IIP growth at 8-month low of 2.7% in April

Growth in industrial activity in the country slowed to an eight-month low of 2.7% in April 2025, dragged down by lower activity in several sectors, including mining and quarrying, electricity, primary goods, infrastructure and construction, and consumer non-durables, according to the Index of Industrial Pro-duction (IIP) for April 2025 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Wednesday. Growth in industrial activity was last slow-er in August 2024, when the IIP value stayed at 0.0%

Fresh US. visa for students put on hold

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in India have paused scheduling new appointments for student visa applicants as they await "further guidance" from the U.S. State Department, a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable to missions worldwide on the is-sue of social media screening, The Hindu has learnt.

Sound and fury

India needs a societal effort to factor in IMD forecasts in everyday life

The southwest monsoon stormed into Ker-ala, a week ahead of its scheduled arrival on June 1. This was not a surprise because as early as the first week of May, meteorologists had tipped off the country about its early arrival over the Andaman Sea - a crucial pit stop before its advent over Kerala. A May onset is not an exceptional occurrence it has happened four times since 2014 - but additional support from a pre-cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea gave it a tremendous surge due to which several parts of Maharashtra and the Konkan coast saw the monsoon reach their shores earlier than anticipated. It was the first time in 35 years that Mumbai, which usually welcomes the monsoon around June 10, saw a May onset. Even prior to the onset, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as far back as mid-April, had forecast an 'above nor-mal' monsoon rainfall, or 5% more than the historical average of 87 cm. Following the monsoon's onset, it has retained this outlook of 'above normal' rain, and has since increased it to 6% above the average.

Hot on clay

The French Open looks truly open in both the men's and women's sections

The French Open 2025, which got under-way on Sunday, at once seems empty and so full of promise. It is the first edition without the now-retired 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, who had established such a stranglehold in Paris that Roland-Garros, during a soul-stirring ceremony on the opening evening, immortalised his footprint - quite literally on Court Philippe-Chatrier. But in his absence, the field is now open for a new player to stake claim. Defending cham-pion Carlos Alcaraz is the leading candidate and is closely followed by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Spaniard Alcaraz has warmed up well, with Masters titles in Monte Carlo and Rome, and the Italian Open triumph, which came with a straight-sets victory over Sinner in the final, seen as the sounding of the bugle. But Sinner, despite the de-feat, will not be disheartened. Rome was his first tournament after serving a three-month doping-related suspension, and a five-match winning run, including a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of two-time French Open finalist and World No. 8 Casper Ruud, proved that elite tennis was still part of his muscle memory. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Major winner, is without a Slam since US Open 2023, his worst run since 2016-18, but by winning in Geneva last week - his 100th Tour-level title - he is, at least, back in the conversation. Alexander Zverev, a semifinalist or better for four successive years in Paris, will want to shrug off his patchy re-cent form and show that he belongs among the world's best.

A case of practical, pragmatic and innovative education

There has been much attention on the issues of the practical utility, employment generating capacity, innovativeness of the research universe and the capacity of the Indian educational universe for global competition under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP 2020 is a long-term structural reform, designed for phased implementation. It aims to transform India's education system by fostering innovation, strengthening industry-academia collaboration, and enhancing student employability through a wide array of initiatives. The NEP-2020 works in a three-fold way: ensuring originality and indigenously-rooted imagination in research; constant competitiveness in the global educational sphere, and preparing students on a multiple career path.

Examining the RBI's remittances survey

Remittances have long played a quiet but crucial role in India's external sector balance, but in terms of policy attention, they have often been overshadowed by indicators such as foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade flows. Yet the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Sixth Round of India's Remittances Survey, released in March, makes it clear that such flows are integral to the stability and structure of India's external accounts. Inward remittances stood at a record $118.7 billion in 2023-24, not only exceeding FDI inflows but also financing over half of India's merchandise trade deficit. India's persistently high remittance flows constitute a vital stabilising force in the context of global economic uncertainty and tightening financial conditions.

Gender power play

In both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, two high-profile women are fighting hard to cement their place in the political arena. While K. Kavitha, the daughter of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has grabbed headlines in Telangana thanks to a "leaked" letter, Y.S. Sharmila, the daughter of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has been publicly attacking her brother in A.P.

Measles vaccine prevented '9 crore deaths' worldwide

Measles used to be an extremely common dis ease. Just 60 years ago, over 90% of children would get infected by it, and of those who developed symptoms, around a quarter would be hospitalised. However, after John Enders developed the first effective measles vaccine in 1963, vaccination efforts ramped up rapidly in richer countries, and in the 1970s and 1980s, they were scaled up worldwide. In just the last 50 years, it's estimated that measles vaccinations have prevented over 9 crore deaths worldwide (Chart 1). Ana-lysis of over a hundred studies shows that the vaccines reduce the chances of developing measles 20-fold.

The importance of the Deputy Speaker

The position of the Deputy Speaker has been lying vacant for the last six years raising questions on constitutional adherence and democratic resilience. The position goes beyond ceremonial significance and is indispensable to parliamentary democracy. The present scenario of the vacant position could be understood through some very important questions. The framers of the Constitution adopted a parliamentary form of governance to ensure effective representation of the people of India in the political system. This idea would lose its significance if the system does not function properly, effectively and smoothly. It is also extremely important that debates and discussions between the ruling establishment and the Opposition remain proper to make the government accountable, and that checks and balances are ensured. It has been alleged that the current ruling government has vehemently denied to hand over the position of the Deputy Speaker to an Opposition member. This is against the principle of sharing of powers which is one of the mandates of a successful parliamentary democracy. It may also be noted that constitutional conventions do have statutory effect in cases of absence.

How has SC deviated from POCSO in a recent judgment?

The story so far:

On May 23, the Supreme Court (SC) declined to impose a sentence on a man convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), noting that the victim did not view the incident as a crime and had suffered more from the legal fallout.

Cabinet approves hike in MSP for kharif crops; outlay stands at ₹2.07 lakh crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 kharif crops for 2025-26. The total outlay is nearly ₹2.07 lakh crore.

Increased outward FDI by Indian firms 'warrants attention': Finance Ministry

Even as Indian companies turn "cautious" on investing within the country, and the global economic scenario remains uncertain, the increased outward FDI by Indian companies "war-rants attention", the Minis try of Finance has noted in a new report.