Important News - 2025-08-05
05 August 2025
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Festivals (2)
Kozhikode Hosts Varnapakittu Transgender Arts Festival with Awards and National Conference from August 21
Kozhikode will host the annual Varnapakittu transgender arts festival from August 21 to August 23, 2024, as announced by Kerala's Minister for Social Justice, R. Bindu. The event commences with a national conference on August 21, involving representatives from states that have implemented transgender policies akin to Kerala's, alongside subject experts. Key activities include panel discussions addressing transgender and queer issues—such as health, welfare, education, skill development, social justice, and human rights—featuring prominent figures like plastic surgeon Narendra Kaushik, State Health Systems Resource Centre director Jithesh V., and Government Medical College, Kottayam's Plastic Surgery department head Lakshmi. A dedicated film festival on transgender themes will also occur on the opening day. Subsequent days will showcase diverse art forms, and the Social Justice department will present awards to transgender individuals, community-based organizations, NGOs, and local bodies for outstanding contributions in arts, sports, education, literature, and entrepreneurship. Contestants will be graded based on performance points, with top scorers in stage events titled 'Kalarathnam' and in non-stage events as 'Sargapratibha.' Cash prizes of ₹7,500 for A-grade team events and ₹3,000 for A-grade solo events will be awarded. Pre-festival activities include a proclamation rally and a flash mob on August 21.
Tragic Overcrowding Incident at Sehore Ashram Claims Two Lives During Kanwar Yatra Preparations
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, a tragic incident occurred at Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh, during a religious gathering, resulting in the deaths of two women and injuries to three others. The event took place around 12 p.m. at the ashram of religious preacher Pradip Mishra while Rudraksha (prayer beads) were being distributed to devotees. According to police reports, the accident was caused by overcrowding when a woman fainted in a queue, leading others to fall; Sehore Additional Superintendent of Police Sunita Rawat confirmed it was not a stampede. Among the injured, one woman remains in critical condition, and the victims are yet to be identified. This gathering was part of preparations for the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage, scheduled to commence from the ashram on August 6, 2025, with Pradip Mishra leading it, which attracted 50,000 to 60,000 daily visitors during the month of Sawan, mostly from outside Madhya Pradesh. Police noted that security inside the ashram was managed by the ashram authorities, with over 400 personnel deployed outside, and attributed the fainting to fatigue from a 12-kilometer walk to collect holy water from a nearby river stream in heat and humidity.
Ranks & Reports (1)
Karnataka High Court Orders Sealed Submission of Cunha Commission Report on Chinnaswamy Stadium Stampede
The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to submit the report of the John Michael Cunha Commission of Inquiry in a sealed cover. This commission was established to investigate the stampede incident that occurred outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, during an event honoring the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team. The directive came in response to a petition filed by DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the event manager for RCB's owner, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. DNA Networks challenged the inquiry's legality, alleging violations of natural justice principles under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, such as the denial of an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. The company also claimed the report was leaked to the media, damaging their reputation, and that their Right to Information (RTI) requests for the report were rejected. State Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty countered that DNA Networks should pursue legal action against media publications independently, as the government is not responsible for the leaks.
Politics (3)
Telangana Minister Accuses BRS Leader of Judicial Insult Over Kaleshwaram Project Irregularities
Telangana's Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy accused BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao of disrespecting the judiciary after Rao criticized the findings of the PC Ghose Commission regarding the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Reddy argued that this criticism was a reaction to the commission's exposure of financial irregularities, design flaws, and structural failures in the project, including the sinking of the Medigadda barrage. The commission's report, which was based on hearings involving former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Harish Rao, revealed that the project had been approved without Cabinet consent, with contracts signed under dubious directions from the BRS leaders. Reddy demanded an apology from Harish Rao and invited a full debate in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, asserting the Congress government's commitment to democratic and judicial processes.
Kerala High Court Rules Non-Lowering of National Flag After Sunset Not an Offence Without Intent to Insult
The Kerala High Court has declared that failing to lower the national flag after sunset is not inherently a criminal offence, unless there is deliberate intent to insult national honour or show disrespect. This ruling came in a case involving the Secretary of Angamaly Municipality in Kerala, where criminal proceedings were initiated after the flag remained hoisted for nearly two days following Independence Day celebrations in 2015. The Angamaly police had launched a suo motu case against the Secretary, charging him under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and the Flag Code of India, 2002. Justice Kauser Edappagath, heading the bench, quashed these proceedings, emphasizing that mere negligence or inaction in lowering the flag does not constitute gross affront or insult under the 1971 Act, as it requires evidence of intentional disrespect. The Secretary argued that the allegations, even if accepted fully, did not establish a prima facie offence.
BMTC Maintains Full Operations Amid Karnataka RTC Strike; Private Buses Deployed Statewide
On Tuesday, a strike called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees severely disrupted public bus services across Karnataka, though it was later called off by the end of the day. Bengaluru remained largely unaffected as the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operated nearly all its services, achieving 100% efficiency with 6,198 out of 6,199 scheduled buses running. In contrast, statewide operations were significantly impacted, with an overall efficiency of 71.9%—only 13,648 buses operated out of 18,995 scheduled. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) recorded 56.8% efficiency, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) 74.6%, and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) a mere 42.1%. Rural areas faced the worst disruptions, while long-distance services remained operational. Commuters experienced uncertainty and inconvenience, leading many to postpone travel or use private transport. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy coordinated government efforts, including roping in private operators like the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations, school buses, and corporate fleets to minimize public hardship.
Schemes (2)
Karnataka Commission Proposes 6% Quota for Dalit Left, 5% for Dalit Right in SC Internal Reservation
The H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission recently submitted its report to the Karnataka government, proposing an internal reservation structure for 101 Scheduled Castes (SCs). It recommends dividing the state's 17% SC quota into sub-categories: 6% for Dalit left (Madigas), 5% for Dalit right (Holeyas), 4% for Lambani, Korama, Koracha, and Bhovi communities, and 1% for over 40 nomadic micro-communities with populations below 10,000. A separate 1% allocation is designated for Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, and Adi Andhra groups to resolve colonial-era classification ambiguities. The framework prioritizes social and educational backwardness and population size, granting micro-communities enhanced weightage in public employment. While Dalit left groups welcomed the proposal and plan protests in Bengaluru from August 11 demanding implementation, Dalit right and other communities seek a Cabinet sub-committee review citing dissatisfaction.
Telangana Police Constable Arrested for Rs. 2.61 Crore Fraud Involving Bharatha Scheme and Banks
The Wanaparthy police in Telangana arrested Bandaru Rakesh, a 37-year-old police constable-turned-builder, on Tuesday for orchestrating a loan fraud scheme amounting to Rs. 2.61 crore. Rakesh, who had rejoined duty after a nine-year leave, is accused of fabricating documents to defraud the police department's Bharatha home loan scheme and multiple banks, including Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), HDFC, and LIC. Initially joining as an Armed Reserve constable in 2007 and later shifting to Civil duties, Rakesh leveraged his position to enter the real estate business. He sold a property in his venture to his associate Sunkari Shekhar, then created fake documents to falsely claim he repurchased it, enabling him to illegitimately secure loans from the Bharatha scheme. He replicated this method to obtain multiple home loans from the banks, accumulating Rs. 89 lakh through fraudulent means. Wanaparthy Superintendent of Police Ravula Giridhar stated that Rakesh misused the funds for a lavish lifestyle, leading to his arrest.
World Affairs (1)
DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian Urges India to Lead Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations in Geneva
Ahead of the Plastics Treaty Negotiations starting on August 5, 2025, in Geneva, DMK Member of Parliament Thamizhachi Thangapandian submitted a memorandum to Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, urging India to assume a leadership role in advocating for a robust, time-bound, and legally binding global agreement to address plastic pollution across its entire lifecycle. Representing the Interparliamentary Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (ICPP), a group of parliamentarians from nearly 30 countries, Ms. Thangapandian emphasized that India should champion ambitious measures, including reducing virgin plastic production and banning hazardous chemicals, diverging from India's prior stance at international forums. The negotiations, formally the International Negotiations Committee (INC 5.2) meeting, follow a 2022 United Nations Environment Assembly mandate to end global plastic dependence. Previous talks in Busan, South Korea, ended in a stalemate due to disagreements over production caps and financial responsibilities between developed and developing nations, with India opposing caps to protect developmental rights. The Geneva session, running until August 14, 2025, aims to finalize a treaty framework for adoption at future Conference of Parties (COP) meetings, with Ms. Thangapandian highlighting Tamil Nadu's single-use plastic ban and community waste-management systems as domestic models for global emulation.
Defence (1)
Indian Army Recalls 1971 U.S. Arms Supply to Pakistan Amid 2025 Tariff Dispute
On August 5, 2025, amid escalating tensions with the United States over a 25% tariff on Indian imports and a new U.S.-Pakistan trade deal, the Indian Army's Eastern Command shared a historical newspaper clipping from August 5, 1971, on social media. The clipping, headlined 'U.S. arms worth $2 billion shipped to Pakistan since '54', detailed decades of U.S. military support to Pakistan under a 1954 arms pact. It included a statement by V.C. Shukla, the then Minister for Defence Production, who informed the Rajya Sabha that the U.S. and China supplied arms to Pakistan at concessional or 'throw-away prices'. This occurred months before the India-Pakistan war in December 1971, which led to Bangladesh's independence. Coincidentally, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka for New Delhi on August 5, 2024, after being ousted. The sharing of this clipping responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that India funds Russia's conflict in Ukraine through oil purchases, alongside his announcement of a Pakistan trade deal involving oil reserves. On August 4, 2025, India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the U.S. tariffs as 'unjustified and unreasonable', citing that India imported Russian oil after traditional supplies were diverted to Europe, with initial U.S. encouragement for market stability.
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