UPDATED: Nov 2, 2026 10:09 ISTIndian equity markets opened the week on a strong note, with the Nifty surging past 23,200 points in early trade, aided by a firm opening in the Indian rupee at 94.89 against the US dollar. Sentiment was lifted by robust second-quarter earnings from Reliance Industries, where consolidated net profit jumped 33.8% year-on-year to a record 29,550 crore rupees alongside solid performance from Jio Platforms.
Additionally, market sentiment received a boost from macroeconomic indicators, including strong October automobile sales and gross GST collections climbing 22.9% year-on-year to 2.31 lakh crore rupees. Oil and gas, PSU banks, and auto counters led sector-wide gains as international crude oil prices cooled to 101 dollars a barrel.
The bulletin also covered the government's newly notified Bharatiya Vayu Yanyam 2026 rules aimed at curbing extreme airfare spikes during extraordinary situations, with routine ticket pricing continuing to remain guided by market forces. Read MoreVIDEOS FROM OTHER SECTIONSLATEST VIDEOSPM Modi, Amit Shah & Rajnath Singh to Lead Mega BJP Blueprint for UP 2027 PollsA mega blueprint accessed by India Today outlines the Bharatiya Janata Party's strategy for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be at the forefront of the campaign. The Prime Minister is set to address rallies across administrative divisions and commissionerates, while Amit Shah focuses on mobilising booth-level workers through regional meetings and conventions.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National General Secretary Nitin Nabin are also scheduled to hold events across the state, with campaign activities set to begin after November 20.India Bloc Ramlila Rally Turnout Sparks BJP Row Over Fake AI ImagesA massive political confrontation has broken out between the BJP and the INDIA bloc following the opposition's rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of morphing rally images, claiming the party deployed artificial intelligence to artificially boost crowd figures.
The BJP dismissed the opposition's gathering as a flop show, contrasting projected turnout figures of ten lakh with the venue's actual capacity of fifty thousand. BJP leaders further claimed trick photography was being used to exaggerate numbers and alleged attendees began exiting during speeches.
In turn, opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Akhilesh Yadav, targeted the Election Commission of India over alleged voting irregularities, demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation. Rahul Gandhi alleged manipulation in the 2024 elections, while the BJP hit back by questioning whether opposition MPs' own parliamentary mandates were illegal.Delhi AQI Plummets To 'Very Poor', Smog Envelops NCR As Non-BS6 Entry Curbs Face Ground LapsesAn India Today ground reality check examines the enforcement of Delhi's winter action plan curbs as the national capital's Air Quality Index plunged into the very poor category, with ITO recording an index of 349.
Amid a thick shroud of smog enveloping the National Capital Region, restrictions on non-BS6 vehicles from outside Delhi were put into effect. On day one of the curbs, over 68 lakh rupees in fines were imposed and 1,539 non-BS6 vehicles were turned back at borders.
Reporting from the Ghazipur border, the ground check revealed that toll personnel were inspecting commercial vehicles and turning away non-compliant buses into Uttar Pradesh. However, private vehicles were not subjected to checks or verification regarding BS6 emission standards.
Furthermore, no additional traffic police personnel or barricades were deployed at checkpoints, raising questions about the ground implementation of winter action plan measures designed to mitigate severe seasonal air pollution.2 AAP MLAs Quit In Punjab Ahead Of 2027 Polls; Jailed Sanjeev Arora Gets TicketA major rift has surfaced within the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab as two MLAs, Chetan Singh Jauramajra and Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, resigned from the party, marking a split with the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The outgoing legislators cited deteriorating law and order, corruption, drug menace, unfulfilled Minimum Support Price guarantees, and shortcomings in health and education.
The resignations followed AAP releasing its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 assembly polls, in which CM Bhagwant Mann was fielded from Dhuri and jailed Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora was renominated from Ludhiana West despite facing serious money laundering charges.