The Supreme Court was told that only nine of Delhi’s 37 air quality monitoring stations were working on Diwali. The court’s amicus curiae, Aparjita Singh, said this missing data made it hard to track pollution and apply emergency measures. The court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file reports. On Diwali, Delhi’s PM2.5 level touched 488 micrograms per cubic metre — nearly 100 times above the WHO limit. The city’s overall AQI stood at 316 on Monday, still in the “very poor” category. (PC: NDTV)

A speeding dumper truck crashed into 17 vehicles near Loha Mandi in Jaipur’s Harmada area on Monday afternoon, killing 11 people and injuring more than 10 others. The truck driver reportedly lost control while entering the highway near a petrol pump. Three of the injured are in critical condition and being treated at SMS Hospital. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed grief and directed officials to provide the best medical care. Traffic was diverted, and rescue work continued for hours. Former CM Ashok Gehlot also offered condolences to the victims’ families. (PC: HT)

At least 24 people were killed and several others injured after a truck carrying gravel hit a Telangana RTC bus head-on in Ranga Reddy district on Monday morning. The bus, with 70 passengers, was travelling from Tandur to Hyderabad when the speeding truck lost control and fell onto it near Mirzaguda village. The impact trapped many passengers under the debris. Both drivers died on the spot. Rescue teams used JCBs to pull out victims, while the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ordered urgent relief and medical help for the survivors. (PC: X/ @tirishreddy)

Fifteen people were killed and two others injured when a speeding tempo traveller rammed into a parked truck on the Bharat Mala Expressway in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur on Sunday night. The victims were returning from Kolayat temple in Bikaner. Police said the impact was so strong that several passengers were trapped inside the mangled vehicle. Rescue teams and locals worked late into the night to retrieve the bodies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep sorrow and announced compensation for the victims’ families. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also directed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. (PC: India Today)

A retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar has appealed to the Madras High Court against the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to record evidence of former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his ₹100 crore defamation suit. Dhoni’s case, filed in 2014, alleges media outlets and the officer linked his name to the 2013 IPL betting-and-spot-fixing scandal. The court had ordered trial and the appointment of the commissioner in August 2025. Kumar contends the appointment is unjust and seeks relief, while Dhoni proceeds with evidence-recording steps. (PC: PTI)

A Delhi-based startup founder, Kapil Dhama, shared a viral video revealing how his indoor Air Quality Index (AQI) surged from 97 to over 500 within a minute of opening his door, despite four air purifiers running. The incident underscores the alarming pollution levels across Delhi-NCR, where post-Diwali smog has pushed AQI into the ‘severe’ category. Social media users called the situation a “nightmare for residents,” with many expressing concern over the deteriorating air and advising people to consider temporary relocation from the capital region.

A tragic stampede at the privately-run Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, on November 1 killed nine devotees—including eight women and a 13-year-old boy—and injured over 25 others. Many of the victims were economically disadvantaged: farm hands, vegetable vendors and a widow who could not afford a pilgrimage to Tirumala and instead visited the temple locally. The surge occurred during the Ekadashi observance when the crowd swelled to around 25,000 – far above the temple’s capacity of 3,000 – triggering a collapse of a railing in a narrow queue area. A government inquiry has been ordered and the temple builder booked under culpable homicide charges, highlighting ongoing crowd-management failures. 

A 27-year-old Indian migrant worker, Vijay Kumar Mahato from Dudhapania village in Jharkhand’s Giridih district, was killed in Saudi Arabia after being caught in a cross-fire between local police and criminals involved in the illegal liquor trade. Employed for about a year by Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company on transmission-line projects, he was struck by a stray bullet on October 15 while walking near his worksite. Before succumbing to his injuries, he reportedly sent a voice note to his wife saying “the bullet was meant for someone else.” Indian and Jharkhand authorities are working to repatriate his body and initiate an investigation amid family demands for employer compensation. 

A chaotic crowd surge at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, resulted in several devotees being injured. The incident occurred amidst heavy footfall, as large numbers of pilgrims gathered for a significant religious occasion. Emergency responders reached the scene, administering medical aid and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Preliminary reports point to insufficient crowd-management and a lack of smooth access channels. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crush, urging calm, and reviewing safety protocols to prevent recurrence. (PC: ANI)

The Sabarimala Temple gold-theft scandal deepened as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested former executive officer Sudheesh Kumar, who served the shrine in 2019. He is accused of falsely recording gold-clad guardian-idol plates as copper, enabling alleged removal of the gold by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti. The arrest marks the third in the case, following Potti and ex-administrative officer B Murari Babu. Investigators are probing two linked cases involving gold from the idol plates and the sanctum door frame. (PC: PTI)