From political churn and security crackdowns to electoral experiments, tragedies, welfare pushes and reforms, 2025 unfolded differently across India’s states. Here’s a look at moments that reshaped governance, public life, & more
Northeast
Political turmoil & govt crackdown
Assam and Manipur witnessed political turbulence in 2025. Assam focused on land and immigration issues, reclaiming about 1.5 lakh bighas belonging to Satras and tribal communities, while the ruling BJP targeted “illegal Miyas.” CM Himanta Biswa Sarma maintained a hardline stance, and the state revived Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act with DCs expelling several illegal immigrants. In Manipur, political instability led to President’s rule, extended for six months with effect from August. Security forces intensified anti-insurgency operations, apprehending militants and destroying poppy plantations
- Prasanta Mazumdar
Bihar
Electoral milestones
Bihar became the first state where the Election Commission conducted a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly polls. The final voter list was released on September 30 and made public on October 1, putting the electorate at 7.42 crore. The draft roll had 7.24 crore voters, with 21.53 lakh additions and 3.66 lakh deletions of ineligible electors. The exercise drew Opposition protests, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav leading a nearly two-week-long Voter Adhikar Yatra alleging “vote chori”. On the political front, Prashant Kishor’s failure to make a mark in the Assembly polls sparked buzz
- Ramashankar
Chhattisgarh
Blow to Red bastion
Chhattisgarh saw key security, political and cultural developments. Bastar witnessed decisive intelligence-based anti-Maoist operations and effective area domination. In the region, 256 Maoists were killed, while 31 were neutralised in Gariaband district. Around 1,650 cadres also abandoned violence and joined mainstream. In July, two Kerala-based Catholic nuns, Preeti Marry and Vandana Francis, were arrested by the Railway Police in Durg on allegations of human trafficking amid suspicion of coerced religious conversion. The year ended on a sombre note with the death of writer Vinod Kumar Shukla at 88
- Ejaz Kaiser
Gujarat
A year of tragedy & misfortune
Disasters and tragedy defined Gujarat’s 2025. On June 12, Air India Flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8, crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad into a B J Medical College hostel, killing 260 people, including former CM Vijay Rupani. Only one passenger survived after escaping through an emergency exit. Another major tragedy followed on July 9 when the four-decade-old Gambhira Bridge at Padra in Vadodara collapsed during morning rush hour, sending vehicles into the Mahisagar River and killing at least 22 people. Flagged as unsafe, the bridge had only patchwork repairs; an inquiry was ordered, four engineers suspended and compensation announced
- Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Jammu & Kashmir
Under the shadow of terrorism
For Jammu and Kashmir, 2025 was marked by terror and administrative tensions. Tourism remained low months after the Pahalgam attack. The assault brought India and Pakistan close to a war, with missile strikes under Operation Sindoor from May 7, followed by three days of clashes before a ceasefire on May 10. In July, three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists involved were killed in Dachigam forest. On the political front, the ruling NC lost Budgam Assembly bypolls for the first time since 1977, while CM Omar continued a silent tussle with L-G Manoj Sinha
- Fayaz Wani
Punjab, Haryana, & HP
At receiving end of nature’s fury
The year 2025 was turbulent for Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Punjab was battered by catastrophic floods that killed over 50 people. The deportation of illegal Indian immigrants—many from Punjab—from the US in military aircraft drew national attention, as did the withdrawal of land pooling policy. Haryana witnessed the suicide of a senior IPS officer and the busting of a “white-collar” terror module. Himachal Pradesh endured cloudbursts and landslides
- Harpreet Bajwa
Rajasthan
Glamour a boost for tourism
Rajasthan’s 2025 began on a glamorous note as Jaipur hosted the silver jubilee of the IIFA Awards, becoming only the second Indian city after Mumbai to do so. The event attracted top Bollywood stars and state leaders, boosting the state’s film city ambitions and injecting fresh momentum into tourism and the creative sector. However, the year was also marked by tragedies, including the Harmada dumper accident in Jaipur, the Jaisalmer bus fire, and SMS hospital blaze
— Rajesh Asnani
Maharashtra & Goa
Change in political calculus
Protests, political realignments and tragedies marked 2025 in Maharashtra and Goa. In Mumbai, over a lakh Maratha quota protesters, led by Manoj Jarange Patil, brought the city to a standstill for three days by demanding inclusion in the OBC category. Leaders Uddhav and Raj Thackeray reunited after 20 years, prompted by the BJP’s decision to impose Hindi as a third language in primary schools. Meanwhile, Goa was hit by a nightclub fire that killed 25 people.
- Sudhir Suryawanshi
Uttar Pradesh
Faith, devotion take centre stage
In 2025, Uttar Pradesh remained at the centre of national attention. The year was observed as ‘Janpatiya Gaurav Varsh’ to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The state began the year with Mahakumbh 2025, which drew over 66 crore devotees between January 13 and February 26, though a stampede during the Basant Panchami snan in January that claimed 60 lives. Also, the Ram temple in Ayodhya saw hoisting of the Dharam Dhwaj on November 25
- Namita Bajpai
Madhya Pradesh
Health scare & maoist violence
After nearly four decades, Madhya Pradesh saw an end of all listed Left-wing extremist cadres following 42 Naxal surrenders. Inspector Ashish Sharma was martyred in a gunbattle with Maoists. Public health crises struck as over 24 children died from Coldrif cough syrup poisoning in Chhindwara, Betul, and Pandhurna, while at least five Thalassaemic kids turned HIV-positive in Satna from infected blood transfusions. MP also recorded its highest-ever 54 tiger deaths
- Anuraag Singh
Uttarakhand
Many firsts at 25
Uttarakhand made history by becoming the first state to implement a UCC, granting equal divorce rights across religions and legally recognising live-in relationships. Politically, the BJP dominated local elections, winning 10 of 11 mayoral seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state four times, inaugurating the 38th National Games, promoting winter tourism and laying foundation stones for projects worth over `8,260 crore during the state’s silver jubilee celebrations.
— Narendra Sethi
Jharkhand
Big on welfare measures
In Jharkhand the Hemant Soren Cabinet cleared the Panchayat Provisions (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Jharkhand Rules, 2025, following High Court pressure over delayed PESA implementation, creating a long-awaited legal framework for tribal governance. The Mahila Samman Yojana gained traction as `2,500 was transferred directly to over 5.6 million beneficiaries each through DBT, supported by an allocation of `13,363 crore, nearly 9.2% of the budget. The year also saw the passing of JMM founding patron Shibu Soren on August 4
- Mukesh Ranjan
West Bengal
Struck off the rolls
West Bengal saw significant developments. The most consequential was SIR of poll rolls, carried out despite strong opposition from the state. The exercise led to the deletion of over 58 lakh names of dead, permanently shifted, absentee and duplicate voters. Another 31 lakh voters, whose names were not mapped with the 2002 SIR rolls, face hearings in the second phase, while around 1.36 crore voters are being called by BLOs. Communal violence in Murshidabad’s Samserganj also made headlines
- Subhendu Maiti