Nestle baby food sample found substandard
India’s food regulator found a Nestle infant formula sample substandard for biotin content and is pursuing legal action, reported Reuters.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said reanalysis confirmed the product failed prescribed requirements.
Nestle maintained that its products comply with applicable regulations and said it would cooperate with authorities. The regulator did not indicate whether a recall would follow.
Opposition targets election chief over internal ECI rift
Opposition parties demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal after an Indian Express investigation reported that the other two election commissioners objected at least 14 times to decisions taken without their knowledge.
The Election Commission of India said the report presented “only one part of the picture” and maintained that its decisions over the past year were unanimous.
Supreme Court split over election commissioners’ appointment law
The Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on petitions challenging the 2023 law governing appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, reported DW.
The law replaced the Chief Justice of India on the selection panel with a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The matter will now go before the Chief Justice for consideration of a larger bench.
El Nino heat could cause 15,800 deaths in India
A powerful El Nino could contribute to an estimated 15,800 deaths in India by the end of February 2027, according to a Climate Impact Lab report.
The University of Chicago-based research group estimated that 451,000 additional deaths globally between June and February could be linked to El Nino-driven heat compared with typical heat-related mortality.
Government toughens proposed food warning labels
The government has strengthened proposed warning-label rules for packaged food, requiring a red warning symbol when even one of salt, sugar or fat exceeds prescribed limits, reported Reuters.
The FSSAI earlier proposed warnings only when two nutrients breached thresholds. The regulator told the Supreme Court the labels would now be introduced nationwide in a single phase.
Google to report child abuse material directly to India
Google has agreed to report content identified as child sexual abuse material directly to Indian authorities, departing from a system that routes reports through a US non-profit, reported Reuters.
The move follows a similar decision by Meta. Indian officials had raised concerns that the existing reporting process caused significant delays in cases involving the country.
Baby orangutans expose wildlife trafficking network
Five baby orangutans abandoned in an Odisha forest have highlighted the scale of India’s illegal exotic wildlife trade, reported AFP.
Experts say endangered animals are increasingly being smuggled through Myanmar to meet demand from wealthy buyers.
The critically endangered orangutans, native to Sumatra and Borneo, are being cared for at a zoo. Indonesia has requested their return.
Asad Alam Siam set to be Bangladesh envoy to India
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to become the country’s new High Commissioner to India after New Delhi granted the required diplomatic approval, reported NDTV.
Mr Siam will succeed Mr Riaz Hamidullah, whose term ends next month.
The appointment places Bangladesh’s top foreign ministry official in what is regarded as one of Dhaka’s most important diplomatic postings.
Passengers seen standing as aircraft moves
A video showing passengers standing inside an Air India Express aircraft while it was moving sparked debate over onboard safety, reported NDTV.
The footage, posted by a passenger on flight IX 1236, prompted criticism of both passengers and crew.
Air India Express responded that passenger safety was its highest priority and operations followed applicable safety procedures and regulatory requirements.
Three infants killed in Telangana hospital fire
Three infants died after a fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit of the state-run RIMS hospital in Telangana’s Adilabad district, reported India Today.
All 27 infants in the unit were shifted to private hospitals. A preliminary inquiry indicated a possible short circuit in an air-conditioning unit, while authorities ordered a comprehensive investigation.
10,000 rupees dispute allegedly triggers Rs24 crore fire
A dispute over an alleged unpaid Rs10,000 (S$133) led an accountant to set fire to his former employer’s shop in Surat, destroying 14 shops and textiles worth about Rs24 crore (S$3.2 million), reported India Today.
Police arrested Vinod Pandit Sawale, 33, over the Sept 9 blaze. Investigators allege he used about Rs150 worth of petrol to start the fire.
No punishment for refusing to sing Vande Mataram: Supreme Court
A conscientious objector should not face punishment for refusing to sing Vande Mataram, the Supreme Court told the Central government while hearing Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna’s challenge to amended legislation.
The court referred to its 1986 Bijoe Emmanuel judgment protecting schoolchildren who respectfully declined to sing the national anthem on grounds of conscience.
Supreme Court questions 10-fold cancer drug price gap
The Supreme Court questioned how an essential cancer drug supplied to retailers for Rs2,700 (S$36) could reach patients at Rs27,000 (S$361).
Hearing petitions on drug pricing and generic medicines, Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta described the disparity as “dacoity” and questioned why pharmaceutical pricing authorities had failed to intervene to protect patients.
Pfizer responds to Karnataka counterfeit drug probe
Pfizer said patient safety and product quality remained its priorities after Karnataka authorities acted against retailers and wholesalers over alleged counterfeit medicines.
The state regulator cancelled 16 drug licences and suspended eight others.
Pfizer said it had withdrawn batches whose numbers were copied by counterfeiters and was assisting authorities in distinguishing genuine products from fake ones.
Delhi plans ‘Pink Force’ after sexual assault cases
Delhi Police has been asked to establish a dedicated “Pink Force” of trained women officers to patrol schools, colleges, metro stations and vulnerable locations.
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu proposed the unit following four alleged rape or sexual assault cases involving minors in about 10 days. Personnel would be deployed at identified hotspots, particularly during vulnerable hours.
Kerala orders probe into allegations against Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala’s Congress-led government ordered a police investigation based on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report concerning former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T. and her husband P.A. Mohamed Riyas.
The ED has alleged improper payments involving CMRL and Ms Veena’s former company Exalogic Solutions. A Crime Branch special investigation team has since been constituted.
DGCA scrutinising SpiceJet operations
The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is conducting operational and financial scrutiny of SpiceJet amid flight cancellations and delays, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said.
He stressed that passenger inconvenience must be minimised and safety should not be compromised. DGCA data showed SpiceJet’s domestic market share fell from 1.9 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in July.
