By Inspector General

Copyright thehindu

(1) Madras High Court forms an SIT to probe Karur stampede

The Madras High Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the stampede in Karur that resulted in 41 deaths during Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Mr. Vijay’s rally last month. The SIT’s constitution, to be headed by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg, was ordered by the Court on Friday last week (October 3, 2025).

Moreover, the anticipatory bail pleas filed by TVK leaders ‘Bussy’ Anand and Nirmal Kumar were dismissed by the Court, with the view that the role of the organisers was crucial.

The Court’s order comes amidst mudslinging from different parties, with the stampede’s cause alternating between inadequate police action and irresponsible organiser behaviour.

For Mr. Vijay, the incident marks a dark turn in his political tour. His video response three days after the incident rises the question of whether it is too little, too late.

Here is a timeline of events.

(2) U.S. government shutdown

The U.S. government went under shutdown after funding legislation for the next year could not be passed due to differences between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare insurance subsidies.

At the crux of this year’s shutdown is the federal subsidies given in the form of premium tax credits, specifically to those that avail insurance from Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulated marketplaces. This premium credit is calculated by deducting the premium of a benchmark silver insurance plan from a percentage of the consumer’s income. This percentage varies with each income slab.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, this percentage was reduced and all consumers were eligible for the plan, capping the percentage at 8.5% no matter how much the consumer earned. The rollback of this expansion will increase premiums by more than 75% on average, according to Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Moreover, the steepest premium rise will be for lower-income consumers.

On the other hand, the U.S. faces an unsustainable $2 trillion annual budget deficit. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the enhanced premium tax credits, if made permanent, would incur $335 billion in spending between 2025-2034.

(3) India-China flights set to resume after five years

Flights will operate from Kolkata to Guangzhou, China, from October 26, five years after suspension, the Centre announced on Thursday last week (October 2, 2025). Discussions about the resumption of flights were in the offing since last month, indicating an improvement in India – China relations. The two countries had maintained a frosty relationship since 2020, when the armed forces of both countries clashed in Galwan Valley.

Initially, Indigo would launch flights from Kolkata, and then later, daily flights from New Delhi once approvals are in place. Besides Guangzhou, Shanghai is another destination where flights will be made available from India.

(4) Key takeaways from the Crime In India 2023 report by the NCRB

Last week, the National Crime Records Bureau released the annual Crime In India report for 2023. Some takeaways and highlights from the report are the following:

A total of 1,77,335 cases of crime against children were registered in the country in 2023, showing an increase of 9.2% over 2022. In 2022, a total of 1,62,449 cases of crimes against children were recorded, while the number stood at 1,49,404 in 2021.

Cases registered under dowry-related crimes saw a 14% increase in 2023, with more than 15,000 cases recorded across the country and over 6,100 deaths reported through the year. A total of 15,489 cases were registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act in 2023 — up from 13,479 in 2022 and 13,568 in 2021.

Cybercrimes saw a 31.2% increase with 86,420 cases, as compared to 65,893 reported in 2022. Meanwhile, crimes against Scheduled Tribes saw a jump of 28.8% from 10,064 cases in 2022 to 12,960 cases in 2023.

(5) Mirabai Chanu wins silver in World Weightlifting Championships

Despite a right thumb issue, a resilient Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu landed her third World Championships medal as she claimed a silver in the new 48kg weight class in Forde, Norway.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, who finished fourth in Paris 2024, lifted 84kg in snatch while failing twice in her attempt for 87kg. Mirabai, who had managed 111kg in Paris, registered 115kg — preceded by efforts of 109kg and 112kg — in clean and jerk to total 199kg. She was third in snatch and second in clean and jerk.

Mirabai, the 2017 champion in 48kg, was delighted with her second Worlds silver, including one in 49kg in 2022.