Situated in the northeastern part of India and south of the eastern Himalayas along with Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys, Assam is one of the world’s most populous subdivisions. It gained its recognition as a constituent state of India in 1950 and is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Nagaland and Manipur to the east, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south. Assamese is the official and widely spoken language of the state but several other dialects such as Bengali (Barak Valley) and Bodo (Bodoland territorial region) are also prominent in various regions of Assam.
One of the last wild habitats for the Asian Elephant, the state offers a variety of flora and fauna and is home to the one-horned Indian rhinoceros along with the wild water buffalo. Apart from this, Assam is considered one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and has two prominent UNESCO world heritage sites; Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park. Assam is extremely famous for wildlife tourism and is home to numerous endangered and threatened species including red-headed vulture, white-winged wood duck, golden langur and more.
In addition to this, Assam is considered the meeting ground for diverse cultures and Bihu is the most popular folk dance form that comes from the state. The state of Assam is worldwide famous for Assam tea and Assam silk. Being a producer of more than half of India's tea and having unique features, Assam’s tea has a malty flavour and a rich savoury aroma.
Assam also boasts a fair number of tourist sites among which Hajo, an ancient pilgrim centre adoring the banks of Brahmaputra. Sivasagar is another prominent tourist attraction in the state that depicts the architecture from the days of the Ahom Dynasty.
A twenty-two-year-old sociology student from Guwahati University was found dead after being discovered unconscious at a homestay in Guwahati. Her boyfriend claimed she died by suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan, but police state his version is still being verified. Her father has alleged that she was sexually assaulted and that she had informed her mother about the assault before her death, while the boyfriend's parents have countered these claims. Family and friends staged a protest demanding justice and seeking the intervention of the Assam Chief Minister, while the Vishva Hindu Parishad has alleged murder.
A twenty-two-year-old Guwahati University student was found dead at a homestay in the Azara area of Guwahati, Assam. The student was rushed to a hospital by friends but was declared brought dead. Following the incident, the Vishva Hindu Parishad alleged a conspiracy and claimed love jihad behind the death, demanding that all accomplices be exposed and addressing the matter to the state leadership. The student's partner claimed that she died by suicide. Assam Police have placed the partner under investigation and are questioning him while examining all details surrounding the death.
Congress workers staged protests across several states on Friday, demanding the resignation and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid the political row over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A political controversy has erupted over the transfer of a five-year-old elephant named Durga from Manas in Assam to the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Durga is among five captive elephants slated for relocation to temples across Tamil Nadu, including Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, and Kanchipuram. Wildlife activists and netizens have raised serious concerns over the welfare of young elephants, alleging that mandatory scrutiny was bypassed. The issue has taken a political turn with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioning the Assam government over permissions, ownership details, and age verification, warning against what he called a silent exodus of the state's elephants. The incident revives past disputes between the two states, including the contentious case of the elephant Joymala.
Two violent incidents in Gurugram's upscale Golf Course Road area have raised serious concerns over citizen safety and civic conditions. In the first incident, a woman rider was hit and dragged by a car whose occupants were allegedly drunk and harassing her biking group; the entire incident was recorded on her GoPro camera. While Gurugram police registered an FIR, the car's registered owner, an Indian Army soldier posted in Assam, claimed he had lent the vehicle to a friend who denied driving it. In another incident nearby at Sector 65, Kargil War veteran Group Captain Amit Kumar (Retd) was assaulted with an iron rod by a parking attendant following an argument over parking space. The retired officer sustained broken arms and ribs and underwent surgery at Medanta. The report highlights deteriorating law and order, lack of road safety, and civic issues in one of India's most expensive residential belts.
Gurugram Police have identified the accused driver in the viral hit-and-run case involving a woman biker as Deepak, a resident of Tikri in Karnal district. According to police investigations, the vehicle is owned by Manish Singh, an Indian Army personnel posted in Assam, who had lent it to his childhood friend Kalyan. Kalyan, an athlete and bodybuilder, subsequently handed the car to Deepak. Police confirmed that three teams are conducting raids to trace Deepak, who remains absconding, and to recover the offending vehicle. Gurugram Police took suo motu cognizance of the incident and registered an FIR at Sector 56 police station after the victim did not lodge a formal complaint, warning that rash and negligent driving will face strict legal action.
MBBS, BDS, and FMGE intern doctors across Jammu and Kashmir have launched an indefinite strike demanding an immediate revision of their monthly stipend from 12,300 rupees to at least 30,000 rupees. Protesting doctors outside Government Medical College in Jammu stated that they work over 80 hours a week, earning merely 400 rupees a day. They highlighted that their stipend has remained unchanged since 2019, making it the lowest in the country compared to other states such as Odisha, Assam, and Delhi, as well as central institutes like AIIMS Vijaypur. Although Health Minister Sakina Itoo acknowledged their demand as genuine and stated the file is under process, the protesting doctors rejected verbal assurances, citing three years of unresolved promises. Nearly 1,600 to 1,700 medical interns across all medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are participating in the agitation, maintaining they will not call off the protest without a formal written implementation order.
A investigation is underway after dismembered body parts of a woman were found inside a red suitcase on board the Tamil Nadu Express at Agra Cantonment Railway Station. Railway police and Chennai police traced the suitcase back to a couple using CCTV footage, showing them carrying the trunk into Chennai Central and boarding the train before abandoning it. Further investigation at the couple's rented house in Guduvancheri revealed evidence suggesting the victim was hanged and dismembered. Additional body parts were found stored inside a large biryani vessel, which police seized for forensic examination. Authorities suspect a man from Assam and a woman from Odisha are involved, while special police teams have been formed to trace the missing couple.
In this edition of India Today Explains, Akshita Nandgopal breaks down the major news developments of the week. Parliament passed the Public Exam Amendment Bill, introducing stricter penalties, up to 10 years imprisonment and fines reaching 10 crore rupees, to curb paper leaks and restore trust in the examination system.
The programme primarily addresses Gen Z and Gen Alpha student protests, examining online backlash, abusive language, and the resignation of the education minister. Lieutenant Bamji discusses constitutional limits, apologises for aggressive online remarks, and warns against criminalising student language while cautioning against pulling the armed forces into political debates.
In this edition of News Today, the pellet-gun controversy has intensified calls for stricter rules and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing crowd control during peaceful protests in India.
MO spoke to Gen Z volunteers on the ground, documenting what the Assam floods have left behind, children drying their soaked notebooks, and families watching their homes fall apart.
The Lok Sabha witnessed a fierce debate on the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill 2026, aimed at curbing paper leaks and protecting the future of students.
A debate on India Today show India First, hosted by Gaurav Sawant, analyses the legal and political fallout following violent protest clashes in Delhi.
A marathon debate on the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday turned into a sharp political confrontation after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked newly appointed Education Minister Pralhad Joshi over his past remarks related to the Bilkis Bano case.
Parliament witnessed intense debates during the Lok Sabha session on the Anti-Paper Leak Bill as Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi confronted the Union government and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi over examination irregularities.
Parliament faced a sixth consecutive day of deadlock as opposition parties demanded Home Minister Amit Shah address the Lok Sabha regarding the police response to Gen Z student protests over NEET paper leak allegations. Opposition leaders condemned the use of pellet guns by the Rapid Action Force during the July 20 Parliament march, which triggered an internal CRPF operational review, as well as an incident in Siwan, Bihar, where a suspended police constable fired an AK-47 to disperse protesters. Anchor Rajdeep Sardesai on News Today brought together BJP representative Sanju Verma, Congress MP G Kumar Naik, and AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar to debate the controversy, alongside inputs from Senior Advocate Indira Jaising. Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the dismissal of criminal cases against detained students. The broadcast also covered flood damage affecting over six lakh people in upper Assam and featured an interview with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu following her Commonwealth Games gold medal victory.
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha experienced a deadlock as opposition parties demanded a statement and an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah over reported police actions during student protests against the NEET paper leak controversy, including the use of pellet guns by the RAF in Delhi and an AK-47 firing incident in Bihar's Siwan district. Speaker Om Birla facilitated discussions between political leaders, leading to an agreement to resume Parliament and discuss the anti-paper leak bill. Meanwhile, the CRPF initiated a review of RAF actions, while the CJP threatened street protests following detentions and FIRs against students. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal pledged one crore rupees to set up a legal defense fund for peaceful protesters. In related news, Delhi Police deployed facial recognition systems at Jantar Mantar, identifying 2,873 individuals with criminal records, and the Madras High Court set aside Tamil Nadu's order providing government jobs to families of Karur stampede victims amid an ongoing CBI probe. Additionally, a Maharashtra NEET aspirant died by suicide, and Assam reported its worst floods in fifty years.
Allegations that pellet guns were used against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters during demonstrations over alleged exam paper leaks have intensified the political row, with medical records reportedly confirming pellet injuries and legal experts seeking an inquiry into police crowd-control measures.
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the BJP's 'Mission 360' to get a two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as the stage is set for a stormy monsoon session next week.
