A dramatic rescue unfolded in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir after heavy rainfall caused a sudden surge in the Rajouri river, leaving a minor boy stranded midstream. The Indian Army, in coordination with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and civilian divers, executed a high-risk rescue operation to bring the boy to safety.

Eyewitnesses reported that the boy was trapped on a rock surrounded by strong currents, with no means to escape. Responding to an alert, district authorities launched a joint operation. The precarious conditions prompted the deployment of an Army helicopter, which ultimately airlifted the boy as part of a coordinated effort between air and ground teams.

Despite difficult weather conditions and fast-flowing waters, the team successfully evacuated the boy and transferred him to a secure location. He is currently under medical observation and reported to be safe.

District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma, who oversaw the operation, praised the courage and teamwork involved. “They are risking their own lives and saving the lives of others. All teams were deployed here so that we could save his life at all costs,” he stated.

The rescue has drawn widespread appreciation from locals and civil authorities, who hailed the prompt action as a heroic example of joint emergency response. The incident once again underscores the critical role of coordinated disaster management and the unwavering commitment of security forces in protecting civilians during natural calamities.

In a key move to enhance inter-service coordination, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, met with Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command, at the Surya Command headquarters in Lucknow on Wednesday. The meeting marked a significant milestone in the Indian armed forces’ push toward joint operational readiness and strategic integration.

The interaction centered on improving synergy between the Army and Navy, strengthening joint training protocols, and advancing integrated combat capabilities. Lieutenant General Sengupta briefed Admiral Tripathi on the operational scope and strategic initiatives of the Central Command, underlining the Army’s commitment to seamless coordination with other services.

Admiral Tripathi, commissioned into the Navy in 1985, is an expert in communication systems and electronic warfare. He has commanded frontline warships including the stealth frigate INS Trishul. Lt Gen Sengupta brings extensive experience in high-altitude warfare, counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, and international peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their shared experience in both cutting-edge technology and ground-level combat operations signals a growing emphasis on multi-domain integration.

The Central Command, re-established in 1963 after the Sino-Indian War, plays a vital role in India’s northern defence posture. Headquartered in Lucknow, it covers the Indo-Tibet and Indo-Nepal borders in Uttarakhand and acts as a strategic reserve for the Indian Army. Its transformation from a training-oriented command into a frontline strategic entity reflects evolving regional threats and the military’s response to them.

Today’s meeting between two of India’s top military leaders highlights a shared vision for a future-ready, networked force capable of responding swiftly and cohesively to emerging threats across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains.

In a groundbreaking achievement that blends youthful innovation with national defence, two 20-year-old engineering students from BITS Pilani Hyderabad have developed high-speed kamikaze drones in their hostel room, now being procured by the Indian Army.

Jayant Khatri, a mechanical engineering student from Ajmer, and Sourya Choudhury, an electrical engineering student from Kolkata, co-founded their defence-tech startup Apollyon Dynamics just two months ago. Since then, their homemade drones have been deployed by the Army at bases in Jammu, Chandimandir in Haryana, Panagarh in West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The kamikaze drones are capable of flying at speeds over 300 kilometres per hour—nearly five times faster than typical commercial drones—and can carry payloads of up to 1 kilogram with high accuracy. Designed to be radar-evading and adaptable to Indian terrain, the drones are built using off-the-shelf components and assembled by hand.

The startup’s breakthrough came after Khatri began sending cold emails to defence personnel. One such email received a response from a colonel, leading to a live demonstration in Chandigarh. The success of that demo resulted in immediate interest from Army officials and eventual orders.

Choudhury explained that the drones’ stealth capabilities are one of their major advantages. “Our drones are not just fast. They’re designed to evade radar and strike with precision,” he said.

What began as a student robotics club quickly evolved into a full-fledged defence-tech company. Apollyon Dynamics now includes six second-year students who are working on next-generation vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing UAVs to enhance mission flexibility.

The team is also actively involved in training Army personnel to operate the drones, including soldiers with no prior experience. Their systems are designed for rapid deployment and ease of use, even in challenging environments.

Professor Sanket Goel of BITS Pilani praised the achievement as a model of applied innovation. “They’ve translated classroom knowledge into real-world impact. It’s inspiring,” he said. The startup’s work was recently showcased to BITS Chancellor and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.

Apollyon Dynamics plans to expand its UAV offerings to support longer-range missions, tactical payload delivery, and AI-assisted navigation. With the Indian Army already on board, their journey from a hostel room to military adoption marks a powerful shift in India’s defence innovation landscape.

Unlike Joy Lobo in the film 3 Idiots, whose drone never got the chance to fly, these young engineers found support, belief, and a mission. Their story proves that in today’s India, even frontline technology can be born from a student’s desk.

In a major counterterrorism breakthrough, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four individuals in Ahmedabad on Wednesday for their alleged links to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned terrorist organisation.

The ATS confirmed that the suspects were detained based on intelligence inputs and are believed to be part of a broader network attempting to expand AQIS influence within India. Further details on the nature of the plot and the suspects’ backgrounds are expected to be disclosed later in the day.

This arrest comes amid growing concerns about radicalisation and terror recruitment in various Indian states. Just last year, in August 2024, a significant AQIS-inspired terror module was dismantled in a coordinated operation led by the Delhi Police in collaboration with security agencies in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. That operation led to the arrest of 14 individuals allegedly plotting high-profile terrorist strikes.

According to the Delhi Police, the module was being led by Dr Ishtiyaq from Ranchi, Jharkhand. The group reportedly aimed to declare a so-called “Khilafat” and was engaged in advanced weapons training and radical indoctrination. Six individuals were apprehended during a weapons training session in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, while eight others were arrested from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Authorities also recovered arms, ammunition, and extremist literature during the operation.

The Gujarat ATS is now investigating whether the newly arrested suspects are connected to or inspired by the same ideological network dismantled last year. Security agencies are expected to intensify their vigilance across key states in light of the latest arrests.

India strongly rebuked Pakistan at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate on Tuesday, with its Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, branding the neighbouring country as a “serial borrower from the IMF” and “steeped in fanaticism and terrorism.”

The UNSC session, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was convened to discuss “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.” However, Dar used the opportunity to raise the issues of Jammu & Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the Indian envoy.

Harish emphasised that there must be a “serious cost” for states that promote cross-border terrorism, pointing to Pakistan’s record of supporting proxy terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba. He specifically cited the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, claimed by The Resistance Front, a known front for LeT.

“There are some fundamental principles which need to be universally respected. One of them is zero tolerance for terrorism,” Harish stated, underscoring that the Indian subcontinent presents a stark contrast. “On the one hand, there is India – a mature democracy, a surging economy, and a pluralistic society. At the other extreme is Pakistan – steeped in fanaticism and terrorism, and a serial borrower from the IMF,” he said.

Responding to Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, Harish reiterated that India’s actions remain “measured and non-escalatory” and that a cessation of military activities was undertaken only after Islamabad requested it.

He also pointed to the changing nature of conflict in recent years, noting the rise of non-state actors backed by state sponsors who exploit digital technologies for funding, recruitment, and radicalisation.

Acting US Representative Dorothy Shea also addressed the session, highlighting recent American diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in global hotspots, including between India and Pakistan.

Separately, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his claim that he personally stopped a major conflict between India and Pakistan, saying that five jets were shot down during the exchange and that the region was on the brink of nuclear war.

“They’re both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened. I stopped it,” Trump said at a White House event, adding that he used trade pressure to calm the situation.

Pakistan currently holds a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2025–26 term. Following the Pahalgam attack, UNSC members had unanimously called for holding the perpetrators and sponsors of the act accountable.