India News in Minutes | India's MiG 21 takes last flight today
Your daily essential | 26 September 2025 | 122nd Edition
Good morning India. Today is Friday, and we await for the weekend as eagerly as you do. Till then, here are today’s essential headlines.
Absolutely Essential to Know 🚨:
Govt cancels Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO license
MiG 21 takes last flight today
ECI restores pre-2019 vote counting rule
And many more, read on…
Btw, here’s some music to accompany your read today. Hope you enjoy.
Our structure is simple:
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.
Also, all our images are not original works of our journalists, but are sourced from elsewhere. Cartoons are just for fun and laughs.
Here are the main headings. Scroll below to see details:
🏔️ Deadly protests for statehood erupt in Ladakh; Centre responds with a dual strategy.
✈️ India commits ₹62,370 crore to boost its air force with 97 homegrown Tejas jets.
🗓️ CBSE announces the 2026 board exam schedule well in advance to help students plan.
🗳️ Following opposition pressure, the Election Commission reverts to the pre-2019 vote-counting process.
🛂 EAM Jaishankar highlights the global need for Indian talent in response to US visa rhetoric.
🏥 The Cabinet has approved a national scheme to increase seats in medical colleges.
🐘 BJP assigns senior leaders to oversee upcoming elections in key states like Bihar and Bengal.
🏛️ BJP’s Ganesh Gaonkar is elected as the new Speaker of the Goa Assembly.
❤️🩹 An Indian firm will produce a groundbreaking HIV prevention shot, making it available for just $40 a year.
🏗️ Rajasthan is set for a major transformation with ₹1.2 lakh crore in new infrastructure projects.
🏆 Actor Diljit Dosanjh receives an International Emmy nomination for his performance in ‘Chamkila’.
셧 A US government shutdown looms as the White House threatens permanent job cuts.
⛓️ Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to five years in prison for corruption.
🇬🇧 The UK government plans to introduce a national digital ID for all adults.
🇮🇷 Satellite imagery indicates Iran is rebuilding missile facilities previously targeted by Israel.
🏔️ Ladakh Burns as Protests Turn Deadly; Centre Plays Good Cop, Bad Cop
Protests for statehood; turn violent in Leh; four dead, 50+ detained
BJP office torched; activist Sonam Wangchuk ends 35-day hunger strike
Govt cancels Wangchuk’s NGO license; sends special envoy to hasten talks
The Deeper Take: This is the Centre’s classic carrot-and-stick routine. Sending an envoy is the public-facing ‘we’re listening’ gesture, while cancelling the FCRA licence of the movement’s figurehead is a targeted strike to cripple its ability to organise and fund itself. 🔗
✈️ India Bets Big on Homegrown Jets with Massive Tejas Order
₹62,370 crore deal signed with HAL; 97 Tejas Mark-1A jets
Order includes 68 fighters, 29 trainers; over 64% indigenous content
Replaces ageing MiG-21s; deliveries to begin in 2027-28
MiG 21 takes last flight today, after 60 years in service.
The Bottom Line: This is India choosing the slow, painful path of self-reliance over a quick foreign fix. The IAF needs jets yesterday, but this deal shows the government is playing the long game, betting on building a domestic military-industrial complex for the future. 🔗
🗓️ CBSE Gives Students a Break, Releases 2026 Board Exam Schedule
The Central Board of Secondary Education has published the full 2026 exam timetable
Confirms Class 10 and 12 exams will run from February to April
Early release aims to help students and schools plan better
Why It Matters: In the high-pressure cooker of the Indian education system, this is a small but significant act of mercy. Providing the schedule this far in advance gives millions of anxious students a concrete timeline to work with, reducing at least one source of stress. 🔗
🗳️ Election Commission Backtracks on Counting Rule After Opposition Push
ECI restores pre-2019 vote counting rule
Final EVM round must now wait for all postal ballots to be counted
Reverses 2019 de-linking decision; follows sustained pressure from opposition parties
Why It Matters: This is the EC trying to put out a political fire. It’s a concession to the opposition’s fears that a close election could be declared prematurely, boosting the Commission’s image as a neutral referee before the next big election cycle kicks off. 🔗
🛂 Jaishankar Counters US H-1B Visa Rhetoric with Demographic Reality
EAM Jaishankar responds to potential US visa fee hikes
States global labour demands cannot be met by national demographics alone
Calls for a more contemporary and efficient model for global labour mobility
The Translation: This is diplomatic speak for “You need our tech talent more than you’re letting on.” It’s a gentle reminder to the US that India’s skilled workforce is a crucial part of the American economic engine, not a problem to be solved with higher fees. 🔗
🏥 Cabinet Approves Scheme to Upgrade Medical Colleges Nationwide
Union Cabinet clears upgradation scheme for medical colleges
Aims to increase MBBS (+5,023) and postgraduate (+ 5,000) seats
Focus on improving infrastructure and strengthening healthcare training
₹1.50 crore cost ceiling per seat
The Bottom Line: A long-overdue move to tackle India’s chronic doctor shortage. It’s not a flashy headline, but it’s a foundational policy that will have a real impact on public health for decades to come, assuming it’s implemented properly. To ensure quality of infrastructure, a cost floor is needed than a cost ceiling. 🔗
🐘 BJP Appoints Heavyweights as Election In-charges for Key States
Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav appointed for Bihar and Bengal
Baijayant Panda gets charge of Tamil Nadu
Party relies on experienced, OBC faces for crucial upcoming state elections
The Political Read: Welcome to the permanent campaign. This is the BJP’s election machine revving up, deploying its most trusted troubleshooters to manage the notoriously complex and caste-driven political landscapes of Bihar and West Bengal. The battle for 2026 has begun. 🔗
🏛️ BJP’s Ganesh Gaonkar Elected Speaker of Goa Assembly
BJP MLA Ganesh Gaonkar secures the post of Speaker
He received 32 votes in the 40-member House
Opposition candidate from Congress received seven votes
Why It Matters: While the election of a speaker is usually a formality for the ruling party, in a small and politically volatile assembly like Goa’s, it’s a crucial step in cementing legislative control and ensuring the smooth passage of the government’s agenda. 🔗
The Brighter Side of the Brief
❤️🩹 India to Produce Game-Changing HIV Prevention Shot for $40 a Year
Gates Foundation partners with Indian manufacturer Hetero Labs
Will produce generic lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection
Priced at ~$40/year for low- and middle-income countries; available from 2027
The Big Picture: This is India’s role as the world’s pharmacist. It’s not just about making cheap pills anymore, but about being the manufacturing engine that makes cutting-edge global health breakthroughs affordable for millions. 🔗
🏗️ Rajasthan Gets ₹1.2 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Overhaul
PM Modi launches development projects in Banswara, Rajasthan
Total worth over ₹1,22,100 crore
Includes a new nuclear plant, massive solar projects, and three new trains
The Strategy: This is economic shock therapy. Instead of slow, incremental projects, this is a massive, multi-sector infrastructure dump intended to kick-start a region’s entire economic ecosystem in one go, from power generation to transport. 🔗
🏆 Diljit Dosanjh Bags International Emmy Nomination for ‘Chamkila’
Nominated for ‘Best Performance by an Actor’ at the 2025 Emmys
Recognised for his role in the Netflix biopic ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’
Dosanjh credited director Imtiaz Ali for the achievement
Why It Matters: This is a huge moment for Punjabi and Indian artists on the global stage. It’s recognition based on pure performance, transcending regional and linguistic barriers and landing squarely in the international mainstream. 🔗
The World at a Glance
셧 US Government Shutdown Nears, White House Threatens Mass Firings
US government faces shutdown as September 30 funding deadline looms
White House and Democrats remain deadlocked over budget
Administration threatens permanent job cuts (”reduction in force”), not just temporary furloughs
The Escalation: This weaponises the shutdown. It’s no longer just a pause button on government; the White House is treating it as a ‘delete’ button, using the crisis as a chance to permanently gut federal agencies it dislikes. 🔗
⛓️ Former French President Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
Nicolas Sarkozy gets a 5-year jail term for criminal conspiracy
Linked to illegal campaign financing from Libya’s Gaddafi regime
Acquitted of directly receiving money; judge orders jail time despite appeal
The Precedent: This is a landmark ruling. The court convicted him for the attempt to form a corrupt pact, not for its success. It sends a chilling message to politicians: you can now go to jail for trying to be corrupt, even if you fail. 🔗
🇬🇧 UK Government to Unveil Digital IDs for All Adults
British Prime Minister set to announce plans for a national digital ID card
Will be required for starting a new job to verify right to work
Part of a broader push for digital governance
The Trade-Off: This is a massive leap towards a digital state, promising efficiency and security. But it comes at a price: major privacy concerns. The debate will pit the convenience of a single digital identity against the fear of state surveillance and data misuse. 🔗
🇮🇷 Iran Rebuilding Missile Sites Targeted by Israel, Satellite Images Show
New satellite imagery suggests Iran is rebuilding missile-production sites
The sites were targeted by Israel during a conflict in June
Experts note a key component for producing solid fuel appears to be missing
The Geopolitical Chess Game: This is Iran signalling its defiance and resilience. By openly rebuilding, Tehran is telling Israel and the world that its military programme will continue despite attacks, maintaining the long-running shadow war without escalating to a direct, all-out conflict. 🔗
Stay sharp,
The OneRead Team