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  • Home Ministry confirms ITBP chiefs face-off claim with Chinese troops and says that it happens when the Chinese diverge from established patrolling patterns
  • Voting took place on Friday for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra, covering graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies. Counting is scheduled for October 27, with the contests attracting attention ahead of the next round of state-level political battles
  • Delhi Police detained student activists and civil-society members during a march towards the Election Commission headquarters against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal
  • The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition by All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora challenging a police notice requiring her to furnish a ₹10,000 personal bond and a surety to maintain peace. The court also directed that the material relied upon by the authorities be furnished to her
  • Kolkata Police arrested two more people, including the treasurer of the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee, in connection with the stampede that killed 19 people on October 17, taking the total number of arrests to nine. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said human error was primarily responsible for the Chorbagan stampede, while stressing that the retired judge leading the inquiry would determine the circumstances and findings
  • Haryana’s three-day electricity employees’ strike ended on Friday after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini assured union representatives that the government would oppose parallel power-distribution licences for Gurugram and Nuh. Energy Minister Anil Vij said the state would invoke Section 108 of the Electricity Act and seek a review of the regulator’s decision, which had triggered the strike and disrupted power supplie
  • The India Meteorological Department warned that a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal could intensify into a cyclone by October 26 and move towards the north Andhra Pradesh–south Odisha coast. The forecast indicated the possibility of thunderstorms and heavy rain in parts of southern West Bengal from October 28, although the system’s eventual intensity and track remained uncertain
  • The Union government proposed changes to its Periodic Labour Force Survey to improve measurement of digital-platform workers and unpaid activities, including caregiving, household production and volunteer work
  • India’s private-sector business activity expanded at its fastest pace in four months in October, according to the preliminary HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index compiled by S&P Global. The composite index rose to 56.7 from September’s 55.9, driven by stronger services activity, but employment was unchanged, ending a nine-month run of hiring growth
  • The ₹30,213-crore initial public offering of Jio Platforms closed on Friday with an overall subscription of 22.19 times, attracting bids worth approximately ₹4.90 lakh crore. Institutional investors subscribed to their reserved portion 70.55 times, while the issue received more than 13.8 million applications, setting a record for an Indian public offering
  • A dispute over the India–UK trade agreement emerged after a trade association representing major liquor companies asked the Indian commerce minister to clarify whether bulk Scotch whisky imports qualified for the reduced 75% tariff agreed under the pact
  • Indian equity markets fell for a fourth consecutive trading session on Friday, with the Nifty 50 closing at 22,600, down 0.39%, and the Sensex at 73,123.83, down 0.17%. Both benchmarks recorded weekly losses as Brent crude approached $114 a barrel, intensifying concerns about inflation, corporate earnings and imported energy costs
  • Asian Para Games: India collected nine gold medals on the penultimate day to take its medal tally to 114, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, the highest in these games. India remained fourth on the table
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the first women’s ODI in Vadodara, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Pratika Rawal scored an unbeaten 100, while Shree Charani claimed career-best figures of 4/23 as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 197 and India reached the target in 27.1 overs
  • Ishan Kishan was ruled out of the second T20 international against New Zealand after sustaining a low-grade strain in his right adductor muscle during the opening match. The BCCI said its medical team was monitoring his recovery but did not specify when he might return
Indo_-Tibetan Border Police chief Shatrujit Kapur says there have been ,utliple face-offs with Chinese troops across the Line of Actual Control
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The Foreign Hand Is Not an Answer

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2026-10-23 23:59:23

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

The protests on India's streets have domestic causes. The government's duty is to answer them, not question the motives of those who raise them.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in Nagpur on 20 October that a storm had blown in from the West. Citing France, Bangladesh and Nepal, he warned of attempts at regime change in India. He also said protests should seek solutions, not sow hatred. That last point is correct. But in August, he had described democratic protest as legitimate and students' grievances as genuine. Two months later, he has placed those protests in the shadow of alleged foreign interference.

The grievances are documented. NEET-UG 2026 was held on 3 May and cancelled on 12 May following allegations of a paper leak. The CBI registered an FIR, and investigators reportedly found about 120 questions in a circulated guess paper matching the examination. Even ABVP, the Sangh Parivar's student wing, demanded accountability. No foreign hand is needed to explain that anger.

The same scrutiny applies to the Special Intensive Revision. Students and opposition parties accuse Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of irregularities and mass deletion of voters. They demand his resignation. The Election Commission and the BJP deny the charges. Neither allegation nor denial settles the matter. A citizen struck off the roll needs an explanation, not speculation.

Foreign funding is not, by itself, proof of foreign direction. Contributions must comply with the law, but their source cannot substitute for evidence of how the money was used. The Kerala High Court has held that funding a peaceful protest is not, by itself, grounds to deny an NGO's FCRA renewal. In Kudankulam, inquiries did not establish a direct link between certain NGOs and the agitation. Insinuations against Rahul Gandhi are repeated more often than they are substantiated.

Indira Gandhi's government also invoked threats to the nation amid unrest in the 1970s. The Emergency that followed remains a warning against treating dissent as a threat to be contained rather than a grievance to be addressed.

The remedy is transparency. The Election Commission should publish deletion rules and constituency-wise lists, provide a simple appeal and permit independent audits. The Centre should disclose the NEET investigation's progress, fix a firm re-examination date and hold National Testing Agency officials accountable. Police should not detain students merely for peaceful marches. Article 19 protects speech and peaceful assembly, subject to constitutional restrictions.

If anyone has broken the law, the government should name them and produce evidence. Until then, protesters deserve answers, not suspicion.

 

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