Nationwide protests against the NEET paper leak have intensified across several Indian states, with demonstrators condemning the Delhi Police crackdown and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Congress party has called for further demonstrations, while various student and political groups have organised marches and sit-ins, some leading to clashes with police.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has argued that video-recording of the ongoing CJP-led protest against the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar is in 'legitimate state interest' for security reasons, while petitioners allege 'continuous, indiscriminate and intrusive surveillance'.
Sheikh Irshad Mansoori, an accounts manager from Gurugram, was severely injured by pellets during a protest in Central Delhi on July 20. He underwent surgery at Lady Hardinge Hospital to remove pellets from his face and neck, sustaining injuries near vital structures. The Delhi Police denied using pellet guns, while other protesters, including a 10-year-old boy, also suffered serious injuries during the demonstrations against alleged exam irregularities.
'They were hitting students. They are not just students, they are the youth, they are the future. You cannot destroy our future.' LGBTQIA+ activist and makeup artiste Jaanmoni Das, who participated in the youth protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, recounts her experience on The Rediff Podcast.
The Jharkhand government is holding fresh discussions with student aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities, even as the health of key protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto has significantly deteriorated after being on an indefinite hunger strike for about a week.
'It's not about individuals operating the mule accounts being more or less skilled. Instead, 'lower-level' refers to the role the individual account plays in the broader mule network.'
The challenge thrown by the youth movement creates the opportunity for a more consequential debate on India's economic trajectory because it must remain centered on India's youth as its driving impulse, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Gujarat police have launched 'Operation Delta Hunt', apprehending 362 illegal Bangladeshi migrants and probing 780 more suspects across the state. The operation, which involved technical surveillance and human intelligence, aims to identify and repatriate all illegal nationals, with investigations also targeting those who provided accommodation or employment without verification.
A former IPS officer and two individuals injured during a recent protest in Delhi have filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on the use of pellet guns by law enforcement agencies for crowd dispersal. The petitioners argue that pellet guns are an arbitrary and dangerous tool, violating the right to freedom of assembly and failing the test of necessary and proportional force. They also seek compensation and medical treatment for victims.
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence. The bill, which also covers other national symbols, was passed amidst protests from opposition parties regarding the NEET paper leak. Union Minister Nityanand Rai criticised the opposition's stance, emphasising the song's historical significance and its role in national unity.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to students for alleged police brutality and resign along with Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi criticised the government's handling of student protests concerning the education and testing system, highlighting the use of force against demonstrators near Parliament.
A 21-year-old newly married woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her residence in Madhopur Bujurg village in Uttar Pradesh. Police are investigating the case and awaiting the post-mortem report.
The Delhi Police has confirmed that it has not yet received any official request for permission from the digital group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to deploy personnel to maintain law and order if necessary.
Delhi Police have arrested the prime suspect and apprehended a juvenile in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old man in Delhi's Anand Parbat area. The victim, Sagar, was allegedly killed due to a past rivalry.
There are friends you make because life brings you together. And then there are friends who become part of the place you call home. Mine lived across my building.
Tripura Police have initiated a forensic analysis of all electronic gadgets belonging to DGP Anurag Dhankar, who was found dead in his office washroom. A case of unnatural death has been registered, and the investigation aims to determine the cause and circumstances, especially if suicide is confirmed. Calls for a judicial probe into the incident are also growing.
Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have strongly criticised the BJP for felicitating former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned following student protests over the NEET exam controversy. They have also dismissed the government's proposed anti-paper leak legislation as a 'cosmetic Bill' and questioned the sincerity of education reforms.
Police in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh, have registered a case against three individuals following a complaint alleging unlawful religious conversion. The complaint stated that people were being lured to a Christian prayer meeting in Lucknow.
Two minor girls from Nepal were rescued from an alleged human trafficking bid by police, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and an NGO in a joint operation, near the Indo-Nepal border in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor secured a significant victory in the Bankipur assembly bypoll, defeating the BJP candidate by over 19,000 votes. Kishor attributed his win to support from disgruntled members of major parties and potentially Gen Z protests, while firmly rejecting any future political alliances. He claimed the mandate was a wake-up call for the BJP-led government in Bihar and its Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, giving his party its maiden presence in the state assembly.
Kerala Police have arrested 12 people in connection with the violent attack on Enforcement Directorate officials who had searched the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The ED searches were linked to financial dealings between Vijayan's daughter's firm and a sand mining company.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke questioned the FIR against a woman for allegedly using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking if there were "two laws" in the country and why similar action was not taken against BJP leaders and IT cell members accused of using objectionable language.
A 22-year-old Agniveer, Jasanpreet Singh, who had been missing for three days, was discovered dead by hanging in a vacant barrack at the Sikh Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Fatehgarh. Preliminary investigations suggest suicide, with the barrack found bolted from the inside. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Delhi Police executed a meticulously planned overnight operation, involving white sheets and potential network jammers, to shift activist Sonam Wangchuk to a government hospital after his health deteriorated during a 20-day hunger strike, following directions from the Delhi High Court.
Forty-six militants of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group) surrendered before security forces in Manipur on Tuesday, the police said.
Bollywood has captured the essence of India's youth activism and student protests, from fighting corruption in Yuvaa to demanding accountability in Rang De Basanti.
Many of them travelled to Delhi in groups or connected with other participants through WhatsApp groups and activist networks. These networks helped them coordinate their travel, decide meeting points and stay in touch during the protest.
Amidst escalating tensions at Jantar Mantar, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was hospitalised by Delhi Police on the 21st day of his hunger strike, sparking widespread protests from supporters.
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for heavy vehicular movement and restrictions around the Parliament complex ahead of the Monsoon Session and a planned 'Chalo Sansad' march by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Security has been significantly intensified across New Delhi, with additional personnel, barricades, and checks to manage traffic and maintain law and order during the protest against alleged NEET irregularities.
"Let him be inside for some more time," the Bombay high court said on Wednesday while continuing its stay to the bail granted to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre who is accused of assaulting doctors and staff at a municipal hospital in Dombivli. It also ordered preservation of the CCTV footage of the July 6 incident and the footage of Mhatre's own hospital stay after his arrest.
The Punjab Police have dismantled a transnational terror-gangster network, arresting two operatives and seizing illegal weapons. The suspects were allegedly acting on instructions from handlers based in Germany and Dubai, and were planning targeted shootings.
A Pakistan-backed ISI-underworld terror module, busted by Delhi Police, had planned to attack policemen and security forces in Mumbai to avenge the demolition of an illegal mosque in Garib Nagar, Bandra.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that the TMC will proceed with its planned sit-in protest against alleged attacks on party leaders and workers, as well as the Railways' hawker eviction drive, despite the police denying permission for the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the repeated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings, stating that due to the turmoil in the House, the country has been unable to listen to the talented MPs elected in recent times.
A delegation from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi amidst widespread protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. Nadda assured the CJP representatives that he would hold internal discussions and requested time to address their demands, which include the minister's resignation, compensation for NEET aspirants, and the release of Sonam Wangchuk. Protesters, facing police action, continued their march towards Parliament.
The verdict brought relief, but not the brother they lost, the family of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma said on Friday after former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four others were sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Locals in Shimla paraded several residents from Uttar Pradesh following allegations of a man harassing and blackmailing a 16-year-old girl. Police have registered a case under the POCSO Act and BNS, while also warning against mob justice and unlawful activities.
Several protesters alleged they were detained or manhandled during the march, with some claiming they suffered injuries.
'What struck me at the time was simply the scale of it -- that something of this magnitude could be unfolding inside the Ram temple itself.' 'It was bewildering. And what troubled me further was the manner in which people were shielding it.'
The famed Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple in Guwahati is set to begin, with the administration expecting around eight lakh devotees over the next four days. The temple doors will close on Monday night for the 'prabritti' period, symbolising the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya, and reopen on June 26.
