Indian Affairs: Top 10 National News Of This Week

by Shatakshi Gupta
  • Home Minister visits Manipur amid unrest: From May 29 to June 1, Union Home Minister Amit Shah travelled to Manipur to review the situation and devise strategies for reestablishing calm in the state, which has been shaken by ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3. He announced a judicial investigation into the situation, a single command for security, a CBI investigation into six violent occurrences, and a peace commission headed by the governor for dialogue on reconciliation. He also urged people to hand over illegal weapons and began a search operation for insurgents.
  • Chandrayaan 3 launch in July: Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organization’s third lunar mission, is scheduled to launch from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in July. A lander and a rover will be part of the project, which will try to make a gentle landing on the moon’s dark side and conduct research. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, which is still operating orbiting the Moon following the collapse of its lander-rover combo in 2018, will be used again for the mission.
  • New parliament inaugurated: On May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the new Parliament building amidst boycotts and demonstrations from the majority of opposition parties. There are 1,272 seats in the new triangular structure, which has a built-up area of 64,500 square metres. Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar are its three main gates, and it has a constitution hall, an MPs’ lounge, a library, many committee rooms, and dining facilities. Additionally, it supports latest communication methods and is divyang-friendly. The new edifice is a part of the government’s expansive plan to renovate Delhi’s Central Vista complex and remove buildings from the colonial era. The prime minister also installed a gold sceptre called sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber, which he said was a symbol of India’s independence from British rule.
  • Khap Mahapanchayat ultimatum on wrestlers protest: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the departing head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a BJP MP, is the target of protests from wrestlers and khap panchayats for reportedly sexually assaulting seven female grapplers, including a minor. His detention and dismissal from the WFI position have been demanded. They have also charged him with abusing his authority by giving opportunities to some wrestlers while denying them to others. Rakesh Tikait, a farmer leader, issued a threat to the government on June 2 during a khap mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra, Haryana, warning it to arrest Singh by June 9 or risk a national uprising. A team would meet with President Droupadi Murmu to demand justice, it was determined during an earlier khap mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Prachanda’s Visit to india: After taking office in December 2022, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as “Prachanda,” made his first bilateral trip to India from May 31 to June 3. He met with him at the delegation level after receiving an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a number of facets of the India-Nepal relationship. A few cooperative projects, including the railway yard in Biratnagar, the Jaynagar-Janakpur railway, and the integrated check posts in Biratnagar and Nepalgunj, were also remotely inaugurated. Prachanda also spoke to the Indian business community and paid visits to Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and President Droupadi Murmu. Additionally, he travelled to the Madhya Pradesh cities of Ujjain and Indore, where he paid his respects at the Mahakaleshwar temple and attended a luncheon hosted by the chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
  • Turbo UPI launched in India: Turbo UPI is a new payment option that Razorpay, NPCI, and Axis Bank have introduced. It enables customers to make UPI payments directly within the merchant’s app without any redirects or reliance on third-party UPI apps. It is powered by razorpay in association with NPCI and promises to improve both business and consumer UPI payment experiences. Compared to the normal UPI payment flow, it is 5 times faster. By lowering the likelihood of failures caused by network problems, app breakdowns, or user drop-offs, it increases the success rate of UPI payments by 10%. Because companies can quickly handle refunds and disputes and customise the UI and UX of the payment screen, it gives businesses more control over the payment experience.
  • New Growth Estimates: India’s GDP expanded by 6.1 percent in the fourth quarter of FY23, exceeding predictions of 5.1 percent and demonstrating a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects. An increase in manufacturing activity, a resurgence in private investment and domestic consumption, and increased government spending all contributed to the expansion. India now has one of the fastest growing major economies in the world, with GDP growth for the entire fiscal year increased from an earlier estimate of 7% to 7.2%. The second wave of COVID-19 infections and lockdowns imposed by some states in April and May 2023, however, could stop the increasing momentum.

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

  • CSK wins IPL: On May 29 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets (D/L method) to win their fifth IPL championship. After GT recorded 214 for 4 in 20 overs, CSK chased down a revised goal of 171 runs in 15 overs. As the game’s Player of the Match for his unbroken 47 off 25 balls, Ravindra Jadeja struck the final two balls for sixes and fours to give CSK the victory. Following their comeback from a two-year suspension in 2018, CSK equaled Mumbai Indians’ record of five IPL championships and became the first team to win consecutive championships. As the captain of CSK in his tenth IPL final, MS Dhoni made history by becoming the first player to win six IPL championships, including one in 2017 with Rising Pune Supergiant. CSK beat GT in Qualifier 1 to advance to the championship game after placing second in the points standings. To set up a rematch with CSK, GT had previously topped the points standings and defeated MI in Qualifier 2.
  • Agni 1 testing: On June 1 from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, India successfully conducted a training launch of the Agni-1 ballistic missile. The missile has a range of 700 km, is surface-to-surface, and is capable of carrying a payload of up to 1,000 kg. The Strategic Forces Command carried out the launch, which verified the missile’s operational and technical specifications. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) created the Agni series of missiles, which also includes the Agni-2 (2,000 km), Agni-3 (3,000 km), Agni-4 (4,000 km), and Agni-5 (5,000 km). India has a viable nuclear deterrence against its enemies, such as Pakistan and China, thanks to the Agni series.

Read more: The Battle of Indian Wrestlers Against WFI Chief, What We Know So Far?

  • Monsoon to hit India soon: Kerala, a state in southern India, is anticipated to experience the southwest monsoon, which is responsible for over 70% of India’s annual rainfall, on June 3. The four-month rainy season, which is essential for the nation’s agriculture and economy, begins with the monsoon’s arrival over Kerala. This year’s monsoon is expected to be typical, with rainfall amounts anticipated to be 101% of the long-period average (LPA) of 88 cm. However, because to unfavourable conditions in the Bay of Bengal, the monsoon may stop after reaching Kerala and move slowly through other regions of the country. Mumbai typically experiences the monsoon by June 10, Delhi by June 27, and the rest of India by mid-July. The blistering heat wave that has plagued several areas of India in May and June is likely to subside with the arrival of the monsoon.