Nivedita

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to enter the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic milestone for India's space programme. In a live interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shukla shared his experience of life in zero gravity, witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets daily, and viewing Earth as one unified home without borders. Calling it a journey for the entire nation, Shukla emphasized that he carries the Tiranga and the hopes of every Indian aboard the ISS, where he and his crewmates will conduct scientific experiments over 14 days.

The Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of a Madhya Pradesh law student detained under the National Security Act (NSA), declaring the detention “wholly untenable.” The court found that the preventive detention lacked valid grounds under the NSA and involved serious procedural lapses, including the failure to forward the student’s representation to the state government. Despite having secured bail in all criminal cases against him, the student remained in custody solely under the NSA until the SC’s intervention.

Bihar has become the first state in India to introduce mobile app-based e-voting, allowing eligible citizens such as senior citizens, pregnant women, and migrant workers to cast their votes remotely. The pilot project, launched during municipal elections in six councils, uses advanced technologies like blockchain, facial recognition, and OCR to ensure secure and transparent voting. Over 10,000 voters have registered, marking a potential shift in the country’s electoral process.

In a major crackdown on corruption and drug trafficking inside prisons, the Punjab Government has suspended 25 jail officials, including senior officers, amid rising concerns over criminal networks operating from within jails. The action follows multiple incidents of drug smuggling, mobile phone use by inmates, and alleged staff involvement. With prisons overcrowded and nearly half of inmates found to be drug-dependent, the move is part of a larger reform to clean up the state’s prison system and enforce transparency.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has echoed the RSS's call to review the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Constitution’s Preamble, stating they do not reflect India's core cultural values. Speaking on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Chouhan said socialism is unnecessary for India and secularism is not rooted in Indian tradition. His remarks drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accused the BJP and RSS of undermining democratic values and the Constitution.