Daily Brief, September 3: From CAA Extension To K Kavitha's Exit To Himachal Flood Toll - Top 10 Headlines Today

On September 3, from the Centre's big move to extend the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) cut-off date to December 31, 2024, easing anxieties of minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, to K Kavitha's dramatic resignation a day after being suspended by BRS, politics saw a churn. Amit Shah vowed to wipe out Naxalism while Himachal's monsoon toll climbed to 341 with unprecedented destruction. On the economy front, GST Council is weighing insurance tax cuts and a 3% DA hike was cleared for central staff. In sports, Yuki Bhambri stormed into the US Open men's doubles quarters and Jhulan Goswami hailed the record Women's World Cup prize money. Here are the top 10 stories that made headlines today:

1. Centre Extends CAA Cut-Off Date: Minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan Eligible till December 31, 2024

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given major relief to members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan by extending the cut-off date for entry into India under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The new order allows Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from these three neighbouring countries who entered India on or before December 31, 2024 to stay in the country, even if they do not have valid passports or other travel documents. The directive, issued under the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, makes it clear that those who crossed over into India due to religious persecution or fear of persecution will not be treated as illegal migrants.

When the CAA was enacted in 2019 and notified in 2024, the law stated that only members of the specified minority communities who entered India on or before December 31, 2014 would be eligible for Indian citizenship. This created a gap for those who arrived in India after 2014 but before the government framed the rules in 2024. Many families, especially Hindus from Pakistan, were left anxious about their future. With the latest order, the government has effectively extended the cut-off date by 10 years, giving recognition to people who arrived up to the end of 2024. The Home Ministry order explains the relaxation in clear terms.

2. K Kavitha Resigns as MLC Day After Suspension from BRS, Accuses Revanth Reddy of 'Destroying Family'

A day after her suspension from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for alleged anti-party activities, K Kavitha on Wednesday resigned from her post as MLC. Her ouster followed her accusations against cousins T Harish Rao and J Santosh Rao over alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project. The suspension was formally announced through a letter issued by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and senior leader Soma Bharat Kumar, with Telangana Jagruthi leader and the BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, Kavitha's father, approving the decision.

In a press conference, Kavitha said she is resigning as MLC from Bharat Rashtra Samithi and submitting her resignation letter to Council Speaker. "Yesterday afternoon, I saw media reports about the BRS Party's suspension of me. After being released from Tihar jail, I participated in various programs and worked for BC Reservations and other initiatives against the Congress government while wearing the BRS flag. I don't understand how these actions constitute anti-party activities," Kavitha said.

3. 'Modi Govt Won't Rest Until All Naxalites Surrender, Caught Or Eliminated': Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah once again underscored the commitment of the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight against Naxalism, and ascertained that it will not rest until all the Naxalites either surrender, are caught or eliminated.

The Home Minister's remarks came while he met and felicitated the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Cobra personnel in New Delhi, who had successfully carried out 'Operation Black Forest' on Karreguttalu hill in Chhattisgarh in the recent past. Shah congratulated all the security personnel for showing valour in making the biggest anti-Naxal operation 'Operation Black Forest' ever conducted on Karreguttalu hill, a success.

4. Drunk Man Asks Fellow Passengers To Chant 'Har Har Mahadev' On Delhi-Kolkata IndiGo Flight

A passenger on IndiGo's Delhi-Kolkata flight on Monday was handed over to the security for "unruly behaviour" after he was found to be "misbehaving with the cabin crew and disturbing fellow passengers". The airline said in a statement that a formal complaint was also lodged with the relevant authorities about the incident.

"We are aware of an incident of unruly behaviour onboard IndiGo flight 6E 6571 operating from Delhi to Kolkata on September 1, 2025. One of the customers onboard, under the influence of alcohol, was found to be misbehaving with the cabin crew and disturbing fellow passengers. In line with established protocols, the said customer was declared unruly and was handed over to security upon arrival. A formal complaint was also lodged with the relevant authorities," a IndiGo Spokesperson said in a statement.

5. Himachal Floods: Monsoon Death Toll Climbs To 341; 'Unprecedented' Damage to Life And Property

The 2025 monsoon season has so far claimed 341 lives in Himachal Pradesh, including 182 in rain-related incidents and 159 in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The cumulative damage since June 20 has been pegged at over Rs 3,52,541 lakhs, reflecting the scale of devastation across the hill state. An SDMA spokesperson said that the rain-related fatalities include 23 deaths in landslides, 9 in flash floods, 17 in cloudbursts, 33 in drowning, 14 in electrocution, 14 from falls in steep terrain, and 40 in other weather-triggered accidents. "These numbers underline the intensity of this monsoon, which has brought unprecedented damage to life and property," the spokesperson told PTI.

The SDMA report listed 341 deaths, 389 injuries, and 41 people reported missing. It added that 27,667 animals and 25,755 poultry birds have perished. Housing losses include 387 fully damaged houses, 530 partially damaged pucca houses, 1,063 partially damaged kachcha houses, along with widespread destruction to shops, factories, cowsheds, and public infrastructure.

6. Health, Term Insurance May Get Cheaper as GST Council Considers Rate Cuts

Health and term insurance premiums may become cheaper if the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council approves rate cuts at its meeting, which began here on Wednesday. However, according to a report by HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India), insurance companies are likely to face short-term pressure on profitability due to slower repricing of existing policies.

The two-day meeting of the GST Council began here on Wednesday and it is expected to consider multiple scenarios for GST reductions. Currently, health and term insurance products attract a GST rate of 18 per cent. Various proposals which have been referred to the council include complete exemption without input tax credit (ITC), a 5 per cent slab with or without ITC, or a 12 per cent rate with ITC.

7. 3% DA Hike Cleared for Central Govt Staff, Boost Ahead of Festive Season

The long-awaited Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for government employees and pensioners has been announced. Based on recent AICPI data, the DA will rise from 55% to 58%, effective July 1, 2025. Over a crore employees and pensioners in India eagerly await news of DA hikes every festive season. The DA increase significantly impacts their daily lives, from children's education to household budgets and future planning. The confirmed 3% hike provides much-needed relief during the upcoming festive season.

According to government sources, the official announcement regarding the 3% DA hike is expected during the cabinet meeting in October. However, since the increase is effective from July 1st, employees will receive the arrears for July, August, and September (and October if the announcement is delayed) in a single payment.

8. US Open 2025: India's Yuki Bhambri Storms into his Maiden Grand Slam Quarterfinal in Men's Doubles

Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri storms to his maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open in the Men's doubles alongside his partner from New Zealand, Michael Venus. Yuki and Venus defeated the No. 4 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in one hour and 23 minutes by a 6-4, 6-4 score line to move into the final eight. They are set to take on the 11th seeds, Croatia's Nikola Mektic and American veteran Rajeev Ram, in the draw.

Yuki Bhambri, India's top-ranked men's doubles tennis player at world No. 32, and Michael Venus broke the German pair in the ninth game of the first set to clinch the opener, as per Olympics. In the second set, Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus lost serve in the sixth game but broke back twice in the seventh and ninth to close out the match in straight sets.

9. Women's ODI World Cup 2025: Jhulan Goswami Hails Increase in Prize Money, Calling it 'Big Boost'

Former India player Jhulan Goswami was elated about the announcement on The ICC Review during her first appearance on the ICC Hindi Instagram channel, where she will also be featuring regularly in the lead-up to the tournament. "I am getting goosebumps. The increased prize money is a very good thing," Goswami said on the historic announcement as quoted by ICC.

The International Cricket Council has announced a massive increase in prize money for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, which is set to take place later this month in India and Sri Lanka. The marquee event's overall prize pool has risen to 13.88 million USD, marking a whopping 297 per cent increase from the previous edition held in 2022 in New Zealand. This also sees the total prize pot eclipse the men's event, which had a prize pool of 10 million USD in 2023.

10. Diljit Dosanjh Out of No Entry 2: Boney Kapoor Confirms New Casting in the Works

The much-anticipated sequel to the 2005 comedy blockbuster No Entry is making headlines once again, this time for a major casting shake-up. Producer Boney Kapoor has officially confirmed that Diljit Dosanjh, who was initially signed on as one of the leads in No Entry 2, is no longer part of the project.

Boney Kapoor revealed in a recent interview with NDTV that Diljit's tight schedule and international commitments led to his exit.“Yes, we parted ways amicably as the shooting dates weren't aligning with his schedule. We hope to collaborate on a Punjabi film soon,” Kapoor said. Diljit is currently occupied with his Aura Tour across Australia and New Zealand from October 26 to November 13, which clashes with the film's shooting timeline.

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