Daily News Capsules
1. Delhi on alert: 8 killed as car explodes in front of Red Fort
Police and counter-terrorism agencies are investigating an explosion in a slow-moving white Hyundai i20 car that ripped through a clutch of vehicles on anarterial road near the historic Red Fort in Delhi during the evening rush hour,killing at least eight people and injuring 21 on Monday. While there is no confirmation of the blast being a terror attack, an officer familiar with the matter said a possibility being probed is whether the explosion could have been caused by a device that was being transported going off accidentally. This person, who asked not to be named, said it did not look like the explosion was caused by a CNG cylinder as originally theorised, adding that the high temperatures caused by the explosion suggested ammonia gel or a similar explosive. To be sure, details of the vehicle whose registration papers were shared by investigators show that it was retrofitted with a CNG tank. A senior Delhi Police Special Cell officer told HT, “No nails, no splinters, no shrapnel, no wires, no chemicals were found at the spot and no suspicious debris were found either.” The blaze engulfed at least six cars, two e-rickshaws, one auto, and a bus. Investigators detained two people who previously owned the car as they sought to establish the chain of ownership. And as a precautionary measure, the Capital was placed on high alert, as were the adjoining states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. In Delhi, authorities also sounded high alert in the Delhi Metro, Red Fort, government buildings, and the airport.
Possible Question
Analyse the institutional and procedural challenges that Indian agencies face in conducting quick, credible investigations into major incidents such as this.
2. 2,900 kg explosives seized in Faridabad;7 held in ‘white-collar’ terror link
Security agencies have unearthed what they described as a “white-collar terror network” spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, with the arrest of seven people – including two doctors — and the recovery of nearly 2,900 kg of explosive and inflammable materials, assault rifles, pistols, and improvised explosive device (IED)-making components during raids in Faridabad. Investigators said the group was linked to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other Gulf countries. The three-day operation,jointly conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Haryana Police between November 8 and 10, uncovered what officials called one of the largest seizures of explosives in recent years. The crackdown, officials said, stemmed from an investigation launched in October when posters of JeM and AGuH threatening security forces and calling for anti-India activities surfaced in Srinagar’s Nowgam area. The J&K Police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, and Arms Act, and began tracking a chain of radicalised individuals.
Possible Question
Discuss how “white-collar” or educated-network terrorism complicates India’s internal-security challenge.
3. SC slams government on quashed provisions in tribunal law
The Supreme Court on Monday told the Centre that any reforms for effective functioning of tribunals cannot ignore past court orders as it questioned the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 to be a “legislative overreach” for reintroducing provisions on tenure and eligibility of members and chairpersons that were struck down earlier by the court. Hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the 2021 Act for introducing a four-year tenure, a minimum eligibility age of 50 years, among other measures, the court sought the rationale behind introducing these provisions when the tribunals have been performing efficiently over the past decades with no instance of deviation. The 2021 Act was brought within four months of the court striking down similar provisions in the Tribunal Reforms (Rationalization and Conditions of Services) Ordinance, 2021. The law was challenged by the Madras Bar Association and other bar associations of various tribunals, claiming that a four-year tenure and a 50-year entry age will deter bright, young lawyers from joining tribunals. After four years, the Act provides for the re-appointment of the members. All appointments and reappointments are to be made by a Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC), which has a nominee of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as a member who will have a casting vote.
Possible Question
Critically examine the tension between legislative supremacy and judicial review in India. How can this be addressed?
4. BBC faces leadership crisis over Trump speech edit, bias claims
The BBC was facing a leadership crisis and mounting political pressure on Monday after its top executive and its head of news both quit over the editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump. The resignation of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness over accusations of bias was welcomed by Trump, who said the way his speech had been edited for a documentary was an attempt to “step on the scales of a Presidential Election”. BBC chairman Samir Shah apologised Monday for the broadcaster’s “error of judgment” in editing the speech Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, before a crowd of his supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington. “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action,” Shah said in a letter to lawmakers. The hour-long documentary — titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” — was broadcast as part of the BBC’s “Panorama”series days before the 2024 US presidential election. It spliced together three quotes from two sections of the 2021 speech, delivered almost an hour apart, into what appeared to be one quote in which Trump urged supporters to march with him and “fight like hell”. Among the parts cut out was a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
Possible Question
In the age of polarised media ecosystems, what regulatory and ethical frameworks can uphold editorial independence while ensuring accountability in publicly funded broadcasters? Illustrate with global comparisons.
5. China attracts top talent with its version of H-1B visa
Vaishnavi Srinivasagopalan, a skilled Indian IT professional who has worked in both India and the US, has been looking for work in China. Beijing’s new K-visa programme targeting science and technology workers could turn that dream into a reality. The K-visa rolled out by Beijing last month is part of China’s widening effort to catch up with the US in the race for global talent and cutting- edge technology. “(The) K-visa for China (is) an equivalent to the H-1B for the US,” said Srinivasagopalan. The K-visa supplements China’s existing schemes, including the R-visa for foreign professionals, but with loosened requirements, such as not requiring an applicant to have a job offer before applying. Stricter US policies toward foreign students and scholars under Donald Trump, including the raising of fees for H-1B visa to $100,000 for new applicants, are leading some non-American professionals and students to consider going elsewhere. China is striking while the iron is hot. The ruling Communist Party has made global leadership in advanced tech a top priority. For decades, China has been losing top talent to developed countries, as many stayed and worked in the US and Europe after they finished studies there. The brain drain has not fully reversed. Many Chinese parents still see Western education as advanced and are eager to send their children abroad. Still, in recent years, a growing number of professionals have moved to China from the US. Many skilled workers in India and Southeast Asia have expressed interest about the K-visa.
Possible Question
What lessons can India draw from the Chinese example to retain and attract skilled professionals in advanced technologies?
Editorial Snapshots
A. Living with the sanctions regime
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to New Delhi for an annual bilateral summit in December is being seen as an opportunity to add greater heft and give new direction to one of India’s legacy partnerships at a time when international relations are being rewritten. It will also be an opportunity for India to reassert its policy of strategic autonomy amid the US’s efforts to unilaterally dictate trade terms to other nations. It is in this context that Russian ambassador Denis Alipov’s statement that India and Russia are set to improve trade settlements and institute mechanisms to limit the risk of Western sanctions on Moscow is significant. He has said Russian banks have adapted to Western sanctions, including the freezing of accounts by the US and the EU and disconnection from the SWIFT system, while Indian credit institutions have minimised the risk of secondary sanctions. Equally interesting were his remarks that both countries have shifted to national and alternative currencies for more than 90% of trade settlements, and that mutual settlements have become more secure and diversified. The government of President Donald Trump has wielded sanctions and tariffs in a purely transactional manner for short-term goals, a recent example being the one-year exemption granted to Hungary from sanctions on Russian energy purchases. In an increasingly multipolar world where the US’s actions have reduced its global standing and forced more and more countries to explore new options to cope with the uncertainty triggered by Trump’s trade policies, larger nations will prioritise sovereignty and goals and find ways to take forward bilateral ties. This is what is happening in the case of India-Russia relations, which has seen a resurgence thanks to Trump’s whimsical policies. As the Russian envoy pointed out, when sanctions are used only to pressure Moscow’s partners, they only spread resentment.
Possible Question
Analyse how Western sanctions are reshaping global trade alignments. In this context, discuss how India’s strategic autonomy and diversification of payment systems can shield its economy from geopolitical shocks.
B. State must not outsource citizens’ protection
In May, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government would issue firearm licences to “indigenous” people living in “remote and vulnerable areas” of the state. Last week, he said the first lot of licences would be issued in February. The policy is flawed on multiple counts. First, the responsibility of providing security to citizens, irrespective of where they reside, rests with the State. The State must have monopoly over violence, subject to oversight from Parliament and the judiciary. Second, the State must not discriminate among citizens over their “indigenity”. “Indigenity” is a politically charged word in Assam, with a history of stoking religious polarisation and violence. Arming a section of society under this category is a fraught project. Three, the policy is meant to prevent “infiltration”. Infiltration is a serious issue in Assam’s riverine region that borders Bangladesh. But it is also a complex issue that calls for sensitive handling by the State since the process has been shaped by the region’s vulnerable geography and complicated history. This too has been politicised, though Sarma has claimed his policy is religion-neutral. A society armed with legal approval to use firearms may upset the delicate pact that ties citizens to the State and result in vigilante groups. India’s experience with arming civilians for self-protection is instructive. The Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh, wherein the State raised village militias to counter the Maoists, led to the militarisation of the region and had to be folded up on the Supreme Court’s orders. That Maoism is on its last legs owing to coordinated security action carries a lesson: There are no shortcuts to good policing, be it in Chhattisgarh or Assam.
Possible Question
Examine the constitutional and ethical implications of delegating coercive power to civilians. How does India’s experience with armed vigilante groups highlight the importance of professional policing and the rule of law?
Fact of the day
Goldman Sachs upgrades India back to ‘overweight’:
Goldman Sachs has upgraded India to “overweight” from “neutral”, reversing its October 2024 downgrade, citing strengthening earnings momentum and policy tailwinds supporting growth. The global brokerage has set a 2026 year-end target of 29,000 for the benchmark index Nifty 50, implying a 14% upside from Friday’s close. The index has risen about 8.5% year-to-date, lagging other emerging markets in one of their strongest years. However, analysts led by Sunil Koul said the “year-long earnings downgrade cycle” has bottomed out, paving the way for recovery. Goldman cited a combination of growth-supportive policies, including rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), liquidity easing, bank deregulation, goods and services tax (GST) reductions, and a slower pace of fiscal consolidation, as key drivers for the turnaround, in a note post India market hours on Friday. The brokerage noted that the September-quarter results have largely surprised on the upside, prompting earnings upgrades in select sectors. It expects financials, consumer staples, durables, autos, defence, oil marketing companies and internet and telecom firms to lead this recovery, while remaining cautious on export-oriented IT, pharma, industrials and chemicals amid earnings headwinds and moderating public capex. Despite foreign portfolio investors selling about $30 billion since the Nifty’s 2024 peak and $17.4 billion in 2025 so far, Goldman sees signs of a turnaround, helped by record $70 billion of equity purchases by domestic institutions backed by steady retail and SIP inflows. With India’s valuation premium to emerging markets now sharply lower compared to September 2024 levels, Goldman said it has become “defensible,” even if India remains the priciest among peers.
