Awanish Kumar appointed as Delhi's new excise commissioner

Delhi appointed 2014-batch IAS officer Awanish Kumar excise commissioner immediately as it prepares a new policy, amid a reshuffle of officials. Niharika Rai loses tourism, while Mekala Chaitanya Prasad gains PWD charge. Sanjay Kumar receives industrial-development and IT assignments; other officers take power, transport and planning roles. The post was vacant after Ravi Jha’s transfer.

51% of India’s 5-year-olds in Class 1 instead of preschool: UNESCO report flags concern

UNESCO’s 2026 GEM report says 51% of India’s five-year-olds attend primary rather than pre-primary school, raising concerns they are entering formal education before the recommended age of six. UDISE+ data show primary enrolment among under-sixes climbed from 35% in 2019–20 to 60% in 2022. NEP 2020 establishes a preschool-to-Class 1 foundational stage, but implementation remains uneven.

Wired or wireless earphones: Which should you buy in the Amazon sale?

Wireless earbuds suit commuters, gym-goers and frequent callers with cable-free convenience and noise cancellation, while wired earphones offer better value, dependable sound, no charging and virtually no gaming or video delay. Battery limits, aging built-in cells and Bluetooth latency temper wireless benefits; check headphone-jack compatibility and purchase terms. Choose for your routine, not the discount.

Is the right question being asked?

India’s matches against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay brought a draw, two heavy defeats and rare exposure, as Khalid Jamil’s side showed flashes of quality but faded against elite opposition. The experience has strengthened calls for annual top-level home fixtures despite costs and sparse crowds; broader reforms and attainable regional tournaments should complement, not replace, that ambition.

Noida workers’ protest: Allahabad HC reserves verdict on journalist Satyam Verma’s petition against NSA detention

Allahabad High Court reserved judgment Thursday on journalist Satyam Verma’s challenge to National Security Act detention over alleged involvement in Noida’s April 2026 workers’ protest. Verma says CCTV and phone records place him 500 kilometres away in Lucknow, and accuses authorities of withholding evidence. After hearings, he seeks release and compensation, challenging the detention order.

India’s beauty market is getting crowded, but consumers are getting smarter, says Soundous Moufakir

Soundous Moufakir is building MoroMaa, a Moroccan-inspired beauty brand, as its solo founder after raising ₹1.5 crore from AJ VC for 9% equity and selling out two products. She says going solo taught her operations and unit economics; funding will support product development, manufacturing and growth. The idea grew from difficulty finding authentic Moroccan beauty rituals in Asia.

Woman, her minor daughter die as fire engulfs shop, house in Baghpat

Two people—a 38-year-old woman and her five-year-old daughter—were killed when fire engulfed a grocery shop and home in Khekra market, Baghpat, on Thursday morning; her husband and others were seriously injured. Police suspect a short circuit ignited firecrackers, triggering two LPG-cylinder explosions. Firefighters rescued trapped residents, and the district magistrate ordered a probe.

Gangster shot dead 10 days after jail release in Rampur

A 30-year-old man facing more than 16 criminal cases was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne attackers in Rampur’s Bilaspur area Thursday, just 10 days after his release from jail. Sandeep Chauhan was travelling toward a liquor shop around 11am when he was hit by three bullets; doctors declared him dead. Police suspect an old enmity and are investigating.

Nana Patekar’s Lucknow visit for UP Police campaign turns lasting memory

UP Police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mourned Nana Patekar, recalling his contribution to the force’s cybercrime-awareness campaign. Patekar appeared in *Scam Files: Digital Arrest*, a film warning against fraudsters posing as officials and clarifying that “digital arrest” has no legal basis. It has garnered nearly 1.90 crore views. Patekar attended its August 14 Lucknow launch.

At GST Council meet, HP seeks full compensation for fiscal stability

Himachal Pradesh urged the GST Council to guarantee 14% annual compensation for five years, protecting state revenues until receipts reach the fifth-year benchmark, and renewed its call for a hill-states group. It sought lower pharmaceutical taxes, welcomed taxpayer relief and toll-collection exemption, but stressed reforms must preserve enforcement. The appeal came at the Council’s 57th meeting.

Chandigarh sees drop in Right to Service disposal rate

Chandigarh’s RTS disposal rate fell from 97% in 2020-21 to 82% in 2025-26 as applications rose; 12 lakh of 15 lakh received last year were cleared. Five departments drew 65% of applications, and the Deputy Commissioner’s office had the largest backlog. Officials cite weak awareness and appeal systems, while the 2017 framework aims to ensure timely delivery of notified services.

Pratapgarh aonla makes inroads into foreign markets

Pratapgarh’s GI-tagged aonla entrepreneurs secured export orders worth nearly ₹20 crore from buyers in six countries at UPITS-2026, opening new markets for the district’s gooseberry products. Eleven businesses participated, with orders spanning Europe, the Gulf and beyond. Producing 82,000 tonnes annually, the district’s 550 aonla-processing units have gained visibility after aonla received GI status in 2023.

The research associates who help scientists on their Nobel journey

Although the 2026 Medicine Nobel went to Hegemann, Nagel and Deisseroth for optogenetics, former PhD student Suneel Kateriya identified two genes essential to discovering light-sensitive ion channels. His contribution is acknowledged, but the award highlights how Nobel recognition often favors principal investigators, echoing longstanding disputes over junior researchers’ work and the prize’s three-recipient limit.

Saiyami Kher reveals diet and fitness regime after completing her 3rd Half Ironman triathlon

Saiyami Kher completed Italy’s Ironman 70.3 20 minutes faster than last year despite 31°C heat and jellyfish, juggling shoots with training. The 113-kilometre race combines swim, cycle and half-marathon; she trains five or six days, indoors in Mumbai, adjusting her diet as mileage rises. A decade after beginning marathons, she values triathlon’s discipline and purpose.

Nana gets tearful farewell on final journey at his Donje farm

Nana Patekar was cremated late Thursday at his Donje farmhouse near Pune, where politicians, fans and villagers gathered to mourn the actor and benefactor. His remains arrived from Goa, and Maharashtra’s government accorded him a guard of honour. Residents remembered his humility and help, while NAAM Foundation volunteers mourned its co-founder, who supported distressed farmers.

14 cases of crimes against city women in 24 hrs, 12 are abductions

Pune police registered 14 offences-against-women cases Wednesday, including 12 alleged abductions reported across several jurisdictions. The complaints involved women and girls aged 14 to 39, with unidentified persons accused in the abduction cases, while two other reports alleged domestic harassment by husbands and in-laws; police registered the cases under relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions.

Nana Patekar: A life beyond the screen, standing with Maharashtra’s farmers in times of drought

Nana Patekar’s work beyond cinema centered on drought-hit Maharashtra, where the NAAM Foundation, co-founded with Makarand Anaspure in 2015, supported farmers and families bereaved by suicide while restoring water sources. NAAM says its projects revived 2,246 sources and 178 rivers by 2025. Inspired by distressed families, Patekar regarded the work as personal fulfilment, not charity.

Series of drug seizures put spotlight on Prayagraj as narcotics transit hub

Prayagraj is shifting from an interstate drug transit point toward a synthetic-drug production base after police uncovered a mephedrone factory, seizing 69.75kg of drug and chemicals worth Rs 139.5 crore. Seizures included ganja, codeine syrup and tablets, with supply routes spanning states. Road and rail links attract traffickers; authorities destroyed 1,767kg of narcotics this year.

FDA suspends food license of SPPU mess over food safety violations

Pune’s FDA suspended the food registration certificate of the operator of Savitribai Phule Pune University’s girls’ hostel mess after finding food-safety and hygiene lapses, pending improvements. The October 6 inspection followed student complaints about insects, plastic in a vegetable dish and a metal wire in food; officials cited the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Foreign university campuses to come up at state public varsities

Maharashtra plans to bring foreign universities to public campuses through a five-year scheme approved by the state cabinet, enabling joint and dual degrees, research partnerships, exchanges and shared facilities. CM-SRISTHI runs from 2026-27 to 2030-31, providing infrastructure support while requiring foreign or private-sector co-funding and accreditation. It also backs AI centres, technology schools and shared academic networks.

Pune police deny permission for MPSC protest, ask protesters to vacate

Pune police denied permission Thursday for MPSC aspirants’ sit-in at S M Joshi bridge, ordering them to leave over traffic disruption, residents’ inconvenience and public-order risks. Despite warnings, protesters continued; authorities cited provocative speeches and an alleged journalist assault, while offering to consider demonstrations elsewhere, following High Court guidance that public roads cannot be blocked.

The Kolhapur aspirant who became the voice of Pune MPSC protest

Twenty-four-year-old Vivekanand Patil, a leading voice in Pune’s MPSC agitation, declined Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam’s offer to build his parents a house, saying students’ futures mattered more. His humorous, poetic speeches have made him a protest sensation, amplifying calls for fair recruitment after alleged exam-paper leaks. Kolhapur’s farming-family aspirant insists he will build his life.

Monsoon withdraws from Maharashtra two days ahead of normal date

Maharashtra’s southwest monsoon withdrew fully on October 8, two days ahead of its normal October 10 date, as dry weather and rising temperatures take hold. Retreat began October 3 in Mumbai and Pune, then advanced statewide. Pune reached 35.7°C, its highest October maximum since 2002; the IMD forecasts warm, dry, humid conditions for three to four days, marking the post-monsoon transition.

NGT sets aside green clearance for expansion of project in Viman Nagar

The NGT has set aside Maharashtra’s environmental clearance for a Viman Nagar expansion, ruling its EIA failed to answer the Terms of Reference point by point and omitted damage-assessment and natural-resource augmentation details. It ordered SEIAA to reconsider the ex-post facto application within two months. Construction had deviated from the 2019 approval; four buildings are occupied.

Toxic chemical found in milk in FDA crackdown

Pune’s FDA detected the chemical NPE in adulterated milk during a July–October crackdown, identifying 37 accused and arresting 25 as action spread across dairies and the supply chain. Six samples from Akash Dairy Farm contained detergents, while multiple businesses across Pune district faced action. NPE, used in cleaners and pesticides, can degrade into endocrine-disrupting nonylphenol.

PMC to decentralise stray dog complaints, reshuffle veterinary staff

PMC will decentralise veterinary services and reshuffle staff after deputy mayor Parshuram Wadekar said ward-level complaints about stray-dog bites, vaccination and sterilisation were receiving inadequate attention. Ward offices will handle cases locally, with dedicated vehicles and improved coordination; the civic body currently has five vehicles, while an NGO operates 15 across Pune for veterinary services.

The Spice of Life |She walks among us, the goddess in every woman

A schoolgirl’s Navratri assembly reframed the nine goddesses as qualities embodied by women: rootedness, perseverance, voice, creativity, nurturing, fierce self-respect, resilience, healing and strength shared with others. Her interpretation suggests the deities are not distant idols but everyday reminders of women’s agency, challenging society’s habit of venerating goddesses while confining women to restrictive expectations of womanhood.

Passengers see red as Katraj bus stop likely to shift another kilometer amid infra works

PMPML’s Katraj Chowk bus stop may shift another kilometre toward Wonder City as traffic police seek to ease congestion from metro and flyover construction. Commuters and PMPML chief Mahesh Awhad warn the move would lengthen walks, burdening passengers, especially seniors, women and those carrying luggage. It has moved three times in two months amid construction.

If EVMs unreliable, will CM resign? asks Himachal BJP

BJP MLA Randhir Sharma challenged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to resign if he considers EVMs unreliable, saying Congress accepts them when it wins but questions them when it loses. Citing victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, Sharma accused Congress of diverting attention through opposition to electoral-roll revision and urged lawful removal of duplicate entries while protecting eligible voters.

Pune police register 11 theft cases

Pune police registered 11 theft cases on Oct. 7, involving ₹81.35 lakh in vehicles, gold, cash, phones and construction material. Cases comprised one two-wheeler, three three-wheeler and seven other thefts; the largest involved 41 tonnes of aluminium shuttering, valued at nearly ₹81.36 lakh, allegedly removed from a construction site. Reports included phone snatching and home thefts.