National News

There have been sustained protests in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu ever since the Union government announced in November 2024 that it had granted tungsten mining rights in eight blocks to Hindustan Zinc, a subsidiary of Vedanta. The residents of the region, particularly Melur taluk, which has the Arittapatti biodiversity heritage site, worry about their land, lives, and livelihoods, reports C. Palanivel Rajan

A new study reveals that only 25% of India's population has access to stroke-ready hospitals. With 1.5 million stroke cases annually, treatment options like IVT and EVT are limited, especially in the central, east, and north-east regions. Southern states, Chandigarh, Kerala, and Delhi have the best coverage.

Train operations between Jammu and Srinagar will begin in the coming weeks, including a Vande Bharat train taking three hours and 10 minutes. Services will start from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, with round trips daily. Railways also introduced a new Jammu rail division and continue speed trials for the Vande Bharat sleeper train.

With its fuel tank going empty, the SUV was halted at Mahad when a speeding towing van rammed into it, killing four people on the spot.

These candidates appeared in the civil services examination held in 2008, following which some of them have been in courts and tribunals for nearly two decades to get appointments under the PwD quota meant for them

The UAPA Tribunal confirmed the Centre's notification declaring the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as an unlawful organisation for five years. Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta cited evidence linking SFJ to international Khalistani terror groups, ISI, youth radicalization, terror financing, and threats to politicians, supporting the decision with testimonies from 52 witnesses.

The Supreme Court has ruled that existing laws in a state will remain applicable in a newly formed state unless modified by the new state. It stated that Telangana does not require separate approval for CBI investigations as existing laws from Andhra Pradesh would still apply until altered.

The Supreme Court of India highlighted the importance of protecting senior citizens, stating that gift deeds executed by parents can be invalidated under the Maintenance and Welfare of the Parents and Senior Citizens Act if their children do not provide for them, even if such conditions are not explicitly stated in the deed.

The Uttarakhand HC dismissed a petition by Welham Boys' School challenging a government order that allowed only tuition fees for online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court upheld the government's authority to prevent private residential schools from charging fees for unused services to ease financial burdens on parents.

The Supreme Court seeks information from the Centre, UGC, and NAAC on measures taken to curb student suicides due to discrimination. Addressing a PIL, senior advocate Indira Jaising highlights the lack of 'Equal Opportunity Cells' in universities as mandated by UGC regulations.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warns the Archaeological Survey of India about the destruction of historical monuments, following reports of a 17th-century Mughal haveli being razed in Agra. He criticized the UP government for failing to control the land mafia and accused the BJP of dividing society and spreading hatred and economic inequality.

Mr. Adani is being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for his role in an alleged years-long scheme to pay $250 million bribes to Indian officials in exchange for favourable solar power contracts

Spotlight lectures, competitions and games formed part of the 5-day event

Mukesh Chandrakar, a prominent Bastar journalist, was murdered and his body was found in a septic tank in Bijapur district. Known for his reports on local issues, Mukesh had recently exposed a road construction scam. His murder is suspected to be linked to this report. Authorities are investigating a local contractor in connection to the crime.