The Hindu Morning Digest: December 28, 2025

Assam draft voter list flags 10.56 lakh names for deletions after door-to-door survey

The names of 10.56 lakh voters have been deleted in the draft electoral rolls for Assam, which were published after the house-to-house verification of the voter lists under the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) special revision exercise conducted in the State from November 22 to December 20. The total number of electors in Assam, according to the CEO’s office, is 2,52,02,775. However, this includes more than 93,000 ‘D Voters’, whose cases are pending before Foreigners’ Tribunals and who are not permitted to vote in elections until their citizenship is upheld by a court. If these names are excluded, then the number of electors in the State stands at 2,51,09,754, each of whom was covered during 61,03,103 household visits across the State, the CEO’s office said.

Supreme Court special bench to hear suo motu case on ‘definition’ of Aravalli

Amid concerns over the recent redefinition of the Aravalli Hills, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and decided to hear it on Monday (December 29, 2025). A three-judge Special Vacation Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will hear the matter. In a judgment in November, the Apex Court accepted the recommendations of a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, defining the ‘Aravalli Hills’ as any landform with an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief and an ‘Aravalli Range’ as a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres from each other.

Army intensifies winter counter-terror operations in J&K during Chillai Kalan

Indian Army has expanded its operational reach to higher and snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir to pursue and neutralise terrorists seeking to exploit the harsh winter conditions for concealment, defence sources said. According to sources in the Army, as the bone-chilling winter descends upon the Himalayas and the 40-day period of Chillai Kalan grips the region, the Army has intensified counter-terrorism operations across the Kishtwar and Doda districts. 

Thailand and Cambodia agree to ‘immediate’ ceasefire: joint statement

Thailand and Cambodia ​agreed on Saturday (December 27, 2025) to halt ‌weeks of fierce ​border clashes, the worst fighting in years between the Southeast Asian countries that has included fighter jets sorties, exchange of rocket fire and artillery barrages. “Both sides ​agree to maintain current ⁠troop deployments without further movement,” their Defence Ministers said in a joint statement ​on the ceasefire, ⁠to take effect at noon (0500 GMT).

Unnao rape case: survivor approaches CBI seeking FIR against Investigative Officer for ‘colluding’ with Sengar

The victim of the 2017 Unnao rape case, in which ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted, has approached the CBI seeking the registration of an FIR against the then-investigating officer for being “hand in glove” with the former legislator. The woman also claimed that she and her family were facing threats from various quarters. The development comes amid growing disappointment in several quarters after the Delhi High Court recently granted conditional bail to Sengar and suspended his life sentence in the case.

CWC meeting: PM carried out devastating attack on States, much like demonetisation, says Rahul on VB-G RAM G

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi trained his guns at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the VB-G RAM G Act, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “single-handedly” carried out a devastating attack on States and the poor, “much like demonetisation”. “We are going to resist it. I am confident that the entire opposition will be aligned with us,” he said, referring to the Congress’ ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’ that it plans to launch nationwide on January 5.

Counterfeit of anti-rabies vaccine no longer in stock: Indian Immunologicals Ltd

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), one of India’s leading vaccine manufacturers, said a counterfeit batch of its human anti-rabies vaccine, Abhayrab, was no longer available on the shelves. The company’s clarification comes in the wake of an Australian health advisory issued last week, warning about the counterfeit batch being in circulation in India since November 1, 2023. Dismissing the advisory as over-cautionary and misplaced, IIL, in a statement, said the counterfeiting incident involving Abhayrab batch no. KA24014 (manufacturing date: March 2024; expiry date: February 2027) was identified by early January 2025. The counterfeit batch is no longer available on the shelves, it said.

Protests outside Lok Bhavan in Jammu, LG’s effigy burnt over medical college admission row

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Lok Bhavan in Jammu and set ablaze an effigy of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, demanding revocation of the MBBS admission list of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi. Raising slogans such as “LG go back”, the protest was organised by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, a recently-formed conglomeration of various right-wing organizations.

Indian mission establishes one stop help centre for distressed women in Canada

The Consulate General of India in Toronto has established a ‘One Stop Centre for Women,’ a dedicated support centre exclusively to assist women Indian nationals in distress. The Consulate has also set up a 24×7 helpline and said, the new Centre aims to provide critical and timely support to Indian passport holder women who could be facing domestic violence, abuse, family conflict, abandonment, exploitation and legal challenges, among others.

BNP’s Tarique Rahman registers as Bangladeshi voter after 17 years abroad in self-exile

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman completed the formalities to enlist himself on Bangladesh’s voter list and obtain a national identity (NID) card, two days after his return from over 17 years of self-exile in London. Bangladesh is going to the polls on February 12. Mr. Rahman will contest the upcoming election from his ancestral Bogura Sadar (Bogura-6) constituency, with BNP leaders already collecting his nomination papers on his behalf earlier this month.

Ashes 4th Test Day 2: England ends 18-match winless streak in Australia with four-wicket victory

England ended an 18-match winless streak in Australia and beat the home side by four wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England lost the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. The England winless streak had dated to the 2013-14 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0. Since England convincingly won the 2010-11 Ashes 3-1, England had lost 16 matches and drawn the other two of their 18 tests Down Under over a period of nearly 15 years.

Published – December 28, 2025 06:06 am IST