A high-intensity explosion at a suspected illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Bihar’s Araria district has left several people injured and caused significant damage to a residential property, police said. The blast took place at a house being allegedly used for firecracker-related activities. The explosion created panic in the surrounding area, while the impact caused structural damage to the building.
Police said the exact number of people injured in the incident has not yet been confirmed. Local reports indicated that several people may have been hurt, while authorities are working to establish who was present at the premises when the explosion occurred. Following the incident, police teams reached the location and began examining the damaged house. Officials are also investigating whether explosive or firecracker material was being manufactured or stored at the premises without the required permissions.
Authorities are expected to examine the debris and other evidence from the site to determine what triggered the explosion. The investigation will also focus on the nature and quantity of material reportedly kept at the property. The incident has once again highlighted the risks associated with unauthorised firecracker manufacturing and storage, particularly when such activities are carried out in or close to residential areas. Firecracker production involves combustible materials that require controlled handling and appropriate safety arrangements.
Police are continuing their investigation, while further details about the injured persons, the material involved and possible legal action are expected as officials complete their assessment of the site. The investigation is ongoing, and the final cause of the explosion and confirmed casualty figures are yet to be established.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.
Political pressure on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on Friday after the Congress put up posters in the national capital demanding his removal, amid a growing dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Delhi Congress OBC wing displayed posters at the ITO intersection carrying the message, “Gyanesh Hatao, Chunav Aayog Bachao” (Remove Gyanesh, Save the Election Commission).
The campaign came a day after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called for Kumar’s resignation following a report by The Indian Express concerning the functioning of the Election Commission and alleged objections raised by Election Commissioners over certain decisions, including those linked to the SIR exercise.
Gandhi has alleged that concerns raised within the poll panel were being disregarded and has questioned the credibility of the electoral process. The Congress leader also criticised Kumar during a press conference in New Delhi and demanded his resignation. The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that internal differences indicate a lack of consensus in its decision-making. Responding to the report, the poll body said decisions taken over the past year were unanimous and that differences in views and observations are part of normal institutional deliberations.
The BJP has criticised Gandhi’s allegations. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Congress leader of making political claims after failing to gain public support through democratic means. The Congress has expanded its campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner through multiple channels. The Indian Youth Congress launched an online petition on Thursday seeking Kumar’s removal following the Indian Express report. The petition, titled “Gyanesh, It’s Done Bro”, also seeks an investigation into the electoral process and voter rolls, the release of electoral records and internal objections, and legal action against those found responsible for any wrongdoing.
The youth wing said the campaign was intended to take the debate over electoral transparency and accountability beyond social media and encourage greater public participation, particularly among young people. A separate legal challenge has also been filed before the Kolhapur Bench of the Bombay High Court against Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission. The petitioners have sought the withdrawal of 14 administrative orders and changes that they allege were introduced unilaterally by the poll panel.
The petition also seeks a halt to the ongoing SIR exercise in Maharashtra and calls for the restoration of names removed from electoral rolls during the process. The petitioners have further sought postponement of upcoming elections until fresh voter lists are prepared and approved. The developments add another layer to the ongoing political dispute over the Election Commission, electoral rolls and the SIR process. While opposition parties have raised concerns about the poll body's functioning, the Election Commission has maintained that its decisions have been taken through established institutional processes and that differing views during deliberations are normal.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.
The Opposition is preparing to make another attempt to initiate an impeachment process against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while IIT Bombay has launched an inquiry into the death of a BTech student, making both developments key stories in Thursday’s news cycle. Opposition parties are discussing a fresh motion against Kumar amid an ongoing political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and its handling of electoral matters. The proposed move comes after reports of differences within the poll panel over several decisions taken in recent months.
According to reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have raised objections on a number of occasions over decisions involving electoral rolls, including the addition and deletion of voters and changes in voter registration procedures. The reported disagreements have become part of the Opposition’s wider criticism of the Election Commission.
The Opposition had previously submitted impeachment notices against Kumar earlier this year. One of those notices was rejected by the Rajya Sabha chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker, while another has remained a subject of political debate. The latest effort is expected to bring the functioning of the poll panel and reported differences among the commissioners back into focus.
The government has rejected the Opposition’s interpretation of the disagreements within the Election Commission, maintaining that differences during institutional decision-making do not necessarily indicate a breakdown in the functioning of a constitutional body. The issue has also become linked to the broader political controversy surrounding electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
IIT Bombay has constituted a 10-member committee to investigate the death of a second-year BTech student who was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. The institute’s Board of Governors appointed the panel four days after the incident and asked it to submit its findings within a week. The inquiry comes amid concerns raised by the student’s family and protests on the campus. His parents have alleged that the student faced caste-based remarks and treatment. These allegations are being examined and have not been established as facts.
The case is also being investigated by the Mumbai Crime Branch. Police have reportedly questioned students and friends who were present during the examination on the day of the incident. Investigators are examining what happened during and after the examination, along with digital and other available evidence.
The student had reportedly been caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. The circumstances surrounding the examination, the events that followed and the allegations raised by the family are now being examined through both the institutional inquiry and the police investigation. The incident has triggered debate on the IIT Bombay campus, with some students calling for an independent and transparent investigation. Other sections of the student community have urged people to allow the ongoing inquiry to establish the facts before drawing conclusions.
The two developments, though unrelated, have placed institutional accountability at the centre of public attention. While the political controversy concerns the functioning of a constitutional authority and the proposed action against the Chief Election Commissioner, the IIT Bombay case focuses on the circumstances surrounding a student’s death and the response of an educational institution. Further developments in both cases are expected as the Opposition decides on its next course of action and investigators continue examining the IIT Bombay incident. The findings of the respective processes will be important in determining the facts and any subsequent action.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.
Zee Group founder Subhash Chandra has approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) challenging an order passed by a five-member special bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which restricted him from selling, transferring or otherwise dealing with his assets. The appeal relates to the NCLT's September 1 order issued during Chandra's personal insolvency proceedings. The NCLAT bench, comprising Officiating Chairperson Justice (retd) Yogesh Khanna and Technical Members Barun Mitra and Ajai Das Mehrotra, took up the matter and directed Chandra to provide copies of the appeal to the creditors involved in the proceedings. The case has been listed for further hearing on September 29.
Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Chandra, told the appellate tribunal that the appeal specifically challenges the September 1 order passed by the special five-member NCLT bench. During the hearing, several creditors informed the NCLAT that they had either not received copies of the appeal or had not been formally included as parties, despite having participated in the proceedings before the NCLT. Taking note of their submissions, the appellate tribunal directed Chandra's legal team to provide copies of the appeal to all parties appearing before it and complete the necessary steps to implead the required parties.
The dispute arises from personal insolvency proceedings initiated against Chandra by Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited under Section 95 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Under a repayment proposal submitted by Chandra, creditors were offered Rs 6.25 crore against admitted claims amounting to Rs 22,006.57 crore. The proposal also provided Rs 25 lakh towards expenses related to the insolvency resolution process.
The repayment proposal was initially examined by a two-member NCLT bench comprising Judicial Member Ashok Kumar Bhardwaj and Technical Member Reena Sinha Puri. The two members, however, arrived at differing views on the proposed repayment plan, after which the matter was referred to a larger five-member special bench.
The larger NCLT bench subsequently stayed the operation of an August 25 order concerning the repayment plan. It also directed that Chandra, in his capacity as guarantor, should not sell, transfer, alienate or otherwise deal with his assets, either directly or indirectly, while the insolvency proceedings remain pending. The five-member bench has separately sought a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) within four weeks, observing that the agency's investigation could have a bearing on the insolvency proceedings. Chandra's legal team had opposed the move to make the CBI a party to the proceedings.
The latest appeal before the NCLAT is focused on the September 1 restriction preventing Chandra from dealing with his assets. The appellate tribunal will consider the matter further on September 29 after the relevant parties have received copies of the appeal and the required parties have been formally impleaded.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
A 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode, died by suicide in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. Wakode, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering, was reportedly found hanging from a ceiling fan in Hostel 4. IIT Bombay said he had been counselled after the examination and that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. His family later alleged caste-based discrimination and institutional harassment. Based on their complaint, police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating the examination, was named as an accused. The investigation has now been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch. No arrests have been reported so far. IIT Bombay has denied receiving any earlier caste-discrimination complaint from Wakode. The institute also apologised for its earlier statements about the circumstances surrounding his death, saying the matter remains under investigation. The incident has triggered student protests, with demonstrators demanding accountability and institutional reforms. Students have submitted an 18-point charter, including calls for an independent investigation. IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare has said he will resign but must follow the required institutional process. Wakode's death is the third reported student suicide on the campus in seven months.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced a broad set of initiatives covering family support, housing, technology and Singapore’s national resilience. Hairianto Diman and Justine Moss speak to SMU School of Law Associate Professor Eugene Tan about the major measures, their significance for Singaporeans and what they reveal about the Government’s priorities for the country’s next stage of growth.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
Myanmar's military government has released rare images of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi meeting a Red Cross official, marking her first known contact with the outside world since the 2021 coup. The photos were released just ahead of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's first official visit to Thailand, prompting speculation about their political significance.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
In a conversation with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy during the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas discussed his state’s political battle with One Nation. He said progressive groups should avoid dismissing or talking down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters, arguing that their concerns need to be understood rather than ignored. Addressing the ongoing debate over the AUKUS submarine deal, Malinauskas acknowledged concerns after the US revealed that Virginia-class submarine production rates had not improved. However, he maintained that walking away from the agreement would create greater strategic risks than the challenges surrounding the controversial defence partnership.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
On Made in SG, Melanie Oliveiro chats with Singaporean singer-songwriter Frances Tan, who recently competed in the Commonwealth Song Contest — an international music competition featuring participants from all 56 Commonwealth countries. Tan shares her experience of being chosen as a Grand Finalist, representing Singapore alongside six other finalist nations. She also discusses her original track, Just Me, which she submitted as her contest entry.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
