New Delhi, Jul 15: The death of a 20-year-old B.Ed. student in Odisha, who self-immolated after weeks of alleged sexual harassment and administrative inaction, has ignited a fierce political row, with opposition leaders accusing the BJP-led state government of systemic failure and “institutional betrayal.” The ruling party has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.

According to The Times of India, the student succumbed to her burn injuries on Tuesday, three days after she set herself on fire outside Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore. She had earlier accused a senior faculty member, Sameer Kumar Sahoo, of repeated sexual harassment and had filed complaints with both college authorities and local police. However, no substantive action was reportedly taken. In a social media post, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the ruling BJP for what he described as an “organised murder by the system.”

“That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment — but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her… This is not suicide; it is an organised murder by the system,” he wrote on X as reported by TOI

Gandhi also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on rising crimes against women as quoted by TOI: “Modi ji, whether it is Odisha or Manipur – the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent. India’s daughters need safety and justice.”

Echoing similar concerns, BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik issued a strongly worded statement, accusing the BJP government of “planned injustice” and “institutional betrayal.” As quoted by India Today, Patnaik said: “It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone’s life. She did not lose her life solely due to physical trauma but also because of the negligence of the state government, which left her alone in her struggle.” Patnaik further urged the Odisha Governor to take immediate action against the college authorities and government officials who, he alleged, were complicit through their inaction.

In response, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan came out strongly against the opposition’s remarks, particularly targeting Gandhi. In a statement cited by The Times of India, Pradhan said: “The cheap politics played by Rahul Gandhi and Congress over the tragic incident involving Odisha’s daughter is extremely unfortunate. Turning a serious and sensitive matter into a political weapon reflects Rahul Gandhi’s petty mindset.” Pradhan maintained that the BJP and Prime Minister Modi have consistently prioritised women’s safety, and that the Odisha government is taking the matter seriously: “The strictest action will be taken against the culprits; no one will be spared.”

Regional media reported that the victim had repeatedly approached authorities with complaints, including meeting with the college principal just hours before the self-immolation.

Tianjin (China), July 15: Highlighting the dastardly April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it is imperative that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should remain true to its founding objectives of tackling terrorism, separatism and extremism and take an uncompromising position on the challenge.

“The three evils that SCO was founded to combat were terrorism, separatism and extremism. Not surprisingly, they often occur together. Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide,” said EAM Jaishankar while addressing the gathering – which also included Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar – at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in China’s Tianjin.

“The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms and ‘underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice’. We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so. It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge,” he added.

In his address, EAM Jaishankar spotlighted that the meeting is taking place at a time of “considerable disorder” in the international system.

“In the last few years, we have seen more conflicts, competition and coercion. Economic instability is also visibly on the rise. The challenge before us is to stabilize the global order, de-risk various dimensions and through it all, address longstanding challenges that threaten our collective interests,” he said.

India, he mentioned, has taken several initiatives in the SCO in domains ranging from startup and innovation to traditional medicine and digital public infrastructure.

“We will continue to positively approach new ideas and proposals that are genuinely for our collective good. It is essential that such cooperation is based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and in accordance with territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states,” the EAM stated.

To deepen collaboration within the SCO, EAM Jaishankar reckoned that there should be more trade, investment and exchanges.

“For that to move to the next level, it is imperative that we address some current issues. One of them is the lack of assured transit within the SCO space. Its absence undermines the seriousness of advocating cooperation in economic areas. Another is to ensure the promotion of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC). We are confident that it will continue to gather momentum,” he said.

India, which has always expressed its readiness to respond to the urgent developmental needs of the Afghan people, also continued to bat for the need for development activities in the war-torn region.

“Afghanistan has been long on the SCO agenda. The compulsions of regional stability are buttressed by our longstanding concern for the well-being of the Afghan people. The international community, particularly SCO members, must therefore step up with development assistance. India, for its part, will certainly do so,” remarked EAM Jaishankar.

Having highlighted in the past that the contours of multipolarity are more visible now than ever before, the External Affairs Minister underlined the importance of cooperation and coordination amongst countries of the region.

“The world is today moving towards greater multi-polarity. This is not just in terms of redistribution of national capacities, but also the emergence of effective groupings like SCO. Our ability to contribute to the shaping of world affairs will naturally depend on how well we come together on a shared agenda. That means taking everybody on board,” he concluded.

Srinagar, July 15: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced an extension of the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing deadline to ensure a smoother and more convenient experience for taxpayers. According to Section 234A of the Income Tax Act, individuals who file their ITR and pay any outstanding self-assessment tax by the new deadline will not be liable to pay interest.
This extension applies to a wide range of taxpayers, including both salaried individuals and the self-employed. It’s important to note that the due dates for filing vary depending on the taxpayer category, as defined under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
For individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), Associations of Persons (AOPs), and Bodies of Individuals (BOIs) whose accounts are not subject to audit, the new deadline has been extended to September 15, 2025. This revised timeline gives taxpayers additional time to ensure accuracy and compliance in their returns.
• For businesses that require an audit, the deadline remains October 31, 2025.
• For businesses requiring transfer pricing reports (in case of international/specified domestic transactions), the due date is November 30, 2025.
In case of revised return or belated returns, the due date is December 31, 2025.

Why has due date been extended?

With the introduction of the new tax regime in the ITR forms this year, the board decided to give an extension, as these changes took time to be implemented in the income tax filing system. Both the offline and online ITR utilities required time to update those changes.

What Happens If You Miss the ITR Filing Deadline?

If you miss the due date for filing your Income Tax Return (ITR), you still have an opportunity to file an updated return under Section 139(8A) of the Income Tax Act. Previously, this was allowed within 24 months, but now taxpayers have up to 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year to file. However, filing late comes at a cost—additional tax of 60% to 70% on the due amount may apply, depending on when the updated return is filed.

Penalties and Interest
Under Section 234A, if you delay filing your ITR, you will be charged interest at 1% per month or part of a month on any unpaid tax until the return is filed. The longer the delay, the more interest you’ll owe—so it’s advisable to file as early as possible to avoid penalties and extra charges.