in the downstream areas.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/china-yarlung-tsangpo-dam-near-arunachal-border-india-monitors-2928138-2026-06-17

A 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly died by suicide after struggling with repeated NEET attempts. Police recovered a note for her parents as investigators examine evidence and await the post-mortem report.

A 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly died by suicide after reportedly struggling to clear the NEET examination, leaving behind a note for her parents that read, “Mummy-Papa, I love you.”

The woman was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her room at a house in Chandramani Colony under the Patel Nagar area. Police reached the spot after being informed and sent the body for post-mortem examination.

According to police, a suicide note recovered from the scene contained the emotional message addressed to her parents. Preliminary investigation suggests the woman had been preparing for the NEET examination for a long time with hopes of pursuing a career in medicine.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/uttarakhand/story/neet-dehradun-woman-dies-by-suicide-police-recover-note-for-parents-2928145-2026-06-17

The latest Nipah case in the state was confirmed on June 11 after test results of a 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara here returned positive. According to the Health Department, 103 persons are currently on the Nipah contact list.

No new Nipah cases have been reported in Kozhikode district and no fresh contacts have been added to the surveillance list, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Monday.

In a statement, the minister said the Nipah patient undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital remains on ventilator support.

The second dose of the monoclonal antibody drug was administered to the patient in accordance with ICMR guidelines, he said.

Muraleedharan also said the second test result of a healthcare worker included in the patient’s primary contact list had returned negative.

Of the seven persons admitted for observation, two close relatives of the patient were discharged on Monday after their symptoms subsided. Their Nipah test results had earlier returned negative, the minister said.

Another close relative, who had been under quarantine as part of the contact list, was admitted to the medical college hospital for observation on Sunday.

At present, six persons are under observation in the hospital, while the sample of another healthcare worker on the contact list has been sent for testing.

According to the Health Department, 103 persons are currently on the contact list. Of them, four are categorised as very high-risk contacts, 14 as high-risk contacts and 85 as low-risk contacts. The contact list includes 45 healthcare workers.

As part of intensified surveillance activities, a central team visited the private hospital in Feroke where the infected patient had initially sought treatment, officials said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nipah-cases-in-kozhikode-no-new-infection-patient-on-ventilator-kerala-2927206-2026-06-15

Police have arrested a Khargone cooperative bank cashier accused of stealing over Rs 41 lakh. Investigators are checking her claim that most of the money was lost in online gaming and tracing whether others were involved.

A 44-year-old woman cashier accused of stealing more than Rs 41 lakh from a cooperative bank in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone has been arrested after remaining on the run for several days. During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly told police that she lost over Rs 35 lakh of the misappropriated money while playing an online game and spent part of the funds on family trips and air travel.

The accused, identified as Ritu Goswami, was posted at the Thibgaon branch of the District Cooperative Central Bank. Police said she is accused of embezzling Rs 41.58 lakh from the bank.

According to investigators, Goswami allegedly siphoned off the funds and later fled. Following her arrest, police recovered Rs 1.49 lakh in cash, three mobile phones and her bank identity card. Officials are now trying to trace the remaining amount.

During interrogation, Goswami claimed she became involved with the Star Maker online platform through a link and gradually lost large sums of money while playing the game. Police are verifying her claims and examining financial transactions linked to the alleged embezzlement.

TRAVELLED TO IN-LAWS IN MUMBAI BEFORE FLEEING

The probe further revealed that after allegedly fleeing with the bank’s funds, Goswami travelled to her in-laws’ residence in Mumbai. She reportedly told family members that she was on leave from work. Police said the mobile phones of several family members had also been switched off, making it difficult for bank officials and investigators to contact them.

A police team tracked the accused across multiple locations, including Mumbai and Delhi, before eventually arresting her.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-khargone-bank-embezzlement-cashier-rs-35-lakh-lost-star-maker-2927227-2026-06-15

The incident took place on Sunday in Hapur when Sahil, a resident of Dadri, was travelling with his family to a relative’s house in neighbouring Meerut district. According to officials, the family was diverted onto an alternative route suggested by Google Maps after a road near the Delhi Phatak overbridge was closed for repair work.

Five members of a family, including women and children, were rescued after their car plunged into a water-filled drain while they were following directions provided by Google Maps in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday in Hapur when Sahil, a resident of Dadri, was travelling with his family to a relative’s house in neighbouring Meerut district.

According to officials, the family was diverted onto an alternative route suggested by Google Maps after a road near the Delhi Phatak overbridge was closed for repair work. As the vehicle entered the Anand Vihar Yojana area in Hapur, Sahil reportedly mistook a flooded stretch for routine waterlogging due to poor visibility and continued driving.

The car subsequently veered off the road and fell into a deep drain concealed beneath the accumulated water. Officials said the vehicle’s electronic system malfunctioned after entering the drain, causing the doors to lock and trapping all five occupants inside.

After receiving a distress call through Dial 112, police rushed to the spot and sought assistance from the fire department. Firefighters launched a rescue operation that lasted nearly two hours and managed to safely evacuate all five occupants through the windows.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/google-maps-hapur-family-car-falls-into-water-filled-drain-rescue-2927305-2026-06-15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Slovakia’s highest civilian award during his visit to Bratislava. The trip also marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence and saw both sides deepen cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Slovakia’s highest civilian award, the Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class), during his visit to Bratislava on Monday. The honour marks the 33rd international award bestowed on Modi by a foreign nation and comes during a landmark visit that has further strengthened ties between India and Slovakia.

Modi also became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Slovakia since the country gained independence, making the trip a significant milestone in bilateral relations. This was PM Modi’s 33rd international award.

Expressing gratitude after receiving the honour, Modi said the award belonged to the 140 crore people of India and dedicated it to the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia.

During the visit, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini welcomed Modi at the Presidential Palace, where the two leaders held discussions on expanding cooperation in areas including trade, technology, defence and strategic affairs. Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior officials.

THE LEADERS ALSO ATTENDED A SPECIAL YOGA SESSION

Ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21, the two leaders also attended a special yoga session organised at the Presidential Palace. Modi later visited a unique exhibition inspired by Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, accompanied by President Pellegrini.

Earlier in the day, Modi held delegation-level talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The two sides signed Memorandums of Understanding on labour migration and digital technology, reflecting efforts to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-narendra-modi-slovakia-top-civilian-award-bratislava-visit-2927337-2026-06-15

Omar Abdullah said the National Conference will hold its planned Jantar Mantar sit-in over Jammu and Kashmir statehood. He said the protest is meant to remind the Centre of assurances made in court, Parliament and public statements.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said his National Conference will go ahead with its decision to hold a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament to remind the Centre of its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Abdullah said the decision to hold the protest has not changed following his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Abdullah met the prime minister in Delhi on June 11, strongly pressing for the “early return” of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and seeking central support to accelerate the region’s economic and infrastructural growth.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/jammu-and-kashmir/story/jammu-and-kashmir-statehood-omar-abdullah-nc-jantar-mantar-protest-2927344-2026-06-16

 

The Centre has constituted a high-level committee under Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to study demographic changes in border districts, metropolitan cities and industrial hubs. The panel will assess migration patterns, security implications and population trends before submitting its report to the Home Ministry within a year.

The Centre is preparing to take a closer look at rapidly changing demographic patterns in several border districts and urban centres across the country. The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025, when he expressed concern over what he described as “unnatural demographic changes” in certain regions.

The government has since identified the issue as a matter linked not only to population trends but also to national security, social balance and administrative planning. To examine the issue in detail, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a high-level committee on May 26, 2026, under the chairmanship of Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar.

According to sources, the committee will study demographic changes in areas along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders as well as several urban centres. The panel is expected to submit its findings to the Home Ministry within one year.

AMIT SHAH REVIEWS PROGRESS OF THE COMMITTEE

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently chaired a review meeting with senior Home Ministry officials to assess the progress of the committee and discuss arrangements required for its functioning.

During the meeting, officials reviewed logistical support, administrative assistance and other resources needed for the committee’s work. The Home Ministry said the panel has already held its first meeting and finalised a detailed agenda. In the coming months, members are expected to undertake field visits across multiple regions before preparing a comprehensive report for the government.

WHAT IS DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AND WHAT WILL THE COMMITTEE STUDY?

Demographic change refers to shifts in the population structure of a region. Such changes can occur naturally due to factors such as birth rates, mortality, employment opportunities, migration and economic activity.

However, the government’s focus is on what it terms “unnatural demographic changes” that may arise from illegal infiltration, unchecked migration or other unusual factors that significantly alter the population balance of a region.

Officials believe such changes can have implications for social and cultural structures, resource allocation, governance and security. The committee will examine these concerns and assess whether reported changes in population patterns are supported by factual evidence.

BORDER AREAS TO REMAIN KEY FOCUS

A major focus of the committee’s work will be districts located along the India-Bangladesh and India-Pakistan borders.

Over the years, concerns have periodically been raised by security agencies and political groups regarding illegal infiltration and changes in population patterns in some border regions. States such as Assam, West Bengal and parts of the Northeast have frequently witnessed debates on demographic trends.

Sources said the committee will interact with local administrations, security agencies, elected representatives and civil society groups during field visits. It is also expected to analyse Census data, voter rolls, migration records and other government databases to assess the situation.

METROPOLITAN AND INDUSTRIAL CITIES ALSO UNDER SCANNER

The fires and collapses in recent weeks are rooted in Delhi’s decades of unplanned expansion that pushed millions into neighbourhoods never designed for safety.

It’s been a year, but Tahir Khan, 35 still recalls the day he was handed his waiter’s uniform. The job only offered ₹12,000 a month – barely enough to scrape a living for him, his wife and two kids – but, he had no other option. “A year ago, I was let go from my previous job as a waiter at a restaurant. It paid ₹16,000 a month. With four mouths to feed, I couldn’t go without an income, so I took up whatever job I found,” he said.

As he was handed his uniform – a crisp white shirt with a tiny embroidered monogram, to be paired with black trousers – he was given a quick reckoner on how to greet guests: say “Good morning” to everyone he met at the start of the day; say “Enjoy your food” as he served food at the restaurant or in the 30 rooms in the four-storey structure that touted itself as a hotel.

Then, on June 5, his workplace – Lemon Green B&B in Hauz Rani – was sealed as part of a wider crackdown on illegal hotels running on permissions given for six-room B&B units. The sealing was a response to a fire at another B&B in the area that left 23 dead.

“How would I know the hotel was illegal? It seemed like a professional set-up to me. I needed the money. Why would I even care if it was illegal? I don’t have the luxury to care about such things when I have a family of four to provide for,” says Khan.

After the sealing, Khan returned to his house – barely three lanes away in Hauz Rani. He navigated past a patch of garbage strewn across the floor onto a narrow flight of exposed, red-brick steps that led to his house in a neighbourhood where the concept of a “studio apartment” takes on new meaning. The “flat” – as he calls it – is a single, dimly lit room with a bed on the right and a kitchen slab (it’s inadequacy doesn’t warrant the use of the term counter) on the left. He has squeezed in an almirah beside the bed along with a sewing machine, where his wife is stitching clothes. The rent is ₹5,000 a month.

He doesn’t know for sure if this matchbox room is in an illegal structure. “It probably is.”

The story of Khan, his wife and his kids finds echoes in millions of others in Delhi’s nearly 1,800 unauthorised colonies –in Hauz Rani, Saidulajab, Burari, Shakur Basti, Kirari, or countless others spread across the city. These areas are populated mostly by migrant workers who have come to the Capital chasing dreams. Almost all colonies are on private or agricultural land or so-called urban villages, usually without formal planning or approvals for structural or fire safety.

Hauz Rani’s genesis, like the people who live there, was humble. It cropped up more out of need than want: a small agricultural village around a Mughal-era bath, sitting in the uncomfortable zone where the working-class’ demand for land comes from proximity to upscale neighbourhoods such as Saket. In the early 2010s, the area also started catering to a specific but desperate clientele; its proximity to a large private hospital created lucrative demand for short-term accommodation for people – often foreigners, but also Indians – who needed a place to stay while their relatives received treatment.

On the morning of June 3, a fire broke out at Flourish Stay B&B. The establishment had permission for only six rooms but was operating at least 26 across four storeys, a basement, and the roof, along with a restaurant on the ground floor. There was no fire exit. The front façade was covered with toughened glass. In total, 23 people died in the blaze. Almost all victims were there either for treatment, or were visiting a loved one who was getting treated, like the Agrawal family from Gurugram, eight of whose members perished in the fire, while the patriarch was being treated in the hospital. He too died on June 8.

“Over the years, many property owners converted houses into B&Bs and guest houses, several of which gradually began functioning like full-fledged hotels,” said Mohammed Wasim, a resident. The Delhi government’s B&B policy was the easiest way to establish a hotel here, with one deviation: build 20-plus rooms instead of the six approved, run a full-fledged restaurant without permission, and keep adding floors to an already illegal building. That’s the model Flourish’s owner adopted, and it is likely he knew how to get around regulations, or at least knew people who knew how. No government or Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) employee has been arrested for the fire; a 65-year-old cook has.

An MCD spokesperson refused to comment. However a senior MCD official said that the health inspector of the area has been sacked and show cause notices have been issued to five officials.

The Saidulajab story

Just a 15-minute drive from Hauz Rani is Saidulajab, where, on May 30 a dozen people gathered in a small canteen next to a five-storey building where two illegal floors were under construction. The largely illegal structure suddenly collapsed, killing six people – two doctors, three engineers, and the woman who ran the canteen.

It was a stark reminder of the decline of what was, only a decade ago, the next big thing among Delhi’s urban villages. By 2017, Hauz Khas Village’s glory days had ended, and Saidulajab’s Champa Gali had emerged as the new hip address, on the cusp of taking over the throne, with its “Parisian passageways,” vintage clothing boutiques, indie bookstores, block parties under a canopy of fairy lights, and cafes that romanticised chai while offering pho on their menus.

Just 100 metres away was Westend Marg, slowly emerging as a hub for co-working spaces and cheaper home rentals. It grew so haphazardly that it became a story of how unregulated urban expansion can breed tragedies like the one seen on May 30, barely a few hundred metres away on a much wider road.

Jai Bhagwan, a 70-year-old resident known as “Tau,” remembers Saidulajab in the 1960s as entirely agricultural land. His grandfather cultivated wheat and cauliflower.

The landscape began changing in the early 1990s as the city expanded and farming became difficult. “We also tried poultry farming, but that lasted only a few years. We had to switch because there was not enough water for irrigation,” Bhagwan said.

As development accelerated, migrant labourers arrived. Local landowners realised renting small rooms was a good market.

Former DDA commissioner (planning) AK Jain said that “the implementation of the master plan regulations in Delhi’s village areas was constrained by Land Reforms Act and the land mafia took advantage of the loopholes to undertake largescale unplanned development in places like Saidulajab, Hauz Khas, Shahpur Jat for monetary gains.”

A 65-year-old who owns nearly 7,000 square feet of land said the opening of the Garden of Five Senses in 2003 significantly increased footfall along Westend Marg. “There was nothing here. Should a farmer not be allowed to progress in life?” he asked.

And so they did, growing vertically in a seeming quest for upward mobility – for both landlord and tenant.

A story for 60% of Delhi

It isn’t uncommon to see structures rising six to eight storeys high without adequate oversight in the city’s unauthorised colonies. According to the National Building Code, buildings require varying degrees of fire safety clearances based on their heights. But if an entire street, block, and neighbourhood is illegal, then norms exist only on paper.

The Shelter Baseline Report prepared for the Master Plan of Delhi 2041 notes: “Over 60% of Delhi’s population lives in unplanned informal settlements with compromised habitation conditions – unsafe dwellings with poor access to basic services.”

The report explicitly notes that “strict enforcement of laws regarding layout approvals and authorised construction is essential to ensure a quality-built environment.” Yet it immediately acknowledges that implementation mechanisms remained weak.

For urban planners, the problem is that millions now live in areas never designed to handle emergencies. Narrow lanes prevent fire tenders from reaching affected buildings. Electrical networks evolve ad hoc. Open spaces are scarce. Additional floors are added without scrutiny. Evacuation routes are limited.

The Delhi Sub-Regional Plan 2021 also links unregulated urban growth with disaster vulnerability. After analysing fire incidents between 2003 and 2016, the plan observed: “The number of fire incidents in JJ clusters and high-rise buildings has reduced while fire incidents in industrial and residential areas have increased. One of the reasons is that residential areas have become havens for… dangerous commercial activities without making required firefighting provisions.”

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, authorities have started granting legal recognition to these areas without first providing wider roads, better emergency access, safety audits, or enhanced firefighting infrastructure.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhis-unsafe-neighbourhoods-and-the-human-cost-of-unauthorised-growth-101781571279654.html

 

There is a possibility that Manipur, which was otherwise scheduled to go to the polls with these states, may have elections at a later date.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the poll-bound states of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for the possibility of assembly elections being advanced by at least a month, as the electoral exercise, scheduled for February next year, will coincide with the Census, people aware of the matter said.

There is a possibility that Manipur, which was otherwise scheduled to go to the polls with these states, may have elections at a later date given the sporadic instances of unrest, added one of the people, asking not to be named.

Manipur, roiled by Kuki-Meitei clashes since 2023, has, in the past few months, seen a flare-up in Kuki-Naga clashes.

The main reason for considering bringing the elections forward is staffing.

“Enumerators and polling personnel are likely to be drawn from the same pool–mostly teachers and government employees– which will lead to manpower shortage. The possibility of assembly polls being advanced has been discussed in all the states,” said a senior BJP functionary who asked not to be named.

Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase, a house listing exercise currently underway, and the second leg, the Population Enumeration (PE) scheduled for February 2027. Caste enumeration will also be done during the second phase of Census.

In 2022, elections to all five states were held in February and the results were declared in March. The tenure of the assemblies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will expire in March 2027, and the UP assembly’s term will end in May. Two more states, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, are scheduled to go to the polls at the end of 2027. The BJP is in power in all the states except Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

“Although the BJP ideologically does not favour early elections by truncating the term of the House, in this case, the logistical issue seems to favour a deviation from the norm,” said the functionary quoted above. The party’s big win in West Bengal, which is seen as sign of the consolidation of the Hindu vote bank and the government’s desire to move to a one-nation-one-election cycle eventually are the other reasons being cited for supporting early elections.

In Uttarakhand, where the BJP is hoping to retain power for the third consecutive term, the party had suggested advancing the polls to December, later this year.

“The party made the suggestion to avoid burdening the employees who would be required to put in long hours for both the election as well as Census…if elections were to be held at the end of the year, there will be a full month of rest for the people involved before they set out for Census data collection,” said a state leader.

In Punjab, both the BJP and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, have hinted at early polls.

“The election commission will take the final decision, but all political parties have flagged concerns about the two important exercises coinciding. In poll-bound states this will be a challenge,” said a BJP functionary in Punjab, asking not to be named.

The AAP too has begun preparations for an early election. AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister. Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, while declaring Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as the party’s chief ministerial candidate, announced that elections could be held as early as November (later this year).

“I have learnt that the election in Punjab would not be held in February 2027 but in November this year. So, now we should work together to elect Mann as the CM again,” Kejriwal said.

In Punjab, where the BJP no longer has an alliance with the Akali Dal, the party unit has been asked to hit the ground running. “We had a high level meeting over the weekend, and union home minister Amit Shah has told the cadre that we have to contest to win…the target has been set,” said the state BJP functionary quoted above.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-leaders-eye-early-assembly-elections-for-goa-punjab-uttarakhand-and-uttar-pradesh-101781572208045.html

In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.

The Palau-flagged commercial vessel, which came under the US military’s attack in the Gulf of Oman, had reportedly “dismissed” nearly “60 verbal warnings” and at least “eight shows of force” before being fired upon. The US military has said an American aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of MT Settebello to disable it, killing three Indian sailors, Indian officials said.

The US military’s show of force on the commercial vessel included firing flares and flyovers, as well as two final warnings before being fired upon on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, quoting a US official who was not authorised to publicly discuss the sensitive matter.

The US official claimed the vessel was a “shadow fleet ship” that had been used to illegally transfer Iranian oil and evade sanctions and was seen trying to break the blockade multiple times. The official alleged that the American forces communicated with the ship dozens of times over two weeks before the day when the ship was disabled.

In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.

“After being in place for more than 60 days, it should be clear by now that U.S. forces will strictly enforce the blockade,” the statement added.

India Lodges Complaint

New Delhi last week summoned the US charge d’affaires to strongly protest a US military attack on a commercial vessel off the Oman coast that killed three of the 24 Indian crew members on board.

US’ Reply

The US Central Command acknowledged the strike, saying the vessel violated the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Indian counterpart on Friday “that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”, according to a summary of the call released by the State Department on Saturday.

US and Iran Reach A Deal

In a relief for the Indian crew operating on commercial ships in Hormuz, the United States and Iran have agreed to a peace deal and an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, signalling the apparent end to more than three months of war in the Middle East.

The deal is scheduled to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-warned-ship-60-times-before-attack-killed-3-indians-near-oman-report-11636936?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed readiness to ally with opposition parties if treated with respect and equal status to stop BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party have taken differing positions on the prospect of an alliance with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, exposing contrasting approaches within the opposition INDIA bloc as it seeks to regroup after a series of electoral setbacks.

Congress MP Imran Masood on Sunday said any decision on AIMIM joining the INDIA bloc would be taken by the party’s central leadership, but stressed there could be “no compromise with communalism”.

“It will not be possible to oppose communalism on one side and strengthen communalism on the other. The fight is between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. There is no middle ground. Only Rahul Gandhi has the power to defeat the BJP,” Masood said. “Therefore, those who want to defeat the BJP should join Rahul Gandhi and support him.”

Masood’s remarks come as the opposition alliance reassesses its strategy after suffering major defeats in Delhi, Bihar and West Bengal over the past year. In Delhi and Bengal, INDIA bloc constituents Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress suffered heavy losses, while the BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) secured comfortable victories in Bihar.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc met in Delhi last week to review the alliance’s future direction. At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi urged partners to remain united despite recent setbacks, arguing that defeating the BJP would be easier if opposition parties stood together.

Gandhi also cautioned alliance partners, including the Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, that traditional political strategies and campaign methods may no longer be effective. “These only worked when the State provides a fair playing field… That field does not exist anymore,” he said.

Reiterating the Congress’ role within the alliance, Gandhi said the party was prepared to “swallow all the poison” spread by the BJP as it continued to lead the opposition’s fight against the ruling party.

However, a contrasting view appears to be gaining traction among some INDIA bloc leaders, favouring a broader anti-BJP coalition that could include Owaisi’s AIMIM.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav welcomed any political force capable of weakening the BJP. “Whoever defeats the BJP is welcome,” he said when asked about the possibility of an understanding with AIMIM in Uttar Pradesh.

Owaisi, meanwhile, said his party was open to joining hands with other opposition parties to prevent the BJP from returning to power in the state.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-samajwadi-partys-mixed-signals-on-asaduddin-owaisi-deal-for-2027-up-poll-11638220?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The Akal Takht has asked the Sikh community to have nothing to do with the AAP leader.

Coming out strongly against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Akal Takht has declared him ‘anti-Guru’ and asked the ‘panth’, or the Sikh community, to have nothing to do with him.

The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Mann had been summoned by the Akal Takht and appeared before it on January 15 over his alleged objectionable remarks about Sikh devotees. The Takht had also questioned the AAP leader about a video in which a person resembling him was seen sprinkling alcohol on images of Sikh gurus.

The chief minister had denied the accusation and said the video was AI-generated. On Monday, it came to the fore that forensic tests had been done and the video was found to be genuine. The AAP then countered that the tests had not revealed whether the person in the video was indeed Mann.

Following a meeting of the five Singh Sahibs (high priests) the same day, Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj announced a verdict.

“We questioned the chief minister regarding the video and he claimed it was AI-generated. We asked him to give us proof of this but received no response for six months. We then had the video examined by two laboratories recognised by the Government of India, which revealed that the video is neither fake nor AI-generated. Today, the ‘panth’ took action and reached a decision on this matter,” Gargaj said.

The Jathedar said Mann lied while at the Akal Takht and has been declared guilty before the Guru or ‘anti-Guru’. “Sikhs have no expectations from the chief minister, and the ‘panth’ and followers of the Guru should have nothing to do with him,” he added.

Punjab Cabinet Summoned

In another significant action ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections next year, the Akal Takht has summoned the entire Punjab cabinet to appear before it on June 29 over passage of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill prescribed punishment up to life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege against the Sikh holy book.

“It is intolerable for anyone to challenge the Guru’s throne. Recently, the Punjab government introduced an Act without consulting the Sikh community, institutions, or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government acted obstinately, securing approval from the Legislative Assembly and the Governor. This law will cause a rift within the ‘panth’. The government has no authority to enact legislation concerning the ‘panth’,” Gargaj said.

Resignation Demand

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said Mann should resign immediately.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bhagwant-mann-declared-anti-guru-by-akal-takht-ahead-of-punjab-polls-11639198?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

It’s common knowledge that ticks can spread infections that cause serious illnesses, including Lyme disease. Now health officials are trying to raise awareness of a lesser-known problem: a life-threatening allergy to meat triggered by tick bites.

The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked to a particular species of ticks about 15 years ago. But cases are on the rise as more people report symptoms such as hives, diarrhea and itchiness after eating as little as a mouthful of meat and — in some cases — dairy. The allergy doesn’t impact consumption of seafood or poultry. Chicken, turkey and eggs are all OK to eat.

For years, the standard treatment has involved avoiding foods that come from cows, pigs and lambs while carrying an epinephrine injector in case of medical emergency. But regulators recently approved the first drug for the condition, and more therapies may be on the way.

Here’s what to know about alpha-gal syndrome:

What causes it?

Unlike other tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal syndrome isn’t caused by a bacteria or a virus. Instead, it occurs when the human immune system triggers an allergic response to a type of sugar, known as alpha-gal.

Alpha-gal is found in the meat of most mammals, but not in humans or other primates. It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.

When eaten, the sugar is normally harmless. But when ticks bite through the skin, they can introduce the sugar directly into the bloodstream. That triggers the development of antibodies — immune system proteins that fight off foreign invaders — that quickly learn to identify and attack alpha-gal sugar molecules.

“It turns out that the skin is a fantastic way to make an allergic response,” said Dr. Scott Commins, an alpha-gal syndrome researcher at the University of North Carolina. “If this all happened orally, and we were eating alpha-gal like we do with steaks or barbecue, then we wouldn’t become allergic.”

People that develop the antibodies will often experience a strong allergic reaction a few hours after consuming meat or dairy. But it can take weeks or months for the problem to develop, with the severity of symptoms often increasing over time.

Why are more people being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome?

Experts point to increased awareness among health professionals and the public.

“I think part of it is more people have learned about it and are on the watch for this syndrome,” said Maria Diuk-Wasser, a Columbia University researcher who studies tick-borne diseases.

But rising cases also reflect the expanding habitat range of the lone star tick, the primary source of the condition in the U.S. Often identifiable by a white dot on its back, the lone star tick is most common in the eastern and southern U.S. But in recent years it’s been reported in new parts of the country, including the Great Lakes region and as far north as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

Researchers worry that other types of ticks, including blacklegged ticks, may also increasingly spread the condition.

Roughly 450,000 Americans are estimated to have developed the allergy, according to a 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When should someone get tested?

People usually seek medical attention after experiencing worrisome symptoms, including hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue or eyelids. Some people may only experience digestive issues, including diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea.

Doctors diagnose the allergy based on results from a blood test, symptoms and other details reported by the patient, including whether they recall any recent bug bites.

The blood test detects the presence of alpha-gal antibodies, but not all patients with a positive result develop the condition. Sometimes the test can also be wrong.

“The blood test in and of itself is great, but you can’t rely on that just for diagnosis. You need the actual symptoms too,” Commins said. “In the allergy world, we have a lot of trouble with false positives on blood tests.”

Which foods are off limits?

Doctors generally advise patients to avoid beef, pork, lamb and other meats from mammals. Some people are still be able to consume dairy products from these animals, including milk, cheese and butter. Those with particularly severe reactions may need to avoid foods made with other animal byproducts such as gelatin, which is found in marshmallows and gummy bears.

One rare exception: meat from a small number of pigs that have been genetically modified to not produce alpha-gal. Approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, the pigs are bred as part of an experimental effort to harvest animal organs for transplantation into humans. Deactivating the alpha-gal gene was a critical first step to make sure the human immune system wouldn’t immediately reject the foreign organs. Meat from these so-called “GalSafe” pigs is available from a company called Amaroo Hills.

People with the syndrome may also have to avoid certain medical products and implants. For instance, many heart valves are made from cow or pig parts.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/alphagal-syndrome-tick-bite-meat-allergy-d604cb9e6a1ae9673085cc4efe7178b2

The Indian Army has unveiled Army Uniforms-2026, recasting dress, ceremony and grooming rules. The changes bring in more Indian elements, trim colonial-era practices and tighten appearance standards.

In a major step towards reshaping military traditions around Indian values and contemporary operational requirements, the Indian Army has introduced a comprehensive new dress code that replaces several colonial-era practices while tightening standards related to appearance, grooming and ceremonial attire.

The new regulations, detailed in the Army Uniforms-2026 manual, represent the most extensive revision of military dress and appearance norms in nearly a decade. Army officials describe the changes as part of a wider effort to strengthen the force’s indigenous identity while preserving its regimental heritage and professional ethos.

One of the most visible changes is the introduction of the traditional Bandi jacket into the Army’s formal dress code for officers. The closed-neck Indian-style jacket can now be worn during specified formal occasions, reflecting the Army’s growing emphasis on incorporating indigenous cultural elements into military customs.

The revised manual also introduces a new winter uniform, designated Dress 3B, for personnel of all ranks. The attire consists of an Angola shirt paired with a battle jacket and beret, providing a standardised winter dress pattern across formations. The Army has additionally authorised the winter ceremonial uniform Dress 1C for officers, a category that was previously restricted to Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks.

The reforms go beyond clothing and touch upon long-standing ceremonial practices. The Army has reduced the prominence of several colonial-era accoutrements and customs, including the use of pouch belts in certain formal mess dresses. Swords, traditionally carried during some ceremonial events, will no longer be mandatory in many situations, reflecting a shift towards practicality without compromising military decorum.

The manual also removes references to archaic terminology inherited from the colonial period, including the use of the word “Royal” in dress-related nomenclature. Senior military officials say the objective is to ensure that Army traditions are more closely aligned with India’s sovereign identity and national ethos.

For women officers, the revised regulations provide greater flexibility in formal attire. Sober-coloured sarees and kurta-salwar combinations with ankle-length straight pants and dupattas have been authorised for designated occasions. At the same time, sleeveless kurtas, palazzo trousers and cigarette pants remain prohibited to maintain uniform standards of appearance.

The Army has also laid down detailed grooming and personal appearance guidelines. Visible tattoos and body piercings continue to be prohibited, while personnel are barred from wearing bracelets in uniform except under limited religious circumstances. Moustaches have been capped at a maximum length of 12 centimetres, and the use of perfumes and deodorants while in uniform has been disallowed, although after-shave lotions remain permissible.

Women personnel will be required to adhere to stricter cosmetic norms. Lipstick, coloured nail polish, bindis and nose pins are not permitted while in uniform. Married personnel may wear sindoor, provided it remains concealed beneath authorised headgear.

The regulations further standardise combat clothing categories. A T-shirt has now been incorporated into the combat uniform under Category 7A for operational duties, while Category 7B introduces a dedicated winter combat jacket for colder environments.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-army-dress-code-2026-bandi-jacket-colonial-practices-grooming-rules-2926599-2026-06-15