Operation Polo, also known as the "Police Action," was a brief military campaign launched by India from September 13 to 17, 1948, to annex the princely state of Hyderabad. The Nizam of Hyderabad had refused to join India after independence in 1947 and declared his intention to remain independent. Following rising internal unrest and communal violence, the Indian government, led by Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, launched the operation to integrate Hyderabad into the Indian Union. The operation lasted five days, ending with the surrender of the Nizam on September 17, 1948, marking the end of Hyderabad's separate existence after 224 years and its formal accession to India. The Nizam was subsequently retained as a ceremonial Rajpramukh until civilian rule was restored.
***
The Asaf Jah dynasty, rulers of Hyderabad since 1724, were proxy rulers under imperial powers like the Mughals and later the British. Hyderabad was truly sovereign only for a brief period between August 15, 1947, and September 17, 1948, when the last Nizam attempted to establish an independent Islamic and feudal state in the heart of India. The era of the Asaf Jahs ended with Operation Polo in 1948, marking the state's integration into the Indian Union and the conclusion of 224 years of Nizam rule.
***
Political parties cannot avoid responsibility for issues related to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (POSH) Act. They have a legal and moral obligation to enforce the act's provisions, ensuring a safe environment for women within their ranks and affiliated organizations, and cannot distance themselves from accountability for sexual harassment complaints.
***
Pew Research Center survey: Over 70% of Indians believe that their political system needs major changes or complete reform, yet among those wanting change, India has the highest share of people confident that such changes can be achieved, with the lowest share expressing doubt about political reform taking place compared to other surveyed countries. Additionally, despite the call for systemic change, a majority of Indians hold positive views about their elected officials' honesty, ethics, and qualifications.
***
R. Vaishali, the elder sister of R. Praggnanandhaa, won the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss twice consecutively—in 2023 and 2025—making her the first player ever to successfully defend the title in this prestigious tournament. Her 2025 victory qualified her for the Women's Candidates Tournament next year, where she will compete alongside Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy, marking a significant moment in Indian women's chess history.
***
Kalyana Karnataka, despite enjoying special status under Article 371J of the Constitution for over a decade, continues to lag in development across key sectors, with districts like Raichur and Yadgir ranking lowest in the state’s Human Development Index.
***
The United States remains the world’s most indebted nation with a 2025 gross borrowing requirement exceeding $10 trillion, while the share of global foreign exchange reserves held in dollars has fallen from 72% to 58% over the past two decades, highlighting the growing momentum toward de-dollarisation.
***
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to file a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of running a decades-long campaign of misinformation against him, his family, and the America First movement.
***
Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has entered the Guinness World Records for preparing the largest serving of jollof rice, using 5,000 kg of rice, after earlier setting a record with a 93-hour 11-minute cooking marathon.
***
The Satyam scandal, uncovered in 2009, was one of India's largest corporate frauds. Founder Ramalinga Raju admitted to falsifying the company's financials—inflating revenues and profits by over Rs 7,000 crore—to deceive investors. The fraud severely damaged public confidence in the Indian IT sector and led to significant regulatory reforms in corporate governance and auditing practices.
***
Helmut Lachenmann is a German composer born in 1935, renowned for his pioneering contributions to contemporary classical music, particularly with his style called "musique concrète instrumentale," which explores unconventional playing techniques and the physicality of sound production in instrumental music.
***
On November 28, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Hyderabad Metro Rail. The first phase, a 30-kilometer stretch from Miyapur to Nagole, marked the longest rapid transit metro line opened at one time in India. As one of the world’s largest public-private partnership projects of its kind, the metro was opened to the public the following day.
***
Tesla's board chair, Robyn Denholm, has defended CEO Elon Musk's proposed $1 trillion compensation package, stating it is tied to ambitious performance goals in electric vehicles and robotics. Denholm emphasized that Musk will receive no payout if these targets are not met and that his motivation is voting influence more than the money. Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the proposal in November.
***
No comments:
Post a Comment