| | 5 THINGS FIRST | President Murmu on two-day visit to Uttarakhand; PM Modi to address rally in Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency; Supreme Court to hear plea of IMA against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in advertisements case; UN Security Council meets on sexual violence in conflicts; IPL 2024 – CSK vs LSG
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| | 1. Why HC struck down 24000 appointments in Bengal |  | A big setback- In a major blow to the Mamata Banerjee government, the Calcutta High Court on Monday cancelled the appointment of nearly 24,000 teachers and other staff in West Bengal.
- The court held recruitments made through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST-2016) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools “null and void”.
- The bench also directed the SSC to initiate a fresh recruitment process.
- The court further ordered that those recruited illegally must return their drawn salaries within six weeks.
Mamata to move SC- Terming the high court order as “illegal”, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “We stand by those who lost jobs. We will ensure you get justice, and challenge the order in a higher court [the Supreme Court].”
- The recruitment panel chief Siddharth Majumder also said that the high court order would be challenged in the top court.
A 2016 recruitment scam?- In 2014, the West Bengal SSC introduced the SLST for teacher recruitment, which encountered legal issues due to irregularities and allegations of favouritism.
- Candidates were appointed by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group C and D staffers through the State Level Selection Test-2016.
- Another case emerged in 2016 involving the hiring of 13,000 Group-D employees.
- It has been claimed that unauthorised appointments were made after the panel's expiration. Over 500 individuals allegedly received salaries unauthorisedly.
CBI probe to continue- In 2021, the Calcutta High Court instituted the Justice Bag committee to assess Group C and Group D recruitments.
- The committee found evidence of tampered OMR sheets. Subsequently, the high court ordered investigations by the CBI and ED.
- In August 2022, the ED arrested former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee in the case.
- Several SSC officials, including TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya, were also arrested.
- The high court bench also directed the CBI to continue its investigation into the recruitment process and submit a report in three months. More here
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| | | 2. Amid a raging row, Modi repeats his charge but… |  | Modi reiterates- Amid a raging row over his “infiltrators” remark, PM Modi reiterated his allegation at a rally in Aligarh, which has a sizable Muslim population, that the Congress is planning to redistribute people's property if it is voted to power, but without mentioning who it will go to.
- “These people have their eyes on their ‘mangalsutras',” Modi alleged.
- He also said, “The lives of a number of daughters were ruined due to triple talaq. We made a law against it and made the future of the daughters secure." More here
The previous remark- In Rajasthan on Sunday, PM Modi alleged that the Manmohan Singh government had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's wealth.
- Modi alleged that the Congress’s 2024 manifesto talks about distributing the wealth of “mothers and sisters” among “those who have more children”.
What Modi said- At Rajasthan's Banswara, Modi said, “The Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, and then distribute that property.”
- "Earlier, when they [Congress] were in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's assets. This means to whom will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children. It will be distributed to the infiltrators.”
What Manmohan had said- At a National Development Council meeting in 2006, then PM Manmohan Singh said, "We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on our resources."
The row- The remarks have sparked a massive row, with many criticising PM Modi for using expressions such as "infiltrators" and “those who produce more children” for Muslims.
- Accusing PM Modi of hate speech, Opposition parties have also urged the Election Commission to censure him.
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| | X-PLAINED | | 3. Why top spice brands are in a soup |  | What- Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has taken action against popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest over the alleged detection of the carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide in several spice mixes.
- This comes after a similar notification by Singapore on April 18, which recalled India's ‘Everest fish curry masala’ also over the presence of ethylene oxide.
Toxic element- Ethylene oxide is a pesticide not authorised for use in food beyond permissible limits.
- It is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and its ingestion poses serious health risks, including breast cancer.
Why is Hong Kong worried- The CFS announced its findings on April 5, revealing that the levels of ethylene oxide found in three spice mixes from MDH Group — Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder — exceeded the permissible limits set by Hong Kong regulations.
- According to CFS, “an offender is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction”.
How Everest responded- Everest — the 57-year-old spice brand founded by the late Vadilal Bhai Shah and is India's largest manufacturer of pure and blended spices and is present in more than 80 countries globally — said that all its products go through stringent checks before dispatch and before export.
- “We strictly follow the highest hygiene and food safety standards and norms laid down by the authorities concerned and statutory bodies like the Indian Spice Board, FSSAI and others. However, we are awaiting an official communication to understand the issue and our quality control team will look into the matter," it said.
- This is, however, not the first time that Everest has faced action abroad. In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered a recall of Everest Food Products after they tested positive for Salmonella.
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| | 4. When SC made an ‘exception’ for 30-week pregnancy |  | ‘Exceptional’ circumstances- The Supreme Court on Monday permitted a 14-year-old rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her almost 30-week pregnancy.
- The top court took note of "exceptional" circumstances to deviate from the law and its earlier judgement, saying the welfare of the minor was of “paramount importance”.
The law- The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act sets the upper limit for aborting the foetus at 24 weeks for married women as well as those in special categories, including rape survivors and other vulnerable women, such as those differently-abled and minors.
Special powers invoked- The top court exercised its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, which empowers it to pass any order necessary for doing complete justice in any case, to decide the matter.
- Chief Justice DY Chandrachud-headed bench said, “Bearing in mind the exigencies of the situation and the welfare of the minor, which is of paramount importance and her safety...we set aside the judgement of the Bombay High Court.”
- The bench observed, "We will allow the medical termination since she is 14 years old and it is a rape case. This is an exceptional case."
The high court order- On April 4, the Bombay High Court declined permission for termination of pregnancy, rejecting the plea of the minor’s family.
- The girl's mother subsequently challenged the Bombay High Court order in the top court, which directed the dean of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMGH) at Sion in Mumbai to set up a team of doctors immediately to abort the foetus.
What worked for the girl- While allowing the plea, the SC took note of the report submitted by LTMGH. The court said, "The medical board has clearly opined that the continuation of the pregnancy against the will of the minor would impact negatively on the physical and mental well-being of the minor who is barely 14 years old." More here
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| | | NEWS IN CLUES | | 5. Can you guess this actor? | Clue 1: He changed his name by dropping his ‘Bhavnani’ surname
Clue 2: His “Bittu Sharma” character in his debut film got him a Filmfare award
Clue 3: He is the second cousin of Sonam Kapoor Ahuja on her maternal side
Scroll below for answer
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| | 6. What pro-China Muizzu’s party win means for India |  | What- In what many experts say could potentially harden Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-China stance, his party, the People's National Congress (PNC), scored a major victory in the island nation's parliamentary election, winning 71 out of the 93 seats.
- The poll victory has given Muizzu greater control over the Majlis and also a greater authority to press ahead with closer economic and defence cooperation with China, and diverging from traditional ally India.
Shifting gears- This month, as campaigning for the parliamentary election was in full swing, Muizzu awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to China’s state-owned companies.
- His administration is also in the process of sending home a garrison of 80+ Indian troops who operate reconnaissance aircraft gifted by New Delhi to patrol the Maldives' vast maritime borders.
‘India Out’ campaign- Muizzu, who came to power late last year, ran his election campaign on the theme of "India out", accusing his predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of compromising the country’s sovereignty by giving India too much influence.
- Relations strained further when three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory statements about PM Narendra Modi promoting tourism in Lakshadweep. This prompted a boycott campaign targeting the Maldives’ tourism sector by Indian social media activists.
- According to recent Maldives government statistics, the number of Indian tourists has fallen, dropping from being the top source of foreign visitors to number 6.
What now?- India has so far adopted a restrained approach and played down the strained ties. Last month, Muizzu too appeared to be extending an olive branch, when he acknowledged India's financial support to Male.
- Muizzu said, "India will continue to remain the Maldives' closest ally.” At the end of last year, the Maldives owed India around $400.9 million.
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| | | 8. India has a new chess star |  | What- D Gukesh, India's chess sensation from Chennai, has etched his name in history by becoming the youngest player to win the FIDE Candidates tournament, earning the right to challenge chess world champion Ding Liren.
- At just 17, Gukesh's triumph surpasses a record set by Garry Kasparov four decades ago.
In the league of Anand- Scoring an impressive 9/14 points, Gukesh secured first place in the tournament, joining Viswanathan Anand as the only Indian player to achieve this feat.
- Gukesh also received a cash prize of 88,500 Euros (approximately Rs 78.5 lakh) out of the total prize fund of 5,00,000 Euros.
The next goal- With his eyes set on becoming World No. 1, Gukesh remains undeterred by expectations and is focused on conquering more chess summits.
- “My next goal is to make it big at the World Championship. I am just planning to do my absolute best and try to do the right things. And be in the ideal shape required to play good chess. And I hope things will go my way,” Gukesh said after the win.
A born star- Born on May 29, 2006, in Chennai, Gukesh was born into a Telugu family in Chennai. His father, Rajinikanth, specialises as an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, while his mother, Padma, is a microbiologist. He has been playing chess since he was seven.
- Gukesh holds several remarkable titles in the chess world: he ranks as the third-youngest Grandmaster, the third-youngest to achieve a chess rating of 2700, the youngest to reach a rating of 2750, and the youngest to secure victory in the Candidates Tournament.
- Since its inception in 2020, he has been associated with the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), and starting from 2023, he has been sponsored solely by WestBridge Capital.
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| | 9. Indians rank second among new US citizens |  | What- India emerges as the second-largest contributor of new citizens in the US, with 65,960 Indians officially obtaining US citizenship, according to the latest Congressional report.
- Mexico is the largest contributor of new citizens in the US.
Foreign-born Americans- In 2022, an estimated 46 million foreign-born individuals resided in the US, comprising around 14% of the nation's total population of 333 million.
- Among them, 24.5 million, roughly 53%, reported their status as naturalised citizens.
Trends in naturalisation - The independent Congressional Research Service's "US Naturalisation Policy" report said that 9,69,380 individuals were naturalised as US citizens in 2022.
Top sources- Mexico led with 1,28,878 naturalised citizens in 2022, followed by India (65,960), the Philippines (53,413), Cuba (46,913), and the Dominican Republic (34,525).
- Other notable source countries included Vietnam (33,246) and China (27,038).
- As of 2023, India had the second-largest number of foreign-born American nationals, totalling 2,831,330 individuals.
- Mexico ranked first with 10,638,429 foreign-born American nationals, followed by China with 2,225,447.
That’s not all- Despite India's significant presence, around 42% of India-born foreign nationals in the US were ineligible for citizenship as of 2023.
- However, approximately 2,90,000 India-born individuals holding Green Cards were potentially eligible for naturalisation.
Application trends- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made progress in reducing pending naturalisation applications since FY2020.
- In FY 2023, 823,702 lawful permanent residents (LPRs) submitted naturalization applications.
- Despite this, the number of applicants remains lower than the estimated 9 million eligible LPRs.
Varying rates- Immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Mexico, El Salvador, and Brazil have the lowest percentages of naturalised foreign-born.
- However, those from Vietnam, the Philippines, Russia, Jamaica, and Pakistan have the highest.
Who’s eligible- To be eligible for naturalisation, an applicant must fulfil certain eligibility requirements outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
- The requirements generally include being a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years.
Meanwhile- The EU has introduced a new Schengen visa rule for Indians, offering multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, addressing a longstanding issue of short validity compared to the US. More here
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| | | ANSWER TO NEWS IN CLUES |  | Ranveer Singh. A complaint has been registered regarding a deepfake video, which allegedly features actor Ranveer Singh. In it, the 83 star appears to express sharp political views, criticising PM Modi over soaring unemployment and inflation in the country. The footage, seemingly altered with AI technology, was derived from an interview he participated in during his visit to Varanasi for a fashion event. Singh has taken legal action by filing a complaint, which the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell is now looking into. Following the clip’s circulation, Singh alerted his followers on platform X, cautioning them with the message, “Deepfake se bacho dostonnnn.” | |
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| Written by: Prabhash K Dutta, Rajesh Sharma
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