Morning Digest: Top News Highlights for July 12, 2025

Swift Summary:

• Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash: AAIB’s preliminary report states that both engines of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft involved in the June 12 crash shut down 65 seconds after takeoff, killing at least 260 people. The fuel cut-off switches transitioned to the “CUTOFF” position within a one-second gap.

• Cuddalore Train Accident: Three children died and two were injured when a school van collided with a passenger train due to an open level crossing gate left unattended at semmankuppam.

• Bihar Electoral Roll Special Revision: Over 74% of Bihar’s electors submitted forms during Election Commission’s revision drive. July 25 is the last date for submission.

• Simultaneous Elections Bill: Former CJIs D.Y. Chandrachud and J.S. Khehar told Parliament that while the Bill granting wide powers to ECI doesn’t violate constitutional principles, it lacks oversight mechanisms.

• Maharashtra Public Security Bill Passed: Legislative Council passed the bill amidst opposition walkout; dissent note was given expressing disapproval of certain provisions.

• Queer Policy Recommendations Submitted to Govt Panel: Suggestions include civil union law for non-marital relationships, horizontal reservations for transgender persons in education/jobs, safe washroom access reforms, and ban on conversion therapies among others.

• Odisha Migrant Workers Custody issue: Jharsuguda Police continues verification with 44 detainees held over nationality concerns, out of originally detained individuals; majority released after clearance.

• JNUSU Hunger Strike Ends After assurance: Students called off their hunger strike after governance assured examination reinstatement demands would be looked into.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The incidents outlined highlight structural vulnerabilities across multiple domains in India-aviation safety protocols (Air India), railway system operations (Cuddalore accident), electoral process optimization (Bihar ECI efforts), legal frameworks addressing marginalized groups’ needs (queer policy suggestions), and more subtle issues tied to administrative accountability such as security legislation deliberations or migrant worker verification controversy in Odisha.

The Air India crash brings up urgent questions about engine failure systems amid high-stakes federal aviation investigations-noteworthy considering broader global scrutiny on aircraft reliability protocols worldwide following similar incidents elsewhere. Equally compelling is fresh data measures Election Commission initiatives catalyzing ordinary vote inclusiveness possibly bridging sizeable gaps heritage-linked groups arbitrarily endangered post-detention releases versus Odisha Those pro-Q Movement AXIS