Sedition trials can go on if accused is willing, says SC

Four years after putting on hold trials in sedition cases in courts across the country, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that they could proceed with trials and appeals involving the offence of sedition under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) if the accused had no objection.

Ebola crisis: India-Africa Delhi summit postponed

The Ebola public health emergency in Africa cast its shadow on India's diplomatic calendar on Thurs-day, with the Ministry of External Affairs and the African Union announcing the postponement of the India-Africa Forum Summit-IV that was scheduled to take place here from May 28 to 31.

India's crude oil imports decline by 4.3% in April, but bill goes up by 50%

The volume of India's crude oil imports fell by 4.3% in April, the second month after the start of the West Asia conflict, while the value of imports soared by about 50% over the comparable period last year, government data showed. The figures are an indication of the price pressure on crude oil and natural gas due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Memorial to honour Indian troops opened in Seoul

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Republic of Korea's Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oheul jointly inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park in Seoul on Wednesday, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Korean War and honouring the contribution of Indian troops during the conflict. Mr. Singh highlighted India's enduring contribution to peace and humanitarian assistance on the Korean Peninsula.

Caste away

The Supreme Court was not wrong to dis-miss a petition that sought to stall the caste census, which is part of the ongoing Census 2027. The Chief Justice of India remarked, in support of the caste count, that "any government of the day must know how many people are backward and how many need welfare". 

Regulation, not bans, can protect online gamers

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, was passed with the objective to "protect individuals, especially youth and vulnerable populations, from the adverse social, economic, psychological and privacy-related impacts" of online games involving money. As growing evidence of their impact emerges, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Act is proving counterproductive. Early studies suggest that the use of offshore online betting and gambling platforms has risen since the ban. Following the implementation of the PROG Act in October 2025, users quickly shifted from regulated domestic websites to illegal offshore platforms.

Bat for the better

The RTI Act was originally designed to scrutinise the state, a limit that the BCCI has repeatedly tested thanks to its outsized power. The BCCI is a private body that operates commercially and lacks direct public financing. RTI disclosures could expose competitive information and compromise the flexibility required to govern a sport, especially since the BCCI already has anti-corruption measures and comes under judicial review if required. 

Regulation, not bans, can protect online gamers

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, was passed with the objective to "protect individuals, especially youth and vulnerable populations, from the adverse social, economic, psychological and privacy-related impacts" of online games involving money. As growing evidence of their impact emerges, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Act is proving counterproductive. Early studies suggest that the use of offshore online betting and gambling platforms has risen since the ban. Following the implementation of the PROG Act in October 2025, users quickly shifted from regulated domestic websites to illegal offshore platforms.

On measuring freedom of the press in India

A patient complaining of pain can be asked to quantify it on a scale of 10 - a practice common in the West but still rare in India. There are experts who "aim to deeply investigate happiness measurement through biomedical signals, using psychophysiological methods to objectify the happiness experience." Objective, universal facts are supposed to be the basis of management and governance.

Should the rupee be left to depreciate?

If the economy experiences a current account deficit without sufficient inflow of foreign capital, it faces a problem, with demand for foreign exchange exceeding available supply.

Much of the rupee's decline has been driven by speculative outflows of foreign institutional investment. These speculative expectations can lead to capital outflow and depreciation, necessitating current account adjustments driven by market sentiment.

How does the Gaganyaan's life-support system operate?

The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) replicates the earth's atmosphere in earth orbit by managing air, water, temperature, and waste. In short-term space missions, all supplies are carried from the earth and waste is stored for disposal later. Long-duration missions recycle the waste back into useful resources like breathable air and clean water.

India flags Pakistan's 'long-tainted' record of genocidal acts

India highlighted Afghan civilian deaths and injuries caused by cross-border violence by Pakistani military forces, saying such "heinous acts" of aggression should not come as a surprise from a country that bombs its own people and conducts systematic genocide.

Criminal justice system must adopt a more victim-centric approach: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that there is a pressing need for the criminal justice system to adopt a more victim-centric approach while re-fusing to entertain a plea seeking the clubbing of FIRS registered across several States by an accused in a chit fund scam.

Ladakh civil society leaders to meet Union Home Ministry officials today

A civil society delegation from Ladakh, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who was released from detention under the National Security Act on March 14, will meet Union Home Ministry officials on Friday. This is the first meeting of members of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two bodies re-presenting Leh and Kargil districts, respectively, since February 4 when a high-powered committee (HPC) meeting led by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was held in New Delhi. The meeting had remained inconclusive.    

Hope India will play a role in ending Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finland PM

Finland hopes the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is ratified by all 27 European Union members and is signed at the earliest, Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has said. He has expressed the hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will use his relationship with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to find an end to the conflict on the country's borders.   

India skips vote on UN climate resolution

India abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling on countries to comply with their obligations on climate change, voicing concern that the draft "under-mines" the "sacrosanct architecture" of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

India seeks inputs on issues in pharma export to SAARC, Iran

SAARC member India has begun an exercise to spot and resolve market access issues its drugs and pharmaceuticals face in other SAARC nations and Iran. Trade The Foreign (South Asia) Division in the Department of Commerce is collecting inputs on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS), Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and market ac-cess issues, pharma exporters body Pharmexcil said seeking details from its members recently.

Mojtaba forbids export of enriched uranium: officials

Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on one of the main U.S. demands at peace talks. 

Bangladesh-China talks under way for Tarique Rahman's first foreign visit

Bangladesh's new Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, is in talks with Beijing to vi-sit China in the coming weeks. According to a re-port in Prothom Alo, Beijing is keen to welcome Mr. Rahman for his first foreign trip in the last week of June.     

Experts clarify the link between screen time, autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly being discussed on social media, often alongside claims linking excessive screen time to autism in children. However, neurologists and developmental experts say the science is far more complex.