The Assam Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill on Wednesday, making the state the third in the country to enact the common law after Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, bringing in a common legal framework for marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships across all religious communities in the state. The legislation was cleared through a voice vote after a day-long debate that saw sharp exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches.

Opposition Walks to Well

As Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass rejected the opposition's demand to send the Bill to a select committee for wider consultations, legislators from Congress and other opposition parties moved to the Well of the House. They raised slogans even as the voting proceeded. The Speaker then called upon Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to move the Bill for passage.

Treasury benches responded with chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jai Shree Ram" as the Bill was put to vote.

What the Bill Changes

According to the Statement of Object and Reasons attached to the Bill, the proposed law seeks to simplify and unify rules governing personal matters that are currently guided by different religious codes. The legislation explicitly bans polygamy across all communities.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the House that the Bill sets the minimum marriage age at 21 years for men and 18 years for women. Officials confirmed that the age provision applies uniformly regardless of religion.

Live-in Relationships Come Under Scanner

The Bill introduces a mandatory registration framework for live-in relationships. Sources familiar with the draft said the provision aims to formally recognise and protect the rights of partners and any children born from such relationships. Registration will be required within a specified timeframe, though procedural details are yet to be notified.

Local authorities in Guwahati and other district headquarters have begun preliminary groundwork for implementing the registration system, officials said.

Assam Joins Uttarakhand, Gujarat

With this passage, Assam becomes the third state after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to pass a UCC Bill. Goa already follows a common civil law framework dating back to the Portuguese era, though legal experts note that Goa's model differs in certain provisions.

The Assam UCC Bill 2026 had been flagged by the Sarma administration as a priority legislation. Speaking in the Assembly after tabling the Bill, the Chief Minister reminded members of his earlier stance. "I already gave this option before that I will clear the Bill in the first session itself. If you want to stop this, prevent me from becoming CM. There is no point now in sending it to a select committee," he said.

What Happens Next

The Bill now awaits the Governor's assent before it can be notified as an Act. Officials indicated that the implementation timeline would be worked out in consultation with district administrations. Legal experts have said challenges to certain provisions cannot be ruled out once the law comes into force.

The opposition has indicated it may explore legal options. Meanwhile, the state government is preparing a public awareness campaign ahead of implementation.

Congress leader’s son murdered in Chhattisgarh: 3 contract killers arrested, mastermind on the run

In a major breakthrough, the Janjgir-Champa police have arrested three individuals in connection with the brutal murder of Ayush Kashyap, the 19-year-old son of a local Congress leader. The young student was gunned down inside his home in Karhi village on the intervening night of April 23 and 24. According to local authorities, the killing was the fallout of professional rivalry, financial disputes, and growing resentment over the family’s expanding sand and transport business.

The arrested accused have been identified as Hemant Kumar Baghel (23), Bhushan Baghel (23), and Amit Tandon (28), all residents of the same village. However, the prime mastermind behind the contract killing and a few other associates remain at large.

Midnight attack shaking Karhi village

The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Birra police station. Late in the evening, three masked men managed to sneak into the residence of Sammelal Kashyap, a prominent cement-sand trader and former Block Congress Vice President.

Before executing the crime, the attackers locked the victim’s parents in their bedroom from the outside to prevent any immediate resistance. They then barged into the room where Ayush, a second-year BA LLB student, was sleeping alongside his younger brother Ashutosh (16) and sister Prerna. The assailants shot Ayush twice in the head and chest, killing him on the spot. Ashutosh, a Class 10 student, sustained a gunshot wound to his shoulder while attempting to save his brother.

Business rivalry behind the hit

Initial reports indicate that the murder was orchestrated out of jealousy over the family’s rapidly growing financial influence. Ayush had recently taken charge of his father's sand and gravel business, actively managing operations after acquiring new heavy machinery, including a JCB and a Hyva truck.

"The suspects confessed that they were envious of the young man's rising business clout and influence in the region," a senior police official familiar with the matter said. During interrogation, Bhushan Baghel revealed that his family had an ongoing financial dispute with the Kashyaps regarding an unpaid loan. This grudge, combined with intense corporate competition, prompted them to accept a hit contract. Disturbingly, sources revealed that Bhushan had previously taken a ₹7 lakh bounty in 2023 to assassinate Sammelal Kashyap, though that attempt had failed.

Inter-state manhunt nabs trio

Following the attack, the accused fled the state and took refuge in Gujarat, taking up manual labor jobs to blend in. The Chhattisgarh police launched a massive multi-state investigation dubbed 'Operation Hunt'. Joint teams from Korba, Janjgir, and Bilaspur districts tracked leads across seven states, including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Investigators scanned over 200 CCTV footprints and utilized cyber surveillance to zero in on the suspects. Recognizing local patterns, the police summoned the trio back to Chhattisgarh under a pretext for questioning, where they eventually cracked and confessed to the crime.

Weapons recovered, hunt continues

Local authorities confirmed the recovery of a pistol, two magazines, and a motorcycle used during the commission of the crime. Ground-level cues indicate that the suspects had closely monitored the house, even destroying a CCTV camera mounted near the property just before breaking in to escape detection.

While the primary executioners are behind bars, Janjgir-Champa Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Pandey, who recently visited the grieving family in Karhi village, stated that the investigation is far from over. Teams are currently deployed to track down the exact source of the funding and apprehend the mastermind who ordered the hit on the Congress leader’s son.

Family of Four Found Dead in Durg Room, Suicide Note Recovered

Chhattisgarh tragedy points to financial strain and domestic discord, police investigation underway.

Bodies Found in Locked Room

In a tragic incident reported from Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on Friday, a family of four was found dead inside a locked room in the Mohan Nagar police station area. The bodies of a couple and their two young children were discovered under circumstances that have pointed investigators towards a suspected murder-suicide.

Police officials who reached the spot late in the morning found the parents, identified as Govind Sahu (45) and Chanchal Sahu (40), hanging from separate nooses. Their children—daughter Drishti (13) and son Yashant (11)—were lying on a bed in the same room, with visible injury marks on their necks.

Suicide Note Points to Family Discord

Officials have recovered a handwritten suicide note from the room, which is now a central piece of evidence. According to sources familiar with the matter, the note mentions ongoing family discord and financial strain as major factors.

“Initial reports indicate the note contains personal grievances. The exact wording is being verified,” a local police officer said, requesting anonymity as the investigation is at a preliminary stage. The authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the couple first killed the children before taking their own lives.

A Family Just Back from Pilgrimage

Neighbours and relatives have told police that the Sahu family had recently returned from a pilgrimage to the Tirupati Balaji temple. Govind Sahu worked with a private firm in the area, and the family had been residing in the rented accommodation for several years.

The bodies were discovered by the children’s grandmother. On Friday morning, when she went to call them and got no response, she alerted other family members. The door was eventually broken open, revealing the scene inside.

Post-Mortem Underway, Call Details Scrutinized

Police teams have sent all four bodies to the Durg district hospital for post-mortem examination. While the suicide note offers a apparent motive, officials are treating the case with caution.

“We are investigating the sequence of events. The call detail records of the parents are being pulled, and we are also questioning close relatives and neighbours,” said a spokesperson from the Mohan Nagar police station. The children's bodies have been sent for a separate forensic analysis to conclusively determine if they were smothered or strangled.

Economic Pressure Emerges as Likely Trigger

Preliminary inquiries with people in the locality suggest that the family had been facing a persistent economic crunch. While police have not officially confirmed the financial distress angle, sources on the ground indicate that mounting debts and daily pressures may have pushed the couple to take the extreme step.

The authorities have cordoned off the crime scene and are expected to release a detailed statement once the forensic reports and post-mortem results are submitted. No arrests have been made, and the case is currently being treated as an unnatural death.

ISRO Mission Mitra: Psychological Drills Begin in Ladakh

Space agency initiates 'Mission Mitra' to evaluate astronaut endurance and mental resilience ahead of the historic Gaganyaan human spaceflight.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially moved into a critical phase of its human spaceflight program with the commencement of Mission Mitra. Set against the unforgiving, high-altitude terrain of Ladakh, this specialized analogue mission serves as a rigorous testing ground for the mental and physical limits of India’s future space travelers. As the country edges closer to its first crewed mission, the focus has shifted toward the psychological intricacies of survival in extreme isolation.

Simulating Deep Space Isolation

Mission Mitra, an acronym for Mapping of Interoperable Traits & Reliability Assessment, is designed to mimic the profound isolation of a spacecraft. In the desolate stretches of Ladakh, participants are subjected to conditions that replicate the sensory deprivation and confined living quarters of the Gaganyaan module. This latest news update from the space agency highlights a transition from purely technical hardware testing to the human element of the mission.

Testing Mental Fortitude

While technical proficiency is a prerequisite for any astronaut, the psychological toll of being sequestered from Earth is a different challenge altogether. Experts are utilizing this mission to monitor how human subjects manage stress, fatigue, and the cognitive load of complex tasks when resources are scarce. The objective is to ensure that when the final countdown for the Gaganyaan Mission begins, the crew is mentally impenetrable.

Ladakh as Analogue Terrain

The choice of Ladakh is far from coincidental. With its thin atmosphere, sub-zero temperatures, and barren landscape, the region offers a "space-equivalent" environment. These terrestrial conditions allow ISRO to observe physiological changes and decision-making speeds in a low-oxygen setting. Sources indicated that the data gathered here will be instrumental in finalizing the psychological support protocols for the actual orbital flight.

Enhancing Team Synergy

A primary focus of Mission Mitra is the evaluation of interpersonal dynamics under duress. In the vacuum of space, a minor disagreement can escalate into a mission-critical error. By placing team members in high-pressure "survival" scenarios in the Himalayas, ISRO psychologists are studying communication patterns and trust-building exercises. This ensures that the team operates as a single, cohesive unit despite the mounting pressure of the mission.

Global Training Standards

This initiative aligns India with global benchmarks set by agencies like NASA and the ESA. By adopting high-fidelity analogue simulations, ISRO is narrowing the gap between theoretical training and the visceral reality of space. According to officials, these simulations are vital for identifying "interoperable traits"—the ability of an astronaut to switch roles and support peers seamlessly during emergencies.

The Gaganyaan Roadmap

The Gaganyaan Mission remains India's most ambitious leap in the 21st century, aimed at demonstrating indigenous capability to send humans to a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 400 km. While the rockets and crew modules have undergone several successful tests, the human component is now being polished. Mission Mitra acts as the bridge between the physical machine and the psychological readiness of the person inside it.

Future Mission Outlook

As the Ladakh trials progress, the findings will be integrated into the final training curriculum at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. The success of these simulations will determine the final readiness of the four selected test pilots. This Public Interest Story underscores India’s meticulous approach to safety, ensuring that the first Indians launched from home soil are prepared for every eventuality, both seen and unseen.