Politics & Policy

Hundreds rallied at the Gandhi statue in London against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise, with Dhruv Rathee speaking, as pro-Modi groups held a counter-protest.

Trump has suspended the Graham Act's Russia-linked tariffs a day before the deadline, lifting an immediate 100% tariff threat over India's oil purchases.

Paris and Berlin agreed to cut the 2035 car CO2 target to 90% with no offset for the rest, tied to strict local-content rules for European-made cars.

Trump says Nidal Hasan will still face a firing squad on December 3, but the execution will not be broadcast, reversing a plan announced by the Pentagon.

The Supreme Court sought responses from the Election Commission on the INDIA bloc's voter-roll petition, while also issuing notice on a plea against the bloc's march to the court.

The 78-day productivity-linked bonus is capped at Rs 17,951 per worker, with the outlay up about 8% from last year as railway headcount covered rises.

MoS L Murugan has resigned from the Modi government and the Rajya Sabha, saying he will work full-time on the BJP's Tamil Nadu base before 2029.

At BIMSTEC's first Home Ministers' Meeting, Amit Shah sought faster intelligence sharing, extradition help and joint action on drugs and terror finance.

Stopped at Bhagwan Das Road, opposition leaders filed Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India minutes before the Supreme Court's filing counter shut.

Responding to Trump's call for a new Ukrainian leader, Zelenskyy said he will hold elections if Russia accepts a 60-day full ceasefire.

A special Supreme Court bench is hearing a habeas plea over detained opposition leaders and a contempt case over Delhi's Metro closures during the anti-CEC protest.

Trump said it is time for Ukraine to get a new president, a day after striking a deal to buy Russian diesel that Kyiv says will fund Moscow's war.

Police held about 500 people, pulled CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke off a plane and sealed central Delhi to stop a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

A 10-member opposition delegation handed President Murmu a memorandum demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's exit, a halt to SIR and a return to paper ballots.

In its first formal statement on the incursion, Addis Ababa says Eritrean troops have pushed up to 60 km into Tigray, raising fears of a new Horn of Africa war.

Police carried Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi away from a sit-in near Janpath on Wednesday; both were freed after 8 pm as the opposition vowed to keep protesting.

On day three of the opposition's campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, MPs headed to Rajghat as police filed three FIRs over Wednesday's clashes.

PM Modi marked 25 years as head of government since becoming Gujarat CM on Oct 7, 2001, at a BJP event at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium.

Opposition MPs marched from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan on Tuesday over the SIR voter-roll exercise, and were stopped by police near Akashvani Bhawan.

Modi and Parmelin signed mobility and young professionals agreements and agreed to widen market access, defence and nuclear energy cooperation.

Guy Parmelin was received at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday ahead of talks with PM Modi, with trade, investment and the India-EFTA pact topping the agenda.

Trump has created a four-member Super Intelligence Force, led by intelligence chief Jay Clayton, to coordinate federal AI policy and report directly to him.

The White House will pay a one-time $90 to over 20 million Medicare Part B enrollees from a never-used fund, weeks before the November 3 US midterms.

Congress replaced Raja Warring in Punjab and Ajay Rai in Uttar Pradesh, picking Pargat Singh and Aradhana Misra to lead before the 2027 elections.

Police invoked Section 163 and shut 11 Metro stations as AAP's Delhi chief and party workers were detained at a Gandhi Jayanti protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

At a Delhi press conference, Mamata Banerjee accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar and ECI IT head Seema Khanna of manipulating Bengal's rolls and counting.

The Supreme Court declined to hear the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC's plea against the freezing of four Indian Bank accounts and asked the Calcutta High Court to expedite.

From October 1, domestic LPG users must complete Aadhaar biometric authentication to book 14.2-kg refills at the regulated price, as commercial rates rise.

PM Modi dialled President Trump on Wednesday to review trade, defence and energy ties, 12 days after a US law allowed tariffs of up to 100% on buyers of Russian oil.

Oilseeds and pulses got the biggest rabi MSP hikes while wheat rose just Rs 25, as the Cabinet also cleared GEC-III and a Delhi AI traffic system.

Opposition parties met at Delhi's Constitution Club to plan joint action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, with Kharge listing six demands including a return to ballot papers.

US officials say Trump is willing to ease sanctions and unfreeze Iranian money if Tehran takes verifiable nuclear steps, as Qatari mediators push a new plan.

The Supreme Court struck down Mulla Afroz's NSA detention, ruling a custodial confession cannot justify it, and ordered UP to pay Rs 10 lakh in costs.

In the 138th Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi marked 10 years since the 2016 surgical strikes, restated zero tolerance on terror and urged citizens to self-enumerate for the Census.

Facing nationwide protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the Election Commission announced it would scrap the disputed Form 6 affidavit requirement, extend deadlines in Delhi and Maharashtra, and make its meeting agendas public.

CNN was left off the presidential press pool for Trump's Saturday trip to a Tennessee football game, days after a federal judge ordered the network's White House credentials restored.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused the Election Commission of unconstitutionally altering the Form 6 voter registration process, creating hurdles for first-time Gen Z voters, hours after the EC ordered special enrolment camps for young voters.

Congress workers were detained and water cannons used as the party held nationwide protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the voter rolls row.

India's Cabinet is expected to soon clear a new model Bilateral Investment Treaty that protects taxation rights while easing terms for foreign investors.

IRDAI's new consultation paper proposes hard caps on insurance distribution commissions, triggering a 36% crash in PB Fintech shares and a lower circuit for Turtlemint.

Pakistan deployed 22,000 security personnel and sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers on Thursday to block a planned weekend march by supporters of jailed former PM Imran Khan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day brainstorming session with Union Cabinet ministers at Seva Teerth, with each minister presenting a self-assessment of their ministry's performance.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench split on whether to refer the 2023 CEC appointment law to a larger bench, leaving the final call to the Chief Justice of India.

A media report claiming two Election Commissioners repeatedly objected to decisions during the SIR rollout has triggered opposition calls for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's removal.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the BRICS Tax Heads Meeting in New Delhi that decisions made in ongoing multilateral tax talks will shape cross-border taxation for a generation.

The ECI set October 23 as polling day for Rajya Sabha seats from UP, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, along with 28 Legislative Council seats across four states.

Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic backed India's UNSC bid at the first V4-India ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Beijing confirmed Xi Jinping will visit Washington from September 23-25 for talks with Donald Trump, his first state visit to the US since 2015, as the two sides navigate a fragile trade truce and Taiwan tensions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet in New York, calling it a moment that could change a lot for the peace process.

Russia's three-day State Duma election ended Sunday with United Russia set to retain control, as Ukraine launched over 1,100 drones and exiled opposition figures staged protests abroad.

Ukraine fired over 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, with what Moscow's mayor called the largest-ever strike on the capital, as Russia closed out its first wartime parliamentary election.

Voting began Friday in Russia's first wartime State Duma election since the 2022 invasion, with the outcome all but assured for Putin's ruling party.

The Election Commission issued an interim order barring both rival Trinamool Congress factions from using the party's name and 'flowers and grass' symbol ahead of West Bengal bypolls.

A Supreme Court bench questioned why the Election Commission did not deny the Shiv Sena's bow-and-arrow symbol to both rival factions in the 2022 party split.

The European Commission proposed the EU Kids Act, barring under-13s from social media and requiring parental oversight for teens up to 15.

The US House passed a sanctions bill empowering Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on Russian oil and gas buyers including India and China, prompting a measured Indian government response.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers convicted ex-President Hashim Thaci of murder, torture and arbitrary detention linked to the 1998-99 independence war, sentencing him and three former commanders.

Political parties clashed on Wednesday over the Centre's new 0.4% merchant discount rate on UPI payments above Rs 2,000, with Congress calling it a tax and the BJP dismissing the criticism as misinformation.

The EU pushed back its deadline to renew sanctions on 2,600 Russian entities to September 22, after France and Slovakia pressed to delist oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.

Counting in Rajasthan's urban local body elections shows the BJP ahead in most municipal corporations, while Congress springs a major upset by dislodging the BJP in Ajmer after 36 years.

A vegetarian-only menu at the BRICS Summit gala dinner in Delhi triggered a sharp exchange between Congress leaders and the BJP over India's culinary diversity.

BRICS nations overcame sharp differences over West Asia to unanimously adopt the New Delhi Declaration 2026, a diplomatic win for India's chairship of the bloc.

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit and is scheduled to hold his first bilateral meeting with PM Modi since the 2020 border clash.

The ECI has recognised Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam as a state party in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and reserved the Whistle symbol for actor-turned-politician Vijay's outfit.

The IAEA's Board of Governors referred Iran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council, hours after chief Rafael Grossi said satellite imagery showed fresh construction at Iran's fortified Pickaxe Mountain site.

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, his first visit to India since 2019.

BSP chief Mayawati declared nephew Akash Anand 'completely freed' from the party hours after his father-in-law announced his retirement from politics.

President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved Serbia's National Assembly by decree and set early parliamentary elections for October 25, months ahead of schedule.

Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar suspended BRS working president K T Rama Rao and 21 other legislators for the rest of the monsoon session after they stormed the Assembly well.

Republican John Sununu and Democrat Chris Pappas won their New Hampshire Senate primaries Tuesday, setting up a contest that could help decide Senate control.

The Supreme Court signalled it may fold Delhi's fatal PG collapse into its nationwide scrutiny of illegal construction, listing the matter for September 10.

The ECI scheduled by-elections for five assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was 'deeply shocked' after the far-right AfD's record win in Saxony-Anhalt's state election, warning the result will have consequences for national politics.

The Congress high command overhauled state in-charge assignments on Saturday, moving Sachin Pilot to Punjab and Bhupesh Baghel to Assam.

Reform UK's head of policy and a close Farage aide quit their roles after a Channel 4 sting alleged the party solicited banned overseas funding for polling.

The House passed the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act 237-169 with bipartisan support, sending the measure to the Senate.

PM Modi and Belgium's Bart De Wever agreed to double bilateral trade in five years and signed MoUs on defence and clean energy during De Wever's first visit to India.

Senator Thom Tillis accused Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of 'inept mismanagement' as the US military faces mounting strain from the resumed war with Iran.

Former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he will stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, setting up a closely watched by-election.

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, including PM Modi, Xi Jinping and Putin, signed the Bishkek Declaration on Tuesday, with Pakistan set to take over the bloc's chair.

PM Modi called for dismantling terrorism's global ecosystem as SCO leaders, including Xi Jinping and Putin, signed the Bishkek Declaration at the 26th summit.

A divided Supreme Court allowed construction on Trump's $400 million White House ballroom to continue while a legal challenge over its approval plays out.

King Harald V of Norway, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, has died at 89 after a short illness, with his son Crown Prince Haakon ascending the throne as King Haakon VIII.

The Trump administration has paused visa interview scheduling at US embassies worldwide for a consular training programme, raising concerns for Indian students and workers.

Wang Yi and Ajit Doval held talks in Beijing on the disputed Himalayan border, agreeing to continue dialogue and hold the next round in India in 2027.

NSA Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing for Special Representatives talks on the boundary question, ahead of Xi Jinping's expected BRICS visit to India.

SC modifies its 2025 mandate requiring three years of bar practice for civil judge recruitment, allowing training and clerkship to count instead.

Opposition leaders accused the government of politicising education after NCERT's reconstituted textbook panel included members with alleged RSS and ABVP links.

The CCEA approved five rail and highway projects worth Rs 13,041 crore spanning Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Hormuz will remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade and sanctions, hours after a US-Iran ceasefire deadline lapsed.

A Pskov court sentenced Yabloko politician Lev Shlosberg to over 11 years in prison for anti-war statements, as Russia's crackdown on dissent intensifies.

Iranian lawmakers approved the general principles of a bill criminalising interviews with US- or Israeli-linked media, part of a wider crackdown.

Email threats referencing Khalistan and the 1984 riots targeted the Red Fort, Delhi High Court, IGI Airport and Metro lines a day before India's 80th Independence Day.

Students agitating over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment exams plan an Independence Day march as the CM's assurances fail to end the 21-day standoff.

BCI withdrew its order blocking 2026 NALSAR law graduates from enrolling as advocates, hours after the directive triggered a social media uproar.

Kannada organisations and farmer groups called a 12-hour bandh across Karnataka on Thursday after the Cauvery Water Management Authority ordered the state to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Thursday, capping a disruption-heavy Monsoon Session that still saw 11 bills passed, including a mining sector amendment.

The Lok Sabha approved a motion referring the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026 to a 31-member joint panel, as the Opposition demanded its complete withdrawal.

A parliamentary committee has recommended pegging private hospital room charges in metros to nearby 3-star hotel rates to curb excessive billing.

BJP's statewide Jharkhand bandh over alleged police brutality on JPSC-JSSC aspirants triggers a fresh political slugfest and disrupts Parliament.

Rajya Sabha cleared the Bankers' Book Evidence Bill by voice vote on Monday, replacing an 1891 law and giving digital banking records formal legal standing.

VP C P Radhakrishnan launched this year's Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyaan from Sri Vijaya Puram on August Kranti Diwas, invoking Netaji's 1943 flag-hoisting legacy.

A US Congressman's attack on India's proposed FCRA amendments has triggered a diplomatic pushback, with commentators framing the criticism as foreign interference.

The Lok Sabha cleared the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote without debate as opposition MPs protested other issues.

The Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 replaces an 1891 colonial law, making electronic and cloud-based banking records legally admissible in court.

Lok Sabha clears a bill raising the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength from 34 to 38 to tackle rising case pendency.

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur bypoll by roughly 19,000 votes, marking his party's first-ever electoral victory in Bihar.

A Delhi court acquitted former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and aide Vinod Tomar in the case filed by six women wrestlers in 2023.

BSP chief Mayawati has expelled senior leader Ashok Siddharth and party coordinator Randhir Singh Beniwal for indiscipline, months after reinstating Siddharth, as the party moves to tighten its ranks before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.