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Bomb Threat Amid Ganesh Visarjan Festivities Mumbai Police announced a high alert on Friday after receiving a chilling threat from an organization called Lashkar-e-Jihadi . The caller claimed that 34 “human bombs” carrying 400 kg of RDX had been planted across the city in 34 vehicles to cause blasts capable of “shaking the entire city.” The timing of the threat coincided with the Ganesh Visarjan processions on the eve of Anant Chaturdashi , when lakhs of devotees gather across Mumbai for the immersion of idols, heightening public safety concerns. Details of the Threat Call The threat call was received on the traffic police helpline , where the caller further claimed that the planned explosions would kill one crore people . Following the message, police across Maharashtra intensified security checks and monitoring in sensitive locations. Recent Pattern of Hoax Threats in Mumbai This latest development follows a series of bomb threat hoaxes in Mumbai over the past few months...

Background of Rampal and Satlok Ashram Controversy Rampal, head of the Satlok Ashram , has been in custody since November 2014 after being arrested in a criminal contempt case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. His arrest followed large-scale violence during an operation to bring him before the court. The 2014 incident led to six deaths and injuries to 110 police personnel and 70 civilians , sparking widespread controversy. Following this, five criminal cases were registered against him. High Court’s Suspension of Sentence On September 2, 2025 , the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended Rampal’s life sentence in a 2014 case involving the deaths of four women and one child at his ashram. This comes just days after another suspension on August 28, 2025 , in a separate case concerning the death of one woman during the same operation. The bench of Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill and Justice Deepinder Singh Nalwa noted that Rampal, now 74 years old , had already spent 10 yea...

Introduction The arrest of Saurabh Tripathi , a 36-year-old impostor who posed as an IAS officer, has shocked officials, businessmen, and even his former classmates. For years, he lived a double life , infiltrated high-security government zones, and conned people across multiple states, exploiting systemic loopholes and the blind trust in bureaucratic authority. Arrest and Seizure of Luxury Assets Tripathi was caught during a routine vehicle checking drive in Lucknow , where police discovered: Six luxury vehicles including Range Rover , Mercedes Benz C 220 , and Toyota Fortuner . Forged government passes and ID cards . Evidence of his fabricated designation as a “Cabinet Special Secretary.” Police confirmed that he lived in upscale apartments in Lucknow and Noida , further strengthening the illusion of power and influence. Tactics of Deception Authorities revealed that Tripathi used confidence and theatrics to gain entry into closed-door government meetings and eve...

The Delhi High Court has ruled that a husband’s increased income and the rising cost of living are valid factors to enhance the maintenance payable to his separated wife, even if he is retired and drawing a pension. Background of the Case The case involved a 60-year-old woman who challenged a family court’s order that had refused to increase her monthly maintenance. The couple married in April 1990 but separated just two years later, after the woman alleged dowry demands and harassment . In 2012 , a family court directed the husband to pay ₹10,000 per month in maintenance. In 2018 , the woman sought an enhancement, citing her husband’s promotion from Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) to Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) , which increased his salary before retirement. Plea of the Wife The woman argued that: The maintenance was originally fixed based on her husband’s ₹28,000 monthly salary in 2012, but by the time of her petition, his salary had risen to ₹40,000 . He...

Convict Seeks Urgent Medical Treatment in Jail A convict in the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts case , Nasir Abdul Kadar Kewal alias Nasir Dhakla , has approached the Bombay High Court seeking urgent medical treatment. Kewal, who is serving a life sentence at Nashik Central Prison , filed a writ petition on August 20 through Advocate Farhana Shah, alleging negligence on the part of prison authorities and requesting court intervention. In his plea, Kewal highlighted his medical history, including ischaemic heart disease and hypertension , which had led to multiple hospital admissions at Sir J.J. Hospital in April 2025 . Following his discharge on April 23, doctors recommended strict medication compliance and regular follow-up visits. However, Kewal alleged that his repeated requests to be taken for check-ups were denied due to the “unavailability of escort staff.” The petition argues that adequate medical treatment is a constitutional right , even for convicted prisoners, and the denia...

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has approved the most comprehensive restructuring of India’s GST system since its inception in 2017 , cutting taxes on over 90% of goods. The reforms, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after the 56th GST Council meeting , simplify the GST structure into two principal slabs— 5% and 18% , with a special 40% tax rate for luxury and sin goods. The new rates will take effect from September 22, 2025 . Largest Tax Reform Since 2017 The GST overhaul aims to boost domestic consumption at a time when India’s exports are facing global headwinds, especially due to increased tariffs from the United States. Key highlights: Reduction from four slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) to two slabs (5% and 18%) A special 40% rate for high-end goods and sin products Net revenue implication : ₹48,000 crore based on FY24 consumption data Objective: To stimulate demand, ease compliance, and simplify GST for businesses Centre’s Push for...

The Government of India has introduced a long-awaited compensation plan for road accident victims, proposing ₹2 lakh for fatalities and ₹1 lakh for grievous injuries . The draft scheme, formulated under Section 164A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019 , is now pending review by the Supreme Court of India . Background: A Delayed Implementation The proposal comes over three years after Parliament passed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019 to ensure interim financial relief for victims of road accidents. Although the law was formally notified on April 1, 2022 , the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had failed to frame a detailed implementation mechanism. The delay prompted advocate Kishan Chand Jain to approach the Supreme Court. In April 2025, a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala granted the Centre four months to finalise the compensation scheme—a deadline that lapsed on August 28, 2025 . The draft scheme was filed with the apex court a day later, on August 2...

The Supreme Court of India is currently deliberating a significant constitutional question: whether it can prescribe fixed timelines for Governors and the President to act on state bills, despite the Constitution’s explicit language requiring them to act only “as soon as possible.” Background: The Presidential Reference under Article 143 The issue stems from an April 8 ruling by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court that imposed deadlines — three months for the President to decide on bills and one month for governors to act on re-enacted bills. The judgment sparked intense debate, leading to a Presidential Reference under Article 143 . The reference, sent by President Droupadi Murmu in May, places 14 questions before the Court, including whether judicially crafting procedural rules where the Constitution is silent amounts to rewriting constitutional provisions . The matter is being heard by a five-judge constitution bench led by Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai , with Justic...

Kavitha Accuses Harish Rao and Santosh Rao of Corruption Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha has sparked a major internal storm by directly blaming her cousins — former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao and former MP J. Santosh Rao — for alleged large-scale irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad after returning from a 10-day trip to the United States , Kavitha claimed that her father and BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) was being made a scapegoat while others “amassed huge assets” from the project. She accused the two leaders of playing a pivotal role in the project’s execution, saying: “They accumulated huge assets blinding KCR. They are the anacondas of corruption.” Strong Objection to CBI Probe into Kaleshwaram Kavitha condemned Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s decision to hand over the Kaleshwaram case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) , calling it an insult to KC...

The Supreme Court of India on Monday clarified that voters in Bihar can continue to submit applications for inclusion, deletion, and correction of entries in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls even after the formal deadline of September 1, 2025 , though it refused to extend the deadline statutorily. Background: Electoral Roll Revision in Bihar The Election Commission of India (ECI) has undertaken a special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the first such major update in nearly two decades. The draft rolls published in August 2025 excluded approximately 6.5 million names , sparking political controversy and a wave of legal petitions. The revision is significant ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections , with opposition parties, particularly the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) , alleging mass voter disenfranchisement. Supreme Court’s Directions A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi recorded the ECI’s assurance that appli...

The Allahabad High Court has issued a directive for status quo to be maintained on a fresh dispute over alleged illegal constructions on the Yamuna floodplain in Noida. The court’s decision, issued on August 26 and uploaded on August 31, 2025 , consolidates ongoing legal scrutiny of environmental violations in the ecologically sensitive region. Background: Petition by 30 Farmhouse Owners The court order came in response to a petition filed by 30 farmhouse owners challenging demolition notices issued by the Noida Authority . The petitioners alleged selective targeting of certain properties, claiming that their farmhouses: Are five kilometres away from the riverbank Lie outside the High Flood Level (HFL) zone Are temporary in nature Do not obstruct the natural flow of the Yamuna River The petitioners also challenged the Noida Authority’s demarcation of the floodplain, carried out under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 201...

India-China Talks at a Critical Juncture Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin , marking Modi’s first visit to China in seven years. The discussions carried immense weight as the two leaders stressed the importance of border peace, strategic autonomy, and mutual cooperation amid ongoing global economic uncertainty and geopolitical shifts. This meeting was the second between the leaders since both nations agreed in October 2024 to end a prolonged standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) , which had begun in April-May 2020 and caused bilateral relations to plummet to their lowest point since the 1962 border war . Border Peace as a Foundation for Progress Modi firmly conveyed India’s position that peace and tranquillity on the border are critical for the further development of bilateral ties . Both leaders expressed satisfaction with t...

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a notification introducing a strict benchmark for awarding Green Credits . Under this framework, an applicant will only be eligible for Green Credit after achieving 40% canopy density on a degraded forest land parcel, following a minimum of five years of restoration activities . The move is part of the government’s broader Green Credit Programme , designed to incentivize ecological restoration, encourage corporate participation in afforestation efforts, and link environmental performance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting . Green Credit Rules 2023: Legal Basis and Objective The Green Credit Rules, 2023 , were notified in October 2023 under Sections 3, 6, and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 . The rules empower companies, private entities, and other stakeholders to take up plantation and restoration projects on degraded land , including open forest areas, scrubla...

Introduction In a landmark decision that could reshape Mumbai’s urban planning, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Bombay High Court’s ruling to allocate 150 acres of Mulund salt pan land for the rehabilitation of ineligible Dharavi residents under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). The verdict brings closure to a decades-long legal dispute over land originally leased for salt production but left unused for over 30 years. Dharavi Redevelopment Project: Eligibility Criteria The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, one of the world’s largest urban renewal initiatives, classifies residents into categories based on settlement dates: Residents before January 1, 2000 : Eligible for free 350 sq ft homes within Dharavi . Residents between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2011 : Eligible for 300 sq ft homes at alternate sites , such as the Mulund salt pan land. This classification ensures equitable rehabilitation while addressing the housing needs of a massive slum popula...

The Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) December 2024 order, directing the Centre to promote Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede to the post of Joint Commissioner (JC) of Customs and Indirect Taxes , provided he is found eligible by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Background: Wankhede’s Role in Aryan Khan Drug Case Sameer Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, served as the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai and gained national attention in October 2021 when he supervised the high-profile arrest of Aryan Khan , son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan , in a drugs-on-cruise case. However, in July 2023 , Wankhede himself came under scrutiny after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated probes into allegations that he demanded a ₹25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan in exchange for not implicating Aryan Khan in the case. Sealed Cover Proc...

Trump’s Tariff Policy Faces Major Legal Setback Former US President Donald Trump’s trade policies faced a significant blow after the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC , ruled that a majority of his tariffs were unlawful . The decision targeted tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) , a 1977 law historically used for sanctions or asset freezes, not tariffs. Trump, however, reacted strongly to the ruling, labeling the decision as “highly partisan” and vowing to appeal to the US Supreme Court . He insisted that his tariffs were critical for protecting US manufacturers, farmers, and workers, and warned that removing them would be a “total disaster” for the American economy. The Court’s Ruling: Limits on Presidential Powers The Appeals Court emphasized that Congress, not the President, holds the constitutional authority to impose taxes and tariffs . The judges clarified that IEEPA grants the President wide emergency ...