14 TMC MPs wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker saying they would support NDA — defying Mamata Banerjee. This came the same day Mamata and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee arrived in Delhi, sparking a political storm within the INDIA bloc. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar signed a letter as TMC's "chief whip" despite having been replaced two weeks ago. Sukhendu Roy quit as Rajya Sabha MP. The TMC camp accused Congress and CPM of plotting behind them.

Following the fire that killed 21 foreign workers at a Hauz Rani B&B, Delhi Police have checked 170 properties, issued 42 demolition orders, and registered 9 FIRs. Health inspectors have been asked why a hotel licence was issued despite known safety violations. The police also asked the MCD why it took no action on a court-directed demolition order from 2020. Critically, the government is now exploring hiring ex-Agniveers as firefighters to address the city's severe shortage of fire station personnel.

CBSE officially denied any portal glitch on re-evaluation day despite thousands of students reporting login failures, payment processing errors, and pages that refused to load. CBSE has received 1.6 lakh candidate verification requests. The IAF is airlifting question papers to 18 locations. A separate political controversy: a plea at the National Student Union of India (NSUI) alleged large-scale irregularities in the CBSE's Online Screen Marking (OSM) system, which a team of IIM Ahmedabad faculty had evaluated.

A Palau-flagged unladen oil tanker called MARIVEX, blacklisted by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), was struck near Oman's territorial waters. All 24 Indian crew members were evacuated with Omani help. The vessel had attempted to evade the US blockade four times and had disabled its signal devices. The incident highlights the dangers Indian maritime workers face when deployed on sanctioned vessels, and India's diplomatic exposure in the US-Iran sanctions regime.

Jaipur witnessed an internet shutdown and demolition of 5 religious buildings as part of a crackdown that followed communal clashes allegedly linked to gig economy workers' groups. The clashes were centred on app-based service workers who use digital platforms, community halls, and masjid premises for organising. The shutdown disrupted ATMs, digital payments, and gig delivery operations for hours. Several workers' groups alleged the demolitions targeted minority-owned community structures.

The TOI business opinion column argues that SpaceX's IPO listing represents a fundamental test of whether financial markets can rationally value mission-driven, loss-making ventures. Despite Starlink generating meaningful revenue, SpaceX's space division has never been profitable. The article draws parallels to the South Sea Bubble and WeWork — ventures where narrative and vision outpaced fundamentals. The key question: can SpaceX's promise of Mars colonisation justify a valuation higher than any company in history?

A National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) report in partnership with The Quantum Hub and Women in Digital Economy Network found that India's first digital divide (phone access) is largely solved — 95% of households own a mobile. But the second divide — whether people can use digital tools for education, employment, finance, and government services — is barely addressed. Only 11% access government services online; only 39% of 15+ year-olds use the internet meaningfully.

The Ministry of Defence is considering applying liquidated damages (LD) penalties to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for persistent delays in delivering the Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force. Of 180 aircraft contracted, only 6 have been delivered. HAL argues the delay is partly due to GE Aerospace's inability to supply F404 engines on time — a supply chain issue exacerbated by US export controls. Defence minister Rajnath Singh met HAL officials on Monday to assess the situation.

A business column argues that while average salary increments in India have been a modest 8–10%, select industries — cybersecurity firms, private intelligence consultancies, global defence companies, law firms, M&A advisory, contract renegotiation specialists — are seeing 10–20% hikes. The "chaos dividend" is real: every conflict, cyberattack, corporate scandal, or economic disruption creates demand for highly specialised professionals. The article links this to the broader pattern of India's K-shaped labour market recovery.

The article argues that the Iran-Israel war heatup is a reminder that India's petrol blend remains too fossil-fuel dependent. India reached 20% ethanol blending ahead of target (originally set for 2025). The article recommends accelerating to 30% by using existing sugarcane surplus, converting agricultural waste (paddy straw), and incentivising flex-fuel vehicles. It notes that unlike EVs (which need grid investment) or hydrogen (early stage), ethanol blending is the fastest, cheapest energy security lever available to India today.

Former PM HD Deve Gowda penned an op-ed praising Modi's tenure, noting his willingness to "learn from mistakes, stay the course, and prioritise national interest over political convenience." The article compares Modi's governance tenure to Nehru's across key metrics — Parliament productivity, judicial appointments, diplomatic outreach, and economic growth periods. It sparked pushback from the INDIA bloc who questioned the timing and Deve Gowda's credibility as a neutral commentator.

Manav Suthar, on Test debut, took 7 wickets across both innings against Afghanistan as India won by an innings and 300 runs — their largest Test victory ever. Suthar was named Man of the Match. The batting also impressed — India scored 262 runs in 272 balls. Afghanistan suffered their biggest Test defeat. India's top-order, including Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, were praised for their explosive batting. Rohit and Hardik were reported fit for the upcoming ODI series.

Alexander Zverev's post-match interview revealed a champion's mindset focused on replicating success rather than resting on it. He spoke about the mental health challenges of losing four Grand Slam finals — "The cruelest feeling in sport" — and how he worked with a sports psychologist over two years to rebuild confidence. He credited his fitness team and coaching staff for managing his ankle recovery. Italy's Cobolli, defeated in the final, showed signs of being a future Slam contender.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshn Dickwella revealed that India's teenage IPL sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi directly inspired him to rethink his batting approach at 28 — "If a 14-year-old can bat like that in the IPL, I have no excuse." Dickwella admitted he watched Suryavanshi's technique closely and worked on applying a similar fearless mindset. The article also noted that Suryavanshi represents a new generation of IPL-bred cricketers who are already setting the tone for senior cricket globally.