Source: The Hindu, Indian express and others

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns citing medical issues

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar (74) resigned from his post citing health reasons on Monday (July 21, 2025), the first day of the Monsoon Session which he presided over in the Rajya Sabha as Chairman of the House. Mr Dhankhar had been elected as India’s 14th Vice-President in August 2022, and has two years left for his term to complete. While two other Vice-Presidents of India — V.V. Giri in 1969, and R. Venkatraman in 1987, had quit without finishing their terms, it was to become President of India.

SIR does not terminate citizenship if found ineligible for electoral roll registration: Election Commission to SC

The Election Commission (EC) assured the Supreme Court on Monday (July 21, 2025) that a person will not cease to be a citizen merely on being found ineligible for registration in the electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), currently underway in poll-bound Bihar.

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid uproar as Opposition demands discussion on Operation Sindoor

The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day amid noisy protests by the Opposition, which demanded a discussion on Operation Sindoor and other issues. This was the fourth adjournment on the first day of the month-long Monsoon session. The Rajya Sabha reconvened to take up Question Hour. However, the Opposition continued their demands for a discussion on Operation Sindoor. Deputy Chairman Harivansh called for the Opposition to allow the House to proceed, but the sloganeering continued.

Parliamentary panel retains Income Tax Bill provisions allowing tax officials to forcibly access social media, private email

The Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to review the new Income Tax Bill 2025 proposed by the government has retained the provisions in the new Bill empowering tax officials to access, forcibly if necessary, the social media and private emails of people they are conducting search and seizure operations on. The Income Tax Bill 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in February 2025. The aim behind the Bill, as per the government, is to simplify and rationalise the existing Income Tax Act 1961 and the numerous amendments that have been made to it over the decades since it was introduced.

63 Opposition MPs submit notice in Rajya Sabha for removal of Justice Varma

Sixty-three opposition MPs gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to move a motion for the removal of High Court judge Yashwant Varma, from whose residence burnt wads of currency notes were found following a fire incident in March. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the notice has been submitted to Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. A similar notice for moving a motion to remove Justice Varma has been submitted by ruling BJP and Opposition members in the Lok Sabha.

Nimisha Priya case takes dark turn as brother of Yemeni victim accuses mediator of financial misconduct

The Nimisha Priya case took an unexpected turn when Abdul Fatah Mahdi, brother of the victim Talal Abdo Mahdi, levelled serious allegations against Samuel Jerome, a media activist. Mr. Jerome was accused of misappropriating funds collected in Nimisha Priya’s name. Mr. Mahdi alleged that Mr. Jerome misrepresented himself as a lawyer and had collected donations, including $40,000 raised through a crowd funding, without the involvement or knowledge of the victim’s family in Yemen. Mr. Mahdi challenged Mr. Jerome to disprove his allegation.

7/11 survivors react with anguish as political leaders demand accountability

In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 individuals convicted in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts in 2006, stating that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to prove the charges against them. A Special Division Bench of Justices Anil S. Kilor and Shyam C. Chandak set aside the convictions delivered by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in 2015, which had sentenced five of the accused to death sentence and the remaining seven to life imprisonment under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), and Explosives Acts.

Bihar SIR: EC says list of voters who have not submitted forms or not found at their addresses shared with all political parties

The Election Commission of India (EC), which has undertaken Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, on Monday (July 21, 2025) said that political parties in the State have been provided with detailed lists of 29.62 lakh electors whose enumeration forms have not been received so far and also of nearly 43.93 lakh electors who were not found at their addresses.

EPFO disposed of over 98.5% applications for pension on higher wages: government

The retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has processed and disposed of 98.5% of the 15,24,150 applications for pension on higher wages (PoHW) as of July 16, Parliament was informed on Monday (July 21, 2025).

CAG flags lapses worth ₹573 crore in Indian Railways

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) flagged lapses worth ₹573 crore in the Railways as detailed in the ‘Union Government (Railways) – Compliance Audit Report’ tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday (July 21, 2025).

DGCA found five safety violations by Air India in the past six months: govt.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has served nine show-cause notices to Air India for five safety violations in the past six months, the Centre informed Parliament on Monday (July 21, 2025).

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite to be launched on July 30: ISRO

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), the first joint satellite of the Indian and U.S. space agencies, will be launched by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) on July 30 at 5.40 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

CBSE instructs all affiliated schools to install CCTV cameras at key points to ensure student safety

All schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are required to install CCTV cameras at crucial points across the school to ensure safety of their students, the board has stated.

Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashes into school in Dhaka, killing 16

A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed atop a school building in Dhaka, killing 16, most of them children, and injuring dozens, an official said. The incident took place at Dhaka’s Uttara area. The aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus.

U.K. fighter jet grounded in Kerala moved out of hangar after repairs, to fly out on July 22

After over a month-long uncertainty and speculation, the United Kingdom team took the grounded F-35B of the Royal Air Force, U.K., out of the hangar of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Monday (July 21, 2025) after successfully completing over two-week-long maintenance on the fighter jet. According to airport sources, the aircraft will be taken to its base station in the UK by the crew on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). A C17-Globmaster aircraft will land here on Tuesday to take back the 14-member expert team of engineers who arrived from the UK to attend to the grounded aircraft on July 6.

TRF deserves designation as foreign terrorist organisation: U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee

The U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs has welcomed the designation of The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a global terrorist outfit over the Pahalgam attack, saying anyone who "butchers" civilians doesn’t get a pass but justice. Last week, the U.S. designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).