This Week in Explainers: How green crackers failed to stop Delhi’s air from turning toxic

India was in a festive mood this week. As Diwali approached, the country celebrated with cheer, sweets and crackers. But the next day, it was the same scene as every year for Delhi. The national capital’s residents woke up to a thick haze enveloping the skies, scratchy throats and irritation in eyes.

India is planning to regulate artificial intelligence, with the aim of protecting the public from AI-generated content, including ‘deepfakes’. It is also considering holding social media platforms accountable for spreading misinformation.

India lost its legendary adman this week. Piyush Pandey, the man behind various iconic ads and songs, passed away at the age of 70, with tributes pouring in from across the country.

Here’s all this and much more in our weekly roundup from India.

1. A day after Diwali, Delhi woke up to smog covering the skies, as air quality plunged. Despite bursting green crackers, which are said to be less polluting, the city was struggling to breathe.

There are reports that even though the Supreme Court had allowed the sale and use of only green firecrackers , banned conventional crackers were being sold openly in the city and at low costs. As pollution woes hit the national capital, the Delhi government has decided to trigger artificial rain to bring some respite. But what is it and can cloud seeding work? We explain here .

2. India wants to put curbs on AI content. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Under this, Rule 3(1)(d) will be amended to ensure that illegal content is taken down in a “transparent, proportionate and accountable manner”. The Centre has said such steps remain “necessary, proportionate, and consistent with law”, and strike a balance between citizens’ constitutional rights and the powers of the State. Read our story to know which countries have similar rules.

3. The government has recognised the valour of soldiers who played a key role during Operation Sindoor in May, when India launched strikes against terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

President Droupadi Murmu approved 127 Gallantry Awards and 40 Distinguished Service Awards for personnel of the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces. These included four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, and many other awards recognising acts of valour and exceptional service.

Of these, six officers whose fearless leadership and quick decision-making during Operation Sindoor proved India’s might have been awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award. Who are these soldiers? We take a look here .

4. The Indian Army will raise 25 Bhairav Battalions, with five of these battalions already fully functional. Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had spoken about the induction of the Bhairav Commandos as part of a larger restructuring of the infantry in July, describing it as a ‘lean and mean’ force.

Soldiers in these units will act as a bridge between the regular infantry and the Special Forces. They will be trained to carry out key missions such as surprise attacks, counter-insurgency, and border patrols. Read our report on these elite Army units.

5. Piyush Pandey, India’s advertising legend, is no more. The moustachioed man, who had worked in several fields, including playing cricket and construction work, found his true calling after joining Ogilvy India.

The rest is history. He changed India’s advertising landscape with memorable campaigns for brands such as Asian Paints, Fevicol and Cadbury’s. Pandey is also the brain behind one of India’s most popular political slogans. Which is it? We take a look at the icon’s journey here .

6. The rift within Tata Trusts has grabbed headlines in recent weeks. Now, the spotlight is back on the board members of the conglomerate. Venu Srinivasan has been reappointed as Tata Trusts’ trustee for life before his term expires in October.

This comes ahead of the reappointment of Mehli Mistry, another trustee, which is due to be renewed next week. A source claimed that Srinivasan’s reappointment was unanimous. But who is Srinivasan, the chairman emeritus of TVS Motor Company? Read our story to find out .

7. Mehul Choksi could be extradited to India soon. A Belgian court has cleared the way for the fugitive businessman to be sent back to his home country, where he is wanted in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Choksi has been under arrest in Antwerp since April. A court in the European country has now said there is no “legal barrier” to prevent Choksi from being extradited to India. What does this mean for the diamantaire? Will he return to India in the near future? We answer these questions here .

This is all we have for you this week. If you like reading our explainers, you can bookmark this page to stay updated.