The Union Home Ministry’s demography committee is now seeking inputs from the public and NGOs on “frequent demographic changes” that are inconsistent with fertility and mortality trends. The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), chaired by former Supreme Court judge P. P. Naolekar, was constituted on May 26 to study the “nature, causes and consequences of demographic changes being observed in various parts of the country”. Respondents on the new portal will have to share their mobile phone number, address, and e-mail ID. A few weeks ago, it was reported that the committee drew a blank from government departments when it sought religion-wise data on property registrations and other measures. (TH / 15th Oct.)
Telangana government is spending ₹1,108. 27 crore for the development and expansion of a temple complex in Manchirevula village, close to the Musi river, as part of the Musi Riverfront Development project. This is over 57% higher than the initial estimate of ₹700 crore announced by Chief Minister A.Revanth Reddy in March this year, at the foundation laying ceremony for development of two temples under the project. The sanction was given through an order issued on Wednesday, which mentions a proposal by the managing director of Musi Riverfront Development Corporation (MRDCL) to develop the temple precinct comprising the main temple, associated with sub-shrines of sri Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali temples, Sri Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari Devi Temple, Sri Bala Ganapathy Swamy Temple and Sri Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, together with Maha Mandapam, Nandi Mandapam, Prakarams, Raja Gopurams, Yagasala, Pushkarini, an iconic statue of Lord Shiva and other associated religious facilities. Of the total allocation, ₹598.98 crore is earmarked for temple architectural works, ₹349.67 crore for civil & structural works, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing and associated facilities. The remaining ₹159.62 crore is allocated for the development of a 100-foot-wide six-lane master plan road of 2.5 kilometres, connecting two gated communities nearby, adjoining Greyhounds lands and Young India Police School with the temple. (8th Oct.)
The State government is partially relaxing building rules by introducing third-party inspections in place of scrutiny by regulatory authorities for issuing building permissions and occupancy certificates. Officials said the move is part of the Centre’s deregulation policy, which seeks to remove government control, wherever feasible, across various sectors. A government order has been issued amending building rules to allow third-party inspections for two categories of properties. Under the revised rules, for proposals in approved layouts involving plots of up to 500 square metres and buildings up to 10 metres in height, ‘Empanelled Third Parties’ can submit post-verification or inspection reports. Based on the report, the municipal commissioner will either issue a work commencement certificate or a rejection letter. This will effectively eliminate the need for intervention by town planning officials.
Anxiety around religious composition of the country has taken the form of an official committee. The “High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC)”, under the Union Home Ministry, has sought religion-wise data covering the past 15 years on births, school enrolment, vehicle registrations, and property transactions. It also asked for data on religious structures, unusual increases in Aadhaar, and voter ID registrations. In all, the committee sent a set of 35 questions to states. However it faced a blank paper, almost. The states simply didn’t have data religion-wise, as the secular construct of the Constitution prohibited the collection of data under religious categories. Other than official data, the committee wants intelligence assessments and commission reports on religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities, and details of operational detention centres, among other information.
Arekapudi Gandhi, a high-profile MLA representing Serilingampally in the state capital and chairman of Public Accounts Committee of Telangana Legislature, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He has been asked to explain why and how Rs. 2.1 crore has been routed to his accounts by Sahiti Infratec Ventures India Private Limited (SIVIPL), which is under investigation on for diversion of funds collected from homebuyers. According to ED, SIVIPL collected advances from homebuyers through pre-launch offers for residential projects but allegedly failed to deliver the promised flats or refund their money. The agency has estimated the proceeds of crime generated through the alleged scheme at ₹842.15 crore. Of this, ₹216.91 crore was allegedly collected in cash from homebuyers and kept outside the company’s books. (26 Sep. 2026)
The Revanth Reddy government has formed a committee of officers to identify any violations of statutes, Acts, rules, government orders, and related instructions concerning the lands listed by the government. The 16 cases listed for enquiry includes those of former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, former ministers T. Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and G. Jagadishwar Reddy, P. Rohith Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, and Elvin Stephenson. Its terms of reference cover government, ceiling surplus, assigned, Jagir, Bhoodan, Inam, and forest lands, as well as land acquisition. The enquiry will cover abuse of Dharani website modules. (25 Sep. 2026)
Govt appeals to Karnataka for Krishna water
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy have requested the Karnataka government to release water from the upper Krishna river system to help save standing crops in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. Another minister, Jupally Krishna Rao attributed the prevailing situation partly to the El Niño effect and said the government had alerted farmers in advance to opt for short-duration crops. However, efforts were being made to protect farmers who had already raised paddy. At Jurala, about 2.5 tmc ft of water would be lost to silt, another 3 tmc ft constitute dead storage and cannot be utilised, while 2.5 tmc ft has to be reserved for drinking water. About 1 tmc ft would be lost to evaporation, leaving little water available for irrigation, according to Mr. Rao.
Ecologists warn of devastating impact from El Niño
As many as 188 of India’s scientists and ecologists jointly published an appeal to fellow researchers and field practitioners to prepare for the effects of upcoming El Niño — a global weather phenomenon that dampens the monsoon and leads to extreme hot and dry conditions in the subcontinent. Over the upcoming months, the signatories warned, India’s natural systems are likely to experience a range of potentially devastating impacts as a result of El Niño. “These include widespread bleaching and mortality of coral, an increase in wildfires, and the death of large rainforest trees. With a high probability of drought and extreme heat conditions, this year’s El Niño is likely to be catastrophic for India’s farmers, fishers and shepherds as well. In addition, though, more subtle impacts on India’s nature — including delayed fruit production or changes in animal behaviour — could be equally important, but may be much less visible unless you are specifically looking for them,” they said. In the Pacific Ocean where El Niño originates, temperatures have steadily risen above the 0.5°C threshold, reaching +2.6°C in August 2026. Projections report possible anomalies of up to +4°C, which is higher than at any time in the past 1,000 years, based on reconstructions from coral cores, they said. (20 September)
India fulfilled Paris climate commitments ahead of schedule: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is the only G20 country to have fulfilled all the commitments it made at the 2015 Paris climate summit, and that it has done so ahead of schedule. Speaking at a conference organised by National Green Tribunal on 19th September, Mr. Modi said the responsibility for carbon emissions had often been “wrongly placed” on developing countries. India’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) had three quantitative targets. The emissions-intensity and non-fossil capacity goals were both met several years early. The third target, an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 through afforestation, is still in progress. India’s April 2026 submission to the UN puts the additional sink at 2.29 billion tonnes between 2005 and 2021 and says the country is on track. (20 September)
Two perspectives surface at JPC meet on FCRA amendments
The Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill has conducted its first session on Friday, 18 September. According to a report, the thrust of the ruling party MPs’ queries was towards utilisation of foreign contributions, while Opposition members spotlighted the provisions dealing with the assets of an organisation that loses its FCRA licence. The Amendment proposes that if an organisation’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) certificate is cancelled, surrendered, or lapses automatically, foreign contributions and all assets created from them would vest in a government-appointed “designated authority”, without a prior hearing or judicial determination. DMK’s P. Wilson and the Trinamool Congress’ Menaka Guruswamy argued that deprivation of property cannot be permitted without a prior hearing under Article 300A of the Constitution. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which is the nodal ministry for this Act, pointed out in its presentation to the JPC members that a majority of foreign funds were received by Christian organisations. Tracing the origins of FCRA to the Cold War-era geopolitics, the MHA said the latest amendment is, at its core, a “national security” legislation. (19 Sep.)
Why are HRDCL finances out of public purview?
The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has sought a comprehensive Vigilance inquiry into the functioning of the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Ltd. (HRDCL). In a representation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday, FGG president M. Padmanabha Reddy said HRDCL had obtained loans close to ₹5,000 crore since its constitution in 2017, and alleged that details of the loans, expenditure and works undertaken by the corporation were not reflected in the State Budget or discussed in the Legislative Assembly.
Revenue officials on ground at Erravalli
A day after the chief minister announced an enquiry into the possibility of ‘assigned lands’ being in possession of former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Chandrakala conducted a field inspection of government land near the farmhouse and examined land records at the Markook Tahsildar’s office. The team of officials also inspected government land in Survey No. 325 of Erravalli village to identify and verify the extent of assigned lands in the area. They also extended inspections to neighbouring Venkatapur and Varadarajupur villages. Officials are said to be collecting information on persons found in possession of assigned lands and cross-checking historical records with present-day revenue entries. Officials are also compiling details of government lands adjoining the farmhouse, including survey numbers, historical ownership records and current revenue entries. (18 September)
Over 75 applications for each police post
More than 4 lakh candidates have entered the race for 7,437 posts across the police and allied departments in Telangana, with the recruitment process drawing over 5.77 lakh applications. At the close of applications, around 4.29 lakh individual candidates had submitted 5,77,064 applications, meaning each candidate applied for an average of 1.34 posts. Around 68.45% submitted a single application, while 28.88% applied for two posts. The recruitment drive also saw 1,46,220 applications from women, accounting for 25.33% of the total, while men submitted 4,30,844 applications, or 74.66%. BC candidates accounted for 49.19% of all applications, while SC and ST candidates together accounted for 43.60%. The State government’s age relaxation is estimated to have benefited nearly 1.13 lakh candidates. The relaxation was seven years over the prescribed maximum age for SI/ASI-level and SCT PC Driver posts and 10 years for other PC-level posts. (18 Sep.)
SBI gets 10 acres for data centre
State Bank of India received the government nod for allocation of 10 acres in the Bharat Future City area for a data centre. The land is located in Mir Khanpet village of Kandukur mandal in Rangareddy district, according to an official. Already, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced its data centre investment in the Future City, followed by projects of TCS HyperVault and CtrlS. The latest proposal from Fortune Hospitality, involving an initial investment of ₹ 60,000 crore, and the proposed allocation of land for a State Bank of India (SBI) data centre have added to the growing cluster. (18 Sep.)
India bought 51% of its imported oil from Russia in July. It amounted to 110 lakh tonnes in quantity, but it was not immediately clear if India was among the top importers of Russian oil. This relative position is relevant to the Bill passed by U.S. House of Representatives on 16 September imposing 100% tariffs on top five countries importing Russian oil. (18 Sep.)
Revanth lists lands held by KCR and family
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced that the government would constitute a fact-finding committee to verify whether and how ‘assigned land’ to the extent of 388 acres has gone into the control of former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in Siddipet district. Mr. Reddy also put out a list of lands held by Rao’s family members. As per his statement in the Assembly, Mr. Rao and his wife own 67.13 acres of land at Erravalli, Mittapalli, and Shivar Venkatapur villages in Siddipet district; K.T. Rama Rao possesses 123.19 acres in villages in Siddipet and Rangareddy districts; Kalvakuntla Kavita and her husband together own 37.26 acres; T. Harish Rao and his wife possess 30.16 acres; Joginapalli Santosh Kumar and family own 79.2 acres; and Naveen Kumar owns 101.14 acres in Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Siddipet districts. This takes the total land assets of the family to 439.3 acres spread over nine districts, 24 mandals and 31 villages. The chief minister said the above figures do not include the family’s benami holdings and pointed out that Rao’s farm house at Erravalli itself spans around 700 acres, in violation of Land Ceiling Act. (Posted on 17 September)
30-day Action Plan to resolve Sec. 22A issues
The state government has formed a committee comprising Law Secretary, Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Revenue & Stamps Secretary and other senior officials to suggest remedy for the issue of private lands figuring in the prohibited list under Section 22A of Registrations & Stamps Act. Describing it as a legacy problem, he attributed it to a failure to sub-divide lands by successive governments. He also proposed a 12-point action plan to resolve the issue. These include: (i) regularisation of lands stuck in Urban Land Ceilings Act; (ii) examining pending registrations of approved layouts under HMDA, GHMC and DTCP domains; (iii) forming a committee on land issues in SCCL coal belt; (iv) committee to examine and settle over 1 lakh applications with conveyor deeds under G.O. 59; (v) special clearance drive for L.B. Nagar lands under G.O. 118; (vi) legal vetting of houses built on assigned lands; (vii) houses built on government land with government expenditure; (viii) houses built on own land with government expenditure; (ix) private patta land with pending nala conversion charges; (x) illegal / unauthorised layouts on government lands; (xi) leasehold to freehold registration in Secunderabad; and (xii) assignment lands of freedom fighters and soldiers and Bhoodan lands. (Posted on 17 September)
From 14 flyovers & subways to just one
The State government has reportedly cut down the number of proposed flyovers and underpasses around the KBR National Park from 14 to just one elevated road from Jubilee Hills Check Post to Nagarjuna Circle. Citing unnamed official sources, a report in The Hindu said the decision had been taken in view of the ease with which vehicular traffic was passing around the park after the road was made one-way. (Posted on 16 September)
Rural jobs scheme off to a slow start
The reworked rural employment scheme (VB GRAM G) recorded a modest improvement in employment generation over the previous month, but the numbers were 9 per cent lower year-on-year. According to a report, the scheme registered 9.18 crore person-days in July (17.65 crore in July 2025) and 11.03 person-days in August (12.12 crore in August 2025). The report cited officals as saying it was too early to judge the performance of the new scheme. A 60-day pause in agricultural activity could also have contributed to the dip in employment generation, according to officials. (Posted on 16 September)