India

The Naga Students’ Federation’s (NSF) protest against the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram entered its second day outside the Nagaland Assembly on Thursday, as the issue was raised during Zero Hour in the House.

Differences have emerged between TDB president K Jayakumar and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan over Onam sadya at Sabarimala. Jayakumar said sadya was served to around 3,000 devotees, while Muraleedharan alleged devotees received pulao and officials were served traditional feast

Bihar’s flood situation worsened on Thursday as eight major rivers crossed danger marks, affecting 13 districts. Patna faced severe flooding, while erosion threatened embankments in Bhagalpur. Authorities deployed boats, steamers and tractors for evacuations, anti-erosion measures and relief preparations

The Supreme Court ruled that the Bar Council of India lacks statutory authority to regulate law students, setting aside two notifications linked to the NALSAR controversy. It said educational institutions alone can act against students under their applicable rules and regulations

An Air India Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi carrying 155 passengers made a precautionary landing at Lucknow after its cargo-hold smoke alarm activated. Preliminary checks found no smoke or fire, while technical experts are investigating the cause of the alarm

Air Marshal (Retd) Jeetendra Mishra, newly appointed CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, arrived in Ayodhya and expressed gratitude for the opportunity. He will oversee temple administration, finances, security, staff, devotee facilities and inter-departmental coordination

Fresh floods in Assam have affected over 25,000 people across seven districts, with 13 relief camps established. One woman’s death in West Karbi Anglong raised the state’s flood-related toll to 108, while 6,477 hectares of cropland remain inundated

Pune police arrested social media influencer Santosh Pandit for allegedly posting obscene, sexually suggestive and defamatory content targeting Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil and corporator Mitali Salvekar. Police registered a case under BNS and IT Act provisions following a complaint in Kothrud

Two Assam Police personnel, including the officer-in-charge of Gamerimura Police Outpost in Kamrup district, were killed and two others injured after a colleague allegedly opened fire with an AK-47 rifle inside the outpost late Wednesday night.

The government has notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, mandating IST as the legally recognised national time reference. Effective 180 days after publication, the rules establish a distributed architecture through CSIR-NPL, ISRO, and RRSLs to ensure reliable dissemination of IST across critical sectors.

Indian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade after three sessions of losses, supported by gains in banking stocks, positive global cues and easing US bond yields. Record FCNR(B) inflows also boosted confidence in rupee stability and foreign investor sentiment

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha accused the AAP-led Punjab government of political vendetta after his voter ID in Mohali was marked “permanently shifted” in draft electoral rolls. Chadha, who defected to BJP earlier this year, alleged violation of Election Commission guidelines protecting public representatives’ names, while noting corrections are possible during the ongoing claims process.

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accused BJP workers of storming and vandalising the party’s Camac Street office in Kolkata early Thursday, alleging police inaction despite repeated calls. He demanded arrests, accountability, and a probe into the organised violence.

The US State Department has warned that employment-based first-preference (EB-1) green cards for Indians may become unavailable within weeks due to heavy demand, adding to the severe backlog already affecting other categories like EB-2 and EB-3.

India has rescued 166 nationals from flood-hit Nepal while 410 pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra left China. The Indian Air Force has delivered 74 tonnes of relief material, including medical supplies and rescue equipment, as operations continue in coordination with the Nepali Army.

The debate should focus not on withdrawing reservation, but on whether the policy is being implemented effectively, as significant gaps in representation, education, employment and social conditions persist despite decades of affirmative action

A Kargil war veteran, Shivananda Reddy, allegedly attempted suicide in Chikkaballapura, Karnataka, after facing a 26-year delay in land allotment promised for his military service. Reddy, who served in the Maratha Light Infantry and was injured during the war, consumed pesticide out of frustration.

The SCO summit’s tough stance against terrorism marks a diplomatic win for India, which has been pushing for a no-nonsense approach towards terrorist groups

The Pune City Police arrested MNS worker Ashish Sable in connection with the forcible removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph from Government Polytechnic College, Ganeshkhind. The arrest follows an FIR against MNVS president Amit Thackeray and several party workers after they objected to Modi’s portrait being placed alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first CEO and Govind Dev Giri as general secretary in a major administrative overhaul following donation theft allegations. The trust also named Mahesh Bhagchandka as treasurer and inducted three new trustees.

The Bombay High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the 2020 death of Disha Salian, citing glaring discrepancies in the police probe. The court directed the CBI to register an FIR and said no individual should be treated as an accused without sufficient evidence

In Maharashtra’s Beed district, the Dahifale family celebrated the birth of a baby girl, Gargi, with a grand chariot procession — the first daughter born in four generations. The family, which claims not to have had a girl in two centuries, welcomed her with drums, dancing, and reverence, calling her ‘Lakshmi Devi’.

A dilapidated government primary school building in Rajasthan’s Rampura village has been demolished after its condition drew attention during a CJP campaign. The Rajasthan government has allocated Rs 18 lakh for a new building to provide improved facilities for students and teachers