Nivedita

Indian Railways has announced a marginal hike in passenger train fares effective from 1 July 2025, aimed at simplifying fare structures and improving service sustainability. The revision includes increases of 0.5 to 2 paisa per kilometre across Second Class, Sleeper, First Class, and AC categories for both Ordinary and Mail/Express trains. Premium trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Vande Bharat are also included. Suburban fares and reservation charges remain unchanged.

A powerful blast at Sigachi Industries in Telangana’s Sangareddy district left 12 workers dead and over 26 injured. The explosion triggered a major fire, prompting large-scale rescue efforts by NDRF and state agencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ₹2 lakh ex-gratia for the deceased's families and ₹50,000 for the injured. The cause of the blast is under investigation.

The Indian Youth Congress’ Karnataka legal cell has filed a police complaint against RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale over his remarks suggesting a debate on removing the words “secular” and “socialist” from the Constitution’s Preamble. The complaint, lodged in Bengaluru, accuses Hosabale of making provocative and divisive statements that undermine India’s constitutional values. While the police have acknowledged the complaint, no FIR has been registered yet.

In a move that has reignited the dynastic politics debate, Lalu Prasad Yadav has been re-elected unopposed as the national president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the 13th consecutive term, despite his advanced age and poor health. As Bihar gears up for its 2025 assembly elections, this decision has raised critical questions: Is RJD still dependent on Lalu’s legacy for electoral success? Why hasn’t the party nurtured a second line of leadership? And is this a strategic move to boost Tejashwi Yadav’s prospects? While the answers remain speculative, one thing is clear Lalu’s symbolic stature in Bihar politics continues to overshadow internal party reforms.

Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, a 67-year-old terror accused from Padgha near Mumbai, died at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday after suffering a stroke while lodged in Tihar Jail. Arrested by the NIA in December 2023 for alleged links to ISIS, Nachan was accused of recruiting youth, running an ISIS module in Maharashtra, and training them to wage war against the state. A former SIMI office-bearer and convict in the 2002–03 Mumbai train blasts, Nachan was under trial when his health deteriorated earlier this week.

At a protest rally at Jantar Mantar, former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal urged slum dwellers to oppose demolition drives and reject both BJP and Congress in future elections, calling them “brother and sister”. Accusing the Modi government of breaking its promise of ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’, he said the real intention was to replace slums with open grounds. Kejriwal claimed the current Delhi government had ruined the city and alleged political targeting of AAP leaders through FIRs.