Nivedita

A stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri left at least three people dead and over 50 injured on Sunday morning, prompting a high-level probe and swift administrative action. The incident occurred near the Gundicha Temple around 4 AM, following crowd chaos triggered by the entry of trucks carrying sacred wood. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took responsibility, suspended senior police officials, and ordered an investigation, assuring strict action against those responsible.

At least nine workers are missing after a cloudburst hit an under-construction hotel site near Paligad-Silai Band in Uttarkashi’s Barkot tehsil early Saturday. The flash floods, triggered around 2 am, impacted 28 workers—mostly of Nepali origin—engaged in road construction. NDRF, SDRF, and local police teams have launched rescue operations. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is monitoring the situation, while heavy rains continue to disrupt roads and raise river levels across Uttarakhand.

Parag Jain, the IPS officer credited as the key strategist behind Operation Sindoor, has been appointed the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW. Jain, known for integrating HUMINT and TECHINT, led the intelligence team behind precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. He will assume the role from July 1, bringing decades of experience in counterterrorism, surveillance, and international security operations.

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai stated that Article 370 went against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of a single Constitution for a united India. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, he said the Supreme Court drew inspiration from Ambedkar’s ideals when it upheld the Centre’s 2019 move to abrogate Article 370. Justice Gavai emphasised that Ambedkar believed one Constitution was essential to maintain national unity and pointed to the resilience of India’s constitutional framework compared to instability in neighbouring countries.

Starting July 1, the Delhi government will begin seizing 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles as part of a major anti-pollution drive. While older CNG cars were initially to be included, they have been exempted for now. ANPR cameras at petrol pumps will identify banned vehicles, which will then be denied fuel and sent for scrapping. CNG stations are not part of this enforcement, and additional police will be deployed to manage potential disputes at fuel stations.