RSS ideologue MG Vaidya dies at 97

In one of the biggest financial crackdowns in recent years, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday swooped down on 35 locations in Delhi and Mumbai connected to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group — also known as the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RAAGA). The raids, part of a ₹3,000-crore money-laundering investigation, target more than 50 companies and 25 individuals allegedly involved in a complex financial fraud.

The ED’s probe stems from two CBI FIRs alleging large-scale irregularities in loans disbursed by Yes Bank between 2017 and 2019. Investigators claim RAAGA companies secured unsecured loans worth nearly ₹3,000 crore, allegedly facilitated through bribery of senior bank officials, including Yes Bank’s former promoters.

Preliminary findings suggest a meticulously planned scheme to siphon public funds by cheating banks, shareholders, and investors. Key red flags identified include shell companies with common directors, loans issued without proper verification, funds routed through multiple entities, and “loan evergreening” — fresh loans allegedly issued to repay old ones.

Regulatory bodies including SEBI, NHB, NFRA, and Bank of Baroda have flagged anomalies in group companies, particularly Reliance Home Finance Limited, whose loan book nearly doubled in a single year. The State Bank of India has already classified Reliance Communications and Anil Ambani himself as “fraud” accounts, a move first initiated in 2020.

Thursday’s raids involve combing through records across 50 entities tied to Ambani’s empire. Sources indicate that senior Yes Bank executives and other key individuals are under scrutiny for allegedly receiving personal benefits in exchange for loan approvals.

The ED’s massive operation marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing probe into corporate governance and financial fraud at some of India’s largest business houses.

San Diego, July 15: Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three fellow astronauts from the Axiom-4 commercial space mission successfully returned to Earth on Tuesday, following an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS).

The SpaceX Dragon capsule "Grace", carrying Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 3:01 pm (local time), concluding a 22.5-hour return journey.

The spacecraft had undocked from the ISS at 4:45 pm IST on Monday, marking the end of a mission that made Shukla the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station.

A screengrab posted by @Axiom_Space showed Shukla smiling and waving as he exited the capsule aboard the recovery vessel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the achievement, stating, "I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to space. As India’s first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage, and pioneering spirit. It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission – Gaganyaan."

Following splashdown, Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew were assisted out of the capsule and transferred to the recovery vehicle for initial medical checks and debriefing.

The mission is considered a major step in strengthening international cooperation in space exploration and bringing India one step closer to its own independent human spaceflight program.

In a move that has reignited concerns over historical revisionism, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook that erases Tipu Sultan, Haider Ali, and the four Anglo–Mysore Wars, while portraying Muslim rulers in a sharply negative light and glorifying Hindu powers.

The textbook, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), conspicuously omits the fierce Mysorean resistance to British colonialism—led by Tipu Sultan, famously known as the "Tiger of Mysore"—from its account of India’s colonial past. No mention is made of the Anglo-Mysore Wars, which played a crucial role in the 18th-century power struggle between Indian states and the British East India Company.

Instead, the narrative elevates uprisings like the Sannyasi–Fakir rebellion and the Anglo–Maratha Wars, with the text claiming that “the British took India more from the Marathas than from the Mughals or any other power.” Critics say such selective emphasis attempts to marginalize Muslim rulers' contributions and resistance.

Further controversy arises from the book's depictions of Mughal emperors as violent invaders, especially in a dedicated “Note on Some Darker Periods in History.” Babur is described as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror who slaughtered entire populations,” while Akbar’s rule is framed as a “blend of brutality and tolerance.” Aurangzeb is characterized mainly by his demolition of temples and gurdwaras—a reduction many historians deem politically motivated.

NCERT’s textbook development committee chair, Michel Danino, defended the changes, saying the goal was to avoid rote memorization and keep the curriculum concise. He confirmed that Tipu Sultan and related events will likely remain absent in Part 2 of the series as well. “If we include every war, we go back to cramming,” Danino told India Today.

Yet, many academics and civil society voices see this as part of a broader trend under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is being used to recast Indian history through an ideologically Hindu nationalist lens. Tipu Sultan, who fought valiantly against British forces using advanced military tactics like iron-cased rockets, now risks being erased from mainstream memory.