Why was the benefit of low crude prices never passed on to middle class? Rajdeep's take

The government has launched a recruitment drive for 331 constables in the Ladakh Police, accompanied by free physical and written orientation training for local youth. The training will be conducted across districts including Leh, Kargil, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang, with Leh hosting a 14-day camp at the Astro Turf Stadium in Spituk from 7 to 20 September. Professional drill instructors from the CRPF and other security forces will train aspiring candidates in physical standards like running, push-ups, and long jump. To ensure complete transparency, the selection process will use RFID-enabled sensor beeps and biometric fingerprint scanning to prevent impersonation and fraud.

At least nine people have died in the Banda tehsil of Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, after consuming spurious liquor on Saturday night. Victims belonging to villages including Ghughar, Noraj, and Baraj were rushed to the hospital after their health deteriorated, where doctors declared them brought dead. The local administration, excise department, and police have initiated investigations and conducted raids across multiple locations. Authorities have identified five to six spots from where the illicit alcohol was allegedly purchased, with plans to seal the premises to trace the source of manufacturing and nab the main accused.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child named Vedanshu was kidnapped from the premises of Nizamabad Government Hospital in Telangana. The child was at the hospital with his parents for treatment when an unidentified woman approached him and his elder brother outside in the corridor. The woman allegedly lured the toddler with a chocolate and led him away, an act caught on CCTV footage. The elder brother informed their parents, but the woman had already fled the hospital premises with the toddler. A kidnapping case has been registered by the police, and an active search operation is underway to locate the missing child and identify the abductor.

The Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption conducted raids across close to 30 locations in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Coimbatore, and Erode, linked to former minister K. N. Nehru, his brother, and his office. The action follows allegations of tender irregularities in the Municipal Administration Corporation involving over one thousand crore rupees, as well as a cash-for-jobs scam. Officials seized around 241 incriminating documents and registered cases under multiple sections. The DMK criticised the repeated searches, characterising the ongoing action as an attempt to suppress opposition voices and calling it a murder of democracy.