A significant breakthrough has emerged in the Punjab Police’s counterintelligence operation tied to Pakistan’s ISI, with the arrest of a currently serving Indian Army soldier. Devinder Singh, hailing from Nihalgarh in Sangrur district, was taken into custody on July 14 in Uri, located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district. His arrest stems from disclosures made by Gurpreet Singh—also known as Guri or Fauji—an ex-army individual already in custody in connection to the same network.

Sensitive Military Data Allegedly Shared with Pakistan

As per IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal, Devinder is suspected of acquiring and circulating confidential army documents while Gurpreet was incarcerated at Ferozepur Jail. These classified materials are believed to contain critical information concerning Indian defence operations and were allegedly funneled to Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

Initial investigations point to a connection between the two men dating back to their time in military training at Pune in 2017. Their professional association reportedly continued through deployments in regions like Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir.

On July 15, Devinder was brought before a Mohali court, where a six-day police remand was sanctioned to allow further interrogation. Investigators are working to uncover the full scale of the operation, identify additional collaborators, and trace the movement of sensitive data.

The Punjab Police has called this arrest another strong blow to foreign-backed spying activities. The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) continues to pursue leads in what appears to be a wider spy network.

In an official statement, authorities emphasized: “The Punjab Police remains resolute in its mission to protect the nation from anti-national threats and will take the strictest action against any individuals found guilty.”

As the State Assembly elections draw near, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took to social media on Sunday (July 13, 2025) to unveil an expansive employment initiative aimed at reaching one crore youth over the span of five years (2025–2030).

Referencing past efforts, Kumar noted that between 2005 and 2020, over eight lakh young individuals secured positions within the government sector. He stated on X, “For the next five years (2025 to 2030), we are setting a target to double the goal by providing government jobs and employment opportunities to one crore youth. To achieve this, new job and employment opportunities will also be created in the private sector, particularly in industrial areas.”

To drive this plan forward, a specialized committee will be formed, he announced. Kumar emphasized the ongoing work under the Saat Nischay (Seven Resolves) programme, aimed at equipping the state’s youth with employable skills. “For this purpose, a high-level committee is being constituted. Currently, under the Saat Nischay (Seven Resolves) programme, the youth of the State are being provided with skill development training to connect them with self-employment opportunities. In the next five years, the ongoing programme under Saat Nischay for youth skill development will be expanded.”

In addition, a new educational institution will soon be in place to support this mission. Kumar announced that a skill university named after Jananayak Karpoori Thakur—recently honoured with the Bharat Ratna on January 26, 2024—will be established to inspire and guide the youth of Bihar. “The Chief Minister also said that a university will be established for skill development, which will be named Jananayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University in honour of Bihar’s pride so that the youth of the State can find a new direction in skill development.”

Reaffirming his long-standing priority of creating job opportunities, Kumar highlighted the government’s consistent focus on youth employment. “It has been the vision of his government since the beginning to ensure that more and more youth in the State receive government jobs and employment opportunities.”

He further elaborated on earlier targets set under the second phase of the Saat Nischay initiative, launched in 2020: “To further accelerate the pace of providing government jobs and employment to the youth of the State, in 2020, under the good governance programme, Saat Nischay-2 was launched, under which we resolved to provide government jobs to 10 lakh youth and employment to 10 lakh people.”

The employment goal was later scaled up to reach a total of 50 lakh individuals, and Kumar claims the government is well on track. “I am delighted to share that, so far, over 10 lakh youth in the State have been provided with government jobs, and approximately 39 lakh people have been given employment, and the target of providing government jobs/employment to over 50 lakh youth will certainly be achieved,” he stated.

Following the assassination of industrialist Gopal Khemka—allegedly carried out through a paid hit—the Bihar Police’s Special Task Force (STF) announced on July 16, 2025, the creation of a new surveillance unit aimed at identifying and monitoring contract killers across the state.

At a press briefing held at the Patna police headquarters, Additional Director General (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan emphasized the growing concern over youth involvement in murder-for-hire cases. “We’ve established a dedicated unit that will maintain a comprehensive database of individuals involved in contract killings,” he stated.

Each entry in the database will include personal details such as names, addresses, physical descriptions, photographs, and other identifiers. These profiles—or dossiers—will enable authorities to track individuals even after their release from prison. Local law enforcement across districts has been instructed to remain vigilant and actively monitor these individuals.

Krishnan also revealed that 1,290 individuals who have profited through criminal means have been identified, and efforts are underway to seize their assets.

In a related development, Patna police suspended Rajesh Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gandhi Maidan Police Station, for negligence in handling Khemka’s case. Khemka, who had previously been affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, was shot dead near his residence on July 4—just 300 meters from the police station. His family had alleged a significant delay in the police response.

Inspector General Jitendra Rana confirmed the suspension, stating, “The investigation found that the SHO failed in his duties. Further action will be taken if other personnel are found responsible.”

Meanwhile, the police have arrested both the alleged shooter, Umesh Yadav, and the purported mastermind, Ashok Sao, who had reportedly paid ₹4 lakh for the contract killing.

The state police have also submitted a proposal to establish Fast Track Courts to expedite trials in serious criminal cases. Additionally, a separate Narcotics and Prohibition Division is being planned to strengthen the already functioning Narcotics Cell under the STF. Krishnan stressed that these initiatives aim to curb the rising use of narcotics like heroin, smack, and other substances among the youth.

Addressing recent violent incidents, Krishnan dismissed claims that crime was on the rise, suggesting instead that misinformation was being used to shape public opinion in an election year. “The police force continues to act decisively against rogue elements within its ranks,” he concluded.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the Education Department to urgently assess vacant teaching positions in government schools and expedite preparations for the Teachers Recruitment Examination Phase 4 (TRE-4).

Emphasizing the importance of timely appointments, Mr. Kumar reiterated that the 35% reservation for women in government jobs will apply exclusively to women who are domiciled in Bihar. This follows a recent Bihar Cabinet decision on July 8, 2025, making state domicile mandatory to avail this quota—reversing an earlier policy that allowed women from other states to benefit from it.

Taking to social media platform X, Kumar stated, “I have instructed the Education Department to immediately assess the number of teaching vacancies in government schools and proceed with the TRE-4 recruitment process at the earliest.”

Earlier this year, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had revealed that more than 80,000 teachers would be appointed under TRE-4, which would also include approximately 20,000 unfilled posts carried over from TRE-3—bringing the total number of vacancies to around one lakh.

With the polls approaching, employment has taken center stage in Bihar’s policy discussions. On July 15, the state cabinet approved an ambitious plan to create one crore jobs over the next five years. Chief Minister Kumar also recently claimed that over 10 lakh youths have already secured government jobs, and nearly 39 lakh individuals have gained employment under his government’s initiatives.

However, the announcement has sparked criticism from the opposition. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Chitaranjan Gagan dismissed the move as election posturing. “The Chief Minister already has the vacancy data. Over 3 lakh teacher posts are vacant. If he’s serious, a recruitment notification with domicile criteria should be issued immediately,” he said.

He further questioned the timing, arguing that with election announcements expected soon, the process may get caught in the Model Code of Conduct. “The Chief Minister remembered TRE-4 only after half of July has passed,” Gagan added, suggesting the recruitment call may be too late to be effectively implemented before the election.

Authorities in Amritsar have launched a probe after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) reported receiving a bomb threat via email targeting the Golden Temple. The complaint was promptly filed with the police on Monday.

Following the alert, a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged, and an investigation is underway. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that a threat had been issued through email and assured the public that cybercrime and intelligence teams are actively involved in tracking the source.

“We are coordinating with the cybercrime unit and other agencies to thoroughly investigate this threat. The matter is being handled with utmost seriousness,” said Bhullar, adding that all necessary measures are being taken to maintain security and public safety.

In response to the threat, the Golden Temple area has witnessed an increase in security personnel. Bomb disposal squads, SGPC security units, and additional forces have been stationed to monitor the premises closely.

The police have urged citizens to stay vigilant and report any unusual activity, while also emphasizing that there is no cause for panic.

After waiting nearly four years for appointment letters, 1,158 candidates — including 1,091 assistant professors and 67 librarians — have had their recruitments cancelled following a Supreme Court ruling that found the hiring process violated official norms and appeared politically motivated.

On July 14, the Supreme Court struck down the appointments, stating that the recruitment process was not conducted in accordance with the prescribed rules. The selected individuals had recently joined government colleges across Punjab under a recruitment drive held just before the 2022 state assembly elections.

A Legal Battle from Start to End

The selected candidates had formed a group called the ‘1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front’ to advocate for their appointments. Their recruitment was challenged by guest teachers in the state, leading to a series of legal developments:

• In 2022, a single-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court struck down the recruitment.
• In 2024, a division bench of the same court upheld the process.
• Following the 2024 ruling, all 1,158 candidates received postings.
• On July 14, 2025, a Supreme Court bench overturned the HC decision and instructed the state to initiate a new selection process based on the 2018 UGC regulations.

The candidates now await clarity on whether the Punjab government will file a review petition in response to the Supreme Court’s decision.

Key Issues Raised by the Supreme Court

Punjab replaced the standard UGC recruitment process — which includes academic evaluations and interviews — with a single multiple-choice written test. The state argued this method was more objective, but the Supreme Court rejected the rationale, stating that it undermined the integrity of the process.

The Court highlighted that the recruitment was conducted just before the 2022 elections and seemed more aligned with political timing than academic necessity. It emphasized that such large-scale hiring should not be carried out in disregard of established procedures.

Procedural Violations

The Court pointed out that Punjab had voluntarily adopted UGC regulations and was therefore required to follow them, including the use of the Public Service Commission (PSC) for appointments. Initially, the recruitment plan involved filling 177 urgent posts for newly established colleges. However, the scope was expanded to include an additional 931 assistant professor and 50 librarian posts, bypassing the PSC, despite those posts already being referred to the Commission.

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s 2022 single-judge verdict and nullified the later division bench ruling from 2024 that had reinstated the recruitment.

Uncertain Future for the Candidates

With their jobs now legally void, the 1,158 affected candidates are left in a state of uncertainty. Many had resigned from previous roles or given up fellowships to join government colleges. While there is speculation that the state government may pursue a review petition, no official statement has been made.

The situation continues to develop, with both the state and the affected candidates weighing their next steps amid growing concern over the impact on livelihoods and the state’s higher education framework.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court relaxed the bail conditions for Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, allowing him to write articles and express opinions, provided they do not pertain to matters currently under judicial consideration.

The court also directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to investigate the case, to complete its probe within four weeks.

Earlier, on May 21, the apex court had granted interim bail to Mahmudabad, who had been arrested by the Haryana Police on May 18 in connection with two Facebook posts related to Operation Sindoor. At that time, the Court also ordered the formation of an SIT to carry out the investigation.

The arrest followed two separate complaints, one of which was filed by the Haryana State Commission for Women. The controversy arose from Mahmudabad’s social media post, in which he praised the Indian military’s restraint while cautioning against “warmongering and performative patriotism.” The post drew sharp criticism from the Commission, whose chairperson, Renu Bhatia, alleged that the professor had insulted women officers—specifically naming Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh—who had addressed the media following the cross-border operation. Her complaint led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR).

A second FIR was registered at the Rai police station, based on a complaint filed by Yogesh, a local BJP youth leader and sarpanch of Jatheri village.

Punjab’s Water Resources Minister, Barinder Kumar Goyal, on Monday informed the legislative assembly that water levels in the state’s reservoirs are stable, and there is currently no flood-like situation. He emphasized that the state government has taken comprehensive steps to address any potential emergencies.

The statement came in response to a call attention motion by MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh, who voiced concerns about a growing flood threat. Speaking during Zero Hour, Singh highlighted that over the past six months, he identified 12 to 15 critical points between Harike and Dhilwan where embankments are dangerously weak and vulnerable to breaches due to rising water levels in the dams’ reservoirs.

Singh informed the House that these weak spots were shared with the concerned deputy commissioners and cabinet minister, along with several follow-up reminders. However, he claimed that no substantial action has been taken, even in areas that require immediate reinforcement.

In reply, Minister Goyal said the Water Resources Department has implemented several measures to ensure flood preparedness. “The government has allocated ₹204.5 crore for flood mitigation efforts. Using funds from SDMF, MGNREGA, and departmental budgets, 599 projects have been initiated,” he noted.

Singh also pointed out an incident from the previous flood season, where a 125-acre embankment near the Goindwal bridge obstructed the natural flow of water, causing pressure to build up at a single point and increasing the risk of a breach. He urged the government to carry out de-silting in the area to avoid recurrence.

Additionally, he raised concerns over illegal mining in embankment zones, particularly in areas where temporary structures have been erected by local residents.