The Home Ministry has informed a parliamentary committee that security agencies utilise open-source intelligence, including social media, for information gathering, ensuring no privacy breach as personal data is not collected.
Bangladesh's Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will skip the first-ever BIMSTEC home ministers' meeting in New Delhi, with a senior bureaucrat leading the delegation. This absence underscores strained India-Bangladesh ties, particularly following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024 and Dhaka's request for her extradition from India.
India has rejected China's objection to New Delhi's standardisation of names for 28 places and features in Ladakh, reiterating that Ladakh is an "integral and inalienable" part of India. China had strongly opposed the move, calling India's establishment of the Union Territory and the naming "illegal and void".
Jammu and Kashmir has begun the deportation process for Bangladeshi nationals allegedly staying illegally in the region, with 150 individuals already shifted to West Bengal. This action follows a survey identifying around 600 illegal immigrants and coincides with the Union Home Ministry's High-Level Committee on Demographic Change (HLCDC) investigating illegal immigration across India.
The Delhi Police have designated three new venues for protests - Burari Ground, CBD Ground, and Ramlila Ground - after denotifying Jantar Mantar. These sites vary in size and location, with concerns raised about the impact of protests on commercial and residential areas near CBD Ground, while Burari Ground is the largest. Ramlila Maidan has a rich political history.
The Union Home Ministry has issued a stern advisory to states and Union Territories, highlighting a "dangerous trend" of human trafficking through "overseas recruitment scams." These scams lure victims with promises of high-paying jobs abroad, only to trap them in "CyberFraud Centres." The ministry has called for a "specialised offensive" involving various state agencies to combat this growing menace, emphasising strict enforcement, agency verification, and public awareness.
The Indian government has ordered the removal of Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app from app stores in India, citing law-and-order concerns. The Bluetooth messaging app, which allows offline communication, was previously scrutinised during protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and has now been pulled from both Apple's App Store and the Play Store following the IT Ministry's directive.
India's anti-terror agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has registered a case to investigate a mid-air attack on Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot, inside the cockpit of an Israel-bound flydubai flight, citing an "apparent attempt to hijack or cause it to crash."
Union Minister Chirag Paswan, a Z-category protectee, has received threat messages from "hardcore terrorists" according to his office. His office has formally requested the Home Ministry to conduct a thorough investigation into the communication and to significantly enhance his security arrangements due to the grave nature of the threat and his public engagements.
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.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the deportation of hardened narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Turkiye, hailing it as a significant achievement for the Modi government's commitment to eradicating drug cartels by 2029. Singh, who used a fake identity to smuggle drugs, was arrested by Delhi Police and remanded to 10-day custody. The government highlighted its intensified efforts to bring back fugitives, with 288 extraditions since 2019.
More than three months after her midnight deportation, however, the central question remains unanswered: Where is Mumtaz Begum?
Delhi is under an unprecedented security clampdown with 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed, 45 metro stations shut, and mobile internet suspended in parts of the city, as authorities deny permission for a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Centre has announced a major bureaucratic reshuffle, appointing Prakash Rajpurohit as Deputy Election Commissioner and approving appointments for 27 civil servants at joint secretary and equivalent levels across various ministries and departments.
The Indian government has ordered the removal of Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app from app stores, citing law-and-order concerns due to its ability to bypass communication restrictions. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the takedown demand under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000. The government also addressed the issue of banning minors from social media, indicating a search for a better solution than outright bans.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed all states and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police to prevent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters from mobilising towards Jantar Mantar for a protest on Saturday, October 10. The MHA cited potential public peace disturbances and the CJP's history of non-compliance, noting that the protest request has been rejected.
Apple has removed the offline messaging app Bitchat from its India App Store following a demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Developed by Jack Dorsey, Bitchat faced scrutiny under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000, due to concerns about its potential misuse by anti-national elements and for evading lawful surveillance, especially during public disorder. This marks the second time the app has faced government action in India.
The Congress government in Karnataka has issued an order limiting the singing of 'Vande Mataram' to its first two stanzas at state programmes, with exceptions for events attended by high-ranking officials. This decision, based on a 1937 Congress resolution, has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP, which labels it "appeasement politics" and an insult to the national symbol.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, stated that Starlink's services in India must be affordable for widespread adoption and that competition would benefit consumers, despite potentially reducing Reliance Jio's profits. He criticised Reliance Jio as a 'de facto monopoly' in India, alleging that certain business conglomerates were blocking Starlink's entry.
Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, a former petty criminal from Punjab, has escalated to become a leader of transnational organised crime and is now featured on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The FBI has offered a USD 1 million reward for information leading to his arrest, citing his alleged involvement in assassinations, extortions, and trafficking of narcotics and weapons across the US and Canada. Brar is also linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, designated an "individual terrorist" by India, and accused of orchestrating the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Heavy rainfall, floods, landslides, and an avalanche have claimed at least 27 lives across Nepal in recent days, with four people missing and eight injured. The monsoon-induced incidents have destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged infrastructure, highlighting the country's vulnerability to such natural disasters, following last month's devastating flash floods.
The CJP allegedly violated an undertaking for a June 20 protest on the NEET paper leak, leading the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police to implement heightened security for its upcoming demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. Police cited past breaches of conditions, including a 'Sansad Chalo' march on July 20 without permission, as reasons for denying permission for the new protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
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.
The Ministry of Home Affairs reports a significant reduction in the number of districts most affected by Naxalism, highlighting the government's efforts to combat Left Wing Extremism.
The Indian IT Ministry has engaged in 'hard talk' with Meta regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM), leading to increased sensitivity and action from the tech giant. The government asserts that Indian laws must be followed and social media harms mitigated, with no safe harbour for violations. Discussions also covered AI labelling and the WhatsApp username issue, highlighting a global concern over social media harms.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is facing significant scrutiny after an investigation revealed objections from his fellow election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, regarding decisions made during the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. The objections, reportedly made at least 14 times, concerned issues like changes to voter registration forms and centralised control over electoral roll databases, intensifying criticism of Kumar's tenure and the EC's impartiality.
China has voiced strong opposition to India's recent decision to standardise names for 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh.
Which parts of urban India have the highest proportion of households owning gold jewellery or bullion?
Delhi Police has officially denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, instead naming Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in east Delhi as the new venues for demonstrations. This decision, issued via a standing order by Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11, aims to address the significant logistical and security challenges posed by protests in the sensitive New Delhi district.
Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and members of the INDIA bloc, have strongly condemned the arrest and jailing of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for protesting at Jantar Mantar, asserting that waving the national flag and peaceful protest are not crimes.
Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and Home Secretary Govind Mohan have been granted a one-year extension in their service by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Somanathan's tenure is extended beyond August 2026, and Mohan's beyond August 2026, up to August 2027, under special provisions for key government officials.
For the first time on foreign soil, 'Vande Mataram' was played before a cricket match, preceding the national anthem at the India vs Japan T20 International in Sano, Japan.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has formally complained to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging that senior Muslim IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal were deliberately excluded from official events attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Moitra claims these officers were sidelined due to their religion, a pattern she describes as discriminatory and potentially damaging to minority confidence in security establishments.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to a bill which now provides 'Vande Mataram' with the same legal protection and status as India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has moved to a new office and deployed CISF security to safeguard confidential areas, following a major controversy over the NEET paper leak and administrative lapses. This move aims to implement foolproof security arrangements and restore public trust in the examination system.
Delhi Police is making extensive security arrangements for a massive protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10, urging personnel to exercise restraint. The protest demands the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation. Authorities have denied permission, deployed thousands of central forces, ordered liquor shops closed, and proposed metro station closures and border vigilance.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee said the proposed comprehensive statutory framework for regulating OTT content should include robust technology-enabled age-verification mechanisms, effective parental controls and suitable penalties for non-compliance.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance probe into corruption allegations related to the 2006 KSTP road project, implicating incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was then the PWD secretary. The investigation also concerns the death by suicide of a Malaysian engineer involved in the project, who reportedly named Kumar in his suicide notes. The probe revives a case that was allegedly "hushed up" after a change in government.
When it pretends to be deaf, a situation can snowball into something it cannot contain. The government cannot dismiss public anger merely because protests are inconvenient or politically embarrassing, asserts Ramesh Menon.
'A warm meeting with Hon'ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShahji. Grateful for his time and guidance. Wishing him continued good health and well-being.'
