TODAY NEWS ON April 01, 2025

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

FM to launch 'NITI NCAER States Economic Forum' portal on April 1

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal on Tuesday (April 1, 2025) providing access to a comprehensive repository of data on social, economic, and fiscal parameters of states spanning over three decades till financial year 2022-23. The portal, developed by NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), offers direct access to the complete database categorised across five verticals— Demography, Economic Structure, Fiscal, Health and Education of States.

India refutes The New York Times’ allegations on re-routing sensitive equipment; defends HAL’s record

India has refuted a New York Times article that alleged the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) may have “re-routed British sensitive equipment” to Russian Rosoboronexport, which is sanctioned by the United Kingdom and European Union. The Centre defended HAL record on maintaining all “international obligations on strategic trade controls and end-user commitments” and said India’s regulatory framework is “robust”.

Search operations intensify in J&K’s Kathua to track down militants; 6 held for questioning

Security forces have intensified search operations using aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs following a night-long cordon after fresh reports of suspected movement of three individuals, believed to be militants, who escaped a recent encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said. Two militants and four policemen were killed while three others, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were injured during a gunfight in a remote forested area in the Sanyal belt of the district on Thursday (March 27, 2025). Security forces, which have picked up six persons for questioning, have also launched a search operation in Samba sector near the international border to sanitise the area, while the entire border belt has been put on alert, officials said.

Wayanad landslides washed away forest encroachments spanning over 0.55 hectares: Kerala Forest dept

Kerala Forest department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the massive Wayanad landslides on July 30, 2024 completely destroyed two encroachments spanning 0.55 hectares in the Punchirimattam forest area. It included an encroachment of 0.43 hectares identified in the Punchirimattam vested forest area and another one extending to around 0.12 hectares downstream. The Wayanad landslide area located in Punchirimattam forest area in Meppady Range of the South Wayanad forest division is part of the vested forest committee item no. 22, according to the report filed by the department before the Southern Bench of the tribunal on March 27.

Security forces close in on three militants who escaped from Kathua encounter site

Security forces on Monday night encircled three militants, suspected to have escaped from an encounter site in Kathua’s Suffian village in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. They were trapped in Panjtirthi area of Jathana on a tip-off. Officials said the hiding militants opened fire on a search party and an intense encounter ensued. Additional forces have been rushed to the area. “The operation to neutralise the militants is continuing,” an official said.

Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maihar among Madhya Pradesh’s religious cities to face liquor ban from April 1

A ban on liquor in 19 religious cities and areas under select gram panchayats in Madhya Pradesh, including Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Maihar, will come into effect from April 1, a government official said on Monday (March 31, 2025).

El Nino ruled out during monsoon this year: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has “ruled out” the possibility of an El Nino in the coming southwest monsoon season this year. An El Nino, characterised by a warming of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, is frequently associated with reduced monsoon rainfall in India.

Uttarakhand renames 18 places located in Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar districts

To ‘respect public sentiments’, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday (March 31, 2025) announced change in the names of 18 places located in Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

‘All visa applicants continuously vetted’: U.S. State Department on visa revocation reports 

Reacting to news reports that “hundreds” of Indian citizens in the U.S. had received visa revocation emails for campus activism and been told to “self deport” towards the end of last week, the U.S. State Department said it routinely invoked its authority to revoke visas when information came to light suggesting a visa holder had become ineligible to continue holding the visa. The State Department declined to confirm the specific news reports, citing privacy reasons. It also could not confirm the number of revocations as the process was ongoing.

China says launches military exercises around Taiwan

China’s military on Tuesday said it had sent its army, navy, air and rocket force to surround Taiwan, in drills it said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. Beijing’s military said the exercises were aimed at sending a “stern warning and forceful deterrence” to alleged separatists in Taiwan.

Iran complains to UN about Trump's 'reckless, belligerent' remarks

Iran complained to the United Nations Security Council on Monday (March 31, 2025) about "reckless and belligerent" remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, describing them as "a flagrant violation of international law" and the founding United Nations Charter.

Myanmar declares week of mourning as earthquake toll passes 2,000, hopes fade for survivors

Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday (March 31, 2025) for the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2,000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings. National flags will fly at half-mast until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages” from Friday’s massive 7.7-magnitude quake, the ruling junta said in a statement. The announcement came as the tempo and urgency of rescue efforts wound down in Mandalay, one of the worst-affected cities and the country’s second-largest, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement, barred from seeking public office

A French court on Monday (March 31, 2025) barred Marine Le Pen from seeking public office for five years, with immediate effect, for embezzlement — a hammer blow to the far-right leader’s presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics. Although Ms. Le Pen can appeal the verdict, such a move won’t suspend her ineligibility, which could rule her out of the 2027 presidential race. The court ruling was a political as well as a judicial temblor for France, hobbling one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the end of his second and final term, scheduled to last into 2027.

Nepal’s PM Oli accuses former king of attempting to disrupt social harmony

Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Oli said on Monday (March 31, 2025) that violence erupted in the pro-monarchy protests in Kathmandu as former king Gyanendra Shah attempted to disrupt social harmony and create social division. Speaking in the House of Representatives (HoR), Mr. Oli accused the former king of aligning with individuals refusing to repay bank loans and stirring social unrest for his ambitions. Mr. Oli said the Tinkune area incident occurred because of these actions of the former king, My Republica reported. “The alleged organisers attempted to drive a vehicle over the police and breached the restricted area. There were terrorist activities like setting fire to the international airport and the oil corporation's depot,” Mr. Oli said.

Ashwani burst, Rickelton blitz help Mumbai Indians blow away KKR

Ashwani Kumar — the latest product of Mumbai Indians’ talent-scouting factory — hogged the limelight. Ryan Rickelton lived up to the billing as a ferocious hitter for the first time in the season. And the home spectators returned to shower love on the captain and his blue army. It culminated in Mumbai Indians opening its Indian Premier League 2025 account in style, with a facile eight-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (March 31, 2025) night.