This special report highlights the worrying state of Delhi’s air quality, focusing on incidents of farm fires, adverse wind patterns and a significant issue of missing data from pollution monitors. According to the report, the most interesting factor is under-reporting, as ‘data is mostly inactive during peak hours of pollution.’ This practice creates a deceptively low average air quality index (AQI), which suggests the air is better than it actually is. While the number of farm fires has declined compared to previous years, a recent increase in fires and north-westerly winds threaten to transport more pollutants into the capital. The analysis shows that while people are breathing very poor quality air, the official index may not reflect the reality on the ground due to these data gaps during the most polluted times of the day.

This special report focuses on the controversy surrounding the Pune land deal allegedly involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar. “I have never supported any wrongdoing of my family members or close associates,” Ajit Pawar said in a statement. Following allegations of irregularities, including significant stamp duty waiver for transactions worth crores of rupees, Ajit Pawar announced that the land deal had been cancelled. An FIR has been registered and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter, which will be investigated by a committee and the report is expected within a month. The investigation was initiated after opposition parties raised concerns over the deal, which allegedly involved government land being sold at a price far below its market value.

This special report from India Today’s ‘Elections on My Plate’ highlights the political stature of Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s longest serving Chief Minister, amid a challenging election. Featuring an exclusive interview with his key aide and JDU national working president, Sanjay Kumar Jha, the program examines the key question of whether Kumar is still in control or being guided by his associates. The sharpest criticism came from the opposition, with Tejashwi Yadav alleging, ‘Nitish ji is now a puppet in the hands of a coterie and Delhi.’ The report travels to Kumar’s native village, Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda, to gauge the sentiments of voters, especially among women, who are beneficiaries of schemes like the Jeevika programme, which provided ₹10,000 to many just before voting. It explores the duality of his image as a ‘good governance babu’ versus growing fatigue after almost two decades in power and a growing demand for a new, younger leader.