India News | 100 Days, 100 Editions, and Still No Chill
September 4, 2025 | Major Updates
Good morning. It's Thursday, September 4th, 2025. Welcome to the 100th edition of The India Brief! That’s right, a 100 continuous days of us filtering the news, removing sensationlism and presenting unbiased news to you. A 100 days of you being a better informed citizen. A 100 days of you choosing the right source, everyday, consistently.
A note from the editor
Hello! Your editor here. I have been working behind the scenes, editing these editions everyday. Over the past 100 days, we have come very far. We started with a black and white pdf format that we made in a word doc. That evolved into the colourful instagram posts wherein we changed our formats probably more than a 100 times; and finally leading us to finding a new home here on SubStack. There are three things I’ve personally learned across this journey that I want to share with you:
Keep experimenting: Don’t ever fear to try something new. It is scary and uncomfortable, but it teaches you so much.
Stay true to yourself: Don’t try and be someone you aren’t. People much more appreciate your true self, that human voice. It’s missing in the current discourse on the internet, but that is what will make you unique.
And perhaps the most important:
Stay consistent: Starting anything is hard, but what is harder is staying consistent. Showing up everyday is not easy; it is taxing, it is hard, and at times, almost impossible. But it is in those times when it matters the most. And to stay consistent, you need a reason, a passion. So, do what your heart tells you to do, follow your passion, be yourself.
Thank you for bearing with us on this journey. It’s been a rollercoaster up until now, and from here, we will only be going up. I’ve personally enjoyed this so much, and I hope you have to. I personally feel a much more informed citizen and a lot less anxious, because I’ve completely stopped watching the news channels.
Thank you for sharing this with your friends and family. We are going to grow together. Your efforts and contributions will not be forgotten. All subscribers up until today will receive special benefits and privileges in the coming months.
Just one last thing: keep holding us accountable, keep telling us how we can make the experience better. We’ve reached here today only because of the invaluable suggestions of so many of you. We’re always eager to hear your thoughts
Alright Hritik, I get it. Enough of my monologue. Here are today's essential stories.
Absolutely essential to know 🚨:
New GST slabs officially notified
CA final exams postponed in Punjab and Jammu amid floods
Chat GPT suffers major outage
And many more, read on…
Our structure is simple:
The blue blocks are quick factual summaries, and you can keep reading for the context (our expert analysis). Remember, our opinions aren't facts, so don't go quoting us in your next debate!
Click "🔗" for a randomly selected source article. We check a bunch of sites to keep our facts straight and our news unbiased, but hey, you know how the internet is. Just be a little skeptical of whatever you find on the other side.
Also, all our images are just for laughs. They're silly, satirical jokes and not meant to represent anyone, living or, well you get the idea. Now go on, be informed and have a good laugh.
💸 India Hits the Brakes on Taxes, Hopes You'll Go Shopping
GST simplified to two main slabs: 5% and 18%, down from four.
Many daily items, small cars, and bikes get cheaper from 22 September.
Life and health insurance premiums are now completely GST-free.
A new 40% "sin/luxury" tax for high-end cars and tobacco.
The Bottom Line: This isn't just tax reform; it's a massive, pre-festival sale sponsored by the government to counter US tariffs and get you spending. Let's hope the economic hangover isn't too brutal.
🎭 A Political Dynasty in Telangana Publicly Implodes
BRS MLC K. Kavitha resigns from her post and the party.
Resignation follows her suspension by the party, led by her father KCR.
Accuses cousins and the current Chief Minister of political manoeuvring.
Signals a major public rift in Telangana's most powerful political family.
The Deeper Take: This is not only a political resignation but also a prime-time family drama. It exposes deep cracks in a political dynasty, potentially reshaping the opposition's landscape in Telangana for years to come.
📉 Assam CM Says CAA's Bark is Worse Than its Bite
Assam's Chief Minister reveals only three people have received citizenship under CAA.
This is out of a total of 12 applications in the state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma calls the debate "futile" given the low numbers.
Contrasts sharply with fears of lakhs of foreigners getting citizenship.
The Bottom Line: The government is using official, almost comically low, numbers to defang one of the most explosive political issues of the last decade. It's a masterclass in trying to kill a controversy with statistics.
🚶♂️ Mumbai's Infamous Gangster-Politician Walks Free
Arun Gawli, gangster-turned-politician, released from Nagpur jail.
Supreme Court ordered his release after 18 years of incarceration.
He was serving a life sentence for murder since 2012.
The Deeper Take: The return of "Daddy" to Mumbai's streets, however old, is a wild card. His re-entry into public life could have unpredictable ripple effects on local politics, reminding everyone of the city's blurry lines between crime and power.
🇪🇺 India Renews Push for European Trade Deal
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signals a strong desire to finalise an FTA with the EU.
Comments made after meeting with his German counterpart.
Comes amid hopes of also concluding a trade agreement with the US.
Part of a broader strategy to diversify economic partnerships.
Why It Matters: India is playing the field. By pushing for deals with both the EU and the US, Delhi is making it clear it won't be overly reliant on any single economic bloc, a classic "don't put all your eggs in one basket" foreign policy.
🤖 The Day the World's Favourite AI Went Silent
OpenAI's ChatGPT experienced a major global outage.
Users worldwide were unable to generate responses from the popular chatbot.
The company confirmed it was investigating the widespread issue.
Highlights the world's growing reliance on a few AI platforms.
The Bottom Line: The collective panic when one AI chatbot goes down for a few hours proves we've outsourced a scary amount of our thinking to a single Silicon Valley server farm. A good time to introspect.
🏫 Rajasthan Tries to Tame the Coaching Centre Beast
Rajasthan Assembly passes a bill to regulate private coaching institutes amid increasing student suicide rates.
>100 students = register with authorities ; no full advance payment
Both tuition and hostel charges to be refunded if a student discontinues studies.
The government calls it a 'historic' move to protect students.
The opposition argues it's toothless and ignores central guidelines on student age.
A direct response to the national crisis of student stress and suicides.
Why It Matters: This is a state-level attempt to put a leash on the billion-dollar, high-pressure, and often predatory coaching industry. Whether it actually helps students or just adds another layer of bureaucracy remains to be seen.
🐀 Second Newborn Dies After Alleged Rat Bites in Indore Hospital
Another abandoned baby has died at Indore's MY Hospital after being allegedly bitten by rats.
This is the second such tragic incident at the same facility.
Hospital officials confirmed the death, also citing congenital anomalies.
Raises serious questions about hygiene and safety in public hospitals.
The Deeper Take: When such an incident happens, as a hospital and government what do you do? You deny it, point fingers at something/someone else; otherwise you’ll loose your power certainly, because that is what matters the most to you. But irrespectively, this is a horrifying symptom of a deeply ailing public health system. When hospitals can't even protect newborns from rats, it's a sign of systemic failure that goes far beyond a simple pest control problem.
🔋 India to Pair Old Coal Plants with New-Age Batteries
India plans to test large-scale battery storage systems at coal power plants.
The goal is to stabilise the power grid as more solar energy comes online.
Aims to solve the problem of intermittent power from renewable sources.
A pragmatic step in the country's massive green energy transition.
Why It Matters: A masterstroke in policy to utilise the existing infrastructure for new India or a bombshell for using the age old infrastructure to power the new India; that is something for researchers and experts to help us understand.
🤨 Court Asks Maratha Quota Activist to Explain Protest Damages
The Bombay High Court has asked activist Manoj Jarange for clarification.
The query is about his role in the property damage during the Maratha quota stir.
Shifts the focus from the political demands to the legal consequences of the agitation.
The judiciary steps in to determine accountability for the protest's fallout.
The Bottom Line: The protest party might be over, but the bill has just arrived. The court is now asking who should pay for the damages, a question that could have big implications for how mass protests are conducted in the future. But in our opinion and experience, it won’t and that’s the sad reality.
🔭 Indian Scientists Divided Over Israel Ban at Olympiad
A major rift has emerged in India's scientific community.
The issue: A ban on Israel's national team at an international astronomy olympiad.
500+ academics supported the ban over Gaza; 300 others protested the politicisation of science.
The global conflict is now creating fissures in local academic circles.
Why It Matters: This shows that no field, not even one that looks at distant galaxies, is immune to earthly politics. The debate forces Indian scientists to ask two tough questions: when does moral responsibility override academic neutrality? And are actions of a few representation of all?
📜 Government Formalises Status of Certain Migrants
Home Ministry allows persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to stay.
Applies to Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains who entered India up to 2024.
A significant procedural step in the implementation of the CAA.
Extends the cut-off date for eligibility.
The Deeper Take: While the political fireworks around the CAA have quieted down, the bureaucratic machinery is still clicking along. This notice is the government dotting the i's and crossing the t's on a policy that has already reshaped the country's citizenship laws.
⛈️ Floods Force Postponement of National CA Exams
The ICAI has postponed Chartered Accountancy exams in Punjab and Jammu only.
The decision was forced by the severe flooding and disruption in the region.
Affects thousands of students at a critical point in their careers.
Why It Matters: This is a great example to understand that nothing exists in vaccum in this world. Everything is connected to one other. The task is, how many can we figure out and predict efficiently to avert dangers?
Uplifting Headlines
🌱 Indian University Sets a New Green Standard
Amrita University hosted Asia's first-ever carbon-neutral academic conference.
The major international event on sustainability had a net-zero environmental impact.
Launched new digital platforms to promote community-based resilience.
Drew nearly a thousand participants from over twenty countries.
The Bottom Line: An Indian university just showed the world how to walk the talk on climate change. Instead of just discussing sustainability, they made it the operating system for a major international event, setting a new benchmark for everyone else.
📱 Google Backs India's Second-Hand Smartphone Market
Google launches an authorised programme for selling refurbished Pixel phones in India.
Partners with Cashify to ensure quality checks and genuine parts.
Aims to make its premium smartphones more affordable and accessible.
A big step towards promoting a circular economy for electronics.
Why It Matters: When a giant like Google gets into the used phone business, it's a huge vote of confidence in India's massive refurbished market. It brings trust and reliability to a chaotic space, and makes high-end tech less wasteful.
International Headlines
🇵🇸 Israel Launches Full-Scale Assault on Gaza City
The Israeli military has begun a major ground and air offensive in Gaza City.
Described as an operation against the "final Hamas stronghold."
The assault has caused high casualties and a severe humanitarian crisis.
Hamas has called for UN intervention to stop what it calls a "genocide."
Why It Matters: The conflict has entered a brutal new stage of intense urban warfare. This move widens the gap between Israel's stated security goals and the growing international outcry over the devastating humanitarian cost.
📂 US Government Releases Massive Trove of Epstein Files
A US House committee has publicly released over 33,000 pages of Epstein files.
The documents include court records, police videos, and victim interviews.
Moves the scandal into a new phase of evidence-based public scrutiny.
Could have far-reaching legal and political fallout.
Why It Matters: The floodgates have opened. This massive data dump will fuel years of investigation by journalists and law enforcement, potentially exposing the full, sordid extent of Epstein's network and implicating powerful figures. But the files were released months after promised, one ponders why?
💥 Russia Unleashes Massive Air Attack Across Ukraine
Kyiv reports a huge overnight Russian attack involving over 500 drones and missiles.
The assault primarily targeted western regions of Ukraine.
Civilian infrastructure was damaged, and several people were wounded.
A demonstration of Russia's continued ability to project force.
NATO jets scrambled
The Deeper Take: This wasn't a random barrage. It was a coordinated, large-scale attack designed to test Ukraine's air defences to their limits and prove that Russia can still strike anywhere in the country, far from the main front lines.
Stay sharp,
The OneRead Team
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