image courtesy: Aaj Tak Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled from Thursday, November 6 to Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Hindi news channel Aaj Tak has kicked off ‘Panchayat Aaj Tak – Bihar’ in Patna on Thursday, October 16. The day-long event is witnessing engaging discussions, bringing together prominent political leaders, policymakers and influencers to deliberate on key issues shaping the state. The event began with participation from influential speakers across the political spectrum. Among those who spoke in the early sessions were former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kanhaiya Kumar, BPCC Campaign Committee Chairman Dr Akhilesh Prasad Singh, and Janata Dal MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. As the day progresses, spokespersons from various parties and senior political experts are expected to share their views on Bihar’s electoral landscape, the role of the media, and public participation.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has opened media accreditation for the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), scheduled to be held in Panaji, Goa, from November 20 to 28, 2025. Journalists can register as media delegates through the official portal — https://accreditation.pib.gov.in/eventregistration/login.aspx — until November 5, 2025. According to the press release, accredited media professionals will receive exclusive access to film screenings, panel discussions, and networking sessions with filmmakers and industry leaders. They will also be eligible to attend a Film Appreciation Course organised by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on November 18, 2025, designed exclusively for accredited journalists. Preference will be given to those who could not attend the course during the previous edition of IFFI. Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General, PIB, said, “IFFI is a pivotal event that unites d

Two Telangana-based journalists, Pogadadanda Revathi and Thanvi Yadav, have moved the Supreme Court challenging a Telangana High Court order in their case. The journalists were arrested in March by Hyderabad Police’s cyber-crime division over a video posted on microblogging platform X. The video showed a Pulse News reporter interviewing a person who allegedly made abusive and derogatory remarks about Telangana CM Revanth Reddy. The complaint was filed by the state Congress party’s social media head, Exchange4media reported. Revathi, managing director of Pulse News, and Yadav, a reporter with the channel, have been represented by an advocate who told the court that Revathi was taken into custody again despite being out on bail for the past seven months. The advocate also stated that her entire office had been seized. The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who agreed to list it for hearing on Thursday, October 16.

The Telangana High Court has directed the state government to look into a journalist’s complaint about Hyderabad Public Schools in Begumpet and Ramanthapur. Journalist Durgam Ravinder had raised concerns about the schools, including why hostels for SC and ST students were closed, whether reservations for SC, ST, and OBC students and staff are being properly followed, and how funds and contracts for sports, catering, teaching, and security are managed, The Hindu reported The court asked the School Education Secretary to examine Ravinder’s concerns and take action within three months.

Image source: Live Law, Hindustan Times, ETV Bharat and India Today; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   The Supreme Court has struck a careful balance between celebration and conservation this Diwali. In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the apex court partially lifted Delhi-NCR’s blanket ban on firecrackers, allowing only green crackers—those certified by NEERI and PESO—on a trial basis. The move aims to protect livelihoods in the firecracker industry while limiting environmental harm, setting the stage for what the court calls a “test case” for sustainable celebration. Hot off the Press Dhananjay Mahapatra for The Times of India reported that the bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran permitted the sale and bursting of NEERI-approved green crackers on October 19 and 20, from 6–7 a.m. and 8–10 p.m., calling for strict enforcement by district authorities. Online sales remain banned and only licensed traders can sell at designated outlets. Aaratr

A Kanpur court recently convicted and sentenced four people to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a broadcast journalist. Among those sentenced are the victim’s colleague, her two brothers and a family friend, The New Indian Express reported. The crime dates back to June 14, 2009, when the body of 26-year-old Brijesh Gupta was found wrapped in cloth inside a car parked in Govind Nagar. According to police records, he had sustained multiple injuries. A resident of Ratanlal Nagar had noticed a car with a “Press” sticker parked in the area for an unusually long time. When the police opened the vehicle, they discovered Brijesh’s body inside. The case was represented by government counsel Gaurendra Tripathi. During the trial, the court examined nine prosecution witnesses before finding the accused guilty. Life imprisonment was awarded to Kanika Grover — a newsreader at the same TV channel as Brijesh — her brothers Sunny and Monney, and their friend Surjeet Singh ali

Signature Media, one of Australia’s leading independent publishers of travel content, has seen an editorial and commercial shake-up as founder Cathy Wagstaff exits the business after 25 years and the company is sold to Specialist Media.  The new SM portfolio includes Signature Luxury Travel & Style, Vacations & Travel, Holidays with Kids, and Caravan & Camping with Kids.  The company also operates a custom publishing division, creating bespoke print and digital publications for clients.  As part of the changes, Vacations & Travel moves to tri-annual publication. A statement from SM said, “as a small but incredibly talented team, we’ve made the decision to publish three times a year, allowing us to focus our resources on delivering even more exceptional editorial content for our readers, growing our digital channels and launching V&T travel awards in 2026. Our upcoming issue will be edited by guest editor, Chloe Sachdev.”   Meanwhile, Ski & Sno