Maoist Boss, Along With 60 Others, Surrenders In Maharashtra; Taliban-Pakistan Forces Clash On Border; And More

Top Maoist Leader, Along With 60 Others, Surrender in Maharashtra

In a significant setback to India's Maoist insurgency, 61 Maoists, including top leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati, surrendered to Maharashtra Police at Fodewada village in Bhamragad on the night of October 13-14.

The 70-year-old Bhupati, a central committee member of CPI (Maoist) and considered the movement's "number two," handed over 54 weapons, including AK-47s and INSAS rifles. Other surrendering cadres included two state zonal committee members and 10 divisional committee members from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

Officials described Bhupati as the "guiding spirit" behind the extremist movement. His surrender follows that of his wife, Tarakka, earlier this year. Authorities credit months of persistent efforts by Maharashtra Police for securing his capitulation.

The formal surrender ceremony is scheduled before the Maharashtra Chief Minister on this morning, 15 October. Officials termed it a "major step" toward eliminating the insurgency, noting the "core family of the Naxal movement" has now ended.

Twenty Killed as Bus Catches Fire Near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Twenty people were burned alive and 16 others critically injured when an air-conditioned sleeper bus caught fire near Thaiyat village, Rajasthan, on Tuesday afternoon.

The private bus, carrying 57 passengers—exceeding its capacity—was traveling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur when flames erupted from the rear section around 3:30 p.m., approximately 20 kilometers from Jaisalmer near a war museum.

Nineteen passengers died instantly, while one succumbed to injuries en route to Jodhpur. Most survivors suffered burns covering up to 70 per cent of their bodies. Several passengers reportedly jumped from the moving vehicle in desperate escape attempts.

Rescue operations were hampered by intense heat, with bodies remaining inside the charred bus until late evening. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for victims' families and Rs

50,000 for the injured. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma canceled engagements to visit the site and meet survivors in Jodhpur.

Other developments

IMF Raises India's 2025 Growth Forecast to 6.6 Per Cent, But Cuts 2026 Projection

The International Monetary Fund upgraded India's growth projection for 2025 to 6.6 per cent, a 20-basis-point increase, while lowering the 2026 forecast to 6.2 per cent in its October outlook.

The upward revision reflects a "strong" first-quarter carryover effect, with GDP hitting a five-quarter high of 7.8 per cent, which offset impacts from U.S. tariffs introduced in July. The 2026 downgrade anticipates fading first-quarter momentum.

Global growth was revised up 20 basis points to 3.2 per cent for 2025, with 2026 unchanged at 3.1 per cent. IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas noted tariff impacts proved "smaller than expected" due to trade deals and supply chain adjustments.

Google to Invest $10 Billion in Andhra Pradesh Data Centre and AI Hub

Google will invest $10 billion to establish a massive data centre and artificial intelligence hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking its largest investment in India.

The 1-gigawatt campus will integrate AI infrastructure, renewable energy, and expanded fiber-optic networks. A formal agreement with the state government is expected to be signed today.

State IT Minister Nara Lokesh called the project a "strategic advantage" in the digital economy era, noting it will create thousands of jobs and strengthen Andhra Pradesh's position in next-generation AI technologies.

Google already operates cloud regions in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad as part of its expanding Indian footprint.

U.S.-India Relations Expert Ashley Tellis Arrested on Espionage Charges

Ashley Tellis, a prominent U.S.-India relations expert and former National Security Council adviser in the U.S., was arrested Saturday and charged Monday with unlawfully retaining national defense information.

Tellis, a senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and unpaid State Department adviser, allegedly accessed and printed classified materials on military aircraft capabilities in September-October 2025.

The FBI affidavit noted Tellis met Chinese officials multiple times recently, including a September 15 dinner where he carried a manila envelope. If convicted, he faces 10 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine.

Tellis was one of the main advisers in the 2005 India-U.S. civil nuclear agreement, and continued to comment on India-U.S. relations till recently.

India Launches Border Security Capacity Building Programme for Mongolia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new capacity-building initiative for Mongolia's border security forces during Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhna's visit on Tuesday, 14 October.

India will also issue free e-visas to Mongolian citizens and send holy relics of Buddha's disciples Sariputra and Maudgalyayana to Mongolia in 2026.

The nations signed 10 MoUs covering immigration, geology, humanitarian aid, and cooperation between Ladakh and Mongolia's Arkhangai province. A resident defense attaché will be appointed in Ulaanbaatar.

India's $1.7 billion oil refinery project in Mongolia, expected operational by 2028, was also discussed in the meeting. The visit marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Heavy Clashes Erupt Between Pakistani Forces and Afghan Taliban Along Border

According to reports in Pakistani media, intense fighting erupted Tuesday night, 14-15 October, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as Pakistani security forces clashed with Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan state broadcaster PTV News reported that Afghan Taliban fighters, along with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants initiated 'unprovoked' firing across the border. Pakistani forces responded to the fire.

As per PTV, the exchange resulted in substantial damage to Taliban positions, with at least four tanks destroyed during the confrontation.

The incident marks another escalation in border tensions between the two countries. Till the time of writing, the Afghan version of the events was not known.

Bihar election corner

Mahagatbandhan Struggles with Seat-Sharing as Nomination Deadline Looms

With just three days until the October 17 nomination deadline for Bihar's first phase elections covering 121 seats, the Mahagatbandhan remains deadlocked over seat distribution among allies.

Congress held its second Election Committee meeting Tuesday, 14 Ocotber, forming a four-member panel led by Ajay Maken to finalise candidates. Congress expects 58-60 seats but disputes five with RJD. Internal tensions also surfaced as RJD's Tejashwi Yadav reportedly overturned father Lalu Prasad's candidate selections.

CPI General Secretary D. Raja warned against repeating Haryana and Maharashtra mistakes, urging accommodation.

Vikassheel Insaan Party's Mukesh Sahani scaled down demands from 35 to 25 seats after switching from the NDA.

BJP Releases First List of 71 Candidates for Bihar Assembly Elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced its initial candidate list for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, fielding 71 contenders including key party leaders.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary will contest Tarapur, a seat won by JD-U in 2021 bypolls. Co-Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha retains Lakhisarai, while Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin defends Bankipur.

Nine women feature prominently, including Animal and Fisheries Minister Renu Devi from Bettiah, alongside Sweety Singh, Gayatri Devi, and Olympic shooter Shreyasi Singh from Jamui.

Rohit Pandey, who lost Bhagalpur to Congress in 2020, receives another opportunity.