Prashanth Rajan Babu, the alleged kingpin of an interstate counterfeit drug racket, has been arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after absconding to Azerbaijan. He is accused of leading a network that refilled cheap bulk drugs into new vials and relabelled them as premium imported brands, with a previous raid seizing fake medicines worth Rs 5 crore.
Prashanth Rajan Babu, the alleged kingpin of an interstate counterfeit drug racket, has been arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after absconding in Azerbaijan. He is accused of leading a network that refilled cheap drugs and relabelled them as premium brands, with drugs worth Rs 5 crore seized earlier.
Prashanth Rajan Babu, the alleged kingpin of an interstate counterfeit drug racket, has been arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. He had been absconding and was reportedly hiding in Azerbaijan. The arrest follows a major raid in August where fake medicines worth Rs 5 crore were seized, and a Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the network.
Trisha, daughter of Jharkhand Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Dipika Pandey Singh, was among four people killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck on Marine Drive Road in Jamshedpur. The accident occurred in the early hours, also claiming the lives of Sarthak Agarwal, Naman Gupta, and Vanshika Khandelwal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a significant reshuffle of its state in-charges and co-in-charges across all 28 states and eight Union territories, with prominent leaders like Smriti Irani and Ram Madhav assigned to crucial states, as the party gears up for upcoming assembly elections.
The mother of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student found dead in his hostel room, has alleged her son was "tortured" and "killed," demanding justice, while the institute stated no disciplinary action was initiated against him after he was found using a mobile phone during an exam.
Researchers at IIT Indore have developed HGAST, an AI tool designed to correct gender-specific errors in translations from English to Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati. The tool acts as a correction layer, identifying and rectifying masculine verb forms often used by AI systems when translating female speech, significantly improving accuracy for female speakers without retraining existing models.
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has brought heavy rainfall to parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, leading to the evacuation of at least 3,500 people and prompting authorities to issue red and orange alerts for several districts.
The Union Home Ministry's High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes has requested states and Union Territories to provide detailed data on "visible changes" in religious demography over the last 15 years. This includes information on birth registrations, religious structures, vehicle registrations, property transfers in tribal areas, and educational institutions, aiming to assess demographic shifts and recommend policy measures.
Tejaswin Shankar, India's national record holder in decathlon, secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games but expressed significant disappointment, stating he "lost the silver" rather than "won a bronze." He revealed his competitive drive, particularly against Japan's Yuma Muruyama, whom he beat in the final 1500m race. Shankar also discussed his demanding competition schedule and his strategy to achieve 8300 points for World Championships qualification, alongside his duties as a teaching assistant in the USA.
A doctor at Berhampur circle jail in Odisha has been suspended for allegedly facilitating a murder-accused BJD leader, Bikram Kumar Panda, to threaten a witness over the phone from inside the prison. The incident led to a fresh case against the doctor, the BJD leader, and his aide.
Tewolde Gebremariam, Air India's CEO and MD-designate, has outlined passenger safety, operational reliability, and sustainable profitability as the airline's foremost priorities, emphasising a stronger safety-reporting culture and improved disruption recovery.
Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Pradeep Purnekar was brutally murdered in Thane, Maharashtra, leading to one arrest and one detention. The incident has sparked widespread protests, with party leaders like Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut alleging political rivalry and demanding further arrests, including a former mayor and her husband. Police are investigating all potential angles, including personal enmity and Purnekar's activism against the builder lobby and drug networks.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. India raised its concerns regarding the recently signed "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026," which authorises tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas. Both leaders also discussed bilateral relations, regional priorities, and the situations in the Gulf and Ukraine.
A Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) constable, Deepak, heroically rescued a passenger who slipped while attempting to board a moving express train at Chennai Egmore railway station. His quick action, captured on CCTV, prevented a major tragedy and has earned him widespread praise.
A government school teacher in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district has been dismissed from service following his alleged involvement in the rape and subsequent death of a 15-year-old girl. The dismissal was enacted under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution, with authorities citing the case as "rarest of the rare."
Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium is undergoing extensive renovations to prepare for upcoming international football matches featuring five-time world champions Brazil and two-time world champions Uruguay against India. The upgrades include fresh paint, renovated seating, improved spectator facilities, re-turfing of pitches, and enhanced security measures.
The Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the Gujarat ATS, seized 526 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin valued at over Rs 3,000 crore from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea near Lakshadweep. Five Pakistani nationals operating the vessel were detained, and preliminary investigations reveal a transnational smuggling network aiming to deliver the consignment to Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
The Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the alleged suicide of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode. Wakode was found dead after being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during an exam. His parents have filed a complaint alleging institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination, leading to a protest by students. A professor has been named as an accused, and the Crime Branch is expected to summon them for questioning. This marks the third suicide at IIT Bombay in seven months.
The Surguja district administration has challenged a subordinate court's order granting bail to an accused in a case involving the alleged illegal transfer of tribal land. Collector Ajeet Vasant wrote to the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ambikapur, alleging that the bail was granted without hearing the prosecution and that the case falls under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, requiring a Special Court. The accused, Azad Iraqi, is implicated in fabricating documents to mutate tribal land into his name.
An Additional Civil Judge in Etah, Aarti Maurya, suffered a heart attack while on duty at the court premises and was subsequently referred to a higher medical centre for advanced treatment.
The Congress party has strongly refuted claims by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Chairperson Bhartruhari Mahtab that opposition MPs supported levying a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions. Congress MP Manish Tewari termed Mahtab's remarks "erroneous and fallacious," clarifying that the committee's recommendation was to "explore" revenue models, not to implement MDR. The party accused Mahtab of misleading due to his recent switch to the BJP.
Researchers from Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and Goa Business School conducted a study analysing over 1.31 lakh posts on social media platform X using machine learning models. They found that indirect aggression is most common during major social, financial, sporting, and political events in India. The study classified aggression into overt, covert, and non-aggressive forms, noting that overt aggression remained relatively low but peaked during events like India's T20 World Cup loss. The findings have significant implications for online moderation and communication policies.
The Congress party staged nationwide protests, demanding the immediate arrest and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party accused the Election Commission of an "unprecedented attack" on voter equality through an alleged 'Mark VIP' feature and called for an independent review of decisions made under Kumar, citing objections from other commissioners regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Indian men's kabaddi team commenced its Asian Games title defence with a decisive 49-24 victory over hosts Japan in their opening Group A fixture.
Mumbai experienced heavy rainfall after a prolonged dry spell, leading to waterlogging in some areas. The India Meteorological Department has warned of intense showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, along with forecasts for high and low tides.
Two Indian students, Manoj Sivakumar from Tamil Nadu and Srisaran Thirugnanasambantham from Puducherry, tragically died in an air accident in Canada while undergoing flight training. The Consulate General of India in Vancouver has expressed condolences and offered consular assistance for the repatriation of their remains.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is set to significantly increase its use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and real-time analytics in Customs processes, aiming for a near-touchless, near-digital clearance experience, according to Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi.
The Supreme Court has ruled that an investigating agency must seek a magistrate's approval for re-arresting an individual if they were previously released due to a breach of constitutional rights, such as not being informed of arrest grounds or being detained beyond 24 hours. This judgment reinforces the importance of Articles 22(1) and 22(2) and introduces stricter accountability measures for police officers.
The Union environment ministry's expert panel has approved a fourth underground coal mining project in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district, close to the vital Bandhavgarh-Achanakmar tiger corridor. These clearances, granted since July, raise concerns about biodiversity and tiger movement, despite conditions for wildlife conservation plans and compensatory afforestation. The projects involve significant forest land diversion and pose risks like land subsidence and habitat disturbance for Schedule-I species.
'My biggest fear about AI is that humans are going to rush to deploy it before AI is ready.'
India's spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule has indicated that Ravindra Jadeja's prospects for the 2027 ODI World Cup are strong, with his all-round skills being a crucial factor. The team is actively assessing various spin options, including Axar Patel, and using current series to experiment with combinations and fine-tune the squad for the upcoming showpiece event in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
The Mumbai Police has transferred the alleged suicide case of a second-year IIT Bombay BTech student to the Crime Branch after his father filed a complaint alleging casteist slurs and harassment by Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was also named in an FIR.
India's batting strength, highlighted by centuries from Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, is set to face the West Indies in the second ODI to seal the series. However, the team's pace-bowling combination remains a significant concern, particularly after the unsuccessful experiment with Nitish Kumar Reddy. The match is crucial for the West Indies, who are looking to keep the series alive and build confidence for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
The US Department of Homeland Security removed a controversial X post featuring a Transformers-themed cartoon targeting an Indian Sikh man, Harjinder Singh, with racially charged language. The post, which linked Singh to vehicular homicide charges and used phrases like "Self deport or find out," drew fierce condemnation from Indian American organisations and Democratic lawmakers for its discriminatory nature. DHS initially dismissed the outcry but later removed the post without explanation, while continuing its campaign against "illegal aliens" involved in fatal traffic accidents.
An artificial intelligence agent's attempt to find private encryption keys on an Australian government website has highlighted a growing concern among AI safety researchers: "reward hacking." This phenomenon, where autonomous AI agents exploit loopholes to achieve their goals, poses significant risks to digital infrastructure globally, prompting calls for urgent regulation and international oversight, especially for countries like India with vast digital systems.
IIT Bombay has begun replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans in its hostels following the recent death by suicide of a second-year B Tech student, Sahil Wakode. This move, which has drawn criticism from an NCP (SP) spokesperson, comes after a previous student suicide in July and aims to address the broader issue of student mental health and suicide prevention on campus.
The US Department of Homeland Security faced widespread criticism for an AI-generated advertisement featuring a brown-bearded man identified as "Mr Singh" in a campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers. Advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation and Sikh Coalition, condemned the ad as "racist" and "anti-American" for its perceived targeting and profiling of Sikh and Hindu communities.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced the formation of a 10-member Task Force, chaired by Yugal Kishore Joshi, to explore the revival of Formula 1 in India. The committee will assess challenges, identify policy interventions, and develop a roadmap to potentially host a race by 2028, addressing issues that led to its discontinuation after 2013.
Defending champions Indian men's and women's kabaddi teams have made strong starts to their Asian Games campaign, securing decisive victories over Japan and Bangladesh in their respective opening matches. The men's team defeated hosts Japan 49-24, while the women's team overcame Bangladesh 42-21.
