The Supreme Court of India on Dec 29, 2025, paused its November 20 order that had adopted a uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills and ranges—a move that had raised concerns over potential expansion of regulated mining and loss of ecological protections. A vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said key ambiguities in that definition need expert assessment, especially questions over conservation zones, mining eligibility and ecological continuity. The court issued notices to the Centre and four states (Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi) and formed a new expert committee to review environmental impacts before finalising any policy. Hearing set for Jan 21, 2026. (PC: India Today)

Two coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) caught fire in the early hours of December 29, 2025, near Yalamanchili/Elamanchili in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, while en route from Tatanagar to Ernakulam. Flames broke out around 12:45–1:30 am, leading to a swift halt and evacuation of passengers. About 158 people were aboard the affected B1 and adjacent coach when the fire engulfed them. One man, identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), was found dead in the B1 coach. The remaining passengers escaped safely. The damaged coaches were detached, and an investigation into the cause is underway.

Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, died on December 26, 2025, after a racially motivated attack in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The assault began on December 9 when a group of six men allegedly hurled racial slurs at Anjel and his brother in the Selaqui area. When they protested, the attackers hit Michael with a metal kada and stabbed Anjel with knives and other sharp objects, causing severe head and spinal injuries. He fought for life in hospital for 17 days before succumbing to wounds. Five suspects are in custody while the main accused remains at large, prompting a police search. (PC: X)

A UK employment tribunal has awarded nearly £67,000 to an Indian man who accused his KFC manager of race bias and wrongful dismissal. Madhesh Ravichandran from Tamil Nadu worked at the West Wickham outlet in south-east London from January 2023. He told the tribunal that his Sri Lankan Tamil manager called him a “slave” and said “Indians are fraudsters”. The judge said his holiday requests were denied because of his race and that he was pressured to work long hours. Ravichandran later resigned and was dismissed without notice. The tribunal ruled that the abuse violated his dignity and ordered the company to pay damages and introduce staff training on workplace discrimination. (PC: NDTV)

Rajasthan has allowed new “low-density” activities on large parts of urban hill terrain under rules approved in April. The 2024 regulations replace older norms and divide hills into three slope groups. Areas with slopes above 15 degrees are marked non-developable. Hills with slopes between 8 and 15 degrees can host farmhouses, resorts, wellness centres and solar projects. These zones include parts of the Aravalli range inside cities. The move comes as the Centre faces questions on mining threats to the Aravallis and the Supreme Court starts suo motu hearings. The state says the rules balance growth and conservation and are open to review after court guidance. (PC: The Indian Express)

An incident was reported at a cafe in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after members of a Hindu group entered a birthday party and accused two Muslim youths of “love jihad”. The party was hosted by a nursing student on Saturday evening and was attended by nine classmates. According to police, six girls and four boys were present. The group allegedly shouted slogans and a scuffle followed. The woman told them it was only a birthday event, but the disruption continued. Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The two youths and two cafe staff were detained for questioning. Parents of the students were also called. Police said a probe is under way. (PC: India Today)

A 30-year-old Bengaluru resident, Suraj Shivanna, died by suicide in a Nagpur hotel after traveling over 1,000 km with his family following the death of his newly-wed wife, Ganavi. Ganavi had allegedly died by suicide at their Bengaluru home, leading her parents to file a dowry harassment and abetment of suicide case against Suraj. Fearing arrest and threats, Suraj, his mother Jayanti, and brother fled first to Hyderabad and later to Nagpur, where Suraj was found hanging in his hotel room late Friday. His mother also attempted suicide but survived and is hospitalized. Police are investigating and coordinating with Bengaluru authorities. (PC: India Today)

Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) have dismissed reports from some Bangladesh media and police that two suspects in the murder of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi fled into India via the Haluaghat border and entered Meghalaya. According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the suspects — Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh — allegedly crossed the border with help from locals and reached Tura in Meghalaya. However, Indian authorities say no evidence, arrests, or verified reports support this claim, calling it a false and fabricated narrative. Both agencies stressed the need for verified information through formal channels and increased border vigilance. (PC: HT)

The Election Commission (EC) has halted hearings for voters marked as “unmapped” in West Bengal after identifying a technical issue linked to the 2002 electoral rolls. Officials said problems arose during the digitisation of old PDF records, which led to mismatches in the Booth Level Officer (BLO) app and triggered erroneous notices to legitimate electors. The EC has directed officials not to proceed with such hearings and instead rely on physical verification of documents using hard copies of legacy rolls. Once verification is completed, affected voters will be correctly mapped and included in the updated electoral rolls, ensuring eligible electors are not wrongly excluded. (PC: PTI)

A 24-year-old student from Tripura, Angel Chakma, died after fighting for life for 17 days following a violent attack in Dehradun, police said. The incident took place on December 9 near a roadside canteen in the Selakui area. Police said a group of men made racially abusive remarks at Angel and his brother. When they objected, a fight broke out. Angel was allegedly hit with a sharp weapon and a metal kada, causing serious head and back injuries. He was admitted to a private hospital but died on Friday. Three accused were arrested, two minors detained, and one suspect remains absconding. Murder charges have now been added. (PC: India Today)