LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Allows 31-Week Abortion to Minor, Cites Article 21 Rights

• The Supreme Court permitted a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her 31-week pregnancy, calling reproductive autonomy a core part of Article 21.

• The Bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan held that forcing an unwanted pregnancy violates a woman's dignity, privacy, and personal liberty.

• The Court reaffirmed that the right to take decisions regarding one's own body is an essential part of personal liberty and bodily autonomy.

• Special emphasis was placed on the fact that the victim was a minor, and her consent and welfare must be treated as the highest priority.

• The Court noted the girl's severe psychological trauma, including reports of two suicide attempts, and said continuation would worsen her mental and physical health.

• The government argued that the pregnancy had crossed the 24-week limit under the MTP Act and warned of risks to the girl and foetus, also suggesting delivery and adoption.

• The Supreme Court ruled that in exceptional cases like minors, the child's best interest and constitutional rights override rigid procedural limitations.

• The judgment highlighted that denying relief could cause permanent harm to the minor's education, future, and social life, and warned that repeated refusals may discourage vulnerable girls from seeking legal help.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UNGA President Annalena Baerbock to Visit India

• UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock will visit India next week to enhance cooperation on multilateral and global issues.

• The visit highlights India's increasing influence in international diplomacy and within the United Nations framework.

• Baerbock is expected to hold high-level bilateral meetings with senior Indian officials during her stay.

• Key discussion areas may include global governance reforms, peacebuilding, sustainable development, and climate-related cooperation.

• She will also engage with India's role in the UN and its long-standing demand for UN reforms, including expansion of the UN Security Council.

• Baerbock will meet the United Nations Country Team in India, led by UN Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner.

• The UN Country Team works in India on SDG implementation, humanitarian support, and development cooperation projects.

• The UNGA President is elected for a one-year term and plays an important role in guiding UN General Assembly sessions and coordinating dialogue among member nations.

Gen Upendra Dwivedi Inducted into US Army War College International Hall of Fame

• Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the US Army War College in Pennsylvania.

• The honour was conferred during his official visit to the United States, reflecting growing India–US defence cooperation.

• The International Hall of Fame recognises distinguished military leaders for their contribution to national security and international military collaboration.

• General Dwivedi is an alumnus of the US Army War College, making the recognition personally significant as well.

• He became only the third Indian Army Chief to receive this distinction.

• Earlier Indian Army chiefs honoured include General V.K. Singh and General Bikram Singh.

• During the visit, he interacted with faculty and international officers, speaking on leadership, military education, and evolving global security threats.

• The US Army War College, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, plays a key role in training senior military leadership, and the event highlights deepening strategic ties in the Indo-Pacific region.

APPOINTMENTS

Ashok Lahiri Likely New Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog

• The Union government is expected to appoint former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, replacing Suman Bery.

• Along with him, Gobardhan Das, Director of IISER Bhopal, is likely to be appointed as a Member of NITI Aayog.

• These appointments are taking place during the West Bengal Assembly elections, making them politically significant.

• Ashok Lahiri is currently a BJP MLA from Balurghat and is not contesting the 2026 elections, indicating a return to national policy-making.

• Lahiri has served in key academic and institutional roles, including teaching at Delhi School of Economics, working with the World Bank and IMF, and later serving as India's Chief Economic Adviser.

• He has also led the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and served as a member of the 15th Finance Commission.

• Gobardhan Das, a former JNU professor, had contested the 2021 West Bengal elections and is viewed as a socially significant Dalit leader with political relevance.

• The move is being seen as part of a broader revamp of NITI Aayog, especially after the exit of CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, and Lahiri's combined economic and election-analysis background (author of India Decides) may influence future policy direction.

Noida International Airport Appoints Nitu Sarma as Interim CEO

• Noida International Airport (Jewar, Uttar Pradesh) has appointed Nitu Sarma as its interim Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

• She was earlier serving as the airport's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since October 2021.

• The appointment was made following directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

• BCAS clarified that the CEO of an airport operating in India must be an Indian national, leading to this leadership change.

• Nitu Sarma will continue in the interim role until the Board of Directors finalises and appoints a permanent CEO.

• The previous CEO, Christoph Schnellmann (Swiss national), had been serving in the position since August 2020.

• He has now been shifted to a new role as Executive Vice Chairman on the airport's Board of Directors to support strategic planning.

• Noida International Airport is expected to become one of India's largest airports, and it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2026.

AWARDS

Guntur Municipal Corporation Wins UNIDO GEM Award 2026 (Vienna)

• Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has received the 4th Gender Equality Mobilisation (GEM) Award from UNIDO in Vienna.

• The award was presented during the International Day of Women in Industry 2026 celebrations.

• GMC was honoured for linking women empowerment with sustainable waste management practices.

• The key initiative involved deploying 200+ women as electric auto drivers for door-to-door garbage collection.

• These women were earlier working in informal waste collection, and were later identified, trained, and given formal employment.

• The programme is being implemented under UNIDO's Sustainable Cities Integrated Approach Pilot (SCIAP) project.

• The initiative promotes zero-emission waste management through electric vehicles and supports green jobs for women in the sanitation sector.

• The award was received by Olga Rataj (UNIDO Sustainable Cities Project Manager), in the presence of former Finnish President Tarja Halonen and senior UNIDO officials.

ECONOMY NEWS

India's Forex Reserves Rise to $703.31 Billion (RBI Data)

• India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $2.36 billion to reach $703.31 billion for the week ending 17 April 2026, as per RBI data.

• This rise follows the previous week's increase of $3.825 billion, when reserves stood at $700.946 billion (week ended 10 April 2026).

• The trend indicates a steady improvement in India's external financial position after recent fluctuations.

• The biggest contributor was Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), which rose by $1.48 billion to reach $557.46 billion.

• FCA is the largest component of forex reserves and is affected by valuation changes in major currencies like the US dollar, euro, and yen.

• India's forex reserves had earlier reached an all-time peak of $728.494 billion in February 2026.

• Reserves declined later due to West Asia geopolitical tensions, which pressured the rupee and led the RBI to intervene through dollar sales.

• Forex reserves consist of FCA, gold reserves, SDRs, and IMF reserve position, and strong reserves help control currency volatility, improve investor confidence, and ensure import security.