Ladakh Burns in Protests | India News in Minutes
Your daily essential | 25 September 2025 | 121st Edition
Good morning, it’s Thursday. Here are today’s essential headlines.
Absolutely Essential to Know 🚨:
Ladakh Burns as Statehood Protests Turn Deadly
Centre Mandates NREGS Funds for Water Conservation
Poll-Bound Bihar Gets ₹6,014 Crore in Road & Rail Projects
And many more, read on…
Btw, here’s some music to accompany your read today. Hope you enjoy.
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The blocks are quick factual summaries as reported by news agencies. Everything else is to be considered our opinion.
Click “🔗” for a single randomly selected source article from the many sources we referred.
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🏔️ Ladakh Burns as Statehood Protests Turn Deadly
Protests in Leh for statehood & Sixth Schedule status turn violent; at least four dead, dozens injured.
Clashes with police; BJP office and vehicles torched.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk ends 15-day hunger strike; government blames him for inciting violence.
The Deeper Take: This isn’t just a protest; it’s the violent result of a broken promise. The 2019 UT status, once cheered, has left Ladakhis feeling powerless, fearing demographic change and resource exploitation without the protections of the Sixth Schedule. 🔗
📝 “Nakal Jihad” Cry as Exam Paper Leak Sparks Fury
Protests erupt over alleged UKSSSC exam paper leak in Uttarakhand.
Screenshots of paper circulated online; CM Dhami labels it ‘nakal jihad’.
Main accused arrested; police claim it’s a small conspiracy, not an organised gang.
Why It Matters: In a country where a government job is the golden ticket, a paper leak is an existential threat. The ‘nakal jihad’ label is a classic political deflection, turning systemic failure into a communal issue; all for political gains. 🔗
⚖️ Women’s Quota Act Hits Supreme Court Over “Infinite Delay”
Supreme Court hears petitions challenging the Women’s Reservation Act’s timeline.
Petitioners demand enforcement before 2029 elections.
Act’s implementation tied to a future census and delimitation exercise, frozen until at least 2026.
The Bottom Line: A legislative victory lap that can’t start the race. The Act was passed with fanfare, but the fine print kicks the can so far down the road it’s in another decade. The court case is trying to force the government’s hand. 🔗
💧 Centre Mandates NREGS Funds for Water Conservation
Centre amends NREGS Act to prioritise water conservation in areas with groundwater depletion.
Mandates 65% of spending in “over-exploited” and “critical” rural blocks must go to water-related works.
The Deeper Take: This is the government quietly admitting India is facing a catastrophic water crisis. By tying its flagship rural employment scheme to water conservation, it’s trying to use one massive programme to solve the problem created by another (decades of unsustainable agriculture and construction). 🔗
🤖 Zelenskyy Warns UN of a New AI-Fuelled “Arms Race”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addresses UN General Assembly, warning of the “most destructive arms race in human history”.
Highlights the threat of autonomous drones and AI in warfare, urging global rules.
Warns that if Russia isn’t stopped, Putin will expand the war deeper into Europe.
Why It Matters: Zelenskyy is changing the channel. He’s reframing the Ukraine war not as a regional conflict, but as the first battle of a new technological age of warfare. It’s a desperate, and brilliant, attempt to make the world see that Ukraine’s fight is everyone’s future. 🔗
🇺🇸 Trump’s Surprising Pivot: Now Believes Ukraine Can Win
After meeting Zelenskyy, US President Trump expresses a belief that Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia.
This marks a dramatic shift from his previous calls for Kyiv to make concessions.
The Kremlin dismisses the suggestion as a “big mistake”.
The Bottom Line: Welcome to the whiplash of Trump’s foreign policy. This sudden change in tune is less about a coherent strategy and more about political posturing. For Ukraine, it’s a welcome but deeply unreliable gust of wind in their sails. 🔗
🌿 How Bay Leaves Built a ₹400 Crore Industry for Bengal’s Women
Bay leaf farming in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur has grown into a ₹400 crore industry.
Provides crucial income for women, who handle post-harvest sorting and drying.
Around 64% of women in the area participate, earning around ₹100 a day.
Why It Matters: This is grassroots economic empowerment. A low-maintenance crop has created a micro-economy that gives financial independence to thousands of women in a largely informal sector, proving that large-scale impact doesn’t always need a grand government scheme. 🔗
❤️ One Doctor’s Mission Brings Cancer Care to 70,000 in Assam
Dr Ravi Kannan recognised as a “Health Changemaker” for his work in Assam’s Barak Valley.
He transformed a small cancer unit into a hospital providing free treatment, food, and support to the poor.
His vision has provided life-saving care to over 70,000 people.
The Deeper Take: In a country where quality healthcare is often a luxury, Dr Kannan’s work is a powerful reminder of the impact of a single individual’s commitment. This is about building a system of care from the ground up, where others saw none. 🔗
🔭 IIT Bombay to Build World’s Most Powerful Space Telescopes
IIT Bombay is leading ‘Mission Daksha’ to develop satellites with powerful telescopes.
The mission’s objective is to study high-energy gamma-ray bursts from deep space.
Aims to put India at the forefront of astrophysical research.
Why It Matters: This is India’s academic muscle flexing on a cosmic scale. Moving beyond just launching rockets, this signifies a deeper push into fundamental science and developing cutting-edge instrumentation, cementing India’s status as a serious space power. 🔗
☀️ Delhi Basks in Clear Skies and Warm Weather
Delhi experiences a warm and sunny day with clear skies.
Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the ‘Moderate’ category at 107.
The forecast predicts consistent warm temperatures through the week, with rain expected over the weekend.
The Bottom Line: A rare moment of meteorological peace for the capital. Enjoy the clear skies and breathable air while you can, because the usual smoggy programming is not too far away. 🔗
🏏 India Storms into Asia Cup Final Despite Sloppy Fielding
India beats Bangladesh by 41 runs in the Asia Cup Super Fours to reach the final.
Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 75 off 37 balls and Kuldeep Yadav’s 3-18 were key performances.
India’s victory was marred by poor fielding, with five catches dropped.
Why It Matters: A classic Indian cricket story: individual brilliance papers over systemic cracks. We won, but the dropped catches are a worrying sign for a team with championship aspirations. It’s the age-old problem of talent versus discipline. 🔗
🏗️ Poll-Bound Bihar Gets ₹6,014 Crore in Road & Rail Projects
Centre announces new road and rail projects worth ₹6,014 crore for Bihar.
Includes the doubling of the 104-km Bakhtiyarpur-Rajgir-Tilaiya railway line.
The announcement comes ahead of upcoming state elections.
Why It Matters: It’s that magical time again when infrastructure projects bloom just before an election. This is a classic pre-poll spending spree designed to win hearts, minds, and most importantly, votes. 🔗
👨👧👦 Mumbai Court Grants Minimum Sentence in POCSO Case
A Mumbai court granted a minimum sentence to a man convicted of sexually assaulting his daughter.
The man was found guilty under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The wife stated it was “difficult to maintain the family” as a factor in the sentencing.
Why It Matters: A heartbreaking case that highlights the agonising intersection of justice and survival. The court’s decision reflects the complex, painful realities faced by families in poverty, where even justice can come at an unbearable cost. 🔗
Stay sharp,
The OneRead Team