News Headlines for CAT,CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

Waqf law: SC to hear pleas against Waqf Amendment Act on Apr 16; petitions seek probe into violence in Bengal

Two separate petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court variously seeking the setting up of a Special Investigation Team and a court-monitored probe into the violence in West Bengal over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. One of the pleas sought a direction to the State government to file a report in the top court on steps taken to contain the violence and protect public property and lives. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court would likely hear a batch of petitions, including the one of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, against the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

Trump vs Harvard: U.S. President ramps up conflict against defiant University, demands apology

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his war against elite U.S. universities Tuesday with a threat to strip Harvard’s tax-exempt status if the country’s most famous educational establishment refuses to submit to wide-ranging government oversight. The threat of a major tax bill comes after Harvard saw $2.2 billion in federal funding frozen on Monday.

Retail inflation eases to a 5.5 year low of 3.34% in March 2025 as food gets cheaper

Retail inflation eased to a five-and-a-half-year low of 3.34% in March, from 3.61% in the previous month, mostly due to lower food prices, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Vegetables, eggs, and pulses were significantly cheaper, though edible oils and fruits continued to see high inflation. The slowing prices come on the heels of two consecutive repo rate cuts, each by 25 basis points or 0.25%, by the Reserve Bank of India.

Shibu Soren appoints son and Jharkhand CM Hemant JMM chief

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was appointed the central president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) by his father and party founder Shibu Soren. Mr. Shibu Soren, who held the post for 38 years, will now be the founder-patron of the party. The formal announcement was made on the concluding day of 13th Central Convention of the JMM at Khelgaon in Ranchi. Mr. Hemant’s wife and Gandey MLA Kalpana Soren was among those present.

ED records Robert Vadra’s statement in 2008 Haryana land deal case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recorded the statement of Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in connection with a 2008 Haryana land deal case. Accompanied by his supporters, Mr. Vadra walked the two kilometres from his residence to the ED’s headquarters at about 11 a.m.

Beware of child traffickers, SC cautions parents

The Supreme Court, in a judgment, warned parents to be “extremely vigilant” about their children against gangs trafficking children for sexual exploitation, forced labour, begging and petty crimes, armed conflict, child marriage and even camouflaging sale of infants as inter-country adoption.

Operation Chakra-V: CBI nabs four ‘kingpins’ in ‘Digital Arrests’ case

The CBI has arrested four people, two each from Mumbai and Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), for their alleged involvement in ‘Digital Arrests’ fraud. The arrests, made as part of ‘Operation Chakra V’, followed searches at 12 locations. The CBI has registered multiple cases of ‘Digital Arrests’. The agency took over the instant case on the Rajasthan government’s request. It was earlier registered by the cyber police (Jhunjhunu).

Fresh encounter breaks in J&K’s Poonch, forces launch operation

A major anti-militancy operation was launched in the Pir Panjal valley’s Poonch after militants and security forces exchanged fire on Sunday (April 13, 2025) evening. An Army spokesman said the security forces established a contact with terrorists during a joint operation launched along with the J&K Police at Lasana, Surankote last night.

Mehul Choksi owes around ₹63 lakh maintenance due for Mumbai flat

Fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi's flat maintenance at Gokul Apartments in Malabar Hill in Mumbai has dues around ₹63 lakh, a society member said. "He has seven years of maintenance due. He has three units- 9th, 10th and 11th floors. The 11th floor is a terrace, he has illegally occupied it. There are maintenance dues of around ₹63 lakh without interest. In 2020, our condominium had renovation work done; the cost per unit came to ₹30-35 lakh, so if you add the cost of three units, it will be around ₹95 lakh," a society member told ANI.

Wholesale inflation eases to 2.05% in March on cheaper food items

Wholesale price inflation eased to 2.05% in March, as against 2.38% in February, government data showed on Tuesday (April 15, 2025). The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation, however, rose year-on-year. It was 0.26% in March 2024. Inflation in manufactured products, however, saw a spike at 3.07% in March, compared to 2.86% in February.

SC extends protection from arrest to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar in cheating case

The Supreme Court extended till April 21 the protection from arrest granted to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. On March 18, the top court orally told Ms. Khedkar that she cannot avail separate attempts to clear the test as an "able candidate" and a "disabled candidate".

Assamese to be official language for all Govt. communications in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Assamese would be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, orders and acts in the State. The order signed by the Governor comes into effect on Tuesday to mark the Assamese New Year. The government notification shared by the Chief Minister noted that issuance of all Government notifications, office memoranda, acts, rules, regulations, scheme guidelines, transfer and posting orders would be both in English and Assamese.

India to see above-normal cumulative rainfall this monsoon, El Nino conditions unlikely: IMD

India will experience above-normal cumulative rainfall this monsoon, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday (April 15, 2025), ruling out the possibility of El Nino conditions during the entire season. “India is likely to see above-normal rainfall in the four-month monsoon season (June to September) with cumulative rainfall estimated at 105% of the long-period average of 87 cm,” India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told a press conference in New Delhi.

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin announces high-level committee to strengthen States’ autonomy

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday (April 15, 2025) announced in the Legislative Assembly the formation of a three-member high-level committee to review the provisions of the Constitution, laws and policies with respect to Centre-State relations and recommend appropriate steps to strengthen the States’ autonomy and federalism

China stops Boeing jet deliveries amid trade war with U.S.: report

China has told its airlines to stop taking deliveries of jets from American aviation giant Boeing, a report said Tuesday (April 15, 2025), as a trade war between Beijing and Washington deepens. Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, the world’s two biggest economies have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff war, with the U.S. now charging levies of up to 145% on imports from China.

Saudi Haj Ministry has agreed to reopen portal: Centre amid concerns of ‘cuts on India’s private quota

The Union government on Tuesday (April 15, 2025) said the Saudi Haj Ministry has agreed to reopen the Haj Portal for private operators complete their work in respect of 10,000 pilgrims based on the current space availability in Mina, after its intervention. The ministry’s statement comes after several Opposition leaders had voiced concern after the reported cancellation of over 52,000 Haj slots by Saudi Arabia for Indian pilgrims and urged the central government to take up the matter with their leadership.