The Allahabad High Court orders Father Pereira to stand trial for calling Jesus's religion "the only true religion" in a church sermon. The court cited India's secularism to argue that such a claim denigrates other faiths. This is a paradoxical development in a state like Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu fundamentalist stronghold.
The US startup Nucleus Genomics, known for its controversial genetic testing on embryos, has signed a series of deals with Indira IVF, a chain of Indian fertility clinics with currently more than 180 centres across the country. Despite stringent IVF regulations in the South Asian country, the partnership will provide access to a huge market that is experiencing rapid growth due to declining fertility rates.
The ruling overturns a provision that previously limited this right to cases where the child was under three months old. However, legal disparities remain: biological mothers, for example, are entitled to 26 weeks’ leave, whilst fathers are entitled to just 15 days, and only if they work in the public sector.
Over 400 soon-to-be-weds, migrant workers in various countries across the region, are unable to return home and tie the knot due to the suspension of flights. Families are in despair, having completed their preparations yet facing an uncertain future. Some are considering video calls for an ‘alternative’ ceremony, but weddings are not merely a personal choice but community events woven into the social and economic fabric.
Recently, the state government led by Yumnam Khemchand Singh met with the Kuki-Zo Council for the first time, issuing an appeal to "forgive and forget". The meeting marks a first step towards reconciliation, but tensions and deep mistrust remain between the communities.
The decision by Narendra Modi’s government to revoke a code that came into force in November to improve infrastructure safety in high-risk areas has drawn strong criticism from the scientific community, whilst builders have welcomed the reduction in costs and regulatory constraints. Several new infrastructure projects are set to be built in high-risk areas such as the Himalayas and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
