The 19-year-old student of engineering walked out of jail on Tuesday night after having spent over a fortnight behind bars for her social media post

It was an emotional reunion for a teen student with her family as she walked out of jail on Tuesday night after having spent over a fortnight behind bars for her social media post criticising the Indian government amid the Indo-Pak conflict.

The 19-year-old student of engineering was granted bail by the Bombay High Court which had made scathing remarks against the Maharashtra government for “being bent upon ruining her life” and turning her into a “hardcore criminal”.

The court had also pulled up the girl’s college — Sinhgad Academy of Engineering — for issuing a rustication order against the girl “hurriedly” without giving her an opportunity to explain herself.

The high court suspended the rustication order and directed the authorities at the Yerwada central jail, where the girl was lodged, to release her forthwith on Tuesday itself.

Pursuant to the order, the student, originally from Jammu and Kashmir, was released from the jail around 9.30 PM on Tuesday after all formalities were completed, her lawyer Farhana Shah said.

Her family members were present outside the jail for the emotional reunion and wished to stay away from the media glare and made only general statement that they had faith in the Constitution and the legal system of the country.

The controversy began on May 7 when the student, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology) degree, shared a post on Instagram from an account named ‘Reformistan.’  However, realising her mistake, she deleted the post and also apologised for reposting it.

Despite her deleting the post swiftly, the Kondhwa police in Pune registered an FIR against her on May 9 and arrested her.

She was later sent to judicial custody at Yerwada prison. The college also rusticated her immediately.

Challenging her rustication and seeking quashing of the FIR, the student approached the Bombay High Court.

On Tuesday, the High Court strongly condemned the government’s response, labeling it “absolutely shocking” and “radical.”  The court ordered her immediate release to allow her to appear for her ongoing semester examinations and directed the Sinhgad Academy of Engineering to provide her with a hall ticket and, if necessary, arrange security and a separate classroom for her exams.

The police were also instructed to ensure adequate protection for the student when she attends college, addressing her expressed fears.

Kishor Patil, principal of the engineering college, said the institute has issued the girl the admit card. “The college has issued the admit card to the student on Wednesday. She will be appearing for the exam tomorrow,” he said.

The principal, however, refused to elaborate on whether any special classroom or arrangements have been made for the girl during the exams.

She had missed two papers due to her arrest and sought permission from the High Court to take them as a special case but the college said that the decision rested with the Pune-based university, prompting the court to permit her to file an application with the university for this purpose.

The High Court questioned the college’s “hurried” approach, saying that its role should be to reform, not punish, the student.

The court stressed that she should not have been arrested in the first place especially given her prompt deletion of the post and expressing remorse, and apology.

The college’s May 9 rustication letter cited “disrepute to the institution,” “anti-national sentiments,” and a “risk to the campus community and society” as reasons for its decision.

While cautioning the student to act responsibly in the future, the High Court reserved its sternest remarks for the state’s handling of the sensitive situation.

At present, a tri-service commander has no role in administration of justice against any of his subordinates.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday notified rules empowering Commanders, heading tri-services organisations such as theatre commands, with disciplinary powers over their subordinates.“Rules formulated under the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act-2023 have been notified through a gazette notification and will come into effect from May 27, 2025,” the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

These rules aim to bolster effective command, control and efficient functioning of inter-services organisations (ISOs), thereby strengthening integration among the armed forces, the MoD said in a statement.

Official sources said this was a long-awaited reform, especially after the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff. Last Year in August, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill that received Presidential assent.

The Act empowers Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of tri-service organisations to exercise control over service personnel, serving under them, for effective maintenance of discipline and administration, without disturbing the unique service conditions of each individual service.

The move comes 24 years after India created its first tri-service command — the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

At present, personnel of the Indian Air Force, Army and the Navy are, respectively, governed under the Air Force Act, 1950, the Army Act, 1950, and the Navy Act, 1957.

Besides, a tri-service commander had no role in administration of justice against any of his subordinates. Officers and men posted to tri-services organisations while facing disciplinary proceedings, if any, were reverted to their parent service.

Service personnel when serving in a tri-services organisation will continue to be governed by their respective service Acts. However, these rules and the new Act will empower heads of tri-services organisations to exercise all the disciplinary and administrative powers as per the existing Acts of the three services.

Theatre commands are also expected to be announced soon and entail having a single commander leading the men and officers from the three armed forces.

The tri-service organisations currently include the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the Strategic Forces Command and the Department of Military Affairs – led by the CDS.

The crew encountered winds with speeds up to 95 kmph coupled with extremely cold temperatures during the journey

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

Eight months alone on the high seas for a duo on board a small sail boat circumnavigating the globe is not just a challenging adventure but an ultimate test of human grit, determination, endurance and seamanship. And this is where two women Indian Navy officers, Lt Cdr Roopa A and Lt Cdr Dilna K, undertaking the Navika Sagar Parikrama–II expedition have been triumphant.

On May 29, the two officers, referred to as ‘DilRoo’, will dock in home waters in Goa, from where they had embarked on October 2, 2024, after completing a voyage of about 50,000 km across four continents, three oceans and three Great Capes, braving the vagaries of nature and relying only on sails and wind power.

What is Navika Sagar Parikrama?

Navika Sagar Parikrama is the name of expedition for circumnavigation the globe Indian Navy’s women officers on board the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) ‘Tarini’, a single mast sail boat. There have been two editions of this expedition so far.

The first edition lasted 254 days from September 10, 2017, to May 21, 2018, and comprised six officers led by Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi. The other crew members were Lt Cdr Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Cdr Swati P, Lt Aishwarya Boddapati, Lt Vijaya Devi and Lt Payal Gupta. All six had trained for about a year under Captain Dilip Donde, the first Indian to successfully carry out solo-circumnavigation of the globe in 2009-10.

En route, they also collected and updated meteorological, ocean and wave data on a regular basis for assisting weather forecasts by the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and the Indian Meteorological Department, and reported marine pollution on the high seas. They had made five port calls at Fremantle in Australia; Lyttelton in New Zealand; Port Stanley in Falklands, Cape Town in South Africa and finally at Mauritius.

About the sail boat

The INSV Tarini is classified as a ‘sloop’, that is a small sea going sail boat with a single mast. It is the Indian’s Navy’s second sailboat of this category, the other being INSV ‘Mhadei’. The Tarini was constructed at the Aquarius Shipyard in Goa and was commissioned by the Indian Navy in February 2017 after extensive sea trials and some modifications.

The INSV is 56 feet long. In comparison, the INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy’s largest warship is 932 feet long. Its keel was laid by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in March 2016 and was named after the Tara Tarini temple located in Odisha.

Its hull is built of wood-core and fibreglass sandwich and is designed to sail in extreme conditions at sea and the boat is equipped with advanced features such as satellite communications, Raymarine navigation suite and a Monitor windvane equipped for emergency steering.

The second expedition

Setting from the Naval Ocean Sailing Node, Goa, the DilRoo team commenced their circumnavigation with port calls at Fremantle, Lyttleton, Port Stanley and Cape Town, similar to the course adopted by their predecessors.

The officers engaged in numerous diplomatic and outreach engagements, interacting with parliamentarians, Indian diaspora, schoolchildren, naval cadets and university faculty across the globe.

In a rare gesture, they were honoured as special invitees at the Western Australian Parliament in Canberra in November 2024 as a recognition of their achievements. Their accomplishments received accolades from local communities, international sailing bodies and foreign parliaments serving as a beacon of women empowerment, maritime excellence and national pride.

The crew encountered winds with speeds up to 95 kmph coupled with extremely cold temperatures during the journey. Though each leg of the expedition had its own challenges, the third leg of the journey from Lyttleton to Port Stanley was the most arduous, where they encountered three cyclones.

“In persistent rains, Sea State 5 (the roughest category), winds of about 75 kmph and waves more than five metres tall, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A, recorded their names in the annals of history by successfully crossing the Cape Horn located at the southern tip of South America,” the Indian Navy had then said on its official X handle.

This passage takes the sailors through the Drake Passage, a treacherous waterway known for its extreme winds, towering waves and unpredictable weather. The conditions in this region test even the most experienced mariners, making their successful passage a significant achievement.

“Having braved these formidable waters, the officers have now earned themselves the esteemed title of being the “Cape Horners”, a designation traditionally given to the elite group of seafarers who have successfully navigated Cape Horn under sail,” the Navy had said.

Cape Horn is situated just over 800 kilometers from Antarctica, making it one of the closest land points to the icy continent. The journey through this region not only requires exceptional navigational expertise but also resilience to the harsh conditions characteristic of the Southern Ocean.

During the voyage, the crew had the opportunity to interact with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of International Women’s Day. He congratulated the crew for their remarkable milestone and acknowledged the invaluable role of women in bolstering national security and reaffirmed India’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women in the defence sector.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also interacted with the crew on various occasions and commended their exemplary skills, professionalism, camaraderie and teamwork during expedition that has been a defining chapter in India’s maritime history, a showcase of its professionalism and seafaring skills and an impetus to women empowerment.

Sets process in motion for 72 Infantry Division

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

The Army is realigning its numbers in eastern Ladakh, facing China. The raising of a new division, which was okayed by the government earlier, has now been given the final shape.

The war-fighting elements of the new division have been finalised. Raising the new division — the 72 Infantry Division — will not entail adding any manpower. It will only be about re-tasking existing Brigades in eastern Ladakh, sources said.

Following the military stand-off with China in April 2020, the Army had moved around several of its units to Ladakh. This included the 6 Mountain Brigade from Bareilly and some resources of the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps, the sources said. These resources include armoured formations and infantry combat vehicles, besides troops.

The 72 Infantry Division is expected to subsume some of these elements to consolidate troop numbers.

A division of Army has about 15,000 men, besides equipment. It is headed by a Major General-rank officer and has three or four brigades, each headed by a Brigadier.

The 72 Infantry Division will be part of the Leh-based 14 Corps, deployed on both fronts — China and Pakistan. Its area of responsibility is the 832 km of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China; the Line of Control with Pakistan in the Drass-Kargil-Batalik sector; and the Siachen Glacier. The 14 Corps has two divisions — the 8th Mountain Division, tasked to the LoC, and the 3rd Infantry Division, tasked to the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Okayed by the government in 2017, the 72 Infantry Division was to be part of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps with its headquarters in Pathankot. Under the re-alignment, it will be based in eastern Ladakh, said the sources, adding that the headquarters of the division were being raised and officers and men had been assigned.

This is the second re-jig the Army has effected since the stand-off with China. In October 2021, the entire 545 km of LAC in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand was brought under the control of Central Command headquartered at Lucknow.

The Bareilly-based ‘Uttar-Bharat’ area was made responsible for the security at the LAC in these two hill states and an important strike division of the Western Command was assigned to Central Command. Earlier, the LAC in Himachal was the domain of the Western Command, Chandimandir.

The Western Command and its three Corps — the 2 Strike Corps Ambala, 11 Corps at Jalandhar and the 9 Corps at Yol (near Palampur, HP) — were tasked to only “look westwards”.

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Shameless Punjab Govt and Punjab Police .

PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT ORDER: CLICK ON THIS HEADING TO OPEN

The extension was necessitated to prepare Income Tax systems to incorporate changes in ITR forms and roll out the utilitie

he Income Tax department on Tuesday extended the due date for filing ITRs for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26 to September 15 from July 31.

The extension applies to individuals, HUFs and entities who do not need to get their accounts audited. They can now file their tax return for income earned in the 2024-25 (April-March) fiscal by September 15.

In a statement, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the extension was necessitated to prepare Income Tax systems to incorporate changes in ITR forms and roll out the utilities.

This year, ITR forms for AY26 were notified in late April and early May against the previous year’s practice of notifying them in January/February.

“To facilitate a smooth and convenient filing experience for taxpayers, it has been decided that the due date for filing ITR, originally due on July 31, is extended to September 15,” the CBDT said.

The notified ITRs for AY2025-26 have “undergone structural and content revisions” aimed at simplifying compliance, enhancing transparency and enabling accurate reporting. These changes have necessitated additional time for system development, integration and testing of the corresponding utilities, it added.

Furthermore, credits arising from TDS statements, due for filing by May 31, are expected to begin reflecting in early June, limiting the effective window for return filing in the absence of such an extension, the statement said.

The government has notified the income tax return forms 1 and 4, filed by individuals, HUFs and entities with total income up to Rs 50 lakh a year and who do not have to get their accounts audited, for the assessment year 2025-26 on April 29.

Now, entities with long-term capital gains of up to Rs 1.25 lakh from listed equities can show such income in ITR 1 and 4. Earlier, they were required to file ITR-2.

The government has also made certain changes in the form, with regard to deductions claimed under 80C, 80GG and other sections and has provided a drop-down menu in the utility for tax filers to select from. Also, assessees will have to furnish in the ITR section-wise details with regard to TDS deductions.

Under the I-T law, LTCG of up to Rs 1.25 lakh from the sale of listed shares and mutual funds are exempt from tax. Gains exceeding Rs 1.25 lakh/annum are subject to 12.5 per cent tax.

Usually, the ITR forms are notified before the end of the fiscal, mostly around January/February. This time, however, the ITR forms and the filing utility got delayed as revenue department officials were preoccupied with the new Income Tax Bill, which was introduced in Parliament in February.

Read More: https://www.ssbcrack.com/2025/05/ndas-first-batch-of-women-cadets-set-to-graduate-marking-historic-milestone-in-armed-forces.html

Every Year, He Walks Into the Land Where His Son Never Returned…

At IGI Airport, a humble figure waits quietly in line at the departure gate. Not for a vacation. Not for a business trip.But for an emotional pilgrimage.

Col. Virender Thapar is on his way to Drass, near Kargil — a journey he makes every single year.

It’s the final resting place of his 22-year-old son, Lt. Vijyant Thapar, who laid down his life during the 1999 Kargil War.Before his final mission, Lt. Vijyant wrote a heart-wrenching letter to his parents, asking his father to one day visit the place where he and his fellow soldiers stood their ground… and fell.

Col. Thapar has honoured that promise — every year, without fail.

No cameras. No headlines. Just a father keeping a promise to a son… and to his nation.This is not just a story of war.It’s a story of love, duty, and the unbreakable bond between a soldier and his family.

May we never forget their sacrifice. 🙏🏻