The News Today reports on the political controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision exercise.
This news report details the political confrontation following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi submitted fourteen formal objections against decisions by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, centralized voter data systems, and modifications to Form 6. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and P. Chidambaram demanded the resignation or impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner and sought a parliamentary committee review. The Bharatiya Janata Party countered the allegations by citing Articles 324 to 326 of the Constitution and statutory appeal provisions. RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj and former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa analyzed the centralization of voter list modifications, with Lavasa calling for the cancellation of Phase 3 of the revision exercise. The broadcast also reports on the student suicide case at IIT Bombay involving Sahil Wakode, legal observations against media trials, and the bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington.
Reports indicate internal divisions within the Election Commission of India, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally recording objections to decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Tensions escalated at IIT Bombay following the death by suicide of 20-year-old student Sahil Wakode, leading to campus protests and counter-protests. Sahil's parents, accompanied by their legal counsel, demanded the immediate arrest of invigilator Professor Surya Narayan Dula, alleging caste-based discrimination and harassment. Mumbai Police registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay faculty members, backed by faculty forums from IIT Delhi and IIT Madras, defended Professor Dula, stating that established protocol was followed after detecting exam malpractices, with faculty forum head Professor Rajkumar Pant stating the invigilator was executing his academic duties. A panel debate featuring Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar and IIT Kharagpur alumnus Rajat Sethi examined caste discrimination, academic stress, and institutional support systems. Additionally, the bulletin covers a police encounter in Jamui, Bihar involving molestation accused, alongside legal arguments by Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Harish Salve regarding Tata Sons board powers, shareholder rights, and affirmative trust voting.
A debate on IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode's death by suicide examined allegations of caste discrimination and institutional pressure on campus. Panellists discussed charges filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Professor Suryanarayan Dula following the incident. Alumnus Sudheendra Kulkarni stressed that guilt should not be presumed before an inquiry and warned against misuse of legal provisions. Dr Suraj Yengde highlighted data on SC and ST students and raised concerns over systemic discrimination. Professor Raghu Murtugudde called for an impartial fact-finding probe and stressed the need to restore trust between students and the administration.
President Donald Trump is set to sign the Russia sanctions bill after it cleared both chambers of Congress. The legislation allows him to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China. What could this mean for India-US ties and global energy markets? Could a prolonged court battle damage the Tata brand, irrespective of who wins? Is a compromise necessary? With Tata Sons reappointing N Chandrasekaran despite Noel Tata's objections, will the decision stand? And after more than five decades across cinema, theatre and television, Anant Nag has been chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Was the honour long overdue? Does theatre remain his first love, or has cinema taken its place? The veteran actor speaks exclusively to India Today. Three major conversations, tonight on News Today with Rajdeep Sardesai.
This special News Today broadcast covers key economic, geopolitical, and national developments. The programme examines the political and economic debate surrounding the levy of a 0.4 percent merchant discount rate on Unified Payments Interface transactions exceeding 2,000 rupees.
This special broadcast covers key civic, economic, and public safety developments across India.
The programme examines the growing global debate over AI safety after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, warning of existential risks from unchecked development, and looks at Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's three-step framework for AI safeguards and international coordination.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit New Delhi on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first India visit in seven years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits New Delhi on September 12 to participate in the BRICS Summit, marking his first trip to India in seven years. The multilateral gathering features key bilateral engagements involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on India-China border negotiations, trade relations, economic cooperation, and global diplomacy. Alongside summit coverage, this special report examines registered unrecognized political parties across Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh that collected substantial donations while operating from residential sites and locked offices without contesting elections. Former Chief Election Commissioner Dr S.Y. Quraishi and transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj analyze statutory income tax exemptions, regulatory loopholes, and Election Commission oversight, while also addressing widespread voter list deletions flagged during the Special Intensive Revision in Delhi and Karnataka.
Municipal authorities in Delhi initiated demolition drives against unsafe buildings and imposed regulatory curbs on paying guest accommodations after a building collapse in Satya Niketan resulted in seven fatalities.
This News Today primetime special report examines major news developments across India and internationally.
A multi-storey paying guest accommodation collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan, resulting in seven fatalities, including five Delhi University students, and injuring five others. The Delhi Chief Minister suspended five Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, including a deputy commissioner, while police arrested the building owner, Hariram Gupta, alongside his wife and son. The Delhi High Court ordered a high-level probe and directed municipal authorities to inspect all paying guest facilities within a week. Additionally, structural audits were mandated across student hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, and Saket. A panel discussion featuring former Urban Development Secretary Dr. Sudhir Krishna addressed systemic municipal corruption, structural violations, and unauthorized constructions in Delhi and Gurugram. The segment also covers an India Today ground report detailing a severe teacher shortage in Himachal Pradesh government schools, where assembly data reveals 150 schools operate without any teachers and over 3,500 rely on a single teacher, prompting recruitment assurances from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
A national debate has emerged over India's first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth figures of 7.8 percent, following criticisms raised by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg.
The Indian government's announcement of a 7.8% GDP growth rate for the first quarter has triggered political debate and economic analysis.
In an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Lobsang Sangay, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, raised serious concerns over the impact of recent Himalayan flash floods in Tibet.
The Indian economy grew 7.8% in the April-June quarter, beating expectations despite oil price shocks from the Iran war. Meanwhile, two Indian-born women adopted by different families in the Netherlands discovered nearly four decades later that they are biological sisters. Mina Gelting and Minal Taijon, friends since meeting at a camp in 1996, learnt the truth through a DNA test and now plan to travel together to Mumbai to trace their roots. Watch NewsToday With Rajdeep Sardesai.
This News Today episode sheds light on the growing public scrutiny of the Indian economy, a key theme in the Mood of the Nation poll.
