Quick Reads
News Dabba for 06 March 2026: Five stories for a balanced news diet
Here are the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites.
Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from the loan waiver in Maharashtra budget, Karnataka CM's social media ban for under 16-year-olds, to Israel's attacks on Tehran.
Times of India's updates on Maharashtra Budget 2026
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis presented the State Budget for 2026–27 on Friday, Times of India reports. In a key announcement, he said the government will waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh under the Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Farmers’ Loan Waiver Scheme. The relief will apply to loans taken by farmers up to September 3, 2025, the report adds. Read the full report here.
Karnataka Government to ban social media for children under 16 years, The Hindu reports
The use of social media by children under the age of 16 will be banned in an effort to prevent the negative effects of increasing mobile phone use among children, announced Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his Budget speech on Friday. The Hindu reports that The Karnataka Government has been weighing the pros and cons of restricting mobile phone use for children under 16 years. The decision comes after Australia blocked social media, including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, for teens since last December. Read the full report here.
US F-1 visas for Indian students drop 69% in June-July 2025: Indian Express
After the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown last year, Indian Express reports that the number of F-1 visas issued to Indian students fell sharply by 69 percent in June and July 2025 compared to the previous year, according to the newly released data from the US Department of State. As many as 12,776 F-1 visas were issued to Indians in June and July last year, which is less than a third of the figure for the same months in 2024 at 41,336. Last year, ahead of the academic session, the figure peaked in June 2025 – 10,695 – and then fell to 2,081 in July and 2,389 in August, the report says. Read the full report here.
Air Force pilot killed in Sukhoi Crash was part of Op Sindoor, NDTV reports
Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar, who was killed after an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam's Karbi Anglong on Thursday, was part of Operation Sindoor. NDTV reports that his father, Ravindra Duragkar, said the family initially did not know that the 28-year-old was part of Operation Sindoor. Flight Lieutenant Purvesh and Squadron Leader Anuj were on a training mission in a Su-30 MKI when it went missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase, about 60 km from where it crashed, killing both of them. Read the full report here.
Tehran residents describe 'worst night' of Israeli strikes so far, BBC reports
Tehran residents told BBC Persian "last night was the worst night" so far, after Israel launched fresh strikes on Iran on the seventh day of the conflict. The report by BBC adds that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out a "broad-scale wave" of strikes on Lebanon's capital, with civilians telling our reporter in Beirut "we're really afraid". Iran launched fresh strikes on Israel, the IDF says, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain say they intercepted attacks overnight. Read the full report here.
