India in 2 Minutes for the Week of March 27

PM Modi seeks to reassure country amid gas shortage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has enough energy reserves to manage domestic demand despite disruptions caused by the Iran war.

Speaking in Parliament on March 23, he said the government was working to minimise hardship for ordinary families.

India is expanding strategic oil reserves and helping Indian vessels pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz as global energy supplies remain strained.

Health ministry warns on misuse of cheap weight-loss drugs

The health ministry has warned against the unsupervised use of new low-cost generic weight-loss drugs after semaglutide patents expired on March 20.

Officials said the drugs must be taken only on prescription and under medical supervision.

Regulatory surveillance has been stepped up, with action planned against misleading promotion and off-label use through pharmacies, online sellers, and wellness clinics.

Activists challenge privacy law in top court

Transparency campaigners and journalists have moved the Supreme Court against the government’s new privacy law, saying it could weaken the Right to Information Act (RTI) and hurt journalism.

They argue the law’s broad exclusion of “personal information” may let officials block disclosure of matters of public interest.

The government says the RTI regime still follows “maximum disclosure and minimum exemptions”.

Andhra Pradesh launches incentives for third child

Andhra Pradesh will offer cash incentives from April 1 to encourage families to have a third child, becoming India’s first state to adopt such a policy.

Parents will get Rs25,000 (S$340), monthly support for five years, and free education for the child up to age 18.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said falling fertility rates demand a new policy response.

Harish dies after passive euthanasia ruling

Mr Harish Rana, the first Indian to have passive euthanasia allowed by court order, died on March 24 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi after spending more than 13 years in a vegetative state.

The 31-year-old suffered severe brain injuries in a 2013 fall. His family later donated his corneas and heart valves, turning a painful legal and medical journey into an act of compassion.

Google to mark verified investment apps

Google will begin labelling verified investment apps on its app store in India to help users identify legitimate trading platforms and avoid scams.

Only brokers and intermediaries registered with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India will receive the verification badge.

The move is part of a wider crackdown on fraudulent apps posing as genuine financial services.

Actor Harshil Kalia dies in Jaipur crash

Actor and model Harshil Kalia, 30, died after her car crashed into a divider and overturned in Jaipur on March 23. She was returning home from work when the accident occurred on Shipra Path Road.

Locals rescued her and took her to hospital, but she succumbed to severe head injuries. Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Odisha Maoist leader Sukru surrenders

Wanted Maoist leader Sukru alias Kosha Sodhi, carrying a bounty of Rs55 lakh (S$750,000), has surrendered before Odisha police along with four others.

Police said the senior Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader had been under intense pressure from security operations, drone surveillance, and family appeals.

His surrender is seen as a major step in Odisha’s push to become Maoist-free by March 31.

Sameer Wankhede denies bribe demand claim

Former Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede has told the Bombay High Court he neither demanded nor accepted a Rs25 crore bribe in the drugs case related to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan. His lawyer argued that someone else was responsible.

The court said the issue was whether there was material in the first information report, not whether a chargesheet had yet been filed. The case remains under investigation.

Cold storage collapse kills four in Prayagraj

At least four people were killed and 12 injured after part of a cold storage facility collapsed in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, triggering an ammonia leak.

Rescue teams rushed to the site amid fears more workers could be trapped. Officials said all injured labourers had been taken to hospital. Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse.

Kamal Haasan’s MNM to skip Tamil Nadu polls

Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has announced that his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam, will not contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

The decision followed differences with ally DMK over seat allocation and the proposal that MNM candidates contest under the DMK’s Rising Sun symbol.

Mr Haasan said the party would still extend unconditional support to the DMK-led alliance.

Andhra orders probe into Amaravati fire incidents

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a detailed probe into a series of fires at construction sites in Amaravati, amid suspicion of sabotage.

The latest blaze destroyed stored PVC pipes at a major project site in Rayapudi village.

Officials said this was the second such incident in two weeks, fuelling concerns of a possible conspiracy.

Fish enters Bengal’s election battle

Fish has become an unlikely campaign symbol in West Bengal, as both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress seek to connect with Bengali voters.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of being anti-Bengali and against fish and meat consumption.

The BJP has responded by publicly embracing fish in campaign appearances, saying it respects Bengal’s food culture and traditions.

Probe widens against Nashik godman

Police probing self-styled godman Ashok Kharat have uncovered assets worth Rs1,500 crore and around 100 objectionable videos, widening a case that already includes rape allegations.

Kharat was arrested on March 18 after a woman accused him of repeated sexual assault. Additional complaints have since emerged, including allegations involving exploitation under false promises of remarriage.

UK court rejects Nirav Modi’s fresh plea

A UK court has rejected fugitive businessman Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition to India.

Mr Modi had sought relief based on a separate ruling involving defence middleman Sanjay Bhandari. Wanted in the Punjab National Bank fraud case, Mr Modi has been fighting extradition since his arrest in Britain in 2019.

Courts have already approved his return to India.