Beating Pakistan will set up a good tone for the whole tournament: Nigar Sultana

The Congress party, alongside Left organisations, launched extensive protests across several cities including Jaipur, Patna, Srinagar, and New Delhi, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In Jaipur, police deployed water cannons and erected barricades to prevent Congress demonstrators from marching towards the state secretariat and the Election Commission office. In Patna, Left affiliated groups clashed with security forces at Dak Bungalow roundabout while seeking to march towards the Chief Minister's residence, prompting the use of water cannons. In New Delhi, Indian Youth Congress workers were stopped by police and paramilitary barricades along Raisina Road during their march towards the Election Commission headquarters. Protesters accused the Election Commission of compromising institutional integrity and functioning at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. While Bharatiya Janata Party leaders defended the poll panel and dismissed the opposition's charges as baseless, opposition leaders pledged to intensify their nationwide agitation.

The central government's Namo Drone Didi scheme, supported by the Uttar Pradesh government, is empowering rural women and transforming farming. Beneficiaries like Neetu, who formerly sprayed pesticides by hand, now operate drones and earn 50,000 to 60,000 rupees monthly. Women's self-help groups receive up to an 80% subsidy on drone purchases along with 15 days of training. Uttar Pradesh now ranks second nationally in trained drone Didis. A single drone team can spray fertilizers across 20 acres daily, condensing days of manual labour into hours. In Phoolpur, Prayagraj, 90 women trained together and now earn by renting drone services to local farmers.

This bulletin covers major developments across southern India. In Tamil Nadu, the state government launched the Thai Maman Thanga Modiram Thittam in Madurai, rolling out a pre-poll promise to provide a one-gram gold ring to newborn infants born in government hospitals to permanent residents registered on the PICME portal. The broadcast also reviews details from an accessed four-page closure report in the Veeramani POCSO case, highlighting questions raised regarding police investigation timelines and judicial refusal to accept the closure filing amid political sparring between TVK and DMK. In Karnataka, the political war of words intensified between the BJP and Congress, alongside updates on an upcoming all-party meeting in Delhi called to address state issues. Furthermore, an SIT arrested prime accused Prashant Duraiswami at Bengaluru Airport upon his return from Azerbaijan in connection with an inter-state fake drug distribution racket. Lastly, Telangana Congress staged statewide protests in Hyderabad demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

The Delhi government has announced several measures to curb air pollution ahead of the winter season. A complete ban on construction and dust-generating demolition activities will take effect, along with a total halt on construction from 10 December. To reduce vehicular emissions, authorized parking charges will be doubled, excluding spaces managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Additionally, office timings will be staggered from November to February, and both government and private offices will be required to cut their on-site staff strength by 50 percent to enable work from home.