Important News - 2025-08-04
04 August 2025
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Schemes (4)
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Unveils Domicile Policy for Teachers and Welfare Schemes Ahead of Elections
On August 4, 2025, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a domicile policy for teacher recruitment, restricting eligibility to Bihar residents for government school teaching positions. This policy will be implemented starting with the Teachers Recruitment Exam-4 (TRE-4) in 2025, followed by TRE-5 in 2026, preceded by the Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET). Concurrently, multiple welfare schemes were unveiled for marginalized groups: a commission for sanitation workers' socio-economic upliftment; 125 units of free electricity for approximately 1.86 crore consumers; increased journalist pensions from ₹6,000 to ₹15,000 monthly; raised honorariums for ASHA workers (₹1,000 to ₹3,000 monthly), Mamata workers (₹300 to ₹600 per delivery), midday meal cooks (₹1,650 to ₹3,300 monthly), and physical education instructors (₹8,000 to ₹16,000 monthly); and the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Pension Yojana (approved July 3, 2025) providing ₹3,000 monthly to distressed senior artistes. These announcements precede the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October-November 2025, with the BJP-led NDA confirming it will contest under Kumar's leadership, despite opposition skepticism.
Phased Road Safety Enforcement Drive Announced by DGP for August 5-31, 2025
Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta has initiated a comprehensive road safety enforcement drive, scheduled from August 5 to August 31, 2025, to reduce traffic accidents. Announced in a directive on August 4, 2025, the drive involves phased police operations targeting specific violations: focusing on drunk driving from August 5 to 10, speeding and rash driving from August 11 to 17, helmetless riding from August 18 to 24, and all traffic violations from August 25 to 31. Gupta emphasized that this initiative aims to enhance public safety and urged citizens to comply with traffic regulations.
Vasavan Reaffirms Kerala's SC/ST and Women Filmmaker Schemes Amid Adoor Remarks Controversy
On Monday, August 4, Kerala Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan addressed the media during the inauguration of a program at AKG Hospital in Kannur, asserting that filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan's critical remarks about the state government's schemes for promoting filmmakers from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and women communities were not malicious. Vasavan emphasized that these initiatives, aimed at uplifting marginalized groups in the film industry, would continue as planned, with the Culture Minister having already clarified the government's position. He accused detractors of distorting comments to create unnecessary controversy. Additionally, Vasavan criticized a national film award jury for selecting 'The Kerala Story' over more deserving Malayalam films, calling it an insult to the Kerala government. Separately, Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer condemned Adoor's statement as inappropriate during an event in Kannur.
Odisha Governor Stresses NEP 2020 Implementation During IIT Tirupati Visit
On Monday, Odisha Governor Kambhampati Hari Babu visited the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (IIT-T) campus and expressed satisfaction with its substantial development as an institute of national importance. Received by Director Professor K.N. Satyanarayana and his team, the Governor reviewed a presentation detailing the institute's progress since its establishment under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. He emphasized key initiatives including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, timely resolution of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) cases, expansion of industry-partnered skill development courses, and an annual tree-planting drive for faculty members. The Governor also inspected the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-funded Technology Innovation Hub focused on Precision Technology at the campus.
Politics (5)
Kerala High Court Orders Decongestion and Pedestrian Safety Measures for Thiruvananthapuram's East Fort
The Kerala High Court has issued directives to the state government, the Transport Commissioner, and other concerned authorities to implement urgent measures to decongest the East Fort area in Thiruvananthapuram and enhance pedestrian safety. Acting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji mandated specific timelines: repair or replacement of signages and footpath tiles must be completed within four months, while pedestrian guard rails must be erected within six months. Additionally, the process to construct two new foot overbridges must begin within two months. The court also ordered long-term solutions, including relocating the busy East Fort bus stand used by thousands daily and removing encroachments. The PIL had sought implementation of a proposal by NATPAC (National Transportation Planning and Research Centre) and Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Corporation Ltd (TRDCL) for three escalator-equipped foot overbridges, road widening through land acquisition behind the bus stand, and installation of continuous guard rails. The Transport Commissioner's submitted recommendations, such as installing bus bays, well-lit waiting areas, signages, pedestrian lines, and fines for double parking, were also noted.
Vijayawada Police Halt Christian Groups' Candle Rally Over Permission Dispute on August 4, 2025
On August 4, 2025, police in Vijayawada intervened in a candle rally organized by nuns and leaders of various Christian Associations, including the Federation of Churches. The rally commenced at Bishop Azariah School and aimed to proceed to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Smrithi Vanam in protest against the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh. Participants, consisting of nuns, pastors, and association members, carried placards during the event. Suryaraopet police halted the rally, citing a lack of official permission, despite organizers' claims of prior approval. South Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) D. Paavan Kumar confirmed that microphones were seized due to unauthorized use, which allegedly caused public inconvenience. Following the incident, key figures like Vijayawada Catholic Diocese Monsignor Rev. Muvvala Prasad, Bethel Ministries Chairman Rev. S. Jaya Kumar, Gunadala Church Rector Fr. Eleti William Jaya Raju, and nuns Suguna and Sundari demanded the immediate withdrawal of cases against the detained nuns.
Political Conflict at Kerala University as V-C Mohanan Kunnummal Faces Criticism Over Syndicate Dispute
On Monday, Kerala University Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal engaged in discussions with non-teaching staff unions to resolve tensions stemming from a recent altercation between Syndicate members and union representatives. Representatives from unions affiliated with the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) participated in the talks, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M))-aligned union boycotted the meeting. Dr. Kunnummal emphasized the need for cooperation to ensure smooth university functioning, attributing the conflict to certain Syndicate members' misunderstanding of university regulations and clarifying that they lack special administrative powers, meaning employees need not follow informal instructions without official mandates. Simultaneously, Left-leaning Syndicate members accused the Vice-Chancellor of violating university protocols and engaging in vindictive actions, including locking the Syndicate hall and taking the keys, which prevented a scheduled meeting on awarding grace marks to NCC (National Cadet Corps), NSS (National Service Scheme), and differently abled students. They also alleged he insulted members by calling them uninformed and uneducated, advocating for a more academically qualified and dignified Vice-Chancellor. In contrast, BJP-backed Syndicate members countered that the absence of Left-aligned members caused the meeting's cancellation due to lack of quorum; it was convened at 10 a.m. under the Examination Standing Committee convener and dissolved around 1 p.m. after key attendees failed to arrive.
V.D. Satheesan and Religious Leaders Decry Rising Violence Against Christians in India
At a reception organized by the Malankara Mar Thima Syrian Church to felicitate Catholicos Baselios Joseph I, the head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan raised alarms about increasing religious intolerance in India. He cited 834 reported attacks against Christians in the past year, averaging over two incidents daily, and condemned this as a deliberate pattern of harassment by certain communal groups. Satheesan referenced the controversial arrest of two Keralite nuns in Chhattisgarh as evidence of a broader trend and called for national unity to protect democratic values. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, who inaugurated the event, labeled the charges against the nuns as unfounded, highlighting their work in educating the poor, caring for leprosy patients, and serving communities across India. Catholicos Baselios Joseph I warned against actions that could damage India's social fabric, urging all faiths, including his own, to align with moral teachings. The event featured prominent religious leaders such as Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Archbishop Thomas J. Netto, and Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi.
Former Achampet MLA Guvvala Balaraju Resigns from BRS After Nearly Two Decades
Guvvala Balaraju, former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Achampet and district president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Nagarkurnool, Telangana, resigned from all party positions, including his primary membership. On August 2, 2024, he submitted his resignation letter to BRS founder and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Balaraju stated his decision was made with a 'heavy heart' after dedicating nearly 20 years to the party. He emphasized that his commitment to uplifting marginalized communities and empowering the underprivileged remained unchanged, pledging to continue public welfare work in any capacity. He expressed gratitude to the BRS for the identity and dignity it provided him, clarifying his departure was without bitterness.
Miscellaneous (1)
Man Charged Under BNS Section 105 for Electrocution Death in Illegal Animal Trap Case
On August 1, Thottilpalam police arrested Linish, a local youth, for his alleged involvement in the electrocution death of homemaker Bobby at Pashukkadavu. Linish had installed an illegal electric trap in a cocoa plantation to capture wild animals, which resulted in the deaths of both Bobby, aged 40, and a cow. The autopsy report confirmed electrocution as the cause of death. Investigations revealed that Linish had a history of multiple prior accusations related to illegal hunting of wild animals. He has been charged under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The incident occurred on a cocoa plantation owned by Alakkal Jose, where remnants of the trap were recovered. Bobby had gone to search for the cow after it failed to return from grazing on Friday afternoon, and her body was discovered by a local search party around midnight.
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