Kerala becomes first state to eradicate extreme poverty
Kerala has declared itself free of extreme poverty, the first state in India to do so.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made the announcement after a four-year drive targeting 64,000 impoverished families.
The programme focused on food, housing, and healthcare rather than income, lifting households out of destitution. India’s national extreme poverty rate now stands at 2.3 per cent.
India set to become world’s third-largest economy
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy, rising from 10th in 2014 to fifth today.
Speaking at the Delhi School of Economics, she noted that 25 million people have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty.
She added that public-sector bank balance sheets have strengthened and fiscal deficit targets remain on track.
Passenger and cargo trains collide, killing 11
At least 11 people were killed and several injured when a passenger train crashed into a cargo train near Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, on Nov 4.
One passenger coach mounted a freight wagon during the collision.
Rescue teams used cranes and cutters to reach passengers trapped in the mangled compartments, as officials feared more casualties.
Tribunal lifts WhatsApp data-sharing ban
An appeals tribunal has lifted a five-year ban preventing WhatsApp from sharing user data with other Meta entities but upheld a US$25.4 million fine for abuse of dominance.
The tribunal said the Competition Commission’s rationale for the ban was “missing altogether”.
Meta welcomed the decision, reiterating WhatsApp messages remain end-to-end encrypted.
Man jailed over ‘typo’ wins case
A clerical error saw Madhya Pradesh man Sushant Bais wrongly jailed for over a year under the National Security Act.
The High Court fined Shahdol district collector Rs2 lakh for “non-application of mind”.
Officials admitted Mr Bais was mistakenly detained instead of another accused, citing a “typographical error” by a clerk.
Gopichand Hinduja, head of UK’s richest family, dies
Gopichand Hinduja, chairman of the Hinduja Group and head of Britain’s richest family, has died aged 85.
The conglomerate operates across 11 sectors with 200,000 employees worldwide.
Mr Gopichand transformed his father’s trading firm into a global enterprise worth £35.3 billion (S$60.2 billion). He was the second of four brothers who ran the empire.
Major overhaul of voter rolls begins
The Election Commission launched a three-month revision of voter rolls across 12 states and territories.
The door-to-door exercise aims to update records before next year’s local polls.
Critics fear stringent documentation could disenfranchise citizens, while officials say it will curb “illegal immigrant” entries. A similar drive in Bihar removed 6.5 million names.
Sikh pilgrims cross into Pakistan for Guru Nanak festival
Over 2,100 Indian Sikh pilgrims crossed into Pakistan on Nov 4 to mark Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary.
It was the first major crossing since May’s deadly India-Pakistan clashes that closed the Wagah-Attari border.
The 10-day pilgrimage includes visits to key gurdwaras in Punjab, underscoring religious and cultural ties despite strained relations.
IIT-Delhi tops Indian universities in QS Asia rankings
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi retained its title as India’s top university, ranking 59th in the QS Asia 2026 list.
It was followed by IISc Bengaluru (64) and IIT Madras (70).
India now has 294 institutions in the rankings, a 12-fold increase since 2016, highlighting its regional research dominance.
Air India crash sole survivor says he feels ‘lucky but lost’
Air India crash survivor Vishwashkumar Ramesh said he feels “lucky but suffering” after surviving the June crash in Ahmedabad that killed 241 people, including his brother.
The Leicester resident told the BBC he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and lives in isolation. “It’s a miracle I survived,” he said. “But my brother was my backbone.”
Four killed after alighting from wrong side of train in UP
Four passengers were killed at Chunar railway station, Uttar Pradesh, after stepping off the Chopan-Prayagraj Express from the wrong side.
As they crossed the tracks, the high-speed Kalka-Howrah Express struck them.
Officials said the passengers ignored a nearby footbridge. A railway inquiry into safety lapses has been ordered.
103 ancient gold coins unearthed at Tamil Nadu temple
More than 100 antique gold coins were discovered during renovation works at a centuries-old Shiva temple near Tiruvannamalai’s Javvadu hills in Tamil Nadu.
Workers found a mud pot containing 103 coins, believed to date back to the Chola King Rajaraja Cholan III era.
Revenue and heritage officials are tracing the coins’ origins and historical significance.
Insurance officer dies while playing cricket in Jhansi
A 30-year-old Life Insurance Corporation development officer Ravindra Ahirwar collapsed and died while playing cricket at the GIC ground in Jhansi on Nov 5.
Mr Ahirwar, a resident of Nalganj, felt unwell while bowling, vomited after drinking water, and lost consciousness.
Teammates rushed him to the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
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30 Oct 2025 12:49
