(1) Waqf Amendment Bill passes Parliament
A Bill to improve the functioning of the Waqf Board and streamline the process of donating waqf properties passed both Houses of the Parliament on Saturday (April 5, 2025) after several hours of debate in the Lok Sabha. The controversial Bill was accused of allowing the government to interfere in Muslim religious affairs and autonomy.
The Congress, AIMIM’s Assadudin Owaisi and the AAP have filed pleas in the Supreme Court against the Amendment.
A waqf is a property donated as a religious endowment used for specific purposes. The graphic below explains the process of donating a Waqf and key changes proposed by the Amendment.
(2) Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and the targeted countries
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new set of tariffs on Wednesday (April 2, 2025), escalating tensions with allies and adversaries alike in a bid to bolster U.S. manufacturing. Mr. Trump listed the high tariffs charged by India on American products as he announced reciprocal tariffs on countries across the board, declaring a 26% “discounted reciprocal tariff” on India.
As he announced the tariffs, he held up a chart that showed the tariffs that countries such as India, China, the U.K., and the European Union charge, along with the reciprocal tariffs that these countries will now have to pay.
White House officials also said that they would impose what they describe as custom reciprocal tariffs on roughly 60 of the “worst offenders”. These will go into effect on April 9. The key trading partners subject to these customised tariff rates include:
China: 54% (includes earlier tariffs); Cambodia: 49%; Vietnam: 46%; Sri Lanka: 44%; Thailand: 36%; Taiwan: 32%; South Africa: 30%; Japan: 24%; European Union: 20%; Philippines: 17%.
(3) President’s Rule confirmed in Manipur
The statutory resolution for confirming the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur was adopted by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of April 4, 2025 (Friday) and by the Lok Sabha on the day before (April 3). President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, four days after the State’s Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned.
Currently, this is the eleventh instance of President’s Rule being imposed in Manipur since 1967 – when the it was imposed for the first time for a period of 8 days (from March 12 to March 19). Manipur was the sixth State to come under President’s Rule, whereas Punjab was the first when President’s Rule was imposed in the State in 1951, as shown in the graphic below.
Currently, Manipur is the only State or UT under the imposition of President’s Rule. On October 13, 2024, a six-year-long President’s Rule was revoked in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir paving the way for the formation of a new JKNC-led government. Since 1967, Manipur has spent a cumulative six and a half years under President’s Rule. Among all the States and Union Territories, Manipur ranks fourth when it comes to the total time spent under President’s Rule.
(4) Foreign aid to Myanmar as death toll surpasses 3,000 after earthquake
Over 3,000 people have so far been reported dead following Friday’s (March 28, 2025) magnitude 7.7 earthquake in a country where millions were already displaced by a civil war triggered by the 2021 military coup. The quake is the deadliest natural disaster to hit Myanmar in years and has damaged critical infrastructure across the country of 55 million people.
Rescue workers, sniffer dogs, paramedics and millions of dollars in aid have begun arriving in Myanmar after a massive earthquake ravaged much of the war-torn country. Here is a look at the major aid contributors:
India sent a search and rescue team, medical professionals and a military transport aircraft filled with blankets, hygiene kits, food packets and other essential items on Saturday. New Delhi has since sent at least four more aircraft and four ships carrying relief material, a special military medical unit and members of its disaster response agency.
(5) Modi meets Sri Lankan President, signs key deals
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to sign key deals on energy, defence and more on Saturday (April 5, 2025). Mr. Dissanayake reassured India that Sri Lankan territory will not be used in any way against India’s security. This came amidst concerns of China’s influence in the island nation.
As part of the talks, both leaders agreed on a debt restructuring deal.
Sri Lanka was hit with an economic crisis in 2021 in the aftermath of the pandemic hitting the tourism sector hard. A drop in foreign exchange reserves squeezed imports of fuel for power generation, triggering several hours of blackout and widespread protests against the previous government.
Other agreements include building an energy hub in eastern Sri Lanka, a defence cooperation agreement, and multi-sectoral assistance to the country’s eastern province. A total of seven MoUs were signed.
Published – April 08, 2025 07:39 am IST