Varanasi

Protests occurred in Ghazipur, Varanasi, Ballia, and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh as students demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a revamp of the examination process due to NEET paper leak and other irregularities.

The Cabinet approved ₹25,400-crore highway projects to decongest Varanasi. The projects, managed by the National Highways Authority of India under the Hybrid Annuity Model, include a 43.218-km corridor connecting NH-31 to the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna River.

SpiceJet has temporarily suspended services to several destinations, including Chennai, Guwahati, and Varanasi, due to a significant reduction in its fleet. The airline's available aircraft have decreased from over 30 to around 12-13 in recent months.

Sixty next-generation trains will be introduced for the Kolkata Metro over the next five years. The proposed bullet train services between Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri aim to significantly reduce travel time.

India experiences its first rainfall hedge due to El Niño threatening the monsoon season, resulting in heavy rains and flooding in areas like Varanasi. The rising water level of the Ganges River has caused waterlogging in lanes outside flooded ghats. This weather phenomenon may impact India's climate and agriculture.

India's power demand has reached a record high due to a scorching summer, with a man in Varanasi riding a bicycle on a hot day amidst air coolers outside a shop. The situation is causing concerns about the country's energy supply. India is experiencing extremely high temperatures.

India's heatwave is straining the country's power grid, highlighting vulnerabilities in its energy infrastructure. The energy crisis has intensified, with citizens in Varanasi using water sprinklers to cope with extreme temperatures in April.