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London-based tech professional Kunal Kushwaha recently sparked a heated conversation on X about the best way for candidates to present themselves when seeking job referrals in the competitive AI and tech recruitment space. In a viral X post, the techie shared a referral message he received that led with, “I’m an IIT alumnus.” Mr Kushwaha emphasised that while it takes courage to reach out, every word matters in a brief message. Instead of leading with their college name, candidates should prioritise highlighting their projects, skills and passion for the field. He noted that outside India, the IIT tag holds little weight, particularly for remote roles at global companies.

“I understand how hard the job search can be. It takes courage to reach out. But when messages are short, every word matters. Leading with a college name can sometimes miss the opportunity to show what truly sets you apart. Even top IITs have students who struggle with placements. What really stands out is your work, the projects you’ve built, the problems you’ve solved, your passion for the field,” he wrote in the post.

Mr Kushwaha noted that academic credentials like the IIT tag hold limited weight outside India, particularly for remote roles at global companies. Instead, he encouraged candidates to prioritise demonstrating their capabilities and achievements.

“I want the best for you, truly. But it’s dangerous to think your college tag will make the difference; maybe it still carries weight in India, but not if you’re aiming for remote roles at global companies. I live in London now, have been around the world, and have friends in companies of all sizes. And honestly, outside India, no one cares about your IIT tag,” he added.

Some users agreed with him, saying that merit-based portfolios should take precedence over institutional pride. Others pointed out the emotional significance of mentioning elite institutions like IIT, noting that it can create an instant connection with fellow alumni.

One user wrote, “There are non-IITians who are outstandingly hardworking. Similarly, some IITians are still just average.”

Another commented, “Having IIT in his headline tells you that this person is already hardworking enough to crack the exam. The work might not be that good, but that is for later. For an opening message, this person played on their strengths/selling points. Nothing wrong IMO.”

A third said, “Outside India, true. But in India, it takes to ahead of all candidates. Maybe even Gulf countries.” A fourth added, “This. The global game runs on outcomes, not alma maters. Lead with what you’ve done, not just where you’ve been.”

The death of 17 members of a family, including eight children, in a massive fire has left people shocked in Hyderabad. The fire broke out at the ‘Gulzar House’ building, less than 100 metres from the iconic Charminar, this morning due to a short circuit.

What turned into a tragedy was meant to be a family gathering during the summer break at schools and colleges. Among the casualties were visiting relatives – four daughters of the resident and their children.

On Sunday morning, when the fire erupted, they had little or no chance of escape. The building had only one entry point. The windows were closed, probably due to the use of air conditioners. With no outlet for the smoke, the building turned into a gas chamber.

Inhaling toxic smoke from the fire is suspected to have made those inside unconscious within minutes. The victims died due to smoke inhalation, and nobody had burn injuries, said Y Naggi Reddy, Director General of Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services.

The police also blamed the single narrow entrance to the building for such a large number of deaths. Sneha Mehra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, said they had to break in and make another entry point for the firefighters to enter.

“Another entry point was created, and firefighters entered from there. Most of the people inside were unconscious. These are old establishments with some new construction. Only one narrow path leads to the area where the fire happened,” said the DCP.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the MP from Hyderabad, said some residents had shut the door from inside. 

At least 11 fire engines, along with a firefighting robot and dozens of fire personnel, were deployed for the rescue operation.

Some locals claimed the fire engines had run out of water, but a senior fire official said there was no shortage. “Every fire engine has 4,500 litres of water; the rest is arranged by the corporation,” said Mr Reddy, highlighting the need for fire and smoke alarms.

Some shopkeepers in the area have also blamed sharp voltage fluctuations for the fire. Gulzar House houses several pearl shops on its ground floor. Shyam Sunder Agarwal, secretary of the Hyderabad and Secunderabad Pearls Association, said three fire incidents have occurred in a week, and called on authorities to ensure the safety of the locals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy have expressed shock over the tragedy and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families.

Ashoka University associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been arrested for his social media post on Operation Sindoor, police said here on Sunday. The action was taken on a complaint by a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.

“Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been arrested from Delhi,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ajeet Singh said over the phone.

He has been arrested in connection with some comments connected with Operation Sindoor, he said.

In a statement, the Ashoka University said, “We have been made aware that Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been taken into police custody earlier today. We are in the process of ascertaining details of the case”.

“The University will continue to cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation, fully,” it said.

The arrest comes days after the Haryana State Commission for Women sent a notice to the associate professor over his Operation Sindoor remarks.

The May 12 notice mentioned that the panel has taken suo motu cognisance of the “public statements/remarks” made “on or about May 7” by Mahmudabad, the head of the political science department of the Ashoka University in Sonipat.

“We salute the country’s daughters — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. But the kind of words the professor who teaches political science has used for them… I expected that he would at least present himself before the commission today and express regret,” Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia had said.

Mahmudabad’s remarks had been annexed to the Commission’s notice, and in one of them, he said that right-wing people applauding Col Qureshi should demand protection for victims of mob lynchings and “arbitrary” bulldozing of properties.

The associate professor described the media briefings by Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as “optics”. “But optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it’s just hypocrisy,” he had said.

The Commission said an initial review of Mahmudabad’s remarks has raised concerns about the “disparagement of women in uniform, including Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh and undermining their role as professional officers in the Indian Armed Forces”.

Wing Commander Singh had briefed the media alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Col Qureshi on Operation Sindoor.

Indian armed forces hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7 under Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The associate professor had earlier said that the Commission has “misread” his comment.

“…I am surprised that the Women’s Commission, while overreaching its jurisdiction, has misread and misunderstood my posts to such an extent that they have inverted their meaning,” Mahmudabad had said on X.

He had said that he had exercised his “fundamental right to freedom of thought and speech in order to promote peace and harmony and to applaud the Indian armed forces for their resolute action, while criticising those who preach hatred and seek to destabilise India”.

The case of social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, is a big example of how modern warfare does not necessarily mean fighting at the border, a senior police officer in Haryana’s Hisar told reporters.

The role of social media influencers who can hide in plain sight has come under scrutiny now.

It also defies explanation how Ms Malhotra’s travel costs can be covered by her income, the police officer said.

While nearly all Indians who travel to Pakistan are monitored at the police level and can visit only those places mentioned in the visa, Ms Malhotra allegedly received VIP treatment due to her links with Pakistan High Commission officer Danish and other intelligence operatives. She allegedly got security from the police during her tour of Pakistan.

Ms Malhotra’s YouTube channel ‘TravelwithJo’ has 3.82 lakh subscribers; her Instagram profile and Facebook Page with the same name have 1.39 lakh and 3.2 lakh subscribers, respectively. She also runs the website travelwithjo.in where she talks about her trips.

“Modern warfare is not only fought at the border. We have information that PIOs are trying to recruit social media influencers to use them for pushing their [Pakistan’s] narrative,” Hisar Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashank Kumar told reporters today.

PIO is short for Pakistani intelligence operatives.

Mr Kumar said they arrested Ms Malhotra based on inputs from central agencies about her activities, including keeping in touch with Pakistani intelligence operatives.

“We received inputs from the central agencies, and we arrested Jyoti Malhotra. She visited Pakistan multiple times and China once. She was in contact with the PIOs. We have taken her on a five-day police remand. We are analysing her financial details and transactions, and who all she met. During the conflict, she was in touch with the PIOs… Her travel details defy her total known source of income,” Mr Kumar told reporters, referring to the conflict that broke out after Pakistan-linked terrorists killed 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the subsequent Indian response in the form of precision missile strikes on terror infrastructure.

Mr Kumar said while Ms Malhotra was in touch with the PIOs, the social media influencer did not have direct access to any important defence information.

“We will do a forensic analysis of her electronic equipment like laptop and mobile once we seize them. Multiple teams are analysing everything,” the SP said.

She reportedly came on the radar of security agencies when she went to China immediately after returning from Pakistan in 2024. She toured Pakistan for 12 days in April 2024. After this, she went to China in June. There, she moved around in luxury cars and visited jewellery shops in many places. This made security agencies in India suspicious about her motive and expenditure, after which they began surveillance on her.

Ms Malhotra allegedly collected intelligence about Indian locations and gave it to her Pakistani handlers under the pretext of making YouTube videos.

She attended an Iftar party at the Pakistani High Commission on March 23 and uploaded photos on social media.

At the party, she met and spoke with the Pakistani officer, Danish, who introduced his wife to the social media influencer. Ms Malhotra also met some Chinese officials at the Iftar party. Her social media posts heaped praises on the arrangements made at the Pakistani High Commission.

The social media influencer’s father Harish Malhotra alleged she was being framed.

“She told me that she has not done anything wrong. She was again called for interrogation on Friday morning. Then, on Friday night itself, the police brought her back home. After confiscating all the belongings related to her, the police returned to the police station with Jyoti. Then it was known that Jyoti had been arrested,” he told news agency IANS.

Probe Against Another Social Media Influencer 

The Odisha Police have also started an investigation into alleged links between a Puri-based YouTuber and Ms Malhotra, news agency PTI reported on Sunday.

The woman in Puri travelled to Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan recently, Puri SP Vinit Agrawal said.

“We found that Jyoti Malhotra visited Puri last year, and we are verifying the fact. Anything more can be shared after the verification,” Mr Agrawal said.

On whether the woman from Puri shared intelligence inputs with Ms Malhotra, Mr Agrawal said, “The Haryana Police are investigating the matter and we are providing them the required assistance.”

The police are “examining the objective” of Ms Malhotra’s visit to Puri, and trying to find out “where she stayed, whom she contacted and any possible suspicious activities”, the Puri SP said.

The Odisha Police did not disclose the identity of the Puri YouTuber

On April 24, two days after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP took to X to protest against being left out of the all-party meeting the Centre called to brief all parties on its plans to respond to the heinous act of terror that left 26 innocents dead.

He said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had told him that the Centre planned to invite only parties with at least five MPs for the meeting. “This is not a BJP’s or another party’s internal meeting, it is an all party meeting to send a strong and united message against terrorism & those countries that harbour terrorists. Whether it is a party with 1 MP or a 100, they were both elected by Indians and deserve to be heard on such an important matter. This is not a political issue, it is a national issue. Everyone must be heard,” he said, urging the Prime Minister to invite parties with even one MP. Mr Owaisi is AIMIM’s lone MP.

Hours after his post, the Hyderabad MP said Home Minister Amit Shah had called him and asked him to join the meeting. Accordingly, Mr Owaisi attended the all-party meeting and put forward his views.

Cut to May 17, Asaduddin Owaisi is part of one of the seven Indian delegations that would travel abroad to expose Pakistan’s link to terrorism and put forward the Indian position in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Mr Owaisi, despite being the only MP from his party and among the key voices critical of the government, will be representing India on this big outreach.

Behind this three-week turnaround is Mr Owaisi’s articulation of the Indian position, his apt responses to Pakistan leaders’ provocative remarks and his clear message that while he may differ with the government on domestic issues, he was firmly with his nation in national security matters. His messages of unity during crisis have endeared him to even his harshest critics and shattered the hardliner image painted by his political rivals. Politically, Mr Owaisi has been a loner. The AIMIM’s attempts to expand outside Hyderabad have been largely unsuccessful. Major parties have shied away from forming alliances with AIMIM, despite Mr Owaisi’s stature as a sharp and articulate parliamentarian. While the BJP has tried to paint him as a radical, the Opposition has claimed he is the BJP’s ‘B-team’.

But in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the five-time MP has won hearts, even those of right-wing hardliners who earlier criticised him.

Shortly after the terror attack, he was seen distributing black armbands before Friday prayers at a mosque. In Pahalgam, terrorists asked the victims their religion before shooting them in cold blood. In the aftermath of the tragedy, when some forces tried to foment communal sentiments by projecting the terror strike as a Hindu-Muslim issue, Mr Owaisi’s unequivocal statements as a Muslim leader foiled such attempts.

In the wake of the terror attack, he called for exemplary action against Pakistan. Addressing Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, Mr Owaisi said Indian Muslims decided to stay back during the Partition in 1947. “I want to tell him that we decided in 1947 that we won’t leave India, we rejected (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah’s message. India was our land, it is our land and Inshallah, will remain our land. Those speaking nonsense in Pakistan, I want to tell them you don’t know Islam, you are deprived of its teachings,” he said.

He called Pakistan a “failed nation” and said acts of terror were against Islam. “Remember, if you enter a country and kill innocents, no country will stay silent, no matter who is in power. The way you attacked our country, the way people were asked their religion and shot, what religion are you talking about? You are worse than Khawarij (an Islamic sect considered deviant). You are ISIS sympathisers,” he said.

During an interview with NDTV, Mr Owaisi said he was not saying anything to seek validation or a certificate from anyone. “This is from within. This is the love for the nation taught by my parents. I am not doing anything great. When will we express our emotions if not at times like this? Should I keep quiet because the victims are Hindus? They are humans,” he said. “If something is happening in our country, how will I stay silent as an MP, a human being, a father?”

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