Wed Jul 16 00:52:46 UTC 2025: ## The Hindu Daily News Roundup: July 16, 2025

**NEW DELHI, July 16, 2025** – Here’s a summary of key developments from yesterday, July 15, 2025, as reported by The Hindu:

* **Jaishankar Addresses SCO Meeting:** External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin, China, where he condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack as an attempt to damage the Jammu and Kashmir economy and incite religious division. He urged SCO members to support bringing the perpetrators to justice.
* **Aadhaar Update Urged for Young Children:** The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has called on parents of children between 5 and 7 years old to update their Aadhaar biometric information.
* **UGC Investigates Student Death:** The University Grants Commission (UGC) has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the death of a student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Odisha’s Balasore.
* **Astronaut Undergoes Post-Mission Evaluation:** ISRO reports that Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is undergoing medical evaluation and recovery after a recent space mission, overseen by Axiom Space and ISRO flight surgeons.
* **Air India Resumes International Flights:** Air India will partially resume international flights on August 1, following safety checks on its Boeing 787-8 fleet prompted by the AI-171 crash on June 12.
* **”Untouchability” Cases Decline, Acquittals High:** The Union government’s 2022 report indicates a decline in criminal cases registered under the Protection of Civil Rights Act (PCR Act) related to “untouchability,” but notes high court pendency and near-universal acquittals in disposed cases.
* **NCERT Textbook Portrays Mughal Rulers as “Intellectuals” and “Plunderers”:** The new Class 8 social science textbook by NCERT describes Mughal rulers like Babur, Akbar, and Aurangzeb as “intellectuals” who also “plundered” the Indian population.
* **US Defense Secretary Orders Troop Withdrawal:** US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles following recent protests.
* **Trump Calls for Release of Epstein Probe Information:** Former President Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Justice Department to release “credible” information from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

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