India Weekly : Top 10 National News Of This Week

by Shatakshi Gupta
  • Naxal terror returns to Dantewada after 5 years: IED attack kills 111 Ten policemen and a driver were killed when their vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The policemen of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were returning from an anti-Maoist operation. The incident raises bigger concerns about new strategies of Maoist groups and the government’s roadmap to deal with the problem.
  • Centre opposes same-sex marriage rights in Supreme Court:  The central government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that recognising LGBTQIA+ community members’ marriage rights would destroy the legislative intent to permit only man-woman marriage under the Special Marriage Act. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the SC could not superimpose its wisdom on the legislative intent behind the SM Act, which allowed only man-woman marriage.
  • Singapore hangs Indian-origin man over 1 kg of cannabis1 A 38-year-old Indian-origin man was hanged in Singapore on Wednesday for smuggling over 1 kg of cannabis into the country in 2014. Gobi Avedian was convicted of drug trafficking despite his claim that he did not know the contents of the package he was carrying. His execution sparked outrage among human rights groups and activists who called it a “cruel and disproportionate punishment”.
  • Operation Kaveri: Over 500 Indians rescued from Sudan2 Over 500 Indians stranded in Sudan due to political unrest and violence were rescued by the Indian government under Operation Kaveri. The Indian Air Force airlifted them from Khartoum to New Delhi on Tuesday. External affairs minister S Jaishankar thanked the IAF and the Indian embassy in Sudan for their efforts.
  • First woman Rafale pilot in IAF team for multi-nation drill being held in France:  Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, who became the first woman fighter pilot to fly the Rafale jet last year, is part of the Indian Air Force team participating in a multi-nation exercise being held in France. The exercise, named Desert Knight-23, involves air forces of France, India, UAE, US, UK and Saudi Arabia. It aims to enhance interoperability and cooperation among the participating countries.
  • Withdraw all ‘misleading’ ads and labels, NCPCR tells Bournvita:  The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked Cadbury India to withdraw all advertisements and labels of its health drink Bournvita that claim it can boost immunity and brain development in children. The NCPCR said that such claims are “misleading” and “unsubstantiated” and violate the Food Safety and Standards Act.
  • Drug duplicated to defame India Pharma co: The chairman of an Indian pharmaceutical company has alleged that his firm’s anti-malarial drug was duplicated by a Chinese company and sold under his brand name in Africa, leading to a WHO alert. Rajeev Nannapaneni, chairman of Natco Pharma, said that he had filed a complaint with the Indian drug regulator and Interpol against Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co Ltd for counterfeiting his product.

Read more: World Affairs: Top 10 International News Of This Week

  • PM Modi to attend G7 meet in Japan, Quad summit in Australia Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the G7 summit in Japan and the Quad summit in Australia in May this year, according to sources. Modi has been invited by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to participate in the two multilateral forums. The G7 summit will focus on issues such as climate change, pandemic recovery and global security, while the Quad summit will discuss Indo-Pacific cooperation and challenges posed by China.
  • Cremation of SAD patriarch and 5-time Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal: The cremation of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal took place on Wednesday at his native village Badal in Muktsar district. He passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah and several other political leaders paid their last respects to the veteran leader. Badal was known for his role in the Punjabi Suba movement, the Green Revolution and the Sikh politics. He was also conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, in 2015.
  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that India will be the world’s fastest growing economy despite facing significant challenges such as financial turbulence, inflationary pressures, effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing effects of COVID-19.  Epidemic.  According to the IMF’s flagship World Economic Outlook report released on April 11, the Indian economy is estimated to grow by 5.9% in the current financial year. However, the IMF has warned that disruptions to the financial system could have a negative impact on global growth.  In response to slowing economic activity due to higher interest rates, the IMF has revised its 2023 global growth projections and is warning that further financial system turbulence could lead to a recessionary level of output.  The latest World Economic Outlook report forecasts global real GDP growth at 2.8% for 2023 and 3% for 2024, which represents a slowing of growth from 2022.