Category: India

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

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

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

FROM BATTLEFIELD CHEMISTRY TO AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

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

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

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

WHY SCIENTISTS CONSIDER IT DANGEROUS

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

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

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

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

WHY MANY COUNTRIES HAVE BANNED IT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Men Had Broken Into Her House Months Ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He explained the system of receipts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did social media say?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did social media say?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

39 VILLAGES GUARDING DAM, 35 VILLAGES WANT WATER RELEASE

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

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

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

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

HIGH COURT INTERVENTION YET AGAIN

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

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

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

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

TRACKING THE CONFLICT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONGRESS GEARS UP FOR STUDENT OUTREACH

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

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

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

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

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

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

BJP ACCUSES CONGRESS OF POLITICISING STUDENTS

The BJP, however, launched a sharp attack on Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of exploiting students’ concerns for political gain.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the programme had been organised by Gandhi’s “toolkit gang” to mislead students and create political controversy ahead of the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21.

“When students want to study and rewrite their exam, why is it that you and your leaders are threatening students and other stakeholders?” Bhatia asked.

“The entire protest has been sponsored by the toolkit gang, whose kingpin is Rahul Gandhi. The motive is to play with the future of the youth, who are preparing to write their exam,” he claimed.

Bhatia questioned the timing of the programme, arguing that students should be concentrating on preparation for the re-examination rather than attending political events.

He also pointed to paper leak incidents during the previous Congress government in Rajasthan and asked whether the party had apologised to students affected during that period.

POLITICAL ROW DEEPENS

The controversy widened further after BJP workers staged a protest in Kota, arguing that students should be allowed to focus on their studies in the days leading up to the examination.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, meanwhile, accused the administration of removing hoardings promoting Gandhi’s programme. He claimed the action reflected nervousness within the ruling BJP and alleged a political conspiracy to undermine the event.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/neet-paper-leak-row-rahul-gandhi-kota-student-convention-bjp-clash-2928194-2026-06-17

Long before the BJP won Bengal, Mithun Chakraborty had built a connection with audiences that politics alone could not create. In 2026, that old screen nostalgia turned into political recall as Bengal voted for change. Mithun da is one of the unsung heroes of the BJP’s Bengal sweep.

“In 2026, the masnad (throne) will be ours [BJP’s], and we will do everything to achieve the goal.” That was what Mithun Chakraborty predicted after the BJP’s setback in West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The BJP did ascend the Bengal throne in 2026. And Mithun emerged as one of the silent heroes of the victory.

It’s been over a month since the BJP won the Bengal Assembly polls, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule. But in the saffron party’s breakthrough victory, Mithun Chakraborty stands out as the figure whose role has not been discussed much.

Mithun, fondly known as Mithun Da, embodied the overlap between Bengal’s cultural influence and politics. Throughout the Assembly polls, Mithun did not operate like a conventional neta. It was his screen legacy and the nostalgia attached to it that stayed alive in public memory.

While the BJP’s campaign itself revolved around Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s central face, anti-incumbency sentiment, and the BJP’s long push into Bengal, Mithun’s contribution seemingly worked in different ways. He was not the loudest voice in the room, nor the most visible face on the ground. His presence, though, seemingly had emotional familiarity, especially among millennials and older Bengali voters who grew up watching him dominate cinema screens through the 1980s and 1990s. Mithun is the Mahanayak.

In Bengal, where cinema and politics have historically overlapped, that kind of recall matters a lot.

The optics after the BJP’s victory, with Mithun standing beside Modi and the Prime Minister leaning in to whisper in the veteran actor’s ear, became symbolic in itself. Such proximity to the top leadership is often read as a marker of value and trust. In politics, these visuals carry their own weight beyond formal roles.

That positioning also sits within his broader connect with the RSS. In 2019, he met RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur for an hour-long discussion. In February 2021, he hosted Bhagwat for breakfast at his Mumbai residence.

The BJP tried to make inroads into West Bengal for decades, struggling to move beyond single-digit seat tallies. In that context, Mithun’s proximity to the party’s top leadership suggested that even if he did not campaign extensively, he was viewed as more than a celebrity face — someone who could help soften the BJP’s image in a state that has been resistant to BJP’s brand of politics.

Ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly election, Mithun took a hard stand against illegal immigration from Bangladesh. “As long as people like Mithun Chakraborty have a drop of blood in their body, this state will never become Bangladesh,” he said.

After the results, it seems even his son, Mahaakshay Chakraborty, by sheer coincidence, is also witnessing a better time professionally. Mahaakshay-starrer Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past has performed better-than-expected at the box office.

MITHUN’S JOURNEY FROM A NAXAL TO A FILMSTAR TO A POLITICIAN

Mithun Chakraborty’s own journey has seemingly mirrored Bengal’s political moods. Both have shifted quite drastically over the decades.

Born Gouranga Chakraborty in Kolkata in 1950, he was briefly associated with the Naxalite movement during the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s. Like many young Bengalis of that generation, he was drawn toward radical Left politics at a time when rebellion carried intellectual and emotional appeal.

Personal tragedy was involved, and accounts mention the death of his brother in an accident, which reportedly pushed him away from that Naxal world.

Cinema is where he reinvented himself.

After training at FTII Pune, he made a remarkable debut in Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa (1976), playing a tribal hunter trapped within structures of exploitation and power. The role earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor and immediately established him as a serious performer. Interestingly, his early filmography still reflected the anti-establishment themes that aligned with his youthful politics. Even The Naxalites (1980) kept him connected to that imagery of rebellion.

But Mithun’s true transformation came in the 1980s, when he shifted from parallel cinema to mass stardom. Disco Dancer (1982) turned him into a phenomenon not just in India, but across the Soviet Union and parts of Eastern Europe. Suddenly, he was no longer merely an actor with critical acclaim. He had become a pop-cultural export. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award.

Unlike many stars who remained confined to metropolitan audiences, Mithun’s appeal spread deep into smaller towns and working-class belts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.

That became especially important in his home state.

By the 2000s, Bengali cinema was going through one of its many identity crises, caught between fading mainstream formulas and niche urban storytelling.

Mithun stepped into that vacuum with films like Yuddho (2005), MLA Fatakeshto (2006), and Tulkalam (2007). Critics in elite circles often dismissed these films as loud or unsophisticated, but they connected powerfully with audiences across West Bengal.

Mithun was following a formula here. He played men who fought corrupt systems, protected families, defended women, and punished political wrongdoing. He was often framed less as a glamorous superstar and more as a dependable elder-brother figure. He was angry, emotional, and morally certain.

That image translated surprisingly well into politics.

MITHUN CHAKRABORTY’S NON-LINEAR POLITICAL JOURNEY

Mithun Chakraborty’s political journey has never been ideologically linear.

In 2014, Mamata Banerjee nominated him to the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) representative. At the time, he was seen as close to the TMC ecosystem and had even reportedly played a mediating role between Mamata Banerjee and Pranab Mukherjee during the 2012 presidential elections.

But by 2021, Bengal’s politics had changed dramatically.

The BJP was aggressively attempting to position itself as the primary challenger to the TMC, and Mithun joined the party at a high-profile rally attended by PM Modi in Kolkata. His induction immediately generated buzz, because he brought something the BJP had long struggled to cultivate in Bengal. Organic cultural familiarity.

At one point, he even showed CM ambitions, but it seemingly died down. On the sidelines of a conclave of ABVP, the RSS’s students’ organisation, in Kolkata in 2023, Chakraborty declared that he would change West Bengal in six months if he became CM.

Unlike imported campaigners or purely ideological faces, Mithun already belonged to Bengal, and had an emotional connect.

Just two years before this, during the 2021 campaign, he was already leaning heavily into his cinematic identity, using famous dialogues and punchlines from his films to energise election rallies.

“Ami joldora o noi, belebora o noi. Ami ekta cobra. Ami jaat gokhro, ek chhobol-ei chhobi.” [I am neither a harmless water snake, nor a grass snake. I am a pure cobra. One bite, and you become a photograph (dead).]

“Marbo ekhane, lash porbe shoshaney.” [I will hit you here (on the spot), but your dead body will fall in the crematorium.]

There was energy around the campaign, but the BJP lost the polls. But it significantly expanded its footprint in the state. Mithun’s role was not necessarily measurable in seats, but it definitely helped the party appear less alien to sections of Bengali voters.

By 2026, his campaigning was understandably less intense. Age had reduced the relentless roadshow politics and political attacks seen in 2021.

Yet his symbolic value arguably increased. Even limited appearances generated attention. When he voted in Belgachia and publicly expressed confidence about the BJP’s prospects, it reinforced the sense that he was emotionally invested in the BJP’s Bengal goal.

And after the victory, the optics mattered once again. Mithun in his signature maroon beret with a star insignia and silver goggles, his towering frame beside PM Modi, as the Prime Minister warmly patted his arm, speaking to him, congratulating him. The visuals went viral.

MILLENNIALS STILL REMEMBER MITHUN, HIS FILMS, AND THE NOSTALGIA ATTACHED TO THEM

Mithun’s appeal today is rooted less in Gen Z and more in generational memory.

Millennials and older audiences remember Mithun as a constant presence during the era of VHS tapes, satellite television, and dubbed action cinema. In many households across eastern India, his films played repeatedly for years.

Even when critics mocked the low-budget aesthetics of some of his films, audiences remained loyal because Mithun represented resistance, masculinity, family honour, and survival.

Critics argue that his switches between parties reflect opportunism. Instead, with the BJP, he positioned himself as a loyal campaigner who repeatedly said he was “not a leader” but someone following one — PM Modi.

As a matter of fact, after the BJP’s drubbing in the 2021 Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while several familiar faces deserted the party, Mithun remained loyal.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mithun-chakraborty-west-bengal-polls-bjp-victory-mimoh-return-tmc-loss-pm-narendra-modi-2927582-2026-06-17

A verbal altercation broke out between SpiceJet staff and passengers at West Bagdogra Airport after flight to Delhi was cancelled.

A SpiceJet staff member was involved in a heated verbal altercation with passengers, including shouting abuses at them, following the cancellation of a flight at West Bengal’s Bagdogra Airport last week. The airline has suspended the female employee after a video of the confrontation went viral on social media.

The footage shows heated exchanges between SpiceJet staff and passengers as security personnel attempted to bring the situation under control. Travellers alleged that repeated delays and the eventual cancellation of the Delhi-bound flight on June 13 triggered frustration and unrest at the airport.

“Due to this unpredictable cancellation, some of the irate passengers and our staff members got involved into a verbal altercation… SpiceJet has taken necessary disciplinary action against the staff member. She has been served with immediate suspension of services and sent to refresher training,” the airline said in a statement.

SpiceJet said the flight was cancelled following a series of operational challenges, including adverse weather conditions that forced the aircraft to initially divert to Kolkata.

One of the passengers, Noman Shaikh, said flight SG 151 was scheduled to depart at 4.10 pm but faced repeated delays throughout the day.

“We were informed that the flight would depart at 10 pm. However, later in the evening, we were told that it had been cancelled,” Shaikh said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/spicejet-bagdogra-airport-row-staffer-suspended-after-sg-151-cancellation-west-bengal-2928091-2026-06-16

According to exclusive details obtained from intelligence sources and corroborated by recent satellite imagery, Beijing is rapidly advancing the project despite persistent objections from New Delhi.

China has officially commenced the construction of the world’s largest dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, located just 50 kilometres from the Indian border. The infrastructural development has triggered significant concerns regarding its potential impacts on Arunachal Pradesh and other crucial downstream regions along the Brahmaputra river.

According to exclusive details obtained from intelligence sources and corroborated by recent satellite imagery, Beijing is rapidly advancing the project despite persistent objections from New Delhi.

The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation, taking note of all developments on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows into India as the Siang before becoming the Brahmaputra. Indian officials have raised serious alarms that the mega-dam could drastically alter water flow, disrupt the local ecology, severely affect agriculture, and trigger unpredictable flood patterns across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

While the project is ostensibly designed for massive hydropower generation as part of China’s broader infrastructure push in Tibet, its downstream implications remain highly volatile for India.

In a written response in the Lok Sabha, the government stated that it carefully monitors all activities relating to the Brahmaputra river basin, including Chinese plans for hydropower exploitation. To counter these challenges, the government is actively implementing necessary preventive and corrective measures to safeguard the lives, properties, and livelihoods of Indian citizens residing in the downstream areas.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/china-yarlung-tsangpo-dam-near-arunachal-border-india-monitors-2928138-2026-06-17

A 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly died by suicide after struggling with repeated NEET attempts. Police recovered a note for her parents as investigators examine evidence and await the post-mortem report.

A 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly died by suicide after reportedly struggling to clear the NEET examination, leaving behind a note for her parents that read, “Mummy-Papa, I love you.”

The woman was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her room at a house in Chandramani Colony under the Patel Nagar area. Police reached the spot after being informed and sent the body for post-mortem examination.

According to police, a suicide note recovered from the scene contained the emotional message addressed to her parents. Preliminary investigation suggests the woman had been preparing for the NEET examination for a long time with hopes of pursuing a career in medicine.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/uttarakhand/story/neet-dehradun-woman-dies-by-suicide-police-recover-note-for-parents-2928145-2026-06-17

The latest Nipah case in the state was confirmed on June 11 after test results of a 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara here returned positive. According to the Health Department, 103 persons are currently on the Nipah contact list.

No new Nipah cases have been reported in Kozhikode district and no fresh contacts have been added to the surveillance list, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Monday.

In a statement, the minister said the Nipah patient undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital remains on ventilator support.

The second dose of the monoclonal antibody drug was administered to the patient in accordance with ICMR guidelines, he said.

Muraleedharan also said the second test result of a healthcare worker included in the patient’s primary contact list had returned negative.

Of the seven persons admitted for observation, two close relatives of the patient were discharged on Monday after their symptoms subsided. Their Nipah test results had earlier returned negative, the minister said.

Another close relative, who had been under quarantine as part of the contact list, was admitted to the medical college hospital for observation on Sunday.

At present, six persons are under observation in the hospital, while the sample of another healthcare worker on the contact list has been sent for testing.

According to the Health Department, 103 persons are currently on the contact list. Of them, four are categorised as very high-risk contacts, 14 as high-risk contacts and 85 as low-risk contacts. The contact list includes 45 healthcare workers.

As part of intensified surveillance activities, a central team visited the private hospital in Feroke where the infected patient had initially sought treatment, officials said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nipah-cases-in-kozhikode-no-new-infection-patient-on-ventilator-kerala-2927206-2026-06-15

Police have arrested a Khargone cooperative bank cashier accused of stealing over Rs 41 lakh. Investigators are checking her claim that most of the money was lost in online gaming and tracing whether others were involved.

A 44-year-old woman cashier accused of stealing more than Rs 41 lakh from a cooperative bank in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone has been arrested after remaining on the run for several days. During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly told police that she lost over Rs 35 lakh of the misappropriated money while playing an online game and spent part of the funds on family trips and air travel.

The accused, identified as Ritu Goswami, was posted at the Thibgaon branch of the District Cooperative Central Bank. Police said she is accused of embezzling Rs 41.58 lakh from the bank.

According to investigators, Goswami allegedly siphoned off the funds and later fled. Following her arrest, police recovered Rs 1.49 lakh in cash, three mobile phones and her bank identity card. Officials are now trying to trace the remaining amount.

During interrogation, Goswami claimed she became involved with the Star Maker online platform through a link and gradually lost large sums of money while playing the game. Police are verifying her claims and examining financial transactions linked to the alleged embezzlement.

TRAVELLED TO IN-LAWS IN MUMBAI BEFORE FLEEING

The probe further revealed that after allegedly fleeing with the bank’s funds, Goswami travelled to her in-laws’ residence in Mumbai. She reportedly told family members that she was on leave from work. Police said the mobile phones of several family members had also been switched off, making it difficult for bank officials and investigators to contact them.

A police team tracked the accused across multiple locations, including Mumbai and Delhi, before eventually arresting her.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-khargone-bank-embezzlement-cashier-rs-35-lakh-lost-star-maker-2927227-2026-06-15

The incident took place on Sunday in Hapur when Sahil, a resident of Dadri, was travelling with his family to a relative’s house in neighbouring Meerut district. According to officials, the family was diverted onto an alternative route suggested by Google Maps after a road near the Delhi Phatak overbridge was closed for repair work.

Five members of a family, including women and children, were rescued after their car plunged into a water-filled drain while they were following directions provided by Google Maps in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday in Hapur when Sahil, a resident of Dadri, was travelling with his family to a relative’s house in neighbouring Meerut district.

According to officials, the family was diverted onto an alternative route suggested by Google Maps after a road near the Delhi Phatak overbridge was closed for repair work. As the vehicle entered the Anand Vihar Yojana area in Hapur, Sahil reportedly mistook a flooded stretch for routine waterlogging due to poor visibility and continued driving.

The car subsequently veered off the road and fell into a deep drain concealed beneath the accumulated water. Officials said the vehicle’s electronic system malfunctioned after entering the drain, causing the doors to lock and trapping all five occupants inside.

After receiving a distress call through Dial 112, police rushed to the spot and sought assistance from the fire department. Firefighters launched a rescue operation that lasted nearly two hours and managed to safely evacuate all five occupants through the windows.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/google-maps-hapur-family-car-falls-into-water-filled-drain-rescue-2927305-2026-06-15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Slovakia’s highest civilian award during his visit to Bratislava. The trip also marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence and saw both sides deepen cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Slovakia’s highest civilian award, the Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class), during his visit to Bratislava on Monday. The honour marks the 33rd international award bestowed on Modi by a foreign nation and comes during a landmark visit that has further strengthened ties between India and Slovakia.

Modi also became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Slovakia since the country gained independence, making the trip a significant milestone in bilateral relations. This was PM Modi’s 33rd international award.

Expressing gratitude after receiving the honour, Modi said the award belonged to the 140 crore people of India and dedicated it to the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia.

During the visit, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini welcomed Modi at the Presidential Palace, where the two leaders held discussions on expanding cooperation in areas including trade, technology, defence and strategic affairs. Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior officials.

THE LEADERS ALSO ATTENDED A SPECIAL YOGA SESSION

Ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21, the two leaders also attended a special yoga session organised at the Presidential Palace. Modi later visited a unique exhibition inspired by Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, accompanied by President Pellegrini.

Earlier in the day, Modi held delegation-level talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The two sides signed Memorandums of Understanding on labour migration and digital technology, reflecting efforts to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-narendra-modi-slovakia-top-civilian-award-bratislava-visit-2927337-2026-06-15

Omar Abdullah said the National Conference will hold its planned Jantar Mantar sit-in over Jammu and Kashmir statehood. He said the protest is meant to remind the Centre of assurances made in court, Parliament and public statements.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said his National Conference will go ahead with its decision to hold a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament to remind the Centre of its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Abdullah said the decision to hold the protest has not changed following his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Abdullah met the prime minister in Delhi on June 11, strongly pressing for the “early return” of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and seeking central support to accelerate the region’s economic and infrastructural growth.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/jammu-and-kashmir/story/jammu-and-kashmir-statehood-omar-abdullah-nc-jantar-mantar-protest-2927344-2026-06-16

The Centre has constituted a high-level committee under Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to study demographic changes in border districts, metropolitan cities and industrial hubs. The panel will assess migration patterns, security implications and population trends before submitting its report to the Home Ministry within a year.

The Centre is preparing to take a closer look at rapidly changing demographic patterns in several border districts and urban centres across the country. The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025, when he expressed concern over what he described as “unnatural demographic changes” in certain regions.

The government has since identified the issue as a matter linked not only to population trends but also to national security, social balance and administrative planning. To examine the issue in detail, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a high-level committee on May 26, 2026, under the chairmanship of Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar.

According to sources, the committee will study demographic changes in areas along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders as well as several urban centres. The panel is expected to submit its findings to the Home Ministry within one year.

AMIT SHAH REVIEWS PROGRESS OF THE COMMITTEE

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently chaired a review meeting with senior Home Ministry officials to assess the progress of the committee and discuss arrangements required for its functioning.

During the meeting, officials reviewed logistical support, administrative assistance and other resources needed for the committee’s work. The Home Ministry said the panel has already held its first meeting and finalised a detailed agenda. In the coming months, members are expected to undertake field visits across multiple regions before preparing a comprehensive report for the government.

WHAT IS DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AND WHAT WILL THE COMMITTEE STUDY?

Demographic change refers to shifts in the population structure of a region. Such changes can occur naturally due to factors such as birth rates, mortality, employment opportunities, migration and economic activity.

However, the government’s focus is on what it terms “unnatural demographic changes” that may arise from illegal infiltration, unchecked migration or other unusual factors that significantly alter the population balance of a region.

Officials believe such changes can have implications for social and cultural structures, resource allocation, governance and security. The committee will examine these concerns and assess whether reported changes in population patterns are supported by factual evidence.

BORDER AREAS TO REMAIN KEY FOCUS

A major focus of the committee’s work will be districts located along the India-Bangladesh and India-Pakistan borders.

Over the years, concerns have periodically been raised by security agencies and political groups regarding illegal infiltration and changes in population patterns in some border regions. States such as Assam, West Bengal and parts of the Northeast have frequently witnessed debates on demographic trends.

Sources said the committee will interact with local administrations, security agencies, elected representatives and civil society groups during field visits. It is also expected to analyse Census data, voter rolls, migration records and other government databases to assess the situation.

METROPOLITAN AND INDUSTRIAL CITIES ALSO UNDER SCANNER

The fires and collapses in recent weeks are rooted in Delhi’s decades of unplanned expansion that pushed millions into neighbourhoods never designed for safety.

It’s been a year, but Tahir Khan, 35 still recalls the day he was handed his waiter’s uniform. The job only offered ₹12,000 a month – barely enough to scrape a living for him, his wife and two kids – but, he had no other option. “A year ago, I was let go from my previous job as a waiter at a restaurant. It paid ₹16,000 a month. With four mouths to feed, I couldn’t go without an income, so I took up whatever job I found,” he said.

As he was handed his uniform – a crisp white shirt with a tiny embroidered monogram, to be paired with black trousers – he was given a quick reckoner on how to greet guests: say “Good morning” to everyone he met at the start of the day; say “Enjoy your food” as he served food at the restaurant or in the 30 rooms in the four-storey structure that touted itself as a hotel.

Then, on June 5, his workplace – Lemon Green B&B in Hauz Rani – was sealed as part of a wider crackdown on illegal hotels running on permissions given for six-room B&B units. The sealing was a response to a fire at another B&B in the area that left 23 dead.

“How would I know the hotel was illegal? It seemed like a professional set-up to me. I needed the money. Why would I even care if it was illegal? I don’t have the luxury to care about such things when I have a family of four to provide for,” says Khan.

After the sealing, Khan returned to his house – barely three lanes away in Hauz Rani. He navigated past a patch of garbage strewn across the floor onto a narrow flight of exposed, red-brick steps that led to his house in a neighbourhood where the concept of a “studio apartment” takes on new meaning. The “flat” – as he calls it – is a single, dimly lit room with a bed on the right and a kitchen slab (it’s inadequacy doesn’t warrant the use of the term counter) on the left. He has squeezed in an almirah beside the bed along with a sewing machine, where his wife is stitching clothes. The rent is ₹5,000 a month.

He doesn’t know for sure if this matchbox room is in an illegal structure. “It probably is.”

The story of Khan, his wife and his kids finds echoes in millions of others in Delhi’s nearly 1,800 unauthorised colonies –in Hauz Rani, Saidulajab, Burari, Shakur Basti, Kirari, or countless others spread across the city. These areas are populated mostly by migrant workers who have come to the Capital chasing dreams. Almost all colonies are on private or agricultural land or so-called urban villages, usually without formal planning or approvals for structural or fire safety.

Hauz Rani’s genesis, like the people who live there, was humble. It cropped up more out of need than want: a small agricultural village around a Mughal-era bath, sitting in the uncomfortable zone where the working-class’ demand for land comes from proximity to upscale neighbourhoods such as Saket. In the early 2010s, the area also started catering to a specific but desperate clientele; its proximity to a large private hospital created lucrative demand for short-term accommodation for people – often foreigners, but also Indians – who needed a place to stay while their relatives received treatment.

On the morning of June 3, a fire broke out at Flourish Stay B&B. The establishment had permission for only six rooms but was operating at least 26 across four storeys, a basement, and the roof, along with a restaurant on the ground floor. There was no fire exit. The front façade was covered with toughened glass. In total, 23 people died in the blaze. Almost all victims were there either for treatment, or were visiting a loved one who was getting treated, like the Agrawal family from Gurugram, eight of whose members perished in the fire, while the patriarch was being treated in the hospital. He too died on June 8.

“Over the years, many property owners converted houses into B&Bs and guest houses, several of which gradually began functioning like full-fledged hotels,” said Mohammed Wasim, a resident. The Delhi government’s B&B policy was the easiest way to establish a hotel here, with one deviation: build 20-plus rooms instead of the six approved, run a full-fledged restaurant without permission, and keep adding floors to an already illegal building. That’s the model Flourish’s owner adopted, and it is likely he knew how to get around regulations, or at least knew people who knew how. No government or Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) employee has been arrested for the fire; a 65-year-old cook has.

An MCD spokesperson refused to comment. However a senior MCD official said that the health inspector of the area has been sacked and show cause notices have been issued to five officials.

The Saidulajab story

Just a 15-minute drive from Hauz Rani is Saidulajab, where, on May 30 a dozen people gathered in a small canteen next to a five-storey building where two illegal floors were under construction. The largely illegal structure suddenly collapsed, killing six people – two doctors, three engineers, and the woman who ran the canteen.

It was a stark reminder of the decline of what was, only a decade ago, the next big thing among Delhi’s urban villages. By 2017, Hauz Khas Village’s glory days had ended, and Saidulajab’s Champa Gali had emerged as the new hip address, on the cusp of taking over the throne, with its “Parisian passageways,” vintage clothing boutiques, indie bookstores, block parties under a canopy of fairy lights, and cafes that romanticised chai while offering pho on their menus.

Just 100 metres away was Westend Marg, slowly emerging as a hub for co-working spaces and cheaper home rentals. It grew so haphazardly that it became a story of how unregulated urban expansion can breed tragedies like the one seen on May 30, barely a few hundred metres away on a much wider road.

Jai Bhagwan, a 70-year-old resident known as “Tau,” remembers Saidulajab in the 1960s as entirely agricultural land. His grandfather cultivated wheat and cauliflower.

The landscape began changing in the early 1990s as the city expanded and farming became difficult. “We also tried poultry farming, but that lasted only a few years. We had to switch because there was not enough water for irrigation,” Bhagwan said.

As development accelerated, migrant labourers arrived. Local landowners realised renting small rooms was a good market.

Former DDA commissioner (planning) AK Jain said that “the implementation of the master plan regulations in Delhi’s village areas was constrained by Land Reforms Act and the land mafia took advantage of the loopholes to undertake largescale unplanned development in places like Saidulajab, Hauz Khas, Shahpur Jat for monetary gains.”

A 65-year-old who owns nearly 7,000 square feet of land said the opening of the Garden of Five Senses in 2003 significantly increased footfall along Westend Marg. “There was nothing here. Should a farmer not be allowed to progress in life?” he asked.

And so they did, growing vertically in a seeming quest for upward mobility – for both landlord and tenant.

A story for 60% of Delhi

It isn’t uncommon to see structures rising six to eight storeys high without adequate oversight in the city’s unauthorised colonies. According to the National Building Code, buildings require varying degrees of fire safety clearances based on their heights. But if an entire street, block, and neighbourhood is illegal, then norms exist only on paper.

The Shelter Baseline Report prepared for the Master Plan of Delhi 2041 notes: “Over 60% of Delhi’s population lives in unplanned informal settlements with compromised habitation conditions – unsafe dwellings with poor access to basic services.”

The report explicitly notes that “strict enforcement of laws regarding layout approvals and authorised construction is essential to ensure a quality-built environment.” Yet it immediately acknowledges that implementation mechanisms remained weak.

For urban planners, the problem is that millions now live in areas never designed to handle emergencies. Narrow lanes prevent fire tenders from reaching affected buildings. Electrical networks evolve ad hoc. Open spaces are scarce. Additional floors are added without scrutiny. Evacuation routes are limited.

The Delhi Sub-Regional Plan 2021 also links unregulated urban growth with disaster vulnerability. After analysing fire incidents between 2003 and 2016, the plan observed: “The number of fire incidents in JJ clusters and high-rise buildings has reduced while fire incidents in industrial and residential areas have increased. One of the reasons is that residential areas have become havens for… dangerous commercial activities without making required firefighting provisions.”

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, authorities have started granting legal recognition to these areas without first providing wider roads, better emergency access, safety audits, or enhanced firefighting infrastructure.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhis-unsafe-neighbourhoods-and-the-human-cost-of-unauthorised-growth-101781571279654.html

There is a possibility that Manipur, which was otherwise scheduled to go to the polls with these states, may have elections at a later date.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the poll-bound states of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for the possibility of assembly elections being advanced by at least a month, as the electoral exercise, scheduled for February next year, will coincide with the Census, people aware of the matter said.

There is a possibility that Manipur, which was otherwise scheduled to go to the polls with these states, may have elections at a later date given the sporadic instances of unrest, added one of the people, asking not to be named.

Manipur, roiled by Kuki-Meitei clashes since 2023, has, in the past few months, seen a flare-up in Kuki-Naga clashes.

The main reason for considering bringing the elections forward is staffing.

“Enumerators and polling personnel are likely to be drawn from the same pool–mostly teachers and government employees– which will lead to manpower shortage. The possibility of assembly polls being advanced has been discussed in all the states,” said a senior BJP functionary who asked not to be named.

Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase, a house listing exercise currently underway, and the second leg, the Population Enumeration (PE) scheduled for February 2027. Caste enumeration will also be done during the second phase of Census.

In 2022, elections to all five states were held in February and the results were declared in March. The tenure of the assemblies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will expire in March 2027, and the UP assembly’s term will end in May. Two more states, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, are scheduled to go to the polls at the end of 2027. The BJP is in power in all the states except Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

“Although the BJP ideologically does not favour early elections by truncating the term of the House, in this case, the logistical issue seems to favour a deviation from the norm,” said the functionary quoted above. The party’s big win in West Bengal, which is seen as sign of the consolidation of the Hindu vote bank and the government’s desire to move to a one-nation-one-election cycle eventually are the other reasons being cited for supporting early elections.

In Uttarakhand, where the BJP is hoping to retain power for the third consecutive term, the party had suggested advancing the polls to December, later this year.

“The party made the suggestion to avoid burdening the employees who would be required to put in long hours for both the election as well as Census…if elections were to be held at the end of the year, there will be a full month of rest for the people involved before they set out for Census data collection,” said a state leader.

In Punjab, both the BJP and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, have hinted at early polls.

“The election commission will take the final decision, but all political parties have flagged concerns about the two important exercises coinciding. In poll-bound states this will be a challenge,” said a BJP functionary in Punjab, asking not to be named.

The AAP too has begun preparations for an early election. AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister. Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, while declaring Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as the party’s chief ministerial candidate, announced that elections could be held as early as November (later this year).

“I have learnt that the election in Punjab would not be held in February 2027 but in November this year. So, now we should work together to elect Mann as the CM again,” Kejriwal said.

In Punjab, where the BJP no longer has an alliance with the Akali Dal, the party unit has been asked to hit the ground running. “We had a high level meeting over the weekend, and union home minister Amit Shah has told the cadre that we have to contest to win…the target has been set,” said the state BJP functionary quoted above.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-leaders-eye-early-assembly-elections-for-goa-punjab-uttarakhand-and-uttar-pradesh-101781572208045.html

In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.

The Palau-flagged commercial vessel, which came under the US military’s attack in the Gulf of Oman, had reportedly “dismissed” nearly “60 verbal warnings” and at least “eight shows of force” before being fired upon. The US military has said an American aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of MT Settebello to disable it, killing three Indian sailors, Indian officials said.

The US military’s show of force on the commercial vessel included firing flares and flyovers, as well as two final warnings before being fired upon on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, quoting a US official who was not authorised to publicly discuss the sensitive matter.

The US official claimed the vessel was a “shadow fleet ship” that had been used to illegally transfer Iranian oil and evade sanctions and was seen trying to break the blockade multiple times. The official alleged that the American forces communicated with the ship dozens of times over two weeks before the day when the ship was disabled.

In a statement, US Central Command said the military gave the crew 15 minutes to get out of the engine room before the shots were fired that disabled the ship.

“After being in place for more than 60 days, it should be clear by now that U.S. forces will strictly enforce the blockade,” the statement added.

India Lodges Complaint

New Delhi last week summoned the US charge d’affaires to strongly protest a US military attack on a commercial vessel off the Oman coast that killed three of the 24 Indian crew members on board.

US’ Reply

The US Central Command acknowledged the strike, saying the vessel violated the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Indian counterpart on Friday “that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait”, according to a summary of the call released by the State Department on Saturday.

US and Iran Reach A Deal

In a relief for the Indian crew operating on commercial ships in Hormuz, the United States and Iran have agreed to a peace deal and an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, signalling the apparent end to more than three months of war in the Middle East.

The deal is scheduled to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-warned-ship-60-times-before-attack-killed-3-indians-near-oman-report-11636936?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed readiness to ally with opposition parties if treated with respect and equal status to stop BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party have taken differing positions on the prospect of an alliance with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, exposing contrasting approaches within the opposition INDIA bloc as it seeks to regroup after a series of electoral setbacks.

Congress MP Imran Masood on Sunday said any decision on AIMIM joining the INDIA bloc would be taken by the party’s central leadership, but stressed there could be “no compromise with communalism”.

“It will not be possible to oppose communalism on one side and strengthen communalism on the other. The fight is between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. There is no middle ground. Only Rahul Gandhi has the power to defeat the BJP,” Masood said. “Therefore, those who want to defeat the BJP should join Rahul Gandhi and support him.”

Masood’s remarks come as the opposition alliance reassesses its strategy after suffering major defeats in Delhi, Bihar and West Bengal over the past year. In Delhi and Bengal, INDIA bloc constituents Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress suffered heavy losses, while the BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) secured comfortable victories in Bihar.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc met in Delhi last week to review the alliance’s future direction. At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi urged partners to remain united despite recent setbacks, arguing that defeating the BJP would be easier if opposition parties stood together.

Gandhi also cautioned alliance partners, including the Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, that traditional political strategies and campaign methods may no longer be effective. “These only worked when the State provides a fair playing field… That field does not exist anymore,” he said.

Reiterating the Congress’ role within the alliance, Gandhi said the party was prepared to “swallow all the poison” spread by the BJP as it continued to lead the opposition’s fight against the ruling party.

However, a contrasting view appears to be gaining traction among some INDIA bloc leaders, favouring a broader anti-BJP coalition that could include Owaisi’s AIMIM.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav welcomed any political force capable of weakening the BJP. “Whoever defeats the BJP is welcome,” he said when asked about the possibility of an understanding with AIMIM in Uttar Pradesh.

Owaisi, meanwhile, said his party was open to joining hands with other opposition parties to prevent the BJP from returning to power in the state.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-samajwadi-partys-mixed-signals-on-asaduddin-owaisi-deal-for-2027-up-poll-11638220?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The Akal Takht has asked the Sikh community to have nothing to do with the AAP leader.

Coming out strongly against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Akal Takht has declared him ‘anti-Guru’ and asked the ‘panth’, or the Sikh community, to have nothing to do with him.

The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Mann had been summoned by the Akal Takht and appeared before it on January 15 over his alleged objectionable remarks about Sikh devotees. The Takht had also questioned the AAP leader about a video in which a person resembling him was seen sprinkling alcohol on images of Sikh gurus.

The chief minister had denied the accusation and said the video was AI-generated. On Monday, it came to the fore that forensic tests had been done and the video was found to be genuine. The AAP then countered that the tests had not revealed whether the person in the video was indeed Mann.

Following a meeting of the five Singh Sahibs (high priests) the same day, Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj announced a verdict.

“We questioned the chief minister regarding the video and he claimed it was AI-generated. We asked him to give us proof of this but received no response for six months. We then had the video examined by two laboratories recognised by the Government of India, which revealed that the video is neither fake nor AI-generated. Today, the ‘panth’ took action and reached a decision on this matter,” Gargaj said.

The Jathedar said Mann lied while at the Akal Takht and has been declared guilty before the Guru or ‘anti-Guru’. “Sikhs have no expectations from the chief minister, and the ‘panth’ and followers of the Guru should have nothing to do with him,” he added.

Punjab Cabinet Summoned

In another significant action ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections next year, the Akal Takht has summoned the entire Punjab cabinet to appear before it on June 29 over passage of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill prescribed punishment up to life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege against the Sikh holy book.

“It is intolerable for anyone to challenge the Guru’s throne. Recently, the Punjab government introduced an Act without consulting the Sikh community, institutions, or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government acted obstinately, securing approval from the Legislative Assembly and the Governor. This law will cause a rift within the ‘panth’. The government has no authority to enact legislation concerning the ‘panth’,” Gargaj said.

Resignation Demand

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said Mann should resign immediately.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bhagwant-mann-declared-anti-guru-by-akal-takht-ahead-of-punjab-polls-11639198?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

It’s common knowledge that ticks can spread infections that cause serious illnesses, including Lyme disease. Now health officials are trying to raise awareness of a lesser-known problem: a life-threatening allergy to meat triggered by tick bites.

The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked to a particular species of ticks about 15 years ago. But cases are on the rise as more people report symptoms such as hives, diarrhea and itchiness after eating as little as a mouthful of meat and — in some cases — dairy. The allergy doesn’t impact consumption of seafood or poultry. Chicken, turkey and eggs are all OK to eat.

For years, the standard treatment has involved avoiding foods that come from cows, pigs and lambs while carrying an epinephrine injector in case of medical emergency. But regulators recently approved the first drug for the condition, and more therapies may be on the way.

Here’s what to know about alpha-gal syndrome:

What causes it?

Unlike other tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal syndrome isn’t caused by a bacteria or a virus. Instead, it occurs when the human immune system triggers an allergic response to a type of sugar, known as alpha-gal.

Alpha-gal is found in the meat of most mammals, but not in humans or other primates. It’s also found in the saliva of certain ticks.

When eaten, the sugar is normally harmless. But when ticks bite through the skin, they can introduce the sugar directly into the bloodstream. That triggers the development of antibodies — immune system proteins that fight off foreign invaders — that quickly learn to identify and attack alpha-gal sugar molecules.

“It turns out that the skin is a fantastic way to make an allergic response,” said Dr. Scott Commins, an alpha-gal syndrome researcher at the University of North Carolina. “If this all happened orally, and we were eating alpha-gal like we do with steaks or barbecue, then we wouldn’t become allergic.”

People that develop the antibodies will often experience a strong allergic reaction a few hours after consuming meat or dairy. But it can take weeks or months for the problem to develop, with the severity of symptoms often increasing over time.

Why are more people being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome?

Experts point to increased awareness among health professionals and the public.

“I think part of it is more people have learned about it and are on the watch for this syndrome,” said Maria Diuk-Wasser, a Columbia University researcher who studies tick-borne diseases.

But rising cases also reflect the expanding habitat range of the lone star tick, the primary source of the condition in the U.S. Often identifiable by a white dot on its back, the lone star tick is most common in the eastern and southern U.S. But in recent years it’s been reported in new parts of the country, including the Great Lakes region and as far north as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

Researchers worry that other types of ticks, including blacklegged ticks, may also increasingly spread the condition.

Roughly 450,000 Americans are estimated to have developed the allergy, according to a 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When should someone get tested?

People usually seek medical attention after experiencing worrisome symptoms, including hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue or eyelids. Some people may only experience digestive issues, including diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea.

Doctors diagnose the allergy based on results from a blood test, symptoms and other details reported by the patient, including whether they recall any recent bug bites.

The blood test detects the presence of alpha-gal antibodies, but not all patients with a positive result develop the condition. Sometimes the test can also be wrong.

“The blood test in and of itself is great, but you can’t rely on that just for diagnosis. You need the actual symptoms too,” Commins said. “In the allergy world, we have a lot of trouble with false positives on blood tests.”

Which foods are off limits?

Doctors generally advise patients to avoid beef, pork, lamb and other meats from mammals. Some people are still be able to consume dairy products from these animals, including milk, cheese and butter. Those with particularly severe reactions may need to avoid foods made with other animal byproducts such as gelatin, which is found in marshmallows and gummy bears.

One rare exception: meat from a small number of pigs that have been genetically modified to not produce alpha-gal. Approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, the pigs are bred as part of an experimental effort to harvest animal organs for transplantation into humans. Deactivating the alpha-gal gene was a critical first step to make sure the human immune system wouldn’t immediately reject the foreign organs. Meat from these so-called “GalSafe” pigs is available from a company called Amaroo Hills.

People with the syndrome may also have to avoid certain medical products and implants. For instance, many heart valves are made from cow or pig parts.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/alphagal-syndrome-tick-bite-meat-allergy-d604cb9e6a1ae9673085cc4efe7178b2

The Indian Army has unveiled Army Uniforms-2026, recasting dress, ceremony and grooming rules. The changes bring in more Indian elements, trim colonial-era practices and tighten appearance standards.

In a major step towards reshaping military traditions around Indian values and contemporary operational requirements, the Indian Army has introduced a comprehensive new dress code that replaces several colonial-era practices while tightening standards related to appearance, grooming and ceremonial attire.

The new regulations, detailed in the Army Uniforms-2026 manual, represent the most extensive revision of military dress and appearance norms in nearly a decade. Army officials describe the changes as part of a wider effort to strengthen the force’s indigenous identity while preserving its regimental heritage and professional ethos.

One of the most visible changes is the introduction of the traditional Bandi jacket into the Army’s formal dress code for officers. The closed-neck Indian-style jacket can now be worn during specified formal occasions, reflecting the Army’s growing emphasis on incorporating indigenous cultural elements into military customs.

The revised manual also introduces a new winter uniform, designated Dress 3B, for personnel of all ranks. The attire consists of an Angola shirt paired with a battle jacket and beret, providing a standardised winter dress pattern across formations. The Army has additionally authorised the winter ceremonial uniform Dress 1C for officers, a category that was previously restricted to Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks.

The reforms go beyond clothing and touch upon long-standing ceremonial practices. The Army has reduced the prominence of several colonial-era accoutrements and customs, including the use of pouch belts in certain formal mess dresses. Swords, traditionally carried during some ceremonial events, will no longer be mandatory in many situations, reflecting a shift towards practicality without compromising military decorum.

The manual also removes references to archaic terminology inherited from the colonial period, including the use of the word “Royal” in dress-related nomenclature. Senior military officials say the objective is to ensure that Army traditions are more closely aligned with India’s sovereign identity and national ethos.

For women officers, the revised regulations provide greater flexibility in formal attire. Sober-coloured sarees and kurta-salwar combinations with ankle-length straight pants and dupattas have been authorised for designated occasions. At the same time, sleeveless kurtas, palazzo trousers and cigarette pants remain prohibited to maintain uniform standards of appearance.

The Army has also laid down detailed grooming and personal appearance guidelines. Visible tattoos and body piercings continue to be prohibited, while personnel are barred from wearing bracelets in uniform except under limited religious circumstances. Moustaches have been capped at a maximum length of 12 centimetres, and the use of perfumes and deodorants while in uniform has been disallowed, although after-shave lotions remain permissible.

Women personnel will be required to adhere to stricter cosmetic norms. Lipstick, coloured nail polish, bindis and nose pins are not permitted while in uniform. Married personnel may wear sindoor, provided it remains concealed beneath authorised headgear.

The regulations further standardise combat clothing categories. A T-shirt has now been incorporated into the combat uniform under Category 7A for operational duties, while Category 7B introduces a dedicated winter combat jacket for colder environments.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-army-dress-code-2026-bandi-jacket-colonial-practices-grooming-rules-2926599-2026-06-15

An out-of-control truck hit a car and a bus before crashing into a bridge in Katni, leaving three dead and 29 injured. Rescue teams used a crane to free trapped passengers as the state announced compensation for the victims.

An out-of-control truck rammed into a car, hit a bus and crashed into a bridge in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday, leaving three passengers in the bus dead and 29 injured, police said.

The accident occurred near the Industrial Area bridge under Kuthla police station limits, when the bus, carrying around 35 passengers, was travelling from Katni to Vijayraghavgarh, while the truck was coming from the opposite direction, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Vishwakarma told PTI over the phone.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the truck driver lost control of the wheel due to a brake failure, he said.

The collision impact caused the bus to overturn, leaving several passengers trapped. A crane was used to lift the bus and rescue the passengers in an operation that lasted over 35 minutes, he added.

Locals joined police personnel and administrative officials in rescue operations.

The deceased passengers were identified as Kishan Kol (30), Neelam Prajapati, and Raju Choudhary, police said.

A girl, who sustained serious injuries, has been shifted to the government medical college and hospital in Jabalpur divisional headquarters, while others are being treated in the district hospital, said Vishwakarma.

The driver of the truck was also injured.

Eyewitnesses said the collision triggered panic, trapping passengers inside and beneath the overturned bus. One person was trapped inside the truck’s cabin.

Expressing grief, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a financial aid of Rs 4 lakh each to the three deceased, and Rs 1 lakh assistance for the severely injured girl.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/madhya-pradesh/story/katni-bus-crash-three-dead-29-injured-after-truck-hits-bus-car-and-bridge-2926574-2026-06-15

In the Gurugram IVF case, the parents are asking: Where is their biological child? If it goes to court, this case could lead to change in the way India regulates IVF centers.

The recent case of a Gurugram couple who found that their IVF baby was not actually their biological child at all has grabbed headlines.

The couple has spoken out in the media about how they found that the child born to them after spending lakhs at an IVF center had different features from the rest of their family, and then a DNA test found that she was not related to the father or the mother. They have filed a complaint before the Authority under the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, and also an FIR under the Act against the IVF center and the hospital where the child was born.

Unfortunately, this is not an exceptional or uncommon case.

In 2023, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) imposed a Rs 1.5 crore fine on a Delhi-based clinic after it was found that the child did not have the husband’s DNA but some other sperm donor, which was not approved by the couple.

The NCDRC also flagged rampant unethical practices by IVF clinics, noting that they use donor gametes without the consent of the parents, and often don’t have proper storage facilities. The Commission also held the clinic responsible for medical negligence and mental trauma caused to the couple.

One important outcome of the 2023 case was that the NCDRC recommended to the Government of India to amend the ART Act to allow DNA testing. The Commission suggested that a DNA test be done for a baby born through ART procedures, which shows the DNA match to the parents. Till now, there does not seem to have been any action by the Health Ministry or the National Medical Council on this suggestion.

In 2025, a similar case was reported from Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh, where an FIR was filed against the clinic for using someone else’s sperm sample.

WHAT IS IVF MIX UP?

In IVF, embryos are created using the intended parents’ (or donor’s) egg and sperm, then implanted into the uterus.

A “mix-up” occurs in these cases:

1) The wrong sperm or egg is used

2) Another couple’s embryo is transferred

3) Stored samples are mishandled or mislabelled

Such an error can only come to light after birth, often during a DNA test, a medical complication, or simply when a child looks very different, as was the case for the Gurugram couple.

What is also important is that the ART Act does not restrict the commissioning couple to using only one gamete i.e either sperm or oocyte for IVF treatment of infertility. A commissioning couple can obtain both the counterparts — sperm as well as oocyte to be condensed into an embryo and then implanted in the wife’s uterus.

In such case, the DNA profile of child would certainly be different from the commissioning couple, but in such a case the couple must be fully informed and sign the consent form.

The law also has provisions barring the disclosure of any identification or information about the donor to the couple, except where there is a medical emergency or by order of a court.

The video, posted by Macron on social media, captured highlights from PM Modi’s visit to Nice, where the two leaders held bilateral talks and jointly inaugurated the Bharat Innovates 2026 conclave.

French President Emmanuel Macron gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Nice a Bollywood twist by sharing a recap video set to the popular song ‘Aari Aari’ from the film ‘Dhurandhar’. The video, posted by Macron on social media, captured highlights from PM Modi’s visit to the French city of Nice, where the two leaders held bilateral talks and jointly inaugurated the Bharat Innovates 2026 conclave. The post quickly drew attention online, with many users noting Macron’s continued use of Indian popular culture in diplomatic messaging.

Posted on X and Instagram, the video opened with the two leaders greeting each other with a handshake and a hug before showcasing key moments from PM Modi’s visit. The montage highlighted their discussions on technology, innovation, and the growing India-France partnership, while the Bollywood soundtrack added a distinctly Indian touch.

The clip served as a cinematic “thank you” message from Macron following PM Modi’s participation in the Bharat Innovates 2026 conclave and the Global AI Summit in France.

Watch the video here:

🇮🇳🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/MD1gMC04dp

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 14, 2026

Responding to the video, PM Modi thanked Macron and reiterated that India and France would continue working closely in areas such as technology, innovation and emerging industries.

Les entretiens d’aujourd’hui avec mon ami le Président Macron ont été exceptionnellement productifs. Au regard de l’amitié de longue date entre nos deux nations, nous avons décidé d’élever nos relations au rang de Partenariat stratégique global d’exception.

Nos échanges ont… pic.twitter.com/MtRO1m8q1W

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2026

This is not the first time Macron has used music from Dhurandhar in his social media content. Earlier this year, the French President shared a farewell video from his India visit that also featured music associated with the film, highlighting the growing cultural connect between the two countries.

PM Modi’s Visit To Nice

During the visit, PM Modi and Macron held bilateral talks at Villa Kerylos in Nice, marking their first meeting since India and France elevated their relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership earlier this year. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including defense cooperation, space collaboration, nuclear energy, technology, and innovation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership.

Technology and innovation were central themes of the visit. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Macron jointly inaugurated the Bharat Innovates 2026 Conclave in Nice, where they addressed discussions on artificial intelligence, start-ups, trade, space and emerging technologies before holding their bilateral meeting.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/watch-french-president-macron-gives-pm-modis-visit-a-bollywood-spin-with-aari-aari-from-dhurandhar-11636823?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Amid the ‘Rs 370 Biryani’ controversy, he took to X to share a few guidelines for comedians, asking them to stop hiding behind crowd work

Kunal Kamra is one of the country’s most prominent stand-up comedians who has been embroiled in his fair share of controversies and has been booked in multiple FIRs in Maharashtra. Amid the ‘Rs 370 Biryani’ controversy, he took to X (formerly Twitter) and issued a few guidelines for comedians. His simple ask is for comics to stop hiding and take ownership of their content.

‘Stop Hiding Behind Crowd Work’: Kunal Kamra Amid ‘Rs 370 Biryani’ Controversy

Taking to the social media platform, Kunal Kamra wrote, “Things comedians should stop hiding behind: Storytelling, crowd work, hard work, bank balance, and parents.”

His message could not be clearer than this amid the viral clips from Pranit More’s crowd work show. The comedian is under fire for giving a platform to Himanshu Jangra, the man linked to the Rs 370 biryani row.

Things comedians should stop hiding behind…
1. Storytelling.
2. ⁠Crowd Work.
3. ⁠Hard Work
4. Bank Balance.
5. Parents.

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) June 14, 2026

Social Media Reactions

Replying to Kamra, a user wrote, “It’s not crowd work but let the crowd do all the work.”

Another said, “Just because you guys can’t do good crowd work doesn’t mean crowd work is bad!”

A third said, “So basically, if the jokes are cheap, the excuses are cheaper.”

A fourth disagreed with the comedian and questioned, “Why storytelling? If it’s funny then I don’t see anything wrong about it.”

A fifth commented, “Indian comedians stopped writing punchlines and started doing crowd work because an Instagram algorithm won’t file an FIR against you for asking a guy about his biryani story.”

‘Rs 370 Biryani’ Row

Pranit More posted a clip from his crowd work show in which Himanshu Jangra narrated a date. He paid Rs 370 for a plate of chicken biryani, and when the girl asked him to drop her off at her home, he said, “Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi [I thought, I invested Rs 370, I need a return].”

He further went on to describe the evening in grave detail. People laughed and even More called him funny and reportedly gave him money at the end. When the clip went viral and the backlash intensified, both men apologised and deactivated their accounts.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the matter. Hearing notices were issued to both Pranit More and Himanshu Jangra, directing them to appear before the Commission on June 22, 2026, at 4 pm.

After the FIR, the comedian said that his account was suspended and posted a video apologising. Himanshu also spoke with his ex-boss in a video interview, which is live on Starvik Design, where he was fired after the backlash escalated.

While many users are empathising with More, people are not ready to forgive Himanshu, saying he was sorry for attending the show and not for what he said.

Along with the ‘Rs 370 Biryani’ controversy, Dr Sejal Pawar’s video from the same show was also circulated online, in which she joked about comparing the sizes of male cadavers’ private parts. She apologised later.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/amid-rs-370-biryani-controversy-kunal-kamra-tells-comics-to-stop-hiding-behind-crowd-work-11635137?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

Learning to pause before committing can help you protect your time, energy, and priorities—and avoid saying yes on impulse

Sometimes we end up saying “yes” before our brain has had a chance to join the conversation and figure out the consequences. A friend needs a favour. A colleague wants help. Someone invites you to an event three weeks from now. Before you know it, you’re committed! And then left exhausted, and wondering why your calendar looks like a game of Tetris.

Power of a pause

Always remember there’s a pause button on all remotes and you are allowed to use that in real life as well. Instead of an instant yes, try saying, “Let me check and get back to you.” A small pause can prevent a big regret. After all, every yes takes up space in your life. Make sure it’s a space worth giving away.

It is important to ask yourself these three simple questions before saying “yes” to anything and anyone.

Do I actually want to do this?

The Assam Cabinet has approved a ban on fresh Aadhaar enrolment for individuals above 18 years, citing concerns over illegal immigration. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said exceptions will apply in special cases, with continued enrolment for SC, ST and Tea Garden communities till 2027. The decision aims to prevent misuse and ensure stricter identity verification across the state.

In a significant decision aimed at tightening identity verification measures, the Assam Cabinet on Saturday approved a ban on fresh Aadhaar enrolment for individuals above 18 years of age, citing concerns over illegal immigration.

Cabinet Meeting Details

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur.

Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Sarma said Aadhaar cards would no longer be issued in Assam to individuals above the age of 18, except under special circumstances.

Rationale Behind Ban

The group was carrying out mining in a 40-foot-deep mine when the incident happened, according to authorities. A rescue team from CCL was called in to pull them out.

Four men died due to inhalation of toxic gases and a lack of oxygen inside an unauthorised coal mine in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district on Saturday. The incident took place in a forestland area near Argada. The group was carrying out mining in a 40-foot-deep mine when the incident happened, according to authorities.

After the miners lost consciousness, a rescue team was called in from the Central Coalfields Limited’s (CCL) Argada unit. The men were pulled out of the illegal mine following considerable efforts and were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead.

The people who lost their lives have been identified as 25-year-old Dev Kumar Bedia, 26-year-old Dablu Bedia, 26-year-old Kishore Ravani, and 29-year-old Ashish Rajwar.

It is suspected that two of them got trapped while extracting coal, and the other two got caught in the same situation when they tried to rescue them.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jharkhand-illegal-coal-mine-deaths-ramgarh-4-men-die-due-to-toxic-gases-2926193-2026-06-13

Thousands of Bihar Police exam candidates blocked tracks at Patliputra Railway Station in Bihar after trains arrived late. The agitation disrupted rail services for hours before officials arranged special transport and cleared the lines.

Thousands of candidates appearing for the Bihar Police Prohibition Department recruitment examination brought rail traffic to a grinding halt on Saturday after protesting against an alleged shortage of trains to examination centres, triggering hours of chaos, vandalism and police action at Patliputra railway station.

The situation escalated when large numbers of candidates jumped onto railway tracks, stopped train movement and raised slogans, forcing railway and district authorities to intervene. Police later resorted to firing aerial shots to bring the situation under control after tensions mounted at the station.

The cops also fired tear gas shells to disperse the large crowd that was disrupting the railway traffic.

TRAIN SHORTAGE SPARKS PROTEST

The recruitment examination was scheduled to be held in two shifts on Sunday. Candidates had begun arriving at the station late on Saturday night to travel to their allotted examination centres.

According to the protesters, adequate train arrangements had not been made despite the large number of candidates expected to travel for the examination. As crowds swelled at the station, frustration among aspirants grew.

The flashpoint came when candidates attempted to board an examination special train operating between Patliputra and Katihar. Amid a rush to enter the train, confusion and overcrowding led to unrest.

Angry candidates then sat on the railway tracks and blocked the train, raising slogans and demanding immediate transport arrangements.

VANDALISM REPORTED, TRAIN SERVICES HIT

During the protest, reports emerged of vandalism inside the examination special train. Several trains remained stranded on different platforms for hours as rail operations were severely affected.

Railway officials, along with Danapur Sub-Divisional Magistrate and senior police officers, reached the station and tried to persuade the candidates to clear the tracks.

To ease the situation, the Railways arranged special trains and made alternative travel arrangements to transport candidates to different examination centres.

SENIOR OFFICIALS RUSH TO SPOT

As the protest intensified, senior police and administrative officials camped at the station to monitor the situation.

Inspector General Jitendra Rana, the district police chief and other senior officers reached the scene. During the unrest, IG Rana reportedly suffered minor injuries. The officer-in-charge of Rupaspur police station was also said to have sustained minor injuries.

Candidates continued sloganeering and disrupting train operations even as officials held discussions with them.

POLICE RESORT TO AERIAL FIRING

With tensions refusing to subside, police fired three rounds in the air to disperse the crowd and restore order.

Even after the firing, the station remained tense for a considerable period as authorities worked to prevent further escalation.

Additional police personnel were deployed at the station, while railway and district authorities continued efforts to normalise train services and ensure candidates could reach their examination venues.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/bihar/story/patliputra-railway-station-protest-late-trains-bihar-police-exam-candidates-2926294-2026-06-14

Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre in Jalandhar of protecting Lawrence Bishnoi in Sabarmati jail. He also linked the row to Punjab’s anti-drug campaign and alleged Gujarat had become a narcotics gateway.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi enjoys official protection and describing him as the “son-in-law” of the “ED Party”, a term he used to refer to the BJP.

Addressing a gathering in Jalandhar after attending a meeting of the Punjab State Traders Commission alongside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal accused the Centre of shielding Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat.

“The only gangster left is Lawrence Bishnoi. He is sitting in Sabarmati jail and is the ‘damaad’ (son-in-law) of the ED Party. He is under their protection,” Kejriwal alleged.

Claiming that the Union Home Ministry has ensured Bishnoi remains in the Gujarat prison, Kejriwal said the gangster continues to operate his network from behind bars. He alleged that even when crimes linked to Bishnoi take place in Punjab, the Punjab Police cannot bring him to the state for questioning and investigators have to travel to Sabarmati jail instead.

“He is sitting there and running his network not just across India but across the world. Punjab Police officers have to go to Sabarmati jail to question him. He has been given every facility,” Kejriwal said.

“Not a single gangster emerged during the AAP government’s tenure. They are all products of older parties,” he said, adding that his government had brought seven gangsters back to Punjab from seven different countries and was continuing its crackdown on organised crime and drug trafficking.

The AAP chief also linked his criticism of the Centre to the issue of drug trafficking, alleging that Gujarat has emerged as a major source of narcotics entering the country despite being governed by the BJP for decades.

“When we came to power in Punjab, 70 per cent of drugs were coming from Pakistan through drones and 30 per cent from Gujarat. Today, 70 per cent of the drugs and ‘chitta’ are coming from Gujarat,” Kejriwal claimed.

He said the Punjab government had significantly reduced drug smuggling through the Pakistan border by deploying anti-drone systems capable of intercepting drones before they enter the state.

Referring to the 2021 seizure of around 3,000 kg of narcotics worth Rs 21,000 crore at Mundra Port in Gujarat, Kejriwal alleged that the state had become a gateway for drugs entering India. He also cited reports regarding missing drug stocks in Gujarat and questioned how much narcotics escaped detection.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/punjab/story/lawrence-bishnoi-arvind-kejriwal-aap-chief-alleges-centre-protection-sabarmati-jail-2926289-2026-06-14

The procession marched to Goa Power Minister Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar’s residence in North Goa district, claiming that consumers were receiving inflated electricity bills and being subjected to steep penalties for surpassing their sanctioned power load limits.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers staged a protest outside the residence of Goa electricity minister Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar over what the Arvind Kejriwal-led party described as “exorbitant” power bills. The protesters also voiced their opposition to the penalties imposed on electricity consumers.

The protest took place on Saturday morning under the banner of “Jan Aakrosh Morcha.” The procession marched to Dhavalikar’s residence at Nagueshi village in North Goa district, claiming that consumers were receiving inflated electricity bills and being subjected to steep penalties for surpassing their sanctioned power load limits.

REPEATED DEMANDS IGNORED: AAP

The protest was attended by dozens of people. AAP’s Goa unit chief, Valmiki Naik, alleged that repeated demands and an ultimatum to the power minister for waiver of penalties were ignored by the BJP government.

He asserted that the government is using the electricity department as an “extortion machine”, accusing it of burdening consumers by issuing inflated bills, imposing penalties, and introducing smart meters.

Sharing photos of the protest, AAP Goa said on its official X handle: “The voice of Goa is loud and clear. Give relief to the people, not excuses.”

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/aap-protests-outside-goa-minister-ramkrishna-sudin-dhavalikar-house-over-high-power-bills-penalties-2926259-2026-06-13

Four people, including the alleged kingpin of the drug trafficking ring, have been arrested in connection with the matter. Moreover, three police personnel have been suspended for varying reasons.

A consignment of cannabis (ganja) weighing 419 kg was recovered from a pickup truck in Bihar’s Madhubani district, with an angle of police collusion suspected in the case. The seizure was made in an area near the international border with Nepal.

Four people, including the main accused named Vinod Sahni, have been arrested in connection with the matter. Moreover, three police personnel have been suspended for varying reasons.

The disciplinary action against the policemen came after the investigation into the case allegedly revealed that the driver of a Dial 112 emergency response vehicle colluded with the traffickers.

A sub-inspector assigned to the unit has also been put on suspension over his alleged absence from duty. The revelations of the probe also prompted senior officials to suspend the in-charge of the local police station on charges of dereliction of duty.

Madhubani Superintendent of Police (SP) Yogendra Kumar said that negligence or involvement in illegal activities at any level of the police hierarchy will not be tolerated by the department.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bihar-419-kg-ganja-cannabis-seized-near-nepal-border-in-madhubani-2926234-2026-06-13

The incident took place in December 2025. A criminal case has been filed against the nurses in connection with the fatal mistake.

A three-year-old child, battling blood cancer, allegedly died at AIIMS Bhopal after a nurse injected formalin into his body instead of medicine. The chemical, toxic for humans, is used to preserve biopsy samples, tissues and bodies.

The incident took place in December 2025. A criminal case has been filed in connection with the fatal mistake.

The child, Sarthak Yadav, was a resident of Kaurja village in Bina tehsil of Sagar district. He was admitted to the paediatric ward of AIIMS Bhopal on December 15, 2025, in a critical condition. His family says he was undergoing treatment for blood cancer and was under constant medical supervision.

According to the family, the fatal error took place on the morning of December 17. Sarthak’s IV line had reportedly been blocked. A nursing officer on duty allegedly picked up a syringe lying in the ward, marked with the letter “F”, and injected its contents into the IV bottle without proper vetting. His father, Siddharth Yadav, claims he tried to stop the nurse but failed.

“My son had cancer, and we had admitted him to AIIMS. In the morning, a nurse came. The IV line was blocked. She picked up a syringe marked with an ‘F’ and injected it into the IV bottle. I tried to stop her three times, but she said, ‘Am I the doctor here, or are you?’ Shortly after that, my son lost consciousness,” Siddharth alleged.

What followed, according to the family, was panic inside the ward. Sarthak’s condition deteriorated rapidly after the injection. He lost consciousness and was rushed to the PICU. Doctors administered CPR, but the three-year-old could not be saved. He died at 8:45 AM.

The family has alleged that after the child collapsed, hospital staff tried to take away the IV bottle. Siddharth allegedly managed to grab it, but it was later snatched from him. “The doctor told me there was only a 50-50 chance of survival. By the time I ran to the nurse, they took the bottle away from me,” he alleged.

Internal Probe Report Fixes Accountability 

AIIMS’ internal inquiry reportedly found that the direct cause of Sarthak’s death was the intravenous administration of formalin. The report held the nursing staff responsible for gross negligence.

The report allegedly states that formalin, meant for a biopsy sample, had been drawn into a syringe and left exposed in the ward.

Nursing officer Madhubala Sharma is accused of administering the chemical to the child. Another nursing officer, Anuka Gujarati, is accused of failing to store the formalin safely.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cancer-patient-3-dies-as-nurse-injects-him-with-formalin-at-aiims-bhopal-11632292?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The test allegedly indicated that the embryo of another couple was implanted into Meenu Rathore’s womb.

Gurugram’s Rahul Rathore and his wife, Meenu Rathore, opted for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) last year. In January, she gave birth to twin girls. As the children bore no resemblance to them, they felt something was amiss and decided to match their DNA with the infants.

The medical procedure, which has many applications, including establishing paternity, turned their happiest moment into a nightmare.

According to the couple, the test results showed their DNA didn’t match the infants’, proving they weren’t their biological children.

They claim the embryo of some other couple was implanted into Meenu Rathore’s womb.

A Delhi court has directed the local police to file a case and probe the serious allegation.

IVF Treatment Nightmare

Rahul Rathore said a hospital in Dwarka referred the couple for IVF treatment to an infertility clinic in Delhi’s Greater Kailash. Dr Shivani Sachdev was handling the case.

According to the couple, on January 9, 2025, the doctors conducted IVF-linked tests on the woman and assured them the embryo would be developed using their sperm and egg.

On May 14, 2025, the embryo was implanted into the woman’s womb. On January 5, 2026, Meenu Rathore gave birth to two girls.

The test report, according to them, proved the children weren’t theirs biologically.

They have alleged that the clinic interchanged their embryo with that of another couple.

Meenu said they want their own child.

“Just as I am searching for my child, the mother whose child I have must also be yearning for them,” she told NDTV.

She said she hasn’t been able to breastfeed the infants.

“Even though these girls are not ours, we are taking care of them,” she said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gurugram-couple-claims-ivf-clinic-swapped-samples-twins-not-their-children-11632540?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

According to initial reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the Air Force Station premises, triggering a fire after the crash.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed and caught fire at the Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday morning killing five personnel.

The Air Force confirmed five casualties in the mishap and shared details. The personnel who lost their lives in the crash have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.

The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam.

Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.… pic.twitter.com/9SmOjtS5mU

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 13, 2026

“An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident during a routine sortie today at approximately 1000h at Jorhat, Assam. Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief,” a post from the IAF stated.

According to initial reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the Air Force Station premises while landing, triggering a fire after the crash.

Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the site to control the blaze and assess the situation.

The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained.

Further information is awaited as Air Force has begun investigation into the AN-32 crash.

“We are aware of the IAF transport aircraft accident in Jorhat. We are awaiting further details,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Antonov AN-32 is a rugged, twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that serves as the “workhorse” of the Indian Air Force. First built in the Soviet Union specifically for Indian requirements, the IAF operates a fleet of about 100 of these aircraft.

The AN-32 is designed to excel in extreme environments, functioning perfectly in high-altitude airfields and hot tropical climates. It can transport up to 7.5 tons of cargo, 50 passengers, or 42 paratroopers, and it is extensively used for supply drops in remote regions.

Offering his condolences, Rahul Gandhi said, “The news of the martyrdom of our five brave soldiers in the Indian Air Force aircraft accident in Assam is extremely heartbreaking.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-forces-an-32-transport-aircraft-crashes-in-assams-jorhat-11630853?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

In a video released by the Instagram account of Gurugram-based Starvik Design, the company from which Jangra was fired recently, he spoke at length with the company’s founder, Vivek Vishwakarma.

The 22-year-old Haryana man, Himanshu Jangra, whose remarks at a stand-up comedy show triggered a national controversy, has said he is living with “regret”, facing legal trouble, social isolation and relentless online abuse after a clip from the event went viral across social media platforms.

In a video released by the Instagram account of Gurugram-based Starvik Design, the company from which Jangra was fired recently, he spoke at length with the company’s founder, Vivek Vishwakarma. The conversation comes days after Jangra lost his job, received legal notices and was summoned along with comedian Pranit More by the National Commission for Women (NCW).

“Sir, now I am in a very bad condition, I am very tense,” Jangra said during the interaction. “Now, when I see my family, I feel very regretful that ‘why did I go to that show’.”

The controversy began after a crowd-work segment from comedian Pranit More’s show in Gurugram spread widely online. During the interaction, Jangra recounted a date in which he had spent Rs 370 on a plate of chicken biryani and suggested that the expense entitled him to sexual favours. More was seen laughing during the exchange.

The clip drew widespread criticism online, with many viewers accusing both the audience member and the comedian of normalising coercive attitudes towards women. Both men later apologised.

In the interaction with his former boss, Jangra described how the fallout gradually spread from social media into his personal life.

“As you know I have been getting a lot of trolls on my Instagram for the past two weeks,” he said. “Till one week, no one knew about it. No one at home, no one in my hometown knew about it. But last Sunday my uncle got to know about it.”

He said his uncle called him after seeing the circulating clips and demanded an explanation.

“My uncle called me and asked what was happening. I explained to him, and he asked why did you go to the show. He scolded me,” Jangra said. “But in the next two days, I didn’t have any expectation that I would get so much hate for this. This video went to my relatives, it went to the neighbours.”

According to Jangra, neighbours visited his family’s home and questioned them about the remarks.

“The neighbours came to my house and told my parents that their son is in this video. This is a very shameful thing. Then the family got to know about it,” Jangra said.

His family subsequently called him home and confronted him. The pressure intensified further after he lost his job.

“Till here it was still fine. But when they found out that I was fired from the job, they got very tense. Now I have a case on me, I have also received a notice,” Jangra said.

He explained that he had attended because it was his first live comedy event. He said he decided to attend out of curiosity.

“Actually, I had seen this show’s episode before, the real show. So, this was happening for the first time in Gurgaon. It is mostly done in Mumbai,” he said. “I thought that let’s attend once, let’s see how it is. It was the first time in my life that I was watching a comedy show.”

Jangra claimed that parts of the story he told on stage were not entirely accurate.

“The girl I am talking about, yes, I had dated a girl like this. We had a good talk, and we spent a lot of time. But what I said there, it was not totally true. I improvised. I agree because I used some wrong words there. I would like to apologise for this,” Jangra added.

At the same time, he argued that he had viewed the exchange as entertainment rather than a reflection of his actual beliefs.

“What I said there, I said only in an ‘entertaining’ way. I have no such intention, I have no such mentality,” Jangra claimed. “Sir, you know that I have worked with you, there are many female colleagues in our office, and I have no complaints from them to date.”

According to Jangra, the atmosphere inside the venue encouraged him to continue.

“What happened there, the environment was such that people were taking it in an entertaining way.”

He said the reaction of comedian Pranit More also emboldened him.

“The host was also taking it in an entertaining way. Looking at his confidence, I got a boost and added a little more,” he said.

When the backlash continued growing, he said he issued an apology and eventually deactivated his social media account. Jangra also rejected claims that newly created social media accounts using his name belonged to him.

The interview came as Vishwakarma himself provided the first detailed account of how the controversy affected Starvik Design and why he eventually terminated Jangra’s employment.

Speaking separately to NDTV, Vishwakarma said he initially paid little attention to the viral clips.

“I was busy with office stuff,” he said. “It was only after messages, emails and negative comments began flooding the company’s digital pages that he watched the full video.”

While he found the remarks offensive, Vishwakarma said the behaviour did not resemble the employee he knew.

“Things were offensive, but that was not the person that I knew at the workplace — that was a totally different personality,” he said. “I know his mindset. He is quite a good employee.”

Vishwakarma also argued that comedian Pranit More could have intervened sooner.

In a second public apology issued on Saturday, comedian Pranit More described his failure to challenge the remarks during the performance as a “lapse in judgment”.

“I deserve this hate,” More said. “That man said many derogatory things, but everyone was laughing so I also got carried away. This was a big mistake.”

“I could have stopped him then and there and taken a stand. I gave him a platform and that escalated matters so fast,” he added.

More apologised to those who were hurt and asked for a second chance, promising that his future work would reflect lessons learned from the episode.

The NCW has meanwhile summoned both More and Jangra for a hearing scheduled for June 22.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/370-biryani-himanshu-jangra-pranit-more-regret-it-in-bad-condition-man-behind-370-biryani-joke-tells-ex-boss-11632648?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Sejal Pawar, an MBBS student, faced backlash after joking about male cadavers’ private parts during a show.

Sejal Pawar sparked backlash for her comments on ‘male corpses’ made during stand-up comedian Pranit More’s show. She has been sent to 15-day forced leave after Mumbai’s KEM hospital launched a probe against her. Sejal Pawar is a medical student at KEM Hospital.

What AIMSA President said

Now, All India Medical Students’ Association President, Jitendra Singh, has commented on the incident. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “First, regarding Sejal Pawar, I must clarify that a donated dead body is referred to as a ‘cadaver.’ A cadaver is a body donated by the family after death for medical study or research. Every medical student takes a ‘cadaver oath’ during their studies. In this oath, the student pledges to treat the body with respect, a sense of duty, and ethical consideration. Sejal Pawar is an MBBS student—that is the information we have. She would certainly have studied the medical oath…Therefore, the remarks she made about the dead body—a body that is revered and god-like—are highly condemnable.”

‘People like Pranit More are curse on society’

Speaking about the controversy that started from the show, he added, “As for Pranit More, people like him are a curse on society. In the name of comedy, chasing TRPs, and garnering views, they target our sisters and daughters, our religion, and specific individuals. Our primary demand to the Government of India is to define the parameters of comedy—to establish what kind of comedy is acceptable.”

#WATCH | Indore, MP: On the Sejal Pawar and comedian Pranit More controversy, All India Medical Students’ Association President, Jitendra Singh says, “First, regarding Sejal Pawar, I must clarify that a donated dead body is referred to as a ‘cadaver.’ A cadaver is a body donated… pic.twitter.com/z88eSrQJ1a

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 13, 2026

In a clip from Pranit More’s show that went viral on social media platforms, Dr Pawar was heard making remarks about ‘male corpses’ and comparing the sizes of male cadavers’ genitalia. This sparked backlash, with Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, wherein Dr Pawar is an MBBS student, sending her on 15 days’ forced leave after ordering an inquiry.

KEM hospital said that Dr Pawar will be counselled, in her parents’ or guardian’s presence, and an appropriate course of action would be decided upon thereafter. The institution has constituted a five-member committee which will take a final decision on the matter within a week’s time.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/all-india-medical-students-association-president-calls-sejal-pawars-comments-on-pranit-more-show-highly-condemnable-101781356216742.html

Bhagwat said the programme was organised to help people understand the Sangh in a clearer way, which he said was viewed incorrectly from the outside

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat acknowledged that the organisation is the largest voluntary body in the world, but also “one of the most misunderstood”.

Addressing an event held as part of the RSS centenary celebrations in Keralam’s Thiruvananthapuram, Bhagwat said the programme was organised to help people understand the Sangh in a clearer way, which he said was viewed incorrectly from the outside.

“This programme has been organised to provide an opportunity to understand an organisation that is often misunderstood. People say it is the largest voluntary organisation in the world, and at the same time, one of the most misunderstood”, he said, according to PTI.

VIDEO | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says, “This programme has been organised to provide an opportunity to understand an organisation that is often misunderstood. People say it is the largest voluntary organisation in the world, and at the same time, one of… pic.twitter.com/IBUrtMOEHc

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 13, 2026

“As we entered the 100th year of our work, it was decided that we should once again reach out to people and tell them about the Sangh”, the RSS chief added.

Bhagwat argued the best way to understand the RSS — the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — is to join it and observe its internal ecosystem.

“As we entered the 100th year of our work, it was decided that we should once again reach out to people and tell them about the Sangh”, the RSS chief added.

Bhagwat argued the best way to understand the RSS — the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — is to join it and observe its internal ecosystem.

‘Thinkers Looking Towards Bharat’

Mohan Bhagwat noted that the global thinkers are looking towards Bharat for a new path, arguing that many of the existing models have delivered benefits but have not fully resolved problems of the mankind.

“Development has brought progress, but it has also led to pollution and environmental challenges. The prevailing view often presents a choice between development and environmental protection”, he said, according to PTI.

VIDEO | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says, “Today, thinkers across the world are looking towards Bharat for a new path. In their view, many of the existing models have delivered benefits, but they have not fully resolved humanity’s problems and, in some… pic.twitter.com/kxkr6cqNsO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 13, 2026

The RSS chief emphasized the need to strike a balance between development and environmental concerns.

“If you want to avoid pollution, you are told to stop development. If you want development, you are told not to worry about nature. The challenge before humanity is to find a way that can reconcile both”, Bhagwat said.

‘Some Object To Being Called Hindus’

Mohan Bhagwat, the sixth Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, said: “…People from Muslim and Christian faiths sometimes meet us. We tell them that by tradition, ancestry and cultural influence, they are also part of the same civilisational heritage. Some object to being called Hindus and say they would rather be called Hindavi or Bharatiya. The meaning, however, is the same”, as quoted by PTI.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/mohan-bhagwat-says-rss-is-often-misunderstood-urges-people-to-experience-it-from-within-ws-l-10148066.html

Abjeet Singh Kingra, convicted for his involvement in an extortion attack on Punjabi singer AP Dhillon, testified that the Bishnoi gang has threatened his life and family if he returns to India.

An Indian national convicted for his role in the September 2024 extortion-linked attack on Punjabi singer AP Dhillon’s residence in Canada has claimed that the notorious Bishnoi gang has threatened to kill him if he is deported back to India. Appearing via video link from a British Columbia prison during an Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) hearing on Thursday, 26-year-old Abjeet Singh Kingra alleged that gang members have also been targeting his family in India, CBC reported.

“I got the news that this gang was threatening my family in India, and they said if I went back they would kill me,” said Kingra. “As I’m not a member of their gang — they’re thinking that I’m helping the police here as I was the first one that was arrested.”

Kingra, who is serving a six-year sentence for arson and firearms offences, said the gang now views him as a potential police informant because he was the first suspect arrested in connection with the attack.

His testimony came during an admissibility hearing to determine whether he should be removed from Canada on grounds of organised criminality, shedding fresh light on the violent assault that saw vehicles set ablaze and multiple gunshots fired at Dhillon’s Victoria-area home.

Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of unity within the INDIA bloc, asserting that they have not lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and are already victorious for 2029.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, shared his speech delivered at the INDIA bloc meeting, that took place on June 8, in Hindi. Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi said that many of his colleagues had requested him a Hindi translation of his speech, so here it is. Sharing his speech in Hindi, Rahul at the INDIA bloc meeting stressed upon the need for unity in the Opposition camp and claimed that they did not lose the 2024 Lok Sabha election and have already won the 2029 polls.

After listening to the speeches and remarks of over 20 leaders at the INDIA Coalition meeting on June 8th, I finally addressed them with this speech, the LoP said.

Originally sharing in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, “When India’s thinking, the nation’s soul, is in crisis… when institutions are captured… when the voice of the people is suppressed… only resistance combined with unity is effective.”

“I say it again — we did not lose the 2024 elections, and we have already won the 2029 elections,” Rahul wrote on X.

“We will remain united, organise the people, and with the power of resistance, defeat the BJP and its takeover of India’s institutions,” he said.

कई साथियों ने INDIA गठबंधन की बैठक में मेरे भाषण का हिंदी अनुवाद मांगा था – यह रहा, ज़रूर सुनें।

8 जून को INDIA गठबंधन की बैठक में 20 से भी ज़्यादा नेताओं के भाषणों और बातों को सुनने के बाद आखिर में मैंने इस भाषण से उन्हें संबोधित किया।

जब भारत की सोच, देश की आत्मा पर संकट…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 13, 2026

While the mourners were converging at the site, the government announced that the probe report was yet to be completed.

A mother sobbed into the folds of her saree, while another wailed as she gazed at damaged buildings from behind iron gates. Another family came with a pastor to offer prayers for their departed son and daughter-in-law.

Emotions ran high as families of the 260 people killed in last year’s plane accident in Ahmedabad gathered near the crash site on Friday evening to mark the first anniversary of one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country.

The reason behind the crash is still not known. While the mourners were converging at the site, the government announced that the probe report was yet to be completed.

On June 12, 2025, Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers had plunged into the hostel and canteen buildings of the BJ Medical College seconds after taking off. The incident killed 260 people, including 241 passengers and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived the accident.

Several families said even after 365 days, the government was not able to find what led to the disaster. They said that they were looking forward to a closure.

“We don’t understand why the report has been delayed. It’s been a year now. A comprehensive report should have come by now,” David Christian, who lost his son and daughter-in-law in the accident, told reporters at the site.

At the crash site, a large police contingent was deployed and the road was cordoned off to make way for a ‘bhajan sandhya’ held in memory of 12-year-old Akash Patni and other victims of the tragedy.

Patni was at a tea stall near the BJ Medical College hostel buildings when the crashing aircraft claimed his life. His family had erected a life-size cutout adorned with flowers as a tribute at the site. His mother Sitaben remained inconsolable as relatives and well-wishers gathered to remember him.

Earlier in the day, the British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, visited the crash site and paid her respects to the victims.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/gujarat/emotions-run-high-at-air-india-crash-site-in-ahmedabad-on-anniversary-of-tragedy-4037409#google_vignette

NTA has announced candidate-friendly changes for NEET UG 2026, including a 195-minute exam window and a revised question paper layout. The move adds more rough-work space and is aimed at making the exam smoother for candidates.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a set of student-friendly changes for NEET (UG) 2026, scheduled to be held on 21 June 2026.

The official public notice issued on June 12, 2026 states that the measures aim to make the examination “fair, secure and responsive to the needs of candidates,” while improving exam-day comfort and clarity.

EXAM WINDOW MADE LONGER

Based on feedback from previous years, NTA has revised the examination duration to 195 minutes, with the exam scheduled from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm.

The agency clarified that this includes mandatory pre-exam formalities such as signing attendance sheets and invigilation procedures. The aim is to ensure candidates do not lose usable writing time due to administrative steps and can fully focus on attempting the paper.

MORE SPACE FOR ROUGH WORK

In another major change, NTA has increased the space provided for rough work in the question paper booklet. Candidates will now get four rough-work pages instead of two, giving them additional room for calculations, diagrams and working notes during the examination.

The structure of the question paper booklet has also been revised. Earlier, rough-work pages were placed only at the end of the booklet.

Now, in response to candidate feedback, two rough-work pages will appear immediately after the instruction page, while the remaining two will stay at the end. This revised format will be available in both English and regional language question papers.

NTA noted that this change particularly helps candidates, including left-handed students, who found the earlier layout less convenient. The agency said the updated design is meant to improve usability without affecting exam security or fairness standards.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/neet-ug-2026-exam-changes-nta-extends-duration-to-195-minutes-adds-new-rules-2925613-2026-06-12

Two interceptor missiles tested by the DRDO are capable of destroying enemy missiles with ranges between 2,000 km and 5,000 km, classified as IRBMs.

India joined an elite group of countries on Friday, having successfully conducted three consecutive flight tests against long-range ballistic missiles. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the flight tests on June 10 and 11, and the completion marks a big step in India’s defence capabilities.

Not just the flight tests, the maiden flight test of an anti-ship defence at medium range was also successful. Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO for both achievements.

HT has learnt that two interceptor missiles tested by the DRDO are capable of destroying enemy missiles with ranges between 2,000 km and 5,000 km, classified as Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs).

The interceptor missiles, which remain unidentified by the government, are both exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric, and would soon be headed for trials as the flight tests were a success, government sources said.

Why India wants to bolster ballistic missile defence

India has seen enhanced focus on ballistic missile defence over the past few months. This time last year, the DRDO reportedly began work on a modified version of the Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to penetrate reinforced subterranean facilities.

More recently in April, the Navy commissioned its newest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Aridaman, India’s third Arihant-class submarine, with the capability to become a launch platform for delivering nuclear warheads thousands of kilometres away.

India has been developing a new class of high-powered missiles, some even with bunker buster capabilities, which can target enemy installations buried beneath layers of concrete.

The focus on ballistic missile strengthening has grown because Pakistan is also developing long-range ballistic missiles such as Fateh-I, Fateh-II and the Chinese-origin P282, sources told HT.

India now part of elite group of countries

With the success of three consecutive missile flight tests, India is now part of a select group of countries possessing the capability to defend against ballistic missile attacks, including threats posed by long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Rajnath Singh said on Friday, without specifying which other nations are part of the list.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2-days-3-ballistic-missile-defence-tests-inside-drdo-major-milestone-that-puts-india-in-elite-list-101781320489739.html

A Finnish family is moving to Mumbai, leaving behind “one of the safest countries” so their children can experience a new culture.

A Finnish family shared on social media that they were leaving the country to start a new life in India. In a series of social media posts, the dad explained that his decision to make this big change was motivated by his kids.

“We are leaving one of the safest countries in the world… Not because we have to. Because we want our children to see more of the world. New people. New cultures. A completely different way of life. So this summer. Our family is moving to Mumbai, India,” the dad wrote on an Instagram page dedicated to the family.

Why is the family relocating?

The post prompted a series of questions on social media. Just like this individual who asked, “Why would you do that?” The family replied,“Because life isn’t only about choosing the safest path. We want our children to experience different cultures, people and ways of life — and grow with us along the way.”

In a separate Instagram post shared in May, the Finnish family shared a “note to India”. It read, “A little idea… In about 2 months, our family is moving to Mumbai. And our daughter has just started learning to write. So we started wondering. Maybe somewhere in India there’s another little child, who might become her very first little pen friend. Tiny messages. Little drawings. A friendship before we even arrive. Mumbai… maybe help us make this little idea real…?”

A week ago, another post was shared on the family’s Instagram account that read, “Today was a big little day. The last daycare day in Finland. One last bike ride there. One last bike ride home. It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for the people who have been part of these early years. The care. The support. The laughter. The everyday moments. Soon our family begins a new chapter in Mumbai. New friends. New adventures. New memories. But we’ll always carry a little piece of this place with us. Thank you.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/family-decides-to-leave-one-of-the-safest-countries-in-the-world-finland-to-relocate-to-mumbai-101781326800690.html

The suicide note mentioned the names of two colleagues, accusing them of repeatedly humiliating him in front of other colleagues and depriving him of favorable work assignments.

A case of alleged abetment to suicide has been registered against three persons, including two employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), following the death of a 48-year-old staffer of the IT major, police said on Friday.

The case was registered at the Bhosari police station in neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad city on the basis of a complaint filed by the deceased employee’s son, PTI reported.

The deceased, identified as Amit Brahme, was employed at the Hinjawadi office of TCS and allegedly hanged himself at his residence in Bhosari on June 2, the official said.

Suicide Note Mentions Harassment, Bias

According to police, a purported suicide note recovered from the spot named a friend, Vinod Palicha, for allegedly sending defamatory emails about Brahme to the company.

The note also mentioned two female colleagues, identified as Archana and Shashwati, accusing them of repeatedly humiliating him in front of other colleagues, denying him favourable work assignments and allocating projects outside his area of expertise, the official said.

The suicide note further claimed that the two women reprimanded him over his performance, asked him to resign in the presence of co-workers and threatened to give adverse feedback, the police official added.

“We have registered a case under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and are conducting further investigation. No arrest has been made so far,” the official said.

In a statement, TCS said it had taken note of the allegations levelled against its employees and was in the process of ascertaining the facts.

“The wellbeing of our employees is of utmost importance to us and we are extending all support to the bereaved family. We have also taken note of the allegations against the two employees and are ascertaining the facts,” the company said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pune-tcs-engineer-dies-by-suicide-note-alleges-harassment-by-seniors-including-two-women-ws-l-10146986.html

A vaccine-derived polio virus was detected in Ghaziabad sewage, prompting a survey of 30,000 households to assess risks.

Health authorities in Ghaziabad have launched an extensive door-to-door survey covering nearly 30,000 households after a vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) was detected in a sewage sample collected at the Vijay Nagar pumping station earlier this month. The large-scale public health exercise aims to identify vulnerable children, assess vaccination coverage, and prevent any potential spread of the virus.

The survey, which began earlier this week, has already covered 5,421 homes and identified 2,590 children under the age of five. According to news reports, officials say the Uttar Pradesh government is closely monitoring the operation, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

A 21-year-old man was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur for allegedly impersonating a Brigadier in the Indian Army. Officials said Aryan Verma had been under surveillance for months before being caught in a sting operation at a cantonment venue. Investigators recovered suspected fake identity cards, military paraphernalia and other items from his possession

A shocking case has come to light from Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur. Army personnel detained a 21-year-old man for allegedly impersonating a Brigadier in the Indian Army.

The accused has been identified as Aryan Verma. He was caught during a sting operation at the Shaheed Museum after reportedly spending months posing as a high-ranking officer while travelling through Shahjahanpur and nearby areas in full military attire.

उत्तर प्रदेश के शाहजहांपुर मिलिट्री कैंप में फर्जी ब्रिगेडियर आर्यन वर्मा पकड़ा गया है। अपने साथ 2 फर्जी NSG कमांडो भी रखता था। अप्रैल से सेना को इसकी तलाश थी। पूर्व सैनिकों ने इसे शहीद संग्रहालय के एक कार्यक्रम में बुलाया और पकड़वा दिया। नकली पिस्टल, आर्मी का फर्जी कार्ड मिले… pic.twitter.com/NohOB4yOhZ

— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) June 13, 2026

Surveillance and trap operation

Army authorities as well as intelligence agencies had been keeping Verma under strict surveillance after getting information regarding his suspicious movement in a Brigadier’s ceremonial uniform since April. In order to track Verma’s movement precisely, officials decided to make use of a trap.

Verma was asked to give a motivational speech to aspirants for defence jobs ahead of their recruitment exams. The venue selected for the supposed event was Shaheed Memorial, located inside the Shahjahanpur cantonment.

Detained at the venue

The imposter arrived at the venue on Friday morning dressed as a Brigadier. He was travelling in an SUV bearing military stars and flags associated with senior officers, officials said.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/fake-army-brigadier-arrested-in-up-21-year-old-caught-with-forged-id-and-dummy-nsg-commandos-video

Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP in Kasganj of trying to manipulate Uttar Pradesh’s electoral process. He tied the charge to voter roll scrutiny, reservation, and wider complaints on governance.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating elections and alleged that if the “same dishonesty” witnessed in Bihar and West Bengal was repeated in Uttar Pradesh, future elections could be jeopardised.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating Urmila Garden at Soron Gate in Kasganj, Yadav said, “The kind of dishonesty seen in the Bihar and West Bengal elections, if the same loot and dishonesty happen in Uttar Pradesh, then there may never be elections in the future.”

He alleged that the BJP was trying to reshape the electoral process to suit its interests.

“The BJP has also played games with women’s reservation. They want a Lok Sabha of their own design, one in which opposition leaders are unable to win,” he said.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Yadav claimed that the BJP had been preparing to “steal votes” but asserted that the SP was now fully prepared.

“We have to ensure, village by village and house by house, that no voter’s name is deleted,” he said.

The SP chief alleged that scrutiny of voter lists for panchayat and assembly elections would expose the BJP. He claimed that the ruling party had sought to delete votes but ended up affecting its own supporters.

“The BJP has snatched the rights of PDA (Backward, Dalit and Minority communities) and looted reservation benefits,” he said, adding that people of Uttar Pradesh had made up their minds to “teach the BJP a lesson” and that a Samajwadi Party government would be formed in 2027.

Raising the issue of alleged fake encounters, Yadav warned that those responsible would face action if the SP returned to power.

“Those who have carried out fake encounters will face action in accordance with justice when the Samajwadi government is formed, and they will go to jail,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the SP headquarters, Yadav also said, “There was open dishonesty in the Bengal elections. The BJP does not believe in Babasaheb’s Constitution. If it has its way, there will be no elections in the country.”

Targeting the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav claimed inflation and corruption had increased while farmers continued to suffer.

In a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Yadav said, “The chief minister says this region had no identity before 2017, whereas he himself had no identity before 2017. Socialists have always worked for the development of the state.”

He also alleged deterioration in public services, claiming that ambulance services launched during the SP regime had been weakened and that government hospitals were facing shortages of doctors and medicines.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/akhilesh-yadav-uttar-pradesh-polls-sp-chief-alleges-bihar-bengal-style-dishonesty-by-bjp-2925983-2026-06-13

Pune Police raided two suspected call centres in Amanora and Fursungi and booked 12 people in an alleged online gaming fraud case. The investigation also found five minors at the premises, suspected forged documents and an illegal firearm.

Pune Police have booked 12 people after raiding two suspected call centres allegedly linked to an online gaming fraud racket operating from the Amanora and Fursungi areas of the city.

The action was carried out at the offices of J K India Private Solutions Limited located at Amanora Chambers in Amanora Mall and at Bhakti Commercial Complex in Fursungi. According to investigators, the accused allegedly targeted users of online gaming platforms and cheated them by diverting money through multiple bank accounts.

Police suspect that several bank accounts and SIM cards used in the alleged fraud were procured using forged Aadhaar and PAN card documents.

During the raids, officers found five minors allegedly working at the two premises. An illegal firearm along with six live cartridges was also recovered during the operation.

An FIR registered at Hadapsar police station names 47-year-old Santosh Datta Venjanekar, a resident of Fursungi, among the key accused. Investigators allege that Venjanekar used forged identity documents of employees to obtain SIM cards and open bank accounts that were allegedly used to facilitate the fraud.

Police further claimed that Venjanekar had illegally employed minors and was in possession of the firearm without a valid licence.

As part of the investigation, police seized a large quantity of electronic devices and financial records, including computer hard disks, laptops, pen drives, CCTV DVRs, auto-dialler machines, SIM box equipment, bank-related documents, passbooks, cheque books and jewellery.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/fake-documents-sim-boxes-illegal-gun-pune-police-expose-suspected-gaming-fraud-racket-2925945-2026-06-13

Rajnath Singh said that Op Sindoor has shown the world that India knows how to respond to those who do not understand the language of peace

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday condemned Pakistan’s support for terrorism and said the NDA government would not allow the waters of the Sindhu river to reach those who sponsor it.

Addressing an ‘Intellectuals Meet’ organised in Hyderabad by Telangana BJP, he said that through Operation Sindoor, the government had shown the world that it knows how to respond to those who do not understand the language of peace and harmony.

“After the Pahalgam terror attack, by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), we said that those whose tears have dried up should not expect water from us. We will not let the waters of the Sindhu reach the patrons of terrorists and enemies of humanity,” Singh’s statement is a reiteration of Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s declaration after Pahalgam terror attack that “blood and water will not flow together”.

The IWT was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, concerning the utilisation of the waters of the Indus system rivers.

After last year’s heinous Pahalgam terror attack, India exercised its rights as a sovereign nation under international law and placed IWT in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjured its support for cross-border terrorism.

India’s message since Pahalgam has been consistent: treaties cannot function in isolation from ground realities. And until Pakistan addresses what New Delhi calls “abnormal hostility,” even the world’s most cited water-sharing agreement will remain suspended in more ways than one.

Talking about the NDA government’s achievements over the past 12 years, the Defence Minister cited the abrogation of Article 370, progress towards making the country largely Naxal-free, the implementation of GST, nationwide electrification and reforms in the justice system.

“There was a time when Congress used to say that no one could abolish Article 370. But you have seen our government abolish it with ease,” he said.

He added that Kashmir, once associated with terrorism, is now witnessing growth in tourism, investments and employment opportunities. “The tricolour is flying at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Krishna Janmashtami is being celebrated there for the first time, Muharram processions are being taken out peacefully, and cinema halls that had remained shut for decades are being reopened,” he said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indus-water-treaty-no-indus-water-for-terror-patrons-rajnath-singhs-stern-warning-to-pakistan-11630353?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A video from stand-up comedian Madhur Virli’s 2024 show ‘Love & Latex’ has surfaced amid ‘Rs 370 ki biryani’ row and shows him making remarks about rape.

Inside comedy shows, people laughed. Outside, many did not.

For survivors, rape is not just a topic, it is a life-altering trauma marked by fear, violation and long-term psychological scars. Yet, a joke about “cuddling after rape” drew laughter in an old stand-up clip now going viral, leaving many questioning how such deeply painful experiences are being reduced to punchlines.

A video from stand-up comedian Madhur Virli’s 2024 show ‘Love & Latex’ has surfaced amid ‘Rs 370 ki biryani’ row and shows him making remarks about rape.

In the video, Virli jokes about rape cases in a way that many users found offensive. The clip quickly spread on social media, with people saying that topics involving violence and trauma should not be used for comedy.

In the clip, Virli says that out of 10 rape cases, nine involve only rape, while one involves murder after the assault. He goes on to describe that in such a case, the victim might ask the perpetrator about “cuddling” afterwards, prompting him to stab her.

Several users also criticised the audience reaction in the video. One user wrote, “This isn’t smart writing or edgy comedy. This is harmful. When jokes normalise putting down certain groups of people, it does something to society that we don’t even realise at the moment.”

Another said, “The shocking part isn’t even the joke. It is the audience’s reaction, the audacity to sit there and laugh.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/comedian-madhur-virlis-rape-joke-sparks-outrage-adds-to-pranit-more-himanshu-jangra-rs-370-ki-biryani-row-11630453?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The EAM S Jaishankar while speaking to his US counterpart Rubio on Friday evening also added that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are ‘not justified'”.

India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar spoke to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the United States after the latter’s Navy strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman killed three Indian seafarers.

The EAM while speaking to his US counterpart Rubio on Friday evening also added that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are ‘not justified'”.

In a post on social media platform X, EAM Jaishankar wrote, “Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”

Earlier on Friday, the US’ Charge d’Affaires (CDA), Jason Meeks, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A strong protest was lodged with US’ CDA regarding the continuing attacks by United States’ naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman, which have already resulted in the tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives, the MEA said in a statement.

The Ministry once again conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping, adding that “such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time”.

The US’ CDA was requested to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities and to ensure that US forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to prevent the loss of civilian life, the MEA added in the statement

The diplomatic intervention comes after Indian authorities confirmed that three crew members initially reported missing following the US military strike have been found dead.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello had a crew of 28 people when it was attacked. The crew included 24 Indian nationals and four foreign nationals — two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian and one Russian. Twenty-one Indian sailors were rescued after the incident, while efforts to locate the missing crew members continued until their deaths were confirmed.

The US military acknowledged carrying out the strike on the vessel. According to US Central Command, American forces targeted the tanker after it allegedly failed to comply with instructions from US naval personnel and was attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of an ongoing American blockade.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/s-jaishankar-to-marco-rubio-on-killing-of-3-indian-sailors-11630071?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Underlining that the signing of the MoU was a “historic moment”, Shah said it has removed the last hurdle in PM Modi’s vision of a developed Northeast.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA will be withdrawn from the entire Northeast next year, barring one or two states.

Speaking at the signing of a tripartite MoU between the Centre, Assam and Nagaland to facilitate mineral oil operations in the Assam-Nagaland boundary areas, Shah said that shrinking of areas covered under AFSPA is an indicator of peace. “I am confident that barring one or two states, we will withdraw AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year,” he said.

Underlining that the signing of the MoU was a “historic moment”, Shah said it has removed the last hurdle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed Northeast. The MoU is aimed at undertaking oil and mineral explorations in the disputed area belt (DAB) along the Assam-Nagaland border. Exploration activities remained stalled for more than three decades in the region due to jurisdictional differences.

“This will open new avenues for mineral exploration in the Northeast. The area not only has oil and gas but huge mineral deposits, which could not be explored due to law and order issues,” Shah said.

With just one MoU, the extraction capacity of 1,000-1,500 barrels per day can be increased by 10 times, he said. “In one field alone, there are possibilities of recovery of more than ₹15,000 crore. If we extract the oil deposits spread across Nagaland, we would be able to reduce dependence on foreign countries for our oil needs,” he said.

Shah also said that since Narendra Modi took charge, he kept his focus on the Northeast and became the prime minister with the highest number of visits to the region. Since 2019, 12 accords have been signed between various groups and state governments, which resulted in a significant drop of around 80% in incidents of violence in the region, Shah said.

“The development of both Assam and Nagaland remained hampered for a long time because a consensus could not be reached for an MoU. The avenue that opened today will open doors for development for both states. It is the best example of cooperative federalism,” he said.

The MoU is expected to provide fresh momentum to India’s pursuit of energy self-reliance, he added.

The agreement seeks to facilitate exploration and production activities across more than 1,000 sq km of land along the Assam-Nagaland border, an area believed to possess substantial energy and mineral reserves, an Assam government statement said.

The MoU was inked in the presence of Shah, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art-culture/finance-expert-shares-how-much-money-you-should-have-saved-by-30-40-and-50-to-stay-on-track-with-long-term-goals-101781178938625.html

German school students buried a skeleton from their biology lab after discovering it was likely of an Indian man exported during the colonial-era bone trade. This came even as a joke on cadavers in medical colleges by an Indian doctor, Sejal Pawar, triggered outrage.

School students in Germany recently did something long pending for a man whose identity nobody knows. He was most likely an Indian, who had been dead for decades, perhaps longer. They gathered to bury “Niran”, a classroom skeleton that hung in their biology lab as a teaching prop. Ribs exposed, jaw wired into place, missing bones replaced by plaster. They gave the skeleton a name because they discovered that Niran was a real man, likely from India, and was one among thousands of cadavers exported to Europe during the British era for medical research.

The students decided Niran deserved dignity in death, and finally gave him a burial.

The story, reported by Germany-based news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW), surfaced coincidentally close to the controversy surrounding a doctor’s remarks at comedian Pranit More’s show, where she casually joked about cadavers and the sizes of their penis from anatomy lab days.

The two incidents are contrasting. One recognised that even the anonymous deserve to be treated with respect. The other reduced the dead to objects of crass humour. The latter is problematic because it might discourage people from donating their bodies for medical research and studies.

WHAT IS PRANIT MORE RS 370 BIRYANI ALL ABOUT?

For the uninitiated, at a recent comedy gig by Pranit More, Sejal Pawar, a doctor, casually narrated how she and her classmates joked about male cadavers during anatomy dissections in medical college. The audience laughed as Pawar, linked to Mumbai’s KEM Hospital, described conversations around penis sizes of dead bodies brought into the anatomy lab, recalling how students would save “the main part” for last while working through dissections.

As clips targeting a youth in the “Rs 370 biryani” Pranit More controversy went viral, videos of Pawar from the same show were circulated by a section of social media users to counter the former group.

Whether the “Rs 370 biryani” and the joke about cadavers deserve equal outrage is an entirely separate debate. But the backlash over the latter has also reopened how casually the dead can become objects of neglect.

HOW GERMAN STUDENTS BID FAREWELL TO NIRAN

Meanwhile, just days before, around 6,000 km away, in Germany, in a classroom there, school students bid farewell to Niran as they thought it was time to let him rest in peace.

Niran was part of the massive skeleton trade that once supplied western institutions, something that changed over the years. Thousands of such skeletons from India still hang in classrooms and laboratories across the Europe, used as educational tools to teach anatomy and to aid in medical research.

But the gesture by the German students was poignant because they stopped seeing Niran as an object.

The students discussed his history not only in biology class, but in ethics lessons too, reported DW. Eventually, with the help of teachers and funeral workers, they organised a burial for him. The skeleton received a final resting place, decades after becoming anonymous teaching material in another continent.

The episode also shines a light on the massive skeleton and cadaver trade that flourished under British colonial rule. Even in death, Indians were not spared exploitation. Thousands of bodies and skeletons, many believed to belong to poor and unclaimed Indians with little agency or protection, were shipped to Europe and North America to serve medical education and scientific advancement.

THE LARGER STORY ABOUT THE DEAD IN INDIA

The German students’ action and Sejal Pawar’s joke lead us to an uncomfortable story about India’s dead.

The business of bones and cadavers survived well into independent India and was banned only in 1985.

The German students who buried Niran were confronting that dark legacy. It is a reminder that countless unnamed Indians became scientific material in death, often without consent or ceremony.

But the question of dignity in death is not confined to colonial history.

Take for example the Odisha episode. A 52-year-old man, Jitu Munda, exhumed his sister’s skeletal remains and carried them to a bank because officials allegedly refused to release her savings without proof of death. Videos showed him transporting a cadaver wrapped in burial cloth after repeated failures by the bank pushed him to desperation.

The image was horrifying not only because a grave had been exhumed, but because the system appeared to leave him believing this was his only option.

Now, the joke about cadavers has revived a serious question of how we treat the dead.

Bodies are abandoned in hospital morgues for months because families cannot afford transport. Poor people have often been forced to carry bodies on bicycles, carts and shoulders because ambulances were unavailable or unaffordable.

Even body donation and organ donation continue to struggle because of mistrust. Many families fear that once handed over, bodies will not be treated respectfully. Medical institutions themselves refer to cadavers as “first teachers”, acknowledging the enormous gift donors make to science and education. Which is perhaps why public jokes about dissected bodies triggered such strong reactions.

To be fair, gallows humour has long existed in professions that constantly encounter death. Doctors, emergency workers and soldiers often develop dark humour as a coping mechanism. Anatomy labs can be emotionally difficult spaces, especially for young students confronting human dissection for the first time.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-skeleton-germany-buried-students-cadaver-dignity-pranit-more-sejal-pawar-british-medical-science-2925234-2026-06-12

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as surrendering India’s ‘sovereignty, pride and the lives of its citizens’ to US President Donald Trump.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over recent incidents involving attacks on commercial ships carrying Indian crew members and the deaths of Indian nationals.

The former Delhi chief minister criticised the central government for what he described as surrendering India’s “sovereignty, pride and the lives of its citizens” to US President Donald Trump.

Reacting to a post by PM Modi on X in which he thanked Trump for congratulating him on becoming India’s longest-serving elected head of government, Kejriwal referred to the US military strikes that targeted foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian sailors near the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz recently and asked what the prime minister was exactly expressing gratitude for.

“PM Modi is saying ‘thank you’ to Trump. Thank you for exactly what? For attacking ships with Indians on board and killing Indian nationals? The situation has become hopelessly embarrassing for our country now,” the AAP supremo said.

He added, “Modi ji has completely surrendered India’s sovereignty, pride and the lives of its citizens to Trump.” Kejriwal further asserted that India needs a “strong” leadership and that Trump cannot be allowed to “do whatever” he feels like with India and its citizens.

“India needs a strong Prime Minister. Trump cannot be allowed to do whatever he pleases with our country and our people,” the ex-Delhi CM stated.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/arvind-kejriwal-slams-pm-modi-over-reply-to-donald-trump-cites-attacks-on-ships-carrying-indian-sailors-2925383-2026-06-11

Around 150 students of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttarakhand fell sick after consuming a special hostel meal that included butter chicken, paneer and other dishes.

Panic gripped Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Udham Singh Nagar after around 150 students allegedly suffered food poisoning following a special meal served at Patel Bhawan hostel.

According to university officials and students, nearly 185 second-year engineering students reside in Patel Bhawan. The incident occurred after students consumed a special diet arranged by the mess operator. Vegetarian students were served paneer, while non-vegetarian students were given butter chicken, naan, rice and rasmalai.

Students began complaining of vomiting and diarrhoea about one to one-and-a-half hours after eating the meal. As the number of affected students rose, hostel authorities informed the hostel manager, warden and the Dean Student Welfare (DSW).

University authorities rushed the students to the university hospital using all three university ambulances and a bus. Around 150 students received treatment at the hospital. Doctors later discharged most of them after providing primary medical care and sent them back to their hostel. However, five students remained admitted as their condition was reported to be serious.

Several students alleged that the mess operator had been using substandard food ingredients. They claimed that insects had been found in the food on two previous occasions. Despite those complaints, the mess operator was not replaced. The university administration had earlier imposed a financial penalty on the operator, following which the special diet was arranged for students.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttarakhand-pantnagar-university-food-poisoning-150-students-ill-after-hostel-meal-udham-singh-nagar-2925430-2026-06-12

The extent of discord within the Trinamool was underlined Thursday after veteran leader Kalyan Banerjee lashed out at Abhishek Banerjee.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, and Yusuf Pathan are among the big names in a group of senior Trinamool leaders who have rebelled against party boss Mamata Banerjee after defeat in the April-May Bengal election.

NDTV accessed a letter signed by a total of 19 Trinamool lawmakers, some of whom – such as Satabdi Roy and Saayoni Ghosh – were previously staunch supporters of the ex-chief minister. A 20th – a ‘big name’, sources said – could sign soon.

The letter – addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on May 18 – states the rebels wish to distance themselves from the party and align with the ruling National Democratic Alliance. Curiously, however, the party’s own letter to Birla – requesting that Kalyan Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s aide, be recognised as its Chief Whip over Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar – was sent May 20.

Earlier Ghosh Dastidar confirmed a group of wantaway Trinamool leaders – she did not reveal names then – had sought separate seating arrangements and indicated it would support the BJP. Three MPs have already resigned. On Thursday, Prakash Baraik quit the Rajya Sabha, while Sushmita Dev resigned June 10 and Sukhendu Ray stood down June 8.

It is unclear if any of these three have also signed the rebels’ letter.

Separately, it is significant that the rebel leaders – Dastidar and Roy – claim the support of 20 MPs.

The Trinamool has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, meaning that if the breakaway bloc wants to be recognised as the main party (and therefore not have to resign House membership) it needs at least 19 signatures to circumvent the anti-defection law.

Trinamool hits back

Meanwhile, NDTV also spoke to Kirti Azad, one of the few Trinamool MPs still backing Mamata Banerjee.

The former cricketer hit out at the BJP for trying to poach disgruntled colleagues and alleged that those who had signed the letter had been coerced into doing so by the saffron party.

“You see the first eight (MPs to have signed the letter) are in one ink.. they agreed to sign after getting whatever terms they got (from the BJP). But some were threatened… I know three in that group were threatened. And then from the eighth signature to the 14 it is another ink…”

“Then you have Mitali (Baig, another signatory) … who was again forced. These names are added later. And then you have Mala Roy… who signed the day before yesterday,” Azad said, and then slammed the BJP over a “failed” Operation Lotus. “Well… let the traitors go then,” he declared.

Asked about the rebels skirting the anti-defection law and trying to control the Trinamool – drama that played out twice in two years in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party – Azad said they could never be the “asli Trinamool”

“You can’t just go and say ‘I am a political party… The Election Commission gives you this recognition,” he said, though he also indirectly echoed accusations over the BJP colluding with the poll body to smooth its road in such cases. “Who is at the Election Commission… who is recognised… who is the president… this BJP can do anything. This happened in Maharashtra.”

The Trinamool breakdown

Since the May election – in which the Trinamool (80 seats) was thumped by the BJP (208) and lost power for the first time in 15 years – the chorus of discontent against Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and her handling of party affairs has grown steadily.

Among the rebels’ major complaint are allegations Mamata Banerjee has lost touch with ground realities, in the state and in the party, and allowed corruption to take root in both. The rebels have also complained about the Trinamool chief’s nephew – Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s National General Secretary and second-in-command – being given too much power.

Roy, a four-time MP who has been with Mamata Banerjee since 2009, echoed that sentiment when told NDTV the former chief minister – fondly called ‘didi’ – had changed, and the scale of that change, she said, had forced her to support the BJP.

“I am leaving because our voices were unheard. I want to work for the people…but no one heard us. Only selective people had access to Mamata Banerjee.” The actor-politician also echoed corruption claims.

The extent of discord within the Trinamool was underlined Thursday after veteran leader Kalyan Banerjee lashed out at Abhishek Banerjee. “His arrogant attitude has destroyed the party…” Banerjee – one of didi’s strongest supporters – fumed.

“He thinks he is the ‘king’… Even in the bad days. When I am standing for the party, standing behind Mamata Banerjee, it is impossible for me to work. It is impossible because of this attitude of Abhishek Banerjee,” he raged.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ndtv-accesses-letter-signed-by-trinamool-rebels-saayoni-ghosh-yusuf-pathan-among-signatories-against-mamata-banerjee-11625588?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The government said bulk procurement through retail stations could divert supplies intended for ordinary consumers.

The government has restricted industrial, commercial and institutional users from buying petrol and diesel from petrol pumps and instead asked them to source their requirements from bulk sale points, according to an official order.

The restrictions, which will be in place for up to 90 days, follows abnormal demand growth, particularly that of diesel, in some pockets after bulk users started buying fuel from petrol pumps due to the pricing difference. While diesel at petrol pumps costs Rs 95.20 a litre in Delhi, bulk sales are priced at Rs 134.50.

The differential arose as state-owned oil companies modulated retail prices to insulate common users from the spike in cost that followed the Middle East crisis in late February. While bulk users such as telecom towers and industries using diesel for power generation and other feedstock needs are charged market price, the retail pump rates are way lower than cost.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on June 11 issued the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, directing fuel retailers and oil marketing companies to curb bulk purchases from retail outlets for periods of up to 90 days at a time.

The government said the move was necessitated by the “current prevailing geopolitical situation affecting certain regions of the world” that has adversely impacted international petroleum supply chains, shipping logistics and the availability of petroleum products.

“It has been observed in current situation that abnormal increases in sales of Motor Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel) through Retail Outlets in certain parts of the country are driven by shifting of industrial, commercial and institutional consumers to Retail Outlets owing to the price difference between retail and bulk sale prices,” the notification said.

According to the order, institutional, industrial and commercial consumers may be barred from procuring petrol and diesel from retail fuel stations and would instead be required to source supplies through their own consumer pumps.

The notification also restricts diesel sales at retail outlets to vehicle fuel tanks or Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)-approved containers, with purchases capped at 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day. Such diesel “cannot be resold”, the order said.

The government said bulk procurement through retail stations could divert supplies intended for ordinary consumers and “create the potential for localised shortages and disruption of essential services to the common man”.

The order empowers public-sector oil marketing companies and other authorised fuel retailers to enforce the restrictions and requires state governments and union territories to take action against hoarding, black marketing, unauthorised procurement and diversion of fuel supplies.

Any restrictions imposed under the new framework can remain in force for an initial period of up to 90 days and may be extended through a fresh government order.

The government said the measures were aimed at ensuring the “equitable availability” of petrol and diesel, preventing hoarding and diversion, and maintaining uninterrupted supplies across the country.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/business-news/centre-bars-bulk-industrial-petrol-diesel-purchases-through-petrol-pumps-11625459?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A massive fire broke out in a residential building in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area early Friday, killing three people and injuring several others. Rescue operations by the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) saved multiple trapped residents, with injured shifted to hospitals including AIIMS Trauma Centre. The blaze, believed to have started from parked vehicles, was brought under control after intensive efforts.

Three people died after a massive fire broke out in a building in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area in the early hours of Friday, police said.

Rescues and hospitalisation

Six people have been rescued so far by the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) staff and were shifted to a nearby hospital with the help of Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS), officials said.

According to the fire department, at least eight injured people were evacuated earlier and shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

Delhi | ADO Yashwant Meena further reported that fire was in 03 Scooty, 02 bikes, 01 bicycle at ground floors parking area of the house and fire and smoke travels to all ground + 05 floors. Ground, 1st, 2nd floor is completely burned and rest floors are partially burned. DFS also… https://t.co/RrjR9QTS7o pic.twitter.com/VgTHWN7USv

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2026

Location and building details

The blaze erupted at a building located in Gali No. 1, near Naya Tara Apartment on Madhyam Marg, under the jurisdiction of Okhla Fire Station-1 (OKH-1).

DFS’ Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) Yashwant Singh Meena informed that the building comprises a ground floor and five upper floors and is situated in a narrow street, posing challenges for rescue and firefighting operations.

VIDEO | Delhi Tughlakabad Extension Fire: A local resident Renu, says, “At about 2 am, we came to know about the fire. Several two-wheelers had caught fire and multiple blasts were heard. The locals here somehow managed to douse the fire in the two-wheelers. The occupants of the… https://t.co/hxjTGxSIk4 pic.twitter.com/d546C7T6uH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2026

Emergency response

According to the fire department, multiple emergency calls reporting a building fire and people trapped inside were received between 2:35 am and 2:37 am.

In response, the department dispatched three water tenders, two water bowsers, one breathing support unit, and one Quick Response Vehicle. An additional water tender/light fire unit was later rushed to the spot following several distress calls.

Firefighting leadership

Along with ADO Meena, the firefighting and rescue operation was led by Station Training Officer (STO) Mukul Bhardwaj, Station Officer (SO) Samarth Lal and Station Officer (SO) Raj Kumar.

AAIB is set to release an interim report on Air India flight AI-171 crash on its first anniversary, missing ICAO’s 12-month deadline for a final probe. The delay stems from ongoing multi-nation investigation involving NTSB, Boeing and GE Aerospace, with engine analysis and flight data recovery still incomplete. Pilots’ body has opposed the interim findings, warning of confusion.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release an interim investigation report on Friday, the first year anniversary of the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171. The investigative body has missed the one-year deadline for releasing its final investigation report and is believed to substitute it with an interim report.

Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Annex 13 protocols, investigative bodies are expected to deliver a definitive final report within 12 months of an accident. When a probe remains unfinished, an interim statement or status update must be published. According to senior ministry sources, the final dossier on India’s deadliest aviation disaster will not be released on the first anniversary.

According to sources, the delay stems from a complex, multi-nation investigation involving the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and GE Aerospace. Highly specialised technical analysis remains incomplete, specifically regarding the forensic review of the GE Engines and flight data recorder.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s engines – which were burnt but largely structurally intact – were shipped to the United States for a teardown analysis. Investigators are awaiting final reports from GE Aerospace engineers to conclusively determine mechanical integrity before impact. On the other hand, the severely damaged flight data recorder was sent to the US twice for retrieval, but reportedly failed both times.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/ai-171-crash-aaib-set-to-publish-an-interim-investigation-report-final-report-to-take-over-a-month

Indian-origin businessman Mahender Makhijani was arrested by US federal authorities over allegations that he orchestrated a nearly USD 100 million bank fraud scheme. Prosecutors claim he submitted falsified documents to misrepresent loan collateral and mislead a lender. Makhijani appeared in federal court following his arrest and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Indian-origin businessman Mahender Makhijani, 44, was arrested by federal authorities in the United States for allegedly orchestrating a nearly USD 100 million bank fraud scheme. The arrest took place on Wednesday morning at his luxury residence in Corona del Mar, an upscale neighbourhood in Newport Beach, California. A video of his arrest has gone viral.

According to a New York Post report quoting the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Makhijani controlled Newport Beach-based Cantor Group V LLC, which had a lending agreement requiring it to pledge only first-lien real estate loans as collateral to a victim bank. Investigators allege that between September 2024 and April 2025, Makhijani falsified title insurance policies to falsely portray that Cantor held first-priority claims on certain real estate loans when, in reality, other creditors had superior positions.

Federal prosecutors claim Makhijani and an associate altered documents using Adobe software, manipulated metadata and submitted forged records to the bank. Authorities further allege that misleading explanations were provided through spreadsheets, phone calls and other communications to conceal the fraud.

The case comes amid wider scrutiny of Makhijani’s business dealings. Just last month, an arbitrator reportedly ordered him to pay more than USD 1.3 billion in damages in a civil dispute involving Laguna Beach businessman Mohammad Honarkar. Court filings in that matter accused Makhijani of engaging in intimidation tactics, including allegedly deploying armed individuals to take control of hotels, vacation rental properties and a restaurant linked to Honarkar during a bitter business conflict.

Legal documents also allege that mobile billboards targeting business rivals and local public figures were used as part of a campaign aimed at damaging reputations. Honarkar claimed Makhijani threatened to ruin him financially and personally amid the escalating dispute.

Mahender Makhijani, 44, a lawful permanent resident from India living in Corona del Mar, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with defrauding a bank out of nearly $100 million.

Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based… pic.twitter.com/wEcSe5mQpW

— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 10, 2026

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/indian-origin-businessman-mahender-makhijani-arrested-from-luxury-california-mansion-in-100-million-bank-fraud-case-faces-30-years-in-prison 

Nearly a year after the Air India Flight 171 crash that killed 260 people, many victims’ families are still waiting for mobile phones held by investigators. Relatives say the devices contain cherished memories and possible clues, while aviation experts argue Boeing 787 flight data should suffice. Families are demanding answers, transparency, and the return of belongings.

Almost twelve months after Air India Flight 171 crashed on June 12, 2025, and killed 260 people, phones of many passengers and crew remain in official custody, their photos and chats locked away from families who say they are being punished twice over — first by the crash, then by the investigation. Only a small minority have seen any devices returned. One of them is UK‑based Zeba, whose 53‑year‑old mother, Mariyam Inayat Padaray, was travelling alone to visit her daughter and two‑year‑old granddaughter for the first time. Others, like the family of 22‑year‑old cabin crew member Irfan Shaikh from Pune, are still waiting for the handset and its contents.

Authorities have told families that mobile phones and other electronics are being retained because they might hold information relevant to the crash investigation.

But Federation of Indian Pilots president Capt Randhawa says he sees “no need to hold the phones hostage” when a Boeing 787 already leaves behind a rich digital trail, including satellite transmissions, maintenance logs and multiple non‐volatile memory (NVM) devices embedded across the aircraft.

Zeba remembers the hours after she first saw news of the crash. For two days after the crash, Mariyam’s phone continued to ring, showed WhatsApp double ticks and remained traceable on Google services. “We had at least one hope – that my mom would survive after seeing the video of the solo survivor walk out relatively unharmed,” she told Free Press Journal, describing how the ringing phone seemed to defy the images of fire and wreckage now etched in her mind.

The family did everything by the book. They sent Air India and investigators the IMEI number and even the phone box details by email, following up repeatedly from the UK and India. Months later, after DNA identification, the handset finally came back — but in a condition that raised more questions than it answered. The device, Zeba says, was broken and burnt from the bottom. This was the same phone that had been ringing and locatable days after impact. “We can’t get our mom back,” she says. “We just want justice and the truth about what happened to her, and to the data on her phone.”

In another home in the UK, the sound of a ringing mobile became the last fragile tether to a young wife who never made it to her destination. Mohammed Shoeb Iproliya, who lost his 28‐year‐old wife, Nusratjahan Jethara, says he saw news of the crash that morning and immediately began dialing her number. Her phone rang steadily, he recalls, for seven‐and‐a‐half to eight hours. From his call records and recollection, it is evident Nusratjahan’s phone survived the initial impact and post‐crash fire for hours, long after the official count of the dead had hardened. And yet he’s got no answers from the AAIB.

For some families, the contrast between what was returned and what is missing has become a riddle. In Pune, the parents of Air India cabin crew member Irfan Shaikh say his personal effects were returned and everything had survived the fire intact. “Nothing was burnt. His jacket, shirt, pants, socks. Nothing. Even the tissue paper in his shirt pocket was still there, returned to us intact,” says the father.

What they did not find were items that should have been inseparable from a 22‐year‐old crew member at work: his watch and the phone that, relatives say, kept ringing for hours after the crash. “The mobile in his pocket, which was ringing till evening, was not found,” his father Amir says. When the family asked Air India and police officials for the device or at least its contents, they were told the same thing again and again: it’s part of the investigation, all electronics are in custody.

In at least one case, persistence and a relentless trail of emails have prised a phone out of the system. Romin Vahora, a medical professional, lost his brother Parvez (33), niece Zuveriya (3) and aunt (50) in the crash. According to his account, Parvez’s phone was returned only on May 13 — eleven months after the crash — and only after Romin says he sent more than fifty emails to Air India and other authorities.

Other relatives describe similar battles with bureaucracy. Zeba talks of websites crashing when families tried to log in to identify belongings from photographs, of tracking IDs, promises and then silence. She recalls piles of luggage left aside in Ahmedabad, bags opened and re‐packed, and a sense that her mother’s phone — and the last photos of a much‐awaited first trip to see a granddaughter — had simply vanished into that chaos.

Mukti Arjunsinh Vansadiya, who lost her parents Divya (60) and Arjunsinh (65) in the crash, still watches a news clip, which shows amidst the wreckage their checked‐in bags broadcast, by a television channel in the days after AI 171. Yet, despite that visual proof that her parents’ luggage survived, she says the AAIB has still not returned their belongings or their mobile phones to the family.

Investigators and airline officials have told families that phones are being held because they may contain information relevant to the crash. But aviation engineers and pilots point out that a Boeing 787 does not rely on passenger mobiles to reconstruct its final minutes. The AAIB’s own report notes that the aircraft’s tail section and Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) were recovered — both contain non‐volatile memory capable of preserving fault and operational data through loss of power. Other systems in the tail, including stabilizer‐related electronics, also carry NVM chips that retain fault histories even after the jet goes dark.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/fpj-exclusive-8-hours-of-ringing-1-year-of-silence-air-india-flight-171-families-seek-answers

US President Donald Trump praised PM Narendra Modi on Truth Social, calling him “strong, healthy and wise” and a “great one” while congratulating him on becoming India’s longest-serving PM. PMO officials also felicitated Modi for the milestone, highlighting his 12-year tenure marked by governance and stability, as he surpassed Nehru’s 4,399-day record.

US President Donald Trump on June 10 (IST) took to his social media platform Truth Social to extend praise and congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, lauding his leadership and longevity in office.

In his post, Trump described Narendra Modi as a “strong, healthy, and wise man,” adding that he is “a great one” and would have “many years of greatness and success ahead of him.”

US President Donald Trump posts on Truth Social, “Congratulations to my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister – And a Great One he is! He is a strong, healthy, and wise man, and will have many years of Greatness and Success ahead… pic.twitter.com/Ph1NIDRSno

— IANS (@ians_india) June 10, 2026

The message was framed as a personal note of admiration and friendship, highlighting the continuing political rapport between the two leaders.

Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday extended their congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming India’s longest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister in consecutive terms.

In a post on X, the PMO said that officials of the office felicitated Modi, noting that his 12-year tenure has been marked by stable leadership, transparency, and a strong focus on good governance, inclusive development, and national progress.

Officers of the Prime Minister’s Office congratulated PM @narendramodi on becoming the longest serving democratically elected Prime Minister of India in consecutive terms. Over the last twelve years, he has provided leadership characterised by stability, transparency and a… pic.twitter.com/YrGnu5zbfx

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 10, 2026

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P. K. Mishra and Principal Secretary-2 Shaktikanta Das were present to welcome him on the milestone occasion.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/us-president-donald-trump-congratulates-pm-modi-on-becoming-indias-longest-serving-prime-minister

In a social media post, Malti criticised the mindset behind the joke and spoke about the importance of respecting women and understanding consent. She said such comments explain why many women prefer financial independence and often choose to split bills.

Deepak Chahar’s sister Malti Chahar has reacted to the viral “₹370 biryani” controversy linked to Bigg Boss 19 co-contestant Pranit More’s live crowd-work show. In a social media post, Malti criticised the mindset behind the joke and spoke about the importance of respecting women and understanding consent.

The controversy started during a live show hosted by Pranit More. During an interaction with the audience, a man named Himanshu shared that he had gone on a date with a slightly older woman. He said they shared a plate of chicken biryani worth ₹370 and then joked that he would have to “recover” the money, suggesting that he expected something in return. Pranit laughed and continued the conversation, and the clip later went viral on social media.

Stand-up comedian Pranit More mocked on girls when a person told that he served a girl biryani of ₹370.

₹370 Ka Biryani Khila Di Toh Vasool karne Ka Haq Mil Gya.

Yahi Soch Problem Hai… pic.twitter.com/YBN3PrYGfV

— Shailesh UP60 (@Shailes34135660) June 7, 2026

Reacting to the video, Malti said such comments explain why many women prefer financial independence and often choose to split bills. She added that some women even support men financially, yet women continue to be objectified.

A 22-23-year-old Gurugram-based web developer named Himanshu Jangra lost his job after a crude joke he made at a stand-up comedy show went viral.

What happened:

> At comedian Pranit More’s live crowd-work show

> Himanshu shared that he went on a date with a slightly older… pic.twitter.com/ddPigQqP6v

— Explorer (@DailyExplorerX) June 9, 2026

She also said that a woman’s consent should never be treated as something that can be exchanged for money or gifts. According to Malti, it is disappointing that women still have to deal with such attitudes despite years of efforts towards equality and respect.

In her post, she urged parents to teach their sons to respect women and understand the value of consent. She also said people should not dismiss such incidents as “just a joke” because content in media and entertainment can influence society and shape behaviour.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/disheartening-deepak-chahars-sister-malti-reacts-to-370-biryani-remark-made-on-bigg-boss-19-co-contestant-pranit-mores-show

At the conclave, a resolution was passed congratulating Modi on becoming the longest continuously serving elected prime minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, saying the sluggish economic growth during its rule was cunningly dubbed the “Hindu growth rate” when it should have been named the “Congress growth rate” as it was characterised by a complete absence of governance.

Addressing a conclave of NDA leaders on a day when he crossed the record of Jawaharlal Nehru’s 4,398 days in power as an elected prime minister, Modi said a big success of 12 years of NDA rule since 2014 was that it freed the country from the Congress’s “vicious trap” and asserted that the people of the country have understood the importance of political stability and decisive governance.

The sluggish growth under the Congress rule was labelled the “Hindu growth rate”, implying that while the style, responsibility, and failure were all Congress’s but the stigma was pinned on the country’s vast Hindu population, Modi said.

At the conclave, a resolution was passed congratulating Modi on becoming the longest continuously serving elected prime minister.

“On this occasion, the members of the NDA family have presented a resolution. I view this not as a personal achievement, but as a testament to your generosity and our collective efforts. From every perspective, this accomplishment belongs to all of us — it is equally the achievement of every NDA member. Therefore, I dedicate this resolution to all members of the NDA, including the dedicated BJP karykartas,” he said.

In the resolution, the ruling alliance hailed Modi’s “visionary leadership and tireless dedication to public service” and said his governance model is responsive to citizens, innovative in its approach and transformative in its impact, in the true spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’.

In his 37-minute speech largely focussed on his government’s achievements of the last 12 years and his vision for achieving Viksit Bharat, Modi said the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ does not belong to a person or any party, but has become the resolve of every person in the country.

“We recognise the challenges faced by the middle class, as well as their aspirations for a better future. To support them, income up to Rs 12 lakh per annum is now tax-free. Today, the country benefits from a simple and faceless tax system. Improved infrastructure has made daily life easier, and over the past 12 years, new opportunities have been created for the children, students and the middle class,” he said.

Attacking the Congress, he said the party had plunged the country into an abyss of “helplessness, destitution, and an inferiority complex” during its rule.

He attributed the stronger economic growth during the 12 years of his government to the difference between the Congress growth rate and the NDA growth rate.

“The nation was conditioned to believe that development in India inevitably moves at a slow pace and rapid growth was simply not possible here. With great cunningness, this sluggish growth was labelled the ‘Hindu Growth Rate’, implying that while the style, responsibility, and failure were all Congress’ but the stigma was pinned on the country’s vast Hindu population,” Modi said.

“This should have been named ‘Congress Growth Rate’. This ‘Congress Growth Rate’ was characterised by a complete absence of governance, policy, intent, and decisiveness,” he said.

It was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership that the NDA government first came to power and only then did the country catch a glimpse of what accelerated development looks like, Modi said.

“Unfortunately, however, in 2004, the country was once again caught in a cycle of instability,” he said, referring to the Congress-led UPA rule from 2004-2014.

He said the Congress dragged the country into multi-crore rupee scams.

“The nation’s destiny changed again when the NDA government was formed in 2014. The country witnessed the pace of development when intent, policy, and decision-making align and work in unison,” Modi said.

Congratulatory messages by world leaders, standing ovation at Union Cabinet meeting and puja-aarti by BJP leaders across the country marked the day when Modi broke Nehru’s record.

President Droupadi Murmu wrote a personal letter to him, while former president Ram Nath Kovind and several other leaders including JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and former Union minister in the Indira Gandhi government, Karan Singh, wrote articles in newspapers.

Kovind termed the feat as a journey from “discovery of India to trust in Bharat”, in a reference to Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’.

Separately, the Union Cabinet unanimously passed a resolution applauding Modi for achieving the feat and gave him a standing ovation for it.

On Wednesday, Modi crossed the record of Nehru’s 4,398 days in power as an elected prime minister following the 1952 general elections. Nehru’s stint from 1947 to 1952 was as head of an interim government as elections were not held till 1952.

Leaders from several countries have extended their greetings to Modi.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake sent a congratulatory letter to Modi for his rare distinction.

Those who greeted Modi on social media include Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Israeli envoy Reuven Azar congratulated the prime minister and said this achievement is a powerful testament to Modi’s decades of dedicated public service and leadership.

Congratulating Modi, key NDA ally and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said some leaders govern a nation, a few reshape its trajectory.

“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s 4,399 consecutive days in office have been defined by a singular effort to transform India at every level, from the everyday lives of its citizens to the nation’s standing in the world. Today, as he becomes India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, we celebrate not merely a record, but a period of change that has touched every corner of the country,” Naidu said.

Apart from the article, Nitish Kumar, a key NDA partner, also wrote on ‘X’ terming the occasion “historic”.

“Under your leadership, the country has achieved numerous significant milestones in the fields of development, good governance, and public welfare. India’s global stature has also continued to rise,” Kumar said.

Most of the Union ministers took to social media to congratulate Modi for the milestone.

Prayers and public activities were organised in Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, while ‘maha aartis’ performed across temples in Gujarat, his home state.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju posted a video of offering prayer. “Prayed to Lord Buddha to bless Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji with good health and long life,” Rijiju, a Buddhist, said on X.

According to a booklet released to mark the occasion, the reduction in income tax burden over the past 12 years reflects the government’s vision of ‘Ramrajya’.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/nda-leaders-hail-modis-record-tenure-pm-says-nda-freed-india-from-congs-vicious-trap-4034598#google_vignette

Asked whether she felt conflicted, Satabdi Roy said, “I feel politically I made the right decision. But emotionally and morally I’m wrong.”

Satabdi Roy, Tollywood actor who was brought into politics by Mamata Banerjee, is deputy to Trinamool Congress’s rebel ‘Chief Whip” Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. The group of 20 rebel MPs who formed a bloc within the Trinamool, have written to the Speaker Om Birla, saying they would support the NDA — a decision Roy endorses, but only politically.

Asked whether she felt conflicted, Roy, in an exclusive interview to NDTV’s Shiv Aroor, said, “I feel politically I made the right decision… But emotionally and morally I’m wrong… Otherwise I’m done. Good thing”

Asked what she’d like to say to Mamata Banerjee, Roy delivered a surprise comment: “I miss you Didi!”

Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress, just weeks after the crushing defeat to the BJP, is struggling to contain rebellion within its ranks in the state assembly and parliament.

While in the assembly, at least 60 MLAs are backing first-time MLA Ritabrata Banerjee who claims to the “real Trinamool”, in the Lok Sabha, the 20 rebel MPs have declared that they will support the NDA in view of the people’s mandate. Two days ago, Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quit the party and his seat, bitterly criticising the Trinamool. Today, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev quit the party and her Rajya Sabha seat.

Satabdi Roy agreed that it is the corruption that alienated the party from the people, and Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to address it alienated the leaders from the party chief.

Describing the tipping point, she said it was the day when Banerjee had called the party leaders to discuss the election results. While the scope of the defeat, and its causes, were clear to everyone, Banerjee, she said, refused to accept defeat and no one could contradict her.

“No one could tell their opinion. No, no, no one. She said, ‘We are not defeated against BJP. They are threatening me’. She told me, ‘If you have any problem, if you have a complaint, just write it down’. We don’t have time to write. You (Banerjee) have to take decision immediately,” Roy told NDTV.

Asked what decision she wanted the party chief to take, Roy said: “First analyse why we were defeated? It is an I-PAC problem. It is an Abhishek problem. It is our corruption problem. Corruption is a huge problem. But she is not addressing that point. And we could not say anything that day. That day, that time, I decided. The party does not want any changes, any new concept or any reshuffling… It’s going to go on and on.”

Asked if there was any possibility that Mamata Banerjee will merge with the Congress, Roy said, “I don’t think there is any option left. If Trinamool Congress join with the Congress, then it is a better opportunity”.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/morally-wrong-rebels-i-miss-you-didi-message-for-mamata-banerjee-11619098?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned why the SIR enumeration form allows details of only up to five children and argued that no law bars citizens with larger families from voting.

Alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for updating electoral rolls allows details of only up to five children to be entered in the enumeration form, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the provision, saying there was no law in India that barred citizens with more than five children from voting.

Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad, where he urged people to furnish their details accurately during the process, Owaisi also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying even the Prime Minister comes from a family with more than five children.

“They are saying they do not map more than five children. For example, I have six children. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes from a family with more than six siblings, and Home Minister Amit Shah also comes from a large family. Even the family of Yogi Adityanath has several members,” the AIMIM president said.

“There is no law in India that prevents a person from voting simply because they have six children. The right to vote is a constitutional right available to every eligible citizen,” he added.

The SIR of electoral rolls in Telangana is scheduled to begin on June 15, with Booth Level Officers set to conduct door-to-door verification from June 25 to July 24. A draft electoral roll will be published on July 31, while claims and objections can be submitted till August 30. The final electoral roll will be published on October 1.

Owaisi, who has strongly criticised the exercise, argued that the SIR could be used to create a “permanent class of excluded Indians”.

However, he also directed party leaders to extend every possible assistance to people to ensure that no genuine voter faces inconvenience during the process.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/telangana/story/asaduddin-owaisi-telangana-voter-roll-revision-five-children-voting-rights-sir-2924826-2026-06-10

Security forces recovered six bodies in Manipur believed to be among the Naga civilians missing since 13 May. DNA tests, an ongoing investigation and fresh tensions now shape the aftermath.

The bodies of six persons believed to be among the Naga civilians reported missing since May 13 were recovered in Manipur on Wednesday following an extensive joint search operation by security forces, officials said.

Authorities have stated that DNA testing will be conducted to formally establish their identities.

The recovery comes a day after 14 Kuki civilians, who had been held by Naga groups for several weeks, were released unharmed by Naga civil society organisations.

According to Manipur Police, the search operation involved nearly 450 personnel from the state police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Assam Rifles, supported by sniffer dogs and forensic teams.

In a statement posted on X, Manipur Police said: “After nearly 24 hours of sustained search operations involving around 450 personnel of the Manipur Police, CRPF, and Assam Rifles, assisted by sniffer dogs and forensic expert teams, the mortal remains of six persons were recovered this afternoon. The deceased are believed to be among those taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei on 13 May 2026. Necessary legal formalities are being carried out by the police, and the investigation is underway.”

After nearly 24 hours of sustained search operations involving around 450 personnel of the Manipur Police, CRPF, and Assam Rifles, assisted by sniffer dogs and forensic expert teams, the mortal remains of six persons were recovered this afternoon. The deceased are believed to be…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 10, 2026

Officials familiar with the recovery operation said the bodies were found in a highly decomposed and mutilated condition, making visual identification difficult. The remains are expected to undergo DNA testing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

Large numbers of relatives and community members gathered outside the mortuaries as authorities prepared for forensic examination. Additional security personnel were deployed and barricades erected around the facilities to maintain order.

The six missing Naga men have been identified by family members and community organisations as Manu Thiumai, Kenpibou, Phenrongwi Thiumai, Dilip Thiumai, Kaliwangbou Abonmai, and Ch Phenrilung. They had been untraceable since May 13 and were reportedly travelling through Leilon Vaiphei Village in Kangpokpi district after returning from Konsakhul when they allegedly went missing.

The incident is linked to violence reported on May 13 in parts of Noney and Kangpokpi districts, where four civilians, including three church leaders and a Naga man, were killed. In the aftermath, 48 civilians from both Naga and Kuki communities were reportedly taken captive by rival groups.

Two days later, 28 hostages — 14 from each community — were released. However, six Naga civilians and 14 Kuki civilians remained unaccounted for until the Kuki captives were released on Tuesday.

The United Naga Council (UNC) said it released the remaining 14 Kuki civilians unconditionally on humanitarian grounds. UNC president Ng Lorho stated that the decision was influenced by assurances from authorities that efforts to trace the missing Naga civilians would continue.

“Nagas are cultured people. We uphold our ethics and respect international human rights principles. We are also considering the commitment conveyed through the Government of Nagaland that all efforts would be made to trace the missing six Naga hostages,” Lorho said during the release.

The UNC had earlier said that the Manipur government assured Naga civil bodies on June 7 that every effort would be made to determine the status of the missing persons within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex Kuki organisation in the state, expressed condolences following the recovery of the bodies and called for a thorough investigation.

“We strongly urge the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and allow the law to take its legal course,” KIM said in a statement.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/manipur-six-bodies-found-after-search-for-missing-naga-hostages-2924887-2026-06-11

India’s first domestically built Airbus C295 completed its maiden test flight from Vadodara. The sortie moves the aircraft into post-production testing before delivery to the Indian Air Force later this year.

India’s first indigenously manufactured Airbus C295 military transport aircraft successfully completed its maiden test flight from the Tata-Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, marking a significant milestone in the country’s defence manufacturing ambitions and the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The aircraft, the first of 40 C295 transport planes to be produced in India, undertook its inaugural sortie as part of the post-production testing process ahead of its planned induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) later this year.

The successful test flight is being seen as a landmark moment for India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem, as the C295 programme is the country’s first military aircraft manufacturing project led by the private sector. The programme is being executed through a partnership between European aerospace major Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

“A game changer in the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ vision, the C295 India programme is the first instance of a military aircraft being manufactured in India by the private sector,” the Airbus Defence said.

The Vadodara-based final assembly facility, inaugurated in 2024, serves as the hub for assembly, testing and delivery of the aircraft. Officials said the maiden flight demonstrated the aircraft’s operational readiness and marked the beginning of the next phase of certification and evaluation.

The project stems from the Rs 21,935 crore contract signed in 2021 between India and Airbus Defence and Space for the procurement of 56 C295 aircraft for the IAF. Under the agreement, the first 16 aircraft are being delivered in fly-away condition from Spain, while the remaining 40 are being manufactured in India.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/airbus-c295-india-built-aircraft-maiden-test-flight-vadodara-2924867-2026-06-10

A fresh Nipah virus case was reported in Kerala after a 40-year-old man tested positive in a preliminary test in Kozhikode. Kerala has seen four Nipah outbreaks, with 31 cases and 24 deaths reported between 2018 and 2023.

A fresh case of Nipah virus was reported in Kerala on Wednesday after a 40-year-old man tested positive for the disease in a preliminary test conducted in Kozhikode.

Health authorities initiated precautionary measures and began contact tracing following the detection of the case. The patient is currently undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

Officials said the initial test returned positive for Nipah virus, while confirmation from the virology laboratory is still awaited. Despite the pending confirmatory result, state health officials moved swiftly to implement containment protocols to prevent any possible spread of the infection.

The patient’s contacts are being identified and monitored as part of the standard public health response.

Nipah virus, which spreads from animals – primarily fruit bats – to humans and can also be transmitted through close human contact, has a high fatality rate and no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Kerala has witnessed outbreaks in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, with most cases reported from Kozhikode district.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/kerala/story/kerala-reports-fresh-nipah-case-40-year-old-man-tests-positive-in-kozhikode-2924864-2026-06-10

The Delhi High Court said recognised private schools cannot deny women teachers child care leave. The ruling brings their leave benefits in line with government school teachers and ties the right to equality.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that women teachers working in private schools are entitled to Child Care Leave (CCL) on par with their counterparts in government schools, describing the benefit as part of the fundamental right to equality.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela overturned the decision of a single-judge bench and held that recognised private schools cannot deny female employees Child Care Leave for matters related to the care, education and illness of their children.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that women teachers working in private schools are entitled to Child Care Leave (CCL) on par with their counterparts in government schools, describing the benefit as part of the fundamental right to equality.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela overturned the decision of a single-judge bench and held that recognised private schools cannot deny female employees Child Care Leave for matters related to the care, education and illness of their children.

In accordance with the Central Civil Services (CCS) Leave Rules, a woman employee can avail a maximum of 730 days, or two years, of Child Care Leave during her entire service period. The leave can be taken for the care of her first two surviving children, including for their upbringing, examinations, illness and other related needs.

The rules also provide that Child Care Leave must be taken for a minimum period of 15 days. A female employee cannot avail this category of leave more than three times in a calendar year.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/delhi-high-court-child-care-leave-private-school-teachers-parity-2924913-2026-06-11

Congress has approached the Supreme Court after Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected. The dispute over a Telangana proceeding has sharpened the contest for the third seat ahead of the June 18 poll.

The Congress has moved the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of its Rajya Sabha nominee Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination from Madhya Pradesh and is likely to mention the matter early in the morning seeking an urgent hearing before the court’s vacation bench on Thursday.

The legal challenge comes days after the Returning Officer rejected Natarajan’s nomination papers following objections raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ruling party had alleged that the Congress leader failed to disclose details of a legal proceeding in Telangana in the affidavit submitted with her nomination papers.

On Wednesday, a high-level Congress delegation comprising K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Deepa Dasmunshi, Vivek Tankha, Abhishek Singhvi and Meenakshi Natarajan met Election Commission officials and sought reversal of the Returning Officer’s decision.

The Congress maintained that the Telangana matter relates merely to a court notice and does not constitute a criminal case requiring disclosure in an election affidavit. Party leaders argued that the Election Commission’s rules mandate disclosure only of pending criminal cases and not legal notices or proceedings in which no criminal charges have been formally taken cognisance of by a court.

The dispute began after BJP leaders formally objected to Natarajan’s candidature, alleging suppression of material facts. The party contended that her failure to mention the Telangana case amounted to concealment of information and warranted rejection of her nomination.

Rejecting the allegation, the Congress asserted that Natarajan faces no criminal prosecution and was therefore under no obligation to disclose the matter cited by the BJP. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the alleged criminal case cited as the basis for rejecting Natarajan’s nomination does not legally exist as the competent court has not yet taken cognisance of the matter.

The nomination dispute has added a new twist to the Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh, where voting for three seats is scheduled on June 18.

In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP’s strength of 164 MLAs gives it a comfortable path to winning two Rajya Sabha seats. The contest for the third seat, however, has emerged as a closely watched political battle.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/meenakshi-natarajan-nomination-rejection-congress-supreme-court-madhya-pradesh-rajya-sabha-row-2924891-2026-06-11

The Maharashtra DFSL has launched a forensic probe into the suspected killing of Mikey, a community dog from Madh’s Raheja Exotica, Malad. Actor Sanket Kadam and Manjari Phadnis reported prior abuse and hostility by society staff, while CCTV footage was missing. Blood samples collected by the forensic team are under analysis.

Maharashtra’s state forensic team has been deployed to investigate the suspected killing of a stray dog, which went missing from a high-profile residential enclave in Malad. The incident marks the first time the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories (DFSL) has initiated a field forensics probe into an alleged stray dog murder in the city.

Forensic deployment

The investigation centers on a community dog named Mikey, who went missing from Madh’s Raheja Exotica housing society – a coastal neighbourhood home to several prominent Bollywood and television personalities. On Saturday, actor Sanket Kadam, a resident of the society, submitted a written complaint to the Malvani police station, on the basis of which a first information report (FIR) was registered.

According to Kadam’s statement, he was informed on May 29 by Manjari Phadnis – an actor and resident of the society – that Mikey was missing from the society. He claimed that both of them actively circulated missing alerts on the society’s WhatsApp groups, urging anyone with information to come forward but did not receive any lead. However, he alleged that the society’s secretary offered vague answers when asked about the dog’s whereabouts while the society’s manager and housekeeping supervisor refused to show the CCTV footage, claiming that it had been “formatted.”

FIR registration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi etched his name into India’s political history books on Tuesday, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru’s record to become the country’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi etched his name into India’s political history books on Tuesday, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru’s record to become the country’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister.

The milestone drew a wave of congratulations from world leaders, who praised his transformative domestic governance and growing influence on the global stage.

PM Modi, who first assumed office in May 2014 and secured a third consecutive term in 2024, has led India through a period of sweeping economic and social change. His tenure has seen India rise to become the world’s fifth-largest economy, claim a seat at the high table of global diplomacy, and position itself as the foremost voice of the Global South.

Among the first to reach out was Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, who in a letter dated June 8 called the milestone “a testament not only to your years in office, but also to the trust and confidence that the people of the world’s largest democracy have repeatedly placed in your leadership.” Sri Lanka holds a special place in PM Modi’s foreign policy record – he has visited the island nation four times, most recently in April 2025, when he was conferred the Mitra Vibhushana, Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honour for a foreign dignitary. India’s critical support during Sri Lanka’s devastating economic crisis in 2022 remains a defining chapter in the bilateral relationship.

From the Pacific, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape sent a personal video message describing PM Modi as “a role model and an example of leadership,” pointing specifically to the feat of lifting over 200 million Indians out of poverty. PM Modi’s May 2023 visit to Papua New Guinea – the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister – for the FIPIC-III Summit signalled India’s deepening commitment to Pacific Island nations and the broader Global South agenda.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar added her voice to the chorus of praise, noting that “under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has evolved as a leading voice on global matters.” She highlighted his journey from modest origins to leading a nation of 1.4 billion across three terms – a narrative that has resonated widely. PM Modi visited Trinidad and Tobago in July 2025, the first bilateral Indian prime ministerial visit in 26 years, timed to mark the 180th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured immigrants to the Caribbean nation.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/world-leaders-praise-pm-modi-as-he-becomes-indias-longest-serving-prime-minister-11613691?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll