IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has become the first woman to head the CRPF’s special CoBRA unit. The 47-year-old officer is from the 2006 Assam-Meghalaya cadre. She took charge as Inspector General of CoBRA after joining the CRPF on deputation in August. Parashar has led counter-insurgency operations in northeast India and was called the “Iron Lady” by the media. CoBRA was formed in 2008 to fight Maoist insurgents and conduct jungle operations. Two of its battalions were recently moved to violence-hit Manipur. Parashar has also served with Assam Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).  

An Indian Army paratrooper from Surya Command carried out a tandem parachute jump with a combat dog and its handler over Behat Drop Zone in central India. The Army said the jump is among the first of its kind involving a dog and handler. The canine carried a full combat load during the exercise. The Army said the jump showed the strong trust and teamwork between soldiers and military dogs. Combat dogs are trained to detect explosives, weapons and people. They also help troops search dangerous areas. The exercise could help the Army use dogs in airborne and hostile-area missions.  

A Maharashtra FDA survey has found major differences between procurement costs and prices charged for commonly used hospital consumables. An IV set purchased for ₹11.05 was reportedly sold for ₹325, representing a 2,841% margin. A 10 ml syringe costing ₹6.75 was sold for ₹57.20, while a nebuliser mask bought for ₹45 was sold for ₹652. Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has urged the Centre to review pricing regulations and bring commonly used inpatient surgical consumables under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order. He also suggested trade-margin limits and stronger monitoring to reduce financial burdens on hospital patients. 

The Union Cabinet has approved raising the monthly wage ceiling for mandatory Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) coverage from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000. The decision, announced on September 16, 2026, is expected to bring around 51 lakh additional employees into the social-security system. Workers covered under the expanded limit will gain access to provident-fund savings, pension benefits and insurance protection, subject to scheme rules. The revision is the first change in the wage ceiling in 12 years. The government expects the measure to strengthen retirement security while expanding formal-sector social protection. (PC: The Hindu)

A woman was allegedly hit by a car, dragged on its bonnet and then run over by her boyfriend after an argument in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar area on September 16. Police said the incident occurred near Janeshwar Mishra Park after the woman confronted the accused, Shahnawaz, over his presence with another woman. A video of the incident showed the woman on the car’s bonnet as the vehicle moved forward. She was reportedly thrown onto the road and subsequently run over. Police arrested Shahnawaz and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

The CBI has assigned senior officer Seema Pahuja, currently an SP in its Special Crimes Unit, to supervise the investigation into the 2020 death of Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Pahuja has previously worked on high-profile investigations, including the RG Kar and Hathras cases, and received the CBI’s 2021 Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officer. The CBI registered an FIR on September 13 following the Bombay High Court’s September 2 direction for a fresh probe. Investigators will examine documents, forensic evidence and witness statements, including those of people present at a gathering before Salian’s death.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will introduce a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on selected UPI transactions from October 15, 2026. A 0.4% charge will apply to person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments above ₹2,000, capped at ₹300 per transaction. Payments involving railways, telecom, insurance and fuel will attract a flat ₹5 MDR above ₹2,000. Person-to-person (P2P) transfers and merchant payments up to ₹2,000 will remain free. Small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh monthly through UPI QR codes are also exempt. The MDR is intended to support the sustainability and infrastructure of India’s digital-payment ecosystem. 

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a public health alert against two Pakistan-made cosmetic products: Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream. Testing found both products were unauthorised for sale in India, lacked the required import registration certificates and contained heavy metals above specified limits, which could pose health risks, including toxic effects. CDSCO has advised consumers not to purchase or use the creams and directed sellers, distributors and other establishments not to sell, distribute or advertise them. Authorities have also been asked to prevent their sale. Consumers should check licence and registration details on imported cosmetics. (PC: Unsplash)

Eighty-one-year-old Asgar Ali Vora, a former schoolmate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has regained possession of a disputed 2,810-square-metre plot in Navghar, Bhayandar East. Vora had alleged that the land, purchased in 1989, was encroached upon and that forged documents were used to alter its ownership. He met PM Modi on September 8 and sought intervention in the long-running dispute. Days later, BJP MLA Narendra Mehta announced that he would relinquish possession of the disputed property, surrender its construction permission and withdraw a police complaint against Vora following a settlement. Maharashtra government officials also held a meeting involving both sides. (PC: India Today)

Kalyan Bainsla, the accused driver in the Gurugram hit-and-run case involving a woman biker on Golf Course Road, allegedly tried to escape police custody on Tuesday. Police said Bainsla sought permission to urinate and then attempted to flee, but fell and suffered minor injuries before being caught. He was given first aid at a hospital and taken back into custody. Bainsla, 33, was arrested a day earlier from Rajasthan along with his cousin. Police have added an attempt-to-murder charge against him after reviewing CCTV footage, alleging he intended to hit the woman with his car.