Head coach V V S Laxman hailed the Indian team's 'champion's mindset' after they beat Pakistan to win the gold medal in the men's T20 cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
PTI Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi emphasised that democracy thrives on citizens who question everything, not those who blindly believe or disbelieve. Speaking at 'Media Conclave 2026', he highlighted the challenges posed by social media, the focus on speed over verification, and AI-generated fake content, stressing the importance of media credibility for informed decision-making.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) organised a protest in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, despite police denying permission. The protest stems from alleged objections by other Election Commissioners regarding electoral roll decisions, though the Election Commission clarified all decisions were unanimous. Security forces were heavily deployed around Shivaji Park to manage the situation.
A political storm has erupted with the Opposition demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following reports that two Election Commissioners raised 'expansive red flags' over the Special Intensive Revision of voters' lists, citing issues like name deletions and decisions made without their knowledge.
Opposition parties, led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, plan to march to the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice of India. They aim to submit a memorandum regarding alleged 'vote chori' and demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, halting of SIR, and a return to paper ballots. The protest follows widespread detentions during previous demonstrations, which the opposition condemns as an assault on democracy.
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer has allowed voter documents via WhatsApp for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with Block Level Officers (BLOs) conducting home verifications. This development comes amidst controversy surrounding the Election Commission and its Chief, Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged unilateral decisions regarding the SIR, which opposition parties claim dilute the powers of Electoral Registration Officers. The deadline for claims and objections has been extended to October 12.
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.
Thousands of young men and women, joined by prominent personalities, protested at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar despite police denial of permission. Organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the agitation highlighted concerns over transparency in CEC appointments and alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions.
AISA national president Neha Bora was released at the Narela Industrial Area police station after being picked up during the organisation's protest march towards Jantar Mantar, with AISA members alleging procedural violations during her detention.
'If Gyanesh Kumar had some shame he would have resigned and would have taken agni pariksha.'
India's Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced the formation of a 10-member Task Force, chaired by Niti Aayog's Yugal Kishore Joshi, to assess the feasibility and challenges of reviving Formula 1 in the country. The committee aims to develop a roadmap for India to host a Grand Prix by 2028, focusing on sustainable growth, policy interventions, and addressing past issues like taxation. The Adani group, owners of the Buddh International Circuit, will also be involved.
Three BJP allies, including LJP (Ram Vilas), TDP, and RLM, have called on the Election Commission for a clearer explanation regarding concerns raised by two Election Commissioners over the voter list revision process. Union Minister Chirag Paswan warned that public faith in elections was at stake, while the EC asserted that differing views among its members were normal and final decisions were unanimous.
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met President Droupadi Murmu, alleging 'vote chori' and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with the repeal of assembly polls from the last two years. Rahul Gandhi expressed shock that the President did not deny the 'election theft' charge but sought proof.
Prasar Bharati Chairman Prasoon Joshi voiced concerns over AI's impact on India's cultural heritage, including music and endangered languages, advocating for human-AI collaboration. Meanwhile, a Spotify report revealed significant growth in royalties for Indian artists, with linguistic diversity driving economic strength in the creative industries, highlighting the platform's role in enabling talent across various Indian languages.
'I had narrated a script to Nana Patekar, and four days before the end, he told me that once he returned from Goa, he would take the project forward. I still can't believe he is never coming back. He was always so fit, proudly flexing his muscles and urging me to work out.'
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that revised NCERT textbooks for classes 10 to 12 are being prepared in "mission mode," while textbooks for classes 1 to 9 under the new National Curriculum Framework have already been released. He emphasised NCERT's role in building a 'Viksit Bharat' and highlighted the need for curricula to evolve with AI advancements and the importance of India's young population as a global asset.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after he was stabbed while preventing a co-pilot from crashing a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. His Mumbai neighbours express immense pride and are praying for his speedy recovery, while his parents have travelled to Saudi Arabia for his treatment. The incident has drawn global attention and praise from leaders like PM Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Every home welcomes Ganpati in its own special way. Some idols are playful and mischievous, some look calm and peaceful, while others have a grand, regal presence.
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.
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer has formally requested the Election Commission to modify the ECINet software, seeking greater discretion for Electoral Registration Officers in addressing over 2 crore voter discrepancies.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he has 'undermined' voter rights by excluding over 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The Election Commission of India has introduced a mandatory declaration for new voters, requiring them to provide parental details from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. This move, aimed at streamlining voter mapping, has sparked controversy, with some Election Commissioners deeming it "illegal" and "unauthorised" due to potential negative impacts on young voters.
India's Election Commission's centralised voter database systems, ERONET and ECINet, are under scrutiny following concerns raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi regarding the centralisation of electoral rolls and control available to state election officials. The article explains how these systems work and why they are currently in the news.
The Congress party has announced a significant organisational reshuffle in its Uttar Pradesh unit, appointing Aradhana Misra-Mona as president and Imran Masood as working president. This strategic move comes ahead of the state assembly elections next year and aims to strike a social balance while strengthening the party's position in the crucial state.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka has reiterated the outfit's demand for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, alleging the exclusion of 13 crore names from electoral rolls and questioning the BJP's defence of Kumar. The CJP plans a nationwide protest starting October 2, vowing not to back down until Kumar resigns, and has launched the 'Election Commission Thik Karo' campaign. Ranka also accused the CEC of fraudulently redrawing constituencies in Assam to benefit the ruling party.
'Their functioning is flawed, they are not accountable, they are opaque, they are non-transparent, they have lost credibility.'
The Supreme Court stated it has not approved any modifications to Form 6, used for electoral roll inclusion, during the Special Intensive Revision. This observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging alleged unilateral decisions by the Chief Election Commissioner regarding changes to Form 6 and electoral roll revisions in states like Goa and West Bengal, without the concurrence of his colleagues. The court issued notice on the plea, highlighting concerns over collective decision-making within the Election Commission.
The Uttarakhand State Legal Services Authority has requested the Dehradun district judge to act on a compensation plea filed by the family of retired Brigadier Mukesh Joshi, who died after being hit by a stray bullet during a shootout in Dehradun.
No shade or genre was a roadblock for Nana Patekar. In fact, some of his movies only age well because we associate them with his terrific presence.
Two government school teachers in Yadgir, Karnataka, have been suspended pending inquiry for participating in an RSS Patha Sanchalana. The Education Department cited violations of the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021, which prohibit government employees from associating with political organisations or participating in agitations. The teachers argued their participation was outside working hours and cultural, but their explanations were rejected.
The Congress party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging "vote chori" and treason, following a media report revealing that two other Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have accused the BJP, RSS, and EC of undermining democracy, citing concerns over voter list tampering and lack of transparency.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a scathing attack, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar 'deshdrohis' (traitors) for allegedly 'destroying' India's voting system and 'stealing elections'.
Former Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta resigned as Principal Investigator for the PMJVK scheme and returned over Rs 14 crore to the university. This comes amidst allegations of financial irregularities and a multi-crore rupee scam by the NSUI, which also led to the suspension of 10 temporary appointees made by Gupta. An audit is pending for the remaining Rs 2 crore.
A 20-member Indian fencing squad, led by Olympian C A Bhavani Devi, has departed for Japan to participate in the Asian Games.
Opposition parties in India are demanding the impeachment and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he is running the poll panel as a 'one-man autocracy' following revelations that two Election Commissioners red-flagged issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Opposition India bloc has threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This move comes as the Opposition plans a joint agitation and highlights the constitutional process for removing a CEC, which mirrors that of a Supreme Court judge.
The INDIA bloc has formulated a joint action plan to address the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row and concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Following a meeting of key opposition leaders, the alliance announced a series of "save democracy" marches, demonstrations, and a march to the Election Commission, demanding a return to ballot papers for elections and alleging electoral malpractices by the ruling government.
The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, who died by suicide, spent eight hours at the Mumbai Crime Branch office, while Union Minister Ramdas Athawale visited IIT Bombay, seeking a thorough investigation into the death and alleging potential caste discrimination.
The INDIA bloc is set to convene on September 30 in New Delhi to formulate a unified strategy regarding the Election Commission, focusing on the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The meeting will also address coordinated protests and the CEC selection process, bringing together diverse opposition parties.
Abhijeet Dipke has issued a strong call to Indian opposition parties, urging them to boycott elections if they genuinely believe the electoral process is rigged, arguing that their continued participation only legitimises alleged unfairness.