How Sunita Williams's 8-day flight turned into an eight-month mission

A ground report from Sultan Bazar in Hyderabad highlights severe drinking water wastage occurring beneath metro pillars 1204 and 1203. Despite appeals by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to conserve drinking water, treated municipal tap water has been flowing continuously onto the streets of this busy commercial area. Local shopkeepers and residents stated that the leakage has persisted for years, running daily for several hours. Commuters and traders reported significant inconvenience, noting that the water flow causes slippery roads, accidents, and damage to market goods. Residents pointed out that multiple complaints lodged with local corporators and metro rail authorities yielded no redress, as officials allegedly claimed digging around the pillars could compromise the metro structures. Visual evidence shows persistent water escaping from numerous spots along the pillar base, reflecting official inaction.

In this special edition of Battle Cry, host Gaurav Sawant explores the operational prowess of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile following Operation Sindoor and evaluates India's evolving defence strategy.

A high-stakes discussion on the Election Commission of India focuses on recent course corrections and controversies surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa highlighted that rolling back decisions on Form 6, ECI net review, and Form 7 amounts to an admission of mistakes, stressing that accountability must be fixed. Lavasa noted, 'The principal issue now would not only be that so many crores of people were disenfranchised quite unfairly, but to fix the accountability on who took these decisions and why were these decisions taken.' Former Chief Election Commissioner Dr S.Y. Quraishi contended that unilateral decisions without multi-member consensus were illegal, arguing that the election process had been vitiated. In response, senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao defended the SIR exercise, stating that voter list revisions were long overdue and aligned with standard democratic electoral cleanups globally.

Sugar prices have surged to 58 to 60 rupees per kilogram ahead of Diwali, threatening to make festive sweets more expensive for consumers. The price hike is compounded by concerns over Maharashtra's sugar production, which is estimated to decline by approximately 10 lakh metric tons, dropping from 99 lakh metric tons last year to 89 lakh metric tons this year due to drought in several districts. Local buyers and traders note that retail prices have fluctuated sharply, impacting household festive budgets.