Vummidi Ethiraj, the renowned jeweller instrumental in crafting India's historic 'sengol' sceptre, has passed away at the age of 99. His demise has drawn condolences from President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all acknowledging his significant contribution to India's civilisational heritage through his craftsmanship.
The Chhattisgarh government has blacklisted Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) for three years on Wednesday. This action follows OICL's rejection of an insurance claim for a government helicopter that crashed in May 2022, killing two pilots. The claim was rejected in August this year after being pending for more than four years, leading the state to pursue administrative and legal remedies.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his Punjab visit, urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to transfer drug-related death investigations in Sangrur and Batala to the CBI, following Mann's decision to hand over anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota's murder case to the central agency. Shah met families affected by drug-related incidents and pledged to make Punjab drug-free by December 31, 2029, calling for collective action against the menace.
The Kerala child rights panel has directed the state government to include rugby in the upcoming annual state school sports meet, following a High Court directive. The panel also ordered the General Education Department to make arrangements for competitions and ensure children can participate in national events, and to amend the state school sports meet manual to include rugby in the 2026-27 National School Games.
'If a student can get a good teacher, quality content and mock tests at no cost, it becomes very hard for a mid-tier coaching centre to keep charging for the same lecture.'
A simplified GST registration facility for small e-commerce sellers, allowing them to register in other states by declaring the e-commerce platform's warehouse as their principal place of business, will be enabled from November 1. This move aims to encourage small businesses to expand beyond their home states.
India's wholesale price-based inflation surged to 11.39 per cent in September, up from 9.92 per cent in August, primarily driven by increasing prices of food, manufactured items, and fuel and power.
A 62-year-old farmer from Dakshina Kannada district was digitally arrested and duped of Rs 1.31 crore by cybercriminals impersonating Mumbai police and ATS officers. The fraudsters coerced him into transferring money by falsely claiming he was involved in a terror attack. A case has been registered, and investigation is ongoing.
Public anger erupted in Mansa, Punjab, following the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jotha. Authorities demolished a portion of the accused medical store owner's house, while mobs set his shop ablaze. Jotha was shot on Tuesday after confronting the owner about selling addictive drugs, leading to widespread condemnation and protests.
The lack of faster growth in salaried jobs may well account for the degrowth in the unemployed educated population who are actively seeking jobs.
A 26-year-old Bangladeshi national, Mohammed Suman Miyan, was arrested at Sahibganj railway station in Jharkhand for illegally entering India. He was apprehended while travelling on the Brahmaputra Mail, and a Bangladeshi ID, mobile phones, and multiple currencies were recovered. Preliminary investigations suggest he entered India around July this year and travelled to Srinagar before heading to Guwahati. Authorities are investigating his travel route, identity, and purpose of travel.
India's retail inflation surged to 5.54 per cent in September, primarily due to a significant increase in onion and other food prices, remaining just within the Reserve Bank of India's tolerance band. This marks the highest inflation since the new series with base year 2024 took effect in January.
Police are investigating the death of a 17-year-old Class 12 student found burnt on her school premises in east Delhi's Krishna Nagar on Saturday. A three-page purported suicide note was recovered, and a suspected breakup is being probed as a possible reason. The family, however, alleges a conspiracy, and all angles, including foul play, are under examination.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced he will publish details of his interactions with Manchester City. This decision follows criticism from opposition politicians regarding his response to the club being found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. City has appealed the ruling, which alleges the club inflated revenue and understated costs by over 900 million.
Two merchant vessels with 22 Indian crew members were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. One ship, MT Petro Dolphin, was hit by a drone, leaving two Indian seafarers missing. Another, MT Valthera, was struck by a projectile, but all 11 Indian crew are safe. India has strongly condemned the attacks, prioritising the safety of its seafarers and calling for de-escalation and upholding freedom of navigation.
The Indian government has decided to cap trade margins on all non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at 30 per cent of their maximum retail price. This move aims to improve affordability and ensure continued availability of these life-saving medicines, potentially saving cancer patients an estimated Rs 2,500 crore annually. The decision, expected to be implemented later this month, will affect 110 anti-cancer drugs, including 35 patented ones.
The INDIA Bloc plans a "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30, followed by a "Dilli Chalo march" to Ramlila Maidan on November 1. These events are part of their protest against alleged "vote chori" and "poll irregularities," aiming to pressure the government and demand Kumar's resignation.
A local court in Bahraich has acquitted Ankita Jaiswal and Dilip Kumar Patel in a 2021 poisoning case that led to the death of a two-year-old and illness of four others. The court found circumstantial evidence insufficient. Ankita had been jailed since August 2021 and received free legal aid.
HCLTech has announced a global partnership with Anthropic to establish a dedicated business unit focused on developing agentic AI solutions for enterprise clients using Anthropic's Claude. The collaboration aims to help businesses adopt AI systems that operate with minimal human intervention, prioritising safety, cybersecurity, and governance. HCLSoftware will also integrate Claude into its enterprise products.
The Supreme Court has ordered the reinstatement of R Saravanan, a deputy registrar of Periyar University, who was dismissed for alleged disproportionate assets. The court observed that dismissal is akin to a "death penalty" for a government servant and criticised the university's inquiry for lacking evidence, upholding the single-judge bench's decision.
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh stated on Saturday that the US has not officially offered F-35 fighter jets to India, and no final decision has been made regarding Russia's Su-57 proposal. He made these remarks during the concluding ceremony of the multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti-2026.
Kolkata Police have launched an investigation into the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal that resulted in 19 deaths on Saturday evening. The probe focuses on potential lapses in crowd management, confusion over entry/exit routes, and the impact of heavy rain. Eyewitnesses and locals have pointed to inadequate police presence and poor communication, while the Chief Minister also raised concerns about dimly lit pandals and the actions of private security.
IBM India and South Asia MD Sandip Patel states that technology, especially AI, should not be "artificially paused." He advocates for vigilance and proactive governance to foster innovation while addressing potential risks. Patel also highlights IBM's India-specific initiatives like Bharat Core and a sovereign AI stack, and discusses the impact of AI on jobs and global supply chains.
A graphic designer, Pankaj Gupta, was arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch for creating malicious Android Package Kit (APK) files that enabled cyber fraudsters to cheat over 9,600 people of Rs 150 crore. Gupta, who previously escaped a digital arrest scam, developed APKs disguised as government services, selling them to cybercriminal networks in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda criticised the BJP government, alleging that the state has fallen from its top position in development to being number one in drugs, corruption, and crime. He claimed the BJP has not made any public interest decisions in 12 years and accused them of deteriorating Haryana's economic condition and allowing criminal gangs to flourish.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclone Arnab, expected to become a very severe cyclonic storm by October 27. It is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on the morning of October 28, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds. Authorities are urging residents to remain alert and take precautions.
Gadi Eisenkot, a career soldier and leader of the centrist Yashar party, has emerged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's principal challenger in the upcoming Israeli general election. His campaign is testing whether a leader from Israel's historically marginalised Mizrahi community can reshape the country's political establishment, which has been dominated by Ashkenazi Jews.
American tennis star Coco Gauff has revealed she received an "insane" amount of racial abuse on social media following her controversial win over Chinese teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open, where a replayed point sparked an online backlash.
Nuh Police have revealed that Shahid alias Advani, a wanted criminal killed in a recent encounter near Sohna, had 70 cases registered against him across Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The cases include serious charges like murder, rape, kidnapping, and robbery. Police are now thoroughly reviewing his extensive criminal history.
A live demonstration of Muay Thai was held in New Delhi to popularise the traditional Thai martial art in India. Thai officials highlighted Muay Thai's role as a national soft-power asset, aiming to foster closer ties between India and Thailand through cultural exchange and economic potential.
A 50-year-old man, Mahavir Yadav, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang rape of a 14-year-old Dalit girl in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. The co-accused, Navi Chand Yadav, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The incident occurred on September 15, 2025, and the verdict was pronounced on Monday.
The four-day Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup has commenced at Solang Nala in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, featuring 42 pilots from multiple countries. The event, inaugurated by Minister Rajesh Dharmani, aims to promote adventure sports and tourism in the region, with strict safety standards in place.
Elon Musk questioned if Mukesh Ambani is India's "real boss" amidst Starlink's licensing issues, drawing a cryptic response from Rahul Gandhi. The Indian government clarified that security assessments are pending for all satcom licensees, not just Starlink, and the delay is due to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has dismissed Opposition allegations of lapses in the investigation of a high-profile luxury car crash in Nedumbassery that killed three youngsters. Satheesan affirmed that the probe is on the right track, countering claims of foul play and attempts to protect the accused, Suhail, who was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The accused were remanded to a Borstal school, a decision the CM attributed to the court.
Delhi government schools have not yet introduced idli-sambar as part of their revised menu, which was announced in August. The delay is primarily due to a lack of necessary equipment and logistical challenges in preparing and serving the dish across multiple schools. Schools continue to serve meals from the older menu while awaiting the required infrastructure.
Modi's cautious response, omitting the public invite from his telephonic conversation summary, suggests India's reluctance to be drawn into Israel's internal politics, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
A 17-year-old Class 12 student was found burnt to death on her school premises in east Delhi's Krishna Nagar. Police are investigating a suspected breakup as a possible reason, after recovering a three-page purported suicide note from her bag. The family, however, alleges a conspiracy.
The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign nationals can be granted bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) if their initial entry into India was legal and authorised, even if they overstayed their visa. This decision upheld a Madras High Court order granting bail to a Sri Lankan national accused in a terror case, stating that the prosecution failed to prove illegal entry. The court clarified the conjunctive conditions of Section 43D(7) of UAPA, emphasising that both foreign nationality and unauthorised entry must be proven to deny bail.
MPSC aspirants are protesting in Pune, demanding reforms and the resignation of the MPSC chairman due to alleged paper leaks. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar announced that Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet the protesters on October 7 or 8. The Maharashtra government has already terminated an MPSC secretary and initiated a judicial inquiry into the commission's functioning.
Delhi Police have arrested three individuals in two separate commercial fraud cases totalling Rs 62.68 lakh. Two accused allegedly defrauded garment suppliers of Rs 45 lakh, while a third cheated a medical supplies firm of Rs 17.68 lakh using fabricated bank transfer screenshots. Investigations are ongoing, with links to other cases being examined.
