In Maharashtra’s Palghar district, a migrant auto‑rickshaw driver was publicly assaulted by supporters of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS after he was filmed insisting, “Main Hindi bolunga… Marathi nahi bolunga” (“I will speak Hindi… not Marathi”) near Virar station . The video went viral, leading the group to confront him, slap him repeatedly (including women among them), and force an on‑camera apology to locals and the state for allegedly insulting Marathi language and culture . Uday Jadhav, Virar city chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), defended the action as a defense of Marathi pride. Despite its public nature, no FIR has yet been filed as police await formal complaints. (PC: NDTV)

In a tragic incident from Balasore, Odisha, a 20-year-old second-year Integrated B.Ed student set herself ablaze outside Fakir Mohan College principal’s office on July 12, 2025. The student had reportedly faced prolonged sexual harassment by her Head of Department (HoD), Samir Kumar Sahu, who allegedly demanded sexual favours and threatened academic consequences if she refused. Despite filing complaints, the college administration allegedly failed to take action. The student sustained 90–95% burn injuries and is in critical condition at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Odisha government has suspended the principal, arrested the HoD, and initiated a high-level inquiry into institutional lapses. (PC: The Times of India)  

During Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Election Commission officials discovered a large number of individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar during house-to-house verification. These suspected illegal migrants will undergo inquiry after August 1, and their names will be excluded from the final voter list to be published on September 30. The revision aims to ensure only eligible citizens are listed. The EC plans a nationwide roll revision to weed out foreign nationals by verifying place of birth. This move comes ahead of Bihar’s upcoming Assembly elections and has sparked political debate, with opposition parties questioning the timing and intent of the exercise. (PC: BBC & Hindustan Times)

In a tragic incident on July 9 at 1:45 a.m., a drunk driver of a white Audi car ran over five people sleeping on a footpath near Shiva Camp in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar. The victims two couples and an eight-year-old girl were seriously injured and rushed to nearby hospitals. The accused, 40-year-old Utsav Shekhar from Dwarka, was arrested on the spot. Medical reports confirmed he was intoxicated. All victims are migrant workers from Rajasthan. Legal action has been initiated, and police are investigating further to determine the sequence of events and any additional negligence. (PC: The Quint & India TV News)

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report on the June 2025 Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad suggests both engines shut down mid-air after both fuel control switches were unintentionally moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF." The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the other about the sudden fuel cutoff. Experts caution against blaming pilot error prematurely, highlighting possible technical faults, design issues, or human startle response. The final report is awaited, but the incident has sparked serious debate around cockpit safety systems and training protocols within Air India and India’s aviation regulatory framework. (PC: PTI)  

A Gurugram court on July 12, 2025 remanded Deepak Yadav, father of 25‑year‑old tennis coach Radhika Yadav, to 14 days’ judicial custody. Deepak allegedly shot her four times with his licensed .32 bore revolver at their Sector 57 home the previous morning while she was cooking. Radhika had been training aspiring players by renting tennis courts—something Deepak repeatedly opposed. Despite widespread speculation, investigators found no link between the murder and her social media or music video activities. Police cleared Radhika’s mother of involvement. Deepak reportedly felt humiliated by taunts that he was dependent on his daughter’s earnings and claimed depression in the weeks before the crime. (PC: HT Photo)    

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report on the June 12, 2025 crash of Air India Flight 171 out of Ahmedabad. The probe reveals that seconds after takeoff, both engine fuel-cutoff switches were flipped from RUN to CUTOFF within a one-second interval, causing immediate loss of thrust . Cockpit audio captured one pilot asking why fuel had been cut off; the other denied responsibility. Though engines were briefly relit when switches were returned, recovery failed. Investigators found no mechanical defect. The cause remains under investigation—possible human error, malfunction, or sabotage. The crash killed 242 onboard and 19 on the ground, leaving just one survivor. (PC: India Today)

Between February and June 16, 2025, India's central government approved the diversion of 8,518.23 hectares of forest into non‑forest use—surpassing four times the size of Delhi's airport—despite a February Supreme Court directive prohibiting reduction of forest land without prior safeguards . Clearances spanned tiger reserves, protected areas, revenue, degraded, and unclassed forests, sanctioned via RECs, the FAC, and NBWL . Petitioners argue compensatory afforestation is misused by allowing it within legally protected forests, in direct contradiction to the 1996 Godavarman judgment and the Court’s own Feb 3, 2025 order. (PC: iStock)

The Adani Group has signed a major Memorandum of Understanding with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Kolkata (SMPK) to restore, beautify, and redevelop the 300‑metre historic Kumartuli Ghat along the Hooghly River. Known for its artisan community of idol‑makers, the ghat will undergo heritage‑compliant redesign led by conservation architect Anjan Mitra. The initiative emphasizes environmental sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility, transforming the riverside into a safer and more welcoming public promenade. As Adani Ports’ CSR flagship effort under SMPK’s “Swachhata” drive, this marks its first ghat‑restoration project on the Ganges. Completion is tentatively targeted before Durga Puja. (The Telegraph)  

In the wake of devastating monsoon floods and a cloudburst that washed away roads and bridges in Mandi’s Pandoh–Seraj region, the 750‑metre Mata Baglamukhi Ropeway has emerged as a crucial lifeline. It allows residents to bypass a broken 12‑kilometre road and transport essentials. More than 5,000 people across all 12 panchayats in Seraj Assembly constituency have used the ropeway since the disaster. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri ordered that rides be offered free of cost. Locals like Bhoop Singh say the service has been indispensable for moving supplies and maintaining connectivity. Since June 20, Himachal has lost 91 lives in monsoon-related incidents. (PC: PTI)