Great Nicobar Project Risks Shompen Genocide, Rights Group Warns
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Great Nicobar Project Risks Shompen Genocide, Rights Group Warns

The central government has approved a 720 billion (72,000 crore) rupees plan to cut away roughly a third of Great Nicobar Island for a deep-water transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant. Civil society groups and scientists say the scheme will strip forests, choke rivers, ruin nesting beaches and expose the Shompen – one of the world’s most isolated tribes to disease and displacement that could wipe out their culture.

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All 26 Victims of Pahalgam Terror Attack Were Men
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

All 26 Victims of Pahalgam Terror Attack Were Men

Gunmen opened fire on tourist tents in Baisaran meadow above Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, killing at least 26 people – all men – and injuring several more, according to media reports, which quote witnesses as saying that the terrorists, who reached the car-free pasture supposedly on foot or horseback, accused some families of supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shot the men at close range and then escaped into the surrounding pine forest.

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Delhi High Court Rebukes Ramdev for ‘Sharbat Jihad’ Remarks
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Delhi High Court Rebukes Ramdev for ‘Sharbat Jihad’ Remarks

The Delhi High Court expressed strong disapproval against Baba Ramdev, founder of Patanjali Foods, for using the misleading and provocative term “Rooh Afza jihad” in communal remarks targeting Hamdard, the pharmaceutical and food company famous for its popular drink, Rooh Afza. The matter came up before Justice Amit Bansal, who, after hearing preliminary arguments on April 22, warned Ramdev’s counsel of issuing a stringent order if such behaviour continued.

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Centre’s Forensic Report on ‘Manipur Tapes’ Implicating Biren Singh Ready
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Centre’s Forensic Report on ‘Manipur Tapes’ Implicating Biren Singh Ready

Weeks before the second anniversary of the outbreak of violence in Manipur, the Union government has informed the Supreme Court that a forensic report on the leaked audio recordings—referred to as the “Manipur Tapes” and allegedly featuring former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, implicating him in the unrest—is ready and will soon be submitted in a sealed envelope.

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Supreme Court Pushes Centre to Defend Waqf Amendment
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Supreme Court Pushes Centre to Defend Waqf Amendment

During the Supreme Court’s hearing on the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna posed pointed questions to both the government and the petitioners. The Act, which came into force recently, has been challenged by several petitioners who argue that it infringes on religious freedoms and the administrative autonomy of the Muslim community.

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Tamil Nadu’s New Panel to Challenge Alleged Central Overreach
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Tamil Nadu’s New Panel to Challenge Alleged Central Overreach

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced the formation of a high-level, three-member committee tasked with reviewing the status of state rights under the Indian Constitution and recommending ways to preserve them. The committee, formed in response to alleged overreach by the Centre, will be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph.

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School Textbooks Now Have Hindi Titles for English-Medium Students
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

School Textbooks Now Have Hindi Titles for English-Medium Students

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reportedly started assigning Hindi titles to textbooks meant for English medium students. Kerala’s Education Minister V. Sivankutty has described the decision as “irrational” and demanded an immediate review, criticising it for being in conflict with India’s constitutional and federal principles.

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US Raises Voting System Concerns, India Defends Its EVMs
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

US Raises Voting System Concerns, India Defends Its EVMs

Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence in the United States, has raised concerns about the vulnerability of electronic voting systems (EVS) in the country. Her remarks have, interestingly, prompted India’s Election Commission (ECI) to issue a statement reaffirming the integrity of its own electronic voting machines (EVMs).

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 Startup Founder Blames Bad Governance for India’s Innovation Failures
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

Startup Founder Blames Bad Governance for India’s Innovation Failures

A semiconductor entrepreneur has written an open letter to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, in response to his criticism of Indian startups for focusing on food delivery, betting, and fantasy sports platforms instead of high-tech sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The founder argues that it is the government’s systemic inefficiencies that pose the real barrier to innovation in deep-tech industries.

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India Can Gain from US-China Trade Rift, Says Raghuram Rajan
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

India Can Gain from US-China Trade Rift, Says Raghuram Rajan

Raghuram Rajan, a former head of the Reserve Bank of India, believes that the current tensions between the United States and China could work in India’s favour. The uncertainty caused by the conflict will likely compel companies to look for safer and more stable countries to do business with. If India acts smartly and quickly, it could attract more trade and investment, he explained in a media interview.

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What Trump’s Tariffs Mean for India and the World
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

What Trump’s Tariffs Mean for India and the World

​U.S. President Donald Trump has announced significant tariff increases on imports, aiming to address trade imbalances and bolster domestic industries. A universal 10% tariff was imposed on all imported goods, with higher rates targeting specific countries based on trade deficits. These tariffs have led to immediate global economic repercussions.

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After Muslim Property, Is RSS Targeting Christian Assets?
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Vishal Arora

After Muslim Property, Is RSS Targeting Christian Assets?

An article in Organiser, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) official publication, has claimed that the Catholic Church is India’s largest non-governmental landowner, surpassing even the Muslim Waqf Board. The assertion has triggered concerns that after targeting Muslim property through the recent Waqf Amendment Bill, the RSS might now focus on Christian properties.

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MPs Rally to End Acid Attacks, Back Survivors’ Fight for Justice
NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Surabhi Singh NB, News Briefings, April 2025 Surabhi Singh

MPs Rally to End Acid Attacks, Back Survivors’ Fight for Justice

Acid attack survivors found allies in Parliament on April 2, as Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led a meeting to push for stronger legislative action against the crime. Joined by about eight other MPs at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi, Singh amplified the demands of Brave Souls Foundation (BSF)—a survivor-led NGO—calling for stricter laws and better support for victims.

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