TODAY NEWS ON April 16, 2024

News Headlines for CAT,CLAT and IPM aspirants

Country being pushed towards black money; everyone will regret attacking Electoral Bond scheme, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 15 said that the country had been pushed towards black money in elections after the Supreme Court scrapped the electoral bonds scheme, and that on honest reflection, “everyone will regret it”. In his first detailed take on the electoral bond scheme after its scrapping, Mr. Modi in an interview to news agency ANI said that the scheme should also be viewed a success story as it had shown who made contributions to political parties.

Largest ever seizure of inducements before general elections: Election Commission

The Election Commission (EC) on April 15 said it was on track to seize the largest amount of inducements, including drugs and cash during an election in the last 75 years. Even before polling begins for the Lok Sabha elections, it has seized ₹4,650 crore, an amount which is higher than that recovered in the 2019 elections. During the 2019 general elections, ₹3,475 crore had been recovered by the EC.

Denial of pre-certification for poll ads can be challenged only before Supreme Court, not any other court, says ECI

The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to explain the rationale behind its insistence that denial of pre-certification for election advertisements can be challenged only before the Supreme Court and not any other court. Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad granted time till Wednesday for the ECI counsel to take instructions after senior counsel R. Shunmugasundaram for DMK argued that the ECI had no right to take away the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts.

Centre removed free movement regime along India-Myanmar border to thwart conspiracy to change Manipur’s demography, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Narendra Modi-led government had ended the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the 1,600 km India-Myanmar border to thwart a “conspiracy” to change the demography of Manipur. “No matter how hard anyone tries, we will not let anyone divide Manipur,” he said at a campaign rally in support of the BJP’s Inner Manipur candidate in Imphal.

Taliban is ‘particularly committed’ to protect rights of Hindus and Sikhs: Spokesperson of Taliban ‘Justice Ministry’

The Taliban is in “continuous contact” with the Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan who were forced to flee and had their homes taken by warlords, said a senior official of the outfit’s ‘Justice Ministry’ on Monday. In a written statement to The Hindu, the representative said the Taliban will respect the property rights of the minority communities of Afghanistan and that they are “particularly committed” to defending the rights of Hindus and Sikhs in the country.

Singapore PM Lee to step down on May 15, hands over power to deputy Lawrence Wong

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday that he will step down on May 15 after two decades at the helm, and hand power to his deputy Lawrence Wong. Mr. Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state’s president to appoint Mr. Wong, who is currently deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to succeed him, his office said in a brief statement. Mr. Wong, who has the unanimous support of lawmakers in the long-ruling People’s Action Party, will be sworn in at the national palace later the same day, it said.

Europe joins U.S. in urging restraint by Israel after Iranian attack

Israel’s European allies urged the administration on April 15 to show restraint over Iran’s weekend missile and drone attack, calling on Israeli leaders to step away from “the edge of the cliff” of escalation in West Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war Cabinet, which is empowered to decide on the country’s response, was set to convene on April 15 afternoon, a government source said.

Lok Sabha election | PM Modi appeals Tamil Nadu to vote for NDA, lambasts DMK over drug menace

“We worked day and night for Tamil Nadu’s development in the past 10 years,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi says at a rally in Tirunelveli. Calling out the ruling DMK over the drug menace in TN, Mr. Modi says the State is witnessing corruption of family-run party. “The BJP will save younger generation from the deep-rooted drug trade in Tamil Nadu which is being done with the blessings of people in power,” Mr. Modi says. Appealing to voters to give NDA an opportunity, Mr. Modi says that the State is set to create a new record by giving a decisive mandate to NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. “...Your support is giving sleepless nights to DMK & INDIA alliance...,” Mr. Modi says.

PM Modi launches fiery attack on ruling and Opposition fronts in Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 15 sought to capitalise on the momentum from his back-to-back campaign forays into Kerala since January by delivering a series of fiery attacks against the ruling and the Opposition fronts in the State. At a BJP rally at Kattakada in the Attingal Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Modi accused the Left Democratic Front of running Kerala to financial ruin and then blaming the Centre for its “self-inflicted bankruptcy.”

Lok Sabha election | Supreme Court refuses to intervene for special arrangements to help displaced Manipuris vote

The Supreme Court on April 15 refused to intervene in a petition filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum and two individuals seeking a direction to the Election Commission to make arrangements for persons who had fled the conflict and are currently residing in other States to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said with merely three days left for polling in Manipur on April 19, it was too late for the court to intervene. “Interference at this belated stage would cause substantial impediments in the conduct of elections in Manipur,” Chief Justice Chandrachud reasoned.

Supreme Court rejects AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s anticipatory bail plea, asks him to appear before ED

The Supreme Court on April 15 refused to entertain AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s anticipatory bail application in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship and ordered him to join the investigation. A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked Mr. Khan to appear before the ED on April 18 at 11 a.m.

Uttar Pradesh Muslim student slapping case | Supreme Court asks State Government to clarify measures taken to prosecute teacher

The Supreme Court on April 15 asked the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify measures taken to prosecute a school teacher in Muzaffarnagar who goaded the classmates of a seven-year-old Muslim boy to slap him repeatedly while making communal remarks. In March, a Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka had made sure that the State government took expert help from agencies such as HAQ, Muskan and Childline in counselling the child and his classmates after the traumatic episode. The court noted in the order that the State was “substantially complying” with its directions regarding the nature and depth of the counselling sessions. The court had made it clear to the State that the exercise should not be reduced to a cosmetic one.

India likely to experience above-normal rainfall this monsoon: IMD

India is likely to experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions likely to set in by August-September, the India Meteorological Department has said on April 15. However, normal cumulative rainfall does not guarantee uniform temporal and spatial distribution of rain across the country, with climate change further increasing the variability of the rain-bearing system. Climate scientists say the number of rainy days is declining while heavy rain events (more rain over a short period) are increasing, leading to frequent droughts and floods.

BRS leader K. Kavitha sent to judicial custody till April 23

A Delhi court on April 15 sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha to judicial custody till April 23 in a corruption case lodged by CBI. Ms. Kavitha was arrested in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi Excise policy scam. The daughter of former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was arrested from Tihar Jail, where she was lodged after her arrest by the ED. The CBI produced the accused before the court on expiry of her three-day police custody granted earlier by a judge.

Part of ‘orchestrated campaign of PM’ to browbeat judiciary: Congress on ex-judges’ letter to CJI

The Congress on April 15 alleged that the letter by 21 judges to the Chief Justice of India was part of an “orchestrated campaign of the prime minister” to “threaten, browbeat and intimidate” the judiciary that has flexed its muscles in recent months. A group of 21 retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts have written to the Chief Justice of India on the escalating attempts by “certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation and public disparagement”. Asked about the letter at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the “greatest threat” to judicial independence comes from the BJP. “Please see the fourth name on that list and it will give away the whole objective, background and authorship of the letter,” he said in an apparent reference to former Supreme Court Judge M R Shah.

Sydney church stabbing: Several people including bishop injured; one arrested

A number of people were injured in a stabbing at a church in Walkley, about 30 km west of the Sydney central business district, police authorities said on April 15. Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries, a police statement said. The injured people suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated by paramedics, police said.

Iran promises Indian officials can meet with 17 detained Indian crew members ‘soon’

Iran said that it will allow Indian officials to meet with the 17 Indian crew members detained after its forces seized an Israel-linked ship MSC Aries “soon” after the issue was raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who spoke to Foreign Ministers of both Iran and Israel on April 14 night. In a readout of the conversation between Mr. Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian released on April 15, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that they had discussed Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel in what it called a response to Israel’s attack on the Iranian embassy on April 1 in which 7 Iranian diplomats and commanders died, as well as the situation in Gaza, and Red Sea.

Aid groups call attention to Sudan with famine looming after a year of civil war

Sudan has been torn by war for a year now, ever since simmering tensions between its military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) exploded into street clashes in the capital in mid-April 2023. The fighting rapidly spread across the country. The conflict has been overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza Strip, which since October has caused a massive humanitarian crisis for Palestinians and a threat of famine in the territory.

Wholesale price inflation rises to three-month high of 0.53% in March

India’s wholesale price inflation rose to a three-month high of 0.53% in March from 0.2% in February, with the food index rising 4.65%, primarily led by cereals prices surging at a 12-month high pace even as the inflation in paddy (11.7%), potato (53%) and onions (57%) accelerated. Inflation in pulses and vegetables remained elevated at the wholesale level, at 17.2% and 19.5%, respectively, as per the Wholesale Price Index (WPI). Fuel and power as well as manufactured products continued to be in deflation mode, though the level of price declines from a year ago moderated to about 0.8% in March.

Goods exports hit 12-month high of $41.68 bn in March

India’s goods exports hit a 12-month high of $41.68 billion in March, although it constituted a 0.67% decline from last year’s tally, while imports dropped 6% to $57.3 billion last month. The goods trade deficit contracted to $15.6 billion in March, the lowest in 11 months. The sharp drop in India’s import bill during March was led by gold imports, which fell a sharp 53.6% in March to $1.53 billion, and aided by a drop in non-oil, non-gold imports. However, silver imports jumped nearly 1059% to $816.6 million.

Former England spinner Derek Underwood passes away

Derek Underwood, England’s best spinner in the post-World War II era, who gave a torrid time to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, passed away at Kent on April 15. He was 78. Underwood, a practitioner of slow left-arm orthodox spin, was highly regarded by his contemporaries because of his pin-point accuracy, something which made him ‘Deadly’ on uncovered pitches of the 60s and 70s.

IPL-17: RCB vs SRH | Sunrisers win by 25 runs in highest-scoring match in T20 history

Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair. Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9x4, 8x6) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging 67 (31b, 2x4, 7x6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad this March 27.

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