South India State News

Tamil Nadu Forms High-Level Panel on State Autonomy Amid Centre-State Tensions

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

On April 15, 2025, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the formation of a high-level committee to examine and recommend measures for enhancing state autonomy. The committee is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph and includes former IAS officer Ashok Vardhan Shetty and Dr. M. Naganathan, former Vice Chairman of the State […]

East India State News

Odisha Imposes 61-Day Fishing Ban to Protect Marine Life

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

The Odisha government has imposed a 61-day fishing ban along its 484-kilometer coastline starting April 15, 2025, and lasting until June 14. The annual ban aims to safeguard marine biodiversity during the peak breeding season of key fish species, particularly the commercially valuable Hilsa. Implemented under the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act of 1982, the […]

South India State News

Telangana Becomes First State to Implement SC Sub-Quota

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

Telangana has become the first state in India to implement sub-categorisation within Scheduled Caste (SC) reservations, marking a significant shift in how affirmative action is administered. The policy came into effect on April 14, 2025, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and aims to ensure that the most disadvantaged castes among the […]

Defence National

Encounter Breaks Out in J&K’s Poonch, One Soldier Injured

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

A fierce encounter erupted on the night of April 14, 2025, in Lasana village in the Surankote area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, as Indian security forces engaged suspected terrorists in a joint anti-insurgency operation. The mission, dubbed “Operation Lasana,” was launched based on credible intelligence inputs regarding the movement of militants in

International

Saudi Haj Portal Reopens for Additional Indian Pilgrims

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

Saudi Arabia has reopened its Haj portal to accommodate 10,000 more Indian pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, scheduled between June 4 and June 9. The move follows intervention by India’s Ministry of Minority Affairs after more than 52,500 slots were lost due to delays by private tour operators in meeting Saudi deadlines. Earlier this […]

Law & Order National

Robert Vadra Appears Before ED in Haryana Land Deal Probe

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

Businessman Robert Vadra appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on April 15, 2025, in connection with a money laundering investigation related to a 2008 land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. This was the second summons issued to Vadra in the case after he failed to appear for questioning on April 8. The investigation pertains to a […]

Economy National

India’s March Inflation Holds at 3.6% After Four-Month Decline

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

India’s retail inflation rate remained steady at 3.6% in March 2025, bringing a four-month easing trend to a halt. The unchanged figure from February’s 3.61% was driven primarily by a sharp rise in gold prices, which helped offset continued softness in food prices. Economists noted that while food price moderation has been consistent in recent […]

Business Trade

India’s Crude Oil Import Price Drops Below $70 per Barrel

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

India’s average crude oil import price has dropped to $69.39 per barrel as of April 11, 2025 — the first time it has dipped below the $70 mark since August 2021. This marks a sharp decline of more than 22% from April 2024, when the price stood at $89.44 per barrel. The drop is largely […]

International

Harvard Faces $2.2 Billion Federal Funding Freeze From Trump Administration

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

Harvard University is facing a major financial blow as the U.S. government has frozen more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts. The drastic action follows Harvard’s refusal to implement a series of directives issued by the Trump administration, which included dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, banning

East India State News

Violence Erupts in South 24 Parganas Over Waqf Amendment Act

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2025

Fresh violence erupted in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on April 14 as protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act escalated into open clashes. The unrest broke out in Bhangar when supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) attempted to march toward Ramlila Maidan in Kolkata to attend a rally organized by ISF MLA Naushad […]