A bill seeking to open up the civil nuclear sector for private players is among the 10 new proposed legislations listed by the government for introduction in the winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1.

Besides the crucial ‘The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025’, which seeks to govern the use and regulation of atomic energy in India, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill is also on the agenda.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the proposed law seeks to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes to become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy.

It has long been on the government’s agenda.

The National Highways (Amendment) Bill, also listed for introduction, seeks to ensure faster and transparent land acquisition for national highways. Another proposed legislation is the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims at tweaking the Companies Act, 2013 and LLP Act, 2008, to facilitate ease of doing business.

Also on the government’s agenda is the Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025, which proposes to consolidate provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, Depositories Act, 1996, and Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, into a rationalised single Securities Markets Code.

The government also plans changes to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Law Ministry officials said a proposed amendment to section 34 of the law and a Supreme Court observation on company directors have made the government refer the issue to a committee. The proposed amendment stems from that.

Two bills from the previous session are also listed for consideration and passing. The first supplementary Budget for the year is also on the agenda, according to the bulletin.

The session, with 15 sittings, will conclude on December 19. (Agencies)

New Delhi faces severe air pollution as the Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorates to an alarming 360 on Saturday morning, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). With this reading, the national capital remains enveloped in a haze of toxic air, categorizing its air quality as ‘very poor.’

The CPCB classifies the AQI on a scale where 0–50 is good, 51–100 is satisfactory, and values over 300 indicate increasingly hazardous conditions for health. An AQI of 301 to 400 explicitly qualifies as ‘very poor,’ exposing the city’s residents to health risks, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

In addition to the alarming air quality, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 11.8°C in the city. The IMD anticipates persistent fog throughout the day, which hinders visibility and contributes to the accumulation of pollutants. Residents should remain vigilant and limit outdoor activities to mitigate health risks.

The high level of humidity, measured at 100 percent at 8:30 a.m., soars alongside the temperature, creating dense moisture-laden air. This combination aggravates pollution and can lead to visibility issues, especially in morning hours when fog is prominent.

Health experts recommend that citizens wear masks outdoors and prefer indoor activities. The current poor air quality can trigger respiratory problems and other health conditions. The government should implement immediate measures to address air quality standards and undertake long-term strategies to combat pollution.

As Delhi battles this trifecta of pollution, fog, and humidity, the focus remains on public health and awareness. Authorities and citizens alike must engage in efforts to bring down pollution levels and protect the health of the population.

In the aftermath of the November 10 blast near the Red Fort that claimed 15 lives, Delhi Lt Governor V. K. Saxena has issued a series of sweeping directions to strengthen policing, regulate explosive materials, and curb radicalisation across the capital.

The orders, issued in written communications to Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma on November 19, follow revelations that ammonium nitrate was among the explosives used by a “suicide bomber.” The blast came days after an interstate “white-collar” terror module was uncovered, involving the seizure of 3,000 kg of explosives, largely from Faridabad in Haryana.

Digital Record of Ammonium Nitrate Purchases

Saxena has asked Delhi Police to maintain a digital database of all entities purchasing or selling ammonium nitrate beyond a prescribed limit.

He also directed police to revisit the Standing Order of 2022 on licensing, storage and movement of ammonium nitrate under the Delhi Police Act, Explosives Act and Ammonium Nitrate Rules.

The LG has emphasised that digital records must include:

• Photographs of buyers and sellers
• Identity details
• Quantities purchased/sold
• Other relevant information

Tracking Radicalised Content

The police have been instructed to hold consultations with social media companies, including Meta and X, to scientifically track radicalised online content aimed at brainwashing citizens.

The communication adds that:

• Human and technical intelligence must be strengthened
• Vulnerable areas prone to radicalisation must be closely monitored
• Community outreach should be increased to improve preventive policing

Security Audit of Markets, Transport Hubs

All DCPs have been directed to conduct a rigorous security audit of:

• Busy markets
• ISBTs
• Railway stations
• Cinema halls
• Parks
• Metro stations
• Other high-footfall public places

The audit will evaluate CCTV coverage, beat deployment, and security personnel arrangements.

In areas where dark spots are identified, police must compile and forward a report for additional CCTV installations.

Central Data Repository for Medical Staff

The LG has instructed the administration to create a central database of doctors and para-medical staff, especially those working in private hospitals, along with details of their qualifications.

Degrees obtained from foreign institutions must be cross-verified with police for secondary background checks.

Stricter Rules for Vehicle Ownership & Sales

A consultation with digital platforms and financiers involved in vehicle trading—particularly in the second-hand vehicle market—has also been ordered.

The LG has directed that:

“Under no circumstances will vehicles be allowed to ply where the actual owner is different from the registered owner.”

Officials highlighted that this issue is most acute in the autorickshaw sector, where the permit holder often differs from the actual owner.

Nov 21: A fighter jet Tejas of the Indian Air Force crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show on Friday and the pilot died in the accident, the IAF said.

A Court of Inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident, the IAF said in a brief statement.

Visuals of the crash aired on various TV channels showed the jet dropping altitude and then crashing on the ground, engulfed in a ball of fire.

As smoke billowed out of the crash site, leaving the spectators shocked.

According to an international media report, the jet crashed in the afternoon local time while flying a demonstration flight at the prestigious air show.

“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in its statement posted on its X handle. (Agencies)

India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s writings are not just history, they are a record of India’s evolving conscience, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, asserting that for anyone seeking to understand the nation’s democratic journey, his words remain a powerful compass.

Gandhi’s remarks came over the completion of the digitisation of ‘Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru’.

The ‘Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru’ is now online with an entire set of 100 volumes, containing some 35,000 documents and about 3,000 illustrations related to the country’s first prime minister, digitised and available free of cost for downloading.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also hailed the development.

“Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes’ – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In an era of deliberate distortion, disinformation and misinformation regarding Pandit Nehru and his colossal achievements for India, it is worthwhile to digitise his writings for truth and posterity,” Kharge said on X.

“I am happy that ‘The Nehru Archive’ is now live: nehruarchive.in. This is India’s first comprehensive, open-access digital archive of Jawaharlal Nehru’s writings — letters, speeches, notes & more, all interconnected and freely available for easy access,” he said

In a post on X, Gandhi said Nehru’s writings are not just history, they are a record of India’s evolving conscience.

“For anyone seeking to understand our nation’s democratic journey –“ its courage, its doubts, its dreams –“ his words remain a powerful compass,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

“I’m glad this legacy is now open, searchable, and free for all. It will keep getting expanded. Dive into the new archive,” Gandhi said and shared a link to the archive.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, a trustee of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF) that carried out the exercise, on Thursday said its second phase would entail efforts to locate letters to Nehru.

Ramesh said the Gandhi-Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel-Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose-Nehru correspondence is fairly comprehensive, but that is not the case with certain other correspondences such as Winston Churchill-Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore-Nehru. He said incorporating that would be of the biggest value addition to the Nehru archive.

Ramesh called for the integration of archives of leading lights of the time such as Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, B R Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

“The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund is happy to announce that the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru is now fully available online, as promised on November 14, 2024. The website The Nehru Archive is available on nehruarchive.in. The entire set of 100 volumes have been digitized; they may be searched and freely downloaded: and they may be used with equal ease on the mobile as on the laptop,” a JNMF release said.

The facsimiles of the original print version are also available alongside the digital text, it said.

This online version would be of immense benefit to anybody who wishes to study any aspect of Indian history from the 1920s to the 1960s, the years when Nehru was a major leader of the movement for Independence and thereafter was prime minister of the country, the statement said.

“It contains some 35,000 documents and about 3,000 illustrations. From volume 44 onward, that is, from September 1958, his speeches in the original Hindi, and an English translation, are also available. The documents consist of his correspondence, speeches, interviews, administrative noting on files, diary entries, and even doodles,” the JNMF said.

Ramesh said the archives have been sourced from 77,000 pages and 35,000 artefacts which are documented and spread over 61 years. (Agencies)