News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

PM Modi to visit Saudi Arabia next week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia beginning Tuesday (April 22, 2025) with focus on further expanding bilateral cooperation in several key areas including energy, trade and defence.

FM to participate in G2o, IMF-World Bank meetings during 11-day visit to U.S., Peru

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will participate in G20 meetings and attend Spring Meetings of the IMF-World Bank, among other bilateral engagements, during an 11-day official trip to the U.S. and Peru, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday (April 19, 2025).

India’s forex reserves increase to $677.83 billion for sixth consecutive week

India’s forex reserves increased by $1.567 billion to $677.835 billion for the week ended April 11, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday (April 19, 2025). This is the sixth consecutive week of a rise in the kitty. The overall reserves jumped by $10.872 billion to $676.268 billion in the previous reporting week ended April 4, 2025.

BJP rejects its MPs criticism of Supreme Court, says it respects courts

The BJP on Saturday (April 19, 2025) disassociated itself with the criticism of the Supreme Court by its MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma, with party president J.P. Nadda rejecting the comments as their personal views.

Why can’t courts issue directions to the President, asks former Supreme Court judge Jasti Chelameswar

When judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts have the authority to declare laws passed by Parliament or State Legislatures unconstitutional, they would also have the power to issue directions to constitutional authorities such as the President and Governors to perform public functions, said former Supreme Court judge Jasti Chelameswar in Chennai on Saturday (April 19, 2025).

Congress top brass discusses follow-up steps to Ahmedabad session, strategy on ED chargesheet against Gandhis

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday (April 19, 2025) presided over a meeting of general secretaries, in-charges of various States, and heads of frontal organisations to chalk out a follow-up plan to implement the decisions taken at the party’s Ahmedabad session on the ground.

MEA raises issue of Indian students with U.S., after survey found 50% of students facing notices are Indians

India has “raised concerns” over the treatment of Indian students who have received visa revocation notices through diplomatic channels, government sources told The Hindu. The issue was taken up days before U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and senior U.S. State Department officials arrive in Delhi on Monday (April 21, 2025) for talks, and comes after a survey found 50% of those reporting the revocations were Indian. Meanwhile the U.S. government denied targeting Indians specifically with its actions on the issue.

12 Maoist dumps, including bunker-style room, uncovered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

Twelve Maoist dumps, including a room that resembled a bunker with a concrete slab, were uncovered and destroyed by police on a hill in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, an official said on Saturday (April 19, 2025).

Government’s anti-cybercrime unit issues alert against frauds targeting pilgrims

The anti-cybercrime unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a public alert over a rising wave of online booking scams targeting religious pilgrims and tourists across India that offer fraudulent deals for helicopter and hotel bookings for Kedarnath and Chaar Dhaam Yatra.

Congress asks Modi government to ‘strongly take up targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh’

Condemning the killing of a prominent Hindu leader in Bangladesh, the Congress on Saturday (April 19, 2025) asked the Narendra Modi government to take up the matter with Dhaka, saying silence and inaction were not options when targeted violence against Hindus was taking place.

Mumbai airport will remain shut for six hours on May 8

Flight operations at the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will remain shut for six hours on May 8, due to runway maintenance work ahead of the onset of the monsoon season, the private airport operator MIAL said on Saturday.

Systematic persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh under interim government: India

Continuing with its tough line on the rights of the minority religious communities in Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday (April 19, 2025) said there is “systematic persecution of Hindu minorities” under the interim government led by Prof. Mohammed Yunus. A statement from the Official Spokesperson of the MEA raised the recent killing of a Hindu community leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy and reminded the Yunus-administration of its responsibility of protection of minority rights.

Hindu community leader abducted, killed in Bangladesh

A prominent Hindu community leader was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death in Dinajpur district in north Bangladesh, a media report said on Friday (April 18, 2025) Body of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, a resident of Basudebpur village of Dinajpur, about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, was recovered on Thursday night, The Daily Star said quoting police and family members.

‘Easter truce’: Russian President Putin announces temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, the Kremlin said Saturday (April 19, 2025). The announcement came on the same day as Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.

China will weaponise biotech as it ascends to dominance, may create AI-powered super-soldiers: U.S. Commission

As the world enters an age of biotechnology, there is emerging evidence that China is “distorting” biotechnology markets and is quickly ascending to “dominance” in this field, having made this a strategic priority for the last 20 years, according to the U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill more than 90 people in the last 48 hours, Palestinians say

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 90 people in the last 48 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday (April 19, 2025), as Israeli troops ramp up attacks to pressure Hamas to release its hostages and disarm. The dead include 15 people who were killed overnight, among them women and children, some of who were sheltering in a designated humanitarian zone, according to hospital staff.

Russia says it has retaken another village in Kursk region from Ukrainian forces

Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said Saturday (April 19, 2025). According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.

NCW team meets riot-affected people in Betbona, Dhulian in Bengal’s Murshidabad

A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, met the riot-affected people in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday (April 19, 2025) and assured them that all steps would be taken by the Centre to ensure their safety in future.