Here are the top headlines of the day.

India hit nine terrorist bases of Pakistan in Operation Sindoor: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval

The National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said that India hit nine terrorist targets criss-crossing Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and that the armed forces “missed none”.

Speaking at the 62nd convocation of Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, he said, “We are really proud of it.. whether it was our Brahmos systems, whether it was our integrated air control and command systems, whether it was the radars, whether it was all that was being done as battlefield surveillance.”

Vadodara bridge collapse: Structural failure caused collapse, says Gujarat Minister

Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel told reporters that a preliminary investigation into the collapse has identified structural failure as the primary cause.

He said that the State government has ordered a committee to probe the tragic incident and that it would submit a comprehensive report within 30 days. He also said that the government has already suspended four officials from the Roads and Buildings Department.

Several vehicles plunged into the river after a segment of the four-decade-old bridge, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed on July 9. The death toll has climbed to 19. The search for the two missing persons are on.

BJP, Rahul clash over EC’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of making attempts to “steal the upcoming elections in Bihar, as it did in Maharashtra” last year. He accused the Election Commission of India of not doing its duty and working for the interest of the BJP.

Addressing a party meet in Bhubaneswar, he said the INDIA bloc decided to prevent the BJP from stealing the Bihar Assembly polls. He said, “Like Maharashtra, attempts are being made to steal the elections in Bihar. The BJP is attacking our Constitution across the country… At a meeting yesterday, the INDIA bloc decided to prevent the BJP and ECI from stealing the elections in Bihar.”

The Congress has been alleging that the manipulation of the voters’ list helped a BJP-led alliance win the Maharashtra assembly polls in 2024.

Meanwhile, the BJP said the Supreme Court’s observations on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was a “befitting reply” to the opposition parties.

The apex court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a “constitutional mandate”. It also asked the poll panel to consider Aadhaar, Voter ID and ration cards as valid documents during the exercise.

Gaurav Bhatia, the BJP’s national spokesperson, said the apex court’s observations made it clear that the SIR is a process to bring transparency and fairness in voting. He demanded that RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav and Gandhi “publicly apologise to the people of India and Bihar”.

The assembly polls in Bihar are due later this year.

AAIB’s preliminary report on Air India plane crash ‘very soon’: Civil Aviation Minister Naidu

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary investigation report on a fatal Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month is expected very soon.

Air India’s AI 171 en route to London Gatwick crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people, including 241 who were onboard the plane. Only one passenger survived the crash.

A status report of the crash was released by the ministry on June 26.

The Ahmedabad crash was also the first time that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner suffered a fatal accident resulting in hull loss.