Top news headlines of today – 1 Dec 2025

New Delhi: There is strong buzz in the power corridors that Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has, for the time being, been asked to oversee the responsibilities handled so far by Dr Hiren Joshi, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in charge of communications and information technology in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Read more on this here...

The stage has been set for a confrontational fortnight, with the Opposition making it clear that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, national security and air pollution will be at the centre of its strategy inside both Houses as the Winter Session of Parliament begins today.

On Sunday evening, top Congress leaders met at Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence to finalise the party’s floor tactics.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were present at the meeting, along with senior leaders Jairam Ramesh, Manish Tewari and Manickam Tagore.

According to party leaders, the Congress decided to push for a structured debate on electoral reforms, with SIR and the “purity of voter lists” as the main focus area.

Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said Opposition leaders would meet at Kharge’s office at 10 am on Monday to firm up a joint strategy for the session.

Follow this page as we track big developments of the day...

Dec 01, 2025 18:32 IST
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles sales rise 26% y-o-y to 59,199 units in November
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles on Monday said its sales rose 26 per cent year-on-year to 59,199 units in November.
 
The auto major dispatched 47,117 units to dealers in November last year.
 
In the domestic market, the company said its sales rose to 57,436 units, up 22 per cent year-on-year as compared with 47,063 units. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 17:57 IST
BJP's Prem Kumar files nomination papers for election to post of Bihar assembly Speaker
Veteran BJP leader Prem Kumar on Monday filed his nomination papers for election to the post of assembly Speaker in Bihar.
 
The filing of nomination took place before the secretary in-charge of the Vidhan Sabha, Khyati Singh, in presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, in addition to senior JD(U) leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
 
In a show of solidarity, junior NDA partners Raju Tiwari (LJP-RV) and Madhaw Anand (RLM) were also present on the occasion. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 17:42 IST
Traffic, not stubble burning, behind daily pollution spikes in Delhi: Study
Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR's winter air remains suffocating. For most of October and November, pollution levels hovered between 'very poor' and 'severe', fuelled by a rising "toxic cocktail" of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted mainly from vehicles and other local sources.
 
At least 22 air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded carbon monoxide (CO) levels above permissible limits on more than 30 of the 59 days assessed, with Dwarka Sector 8 logging the highest number of breaches at 55 days, followed by Jahangirpuri and Delhi University's North Campus, both at 50 days, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 16:32 IST
No advise to LIC on investments, Adani investments as per SOPs: FM
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said her ministry does not issue advisory or directions to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) regarding its investment decisions, and emphasised that the investments that the state-owned insurer made in Adani Group were as per established SOPs.
 
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Dec 01, 2025 16:27 IST
BJP demands audit of 1.25 crore entries in Bengal SIR enumeration
Alleging irregularities during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the BJP on Monday demanded an audit of all 1.25 crore entries made between November 26 and 28 in the enumeration process.
 
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP MLAs met the chief electoral officer (CEO) at his office, even as representatives of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee demonstrated outside the premises, seeking more time for completing the SIR exercise.
 
Adhikari alleged that political consultancy agency I-PAC was "interfering in the data entry process" during the ongoing SIR exercise in the state.



Dec 01, 2025 16:20 IST
Profit-taking, FII outflows pull indices down after record intraday peaks
Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed marginally lower after hitting their fresh all-time highs on Monday due to profit-taking at higher levels and foreign fund outflows.
 
The 30-share BSE Sensex pared early gains and closed 64.77 points or 0.08 per cent lower at 85,641.90. During the day, the benchmark jumped 452.35 points or 0.52 per cent to hit a record intra-day high of 86,159.02. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 16:19 IST
FM says Finance Ministry does not advise LIC on investments, Adani investments as per SOPs
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said her ministry does not issue advisory or directions to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) regarding its investment decisions, and emphasised that the investments that the state-owned insurer made in Adani Group were as per established SOPs.
 
India's largest insurer has, over the years, made investment decisions across companies based on fundamentals and detailed due diligence. Following due diligence as per established standard operating procedures (SOPs), it has bought shares across half a dozen listed companies of Adani Group, whose book value stands at Rs 38,658.85 crore and invested another Rs 9,625.77 crore in debt instruments of the conglomerate. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 15:52 IST
Supreme Court orders unified CBI probe into pan-India digital arrest scams
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the CBI to carry out a unified pan-India probe into digital arrest scam cases and asked the RBI as to why it was not using Artificial Intelligence to find out and freeze bank accounts used by cyber criminals.
 
Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement or court officials or personnel from government agencies to intimidate victims through audio and video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money. Read More



Dec 01, 2025 15:51 IST
BJP state president moves Kerala HC seeking CBI probe into Sabarimala gold loss case
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has approached the Kerala High Court seeking a CBI probe into the alleged loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple.
 
In his petition, Chandrasekhar argued that a thorough investigation was required into the incident.
 
He submitted that the gold taken from the temple was reportedly distributed across different states and that individuals and establishments outside Kerala were also involved.



Dec 01, 2025 15:26 IST
BJP delegation visits Bengal CEO's office amid protests by BLO forum
A BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari visited the office of the West Bengal CEO here on Monday, triggering loud protests by members of a BLO forum, who have been demonstrating there over alleged excessive workload during the ongoing SIR exercise, a senior officer said.
 
As Adhikari, accompanied by several BJP MLAs, arrived at the CEO's office to meet officials, protesting members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee started shouting slogans and trying to breach police barricades, he said. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 14:45 IST
Maharashtra set for local body polls on Dec 2 amid friendly fights, alliance strain, legal tangles
Maharashtra will witness local body elections on Monday with voting scheduled for 242 municipal councils and 46 nagar panchayats, marking the first phase of a three-tier process mandated by the Supreme Court.
 
Incidentally, elections to some local bodies in Thane, Pune and Ahilyanagar districts were postponed to December 20 in view of judicial appeals filed against the decisions of Returning Officers following the scrutiny of nomination papers. READ HERE



Dec 01, 2025 13:50 IST
Mahindra total sales jump 19% year-on-year to 92,670 units in November
Mahindra & Mahindra on Monday said its total sales increased 19 per cent year-on-year to 92,670 units in November.
 
In the passenger vehicle segment, the company sold 56,336 vehicles in the domestic market, a growth of 22 per cent over 46,222 units in the year-ago period, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said in a statement.
 
The domestic sales for commercial vehicles stood at 24,843, a growth of 17 per cent year-on-year, it added.
 
Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Business reported sales of 42,273 tractors last month in the domestic market, as compared to 31,746 units in November 2024, a growth of 33 per cent.



Dec 01, 2025 13:35 IST
India's mfg sector activity falls to 9-month low in Nov on softer rise in sales, production: PMI
India's manufacturing sector activity eased to a nine-month low in November, mainly owing to softer rise in sales and production amid reports of challenging market conditions, a monthly report said on Monday.
 
The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) falling to 56.6 in November from 59.2 in October, highlighted the slowest improvement in operating conditions since February.
 
In the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below 50 denotes contraction. READ HERE



Dec 01, 2025 13:29 IST
Rupee falls to all-time low of 89.79 against US dollar in intraday trade
The rupee depreciated by 34 paise to an all-time low of 89.79 (provisional) against the US dollar in intraday trade on Monday, tracking a negative trend in domestic equities and persistent foreign fund outflows.
 
Forex traders said a strong greenback and a rise in international crude oil prices also weighed down the Indian currency.
 
Moreover, significant dollar demand by importers exerted persistent downward pressure on the local currency. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 13:03 IST
Bajaj Auto total vehicle wholesales rise 8% year-on-year in November
Bajaj Auto on Monday reported a 1 per cent year-on-year dip in domestic two-wheeler sales at 2,02,510 units in November as compared with 2,03,611 units in the year-ago period.
 
The company reported an 8 per cent year-on-year growth in total vehicle wholesales, including exports, at 4,53,273 units in November.
 
The Pune-based automaker had sold 4,21,640 vehicles in November last year, according to a regulatory filing. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 12:32 IST
Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 5-year jail term in land scam case
A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to five years of imprisonment in a land scam case.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka also handed down a seven-year jail term to Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana, and a two-year term to her niece, British parliamentarian Tulip Siddiq, in the same case, The Daily Star newspaper reported. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 12:25 IST
PM Modi says rise of C P Radhakrishnan to post of VP reflects true strength of democracy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the rise of C P Radhakrishnan from an ordinary background to the office of Vice President reflects the true strength of democracy, and hoped his experience and guidance will aid in the smooth running of the Rajya Sabha.
 
In September, Chandrapuram Ponnusami (C P) Radhakrishnan was elected as India's 15th Vice President, a post that made him the ex officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
 
At the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, Modi congratulated him and wished that the House, under this guidance, would have meaningful discussions and take crucial decisions. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 12:13 IST
Parts of TN receive rain as remnants of cyclone Ditwah remain close to TN-Pondy coasts
Several parts in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet continued to receive moderate downpour on Monday due to the remnants of the cyclonic storm Ditwah that remained closed to Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.
 
The system which weakened into a deep depression will further weaken and the remnants could cause rain, the IMD said. It is likely to remain stationary as a weakened system for the next 24 hours. READ MORE



Dec 01, 2025 10:45 IST
Opposition leaders meet to finalise their strategy for Winter Session

INDIA Bloc Floor Leaders' met at the office of Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, in the Parliament House complex.



Dec 01, 2025 10:37 IST
Ready to give tips to Opposition for electoral success: PM Modi
Ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe on the Opposition parties and said he was ready to give them tips to perform better in elections.



Dec 01, 2025 10:34 IST
Not drama, Parliament needs delivery: PM Modi ahead of Winter Session of Parliament
#ParliamentWinterSession | Delhi: PM Narendra Modi says, "Whoever wants to do drama can do it. There should be delivery here and not drama...the emphasis should be on policy, not slogans." pic.twitter.com/hvOLmB23Yi
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2025



Dec 01, 2025 10:32 IST
The frustration of defeat should not be allowed to damage the Winter Session: PM Modi




Dec 01, 2025 10:06 IST
Sensex, Nifty hit fresh lifetime highs in early trade on GDP numbers
Mumbai: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hit their fresh all-time highs in early trade on Monday as investors' sentiment turned positive after India's economy grew at a higher-than-expected 8.2 per cent in July-September - the fastest pace in six quarters.
 
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Dec 01, 2025 10:05 IST
Delhi's air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' category with 301 AQI
New Delhi: The air quality in the national capital again settled in the 'very poor' category on Monday, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 301.
 
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Dec 01, 2025 08:56 IST
NIA conducts raids across J-K in 'white-collar terror' module case
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out raids at multiple locations in Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts of Kashmir in connection with a "white-collar" terror module that was behind a car blast near Delhi's Red Fort, officials said here.
 
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Dec 01, 2025 05:44 IST
My partner is half-Indian, son's middle name is Sekhar after Nobel laureate S Chandrasekhar: Musk
New York: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his partner Shivon Zilis is “half-Indian” and one of their children’s middle name is ‘Sekhar’ after the Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.
 
“One of my sons with her is, his middle name is Sekhar, after Chandrasekhar,” Musk said in an interview with investor and entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath on his show ‘People by WTF’.
 
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Dec 01, 2025 05:43 IST
MCD bypolls: BJP confident of win on Dec 3, AAP alleges irregularities
New Delhi: The by-elections held across 12 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday sparked a fresh round of political confrontation between the BJP and the AAP, with both sides projecting contrasting narratives of the day's polling.
 
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