Ex-Minister Raided In Tamil Nadu, Central Crime Branch Probes ₹100 Crore Private Schools Scam

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has once again summoned the managing director and head of Meta India for a formal inquiry regarding advertisements related to child sexual exploitative and abuse material. The commission initiated proceedings following a media report, prompting Meta to revise its reporting policy and share case details with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Additionally, the child rights panel has summoned the vice president of Capgemini over an alleged child abuse incident at a daycare centre in Bengaluru to examine the matter and determine culpability.

Tensions in India-US ties are likely to escalate as the United States House moved a bill seeking to authorize 100 percent tariffs on countries importing Russian crude oil, including India and China. The legislation, connected to Russia sanctions, aims to curb crude trade funding the war in Ukraine and grants discretionary powers to the US President to impose duties on trading partners. The proposed measure puts India's energy security and exports under scrutiny, while also impacting bilateral trade dynamics. Responding to the development, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's stance, asserting that energy sourcing decisions are strictly guided by national interest. He emphasized that national interest remains paramount for the country when choosing its energy partners, even as the proposed legislation heads for a final vote in the US Congress.

In this episode of Statecraft, Geeta Mohan examines emerging technological and geopolitical challenges reshaping global power. The United States has publicly confirmed the deployment of on-orbit space control weapons for the first time, while declining to disclose their specific operational capabilities. The revelation highlights growing counter-space risks, satellite vulnerabilities, and the danger of orbital debris chain reactions under the Kessler syndrome. Simultaneously, the artificial intelligence sector faces intense debate over autonomous AI agents capable of planning, coding, and browsing without direct human intervention, with Anthropic revealing internal stress-test boundary breaches. The programme also details how drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, coupled with Houthi operations around the Bab el Mandeb Strait, threaten global oil flows. Furthermore, the broadcast examines a political row in Texas over Indian representation at a university football game and discusses scrutiny surrounding international media portrayals of India during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

A revised merchant discount rate framework will apply to select Unified Payments Interface merchant transactions above 2,000 rupees starting 15 October, while person-to-person transfers and payments under the threshold remain free. High-value transactions will attract an MDR of 0.4% capped at 300 rupees per transaction, alongside flat rates for specific sectors like fuel and railways. The announcement has triggered sharp political disagreement, with the Congress labeling the charge a burden on digital payments and questioning its timing during the festive season. The Bharatiya Janata Party defended the policy, clarifying that 96% of small-ticket transactions remain completely unaffected and free for everyday users. Economists and analysts debate whether businesses will absorb the cost or pass it on to consumers, alongside discussions on digital infrastructure funding.