NEWS BRIEFINGS: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

As India marks Ambedkar Jayanti today, citizens would do well to revisit B.R. Ambedkar’s vision for the country—as a scale by which to measure the conduct of governments and political parties.

The Supreme Court has ruled that governors and the President must adhere to specific timelines when deciding on state bills, affirming its power of judicial review to prevent political obstruction in legislative processes.

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).

The Allahabad High Court granted bail in a rape case, citing controversial reasoning. In his order, Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh appeared to shift blame onto the complainant—a postgraduate student—stating that she had chosen to drink alcohol late at night in a pub and to accompany the accused.

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.

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.

Multiple petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, have been filed before the Supreme Court. The petitioners, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, argue the Act infringes upon religious freedom and property rights.

​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.

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.

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.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed in Parliament on April 4, has raised significant concerns among Indian Muslims regarding its potential implications on religious autonomy and minority rights. Despite assurances from the government that the amendments aim to improve governance and transparency, critics argue that the changes could undermine the independence of Waqf institutions and jeopardise the management of historical Islamic endowments.

Days after protesting students of University of Hyderabad were lathi-charged, the Supreme Court on April 3 ordered the State of Telangana to halt all developmental activities in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Hyderabad, citing large-scale felling of trees and environmental concerns.

The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government and the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay 1 million (10 lakh) rupees in compensation to six individuals whose homes were unlawfully demolished in 2021. The court condemned the demolitions as a violation of constitutional rights and ordered the payment to be made within six weeks.

The Congress party-led Telangana government is facing backlash after police used force against protesting students at the University of Hyderabad and detained a journalist covering the demonstrations. The protests erupted over the state government’s decision to auction 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, which students and activists claim is vital for biodiversity and ecological balance.

Assam-based news reporter Dilwar Hussain Mozumder was released from judicial custody on March 29 after securing bail in the second case against him. However, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s response seems to reveal a lack of understanding regarding what constitutes journalism and who qualifies as a journalist.

The central government issued 66 takedown notices to X (formerly Twitter) over the past year, with one-third targeting content critical of Union Ministers and government agencies, according to The Hindu, whose report is based on an analysis of court documents from a lawsuit filed by X challenging the government’s actions in the Karnataka High Court.

The Supreme Court has observed that protecting freedom of speech and expression, even when what is said is unpopular or disliked, is essential and must be respected in a healthy democracy. The observation came in a case involving Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi, who was accused of promoting enmity through a poem shared in a social media post.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ability to pass bills in Parliament may not be as straightforward as you might think. With the dynamics of coalition politics, the composition of the two Houses of Parliament, and the nature of the legislation in question, the ease—or difficulty—of getting bills approved varies greatly.

The 2025 annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) accuses India of a sharp decline in religious freedom, particularly for minorities such as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. In response, India has vehemently rejected these claims, labelling them as biased and politically motivated assessments.

The Supreme Court has decided to take up a case on its own – called a “suo motu” action – to review a controversial ruling made by the Allahabad High Court, that actions such as grabbing a child’s breasts, breaking the string of her clothes and trying to drag her to a secluded spot do not qualify as either rape or an attempt to commit rape.

On March 24, the Supreme Court strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for the demolition of houses in Prayagraj, describing the act as shocking and deeply troubling.

Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court has strongly denied allegations that large amounts of burnt cash were discovered in a storeroom at his official residence following a fire on the night of March 14.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has ordered a formal inquiry into the alleged discovery of a large amount of cash at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court—a matter that has raised serious questions about judicial integrity.

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, alleging that the country’s IT Ministry has overstepped its legal authority by unlawfully expanding censorship powers. The legal dispute centres around new mechanisms introduced by the Indian government that, according to X, allow for more widespread and unregulated content removal from online platforms.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on March 19 forcibly removed farmers who had been demonstrating at the Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab for more than a year, detained farmer leaders, and cleared the temporary shelters and trolleys that had housed farmers. On March 20, several demonstrations to condemn the government’s move, described as backstabbing, were held, leading to more detentions and arrests.

India ranks 24^th out of 33 countries on the “Future of Free Speech” index, which measures global support for free speech and identifies which topics people believe should be open for discussion and criticism. The report show that while many Indians express belief in the importance of free speech, the country’s legal and political environment does not reflect these sentiments.

Curfew was imposed for the second consecutive day in Nagpur, Maharashtra, following communal tensions sparked by demands from Hindu nationalist groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, to remove the tomb of 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The groups argued that Aurangzeb’s legacy was emblematic of historical oppression against Hindus.

The Indian government’s decision to allocate $1 billion (about 8,300 crore rupees) to promote the influencer economy may not reflect just economic aspirations, but also potential political calculations. Does this initiative purely aim to expand India's digital economy, or could it subtly serve to extend ideological influence in the rapidly evolving landscape of social media?

In an assembly speech, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed his outrage over the use of abusive language directed at his family on social media, particularly against the women in his household. His anger is understandable, but not the threat he issued to "strip" and "parade" offenders on the streets, nor his proposal to amend laws governing media and social media use. 

At a recent seminar, Supreme Court Justice B.V. Nagarathna drew attention to the lack of adequate representation of women in the legal profession, judiciary and political leadership roles in India. She also called for ensuring at least 30 percent reservation for women advocates in legal panels representing state and central governments, as well as in the panels advising public sector units.