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India said that while opening up its markets to foreign players, it remains sensitive to safeguarding the interests of domestic players, citing the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement signed with the UK.
Hours after US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, New Delhi said it would take firm steps to secure the interests of farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs, while continuing to engage in trade negotiations with Washington D.C.
“India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective,” India said in a statement.
India said that while opening up its markets to foreign players, it remains sensitive to safeguarding the interests of domestic players, citing the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement signed with the UK.
“The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The Government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK,” the statement further read.
India’s tariff structure has drawn repeated criticism from Trump, dating back to his first term and even before he took oath for the second, with him calling New Delhi a “very big abuser” when it comes to levying duties on US products.
Even after several rounds of discussion, agriculture remained the biggest bone of contention between the two sides, with India unwilling to open up its farm and dairy sectors to the US— a political self-goal that no ruling party at the Centre is willing to commit to.
The newly announced duties target several of India’s top-performing export sectors. Automobiles, auto components, steel, aluminum, smartphones, solar modules, marine products, gems, jewellery, and select processed food and agricultural items are all on the 25% list. Pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and critical minerals, however, have been excluded.
Meanwhile, economists see a new opportunity on the horizon for India to forge deeper economic ties with other countries, explore new markets, and simultaneously look inward—driving reforms as global supply chains are recalibrated amid changing geopolitics driven by Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
However, economists estimate that India’s GDP could shrink by anywhere between 0.2% and 0.5% if Trump’s tariffs remain in place for the rest of FY26.
Earlier, Trump announced that India would slap a 25% tariff along with additional penalties on Indian imports, effective August 1. He cited India’s continued oil imports from Russia and longstanding trade barriers as key reasons behind the move.
ISRO is set to launch the NISAR satellite on July 30, a collaboration with NASA to monitor Earth changes, aiding disaster management and agriculture.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Tuesday said it was all set to launch NISAR satellite, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Indian space agency and NASA that can detect even small changes in the Earth’s surface such as ground deformation, ice sheet movement and vegetation dynamics.
On July 30, at 5.40pm, NISAR or the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, which has been a decade in the making, will lift off aboard Isro’s GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The life of the mission is five years.
“GSLV-F16 is ready to carry NISAR into orbit. Final prep underway. Launch countdown has commenced at 14:10 hours today,” Isro posted on X on Tuesday evening.
At a pre launch news conference late Monday night, Phil Burella, NISAR project manager, said following a high level meeting between Isro and NASA, both teams agreed that the spacecraft, mission and launch vehicle were ready for lift off. So everybody gave a thumbs up and that’s great news,” said Burella. “The range looks good, the weather looks good.”
The satellite was mounted on the rocket and its systems were checked on July 28, and the launch will be the third by Isro since January.
With a joint investment of more than $1.5 billion, NISAR features NASA’s L-band (1.25 GHz) and ISRO’s S-band (3.2 GHz) radars, making it the world’s first dual-frequency radar imaging satellite to observe the earth.
Employing the SweepSAR technology, the satellite will scan the entire globe and provide all weather, day and night data at 12-day interval and enable a wide range of applications. It can help in assessing natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. The satellite’s data will also be used for sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, crop mapping, and changes in soil moisture—all of which are vital for governments, researchers, and disaster management agencies.
Data from the satellite will start coming in after completion of the 90-day commissioning period, and will be freely accessible to within a day or two of observation, and in near real-time in case of emergencies.
Teams from both space agencjee worked on building the satellite despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Sunday, union minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh on Sunday said NISAR is India’s scientific handshake with the world.
A UK travel content creator couple expressed amazement at a high-tech changing room in a Goa store, highlighting its advanced features.
The couple, Liam and Dani Cross, shared their shopping experience at a store in Goa. (Instagram/travelwiththecrosses)
A travel content creator couple from the UK shared their surprise at finding a high-tech changing room at a store in India, claiming they have not seen such technology even in stores in Dubai, London or New York. The couple, Liam and Dani Cross, run a YouTube channel called Travel With The Crosses. They shared their shopping experience at a store in Goa. The video showed Liam entering the changing room with three items of clothing.
“Look how futuristic these changing rooms are,” Dani said as her husband walked into the changing room with a screen on the back. As soon as he stepped inside, the screen displayed the three items he had in his hands and showed the sizes chosen by Liam.
“The mirror picks up the items and their sizes. And then, say you want another size, you can choose on the screen and they will bring it to you,” she said, adding that the screen also shows items that can be paired with the clothing and options to ask staff to bring them to the changing room to try out.
“How cool is that? How amazing is that? India is in the future man,” she said, praising the Azorte Store in South Goa.
Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for a day on both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to heavy rains, officials said on Wednesday.
Amarnath Yatra suspended for a day (PTI Image)
Amarnath Yatra was suspended for a day from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to heavy continuous rains since Wednesday morning, an official said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri informed that due to heavy continuous rains since early morning on July 30, “Yatra has not been released on the tracks from both the base camps Baltal and Nunwan/ Chandanwari”.
The movement of yatra convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar camp, Jammu, has also been halted for Thursday as an “abundant caution” due to the inclement weather conditions on the Yatra routes.
“Due to the heavy rains in the Yatra area, the movement of pilgrims from Base camps has been affected. Therefore, it has been decided that no convoy movement shall be allowed towards the base camps Baltal and Nunwan from Bhagwati Nagar Jammu on 31st July, 2025. Pilgrims shall be kept informed about the situation in due course”, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar said.
Family of murdered businessman Raja Raghuvanshi agrees to a film on his honeymoon killing, with 80% of shooting set in Indore.
Raja had travelled to Meghalaya in May with his wife for their honeymoon. Days later, his body was found in a deep gorge.
A chilling real-life crime that grabbed headlines earlier this year is now being made into a film. The murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya left the nation stunned – and now, his family has given the green light to bring his story to the big screen.
The film, currently titled Honeymoon in Shillong, is being directed by SP Nimbawat. The story will focus on the events leading up to Raja’s death, the police investigation, and the shocking arrests that followed – including that of his own wife, Sonam, and her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha.
Speaking to reporters, Raja’s brother Sachin said the family agreed to the film in the hope that it would help people understand what really happened. He said, as per PTI, “We gave our consent for the upcoming film on the murder case. We believe that if we do not bring the story of my brother’s murder on the big screen, people will not be able to know who was right and who was wrong.”
Another brother, Vipin, added that they also want the movie to show a true and fair picture of Meghalaya, where the crime took place.
Director SP Nimbawat described the project as a cautionary tale about betrayal. “Through our film, we want to give a message to the public that such incidents of betrayal should be stopped,” he said.
He confirmed that the script is finished and that filming will mainly take place in Indore, with some scenes shot across various locations in Meghalaya. “80 per cent of its shooting will be done in Indore and the remaining 20 per cent in different areas of Meghalaya,” Nimbawat said, while keeping the cast details under wraps for now.
The case itself drew a lot of media attention earlier this year. Raja had travelled to Meghalaya in May with his wife for their honeymoon. Days later, he was reported missing. On June 2, his body was found in a deep gorge near a waterfall in the Sohra area, also known as Cherrapunji. Police arrested eight people, including his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and her suspected partner, who allegedly helped plan the gruesome murder.
‘All Naamards Are Following Him’: Khushboo Patani Slams Aniruddhacharya For His Comment On Women In Live-In Relationships
Former Army officer and wellness coach Khushboo Patani, sister of Bollywood actress Disha Patani, has triggered a wave of reactions on social media after a video surfaced in which she slammed spiritual leader Aniruddhacharya Maharaj for his derogatory comments about women in live-in relationships.
The controversy began after a video of Aniruddhacharya went viral, in which he is heard saying, “Kehta hai, ladke laate hain 25 saal ki ladkiyon ko, jo 4-5 jagah mooh maar ke aati hain.” His remarks have been widely condemned for promoting misogyny and moral policing.
In response, Khushboo released a strongly worded video calling his comments “inappropriate” and saying, “Agar ye mere saamne hota, to mai isko samjhadeti ki mooh maarna kya hota hai. These are anti-nationalists. You should not be supporting such ba**rds of highest order. All the fu**g naamards of this society are following this bard.”
She further questioned the gender bias in his statement, adding, “He says ladkiyan jo live-in mein rehti hain, mooh maar ke aati hain. Usne ye kyu nahi bola ki ladke jo live-in mein rehte hain woh mooh marte hain? Kya ladki akele live-in mein rehti hai aur live-in mein rehna kya galat hai bhaiya?”
PM Modi told the Lok Sabha that on May 9 night, a day before the ceasefire, “US Vice President (JD Vance) tried to reach out to me 3-4 times, but I was busy with meetings with the armed forces”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was categorical in his answer: no leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor, India’s counterstrike to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s picturesque Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
This was PM Modi’s response to repeated allegations against his government that Donald Trump helped broker peace between the two archrivals. Trump has gone on to repeat the claim at least 29 times since the ceasefire agreement on May 10.
PM Modi told the Lok Sabha that on May 9 night, a day before the ceasefire, “US Vice President (JD Vance) tried to reach out to me 3-4 times, but I was busy with meetings with the armed forces”.
“When I returned the call, the US Vice President warned me of a big attack from Pakistan. I told him that if Pakistan attacks India, our attack would be much bigger as we will respond to bullets with cannons. This was my answer,” said PM Modi.
Speaking earlier, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had challenged the Prime Minister to rebut Donald Trump’s India-Pakistan ceasefire claims.
“If he (Trump) is lying, the PM should say here that Trump is lying…
“If Modi ji has even 50 per cent of the courage that Indira Gandhi had, then clearly he must say in Parliament – Donald Trump is lying!” said Mr Gandhi.
The Prime Minister pointed out that no country in the world asked India to stop its military offensive against Pakistan.
“No country in the world has stopped India from any action in its defence against terrorism. Only three countries spoke in favour of Pakistan at the UN,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi mocked the Opposition’s repeated claims of foreign intervention and reiterated that the operation was stopped after it achieved its objective and also after the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) pleaded with his Indian counterpart.
Spotlighting the Armed forces’ precise and tactical strikes on Pakistani terror bases and military installations, PM Modi said that it was at the insistence of the neighbouring nation that India decided to halt Operation Sindoor.
“Pakistan Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called up the Indian DGMO and requested to stop. He said that ‘bahut mara ab jyada maar jhelne ki takat nahi hai, please hamla rok do’ (You have hit us really hard, can’t take it anymore, please stop this attack),” PM Modi said, while reiterating that the Indian strikes were precise and non-escalatory.
Screenshots of the certificate, carrying a photograph of ‘Dog babu’, a stray canine, with parents named ‘kutta babu’ and ‘kutiya devi’, have gone viral
A probe found that the documents linked to the certificate belonged to a Delhi woman
A residence certificate was recently issued in rural Patna in favour of one four-legged ‘dog babu’, born to parents with similar canine nomenclature, prompting a red-faced administration to lodge an FIR against all persons concerned.
The certificate of residence was issued last week in Masaurhi circle, falling under the eponymous sub-division, apparently as part of a scramble for such documents during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Under the Bihar Right to Public Service Act, citizens can apply for a certificate of residence online and the same would be issued by the officials concerned after due verification.
Screenshots of the certificate, carrying a photograph of ‘Dog babu’, a stray canine, with parents named ‘kutta babu’ and ‘kutiya devi’, have gone viral on social media, with many people taking the opportunity to question why, instead of allowing such madness, the Election Commission was not accepting Aadhaar cards and ration cards, as suggested by the Supreme Court recently.
The district administration on Monday came out with a statement that the certificate, dated July 24, “was cancelled as soon as the matter came to light”.
“Besides, an FIR has been lodged at the local police station against the applicant, the computer operator who fed the information into the system and the official who went on to issue the certificate”.
It added, “The sub-divisional officer of Masaurhi conducted a detailed investigation and it was found that the application was made appending the Aadhaar card of a woman living in Delhi.” As such, the services of the computer operator, who forwarded the online application for processing without an application of mind, have been terminated, the district administration said.
According to the government’s own data, 292 men accused of raping women and 283 accused of raping minors are still on the run. This means 575 rape accused are moving freely across the state.
Over 23,000 women and minors are currently missing across Madhya Pradesh, revealed the data presented by the government in the state assembly, adding that 1,500 accused linked to rape and other crimes against women are on the run.
The disturbing figures emerged in response to a pointed question raised by senior Congress MLA Bala Bachchan, who had sought detailed district-wise data on the number of missing women and girls, as well as updates on rape and sexual assault cases registered in the state between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Former home minister Bachchan also demanded to know how many victims have remained missing for more than a month, how many accused have been arrested, and how many are still on the run.
Furthermore, he pressed the government for a timeline on when those on the run will be arrested and whether any action has been taken against negligent officials.
In a written statement to the assembly, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared shocking details from official records. As of June 30, 2025, a total of 21175 women and 1954 girls have remained missing for over a year. Combined, this brings the number of missing females in the state to 23129.
What adds an even darker dimension to this crisis is the massive number of accused who remain outside the grasp of law enforcement.
According to the government’s own data, 292 men accused of raping women and 283 accused of raping minors are still on the run. This means 575 rape accused are moving freely across the state.
And it does not end there.
In other forms of sexual violence, too, the state has failed to arrest a staggering number of suspects. A total of 443 accused in sexual crimes against women and 167 in similar cases against girls have evaded arrest, bringing the number of those on the run in sexual assault cases to 610. Additionally, there are 320 accused in other cases related to the disappearance of women and girls, with 76 linked to women and 254 to girls, still missing from police radar.
Together, these figures show that more than 1,500 accused involved in serious crimes against women and girls are currently unaccounted for in Madhya Pradesh.
357 roads, 182 power transformers, and 179 water supply schemes have been disrupted across Himachal due to persistent rainfall and related disasters.
Himachal Pradesh continues to face severe monsoon-related damage, affecting public services and lives.
Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district has suffered losses of over Rs 48 crore since the start of the monsoon season, with 17 people reported dead, Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh said.
She also informed that 65 residents of Darmedha village have been moved to safer areas as a precaution.
“Since the onset of monsoon, various departments in Kullu district have suffered losses of Rs 48 crore and individual damages of Rs 50 lakh… So far, 17 people have lost their lives,” Raveesh told ANI.
She added, “As a precautionary measure, 65 residents of Darmedha village have been shifted to safer areas.”
Earlier, on Tuesday, heavy rain in the evening led to waterlogging, traffic jams, and power cuts in several parts of Dharamshala.
Himachal Pradesh continues to face severe monsoon-related damage, affecting public services and endangering lives.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as of Tuesday, 357 roads–including one National Highway–182 power transformers, and 179 water supply schemes have been disrupted across the state due to persistent rainfall and related disasters.
Data from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) show that from June 20 till date, 170 people have died during the monsoon season. Of these, 94 deaths were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, electrocution, and lightning. The remaining 76 deaths were due to road accidents.
Mandi district is the worst-affected, with 259 road blockages, 172 transformer failures, and 47 water schemes disrupted. It has also reported the highest number of deaths from both natural disasters and road accidents.
The disasters have damaged homes, livestock, crops, and infrastructure. Flash floods and landslides have blocked highways and cut off remote areas. Relief and rescue efforts are ongoing with the help of the NDRF, SDRF, and police teams.
Officials have urged residents to avoid travelling to vulnerable areas and to remain cautious due to continued rain forecasts.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that heavy rain caused major destruction in Mandi’s Jail Road area, where two people died and more are feared trapped under debris.
The Bombay High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by a Pune woman seeking to quash an FIR registered against her over controversial WhatsApp messages and status updates following the Indian Army’s Operation Sindoor.
Bombay High Court rejects Pune woman’s plea to quash FIR.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ petition filed by Farah Deeba, a 46-year-old resident of Pune, who had sought to quash an FIR registered against her over controversial WhatsApp messages and status updates following Operation Sindoor, a recent Indian Armed Forces operation targeting terrorist launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Rajesh S Patil observed that Deeba’s actions, including a laughing emoji reaction to pro-military posts, a WhatsApp status video showing the Prime Minister riding a rocket alongside a burning Indian flag, and messages identifying herself with Pakistan while referring to India as “Makkar,” reflected mens rea, or criminal intent.
The court said, “What is expected of a prudent person is that, before putting up any kind of message on social groups, a person like the petitioner—who is educated and a teacher by profession—should also think about the pros and cons which might occur due to sending online messages through her social media account (WhatsApp).”
The FIR, filed at Kalepadal Police Station in Pune, invokes multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The case emerged from a WhatsApp group named Sath Sath Margosa Ladies, comprising women residents of the Margosa Heights residential complex in Pune.
According to the complaint, after Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, several group members expressed admiration for the Indian Armed Forces. Deeba allegedly responded with a laughing emoji, objected to the group being used for patriotic discussions, and later posted a video link from Facebook critical of the Prime Minister. She is also accused of uploading a WhatsApp status featuring a burning Indian flag and making disparaging comments against the country.
Her lawyer, advocate Harshad Sathe, argued that Deeba was not mentally sound at the time of the incident, had removed the posts shortly afterward, and had issued an apology. He noted that she had already been dismissed from her teaching job and claimed procedural lapses in the issuance of notice under Section 41-A of the CrPC.
The bench, however, found sufficient grounds for investigation, noting that the petitioner’s conduct, especially in the immediate aftermath of a sensitive military operation, was capable of disturbing public sentiment and attracting penal consequences under BNS.
Referring to a recent ruling of the Allahabad High Court, the Bombay High Court reiterated that freedom of speech does not extend to derogatory commentary against the Prime Minister or Armed Forces when such speech could disrupt national harmony or incite disharmony.
Beginning his speech, PM Modi said, “I stand here to present India’s side before this House. Those who don’t see India’s side, I stand here to show them a mirror.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the ongoing debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack in the Lok Sabha, which had started yesterday.
Beginning his speech, PM Modi said, “I am standing before this gathering with victory in mind, to present India’s position with strength and clarity. And to those who fail to see India’s side (referring to Opposition leaders), I am here to hold up a mirror. Honourable Speaker, I am here to echo the voice and sentiments of 140 crore Indians.”
After April 22, I even used some English language publicly so that the world understands. I said that it is our resolve that we will destroy terrorists, ‘hum aatankiyon ko mitti me milaa denge’: PM Modi.
Pakistan had some inkling of Indian action; started issuing nuclear threats, but could do nothing when terror targets were hit… The armed forces taught them such a lesson that the masters of terrorism are still losing their sleep over it: PM Modi.
VIDEO | Prime Minister Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) in Lok Sabha, says, “‘Humne Pakistan ke kone kone me aatanki addon ko dhuan dhuan kar diya’ (we destroyed terrorist bases in every corner of Pakistan)…. No one can even imagine that we can reach there. Terror camps in… pic.twitter.com/fCC7eKpmlo
I had said that we will teach the terrorists and their masters a befitting lesson which will be beyond their imagination: PM Modi.
We have complete trust in the capabilities of our armed forces; they were given a free hand to respond: PM Modi.
Humne Pakistan ke kone kone me aatanki addon ko dhuan dhuan kar diya’ (we destroyed terrorist bases in every corner of Pakistan)…. No one can even imagine that we can reach there. Terror camps in Bahwalpur and Muridke were completely obliterated: PM Modi.
VIDEO | “Nuclear blackmail will not work anymore. We will not differentiate between terrorists and the government which shelters them,” says PM Modi (@narendramodi) in Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/N71fo61I5e
In his nearly two-hour-long speech, PM Modi hailed the success of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response, while criticising the Opposition for its lack of support following the Pahalgam attack and the operation.
The Congress party on Tuesday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack.
In his nearly two-hour-long speech, PM Modi hailed the success of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response, while criticising the Opposition for its lack of support following the Pahalgam attack and the operation.
After PM Modi concluded his speech, Congress leader Pawan Khera took to X (formerly Twitter) to lash out at him. Without naming the Prime Minister, Khera wrote, “Chanta mara Trump ne, lekin Nehru se khafa hain. Kash waqt rahte samajh jaate ki Doland dost nahi, bewafa hai.” (Slap was given by Trump, but he’s angry with Nehru. If only they had realised in time that Donald is not a friend, but unfaithful.)
चांटा मारा ट्रंप ने,
लेकिन नेहरू से ख़फ़ा है।
काश वक्त रहते समझ जाते
कि डोलांड दोस्त नहीं, बेवफ़ा है।
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi had dared the PM to deny US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that he mediated between India and Pakistan to enforce a ceasefire.
PM Modi, in his speech, dismissed the claim, stating that no world leader had asked India to halt during Operation Sindoor.
After the PM’s address, Rahul Gandhi criticised him for not naming the US President directly.
VIDEO | Reacting to PM Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi), while speaking to reporters, said, “He didn’t directly say that Trump was lying, and throughout his speech, he didn’t mention China even once. The… pic.twitter.com/vTrxH9EuPP
“He didn’t explicitly say Trump was lying, and throughout his speech, he didn’t mention China even once. The world knows China supported Pakistan, yet neither the Prime Minister nor our Defence Minister spoke about it,” Gandhi told the media in New Delhi.
Notably, PM Modi also blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for signing the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
Assam Eviction Drive: The eviction drive will affect nearly 2,000 families who have allegedly encroached on the forest land and turned it into a betel nut plantation linked with the betel mafia.
Nearly 800 police personnel and CRPF were deployed in and around Rengma Forest reserve in Assam.
As a part of Assam’s massive crackdown against land encroachment by illegal migrants, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government is now planning to launch a massive eviction drive in Golaghat. The move will clear 11,000 bighas (approximately 3,600 acres) of land in the Rengma Reserve forest at Uriamghat, bordering Nagaland.
The eviction drive will affect nearly 2,000 families who have allegedly encroached on the forest land and turned it into a betel nut plantation linked with the betel mafia.
Fearing the eviction, many people belonging to the Bengali-speaking Muslims who have been branded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh had fled the area and were trying to take shelter in other places in Assam.
Nearly 700–800 police personnel, along with teams from the Forest Department and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were stationed in and around the Rengma Forest reserve.
Heavy machinery, including bulldozers and excavators, has also been mobilised for the operation.
The evictions come after extensive land surveys across 30 villages in the reserve forest area under the Sarupathar sub-division.
The Assam government claims that the encroachers originate from Muslim-dominated areas of Nagaon, Morigaon, Sonitpur, and even districts such as Cachar, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Hojai in Assam. Many illegal migrants are also from West Bengal and Bihar, according to the government.
Himanta Biswa stated that 70% of the identified encroachers had already vacated voluntarily and reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring forest and government land.
Last week, Mr Sarma had said that 1.29 lakh bighas (over 42,500 acres) of land have been cleared of encroachment in the last four years, while approximately 29 lakh bighas (more than 9.5 lakh acres) of land remain encroached in the state.
Amid a large-scale eviction drive in Assam, the Nagaland government has also issued an advisory to bordering districts to remain on high alert and prevent any spillover of displaced families into its territory during the eviction.
Meanwhile, the prominent Naga radical group NSCN (Niki) has claimed that the recent evictions by the Assam government were neither surprising nor unexpected but a deliberate attempt to seize Naga ancestral lands labelled as the “Disturbed Area Belt”, a misleading designation stemming from British colonial boundaries imposed for administrative convenience without consulting the Naga people.
India and Pakistan will play a group stage match on September 14, per the Asia Cup 2025 schedule released two days ago.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has joined the opposition clamour against the upcoming India-Pakistan match, voicing his discomfort with watching the Asia Cup match scheduled to be played five months after the Pahalgam terror attack.
India and Pakistan will play a group stage match on September 14, per the Asia Cup 2025 schedule released three days ago, putting on display the greatest rivalry in cricket’s history for a Sunday watch. The fixture has triggered an Opposition pushback, reflecting the general public sentiment to boycott Pakistan over its terror nexus.
Raising the matter during the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, Mr Owaisi said that his conscience won’t allow him to watch the India-Pakistan match.
“When Pakistan’s aircraft cannot come into our airspace, their boat cannot come into our water, trade has ended, how will you play a cricket match with Pakistan? When we are not giving water, we are stopping 80 per cent of Pakistan’s water, saying that blood and water will not flow, you will play a cricket match,” said the 56-year-old MP.
“My conscience does not allow me to watch that match,” asserted the Hyderabad MP, who has also been part of the government’s outreach initiative following Operation Sindoor. Speaking on the floor of Lok Sabha, he asked if “the government has the courage to call those 25 dead people and say that we took revenge in Operation Sindoor and now you watch the Pakistan match.”
Eight countries will take part in the Asia Cup 2025 from September 9. The India-Pakistan clash in the group stage is set for September 14. Both teams are favoured for the Super Four stage and may meet again during the tournament. If both teams manage to get to the finals, a third clash is also likely.
Recently, an India-Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends, being held in England, was cancelled after several Indian retired players — Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan — withdrew, citing the Pahalgam attack.
Twenty-five tourists and a local pony ride operator were among the civilians killed by Pakistani terrorists in the April 22 attack. In response, Indian forces had struck terror targets deep inside Pakistan’s territory and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), killing over 100 terrorists at nine terror hubs.
Returning to sporting fervour barely five months after the attack was unacceptable, the Opposition argued, slamming what they called a “rush to earn blood money”.
Authorities raided the sperm bank and seized 16 samples. Photo | PTI
The Hyderabad Task Force has uncovered major irregularities at a private sperm bank located in Secunderabad during a recent raid, exposing its alleged involvement in an illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket.
According to police sources, the clinic, believed to be associated with a fertility centre in Ahmedabad, allegedly paid up to Rs 4,000 to pedestrians and beggars in exchange for sperm donations.
The collected samples were reportedly transported to fertility centres in Ahmedabad.
Bhagwant Mann-led AAP govt plans to acquire 65,000+ acres to develop industrial and residential zones; dubbed as largest acquisition by govt in state since 1966
Members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) during a protest against the land pooling policy outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Amritsar on Monday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)
The Punjab land pooling scheme, a flagship initiative of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that seeks to give “planned urban development” a big push, has so far received a tepid response from farmers.
This comes even as the AAP government has sweetened the deal for farmers by approving an increase in the compensation for farmers whose land is to be acquired.
Apart from backlash from farmer unions, who have dubbed the controversial land pooling policy a “looting scheme to usurp fertile land”, the AAP government is also facing flak from Opposition parties — the Congress, Shirmomani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — that have termed the move “anti-peasantry and impractical” and launched vociferous attacks against it.
The state government plans to acquire 65,533 acres of land across 21 cities and towns in the state to develop both industrial and residential zones. It is being dubbed as the largest acquisition of land by the government in the state since 1966.
However, only 115 land owners — 15 from Ludhiana and nearly 100 from Mohali — have come forward to adopt the scheme since its launch on June 2. The policy is open till September 30.
Farmers up in arms
In Ludhiana, where 23,000 acres have been proposed to be acquired, maximum in the state, at least 2,000 land owners have registered their strong opposition to the policy. In Mohali 7,300 are being proposed to be aggregated under the policy.
“At least 900 acres in our village falls under their policy, and we have submitted a memorandum from the panchayat that not a single inch will be given to Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority,” says Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khandoor village.
“This land is our livelihood and we will not let it to be taken away in the name of development,” he says. “Hoardings and banners stating that AAP leaders are not welcome are being put up in several villages,” he adds.
After stiff opposition to the scheme, the AAP government on July 22 approved amendments to its land pooling policy, offering better terms to landowners in lieu of pooled land.
Announcing the amendments, CM Mann said the farmers who opt for land pooling will now receive an annual livelihood allowance of ₹1 lakh until their land is developed — a fivefold increase from ₹20,000 given by previous governments, and those offering one kanal of land will get an alternative of 125 square yards of residential land and 25 square yards of commercial land per kanal of land in return.
The chief minister said that the government has also assured long-term support by announcing a 10% annual increment in this ₹1 lakh amount. He also said throughout the process, there will be no restrictions on the sale or purchase of land. “Farmers will be free to buy, sell, or register their land at any time,” he said.
The changes, however, failed to find favour with farmers who have been drawing parallels between this policy and the three farm laws that were introduced in 2020 by the BJP-led Union government, which were later repealed after a year-long struggle.
Senior SKM leader and Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president BS Rajewal termed the policy as a fraud.
“The government is taking away one acre of land and giving back the owner 1,000 square yard plot. Is this justified?” he asked.
Rajewal said the SKM was guiding panchayats on filing of resolutions against their land being taken away, adding that the farmers from across the state will take out a tractor march on July 30 against this policy. “A big event has been planned at Mullanpur on August 24. We will not rest till this policy is cancelled,” he announced.
“We have been staging protest against this policy outside the GLADA office and more than 600 objections have been filed from four villages – Malak, Pona, Aligarh and Agwargujran,” said Didar Singh of Didar village in Ludhiana. Similarly, villagers from Rajgarh, Bhundri, Jaspalon, Ayali Khurd, Jhande, Lalton, and Gorsian are also actively taking part in the protest.
Protests have erupted in Mohali too against the policy. “We are the rightful residents and cultivators of these lands. We won’t give consent to GMADA for any kind of acquisition,” says Harvinder Singh, a resident of Bhelolpur village in Mohali.
The farmers fear that once their land is acquired for the pooling scheme, they will lose control over it permanently and receive much less in return than what their land is worth. The authorities, though, have maintained that the policy is voluntary, and land will only be pooled if owners give consent.
Only a handful of land owners have shown interest in the scheme. Rajesh Agarwal, owner of 100 acres on Pakhowal road (Ludhiana), has given his consent to the GLADA for development of a new urban estate on his land.
Ammo for Opposition
The policy has invited sharp criticism from Opposition parties that aapprehend that the scheme will open “doors for corruption” and would allow select parcels to be excluded from auction at the whims and fancies of the government. The scheme, they say, is in direct contrast the Central Land Acquisition Act- 2013 that stipulates compensation at four times the collector rate besides a resettlement scheme.
“The state government is preparing to exploit farmers in the guise of development. Who would trade a one-acre fertile land for a 1,000 square yard plot,” says Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring who led party workers’ protest against the policy in Mohali this week. Opposition leaders have maintained that the “AAP wants to milk the scheme to fund its election campaign in 2027.”
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has termed the policy “a plan by the AAP government to grab lands of farmers.”
Even AAP seems to be a divided house over the issue. On Sunday, AAP’s Anandpur Sahib MP Malwinder Singh Kang wrote on micro-blogging site X that his government needs to earn farmers’ trust before implementing the scheme. Later, Kang deleted the comment as it kicked up a storm.
‘Oppn misleading people’
According to a developer building a multi-crore commercial project in Mohali, all big cities in Punjab have big chunks of land that have been purchased by colonisers. “They would never part with those chunks,” he said. “The reason is simple. The government has put a stop on ‘change in land use’ for the projects coming after December 15. It’s the end of business for private builders,” he adds.
Defending the scheme, principal secretary (housing) Vikas Garg said the policy is an extension of what was launched in 2008 during SAD-BJP regime and continued in the Congress government which took over in 2017. “We have only improved the scheme. In the long run, the policy will benefit all. The policy has been framed to ensure world class urban development in the state and farmers have been made partners in this growth initiative,” he adds. The AAP government has slammed the Opposition parties for spreading “false propaganda” against the land-pooling scheme. “It’s a farmer-friendly scheme. The SAD, BJP and Congress are trying to mislead people for their vested interests,” said Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora.
Punjab needs land bank for economic resurgence, says chief secretary
HT: What is the justification for the land pooling policy?
Chief secretary KAP Sinha: Punjab needs planned development in the cities. By not planning this for many years, we have built urban slums and 20,000 illegal colonies. They lack basic amenities and offer dwellings at exorbitant prices.
HT: What is the benefit of acquiring huge chunks of 65,333 acres of land?
Sinha: It will create a land bank for the long term, offering land for big commercial, industrial and residential projects. This will boost economic development. States such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have benefited from having huge land banks. Also, the policy will offer housing to the middle class at an affordable price.
HT: Your take on opposition from the farmers and political parties?
Multiple landslides, following torrential rainfall exceeding 570mm in 48 hours, started in a remote forest in Wayanadon July 30, 2024
The inclement weather, the time of the accident and the collapse of a key bridge over the swollen Punnapuzha river contributed to high fatalities. (PTI)
One recent rain-soaked morning, P Usman, clutching an umbrella, is making his way slowly past verdant tea plantations towards a large graveyard, fenced neatly with stone slabs. Opening the gate and taking a few steps in, Usman, in his late 50s, is quickly overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes well up. Inside the compound are scores of graves, most identified with names and photographs, and others marked only by small cement blocks. “That’s my cousin sister Muhsina,” he says, pointing to a grave marked by a black granite stone with her name etched on it. “And over there, her three children,” he says, choking on his words.
Hashim Musa, a key operative linked to cross-border terror networks, is believed to have been neutralised during ‘Operation Mahadev’ after weeks of intelligence efforts
Hashim Musa alias Suleman, the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, was gunned down during a police operation in Kashmir. (IMAGE: PTI/SOURCED)
Hashim Musa alias Suleman, the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, is believed to have been killed in an encounter by the Indian Army’s Special Forces near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
The identity of Hashim Musa and two other slain terrorists, however, is yet to be confirmed, top police sources said. The other two are believed to be Abu Hamza alias Harris and Yasir, both with alleged links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), they said.
“The operation is ongoing. There was an exchange of fire. As per reports, three bodies have been observed. Can’t say more right now. We will take sometime for clarity, identification, can’t say anything. We will let you know at right time,” VK Birdi, IGP Kashmir, told reporters.
Musa — a key operative linked to cross-border terror networks — and the two other terrorists are believed to have been neutralised during the army’s ‘Operation Mahadev’ following weeks of coordinated intelligence efforts. Known as Suleman, he was also suspected to be behind several other terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the fierce gunfight broke out in the dense forests of Harwan near Dachigam. According to intelligence sources, Musa had lost significant weight and altered his hairstyle and beard in an apparent attempt to evade identification.
“Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation continues,” the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps posted on X.
The encounter came amid a massive security operation to hunt down those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. Intelligence inputs gathered over the past month had indicated that some of the terrorists involved may have moved towards the Dachigam region, located roughly 20 km from Srinagar’s city centre.
HOW THE TERRORISTS WERE TRACED
A key breakthrough in tracing the Dachigam hideout came from a communication device that had been under surveillance since the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Top security sources told CNN-News18 that a suspicious call made from this device two days ago triggered immediate red flags within the security grid.
The device, believed to be a Huawei satellite phone reportedly used by the terrorists during the Pahalgam attack, had remained inactive since then. However, when intelligence agencies detected renewed activity on the device, they quickly narrowed down its location to a remote part of the Dachigam forest, far from any human habitation. The input was swiftly developed, and based on the coordinates, a full-scale operation was launched in the area on Monday.
Besides that, the sources said, the operation was on for more than a month. They had received human intelligence input about the movement of the terrorists but those were not specific. Special forces teams were deployed at several axes to track them down and nomads in these areas were thoroughly questioned about their presence, they added.
WHY DACHIGAM MATTERS IN TERROR NETWORKS
Dachigam holds strategic significance due to its geographic location — positioned between central and south Kashmir, it provides a crucial link between regions like Sonmarg and Pahalgam. The mountain peaks in this area are interconnected, offering militants a natural corridor to move discreetly across the Valley.
WHY ARE MOUNTAINS BEING USED?
Terror groups have increasingly used these high-altitude routes to evade detection. Operating from these remote mountainous zones keeps them out of sight of security forces. Food and basic supplies are often taken from nomadic communities at gunpoint, with little fear of being reported. Additionally, the challenging terrain slows down the movement of security forces, giving militants enough time to either escape or relocate before troops arrive.
UP Woman’s Foetus Growing In Liver, Not Uterus: Only 8 such cases reported worldwide. Meerut doctors say this could be India’s first intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy
The MRI scans. (News18)
Doctors in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr were in for a shock when an MRI scan of a 30-year-old woman revealed that she was 12 weeks pregnant, but in her liver, instead of uterus.
The rare medical condition, known as intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy, has left not only the couple but the medical community astonished, with experts suggesting this could be the first such case ever reported in India.
“When I saw the scan, I could not believe my eyes. The foetus was embedded in the right lobe of the liver, and there were clear cardiac pulsations. I have never seen such a case in my career, and according to available data, this might be India’s first intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy,” said Dr KK Gupta, a radiologist at a private imaging centre in Meerut, who uncovered it while carrying out the MRI abdomen test of the woman.
How was the diagnosis done?
The turning point in the case came when the woman, after weeks of abdominal pain and vomiting, was referred for an MRI of the abdomen — a test often used when ultrasound or routine scans fail to explain symptoms.
The MRI was performed at a private imaging centre in Meerut under the supervision of Dr KK Gupta, a senior radiologist with decades of experience in advanced imaging. Unlike a routine ultrasound, the MRI provided high-resolution, layered images of the abdominal organs.
According to Dr Gupta, the scan revealed a startling anomaly. “We observed a well-formed gestational sac inside the right lobe of the liver. The foetus measured approximately 12 weeks in gestational age. Most strikingly, the scan confirmed active cardiac pulsations, establishing that the foetus was alive. At the same time, the uterus was completely empty, ruling out a normal intrauterine pregnancy,” Dr Gupta explained.
He further detailed that the foetus appeared embedded deep into the parenchymal tissue of the liver, with blood vessels from the organ supplying nutrition to the sac. This confirmed that the pregnancy had implanted directly into the hepatic tissue — an occurrence almost unheard of in India.
Dr Gupta also said that the diagnosis was double-checked by repeating certain MRI sequences to rule out imaging errors. “Initially, I even thought it might be an imaging artifact. But repeated scans, taken from different planes, confirmed the presence of a live foetus within the liver tissue itself. At that moment, we realised we were dealing with an extremely rare, high-risk pregnancy,” he added.
Only 8 cases of liver pregnancies reported so far
Pregnancies outside the uterus, or ectopic pregnancies, are uncommon, accounting for 1–2% of all pregnancies. Most — about 97% — occur in the fallopian tubes. Rare cases are found in the ovaries or the abdominal cavity. But intrahepatic implantation — when the fertilised egg attaches to the liver — is one of the rarest forms known in medical science.
According to published literature, only eight cases of intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy have been reported worldwide so far, in countries including China, Nigeria, the United States, and parts of Europe.
Why is it dangerous?
The liver is one of the most vascular organs in the body, with an extensive blood supply. While this allows the foetus to receive nourishment temporarily, it also poses an enormous risk to the mother. The growing foetus can cause liver rupture or massive hemorrhage if not treated promptly.
Dr Jyotsna Mehta, a renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician from Lucknow, explained why this case is particularly alarming: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime case for most doctors. The liver’s rich blood supply can sustain foetal growth initially, but it puts the mother in grave danger. Removing the foetus is extremely risky — even a minor surgical slip can lead to uncontrolled haemorrhage. The immediate priority is the mother’s survival. The pregnancy, unfortunately, cannot continue safely.”
She added that in similar cases worldwide, doctors sometimes attempt to remove the foetus surgically while leaving the placenta attached, later shrinking it with medication to reduce blood loss. “Each decision has to be highly individualised, and such surgeries demand extraordinary coordination between radiologists, gynaecologists, and liver surgeons,” she said.
India’s first documented case?
The Meerut case could be India’s first reported instance of intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy. “Based on international literature, there is no record of such a pregnancy being reported from India before. Documenting this case will be vital, as it can help the global medical community understand, prepare for, and manage similar rare conditions in the future,” Dr Gupta added.
The patient’s current condition
The woman is currently under strict medical supervision while doctors chart the safest course of treatment. A multidisciplinary team, including obstetricians, hepatobiliary surgeons, radiologists, and anaesthesiologists, has been assembled to plan a complex surgery.
While the fate of the patient remains uncertain until surgery is successfully performed, one fact is already clear: this rare diagnosis has carved its place in Indian medical history as a case that will be studied and remembered for years to come.
FAQs on intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy
What is it?
A rare form of ectopic pregnancy where the fertilised egg implants and grows inside the liver instead of the uterus.
How rare is it?
Extremely rare — only eight cases documented worldwide so far. The Meerut case may be India’s first.
Why is it dangerous?
The liver has an extensive blood supply. Any rupture or surgical attempt risks massive internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening.
What are the symptoms?
Persistent abdominal pain
Nausea and vomiting
Weakness or dizziness
Abnormal bleeding
No relief from routine treatment
How is it diagnosed?
Through high-resolution imaging, especially MRI scans, since routine ultrasounds may miss the anomaly.
A CRPF jawan was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants in Haryana’s Sonipat while he was on leave. Police suspect the killing is linked to an altercation during the Kanwar Yatra.
CRPF jawan shot dead in Haryana (Photo: Social Media)
A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was shot dead allegedly by two bike-borne men in his village in Haryana’s Sonipat district. Police suspect the involvement of youths who had an altercation with the jawan during the Kanwar Yatra.
The incident happened on Monday morning while the jawan, identified as Krishan, nearly 30 years old, was on leave.
The two suspects fled after opening fire at Krishan who was returning home in the early hours of Monday, it was known.
Later, commenting on the incident, the police confirmed that the jawan died in the incident and that his body had been sent for postmortem.
“CRPF jawan Krishan died in the incident. His body has been sent for postmortem examination,” SHO Sadar, Gohana, Inspector Lal Singh told news agency PTI.
“During the Kanwar Yatra, some youths of the village had entered into an altercation with him a few days ago. They have been identified,” he said.
The CRPF jawan is survived by his wife and a child, the SHO said.
A case had been registered and further investigations were on, he added.
In another similar incident, a 65-year-old retired Army jawan was beaten to death following a dispute in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Ramdayal Kushwaha, a resident of Fatehpur village in the Rudrapur police station area.
According to the police, Kushwaha had objected to his neighbour, Vijay Bind, driving his car through the victim’s land. Following this, an argument broke out between the two.
Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Arvind Kumar Verma said that Vijay and some of his companions beat up Ramdayal and fled.
On Monday night, a 45-year-old man was shot dead in West Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh area.
The incident occurred around 10 pm, when police received information from a hospital about a man being admitted with gunshot injuries. He later succumbed during treatment.
Meghalaya minister Kyrmen Shylla has bizarrely claimed that nearly 4,000 tonnes of missing coal may have been washed away by rain into Bangladesh and Assam.
Meghalaya minister Kyrmen Shylla has made a bizarre claim that nearly 4,000 tonnes of missing coal may have been washed away by rain into Bangladesh and Assam.
A Meghalaya minister has stirred fresh controversy by giving a bizarre explanation that the state’s missing 4,000 metric tonnes of coal might actually have been washed away by monsoon rain into neighbouring Bangladesh and Assam. The remark was made by Meghalaya Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla amidst intense scrutiny from the Meghalaya High Court over the mysterious disappearance of the illegally mined coal.
“I am not trying to justify but we need to remind ourselves that if you remember Meghalaya has one of the highest rainfall rate in the country,” Shylla said. “So due to this high and heavy rainfall anything can happen. Remember, there is an allegation that because of the rains in Meghalaya, floods happened in Assam, and from East Jaintia Hills, rain water goes to Bangladesh. You never know, it could be because of the rains the coal got carried away,” he told reporters in Shillong on Monday.
The coal, which was stored at depots in Rajaju and Diengngan villages under the Ranikor Block of South West Khasi Hills district, had been officially surveyed and recorded. However, the latest interim report by the Justice (Retd) BP Katakey Committee — tasked with monitoring coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya — flagged that the coal had “disappeared”.
While not explicitly confirming illegal activity, Shylla cautiously distanced himself from outright denial. “I cannot blame the rain alone, I don’t have any details with me to say that there was illegal transportation. However, since we have the authority, we need to ensure that there is no illegal transportation or illegal mining, it should be as per law,” he added.
Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who was jailed in Yemen on charges of killing her employer, is on the death row. The sentence was suspended earlier this month after protracted negotiations.
In a major relief, Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya’s death sentence in Yemen has been officially cancelled, the Indian Grand Mufti’s office confirmed.
Conflicting reports emerged Tuesday regarding the death sentence of Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse imprisoned in Yemen since her 2017 conviction for the murder of a Yemeni national. While a tweet by India’s Grand Mufti suggested that the execution may have been cancelled, sources quoted by news agency ANI, however, suggested that the information “is inaccurate”.
Nimisha Priya case | Information being shared by certain individuals on the Nimisha Priya case is inaccurate: Sources https://t.co/nWDEzzsy3l
According to a statement issued by the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Musliyar, “The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier.”
Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, had travelled to Yemen in 2011 for work. In 2015, she entered into a business partnership with a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to establish a clinic. As per Yemeni laws, foreigners are not allowed to run businesses independently, so Priya’s association with Mahdi became a legal necessity. However, the partnership turned abusive over time.
Mahdi allegedly misused a wedding photograph taken during a trip to India to falsely claim marriage with Priya, following which he took control of the clinic and began siphoning off her income. According to her family, Mahdi also subjected her to months of physical abuse, drug-induced assaults, and withheld her passport, effectively trapping her in the country.
In desperation, Priya is believed to have attempted to retrieve her passport by sedating Mahdi. But when a higher dose of the sedative was used, Mahdi died from an overdose. The incident led to Priya’s arrest and her subsequent conviction for murder.
The teenager from Nagpur became the youngest Indian woman ever to achieve this feat. PM Modi took to his official social media account and hailed both the finalists, including Koneru Humpy.
PM Modi Hails Indian Chess Finalists | X | FPJ
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday praised Divya Deshmukh after the 19-year-old Indian chess player was crowned the FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. The teenager from Nagpur became the youngest Indian woman ever to achieve this feat. PM Modi took to his official social media account and hailed both the finalists, including Koneru Humpy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his official social media account and said, “A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours.”
A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players!
Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters.
In a first of its kind all-Indian final in the history of Women’s Chess World Cup will be remembered as a chess classic. This went down to the wire and was eventually decided in rapid tiebreaks. But in the crucial third tie-breaker, Humpy under immense time pressure made an uncharacteristic error. Deshmukh seized the opportunity with precision and composure, securing her place in history and becoming the 88th Grandmaster of India.
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 28, 2025
Moments after her victory, Deshmukh was seen in tears as she hugged her mother. The heart-warming video hit the internet and went viral on social media.
From Underdog to Champion
Despite being an international master and the reigning World Junior Champion, Divya entered the final as an underdog. Her opponent Koneru Humpy ranked World No. 5 and was seen as the favourite due to her experience and previous world titles. Divya who ranked World No. 18 defied the odds with exceptional resilience and focus.
19-year-old Divya Deshmukh is in tears after winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup! pic.twitter.com/DuFYH0bqT5
Speaking to the media after the match, Divya said, “It was fate. Before the tournament, I was thinking that I could maybe earn a Grandmaster norm here. And at the end, I became a Grandmaster.”
Over 1.28 Lakh Consumers And PETA Urge Oreo-Manufacturer Mondelez To Ban Controversial Animal Testing Practices | https://resources.peta.org
Over 1.28 lakh consumers have urged snack giant Mondelez to call for a ban on animal testing after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) has alleged that it continues to allow animal testing under the guise of promoting basic nutritional science. PETA India has also accused the ‘Oreo’ manufacturer of force-feeding mice with faecal bacteria.
NGO Accuses Oreo-Maker of Backing Harmful Experiments on Mice Despite Partial Ban
In 2018, Chicago-based Mondelēz, known for manufacturing brands like Cadbury, Toblerone and Oreo, adopted a limited global ban on animal testing after consulting with PETA US. However PETA alleged that a loophole continues to allow animal testing under the guise of promoting basic “nutritional science”. While Mondelēz claims not to test products on animals unless required by law, PETA the company of funding numerous nutritional science experiments such as force-feeding mice with human faecal bacteria, which have been shown to produce no health-relevant results for humans.
PETA Alleges Force-Feeding of Mice With Human Fecal Bacteria in Nutritional Studies
In a letter written to Mondelez International’s executive vice president and president for Asia, Middle East and Africa Deepak Iyer, PETA India urged Mondelēz to ban all tests on animals unless explicitly required by law. The animal welfare organisation alleged that the company’s policy allows it to fund experiments like force-feeding mice with feces from obese women, human feces, chemical, glass beads and glucose followed by killing and dissecting them.
Consumers Demand Company Join ‘Eat Without Experiments’ Pledge Against Non-Essential Animal Testing
The accusations have created a huge uproar among consumers as more than 1.28 lakh people have contacted the company through online action alerts via PETA India, PETA Germany, PETA US, PETA UK, PETA France, PETA Netherlands, PETA Australia, PETA Latino, and PETA2, calling for a ban on animal testing. More than 400 food and beverage companies, including Ferrero and Unilever, have already signed up to PETA’s ‘eat Without experiments’ program, pledging to refrain from non-legally required animal testing, claimed the NGO.
Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India’s scientist and research policy advisor, said, “Force-feeding mice with harmful faecal bacteria, chemicals and glass beads is completely unacceptable and should have been banned long ago, especially when these experiments have no scientific or legal basis. We call on Mondelēz to finally turn its back on animal testing and join the many companies that have joined PETA’s eat without experiments program. The damage to brand reputation from continuing to conduct or fund these tests is growing by the day, and consumers worldwide no longer want to support it.”
PETA India said that common food ingredients, for which there are no toxicity concerns, should not be tested on animals. Studies such as these could be carried out safely with consenting human volunteers, which, unlike animal testing, would allow clinically relevant results to be obtained, it added.
Being declared HIV-positive was akin to a death sentence in India of the 1990s. With new medicines, lifespan is not an issue any more. And now, more and more HIV-positive individuals are getting married, and having healthy kids. Matrimonial sites have launched sections focused on HIV+ individuals. This is how science and activism have turned stigma into happily-ever-after stories.
With advancements in HIV/AIDS treatment, those living with the virus in India are now redefining how they live life and are finding love and life partners more than ever. (Image: India Today)
Tarun (name changed), a Mumbai resident, was diagnosed HIV-positive and was only given 30 days to live. He defied the prognosis, and has been living with the virus for 23 years now. But back in 2002, the news that someone had tested positive for HIV was nothing short of a death sentence.
And, before the virus killed, social rejection and emotional distress killed those with HIV.
Tarun has been leading a near-normal life for 23 years, thanks to advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), family support and peer network.
HIV-positive individuals now have a lifespan that is close to that of uninfected people. It is now, more than ever, that they are seeking companionship for the long road.
Tarun, now 46, is healthy, married, and living what he calls “a full life”. His wife, Anushka (name changed), is also HIV-positive. Together, they are parents to a biological daughter, who is HIV-negative, and an adopted son.
It must be noted that India had an estimated 23.48 lakh people living with the virus in 2019 – the third-highest burden of HIV in the world – according to a National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) report.
Experts India Today Digital spoke to said the country today has around 2.5-3 million HIV-positive people, roughly a third of whom fall in the marriage bracket of 21-35 years.
“Today, more HIV-positive people are getting married compared to a decade ago,” Anjali Gopalan, founder and executive director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, told India Today Digital.
“HIV-positive individuals are now even marrying HIV-negative people,” said Gopalan, whose organisation has extensively worked with issues related to HIV/AIDS and sexuality for over three decades.
Sumi MK, advocacy officer with Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust, a support group for people living with HIV (PLHIV), also said that marriages among HIV-positive people are on the rise as compared to a decade ago.
For HIV-positive individuals, even the way of finding partners is seemingly shifting.
HIV-specific online matrimony platforms like HIVParichay.com and Positivesathi.com have emerged. Matrimony major Jeevansathi.com recently launched a section for HIV-positive brides and grooms.
However, experts and HIV-positive individuals told India Today Digital that most people from the community seeking partners do so offline, primarily through annual meet-ups organised by Naco. Experts said even the World Health Organisation (WHO) plays a small role in the meet-ups.
However, the coming up of online matrimonial platforms and Jeevansathi’s exclusive section is a signal of a positive shift in India’s HIV/AIDS story.
THE JOURNEY FROM DEATH CERTIFICATE TO MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
Tarun, a chef returning from a cruise-liner job, was diagnosed with HIV during a routine check-up in Mumbai.
Shocked and scared, he hid the diagnosis from his mother for nine months. By the time she found out, the doctor had given him 30 days to live. But his mother’s support kept him going.
As he stuck to medication, a healthier lifestyle and diet, and regular check-ups, Tarun’s immunity and outlook improved. He left his job as a chef, fearing a simple kitchen injury could stir a panic about HIV transmission, and took up work at a call centre instead.
As years passed, he became a peer counsellor too.
One day, he was asked to speak with an HIV-positive woman from Raipur who had faced abuse from her in-laws after losing her husband to AIDS. He didn’t expect that this woman, by the end of counselling, would become his friend, and ultimately his wife.
Tarun might have found his life partner by chance while counselling, but most HIV-positive people find their spouses either at meet-ups or the matrimonial sites that have come up.
HIV-POSITIVE COUPLES AND SAFE CHILDBIRTH
The journey of Tarun and Anushka, both HIV-positive individuals, helps us understand some of the struggles that such couples face.
After marriage, childbirth is where they faced the next big challenge.
“When we planned to have a baby, many hospitals turned us away because we were both HIV-positive,” Tarun said. “The discrimination came from everyone – receptionists, ward boys, nurses, and even doctors.”
The couple were wrongly told they couldn’t have an HIV-negative child.
“If the mother is HIV-positive, she is placed on lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress the virus to undetectable levels. With proper adherence, this reduces the risk of transmission to the baby to less than 1%,” Dr Rashmi Singh, a Delhi-based medicine specialist, told India Today Digital.
“During childbirth, if the mother’s viral load is under control, a vaginal delivery is also considered safe, but just to be sure, most gynaecologists recommend a C-section delivery,” she added.
Explaining the process after the baby is delivered, Singh said, “After birth, the infant is given preventive medication for several weeks, and is monitored through regular HIV testing up to 18 months of age.”
In cases where only the father is HIV-positive, Singh added, “Assisted reproductive technologies such as sperm washing followed by intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can be used. These methods ensure that the virus is not present in the sperm used for conception, preventing transmission to both the mother and child.”
MANAGING HIV WITHIN A MARRIAGE
However, couples with HIV need to be extra careful about unprotected sex even if both are living with the virus.
Tarun told India Today Digital that he and his wife planned their pregnancy under the close supervision of a gynaecologist, as he cannot have regular unprotected sex despite having his viral load under control. His semen could still affect his wife’s CD4 count – a key indicator of immune health in people living with HIV.
But today, with ART, many people can restore and maintain normal CD4 levels.
In Tarun’s case, regular monitoring of both viral load and CD4 count helped guide safe family planning.
It must also be noted that India’s ART programme is one of the world’s most cost-effective and accessible. First-line ART medicines can cost around Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 per month at private institutions, but under Naco, the government provides them free of charge.
LIVING WITH HIV: BEYOND THE VIRAL LOAD
Despite being cost-effective today and offering a high chance of leading a normal life, living with HIV within a relationship still comes with its own set of emotional and practical challenges.
In serodiscordant couples, where only one partner is HIV-positive, the HIV-negative partner may have to make certain adjustments, especially around trust and physical intimacy, such as barely being able to have unprotected sex, and other lifestyle adjustments involving diet.
Naz Foundation’s Anjali Gopalan said, “When there is openness and honesty about one’s HIV status, many couples are able to make it work. With the right support and counselling, people often choose to focus on the relationship and the bond they share, rather than the condition.”
Finding a partner, however, remains one of the biggest hurdles.
Sumi MK of the Humsafar Trust points out, “Most people living with HIV try to find a partner who is also HIV positive. Though marriage rates have improved, the success rate at community HIV melawas (fair, in Marathi) is still just 1-2%.”
Melawas are the Naco-organised community meet-ups held in Maharashtra. Similar meet-ups, known by different local names, are held annually in cities across India. Experts say these are typically low-key events, drawing around 100–150 attendees each.
Tarun, now married and actively involved in the HIV-positive community as a counsellor, says he attends the melawa across Maharashtra, to connect with others and offer support.
Another common way people intending to get married meet is through word-of-mouth, especially via counsellors who interact with people living with HIV and often pass along information when they hear someone is looking for a partner.
“I have helped four couples get married by informally playing matchmaker,” Tarun told India Today Digital.
Tarun, who has attended nearly every community meet-up in Maharashtra in the past several years, said, “Around 80% of those who turn up at these events are men. This gender disparity is one of the reasons why the success rate of melawas leading to marriage remains so low.”
Both Sumi MK and Tarun noted that even older individuals seek companionship and long-term relationships are often spotted at the community meet-ups. Online HIV matrimony portals offer some hope, but their reach is seemingly limited.
Tarun, who helps facilitate such meet-ups, says, “Many people come from underprivileged backgrounds and aren’t tech-savvy enough to maintain a profile. The emotional toll of living with HIV also means many don’t always stay active on these platforms.”
Other social factors persist as well.
“Even within the HIV-positive community, people often seek partners from the same caste,” Tarun added. “I once introduced two individuals from the Patil community, but the girl’s parents insisted on the same sub-caste, and the match fell through.”
During searches of the closed chemical factory, 34 kg of ketamine in powdered form and 12 litres of ketamine in liquid form were seized.
Several precursor chemicals like chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene, bromine, cyclohexanone, etc., were found along with lab equipment.
When NCB sleuths along with Barmer Police went into the interiors of village Dholakia, Rajasthan, they never expected to find a lab hidden in a buffalo barn manufacturing synthetic drug mephedrone. “This clandestine facility was installed inside a buffalo barn in the secluded area of village Dholakia,” said NCB in a statement on Sunday.
NCB, Rajasthan Police, and Maharashtra Police started the two-day operation on 22nd July. The anti-narcotics federal probe agency found several precursor chemicals — chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene — in a lab. These precursor chemicals are used to manufacture mephedrone.
NCB Jodhpur detained two members of the syndicate, and their questioning revealed that another member of the gang was running a similar “kind of lab” in a “closed factory.” “We identified a resident of the district of Raigad who had brought chemicals and lab equipment to set up the clandestine facility,” said officials.
“The information about this accomplice was immediately shared with the Raigad Police by NCB, following which he was detained by Raigad Police, and during interrogation, it was revealed that he used to work in a closed chemical factory at Mahad, Raigad, which is now closed,” said NCB.
During searches of the closed chemical factory, 34 kg of ketamine in powdered form and 12 litres of ketamine in liquid form were seized.
Several precursor chemicals like chloroform, ammonium chloride, propylene chloride, toluene, bromine, cyclohexanone, etc., were found along with lab equipment. “These shut premises were being used to run the lab clandestinely to manufacture ketamine,” said NCB. Investigation has further revealed the involvement of a mastermind who has been involved in earlier drug trafficking cases of DRI and NCB.
Earlier, too, a clandestine lab manufacturing mephedrone was busted by NCB Jodhpur at Sri Ganganagar in which 5 kg mephedrone drug with precursor chemicals were recovered and accused including physics and chemistry teachers were arrested.
Prime Minister Modi announces Centre will erect statues of Chola emperors Rajaraja Chola and his son, Rajendra Chola I in Tamil Nadu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, in Ariyalur on Sunday. | Photo Credit: PIB
Paying glowing tributes to the military might and administrative acumen of Rajendra Chola I and his father Rajaraja Chola in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (July 27, 2025) said the heights reached by the emperors were a source of inspiration, providing an ancient road map for the country to become a developed nation.
“The economic and strategic advancements achieved during the Chola era remain a source of inspiration for modern India. To become a developed nation, we too must prioritise unity; strengthen our Navy and Defence forces and look for new opportunities, even while safeguarding our core values,” Mr. Modi said at the valediction of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Mr. Modi released a commemorative coin in honour of Rajendra Chola I on the occasion. The king had built Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the ancient capital of the Imperial Cholas, along with the Brihadisvara Temple and the Cholagangam, a massive lake, after his victorious expedition to the Gangetic plains about 1,000 years ago.
The Prime Minister announced the Centre would install grand statues of the two emperors in Tamil Nadu, to serve as the pillars of country’s historical consciousness. “The legacy of Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola is synonymous with India’s identity and pride. The history and heritage of the Chola Empire proclaim the true potential of India,” he said.
Rajaraja Chola built a powerful navy; his son Rajendra Chola I strengthened it. The Cholas strengthened local administration, established extensive trade and cultural links to bring out about development in various spheres to his country. The Chola rulers had extended their diplomatic and trade relations to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Southeast Asia, he pointed out.
India too placed the highest priority on its national security, Mr. Modi said and added that through Operation Sindoor, the world has witnessed the firm and decisive response of the country to any threat to its sovereignty.
Pointing out the Chola reign was considered to be one of the golden ages of the country by historians, Mr. Modi said the dynasty was not only known for their military strength but also for being the mother of democracy by introducing the kudavolai system of electing local representatives centuries ago.
The global discourse now revolves around water management and ecology preservation, but our ancestors understood the importance of these issues long ago, Mr. Modi said citing the Cholas excellent water management systems.
“The Chola rulers had woven a thread of cultural unity. Our government is carrying forward their ideals,” he said referring to the conduct of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam and the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam to reinforce centuries-old bonds of unity. Over the past decade, the nation had worked on mission mode to preserve its cultural legacy. About 600 ancient statues and artefacts, which had been stolen and sold abroad, have been brought back to India since 2014. Of these, 36 belonged to Tamil Nadu.
The Prime Minister paid tributes to the country’s Shaivite tradition too, saying it played a vital role in shaping the nation’s cultural identity. If only the world adopted the teaching of Tirumular, ‘Anbe Shivam’ (Love is God), problems such as instability, violence and environmental crises could be solved, he observed.
The accused was identified as Karanbir alias Karan, said Amit Kaushik, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell/New Delhi Range.
Further investigation is underway.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested a 22-year-old man linked to the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and wanted in connection with a grenade attack in Punjab.
The accused was identified as Karanbir alias Karan, said Amit Kaushik, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell/New Delhi Range.
Karanbir was arrested in connection with the grenade attack at Police Station Quila Lal Singh, in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district in April, the police said in a statement on Sunday.
The accused was arrested in Gurdaspur, Punjab, under the Arms Act on Saturday.
Confessing to his involvement in the grenade attack, Karanbir said that he was in contact with a person from Punjab, but based abroad and handling operations for BKI.
The accused also shared that he facilitated the stay of two persons at his home before the attack, who had executed the task of launching the grenade at Police Station Qila Lal Singh.
The accused revealed that his handler used to instruct him through social media applications to commit criminal and terror activities.
Karanbir revealed that he also visited a West Asian country in 2024. Karanbir told the police that he received money from his handler for executing the said grenade attack.
Karanbir’s brother, Gursewak, who was also involved in the attack, has already been arrested in the case. Karanbir was arrested based on the leads provided by Akashdeep alias Bazz of Amritsar, an accused in a case registered under the Arms Act.
Akashdeep, who was arrested in Indore on Tuesday, was also found involved in the grenade attack case at the Police Station Quila Lal Singh.
Connaught Place and Lodhi Road are being considered as the prime locations for the market, which will operate after 10 PM and feature food trucks run by some of Delhi’s most popular eateries, according to officials.
A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks. (Representational)
Delhi may soon get its own late-night food hub, with the government planning to launch a night market in the NDMC area, inspired by Indore’s iconic 56 Dukan model.
Connaught Place and Lodhi Road are being considered as the prime locations for the market, which will operate after 10 PM and feature food trucks run by some of Delhi’s most popular eateries, according to officials. The goal of the market is to create a safe, vibrant, and regulated nightlife space for residents and tourists alike.
Confirming the plan, Delhi Cabinet Minister and NDMC member Parvesh Verma said, “We want to offer the people of Delhi and tourists as well, a safe nightlife experience, and a concrete plan is being prepared for this. Our aim is to make Delhi’s nights just as vibrant and engaging as its daytime activities.”
The plan has drawn attention from multiple quarters, from business owners to young residents eager for safer, more engaging late-night options in the national capital.
Local food truck owners have welcomed the idea but urged the government to provide clarity on licensing and operational rules.
Meanwhile students are quite optimistic. “It’s high time Delhi caught up with cities that have active night scenes. We usually end up at the same cafes or drive around aimlessly. A safe and vibrant food street at night would be amazing,” Pranav Sharma, a university student said.
The Delhi government’s plea seeks a comprehensive study by the Centre and CAQM to assess the actual environmental benefits of age-based restrictions.
The Delhi government rolled out the ‘No fuel for old vehicles’ policy on July 1, but it was paused within two days.(AFP)
The Supreme Court will review the controversial ban on older petrol and diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday. The hearing follows a plea by the Delhi government, challenging the blanket ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, arguing the restrictions lack scientific backing.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran will take up the matter. One of the most pertinent questions to be answered from the hearing is whether Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) compliant vehicles should still face arbitrary end-of-life restrictions based solely on age.
The Delhi government’s plea seeks a comprehensive study by the Centre and CAQM to assess the actual environmental benefits of age-based restrictions versus emission-based criteria.
What’s the ban?
The current ban traces back to a 2015 order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which prohibited diesel vehicles older than 10 years and Petrol vehicles older than 15 years.
“The vehicles which are more than 15 years old will not be permitted to be parked in any public area, and they shall be towed away and challenged by the police in accordance with the law. This direction would be applicable to all vehicles without exception, i.e. two wheelers, three wheelers, four wheelers, light vehicles and heavy vehicles, irrespective of whether commercial or otherwise,” the NGT said in its November 26, 2014, order.
The Supreme Court upheld this ruling in 2018, citing alarming air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR and a need to protect public health. In line with this, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed that fuel stations stop supplying petrol and diesel to these “end-of-life” vehicles from July 1, 2025.
Why was the policy paused?
The Delhi government, under chief minister Rekha Gupta, rolled out the ‘No fuel for old vehicles’ policy on July 1, 2025, but it was paused within two days after facing public backlash.
The government then cited logistical hurdles and infrastructure gaps, especially in identifying and enforcing the ban effectively.
Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said last week that pollution levels of vehicles should be determined based on their usage rather than their age, ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the End-of-Life (EoL) vehicle policy.
Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple stampede killed six and got several injured. Uttarakhand CM Dhami expressed sadness and assured rescue efforts.
Mansa Devi temple stampede (PTI)
A stampede broke out at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple on Sunday, killing six people and leaving many injured, police said.
Rumour of an electric current where the stairs to the temple begin sent the devotees into a panic, leading to the stampede, Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Singh Dobal told PTI Videos. About 35 people were rushed to hospital and six of them died, he said.
The incident took place around 9.30 am.
One of the injured told ANI, “Just 20-25 steps before the temple premises, the crowd became uncontrollable… I fell down along with 10 to 12 others… I found 3 of my family members, but 2 are still missing…”
Another shared his ordeal and told his hand got fractured. “Suddenly, a huge crowd gathered there and a stampede took place. During this, I fell and my hand got fractured…”
#WATCH | 6 dead, several injured following stampede at Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand
One of the injured says, “Suddenly, a huge crowd gathered there and a stampede took place. During this, I fell and my hand got fractured…” pic.twitter.com/KtIVHaxqCZ
Justice Varma used the anonymised title “XXX” in the petition, a practice typically applied in cases involving sexual assault survivors or minors.
Left: Justice Yashwant Varma; Right: Image of burnt cash at his residence shared by SC.
Justice Yashwant Varma, currently facing a removal motion in Parliament after bundles of cash were recovered from his official residence in Delhi, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court without disclosing his identity. The plea, titled “XXX vs Union of India”, challenges the findings of an in-house inquiry panel and the recommendation by the then Chief Justice of India for his removal.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih is scheduled to hear the matter today.
Justice Varma used the anonymised title “XXX” in the petition, a practice typically applied in cases involving sexual assault survivors or minors. The Supreme Court has previously directed that the identities of such petitioners remain protected, including in judgments.
In the plea, Justice Varma alleged that the inquiry committee reversed the burden of proof, effectively requiring him to disprove the allegations made against him. He claimed the process was biased and driven by a “preconceived narrative,” and that it compromised procedural fairness. The petition argued that the panel reached adverse conclusions without providing a full and fair opportunity to be heard.
Filed on July 17 and registered by the Supreme Court on July 24 after procedural corrections, the civil writ petition is listed as the 699th of the year. The Centre is named as the first respondent, while the Supreme Court is the second.
The three-judge inquiry panel, led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, conducted a 10-day investigation into the March 14 fire at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence. The panel examined 55 witnesses and visited the site where a large amount of half-burnt cash was discovered in a storeroom.
The committee concluded that Justice Varma and his family had covert or direct control over the area where the cash was found, establishing grounds for misconduct serious enough to warrant removal.
A woman hailing from Thrissur, who retired as dean from a leading institution in Bengaluru, as well as a person hailing from an ordinary family in Palakkad are the anonymous philanthropists.
File photo of landslide in Wayanad Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Several students who were orphaned in the devastating landslide at Wayanad last year are receiving the helping hand from a couple of philanthropists who prefer anonymity.
As many as seven students lost both father and mother in the landslide on July 30, 2024 that claimed around 250 lives and around 100 still missing.
A woman hailing from Thrissur, who retired as dean from a leading institution in Bengaluru, as well as a person hailing from an ordinary family in Palakkad are the anonymous philanthropists. They not only sent money every month for the welfare of the children, but also used to regularly ring up the child welfare authorities and enquire about the wellbeing of the children, a statement from the state government said.
While the retired dean is sending Rs 4,000 each to two girls who were orphaned, the Palakkad native is sending Rs 2,000 each to three girls. The Palakkad native lost his parents during his childhood and hence he could realise the pain of the children he lost their parents, said the statement.
Shocking visuals have surfaced on social media after a pile up of around 16 vehicles reportedly occurred after a chain of collision as a container crashed after its braked failed on the highway.
Around 16 Vehicles Pile-Up As Container Truck Crash On Mumbai-Pune Expressway | Instagram | @padalevishal
In a shocking incident, a major accident occurred at the entrance of a tunnel on Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday. The accident reportedly occurred near the Shree Datta Snacks, which is located after the Lonavala-Khandala Ghat on the highway. Shocking visuals have surfaced on social media after a pile up of around 16 vehicles reportedly occurred after a chain of collision as a container crashed after its braked failed on the highway. There are reports that one person has reportedly died in the accident.
There are reports that around 16 people have suffered injuries in the accident. According to early reports from Pune Pulse, around 18 to 20 vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash after a container truck’s brakes failed. The truck, reportedly speeding, hit a vehicle near the food mall, leading to a massive pile-up.
1. The accident occurred on one of India’s busiest expressways.
2. The container truck lost control and hit a vehicle, triggering a chain crash.
3. The impact badly damaged several vehicles, at least three were completely crushed.
4. Many people were injured, some seriously.
Traffic Nightmare
The expressway was jammed for several hours. Vehicles were stranded in queues stretching up to 5 kilometers. Police and emergency teams quickly reached the spot to help the injured and clear the wreckage. Traffic had to be diverted to other routes to ease the congestion.
The module will have two parts—first for students from class 3 to 8 and another one for students from class 9 to 12.
Photo for representational purpose. Credit: iStock photo
The education ministry is going to bring in modules on Operation Sindoor, astronaut Shubanshu Shukla, Chandrayaan as well as ISRO’s achievements for school children, senior ministry sources said. These modules, which are in addition to prescribed syllabus, will be brought in during the coming academic session.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been tasked with coming up with these modules which will have 8-10 pages on each matter. One of these modules will be on the Pahalgam terror attack as well as Operation Sindoor, while another will be on the Chandrayan Mission.
“School children must know of India’s achievement in space, too. So modules will be developed on astronaut Shubanshu Shukla, on the strides ISRO has taken in the frontier of space,” a senior ministry official said.
The modules will be developed in two stages — one for classes 3 to 8 and another for class 9 to 12.
States asked to follow NCERT
The CBSE has written to States asking them to mandatorily follow text books of the NCERT for classes 9 to 12. It has also “strongly advised” States to follow textbooks of the NCERT or SCERT, and that schools may use supplementary material as per their requirement but that it must be aligned with the National Curriculum Framework.
Ajit Pawar warned that the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi was losing ground to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
A video clip of Pawar expressing frustration over local governance issues has gone viral on social media.(PTI)
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s sharp remarks during a visit to Pimpri-Chinchwad have sparked political debate, after he claimed that Pune’s Hinjewadi IT Park is gradually shifting to cities outside Maharashtra.
A video clip of Pawar expressing frustration over local governance issues has gone viral on social media. While speaking to Ganesh Jambhulkar, a local sarpanch, during an early morning inspection, Pawar warned that the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi was losing ground to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“We are finished. The entire Hinjewadi IT Park is relocating, leaving Pune and Maharashtra for Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Is anyone even bothered?” said Pawar, who is also Pune’s guardian minister.
The remarks were made during a surprise visit to areas around the IT park, which took place around 6 am, where Pawar reviewed complaints related to waterlogging and other civic problems across several areas in Pimpri Chinchwad.
As Jambhulkar raised concerns in front of the media, Pawar responded curtly, saying, “Temples get submerged when dams are built. Say what you want — I’ll listen — but I will act as I see fit.”
He also expressed frustration at the need for such early morning inspections and said the situation demanded tough decisions. “Why do I need to come here at six in the morning? This can’t continue — strong steps must be taken,” he said, asking media persons to turn off their cameras.
Subsequently, the Deputy CM took to the microblogging site X, sharing footage of his visit from early in the day, writing, “Change is coming, every problem of Puneites will be solved..!”
This was Pawar’s second visit to Hinjewadi within a week, after locals, mostly comprising the IT workforce, had complained about poor infrastructure leading to frequent waterlogging, traffic snarls, and power cuts. Even the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had held a meeting earlier this month, assuring a quick solution to the problems faced by locals.
The Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi, developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), spans over 2,800 acres. It is home to over 200 firms and contributes over 60 per cent of Maharashtra’s IT export.
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the case so far, said officials, adding that the group targeted young individuals, especially girls, using online games
Abdul Rehman, one of the key accused | Image: X
The religious conversion racket under investigation in Agra involved coordination with handlers based in Pakistan and used online platforms and gaming apps to influence youth, police said on Saturday.
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the case so far, said officials, adding that the group targeted young individuals, especially girls, using online games like Ludo as initial contact points.
According to Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the suspects allegedly introduced Islamic teachings and created doubts about Hinduism through sustained communication.
The case came to light after two sisters, aged 33 and 18, were reported missing from Agra. One of them had posted a photo on social media holding an AK-47.
This led to the arrest of 10 people from six states, followed by four more as the investigation progressed.
Some of the girls were reportedly influenced by Kashmiri women who were part of the network and criticised Hinduism while promoting Islam, reported Hindustan Times.
“We have interrogated 14 arrested individuals and spoken to the rescued girls. It was found that they were in contact with people in Pakistan, who spoke to them about Islam, and with some girls in Kashmir who reportedly influenced them to adopt the religion,” Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar said.
Police have identified Abdul Rehman, a Delhi resident who converted to Islam in 1990, and Ayesha from Goa as key figures in the operation.
The network allegedly targeted girls from several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. The rescued individuals were reportedly added to WhatsApp groups where ideological indoctrination continued.
Commissioner Kumar said the operation involved individuals with knowledge of the dark web and encrypted messaging platforms like Signal, which were used to evade detection.
PM Modi will attend an event marking 1000 years of Rajendra Chola I’s maritime expedition and the construction of Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple.
A file photo of PM Narendra Modi (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will attend a programme to mark a thousand years of the maritime expedition of the great Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia and the commencement of the construction of the iconic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Tamil Nadu.
As part of the celebrations, a commemorative coin honouring the great Chola king will be released, coinciding with the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival, PM Modi wrote on X.
“Tomorrow, 27th July, will witness a very special programme to mark a thousand years of the maritime expedition of the great Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia and the commencement of the construction of the iconic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a shining example of Chola architecture. It is our privilege that a commemorative coin honouring Rajendra Chola I is being released, also celebrating the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival,” he said on X.
The celebration also commemorates the birth anniversary of the great Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I. The grand finale of the festival on July 27 will be graced by PM Modi, who will attend the event as the Chief Guest.
Who Was Rajendra Chola I?
Rajendra Chola I (1014–1044 CE) was one of the most powerful and visionary rulers in Indian history. Under his leadership, the Chola Empire expanded its influence across South and Southeast Asia.
He established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as the imperial capital after his victorious campaigns, and the temple he built there served as a beacon of Shaiva devotion, monumental architecture, and administrative prowess for over 250 years.
Today, the temple stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its intricate sculptures, Chola bronzes, and ancient inscriptions.
The Aadi Thiruvathirai festival also celebrates the rich Tamil Shaiva Bhakti tradition, fervently supported by the Cholas and immortalised by the 63 Nayanmars—the saint-poets of Tamil Shaivism.
Notably, Rajendra Chola’s birth star, Thiruvathirai (Ardra), begins on July 23, making this year’s festival all the more significant.
India monitors Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, urging both nations to cease hostilities. Indian embassies advise nationals to avoid border areas and stay in touch for help.
Smoke billows from petrol station in Thailand. (Image: X)
India on Saturday responded to the ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia
“We are closely monitoring the situation along the border between Cambodia and Thailand. India has close and friendly relations with both countries and hopes that both sides will take measures for a cessation of hostilities and prevention of further escalation,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press statement.
The MEA further urged the Indian travellers in both the countries to saty in touch with their respective embassies for any assistance.
“Embassy of India in Bangkok, Thailand- Helpline: + 66 61 881 9218 (WhatsApp calls also). Embassy of India in Phnom Penh, Cambodia- Helpline: +855 92 881 676 (WhatsApp calls also),” the press release added.
India Issues Advisory For Indians In Cambodia
Earlier, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia had issued an advisory for Indian nationals travelling to the country amid ongoing clashes with Thailand, suggesting that they avoid going to border areas.
“In view of the ongoing clashes at the Cambodia-Thailand border, Indian nationals are advised to avoid traveling to the border areas,” the Embassy said.
“In case of any emergency, Indian nationals may approach the Embassy of India, Phnom Penh at +855 92881676 or email cons.phnompenh@mea.gov.in,” it added.
Indian Embassy In Thailand Issues Advisory
Earlier on Friday, Indian Embassy in Thailand advised its nationals to practice caution and avoid travelling to seven provinces in view of the situation arising out of the clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border.
In view of the situation near the Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travellers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) Newsroom, the Indian embassy said in a social media post.
Thailand-Cambodia Border Clashes
Thailand and Cambodia continued their fighting for the third straight day on Saturday, as the death toll in the deadly fighting rose to 33. Phnom Penh has said that it was ready for an “immediate ceasefire, unconditionally”.
A decades-long border dispute between the two countries erupted into an intense military confrontation involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, after which the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday.
NDMA presence in the acid-reflux drug under scrutiny again; states told to ensure manufacturers take risk-based safety steps
Ranitidine is a medication that lowers stomach acid production and helps relieve acid-related indigestion and heartburn. It is commonly available under brand names like Aciloc, Rantac, and Zinetac. (Representational pic/Reuters)
In a renewed move to safeguard public health, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed all state and union territory drug regulators to ensure that manufacturers of Ranitidine—a commonly used medicine for acidity—monitor levels of NDMA, a potential cancer-causing impurity, in their formulations.
Ranitidine is a medication that lowers stomach acid production and helps relieve acid-related indigestion and heartburn. It is commonly available under brand names like Aciloc, Rantac, and Zinetac.
The July 24 communication, seen by News18, follows the findings of a government-appointed expert committee and a subsequent meeting of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the country’s apex drug advisory body. The DTAB, in its 92nd meeting held on April 28, reviewed the expert panel’s report on the NDMA contamination issue that has shadowed Ranitidine for several years.
“The issue related to safety of Ranitidine drug due to presence of NDMA impurity has been under consideration for quite some time and this office has taken various measures from time to time,” the letter said.
Now, a letter from the DCGI notes that while various steps have been taken earlier, the DTAB has recently recommended more robust action, including the setting up of a larger committee to examine all aspects of Ranitidine safety—particularly its storage conditions, which can impact impurity levels. It has also suggested that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conduct a safety study on Ranitidine, considering the NDMA concerns.
News18 first reported the recommendations of the expert panel on April 29.
Critically, the DTAB advised that “manufacturers should monitor the NDMA levels in the API/formulation and also take risk-based measures such as reducing the shelf life” of the product.
Following this, the DCGI has asked state drug controllers to instruct Ranitidine manufacturers in their jurisdiction to initiate these monitoring and mitigation efforts immediately.
“…as recommended by DTAB, you are requested to direct the manufacturers under your jurisdiction to monitor the NDMA levels in the API/formulation of Ranitidine and also take risk-based measures such as reducing the shelf life, etc.”
NDMA (N-nitroso dimethylamine) is classified as a probable human carcinogen. The impurity was first flagged globally in 2019, prompting recalls and regulatory reviews in several countries. In India, too, concerns around Ranitidine’s safety have persisted, although the drug remains on the market.
A young boy’s desperate attempt to save a pigeon won hearts on social media. (Instagram)
A heartbreaking video has gone viral on social media, showing a young boy carrying an injured pigeon to a hospital in a desperate attempt to save its life. Unfortunately, the bird could not be saved, causing the boy to break down in tears.
The emotional clip has been shared across various social media platforms, highlighting the deep affection of children towards animals. The video showed the boy carrying a pigeon, whose wing was visibly fractured, into a district hospital in Longding.
The boy was accompanied by some of his friends. A woman, likely a part of the hospital staff, was heard saying, “Please drop the pigeon here, we’ll do the dressing.” The boy gently placed the pigeon on a stool and quietly wiped its tears.
Later, the boy asked, “Did it die?”, and the hospital staffer replied, “Yes, it has died.” The boy was seen breaking down, clearly devastated after hearing the news.
The Supreme Court will hear a pivotal plea on July 28 that could overturn Delhi’s controversial ban on older vehicles, offering hope to old vehicle owners facing unfair and non-scientific, end-of-life restrictions.
Supreme Court will review the ban on old vehicle ban in Delhi on July 28. (Photo: PTI)
In a major development that could reshape how Delhi balances clean-air mandates with evolving vehicle technology, the Supreme Court will hear a crucial plea on July 28 regarding the absurd ban on older petrol and diesel vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region. The hearing comes in light of a petition filed by the Delhi government seeking a review of the court’s 2018 order enforcing end-of-life restrictions, particularly on Bharat Stage VI (BS VI)-compliant vehicles.
The matter will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, and is expected to explore whether the existing rules, originally designed for older, more so-called polluting vehicles, are still justified in an era of advanced emission norms.
A ban rooted in air quality emergency
The ban traces back to a 2015 order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which prohibited diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from operating in Delhi-NCR. The Supreme Court upheld this directive in 2018, citing public health and environmental protection. Recently, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) sought to enforce a related measure by halting fuel supply to these ‘end-of-life’ vehicles from July 1, an order that has now been deferred to November due to public backlash and logistical hurdles.
The petition: Science over age
In its application, the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government argues that the blanket age-based restriction is “no longer scientifically or technically justified” in light of significant advancements in vehicle emissions technology, especially with the implementation of BS-VI norms in April 2020. These vehicles emit up to 80% less particulate matter and 70% less nitrogen oxides than BS IV models.
Calling the ban “disproportionate and impractical,” the government emphasises that many well-maintained BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles with up-to-date Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and limited usage patterns contribute negligibly to overall pollution. The petition stresses that roadworthiness and emissions should be evaluated scientifically, through regular testing mechanisms under the Motor Vehicles Act and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, rather than being dictated by arbitrary age thresholds.
Impact on the public
The Delhi government warns that the current ban disproportionately affects middle- and lower-income groups who rely on used vehicles for essential mobility. For many, these vehicles remain roadworthy and compliant with emissions standards, yet face de-registration and denied access to fuel purely due to age.
Environment Minister Majinder Singh Sirsa underlined the government’s position, stating, “We need data-backed policy, not blanket bans. Pollution needs to be tackled, yes, but in a way that is fair and scientifically accurate.”
Call for a scientific review
The Delhi government has urged the Supreme Court to direct either the Centre or the CAQM to conduct a comprehensive scientific study to assess the actual environmental benefits of the age-based ban. The petition also highlights that vehicular emissions are only one of many contributors to Delhi’s hazardous air quality, alongside stubble burning, industrial pollution, construction dust, and unfavourable weather patterns.
What lies ahead?
If the Supreme Court acknowledges the merits of this review plea, it could pave the way for a landmark shift from age-based scrappage policies to more nuanced, emission-centric regulations. Such a move would not only protect cleaner vehicles from premature “death” but also bring India closer to adopting international best practices in pollution control and sustainable mobility.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal said India will receive rightful credit for the design of Kolhapuri chappals when exported. His remarks follow backlash over luxury brand Prada showcasing similar footwear without crediting Indian origins.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal said India will receive rightful credit for the design of Kolhapuri chappals when exported.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said India will now receive rightful credit for the design of Kolhapuri chappals when they are exported, asserting that the iconic footwear is a Geographical Indication (GI) product of the country.
“When a global brand used the design of our Kolhapuri chappals, the Commerce Ministry immediately took action on it. Going forward, when the Kolhapuri chappal is exported, India will get due credit for its design. It is India’s GI product,” said Goyal while speaking about the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The statement comes after global luxury brand Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing Kolhapuri-style sandals in its Men’s Spring Collection at Milan Fashion Week, priced at Rs 1.2 lakh. The brand made no reference to the chappals’ Indian roots, the artisans who craft them, or their cultural significance.
He added that global brands are increasingly interested in associating with Indian products. “Many global brands are expressing their desire to associate their names with Indian products and sell them in global markets. The Kolhapuri Chappal can have a business of Rs 8000–10000 crores in the international market,” he said.
Kolhapuri chappals were granted a GI tag by the Government of India in 2019. The handmade leather footwear traces its origin back to the 12th century and is traditionally crafted by cobbler communities in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
CBI said that the agency has genuine concerns, which is why it prefers that Chidambaram seek permission each time he wants to travel
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (PTI photo)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday opposed Congress MP Karti Chidambaram’s request to ease his bail conditions to allow foreign travel, citing the example of Vijay Mallya.
The case was heard by Justice Ravinder Dudeja of the Delhi High Court. Representing the CBI, Special Counsel Anup S. Sharma referred to Mallya without naming him directly.
“There was one more MP, from Kingfisher. He is today in the UK,” Sharma said, warning that easing travel restrictions could pose risks.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Chidambaram, argued that the Congress MP is not a flight risk. “He is an MP, he is not going to be an MP of the UK. Even today, he is attending Parliament,” Luthra said, asking the court to allow more flexibility for Chidambaram to travel abroad, Bar and Bench reported.
In response to Sharma’s concerns, the court asked, “If one person has run away, do you think everybody will run away?” Sharma replied that the agency has genuine concerns, which is why it prefers that Chidambaram seek permission each time he wants to travel.
Following the submissions, the court agreed to advance the hearing date to 10 September, instead of the earlier scheduled date of 16 October.
The case relates to the INX Media scandal, in which the CBI alleges that in 2007, when P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister, INX Media received irregular approval for foreign funding worth Rs 305 crore. Karti Chidambaram was arrested in the case and later granted bail in March 2018, with conditions including a ban on international travel without court approval.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during a banquet hosted in his honour by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Male
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint press statement after delegation level talks with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India has always stood by the Maldives in its development journey, especially in areas like infrastructure and capacity building.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during a banquet hosted in his honour by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Male, where he is currently on a state visit.
“We are both partners of the Global South. Whether it is Infrastructure or Capacity Building, India has been a true partner and companion at every turn of Maldives’ development journey. Now we should move forward on trade, security, and sustainable development,” PM Modi said.
He reaffirmed the strong ties between the two nations, saying the island nation holds a “special place” in India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
“India-Maldives relations are centuries-old. We are neighbours, partners and true friends who stand together in times of need. Like I said earlier too, Maldives holds a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy…This is not just diplomacy but a relation of deep affinity,” PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of taking the partnership forward in key areas such as trade, security, and sustainable development. “We should now move ahead in strengthening cooperation in trade, security, and sustainable development,” he added.
“This year, the 60th anniversary of India-Maldives relations are also being celebrated. This happy coincidence (60th Independence Day of Maldives and 60th anniversary of India-Maldives relations) has made my Visit even more special,” he said.
Additionally, PM Modi celebrated the shared heritage between the two nations, saying, “Our shared heritage is as old as the Monsoon and as sweet as Addu Bondi. Our languages reflect the depth of our culture. The roots of the Mahal language of Dhivehi and Minicoy are similar. Several words in Dhivehi have come from India…Our tastes are also similar…Absolutely perfect despite being different.”
Nearly 40 years ago, Rajinder started a small food stall in the Safdarjung market in Delhi.
Rajinder Da Dhaba is best known for its Chicken Curry and Galauti Kebabs. (Photo Credits: X/@AdityaRoyKFans & @SanjuAneja)
Tucked away in a lane of Delhi’s Safdarjung area is a food joint that has quietly grown into a Rs 100-crore-plus empire without any flashy marketing. To this day, Rajinder Da Dhaba continues to draw massive crowds every single day, for one simple reason: taste.
Best known for its Chicken Curry and Galauti Kebabs, this decades-old dhaba has cemented its place as a landmark on Delhi’s culinary map. What makes its journey truly remarkable is its beginning in 1968. From selling fish fry to eggs, it has since grown into a thriving chain with multiple successful outlets.
The Journey Of A Small Food Stall
Nearly 40 years ago, Rajinder started a small food stall in the Safdarjung market in Delhi. He began with just Rs 500 and served simple dishes like fish fry and eggs. There were no investors and no advertisements. Slowly, the taste caught on, and customers kept coming back. Recently, content creator Rocky Saggoo Capital, who shares business stories, posted a reel explaining how this small stall grew into a business worth crores.
“Sirf Butter Chicken aur Galauti Kebabs bechkar crore ka empire khada kar diya. Na investors, na ads, na Zomato ka gimmick. (They built a crore-plus empire by just selling butter chicken and galauti kebabs. No investors, no ads, no Zomato gimmicks),” Rocky said in the video.
Business That Grew With Customers
As demand grew, so did the challenges. Long wait times began to frustrate customers. That’s when the team made a bold call. They decided not to launch an app but to create a system. “Customer ne bola zyada chahiye— menu expand kar diya. Bola time lagta hai – time bachaya (When customers asked for more variety, they expanded the menu. When they complained about delays, they saved time),” Rocky explained.
Instead of market surveys, they listened directly to customer feedback. “Critics ne sudhara, customers ne badhaya (Critics helped them improve, customers helped them grow),” he added.
Three Brands, One Idea
Today, Rajinder Da Dhaba operates under three formats:
Rajinder Da Dhaba
Rajinder Xpress
RDX Resto & Bar
“Aaj yeh sirf ek dhaba nahi, Delhi ka cultural landmark hai, (Today, it’s not just a dhaba but a cultural landmark of Delhi),” Rocky pointed out.
Operational Mastery
Their success isn’t just about recipes; it is about operations. From marinating in batches to keeping gravy ready in advance, they have engineered kitchen speed without compromising taste. “Kitchen ko system ki tarah chalaya, lekin food ko fast food nahi banne diya (They ran the kitchen like a system, but never let the food become like fast food),” Rocky mentioned.
Even without seating, they created a unique “car dining” experience. “Order time pehle 20 mins tha, ab sirf 2–3 mins reh gaya hai (Earlier, the wait time was 20 minutes. Now it’s down to 2–3 minutes),” he added.
The Brand’s Expansion
The brand began by perfecting just two dishes: Butter Chicken and Galauti Rolls. Once these hit the mark, they expanded step by step. “Automation kari. Ek ek dish ko perfect karte chale gaye (They automated things. Perfected each dish one by one),” Rocky said.
This pattern suggests that the compact oscillating corona seems to be the origin of these fast QPO signals.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)(Representative Image)(File photo | ISRO)
A team of scientists and researchers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday listed out their unique findings while studying the Black Hole as part of their study.They noted that the X-ray brightness from the fascinating and mysterious black hole, GRS 1915+105, fluctuates dramatically over time. It exhibits a unique pattern of alternating low-brightness (‘dips’) and high-brightness (‘non-dips’) phases, each lasting a few hundred seconds.
During the high-brightness phase, the team discovered that the rapid flickers in X-rays were repeating about 70 times per second, known as Quasi-periodic Oscillations (QPOs). Interestingly, such ‘fast’ flickers vanish during the low-brightness phase, noted the researchers Anju Nandi from ISRO, Santabrata Das from IIT- Guwahati, Sreehari H from Hafiza University and Seshadri Majumder from IIT Guwahati.
India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, AstroSat, has been continuously monitoring the black hole GRS 1915+105 since its launch in September 2015 and is working to provide insights into the source’s behaviour. The research team stated that they found that these rapid QPOs are intimately connected to a super-heated cloud of energetic plasma surrounding the black hole, known as the corona. During the bright, high-energy phases when QPOs are strongest, the corona becomes more compact and significantly hotter with higher luminosity. Conversely, in the dimmer dip phases, the corona expands and cools, causing the flickers to vanish. This pattern suggests that the compact oscillating corona seems to be the origin of these fast QPO signals.
This research work titled- Evidence of oscillating ‘compact’ Comptonised corona in GRS 1915+105: insights into HFQPOs with AstroSat- was also published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, on July 4, 2025. ISRO shared the details on July 25.
The teachers were allegedly having breakfast outside the area where the roof of the school in Rajasthan collapsed — the same place where students had gathered for the morning assembly.
Locals during the rescue work after a government school building collapsed, in Jhalawar district. (PTI)
The teachers at the primary school building that collapsed on Friday morning in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar, claiming the lives of seven students, were alerted by the children that something was amiss. However, the teachers, who were having breakfast at the time, did not pay heed to the students’ urgent pleas and instead told them to return to their classroom.
“Pebbles were falling. When the students told the teachers, they scolded them and kept having breakfast. If the children were taken out, the accident would not have happened,” a student told India Today TV.
The teachers were allegedly having breakfast outside the area where the roof collapsed — the same place where students from Class 1 to 8 had gathered for the morning assembly.
“The children were made to sit inside the class for prayer. The teachers were having breakfast. When pebbles started falling inside, the children told the teachers. The teachers scolded the children and asked them to sit back in class. After that, the wall gave way and the roof fell on the children. Many children ran here and there to escape, with many getting buried under the rubble. After that the children were taken out with the help of the villagers,” an eighth-standard student said.
According to sources, the walls and roof of the school were in a dilapidated condition. Cement had been applied and plastering done just a month ago.
FIVE TEACHERS SUSPENDED FOR CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE
Shortly after the incident, five teachers were suspended for criminal negligence that led to the deaths of seven children and left more than a dozen injured.
Several of the young children studying at the Government High Primary School in Pimplod, Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, had no idea that such criminal callousness by the authorities would result in immense grief for their families.
More than a dozen children were pulled out from under the debris by villagers. The injured were taken to the nearest health center.
“The accident in the school building at Pimplod, Manoharthana is extremely sad and painful. The loss of lives and injuries to many children is heartbreaking,” former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said.
The tragedy sparked growing anger among the residents of Pimplod village in the Manoharthana police station area of Jhalawar, as accusations emerged that teachers ignored students’ warnings about pebbles falling.
After the incident, the district administration acted swiftly. The district collector announced the suspension of five officials from the education department, including teachers.
“We had earlier complained about the school’s poor condition, but no action was taken,” a relative of one of the students told India Today TV.
“We had issued orders in June that children should not be made to sit in any dilapidated school building, and that we should be informed. We also repaired several such buildings. There was clear negligence on the part of the teachers. Five people from the education department have been suspended. An inquiry committee has been formed, and further action will be taken once the report is submitted,” said Jhalawar District Collector Ajay Singh Rathore.
BLACK SPOT ON US: SACHIN PILOT
Congress leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said that he was “pained” by the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Three states in the northeast have issued an alert cautioning against the entry of illegal migrants from Assam, where the Himanta Biswa Sarma government has been carrying out massive eviction drives
Three states in northeast issued alert cautioning against entry of illegal migrants from Assam
The Niuland district administration along with the Nagaland Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) intercepted and turned back over 200 vehicles carrying evicted illegal immigrants from Assam at various checkpoints across the district, sources have told NDTV.
This comes at a time when the Nagaland government issued an advisory to the police to check evicted illegal migrants from Assam trying to enter the state.
District-level intelligence teams were deployed at the check gates to assist in identifying and processing the occupants, sources said.
In the last two days, over 200 vehicles that were attempting to transport individuals evicted during the Assam government’s drive have been turned back after checking their credentials and it was found that they were evicted in the recent anti-encroachment drive in different parts of Assam.
Three states in the northeast have issued an alert cautioning against the entry of illegal migrants from Assam, where the Himanta Biswa Sarma government has been carrying out massive eviction drives.
The advisory issued by neighbouring Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland said all officers concerned should report any movement of suspected illegal migrants immediately. They have to collect the suspects’ biometric and biographic data, too.
The three states are concerned that the encroachers and illegal migrants evicted from Assam government lands may enter their states.
Yesterday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the state’s preparedness and strengthen border vigilance due to the ongoing eviction drive in Assam against illegal immigrants.
The meeting aimed to prevent a spillover of illegal migrants from Assam entering neighbouring Meghalaya. It also reviewed the potential fallout of Assam’s eviction drive and its impact on Meghalaya’s border areas.
Manipur Police today gave revised instructions outlining the procedure for detection, restriction of movement, and deportation of illegal immigrants.
In addition, a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) for verification and detection of illegal immigrants, including Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals, has been provided to ensure uniform and coordinated action at the district level.
Additional Superintendent of Police Durga Prasad and the driver, Narsing Rao, who were also in the car, sustained serious injuries in the collision.
The victims were en route to Hyderabad in connection with a case. (Representational)
Two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Department died after their car first hit a divider while trying to avoid a collision, but ended up getting struck head-on by another speeding lorry on Saturday morning. The incident, which took place around 4:45 am on the Kaithapuram village road, has sent shockwaves through the police fraternity.
The victims have been identified as Chakradhar Rao and Shantha Rao. They were reportedly en route to Hyderabad in connection with a case the incident occurred.
Another version of the same incident says the lorry, travelling on the opposite side of the divider, veered off its path and collided with the officers’ car.
Additional Superintendent of Police Durga Prasad and the driver, Narsing Rao, who were also in the car, sustained serious injuries in the collision. They have been immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on July 26 every year to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 war. Modi said said this occasion reminds the country of unparalleled courage and valour of its soldiers who sacrificed their lives for defending the country’s pride.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi | File Pic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people on the 26th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas, which marks the success of Indian armed forces in ousting Pakistani intruders from the mountains in Kargil.
The Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on July 26 every year to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 war.
Modi said said this occasion reminds the country of unparalleled courage and valour of its soldiers who sacrificed their lives for defending the country’s pride.
देशवासियों को कारगिल विजय दिवस की ढेरों शुभकामनाएं। यह अवसर हमें मां भारती के उन वीर सपूतों के अप्रतिम साहस और शौर्य का स्मरण कराता है, जिन्होंने देश के आत्मसम्मान की रक्षा के लिए अपना जीवन समर्पित कर दिया। मातृभूमि के लिए मर-मिटने का उनका जज्बा हर पीढ़ी को प्रेरित करता रहेगा। जय…
The incident occurred on July 24, after the woman fainted during a race and was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance stationed at the site.
A forensic team was sent to collect evidence and CCTV footage from the area helped identify the accused.
A woman participating in the Home Guard recruitment process at the BMP-3 parade ground in the Bodh Gaya police station area in Bihar was raped by the ambulance driver and technician while being transported to the hospital, police said on Friday.
The incident occurred on July 24, after the woman fainted during a race and was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance stationed at the site.
According to a press release by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anand Kumar, the woman candidate informed police about the assault. Based on her complaint, ambulance driver Vinay Kumar and technician Ajit Kumar were arrested within two hours.
A special investigation team led by Bodh Gaya SDPO Saurabh Jaiswal was formed to handle the case.
A forensic team was sent to collect evidence and CCTV footage from the area helped identify the accused. A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed at the Bodh Gaya police station and the investigation is underway.
The incident at Piplodi Government School in Manohar Thana took place at around 8.30 am.
Seven children were killed and two were critically injured after a government school building collapsed in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Friday.
The incident at Piplodi Government School in Manohar Thana took place at around 8.30 am. Officials said around 60 children, besides teachers and staff members, were present in the premises when the roof of the single-storey building collapsed.
According to sources, the building was in a dilapidated condition and several complaints were raised in this regard earlier. The school offers education till Class 8.
Rajasthan Education Secretary Krishna Kunal said the rescue operation was over and six children were killed in the incident.
All the children were between eight and 11 years of age. Two children are admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.
According to eyewitnesses and local villagers, the roof suddenly caved in due to persistent heavy rainfall over the past few days. The sound of the collapse was followed by screams and confusion as dust and debris engulfed the area.
Visuals from the site showed local residents rushing to rescue the trapped students, teachers and staff members. At least four JCB machines also arrived at the spot to help clear the debris.
Officials in the district administration, including the collector, and disaster relief teams also helped with the rescue operations. Family members of the school children rushed to the spot on learning about the building collapse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was “tragic and deeply saddening”. “My thoughts are with the affected students and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected,” his office said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, Education Minister Madan Dilawar said he has directed authorities to make proper arrangements and to oversee the injured children’s treatment, and to ensure they do not face any kind of difficulties. “I will order a probe into the incident and to ascertain what led the building to collapse. I have also spoken to the collector and directed authorities to take stock of the situation and help in whatever way possible,” he said.
India is reducing duty on UK whisky and gin from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and further to 40 per cent in the tenth year of the deal.
The International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI) hailed the trade deal as a historic moment for the alcoholic beverage sector.(Representational Image)
The India-United Kingdom free trade agreement is expected to lower import duties on spirits, potentially making premium international liquor brands more affordable for Indian consumers.
However, experts have cautioned that the impact may be modest, with price reductions likely capped at around ₹300 per bottle.
India and the UK signed a historic bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Thursday. The pact will boost bilateral commerce by $35 billion in the long run.
The India-UK FTA was finalised in May after more than three years of negotiations and was signed by commerce minister Piyush Goyal and his UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Britain.
As per the FTA signed in London between the two governments, India is reducing duty on UK whisky and gin from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and further to 40 per cent in the 10th year of the deal.
“Whisky producers will benefit from tariffs slashed in half, reduced immediately from 150 per cent to 75 per cent and then dropped even further to 40 per cent over the next ten years – giving the UK an advantage over international competitors in reaching the Indian market,” as per an official statement of the UK government.
Experts’ predictions on whiskey prices
The International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI), which represents premium alcoholic beverage companies in India (mostly MNCs), hailed the trade deal as a historic moment for the alcoholic beverage sector.
“The deal will significantly benefit Indian consumers, as premium international spirits will become more accessible, thereby accelerating the ongoing trend of premiumisation,” ISWAI CEO Sanjit Padhi was quoted as saying by PTI. “It will also stimulate growth across ancillary sectors, such as hospitality, tourism, and retail, while potentially increasing the revenue for Indian states.”
Industry experts, however, opined that while companies could benefit end-consumers, there would be very few benefits in terms of price reduction.
“Consumer prices for imported Scotch (whiskey) are not likely to change much,” liquor industry expert Vinod Giri said, according to PTI.
On average, Air India — which has an estimated 1,700 pilots — sees close to 50 of them report in sick on a daily basis.
A firefighter stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, in Ahmedabad, India, June 13, 2025.(Reuters)
At least 112 Air India pilots reported sick four days after the airline’s Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight crashed 33 seconds after taking off, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and another 19 people on the ground, the government told Parliament on Thursday.
On average, Air India — which has an estimated 1,700 pilots — sees close to 50 of them report in sick on a daily basis, a person aware of the matter said, asking not to be named. The government said the airline reported a “minor increase” in sick leaves after the June 12 crash.
“Air India reported a minor increase in sick leaves reported by pilots across all fleets in the aftermath of the AI-171 accident. On 16.06.202, a total of 112 pilots reported sick, comprising 51 commanders (P1) and 61 first officers (P2),” said minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply.
He was responding to BJP MP Jai Prakash,whether it is a fact that in the aftermath of the Air India-171 crash, Air India has been experiencing mass sick reporting by its flight crew members; whether the Government has taken remedial measures such as holding post-trauma mental health workshops to mitigate their stress.
The airline official cited above added that there had been an increase in pilots reporting they were unwell the day after the incident. “The spike was very minor in the beginning and it peaked on June 16,” this person added. “DGCA has already issued a medical circular regarding mental health of flight crews and air traffic controllers (ATCOs) on 22 Feb 2023, which lays down guidelines for operators (scheduled and non-scheduled) and DGCA-empanelled medical examiners,” Mohol said.
He added that the guidelines include “quick and effective methods to assess mental health that can easily be performed by the DGCA-empanelled medical examiners during the Class 1/2/3 medical examination.”
The government has also introduced a standalone, customised training capsule for flight crew and ATCOs to help manage the adverse effects of mental health conditions, it stated, the written reply added.
An army veteran captured footage of garbage spilling onto the streets in Gurgaon, with cows and dogs scavenging through the trash. The video has disgusted many.
Snippets from a video shared by an army veteran show garbage on Gurgaon streets. (Instagram/@gen.yashmor)
A video shared by an army veteran, capturing Gurgaon’s dire state of waste management, has disgusted social media users. The footage captures a garbage dump, with cows and dogs freely roaming around, just beside a high-rise in the city.
Snippets from a video shared by an army veteran show garbage on Gurgaon streets. (Instagram/@gen.yashmor)
Snippets from a video shared by an army veteran show garbage on Gurgaon streets. (Instagram/@gen.yashmor)
“The joy of living in the millennium city of Gurgaon, Haryana. Most animal and garbage friendly city in India. Such scenes can be seen anywhere around the city, you don’t have to come from very far to witness such an amazing place. Very well done to our civic agencies, no other city can boast such initiatives. Gurugram has set a new bench in urban planning and sustainability,” Yashpal Singh Mor sarcastically wrote while posting a video.
Take a look at the post:
What did social media say?
An individual sarcastically posted, “Sir, this is called co-existence. Our cities provide so much fodder for these animals that they are never hungry. It’s so humane and kind of us and our city planners/corporations.” Another joined, “Absolutely, sir! Gurugram is clearly pioneering a whole new model of ‘open ecosystem sustainability’.”
A third remarked, “Every corner of the city is like this. It’s disgusting, pathetic, and I don’t have words to describe how inefficient the waste management system in Gurgaon is.” A fourth wrote, “Such a nice ecosystem.”
Gurgaon to issue waste management tender:
There have been public outcries over mounting garbage across neighbourhoods in Gurgaon. After months of protests and problems, authorities have decided to float a ₹402-crore door-to-door waste collection tender.
A video captures two individuals, one wearing a Blinkit uniform and another dressed as a Swiggy delivery partner, robbing a store in Ghaziabad.
Two people wearing Blinkit and Swiggy uniforms are robbing a store in Ghaziabad. (X/@ANI)
A video of a robbery was captured on the CCTV of a jewellery store in Ghaziabad. The individuals who robbed items worth thousands of rupees from the store were seen disguised as delivery partners – one in a Blinkit uniform and the other wearing a Swiggy uniform.
“Thieves disguised as delivery boys execute a robbery at a jewellery store in Ghaziabad. CCTV visuals of the crime,” ANI wrote while posting the video.
The video opens to show the store’s employee standing at one side of the shop. Two individuals, one in a Blinkit uniform and the other dressed as a Swiggy delivery agent, are captured placing jewellery and other items in a bag.
Soon after, they flee the store, and the employee rushes outside to call for help.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Thieves disguised as delivery boys execute a robbery at a jewellery store in Ghaziabad. CCTV visuals of the crime. (24.07)
According to a report by Times of India (TOI), at the time of the robbery, which took around six minutes to execute, the store was managed by only one employee, Shubham. The shop’s owner Krishna Kumar Verma was away for lunch.
After the incident, Shubham alerted Verma, who informed the police about the robbery.
“A plaintiff gave information that two unknown people on a bike entered his jewellery shop and robbed 20 kg of silver and 25 g of gold at gunpoint… Police inspected the incident spot and 6 teams were sent for investigation… A case is being registered and further action is underway,” Trans Hindon DCP Nimish Patil told ANI.
Imphal East: BSF personnel and others stand at a farmland amid tensions after Kuki and Meitei villagers targeted each other with stones and slingshots over cultivating a piece of land, at a border area of Imphal East district, Manipur, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (PTI Photo) (File) (Representative Image)(PTI)
President’s Rule in Manipur has been extended by another six months, following a resolution introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha.
The extension will come into effect from August 13, 2025.
According to the official notice, it stated, “That this House approves the continuance in force of the Proclamation dated the February 13, 2025 in respect of Manipur, issued under article 356 of the Constitution by the President, for a further period of six months with effect from August 13, 2025.”
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, shortly after former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned, largely due to mounting political pressure from fellow BJP MLAs belonging to the Meitei community who opposed his leadership.
The current move to extend President’s Rule comes amid ongoing efforts by Meitei and Naga MLAs from the ruling NDA to push for the reinstatement of an elected government in the state.
Under Article 356(3) of the Constitution, President’s Rule is implemented through the Governor’s office, typically lasts for six months and can be renewed every six months with Parliament’s approval, for a maximum duration of three years.
Meanwhile, the ethnic conflict that broke out on May 3, 2023, between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities has led to over 250 deaths and forced more than 60,000 people to flee their homes.
In a separate incident, security forces arrested eight militants belonging to different proscribed outfits from Imphal West, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal and Chandel districts on Thursday.
The police said that security forces have been conducting search operations and area domination exercises in the fringe and vulnerable areas across districts since the ethnic violence broke out two years ago.
PM Modi Maldives Visit Updates: PM Modi Receives Warm Welcome Upon Landing in Maldives
PM Narendra Modi on Friday landed in Male, Maldives, to a warm welcome by President Mohamed Muizzu, the country’s Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Finance Minister and Minister of Homeland Security.
PM Modi Maldives Visit Updates: PM Modi Lands In Male
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, July 25, landed in Male. PM Modi is in Maldives for the second leg of his two-nation tour.
Breaking News | ‘PM Modi Has Made Us Proud’: Diaspora Gathers in Male Ahead of His Arrival
Members of the Indian diaspora in Malé enthusiastically await the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Maldives. One of the members of the Indian diaspora said, “The India-Maldives friendship is very good. Today, we are all gathered here to meet PM Modi. I have brought a memento of his achievements. We are proud to be Indians. PM Modi is a global leader who has made us proud.”
Shukla has become the first India ever to go to the International Space Station, which is a milestone for ISRO’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.
Shubhanshu Shukla shares images of Orion Nebula.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from the International Space Station (ISS) after concluding the Axiom-4 mission along with three other astronauts, has shared some breathtaking images of the Orion Nebula from Bengaluru skies that were clicked from his rooftop. He said the photos that were clicked on the ISS would take some time for clearance, and meanwhile, shared an “astrophotography story”.
“The photographs clicked on the station take some time to received, verified and cleared because of the multiple space agencies involved. While I wait for them I wanted to share an astrophotography story,” he said in a post on both his Instagram and X account.
“I started into astrophotography upon returning to India after my first leg of training at GCTC, Russia. The pictures in sequence are of the same interstellar object M42 (M stands for Messier- Name of the catalogue that maintains all night sky objects) also known as the Orion Nebula,” he added.
The photographs clicked on the station take some time to received, verified and cleared because of the multiple space agencies involved. While I wait for them I wanted to share an astrophotography story.
“Over time we got better that is evident from the last photo. All the pictures were clicked from the night sky of Bengaluru. Slow or fast, if you keep moving progress is guaranteed,” Shukla, popularly called Shux, further said.
Recently, in a video posted on social media, Shukla was seen slowly regaining his balance and strength, highlighting the intense physical readjustment process astronauts go through after being exposed to microgravity for extended periods.
Shukla, who piloted the Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’ back to Earth along with his crewmates, explained that the body undergoes several transformations in space, from fluid shifts and changes in heart rate to muscle loss and balance issues, all as part of adapting to the weightless environment aboard the ISS. Upon return to Earth’s gravity, these adaptations begin to reverse, triggering another phase of physical and neurological recalibration.
Following Rahul Gandhi’s accusations of fraud in Karnataka’s voter list revision, the Election Commission of India (ECI) strongly refuted these claims, labelling them as unfounded.
ECI rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Karnataka poll fraud claim, calling it misleading and lacking formal complaint.
Hours after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged “cheating” in the voter list revision process in a Karnataka constituency, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a sharp rebuttal, calling his claims “misleading and baseless.” The ECI clarified that neither the Congress party nor any of its candidates filed an appeal challenging the Karnataka poll results, and accused Gandhi of making unfounded allegations despite the absence of any formal objections.
“As far as Electoral Rolls of Karnataka Lok Sabha 2024 is concerned, not a single appeal was filed with DM/ CEO of Karnataka, which was a valid legal remedy available to INC under Section 24 of RP Act 1950; and as far as conduct of Lok Sabha elections 2024 is concerned, out of 10 Election Petitions, not a single Election Petition was filed by any losing INC candidate, which was a legal remedy available to INC under Section 80 of RP Act 1951,” the ECI said.
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) July 24, 2025
Rahul Gandhi, earlier in the day, said that the Election Commission is not functioning as the Election Commission of India. “Today, they (ECI) made a statement. This is complete nonsense. The fact of the matter is that the Election Commission is not doing its job. We have concrete, hundred per cent proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. It is a hundred per cent proof. We just looked at one constituency, and we found it. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place,” said LoP Rahul Gandhi.
“Thousands and thousands of new voters, aged 50 years, 45 years, 60 and 65 years are added. We have caught them. I want to send a message to the Election Commission: if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they can get away, you are mistaken. We are going to come for you,” he added.
चुनाव आयोग गलतफहमी में न रहे!
वोट चोरी करने के आपके हथकंडों के 100% पुख्ता सबूत हैं हमारे पास।
हम उन्हें सामने भी लाएंगे और आप इसके अंजाम से बच नहीं पाएंगे – लोकतंत्र और संविधान को बर्बाद करने की कोशिश करने वाले बक्शे नहीं जाएंगे। pic.twitter.com/gYAVbDo20O
Meanwhile, rejecting the Gandhi scion’s allegations, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer said that the electoral rolls are prepared transparently and copies were shared with the recognised parties.
Narendra Modi crossed 4,078 consecutive days in office, surpassing Indira Gandhi’s record and cementing his place as India’s longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister.
India’s second-longest Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crossed yet another political milestone, overtaking Indira Gandhi’s record to become India’s second-longest-serving Prime Minister in a single uninterrupted term. On July 25, 2025, PM Modi completed 4,078 days in office, pushing past Indira Gandhi’s 4,077-day consecutive tenure between January 1966 and March 1977.
The achievement marks a historic chapter in PM Modi’s political journey. Beginning as Gujarat’s Chief Minister in 2001, PM Modi has now headed elected governments — both at the state and national level — for nearly 24 years, a feat unmatched by any other Indian Prime Minister.
Narendra Modi, currently on his United Kingdom and Maldives visit, also holds the unique distinction of being the first and only Prime Minister born after India gained independence in 1947 and remains the longest-serving Prime Minister from a non-Hindi-speaking state.
He is India’s longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister and the first non-Congress leader to complete at least two full terms in office.
He is also the only non-Congress Prime Minister to have secured a clear majority on his own in a Lok Sabha election and the first sitting Prime Minister since Indira Gandhi to be re-elected with a majority.
His political track record includes leading his party to three consecutive national election victories — a feat previously achieved only by Jawaharlal Nehru.
A pregnant woman in Telangana’s Mulugu district was carried through waist-deep floodwaters by her family after a swollen stream cut off road access. She was later admitted to a hospital and is stable.
Pregnant woman carried through flooded stream in Telangana’s Mulugu district after heavy rain cuts off road access.
Braving heavy rains and flood-like conditions, a pregnant woman in Telangana’s Mulugu district was carried on shoulders through a swollen stream by her family and villagers on Wednesday evening.
The woman went into labour at her home in Alligudem village, located in Tadvai mandal, late on Wednesday afternoon. However, the relentless rainfall had caused a forest stream to overflow, submerging the kutcha road connecting Alligudem to the nearby Bollepalli village, cutting off regular access to healthcare.
With no other option, her family, with help from a few local villagers, carried her through waist-deep water across the gushing stream. After navigating the submerged path, they reached the nearest road point at Bollepalli.
From there, she was shifted in an ambulance to the Government Area Hospital in Mulugu. Her condition is reported to be stable.
In another incident from Andhra Pradesh in May, a tribal woman, Fangi Seethamma, from the remote Regapunyagiri region in Vizianagaram district, had to be carried in a makeshift cloth stretcher tied to wooden poles. The region, known for its hilly and forested terrain, has long lacked proper road connectivity.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday cleared the way for immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols over six feet in natural water bodies, while directing the State to ensure that the PoP idols up to six feet are mandatorily immersed in artificial water tanks.
Bombay High Court sets interim guidelines for PoP idol immersion until March 2026 | File Photo
The Bombay High Court on Thursday cleared the way for immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols over six feet in natural water bodies, while directing the State to ensure that the PoP idols up to six feet are mandatorily immersed in artificial water tanks.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne clarified that the interim directions will be applicable till March 2026 with regard to all festivals which involve idol immersion. “As the Ganesh festival will be celebrated from August 26 till September 6, we grant permission for immersion this year,” the bench noted.
Interim Guidelines Valid For All Festivals Till March 2026
The court was hearing petitions challenging the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 2020 guidelines banning both manufacture and immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies. Initially, a PIL was filed by Thane-based environmentalist Rohit Joshi, through advocate Ronita Bhattacharya, seeking strict implementation of the CPBC guidelines banning immersion of PoP idols in natural water bodies.
Court Rejects Earlier State Policy Allowing 5-Ft Idols In Natural Water
The state government had framed a policy on July 21, allowing immersion of PoP idols up to five feet in height in natural water bodies. However, the court found this insufficient to address the ecological impact and directed the government to amend its policy to raise the restriction threshold to six feet.
“The Court has to ensure that the impact of immersion of idols on the environment is reduced to the minimum,” the bench observed. “We, therefore, direct that all idols made of Plaster of Paris, which are six feet in height, shall necessarily be immersed in artificial water bodies.”
State To Enforce Compliance Through Local Bodies
Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the court that the state will ensure strict implementation of the amended policy and will issue directions to all local bodies accordingly.
Expert Committee To Be Appointed For PoP Reuse Solutions
He also pointed out that the government is in the process of appointing an expert scientific committee to suggest methods for the reuse and recycling of PoP, and to explore environmentally sustainable ways to dissolve the material post-immersion.
BMC Projects Massive Rise In Artificial Tank Immersions
Senior Advocate Milind Sathe, appearing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said that last year 3,865 PoP idols between five and ten feet, and 3,998 idols above ten feet, were immersed in natural water bodies.
By contrast, 85,306 idols under five feet were immersed in artificial tanks. With expanded infrastructure this year, approximately 1.95 lakh idols up to five feet are expected to be immersed in artificial tanks, a jump of over 1.10 lakh idols from last year.
He assured the court that the BMC will make necessary arrangements to accommodate this increase.
Court Urges Promotion Of Smaller, Reusable Idols
The court acknowledged that the state’s revised guidelines were a ”step in the right direction”, but emphasised that stricter enforcement was needed. It also directed local bodies across Maharashtra to promote the installation of smaller idols and encourage reuse of larger ones in future years.
Famiang’s health started deteriorating lately due to age-related problems and her condition worsened in July, an official said.
Famiang, Mizoram’s oldest woman, dies (Photo: X)
Famiang, believed to be the oldest woman in Mizoram, passed away at the age of 117 at her residence in the Lawngtlai district, a community leader said on Wednesday.
She breathed her last in the Pangkhua village on Tuesday.
The records maintained by the village leaders showed that Famiang was born in 1908 and married to Heinawna. She had eight children with him, the leader said.
She has 51 grandchildren, 122 great-grandchildren, and 22 great-great-grandchildren, he added.
She had sound health even in her old age, the leader said, adding that she was honoured by the election department for casting her vote in the previous Assembly Elections held in November 2023.
The government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that 26,770 road accident fatalities have been reported on national highways up to June in 2025
The House was also informed that the National Ambulance Helpline Number 102 is available to all road users. (Representational image: CNN-News18)
The national highways in India continue to witness a grim toll in 2025, with close to 150 people dying daily on average—about six deaths every hour—according to an analysis of official data.
The ministry of road transport and highways informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that 26,770 road accident fatalities have been reported on national highways up to June in 2025.
The daily average in 2023 was 147 deaths, and in 2024 it was 144. The total deaths reported in the year 2023 were 53,372, which dropped to 52,609 in 2024.
The ministry publishes “Road Accidents in India” annually based on data received from states and union territories. The report has been published for calendar years up to 2022, and the reports beyond that are awaited.
Odisha MP Sasmit Patra had asked the ministry about the increase in road accident deaths across national highways.
Gadkari informed the House that the eDAR (electronic Detailed Accident Report) portal has been developed, which is a central repository for reporting, management, and analysis of road accident data across the country. The numbers for 2023, 2024, and the current year are as per data entered by states and UTs on the eDAR portal as of July 17.
Analysis of the data from MoRTH’s annual report since 2019 shows that the only year when there was some relief from deaths on national highways was 2020—clearly due to mobility restrictions during Covid lockdowns. The daily and hourly averages fell to 125 and five, the lowest across the seven-year period.
As shown in the graph, the average hourly deaths between 2019 and 2025 have remained about six, except in 2020, while the daily deaths ranged between 125 and 152.
In another reply to Punjab MP Ashok Mittal, Gadkari said that Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances have been deployed on certain stretches of national highways in light of the recommendations of the concerned district road safety committees, in addition to the ambulance services provided by various state governments.
The House was also informed that the National Ambulance Helpline Number 102 is available to all road users.
The move comes after backlash following the issuance of GST notices to thousands of small and micro businesses, many of whom operate outside the formal tax net.
The chief minister said that businesses dealing in tax-exempt items such as milk, vegetables, fruits and meat, who may have received notices, would not be pursued for tax recovery (PTI)
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday assured that small traders who register under GST (goods and services tax) will not be made to pay past dues, in an effort to address growing unrest over tax notices served by the state’s Commercial Tax Department.
The chief minister said that businesses dealing in tax-exempt items such as milk, vegetables, fruits and meat, who may have received notices, would not be pursued for tax recovery (PTI)
The chief minister said that businesses dealing in tax-exempt items such as milk, vegetables, fruits and meat, who may have received notices, would not be pursued for tax recovery (PTI)
“Only those who had annual UPI transactions above ₹40 lakh have been issued GST notices,” Siddaramaiah said. “Initially, the notices were just to ask them to register under GST. If they register now, the government will not recover previous dues.”
The move comes in response to backlash from sections of the trading community, following the issuance of GST notices to thousands of small and micro businesses, many of whom operate outside the formal tax net. Siddaramaiah held a meeting with representatives from trade bodies, including the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), and later addressed the media to clarify the government’s position.
The chief minister added that businesses dealing in tax-exempt items such as milk, vegetables, fruits and meat, who may have received notices, would not be pursued for tax recovery. “Though some such traders may have received notices, no tax will be collected from them. But those who are legally liable must pay their dues,” he said.
He added that “we will not collect taxes from traders dealing in exempted goods, even if notices have been issued. I have also instructed officials not to pursue cases related to notices for clearing arrears from the past two to three years.”
Siddaramaiah confirmed that around 18,000 notices had been issued to approximately 9,000 traders over the past two to three years. “Old tax arrears that have been included in the notices will be waived. The government will not recover those dues,” he said. “They must mandatorily register under GST.”
He acknowledged that excessive reliance on UPI data had led to confusion and unnecessary panic. “If UPI-based transactions are avoided, it will affect trade transparency. Our government supports small traders. Our goal is not to harass traders. We will assist them in complying with tax laws. The government is on the side of small businesses,” he said.
During the meeting, trader representatives flagged widespread confusion over the notices. “There is confusion among small traders regarding the GST notices. Even loan amounts and personal transactions have been included,” they said, requesting a more humane approach. “Traders should be given an opportunity to pay taxes with relief. They should be allowed to directly approach the department without involving middlemen,” they told the CM.
They also called for a dedicated helpline and awareness drives to address misinformation and build clarity. “Due to lack of proper information about GST, there is a lot of misunderstanding. Awareness campaigns must be conducted. One-time waiver of old dues is essential,” they said.
Responding to these demands, Siddaramaiah said a helpline already exists but assured that it would be strengthened. He also instructed officials to conduct workshops for trade and street vendor associations to improve outreach and compliance.
In response to the GST row, state BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the government of using GST notices to meet revenue targets. He claimed that small vendors — including those selling essential items — were being indiscriminately served notices for 18% tax.
“The Commercial Tax Department issuing GST notices to small and micro traders has sparked widespread concern. These traders are deeply worried, while the chief minister and his ministers are attempting to shift the blame on the Centre,” Vijayendra said.
“At a time when the state coffers are empty, the CM is pressuring tax officials to issue recovery notices,” he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the chief minister had fixed tax collection targets to overtake Maharashtra in GST revenue rankings. “I urge the chief minister to immediately halt the issuance of these notices to small and micro traders and to withdraw those already served,” he said, pledging BJP’s support to the ongoing trader protests.
The land is located in the IT hub of Hyderabad and became contentious, with people expressing concerns over the loss of green cover and space for wildlife
In April, the Supreme Court issued orders to stop all deforestation activity undertaken in the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli area by the Telangana government (PTI)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that while it supports sustainable development of urban cities, it does not approve of the brazen manner adopted by the Telangana government to decimate acres of green cover forming part of the ecologically sensitive Kancha Gachibowli area in Hyderabad.
In April, the Supreme Court issued orders to stop all deforestation activity undertaken in the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli area by the Telangana government (PTI)
In April, the Supreme Court issued orders to stop all deforestation activity undertaken in the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli area by the Telangana government (PTI)
Taking up hearing of suo moto proceedings in which orders were issued in April this year stopping all deforestation activity undertaken in the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli area, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai said, “I am an advocate of sustainable development, but that does not mean you will employ 30 bulldozers overnight and destroy all forest land.”
The land is located in the IT hub of Hyderabad and became contentious, with people expressing concerns over the loss of green cover and space for wildlife.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Telangana government apprised the court that based on the last order passed by the court in May, the state has taken steps to preserve the remaining green cover and wildlife.
An affidavit filed by the state on Tuesday informed the court of using the said land for development activities in the state. The court posted the matter for consideration of the affidavit on August 13.
When the bench remarked, “Anyways, now the forest is protected,” Singhvi pointed out that the state objects to the use of this term as the subject land was never a forest as per records.
The affidavit of the state filed through advocate Sravan Kumar Karanam pointed out that the land has been earmarked in successive government initiatives for various public purposes, from sports infrastructure and institutional development to housing and industrial expansion.“This process involved multiple stakeholders and passed through legislative enactments, Cabinet-level approvals, and inter-departmental consultations. At no stage the subject land was treated as forest land; rather, it was consistently viewed as a development reserve of high strategic value,” the state said.
In the past, the court had questioned the haste with which the state employed JCBs and heavy equipment and cleared trees from 100 acres of the Gachbowli land.
On a site inspection by the Telangana high court registrar as ordered by the court, there were deer, peacock and birds found at the spot, giving the court a clear indication of the existence of a forest. Even the central empowered committee (CEC) assisting the court on environment issues described the area as forest deserving protection under the applicable environmental laws.
However, the state has maintained that the land was an open space locked in litigation for 17 years, during which period green cover developed in the area, which cannot be used to retroactively impose a forest classification on the land.
As part of the further development activities, the state informed the court that “proactive” steps have been taken to identify and preserve as many existing trees as possible to ensure minimal disruption to the natural canopy. In 2024, the state had engaged an agency for development of the land.
“The proposed development, which is restricted to 400 acres within the broader land (Kancha Gachibowli), has been consciously designed so as not to disturb the larger ecological balance of the region. Substantial portions of it remain untouched and continue to serve as open spaces or institutional holdings, including lands earmarked for public purposes and leading educational institutions,” the state informed the court.
The FTA between India and the UK was sealed in May this year and is the biggest FTA the UK has done since leaving the European Union.
The agreement, finalised after extensive negotiations, will be signed during PM Modi’s London visit. Photo : iStock
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom got the nod from the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said on Wednesday, adding that the much-awaited formal signing of the pact will be held during PM Modi’s visit to London on 24 July. PM Modi will begin his two-day visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
When asked whether the FTA will be formally signed during PM Modi’s visit to the UK, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday had said that “last-minute” work on it is continuing. “We are continuing to work on those and last-minute work on that is continuing,” he said.
PM Modi’s 2-Day UK Visit: All Eyes on FTA
The Union Cabinet gave its nod for the free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Jonathan Reynolds are likely to sign the free trade agreement (FTA) in the presence of the two prime ministers – PM Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer, people familiar with the matter said.
During his two-day visit, PM Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be holding wide-ranging talks. Starmer is set to host PM Modi on Thursday at Chequers, the official country residence of the British prime minister that is located 50 kms northwest of London. PM Modi will also meet King Charles III during his July 23-24 visit to the UK, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
India-UK FTA: Who Gains, What?
The FTA between India and the UK was sealed in May this year and is the biggest FTA the UK has done since leaving the European Union. The deal is expected to benefit 99 per cent Indian exports from tariff and will make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India besides boosting the overall trade basket, reported PTI.
The trade deal, firmed up after three years of negotiations, is expected to ensure comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors and India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99 per cent of tariff lines (product categories) covering almost 100 per cent of the trade values, according to officials.
The two sides also sealed a double contribution convention. It provides for exemption for employers of Indian workers from paying social security contributions in the UK.
“This visit, though a short one, will give both leaders the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and discuss ways to strengthen it further, and also discuss issues that are of regional and global relevance,” Misri said at a media briefing.
The FIR also named the promoters and directors of the Alchemist Group, including Kanwar Deep Singh and others. Kanwar Deep Singh is a former Rajya Sabha MP.
In 2021, Kanwar Deep Singh was arrested by ED. (File Image)
ED has provisionally attached shares to the tune of Rs 127.33 crores in a money laundering probe revolving around Alchemist Group. Attached assets are in the name of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital and are located in Panchkula Haryana.
ED has said the beneficial owner of the attached assets is Karan Deep Singh.
“The attachment forms part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving M/s Alchemist Group, its Directors, Promoters, and associated entities, in relation to large-scale fraud and misappropriation of public funds,” the ED said in a statement on Wednesday.
ED case stems from an FIR registered by Kolkata Police and then by CBI under sections of criminal conspiracy and cheating against M/s Alchemist Township Pvt. Ltd., M/s Alchemist Infra Realty Pvt. Ltd. The FIR also named the promoters and directors of the Alchemist Group, including Kanwar Deep Singh and others. Kanwar Deep Singh is a former Rajya Sabha MP.
In 2021, Kanwar Deep Singh was arrested by ED. The anti money laundering federal probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint and later a supplementary prosecution complaint.
The money laundering probe revealed, “criminal conspiracy to defraud investors by illegally raising funds through fraudulent Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), offering unusually high returns, and/ or making false promises of allotting plots, flats, and villas. Through these deceptive investment schemes, M/s. Alchemist Holdings Ltd. and M/s. Alchemist Township India Ltd. illegally collected approximately Rs. 1,848 Crore from unsuspecting investors and subsequently misappropriated the funds for unauthorized purposes,” the ED said.
The probe agency said “misappropriated funds” were “systematically layered” through complex financial transactions involving group entities of Alchemist Group with intent to “conceal the origin of funds”. “These tainted proceeds were ultimately used for the acquisition of shares and subsequent construction of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital,” said Officials.
Two Rolls-Royce cars, previously owned by Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, are now at the centre of a tax evasion fine issued to the current owner of the cars, ‘KGF Babu’.
Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan fines Rs 38 lakh for tax evasion by current owner KGF Babu in Bengaluru.
It is not every day that Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan’s names appear on a fine notice from the Karnataka Regional Transport Office (RTO). But that is exactly what happened when two Rolls-Royce cars once owned by the Bollywood superstars landed in trouble — not for speeding, but for skipping state road taxes.
The person behind the wheel these days is not a film star, but Bengaluru-based businessman and politician Yusuf Sharif, better known as ‘KGF Babu’. He earned the nickname thanks to his roots in Kolar Gold Fields, the mining town made famous by the Kannada film “KGF”.
Sharif is now facing fines totalling Rs 38.26 lakh for driving the luxury vehicles — a Rolls-Royce Phantom once owned by Bachchan and a Rolls-Royce Ghost previously belonging to Khan — without paying the local road tax in Karnataka. The cars are still officially registered in Maharashtra under the actors’ names, though neither of them owns the vehicles anymore.
According to transport officials, the Phantom has been seen on Bengaluru’s roads since 2021, and the Ghost since 2023. Karnataka law requires vehicles used in the state for more than a year to be re-registered locally and taxed accordingly. Since both Rolls-Royces crossed that deadline without compliance, the RTO has slapped a Rs 18.53 lakh fine on the Phantom and Rs 19.73 lakh on the Ghost.
Interestingly, while the ownership has changed, the paperwork has not. The vehicles remain registered under the actors’ names, as Sharif never formally transferred them to his own. Officials confirmed that both vehicles are being used regularly but remain, on paper, Bollywood property.
Aged between 20 and 25, the four terror suspects — who were reportedly assigned major targets — were arrested from Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. They were tasked with carrying out attacks at high-profile locations across India.
The terror suspects were identified as Mohd Fardeen, Sefullah Kureshi, Zeeshan Ali and Mohd Faiq
The Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested four terror suspects allegedly linked to the terror group Al Qaeda. They were tasked with carrying out attacks at high-profile locations across India.
Aged between 20 and 25, the four terror suspects — who were reportedly assigned major targets — were arrested from Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
While two were caught in Gujarat, the rest were arrested in Delhi and Noida respectively.
All four, identified as Mohd Fardeen, Sefullah Kureshi, Zeeshan Ali and Mohd Faiq, were connected to each other through a social media app.
Further interrogation is underway. During the initial course of investigation, the authorities revealed that the accused had cross-border links.
Earlier, a UN report has revealed that Al Qaeda is shaping its regional affliate to spread its terror operations in the Indian subcontinent, namely Jammu and Kashmir in India and the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The 32nd report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, released this week, noted that “one Member State assessed that Al-Qaeda is shaping AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) to spread its operations into neighbouring Bangladesh”, Jammu and Kashmir and Myanmar.
In the Indian subcontinent, Al Qaeda has approximately 200 fighters, with Osama Mehmood being the emir.
Harshvardhan Jain ran a fake embassy in Ghaziabad, posed as envoy of fictional nations, used fake documents and cars to dupe people with job, business promises. Read on to know more about him and his operation.
Harshvardhan Jain adopted the guise of a diplomat.
In a bizarre tale that seems pulled straight out of an international espionage thriller, Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) has busted a fake embassy operation running out of a lavish bungalow in Ghaziabad’s posh Kavi Nagar area. The alleged mastermind, 47-year-old Harshvardhan Jain, presented himself as the ambassador of not one, but several self-proclaimed micronations – Westarctica, Seborga, Poulvia, and Ladonia. His ruse, which included diplomatic number-plated luxury cars, forged documents, and fake foreign connections, was used to defraud companies and individuals by offering jobs, overseas deals, and influence in return for hefty commissions.
A ‘diplomat’ without borders
According to investigators, Harshvardhan Jain created an entire ecosystem to support his claims. He adorned his rented white-painted bungalow with flags of various countries and parked luxury vehicles with fake diplomatic licence plates outside. Inside, the ’embassy’ resembled an international consulate, complete with forged Ministry of External Affairs seals, counterfeit diplomatic passports, and a series of elaborate stamps from imaginary countries.
STF officials say Harshvardhan Jain adopted the guise of a diplomat to manipulate perceptions and exploit aspirants hoping to land foreign projects or overseas employment. He told his victims he could facilitate government work or contracts in ‘friendly’ nations thanks to his so-called diplomatic status. Those ‘friendly nations’ were, in fact, fictional micronations recognised by no real-world government.
Born into wealth, Harshvardhan Jain’s early life showed promise. The son of JD Jain, once a top industrialist with marble mines in Rajasthan, he studied BBA in Ghaziabad and completed an MBA from the London College of Applied Science. But after his father’s death and subsequent financial losses in the family business, Jain took a dark detour.
His turning point allegedly came in 2000, when he came in contact with controversial godman Chandraswami, who reportedly introduced him to international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and London-based businessman Ehsan Ali Syed. Alongside Syed, Jain floated over a dozen companies in the UK, which authorities believe were used for laundering black money and conducting backdoor business deals.
Later, Jain moved to Dubai and partnered with shady businessmen to launch more shell firms, exploiting them to carry out ‘liaison work’ across Gulf and African nations. He reportedly made a small fortune by brokering fake business deals and facilitating illegal money transfers.
A Fraudulent Empire
After returning to India in 2011, Jain’s activities came under scrutiny. Ghaziabad Police once arrested him for possessing an illegal satellite phone, a case that resurfaced during the current investigation.
But it was in 2012 that Jain took his scam global. That year, he was appointed as an ‘advisor’ by the self-declared principality of Seborga. In 2016, the so-called Kingdom of Westarctica named him an ‘honorary ambassador’. Soon, Poulvia and Ladonia followed. Armed with fake credentials from non-existent nations, Jain began a new hustle: selling influence.
He falsely claimed diplomatic immunity, forged credentials, and ran what he called the “Westarctica Embassy” from his bungalow. Authorities say he would morph photos of himself with global leaders – including India’s Prime Minister and foreign presidents – and display them to impress or dupe potential clients.
The Bust
On July 22, 2025, acting on central intelligence inputs, Noida’s STF team raided the premises and arrested Jain. They were stunned to find:
4 luxury vehicles with diplomatic plates
18 counterfeit diplomatic number plates
12 fake diplomatic passports
44.7 lakh rupees in cash and foreign currency
Dozens of forged seals and official stamps from “micronations”
Forged Ministry of External Affairs documents
A laptop, multiple mobile phones, and fake IDs
Jain was arrested at 11:30 pm from the residence, and a fresh FIR has been lodged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other applicable laws.
Not Just a One-Man Show?
While STF believes Jain operated independently, the magnitude of his deception has raised questions about possible links with a broader network. Officials are probing whether others – especially his past associates in Dubai and London – may have aided the racket, or used his operation as a front for money laundering or illegal remittances.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Touched by the warm welcome from the Indian community in the UK. Their affection and passion towards India’s progress is truly heartening.”
PM Modi is on two-day visit to UK, (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora in London, as his visit to the United Kingdom marked a significant moment in India-UK relations with the much-anticipated Free Trade Agreement (FTA) nearing conclusion. Amid cheers, handshakes, and heartfelt messages from the community, PM Modi called the reception “truly heartening,” underscoring the deep connection between the diaspora and India’s growth journey.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Touched by the warm welcome from the Indian community in the UK. Their affection and passion towards India’s progress is truly heartening.”
The Prime Minister, currently on a two-day visit to London—the first leg of his two-nation tour—was greeted by hundreds of Indian-origin residents upon his arrival. Members of the diaspora lined up to see him, many overwhelmed by the opportunity to connect with him in person.
“A surreal moment,” said Gehna Gautam, who managed to shake hands with PM Modi. “He walked past us. It was a surreal moment. I got to shake his hand. He is so dynamic. It was an amazing experience. The energy of the crowd was on another level.”
Sanjay, another attendee, shared his appreciation: “I am very happy to meet PM Modi. He has come here for a very important job. We wish him and Bharat good luck. He is doing a great job.”
Bhavya recounted a moment he’ll never forget: “The Prime Minister shook my hand and gave me ‘Ashirwad’. It was the best feeling ever.”
Shivani, visibly moved by the encounter, said: “We shook hands twice and he also blessed me on my head. It is my pleasure to meet him. We are very blessed to have him over here.”
Shreya Pareek, who had travelled specifically to meet PM Modi, praised his leadership: “I came here to meet PM Modi. I’m glad I got that opportunity. I want to congratulate him for Operation Sindoor and all the other things he is doing for India.”
The pilot deposited over Rs 3.16 crore in various bank accounts until July 11. (Representational)
A 56-year-old pilot was allegedly cheated of Rs 3.16 crore by cyber fraudsters under the guise of offering attractive returns in share trading, Mumbai Police said on Wednesday.
The scam unfolded after the pilot watched videos on share market investments on a YouTube channel he had subscribed to.
“After watching the videos in May, the pilot received a call from a woman on WhatsApp. She introduced herself as an assistant mentor and claimed to be working with SMC Global Securities,” a police official said.
The pilot was then added to a WhatsApp group and started receiving investment tips. After some days, the woman asked him to download the SMC Global Securities app.
He subsequently invested in shares as per the tips.
He deposited over Rs 3.16 crore in various bank accounts shared by the woman until July 11, the police official said.
The pilot’s wife had downloaded the app and found that her investment generated Rs 6.73 crore profit, while the profit in her husband’s account showed Rs 15.82 crore.
On July 11, the pilot, who works with Air India, contacted the company as he wanted to withdraw the money. The call was attended by an ‘official’ of the securities company who asked him to deposit an additional 10 per cent.
The pilot realised that he was being taken for a ride and lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and approached West Region Cyber Police Station on July 19, the official said.
There was some damage to the aircraft, while passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe.
A spokesperson said there was some damage to the aircraft, while passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe. (Photo for representation) Credit: iStock Photo
An Air India plane’s auxiliary power unit caught fire after landing at the Delhi airport on Tuesday afternoon, and all passengers and crew members are safe.
“Flight AI 315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 22 July 2025, experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after it had landed and parked at the gate. The incident occurred while passengers had begun disembarking, and the APU was automatically shut down as per system design,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said there was some damage to the aircraft, while passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe.
A Travelling Ticket Examiner Of The Indian Railways Credit: istock photo
The Government Railway Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia arrested a passenger from Sabarmati-Darbhanga Express train on Tuesday allegedly with Rs 1.80 crore in cash, a GRP official said.
In-charge of GRP at Ballia station Vivekanand Yadav told reporters on Tuesday evening that under the intensive checking campaign, it questioned a passenger sitting with two trolley bags in the A2 coach of the train on Tuesday.
During this, Rs 1.80 crore in cash was allegedly recovered from his trolley bag. The passenger has been identified as Om Prakash Chaudhary (25), a resident of the Musehari Marhiya village in the Saran district of Bihar.
Yadav said that during interrogation, Chaudhary told the police that he was taking this money from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh to Chhapra in Bihar. However, he could not present any documents regarding the recovered money or give any satisfactory answer, Yadav said.
Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue and the Indus Waters Treaty dispute with India at the UN, emphasizing Kashmir’s right to self-determination and water access.
https://kashmirobserver.net/
Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue and the ongoing dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty with India at the United Nations on Tuesday.
“Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council. It is an internationally recognised disputed territory, the final disposition of which is to be made in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. No cosmetic measures can serve as a substitute for the fundamental and inalienable right of self determination of the Kashmiris as guaranteed by the relevant Security Council resolutions,” said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar while addressing an open-high level debate at the UN.
Dar is in New York as Pakistan holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of July. Dar also raised the ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi placed into abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attacks in April.
“A 65-year-old Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan is a noteworthy example of dialogue and diplomacy working for peacefully arriving at a water sharing arrangement between two neighbours. The treaty has withstood periods of trials and tribulations in bilateral relations. It is most unfortunate and regrettable that India has chosen to illegally and unilaterally hold this treaty in abeyance on baseless grounds with the intention of withholding the flow of water to 240 million people of Pakistan, who rely on it for their livelihood and survival,” Dar went on to say.
India is expected to make a response to Dar’s speech at the UN.
HT had earlier reported that New Delhi plans to vigorously oppose key initiatives Islamabad has planned at the UN. For example, Islamabad is keen to raise the profile of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation at the United Nations. Its second signature event will be a briefing on the partnership between the OIC and the UN. The OIC has 57 member nations from West Asia, Africa and Asia. Formed in 1969, grouping has repeatedly questioned and criticised India’s handling of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The report notes that Indian cities hold tremendous potential as centres of economic growth, with 70 per cent of new jobs coming from cities by 2030.
The report states that public financing alone will not be sufficient to meet this demand.
Indian cities are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related risks and will require over 2.4 trillion US dollars in investments by 2050 to build resilient and low-carbon infrastructure, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday.
The report notes that Indian cities hold tremendous potential as centres of economic growth, with 70 per cent of new jobs coming from cities by 2030.
“However, timely action is needed for cities to deal with impacts from extreme weather events and avert billions of dollars in future losses,” the report ‘Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India’ states.
The report, prepared in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, stated that “Annual economic losses from rain-related flooding are currently estimated at 4 billion dollars. These are projected to rise to five billion dollars by 2030 and between 14 and 30 billion dollars by 2070 if no remedial action is taken.” According to the report, much of the urban expansion is occurring in “flood-prone and heat-vulnerable areas.” The report identifies Delhi, Chennai, Surat and Lucknow among cities most exposed to urban heat island effects and flood risks, particularly due to settlement expansion into vulnerable areas.
“In Delhi, the report highlights risks linked to rising temperatures and urban flooding. Heat stress is also expected to intensify. Between 1983 and 2016, exposure to dangerous heat levels increased by 71 percent in India’s 10 largest cities, rising from 4.3 billion to 10.1 billion person-hours per year,” the report added.
The report raised concerns about heat-related deaths.
“If emissions continue at current levels, annual heat-related deaths may rise from 1,44,000 to more than 3,28,000 by 2050. Around 20 percent of working hours in major Indian cities could be lost due to high heat stress conditions,” it says.
Heat mitigation alone could increase India’s Gross Domestic Product by up to 0.4 per cent and save up to 130,000 lives annually by 2050, the report states.
According to the report, the country’s urban projected population will be around 1.1 billion by 2070. “More than 144 million new urban homes will be required, doubling the current housing stock,” the report states.
To offset these risks, the World Bank estimates that India will need to invest 2.4 trillion dollars by 2050 and 10.9 trillion dollars by 2070 across sectors such as housing, public transport, solid waste management, and municipal services.
“However, India currently spent around 10.6 billion dollars per year from 2011 to 2018. India’s current spending on urban infrastructure and services is -0.70 per cent of GDP, which is much lower than other countries and must be substantially increased”, the report states.
“This is both a challenge and an opportunity,” said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank Country Director for India.
Without timely action, climate risks such as flooding and extreme heat will become much more severe, Kouame added.
The report states that public financing alone will not be sufficient to meet this demand.
It calls for increased private sector investment through tools such as green bonds, blended finance, and access to international climate funds. The report recommends strengthening the financial autonomy of urban local bodies and improving their capacity to plan and implement bankable projects.
“India’s urban population stood at 480 million in 2020 and is projected to reach 951 million by 2050 and over 1.1 billion by 2070.
In a string of warnings, the US Embassy in India yet again said that the visa of any person will be revoked if arrested in any criminal activities while in the United States.
US Embassy warns Indians against committing crimes in US (News18 Gujarati)
Arrested for assault, domestic violence, or any other crimes while in the United States will not only lead to revocation of visas but also make the individual “ineligible” for future US visas, the country’s Embassy in India said on Tuesday.
“If you are arrested for assault, domestic violence, or other crimes while in the United States, your U.S. visa may be revoked, and you may be ineligible for future U.S. visas. A visa is a privilege, not a right – one that can be revoked if you break the law,” the US Embassy posted on X.
This comes in a series of warnings by the Embassy, cautioning the aspirants of US visas against breaking the law of the land while in the country.
If you are arrested for assault, domestic violence, or other crimes while in the United States, your U.S. visa may be revoked, and you may be ineligible for future U.S. visas. A visa is a privilege, not a right – one that can be revoked if you break the law. pic.twitter.com/PatOwfuLHT
The stern warning comes in the backdrop of a viral video purportedly showing an Indian woman being arrested by the cops after she allegedly tried to shoplift items at a store in the US.
Last week, the Embassy said that the US values law and order and expects visitors to follow all laws of the country.
“Committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won’t just cause you legal issues – it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future U.S. visas. The United States values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all US laws,” the Embassy said on X.
Earlier, when External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about the viral video concerning the woman, he said, “When a person is living in a country — whether they are a citizen of that country or not — it is their responsibility to abide by the laws there.”
In many cases, Indian courts have refused or reduced alimony considering contextual factors such as wilful unemployment
In most of of these cases, courts have stressed that maintenance laws are not to foster idleness, and high demands without documentation or justification are dismissed. (Image: IMAGEN 3 ENGINE)
“You are so educated, you should earn for yourself and shouldn’t ask for it”: this is what the Supreme Court told a woman — with an MBA and a background in IT — who asked for a luxury car, a house in Mumbai and Rs 12 crore in maintenance as alimony after being separated from her husband within 18 months of marriage.
Rapped for not working of her own volition, the woman tried to justify her demands by saying her husband is “very rich” and sought for the marriage to be nullified claiming that she was schizophrenic.
In this context, it would be interesting to look at cases in India where the courts have called out working women, who have demanded unusually high alimony. According to the law, working women can and do receive alimony in India, especially when there is income disparity between the spouses or they are unable to maintain their “pre-divorce” standard of living. In many cases, however, the courts have refused or reduced alimony considering contextual factors such as wilful unemployment.
Let’s take a look at some cases:
Jayam Ravi v Aarti Ravi: Tamil actor Jayam Ravi’s wife demanded Rs 40 lakh per month in maintenance, which drew widespread attention. The case is ongoing.
Mohammed Shami v Hasin Jahan: The Calcutta High Court ordered cricketer Mohammed Shami to pay Rs 4 lakh per month – Rs 1.5 lakh to the wife and Rs 2.5 lakh for their daughter – after Hasin Jahan originally sought Rs 7 lakh with an additional amount of Rs 3 lakh.
Hema Upadhyay v Chintan Upadhyay (artist): Hema demanded Rs 2 lakh per month as alimony, stating her work and lifestyle. But the court reduced her maintenance amount to Rs 40,000 per month citing insufficient justification.
As recently as May, in a Delhi HC judgment, a teacher who quit her job to raise her child was entitled to 80 percent of her husband’s declared income even after resignation. The court held her resignation was constrained by caregiving needs.
In another case in June, the Bombay High Court awarded interim maintenance of Rs 15,000 per month despite the wife earning Rs 40,000 per month because her income was insufficient to maintain her past standard of living, while the husband earned significantly more.
In a high-profile permanent settlement case, not involving celebrities, the Supreme Court last year awarded Rs 2 crore one-time alimony to a woman whose second marriage lasted under a year. She was earning Rs 1.39 lakh per month, while her husband earned Rs 5 lakh.
Last year, the Madhya Pradesh HC reduced a woman’s demand of Rs 60,000 per month as maintenance noting her earning capacity. The amount was reduced to Rs 40,000 per month, while the court said the excessive demand was unjustified.
The Karnataka HC last year outright dismissed a maintenance demand of Rs 6 lakh per month. The woman sought Rs 6.16 lakh per month for branded clothes, jewellery, medical expenses with no dependents. The court observed that this was “exploitation and beyond tolerance”.
The Delhi HC, in one of its older cases from 2016, ruled that qualified professionals cannot demand alimony. A working chartered accountant (CA) had demanded Rs 3 lakh/ per month with additional expenses, but claimed only Rs 7,000 as income. The court rejected the plea, stating the woman had been practising since 2003 and earning far more.
WHAT IS THE MAINTENANCE LAW?
Maintenance as defined under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act is meant to address genuine hardship, not enable dependency or luxury lifestyles unsupported by facts.
In most of these cases, courts have stressed that maintenance laws are not to foster idleness, and high demands without documentation or justification are dismissed. They use several factors to assess maintenance, including the woman’s earning capacity, marital lifestyle, childcare, and the husband’s income.
The SC has stressed on realistic financial claims in divorce cases, cautioning against the misuse of laws meant to protect vulnerable parties. This includes situations where alimony demands might be excessive or exploitative.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who completed an 18-day mission aboard the ISS on July 15, described how Earth appeared to him from space.
Group Captain Shukla returned after spending an 18-day stay aboard the ISS.
Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), is now featured in the newly released NCERT Class 5 Environmental Studies textbook with his awe-inspiring words about Earth from space.
Group Captain Shukla, who completed an 18-day mission aboard the ISS on July 15, described how Earth appeared to him from space.
“After seeing Earth from outside, the first thought that came to mind was that Earth looks completely one; no border is visible from outside. It seems that no border exists, no state exists, no countries exist. We all are part of humanity, and the Earth is our one home, and all of us are in it,” The book, titled “Our Wondrous World,” has quoted him saying under the chapter “Earth, Our Shared Home”.
The quote was part of his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and now aims to inspire young minds to think beyond boundaries and embrace unity.
Group Captain Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, completed his maiden space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission, a commercial spaceflight supported by ISRO and NASA, and operated by Axiom Space.
The journey marked a milestone for India: He is the first Indian to step aboard the ISS and only the second Indian to go into space, following Rakesh Sharma’s iconic flight in 1984.
Born on October 10, 1985-just a year after Sharma’s spaceflight-Shukla grew up in Lucknow in a middle-class family with no direct links to aviation or space. But a childhood visit to an airshow lit a spark.
After several postponements, Group Captain Shukla finally launched from the Kennedy Space Center on June 25, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
Ten minutes into the mission, the Dragon capsule entered orbit, prompting Shukla to declare in Hindi, “Kamaal ki ride thi” (“It was a great ride”) and share his sense of national pride.
Group Captain Shukla returned after spending an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station.
The textbook, developed under the framework of the National Education Policy 2020, is part of a new integrated approach to learning that merges science, social science and environmental studies. Part of the The World Around Us series, the book aims to cultivate observation, ethical reasoning and environmental awareness in young learners.
Meanwhile, NOTAM has been issued for a large-scale Indian Air Force (IAF) exercise scheduled in Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border for July 23-25.
This action followed Pakistan’s earlier decision to bar Indian flights. (Representational)
India on Tuesday extended the ban on Pakistani aircraft from entering the domestic airspace till August 23.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said, in a post on X, “Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting Pakistani aircraft from entering Indian airspace has been officially extended until 23rd August 2025.”
“This extension reflects continued strategic considerations and is in line with prevailing security protocols. Stay tuned for further updates,” the minister informed.
This action followed Pakistan’s earlier decision to bar Indian flights from its airspace.
Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for flights operated by Indian airlines by another month, till August 24, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said last week. The ban will remain in place till August 24 at 5:19 am (India time), the PAA said.
Meanwhile, NOTAM has been issued for a large-scale Indian Air Force (IAF) exercise scheduled in Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border for July 23-25.
The Indian Air Force is set to carry out a major military exercise in Rajasthan, covering areas from Barmer to Jodhpur.
The region witnessed Pakistani drone and missile intrusions during Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan launched several drone attacks targeting Rajasthan’s Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar districts.
A NOTAM is issued when a specific airspace needs to be cleared of civilian air traffic. Similar notices were issued during previous tensions with Pakistan to ensure that no passenger aircraft would be caught in the middle of potential aerial operations. It helps prevent civilian casualties by keeping commercial aircraft away from zones of military activity.
A fraudulent website, “indiansportsaward.org,” is misleadingly claiming that the Indian government is accepting applications for the International Sports Awards and Indian Sports Awards 2025.
The government has confirmed the 2025 Sports Awards website is fake and not officially affiliated.
A website named “indiansportsaward.org” is falsely claiming that the Narendra Modi-led government is accepting applications for the International Sports Awards and Indian Sports Awards 2025. The site, which has gone viral, is even using the Government of India’s logo on its letterhead to lend credibility. According to the fake invitation, the awards ceremony is scheduled for August 28 in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the letter, falsely claiming affiliation with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, states that the International Sports Awards 2025 will be held at the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai on August 28. The accompanying poster also claims that the awards will be presented by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with actors Surendra Pal and Raza Murad.
🚨 Beware of fraudsters!
A website is falsely inviting applications for International Sports Award 2025 & Indian Sports Award 2025 using the Government of India’s logo
A fact check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirmed that neither the International Sports Awards 2025 nor the Indian Sports Awards 2025 is linked to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Government of India. The Centre dismissed the website as fake and warned the public to beware of such fraudulent schemes. PIB also urged citizens to verify such claims through official channels before sharing personal details or submitting applications.
A fact check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirmed that neither the International Sports Awards 2025 nor the Indian Sports Awards 2025 is linked to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Government of India. The Centre dismissed the website as fake and warned the public to beware of such fraudulent schemes. PIB also urged citizens to verify such claims through official channels before sharing personal details or submitting applications.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar surprised one and all by resigning late Monday evening, citing health as the reason. Opposition leaders and developments of the day suggest there’s more to the story than what meets the eye. What happened between 1 pm and 4.30 pm that turned a normal day into an extraordinary evening?
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar surprised one and all by resigning late on Monday night. Dhankhar, 74, was set to serve until 2027. (Image: PTI)
It was business as usual on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. Stormy as expected, with the Opposition attacking the government. However, an unexpected storm was building somewhere else, reveal remarks by Opposition leaders and developments of the day. They indicate that Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar was at the eye of the unexpected storm, and resigned in a move that took most by surprise.
As in the recent past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media before the beginning of the session outside the Parliament building, urging the “need for unity on national interest”.
Then there was the usual share of adjournments, walkouts and charges by Opposition leaders.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, alleged that he was gagged, while ministers were allowed their share of time to speak.
On the menu of the ruling and the opposition parties were some key issues. The impeachment of high court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, and discussions on Operation Sindoor and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
The day seemed to be progressing as usual, with its share of expected disruptions, but the late-evening resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, changed the talking points.
Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022 and was set to serve until 2027.
Was Dhankhar jumping the gun on Justice Yashwant Varma’s cash-at-home row the real reason behind his exit? Did his actions go against the plans of the government, which doesn’t want a confrontation with the judiciary at the moment?
MORE TO DHANKHAR’S RESIGNATION THAN MEETS THE EYE
The official announcement of Dhankhar’s resignation came at 9.25pm. Dhankhar resigned, citing health issues.
Opposition leaders said there was more to it than met the eye because in several meetings and the House proceedings throughout the day, Dhankhar didn’t seem unwell or hint at any health setback.
The Opposition said Dhankhar, the Rajya Sabha Chairman, was holding meetings of the Business Advisory Committee and was scheduled to make “major announcements related to the judiciary”.
Apart from the Business Advisory Committee, he also met with opposition leaders, yet gave no indication of any health issues or plans to step down.
“The sudden resignation of the Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable,” said Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.
“No doubt Mr Dhankar has to give topmost priority to his health. But clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye. This is not the time for speculation though,” posted Ramesh on X.
The Congress leader also mentioned that Dhankhar had scheduled a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee for 1 pm on Tuesday.
“Mr Dhankar took both the Government and the Opposition to task in equal measure. He had fixed a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow at 1 PM. He was also to make some major announcements related to the judiciary tomorrow,” said Ramesh.
So, what happened on Monday that Dhankhar, who was scheduling important House business for July 22, ended up resigning at 9.25 pm on July 21?
RAJYA SABHA PROCEEDINGS AND DHANKHAR RESIGNATION
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day at around 4.36 pm on Monday.
Before the adjournment, Dhankhar confirmed receiving a motion signed by over 50 members seeking the removal of Justice Varma, initiating the process under the Judges (Inquiry) Act.
When told by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal that a similar motion was in the Lok Sabha, he directed the Secretary General to verify if a similar motion was moved in the Lower House.
On Meghwal’s confirmation that a notice had also been submitted in the Lok Sabha, Dhankhar asked the Secretary General to “take necessary steps in this direction”.
Dhankhar said according to the Judges (Inquiry) Act, when notices of a motion are submitted on the same day in both the Houses of Parliament, a committee to examine the charges levelled against the judge would be constituted jointly by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
While the motion presented in the Lok Sabha was a bipartisan one, with the signature of 152 MPs, including those from the BJP, the one in the Rajya Sabha was purely moved by Opposition members.
According to claims, the acceptance of the motion, signed only by the opposition MPs, might have caused some concern too.
Significantly, it was Dhankhar, an expert on the Constitution, who has been at the forefront when it came to batting for judicial reforms. The Justice Varma case was an opportunity for him to get a foot in the door.
Earlier in the day, Dhankhar also saw forceful intervention by JP Nadda, BJP’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was debating on Operation Sindoor.
“Nothing will go on record, only what I say will go on record,” Nadda was heard saying while pointing towards Dhankhar.
This was pointed out by the Congress as an “insult” of the Chairman although Nadda said his remarks were directed at Opposition MPs, according to a PTI report.
“The BJP doesn’t care about the Constitution or democratic values. Dhankhar ji conducted himself impartially, and that didn’t sit well with many in power. That insult to the Chair [the Nadda remark] hurt him deeply. This has nothing to do with his health,” said Pappu Yadav, Lok Sabha MP from Bihar.
NADDA, RIJIJU MISSING FROM DHANKHAR MEETING
The Congress also said that the absence of JP Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the second meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha at 4.30 pm upset Dhankhar.
“He was completely healthy. He conducted the Parliament in the same jovial mood. Something happened in the afternoon [on Monday] which has upset him… which may have also upset the government,” Congress MP Vivek Tankha told PTI.
Both Nadda and Rijiju were present in the first meeting, which was held at 12.30 pm.
As that meeting remained inconclusive, it was decided that it would be reconvened at 4.30 pm. However, Union Minister L Murugan represented the government at the second meeting.
DID DHANKHAR JUMP THE GUN ON JUSTICE VARMA?
In short, Dhankhar has been hostile to the judiciary.
Dhankhar’s jumping at the opportunity to act against Justice Varma and echoing the Opposition tone might have seemed jarring to the government.
The judiciary believes that acting against Justice Varma in the cash-at-home row is its domain.
On July 21, the Supreme Court refused an urgent hearing on a petition seeking an FIR against Justice Varma.
Not just that, the two-judge bench comprising CJI BR Gavai also pulled up lawyer Mathews Nedumpara for referring to Justice Varma of the Allahabad High Court by name, without the honorific ‘justice’, while seeking the urgent hearing on the FIR.
One of the theories suggests that any rushed action might see the judiciary bite back, and the government isn’t too keen on a confrontation right now.
His perceived jumping the gun on the Justice Varma motion might have been behind his exit.
Government sources told media outlets that Dhankhar admitted the motion against Justice Varma “without taking the government into confidence”.
“To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice-President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution,” Dhankhar said in his letter to President Draupadi Murmu.
A post by the Vice-President’s Secretariat shared on Dhankhar’s travel plans for July 23 revealed that the decision to resign was made in a short span.
“The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, will be on a one-day visit to Jaipur, Rajasthan on July 23, 2025,” it said in the post shared at 3.53 pm on Monday.
Sources told India Today TV that Ramesh called Dhankhar at 7.30 pm and the latter said that “he was with his family, discussing some health issues and will talk tomorrow [Tuesday]”.
“Something very serious happened yesterday between 1 PM and 4:30 PM to account for the deliberate absence of Shri Nadda and Shri Rijiju from the second BAC yesterday,” posted Jairam Ramesh, adding, “Now in a truly unprecedented move, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar has resigned.”
Vijaydurg is recognised not only as an ancient sea fortress but also as the site where helium was discovered
At the recent 47th World Heritage Committee session in Paris, Vijaydurg joined twelve other Indian forts acknowledged for their historical and scientific importance. File image
Maharashtra’s Vijaydurg Fort, a symbol of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s naval prowess, has gained new global attention. It is recognised not only as an ancient sea fortress but also as the site where helium was discovered—a legacy now proudly on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
At the recent 47th World Heritage Committee session in Paris, Vijaydurg joined twelve other Indian forts acknowledged for their historical and scientific importance. Situated at the mouth of the Vaghotan River in Sindhudurg district, Vijaydurg’s significance extends beyond its formidable triple-layered sea walls and bastions.
While many forts highlight royal battles and architectural brilliance, Vijaydurg holds a unique place in scientific history. Historians note that during the total solar eclipse of 1898, French astronomers Pierre Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer set up camp at this coastal fort, considering it the closest point on Earth to the Sun during the eclipse. Using spectroscopes, they observed the Sun’s atmosphere from specially constructed telescope platforms within the fort. Their efforts led to the discovery of helium, now the second-most abundant element in the universe.
Local historian Ranjit Hirlekar stated, “It was a defining moment for global science, beginning right on the ramparts of this historic Maratha sea fort. To this day, scientists from India’s Atomic Research Centre visit Vijaydurg and respectfully refer to it as the ‘birthplace of helium’.”
Hirlekar further commented, “Vijaydurg Fort is not just a marvel of military architecture but a living testament to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary leadership, maritime foresight, and scientific legacy. Its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is a matter of pride for Maharashtra and an acknowledgement of India’s glorious and enduring heritage on the global stage.”
The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1. From then until September 1, the public can file objections or request corrections related to additions, deletions, or errors in the draft list.
The final electoral roll will be released on September 30, following a full claims and objections process to ensure only eligible voters are included. (Image only for representation.)
More than 52 lakh voters in Bihar were found missing from their registered addresses during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, the Election Commission said on Tuesday. Additionally, around 18 lakh voters have been confirmed dead.
Election officials said that about 26 lakh voters have shifted to other constituencies, and another seven lakh were found registered in more than one location.
Poll authorities have compiled detailed lists of over 21.36 lakh voters whose enumeration forms were not submitted, as well as nearly 52.3 lakh individuals who are either deceased, have moved permanently, or are enrolled at multiple places.
The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1. From then until September 1, the public can file objections or request corrections related to additions, deletions, or errors in the draft list.
Twelve political parties have been provided with lists of voters who have moved, died, or were not found at their addresses. Parties have been asked to reach out to these individuals and assist them in approaching election officials for inclusion in the draft rolls, if eligible.
The final electoral roll will be released on September 30, following a full claims and objections process to ensure only eligible voters are included.
Meanwhile, the ECI has claimed all major political parties were “involved” in Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and deployed over 1.5 lakh booth level agents to reach out to eligible voters but opposing the exercise in the Supreme Court.
In an affidavit filed in a plea challenging the June 24 order directing pan-India SIR of electoral rolls starting from Bihar, the ECI claimed having plenary powers to take such measures as to protect and maintain the purity of elections, including preparation of electoral rolls.
It is with this objective that the ECI has directed the conduct of pan-India SIR, beginning with Bihar, the ECI argued.
The poll panel said some of the petitioners before the apex court were MPs and MLAs from Bihar’s recognised political parties who were assisting in the SIR exercise by providing BLAs.
The Commission also said it had previously conducted SIRs more frequently and the last such exercise was undertaken in Bihar in 2002-2003, and the period of enumeration was from July 15, 2002 to August 14, 2002.
The ECI debunked the allegation that the exercise was being conducted “hastily” and said the enumeration period was between June 25, 2025 and July 26, 2025.
“Over the course of the last twenty-two years significant changes in electoral roll have occurred in the state of Bihar on a large scale. Additionally, rapid urbanisation and frequent migration of population from one place to another due to education, livelihood and other reasons have become a regular trend,” the affidavit said.
Instances of repeat entries in the electoral rolls, the poll panel said, were noticed as some electors shift from one state to another without getting their names deleted from the electoral roll of their initial place of residence.
Jalaun district led the campaign, planting more than 31 lakh saplings along riverbanks. Jhansi followed with 24 lakh, and Hamirpur ranked third with over 16 lakh saplings.
Uttar Pradesh Plants Over 2.14 Crore Saplings Along 82 Rivers To Revive Ecosystems, Boost Irrigation | Representative Image
Uttar Pradesh has marked a significant milestone in its ecological restoration efforts, with over 2.14 crore saplings planted along the banks of 82 rivers across the state. The initiative aims to revive dying rivers, improve groundwater levels, and enhance green cover through mass plantation drives.
Jalaun district led the campaign, planting more than 31 lakh saplings along riverbanks. Jhansi followed with 24 lakh, and Hamirpur ranked third with over 16 lakh saplings. The drive is part of a broader plan to rejuvenate rivers, improve irrigation potential, and combat environmental degradation in rural areas.
The effort is a collaborative undertaking by the State Mission for Clean Ganga, Namami Gange, the Rural Water Supply Department, the Forest Department, and District Ganga Committees. In addition to plantations, pond desilting is being carried out under MGNREGA to support better water retention and ecological balance. T
his state-wide campaign reflects a strong focus on restoring neglected and encroached riverbeds to their natural state. Plantation drives are being conducted along major rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Saryu, Tamsa, Mandakini, Rapti, Betwa, and Ghaghra, as well as smaller rivers including Ishan, Noon, and Peeli Nadi. At least one river is being taken up for rejuvenation in every district.
The benefits of the project extend beyond environmental gains. Improved water availability is helping farmers access better irrigation, which in turn boosts crop yields and supports rural livelihoods.
Early indicators also suggest a positive impact on local groundwater levels. By combining environmental repair with economic uplift, the plantation initiative is laying the foundation for a more sustainable and resilient future in Uttar Pradesh.
At least 31 people, including 25 children, were killed when a military jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in the Uttara area of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on Monday. Most injuries in the crash resulted from burns.
Bangladesh plane crash
India on Tuesday night announced that it is dispatching a team of burn-specialist doctors and nurses to Dhaka to treat those injured in the military jet crash in Bangladesh.
At least 31 people, including 25 children, were killed when a military jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in the Uttara area of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on Monday. Most injuries in the crash resulted from burns.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences at the loss of lives in the tragic air crash and conveyed assurances of support and assistance.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “A team of burn-specialist doctors and nurses with necessary medical support are scheduled to visit Dhaka shortly to treat the victims.”
The team will assess the condition of patients and provide recommendations for further treatment and specialised care in India as necessary. Depending on this preliminary assessment, additional medical teams may also be sent to Dhaka.
It is learnt that the medical team includes two Delhi-based doctors – one from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and the other from Safdarjung Hospital.
Flight AI2403 was scheduled to take off at 5:30 pm today for Kolkata, but a technical issue was detected and the pilots, “following a Standard Operating Procedure”, decided not to go ahead with the take-off.
This is the second incident involving an Air India aircraft today. (Representational)
An Air India flight from Delhi to Kolkata aborted a take-off while the aircraft was accelerating down the runway due to a technical issue detected just in time. The pilots applied brakes to stop the aircraft, which was travelling at 155 km per hour.
Flight AI2403 was scheduled to take off at 5:30 pm today for Kolkata, but a technical issue was detected and the pilots, “following a Standard Operating Procedure”, decided not to go ahead with the take-off. The airline in a statement said, “Flight AI2403 operating from Delhi to Kolkata on 21 July 2025 has been rescheduled to depart later this evening, necessitated by a technical issue detected during the take-off roll. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off, following Standard Operating Procedures.”
“All passengers have disembarked, and our ground colleagues in Delhi are extending support to them. Inconvenience caused to the passengers due to this unforeseen disruption is sincerely regretted. At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers remain top priority,” they added.
This is the second incident involving an Air India aircraft today. In Mumbai, a flight flying in from Kochi had a close shave at the airport while landing after it veered off the rain-soaked runway.
Pictures accessed by NDTV show a clump of grass stuck to the rear part of the aircraft and signs of damage on one of the engines. The runway, too, has been damaged. All passengers aboard the aircraft are safe, airport authorities have said.
Government sources said that the plane, after landing, made a runway excursion to one side of the runway. “Marking of one wheel of aircraft went into the grassy area on the side of the runway,” a source said. Three signage boards and four runway edge lights were found broken after the incident.
According to Air India, the aircraft has been grounded for checks, and the inspection is underway. The two pilots have been derostered pending an inquiry into what led to the scare.
Notices To Air India
Civil Aviation ministry informed Rajya Sabha today in response to a series of queries from MPs that nine show cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations in the last six months.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said over the last six months, no adverse trend was reported in reliability reports of Air India in terms of crashes. But over the last six months, nine show cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations.
“Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation,” the minister said in response to queries from CPM member John Brittas, but did not reveal specific details.
The Delhi government is actively exploring ways to turn the capital into a “Global Event Hub,” with historical sites like Qutub Minar and Purana Qila potentially opening their doors to private events.
In a move that could redefine Delhi’s cultural landscape, the city’s iconic monuments may soon double up as venues for destination weddings, concerts, and global events.
The Delhi government is actively exploring ways to turn the capital into a “Global Event Hub,” with historical sites like Qutub Minar and Purana Qila potentially opening their doors to private events.
At a high-level roundtable chaired by Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra on Monday, the government pitched an ambitious plan to transform Delhi from a solely political capital into a vibrant center for international events. Senior officials from the Department of Tourism, Art, Culture & Language met with industry leaders from the events and entertainment sector to brainstorm policy measures, partnership models, and infrastructure needs.
“Delhi has 70 to 80 heritage monuments that can be effectively used for hosting cultural and private events,” Mr Mishra said at the meeting. “It is time the capital is known not just for its politics but for its creative potential as well.”
The plan includes introducing a Digital Single Window Clearance System to simplify event permissions, which organizers say are often bogged down in red tape. A one-click permit system is expected to cut weeks off the planning timeline, making Delhi more attractive to international and domestic event planners.
Among the key demands from industry representatives was a reduction in the high rental fees for event venues across the city. “Right now, charges are often arbitrary and non-transparent,” one organizer said in the meeting. Minister acknowledged the issue, promising a more standardized and fair fee structure.
Heritage monuments weren’t the only focus. The roundtable also touched upon developing vacant government land into public event spaces, offering subsidies and tax incentives for large-scale events, and marketing Delhi as a prime destination in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. There were even calls to list government-backed cultural events on commercial platforms like BookMyShow to boost visibility.
Stakeholders pushed for GST relaxations to boost the booming destination wedding sector, valued at over Rs 16,000 crore nationally, and stressed the need for Delhi to set up a world-class convention center to compete with cities like Mumbai, Dubai, and Bangkok.
Mr Mishra, who has been vocal about leveraging Delhi’s “soft power,” said that the government is committed to formalising these discussions into actionable policy. “We will soon announce major reforms to support the events industry. These ideas will be taken to the Hon’ble Chief Minister personally,” he said.
The meeting was attended by key industry players including Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) President Samit Garg, Rajeev Jain of Rashi Entertainment, Ankur Desai of Saregama, and representatives from BookMyShow.
While the idea of hosting weddings or concerts at heritage sites may raise eyebrows among conservationists, the government insists that usage will be guided by strict heritage preservation norms.
The BMS acknowledged that technological advancement is inevitable but warned against unregulated AI inclusion
The BMS addressed the media about its 70th anniversary event, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be the chief guest. (Image for representation: PTI)
India is experiencing rapid economic and technological changes, prompting the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh — a labour union affiliated with the RSS — to issue a strong warning. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly influential at workplaces, it has called for a regulatory framework for its use.
“You can’t let algorithms dictate livelihoods without accountability. AI is crucial in high-skill areas like space, medical diagnostics, intelligence gathering, mining, and melting. But what about the small jobs? Typing, data entry, warehouse support — millions depend on them. Without regulation, AI will not just replace labour but heavily impact the workforce,” B Surendran, organising secretary of BMS, told News18.
Hiranmay Pandya, president of BMS, reiterated this sentiment while addressing the media about the organisation’s 70th anniversary event, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be the chief guest.
Pandya acknowledged that technological advancement is inevitable but warned against unregulated AI inclusion. He stated that while AI may enhance efficiency, it cannot replace human emotional intelligence, adaptability, and contribution.
“Robots will not pay taxes, people will,” Pandya said, highlighting the social and economic risks of over-automation.
Pandya stressed the need for balanced digital transformation with strong skilling frameworks, mental health support, and inclusive planning for those vulnerable to job loss. AI integration should be done with empathy and foresight.
The affidavit was filed in response to the Supreme Court’s July 10 order, which had directed the Election Commission to submit its counter-affidavit by July 21.
ECI submits detailed affidavit to SC on Bihar SIR (PTI Image)
The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court on Monday that Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration Card can’t be considered as proof of voter eligibility under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
In the detailed affidavit submitted, the poll body stated that these three documents do not meet the required standards for verifying eligibility during the voter list revision process.
The affidavit was filed in response to the Supreme Court’s July 10 order, which had directed the Election Commission to submit its counter-affidavit by July 21.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on July 28 before a vacation Bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi.
In its July 10 order, the Bench had declined to halt the electoral roll revision in Bihar and allowed the process to continue.
It had also observed that, since the list of acceptable documents is not exhaustive, the Election Commission should consider including Aadhaar, the Electoral Photo Identity Card, and the ration card in the revision process.
The EC provided specific reasons for excluding each document:
Aadhaar is not considered proof of citizenship.
Voter ID cannot be used in this process as SIR is a fresh revision, and previous records are not deemed sufficient.
Ration Cards, the EC argued, are frequently found to be fake and are therefore unreliable for establishing voter eligibility.
The Commission clarified that the list of 11 documents used in SIR is indicative, not final.
Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs are required to examine each document on a case-by-case basis. This means a ration card may still be reviewed, but its acceptance will depend on whether the official finds it trustworthy.
The EC further stated that all decisions will be made in line with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, particularly under Section 22 and Rule 21(A), and that uniform rules will not apply across all cases—each will be assessed individually.
The Commission also told the court that it has the authority to verify citizenship in matters related to the voter list.
The EED has summoned several prominent Tollywood actors linked to an illegal betting case involving 29 celebrities, including Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubat
Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati and several others have been issued summons by the ED.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday issued summons to top Tollywood actors who were earlier booked in an illegal betting case, according to sources. The ED has registered a case against 29 celebrities, including Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Manchu Lakshmi, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, and Srimukhi, for their alleged involvement in a betting app scam. The ED’s case is based on an FIR filed by the Hyderabad Cyberabad police.
According to sources, Rana Daggubati has been summoned on July 23, Prakash Raj on July 30, Vijay Deverakonda on August 6, and Lakshmi Manchu on August 13 in the matter. The actors and influencers have been accused of promoting illegal betting apps on social media platforms.
What is the ED action about?
Several celebrities are suspected of having “endorsed” online betting platforms such as Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, and Lotus365 in exchange for endorsement or celebrity fees, as per sources cited by news agency PTI.
The negotiations are part of the broader effort to finalise a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), for which both countries had agreed on the Terms of Reference (ToR) in March.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States Donald Trump. (File Image)
The fifth round of trade negotiations between India and the United States concluded without a breakthrough, with the US making fresh demands for greater market access in the final hours of talks. Despite the impasse, India remains optimistic about securing an interim trade agreement before the August 1 deadline. Indian negotiators, who held the latest round of discussions in Washington last week, are expected to return to New Delhi later this week.
For the next round of talks, the US team will visit India in August, an official familiar with the matter said.
The negotiations are part of the broader effort to finalise a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), for which both countries had agreed on the Terms of Reference (ToR) in March.
The fifth round was led by India’s Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal and Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch. Key issues discussed included agriculture, automobiles, treatment of non-market economies, and SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies), reports PTI.
The interim deal is being pursued ahead of the expiration of the suspension of Trump-era tariffs.
On April 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump had announced high reciprocal tariffs, which were temporarily suspended -first until July 9 and then extended to August 1- while trade negotiations with several countries, including India, were underway.
India has firmly resisted US demands for tariff concessions on agricultural and dairy products. “So far, New Delhi has not granted such concessions to any of its FTA partners in the dairy sector,” the official said. Farmer groups in India have also urged the government to exclude agriculture-related matters from the deal.
India is pushing for the removal of additional 26% tariffs and easing of duties on steel (50%), aluminium, and automobiles (25%). It is also seeking tariff concessions for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, plastics, and agricultural goods like bananas and oilseeds.
Meanwhile, the US is seeking reduced tariffs on industrial goods, electric vehicles, wines, petrochemicals, dairy, apples, tree nuts, and genetically modified crops.
Nineteen years after the devastating 2006 Mumbai train bombings, the Bombay High Court overturned the convictions of all 12 men previously sentenced for the attacks.
Seven coordinated blasts shook Mumbai on July 11, 2006, killing 189, no one held accountable.
Nineteen years after a series of coordinated blasts ripped through Mumbai’s suburban railway network, claiming 187 lives and injuring over 800, the Bombay High Court on Monday acquitted all 12 men previously convicted in the case. Notably, a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court had sentenced five of them to death and the remaining seven to life imprisonment in 2015.
“The prosecution has utterly failed to prove the case against the accued. It is hard to believe that the accused committed the crime. Hence, their conviction is quashed and set aside,” said the division bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Shyam C Chandak.
The court also criticised the handling of key evidence, including the explosives and circuit boxes said to have been used to assemble the bombs.
What Happened On 11 July 2006
On the evening of July 11, 2006, Mumbai witnessed one of its deadliest terror attacks, affecting nearly a thousand lives. Between 6:23 PM and 6:28 PM, seven bombs detonated in quick succession inside first-class compartments of suburban trains on the Western line.
The first blasts struck Mahim, Bandra and Mira Road precisely at 6:23 PM, with the final explosion occurring at Borivali at 6:28 PM. Investigators later determined that the attacks were synchronised using timer devices. The force of the blasts tore through the steel train compartments, hurling bodies onto tracks and platforms. A total of 187 people lost their lives and 829 were injured.
The attacks targeted crowded trains filled with office-goers commuting home to the distant suburbs. The bombs, reportedly sophisticated and extremely powerful, detonated in moving trains between Matunga and Mira Road stations.
At both Mahim and Borivali, the blasts claimed the lives of not just passengers inside the trains but also those standing on the platforms and in trains heading toward Churchgate.
This new system will curb overspeeding, a major cause of accidents on the ring road where speed limits are 60 km/h for heavy vehicles and 80 km/h for light vehicles. Cameras will capture violations, and fines will be sent directly to vehicle owners.
Representation Image |
The Outer Ring Road encircling Lucknow is set to become safer and more technologically advanced with the implementation of a Traffic Monitoring Camera System (TMCS). The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is accelerating the installation process, aiming to complete it by March 2026.
This new system will curb overspeeding, a major cause of accidents on the ring road where speed limits are 60 km/h for heavy vehicles and 80 km/h for light vehicles. Cameras will capture violations, and fines will be sent directly to vehicle owners.
Repeat offenders will face stricter legal action, fostering greater discipline among drivers.
Beyond traffic enforcement, the cameras will also enhance security and crime control. A proposed control room, linked to the police control room, will monitor vehicle thefts, hit-and-run incidents, and other criminal activities. NHAI officials anticipate monitoring approximately 30,000 vehicles daily, providing real-time footage to police for swift action.
Serving as Vice President since 2022, the 74-year-old made the surprise announcement after chairing the first day of the Monsoon Session in Rajya Sabha. Under Article 67 of the Constitution, the Deputy Chairman will manage the day-to-day affairs until a new Vice-President is elected.
In a surprise announcement, Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as the Vice President of India on Monday, “to prioritise healthcare”. Having served in the role since 2022, the 74-year-old made the announcement after chairing the first day of the Monsoon Session as Rajya Sabha Chairman.
“To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution,” Dhankhar said in a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. The letter was released by the Vice President’s Office.
Under Article 67 of the Constitution, which deals with the term of office of the Vice President, the Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh will manage the day-to-day affairs until a new Vice-President is elected. On the other hand, Article 67(a) says that before the expiry of his term, the Vice-President may resign by submitting his resignation to the President in writing.
Thanking President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankhar wrote, “I extend my deepest gratitude to your excellency – the Hon’ble President of India for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure. I express my deep gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office.”
Earlier this year, in March, Dhankhar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after experiencing uneasiness and chest pain. Last month, he fainted after stepping down from the dais while attending a programme at Nainital University.
While chairing the Upper House today, Jagdeep Dhankhar said he had received a letter signed by more than 50 Rajya Sabha members requesting the constitution of a committee for the removal of Justice Varma.
Dhankhar, then, directed the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha “to find out whether a similar motion has been moved in the Lok Sabha”.
“This is being done in accordance with the procedure. If the motion is presented in both houses on different days, the motion presented first is alone taken into consideration. If it’s on the same day, provisions are different,” Dhankhar had said.
Interestingly, the outgoing Vice President, while mentioning the Justice Yashwant Varma impeachment case, said that one of the 55 signatures had been duplicated, ordering an inquiry.
In recent times, Dhankhar has been vocal in his criticism of the judiciary, asserting that “Parliament is supreme”.
The outgoing Vice President criticised the Supreme Court for setting a timeline for the President and Governor to sign bills passed by state governments, saying, “So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as a super Parliament and have absolutely no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them.”
By tendering his resignation, Jagdeep Dhankhar became the seventh Vice President to not complete the full five-year term.
Dhankhar, who had two more years in office, defeated INDIA bloc nominee Margaret Alva in 2022. Before becoming the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the lawyer-turned-politician served as the Governor of West Bengal, a tenure marked by frequent run-ins with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Potholes dot Gattigere, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, on Sunday. It worsens after a spell of rain, making the potholes deeper and wider. Credit: DH Photo
Southern neighbourhoods, including Jayanagar, Kumaraswamy Layout and RR Nagar, also recorded moderate to heavy showers.
Bengaluru: Moderate to heavy rainfall lashed several parts of the city on Sunday, causing waterlogging in low-lying areas and slowing down traffic.
Heavy rain was reported in eastern Bengaluru, Gottigere and Electronics City, while stretches such as RP Road near Windsor Manor and Bhashyam Circle were waterlogged and witnessed slow traffic.
Southern neighbourhoods, including Jayanagar, Kumaraswamy Layout and RR Nagar, also recorded moderate to heavy showers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Bengaluru city received 5.8 mm of rainfall and HAL Airport 3.8 mm, as of 5.30 pm. The Bengaluru Urban automatic weather station recorded 6.0 mm.
