A woman booth level officer (BLO), Shantimoni Ekka, was found dead in the courtyard of her home in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Police suspect death by suicide. Her family says she had been under severe stress due to long hours, field visits, and heavy election-related work. They said the pressure had become unbearable for her. Police have sent the body for post-mortem and started an investigation. The incident comes as top Election Commission officials are in Bengal to review the voter list revision drive. BLOs in the state have been protesting against the workload. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and blamed the intense pressure put on BLOs. (PC: NDTV)

The family of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched in Uttar Pradesh in 2015 over false beef rumours, says it will keep fighting for justice. The state government has asked a local court to drop charges against 18 accused men, citing gaps in witness statements. Akhlaq’s family says this move has shocked them and increased their fear for safety. They deny the claim that beef was found in their home and say the mob acted on a temple announcement. The court will decide on 12 December. The family hopes the court will not close the case after 10 years of struggle. (PC: BBC)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said people from Kashmir were being unfairly viewed with suspicion after the November 10 Delhi blast that killed 10 people. He said a “wrong environment” was being created, as if all Kashmiris were guilty because a few men from Pulwama and Anantnag were involved. Abdullah said, “Even driving a J-K registration vehicle in Delhi is being seen as a crime.” He added that parents now fear sending their children outside the state. He urged people not to blame an entire population for the actions of a few and said innocent residents should not suffer. (PC: HT)

Seven Maoists were killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district, a day after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was shot dead. Those killed include IED expert Tech Shankar and several key members linked to Maoist units in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Police said the encounter is part of a month-long intelligence-led crackdown. Fifty Maoist cadres have been arrested across multiple districts in recent days. Weapons, documents and cash were recovered. Police said many Maoists fled from Bastar after Hidma’s death and tried to hide in Andhra towns. The operation against the banned CPI (Maoist) continues. (PC: NDTV)

In a viral video speech, Pakistani politician Chaudhry Anwarul Haq claimed that terror groups struck India “from the Red Fort to the forests of Kashmir.” He referenced the November 10 car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort — linked to a Jaish-e-Mohammed-connected “white-collar” module — which killed 14. Haq also pointed to the April Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed, framing them as coordinated retaliation for India “bleeding Balochistan.” 

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine in a “bootstrap-mode” start under vacuum conditions, where the turbopumps were initiated without the usual stored-gas system. This ground test marks a critical advancement in enabling multiple in-flight restarts of cryogenic upper-stage engines, a capability crucial for extended missions and orbital manoeuvres. The trial reinforces ISRO’s push toward greater flexibility and reliability in its future launch vehicles. (PC: The Hindu)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to advise schools to move sports activities to months with safer air. The court said holding events in November and December, when pollution is at its worst, “amounts to putting schoolchildren in a gas chamber”. The direction came after the amicus told the bench that Delhi has planned inter-zonal sports competitions for under-14 and under-16 students during these months. The court said children should not be exposed to toxic air and asked authorities to act quickly to protect students’ health. (PC: India Today)

A joint operation by Andhra Pradesh’s police and elite Greyhounds in the Maredumilli forests (Alluri Sitarama Raju district) resulted in the death of six Maoists, including senior CPI (Maoist) commander Madvi Hidma and his wife. The exchange of fire occurred between 6:30 am and 7:00 am. Weapons recovered included AK-47 rifles, a pistol, and a revolver. Hidma, implicated in multiple high-profile Maoist attacks, carried a bounty of ₹1 crore. (PC: The Hindu)

Seven Maoists, including four men and three women, were killed on Wednesday in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Police said the encounter happened as the operation continued a day after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma and five others were killed. ADGP Mahesh Chandra Laddha said the latest group may include members who escaped the earlier encounter. One of the dead was bomb expert Metturu Jogarao, wanted by the NIA. Police have also arrested 50 Maoists across multiple districts. Officers said the group was trying to regroup near the Andhra–Odisha border. Security has been increased for political leaders. (PC: X)

Nine years after banning alcohol, Bihar is still fighting a strong illegal liquor trade. A BBC report followed officials during a raid near Patna, where they found an abandoned setup used to make country liquor. Police say bootleggers often get warnings before raids. Despite the ban, alcohol is widely available through black markets and smuggling from neighbouring states and Nepal. Most arrests are for drinking, not producing or selling liquor. Many women support the ban, saying it protects families, but illegal factories keep returning. Experts say prohibition has improved some homes but also pushed alcohol deeper underground. (PC: BBC)