The Daily Catch-Up: Delhi building collapse, GDP debate, annual clean-air survey and more

Welcome to The Daily Catch-Up, your three-minute evening briefing from The Indian Express. The owner of the five-storey Satya Niketan hostel building that collapsed in southwest Delhi has been apprehended from Rajasthan's Bhiwadi.

With rising sea levels posing a growing long-term threat to India's financial capital, the BMC has commissioned a fresh assessment of Mumbai's vulnerability. From pressure on Adani Group projects to scrutiny of Tata Chemicals' long-running operations, Indian companies have found themselves increasingly in the crosshairs of Kenya's government.

What is driving Ruto's push, and what does it mean for India-Kenya business ties? The authors argue that while the government may be right about its methodology, a wider record of disputes and delays over official economic data has created a trust deficit — shifting the burden onto the state to demonstrate the integrity of its numbers.

A teenager from Bengal survived by chance after leaving the building shortly before it came crashing down, in an account that captures how ordinary circumstances separated survivors from those trapped inside. Dramatic footage shows the entire structure collapsing within seconds, as the investigation focuses on what weakened the building and whether warning signs were ignored.

Residents and students formed a human chain and rushed into action before emergency teams arrived, describing the chaotic first moments after the building collapsed. Lucknow has emerged on top in the million-plus population category of the 2026 Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, which ranks cities according to their efforts to tackle sources of air pollution.

A new discovery at the demolition site has added another layer to the controversy surrounding the action against the mosque in Saharanpur. Authorities are investigating a security breach involving the Jammu residence of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister.

A look at the trail of allegations and cases linked to Sam Peter, whose name has surfaced repeatedly in investigations across states. Gurpreet Sekhon, once accused of being the mastermind behind the Nabha jailbreak and now out on bail, has been inducted into the Aam Aadmi Party — triggering questions about his political entry.

The purification controversy involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge continues to generate political heat, with competing narratives over identity, religion and political mobilisation. New allegations have surfaced in the fourth letter linked to the controversy surrounding Rajasthan Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, deepening the questions already raised over the matter.

Quashing NSA action against a Delhi University graduate, the Allahabad High Court issued a sharp warning against bureaucratic and police overreach, saying unchecked misuse of power could turn the state into an “Orwellian Dystopia”.

The Chief Justice rejected a request for more time to submit a report in the Aravalli dispute, delivering a pointed response to the plea for extension. A key Punjab Cabinet meeting addressed the process surrounding the appointment of Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice.