Less than a week before the Delhi Assembly elections, seven Aam Aadmi Party MLAs resigned from the party. They are Trilokpuri’s Rohit Kumar Mehraulia, Janakpuri’s Rajesh Rishi, Kasturba Nagar’s Madan Lal, Mehrauli’s Naresh Yadav, Bijwasan’s Bhupinder Singh Joon, Palam’s Bhavna Gaur and Adarsh Nagar’s Pawan Sharma.

The polls are scheduled for February 5, with votes to be counted on February 8. Apart from Naresh Yadav, all other legislators who resigned were not given tickets to contest the elections.

On December 20, the party replaced Yadav with Mahender Chaudhary as its Mehrauli candidate. This came after Yadav was convicted in a Quran desecration case dating back to June 2016, when torn pages of the religious text were found in Punjab’s Malerkotla.

In his letter to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Yadav alleged that “corruption has infiltrated” the party, while Lal and Gaur said they were resigning as they had lost faith in the former. Read on.

India’s real GDP is projected to grow between 6.3% and 6.8% in the financial year 2025-’26, according to the Economic Survey released a day ahead of the Budget. This would mark the second consecutive year of growth below 7%. The GDP for 2024-’25 is estimated to fall to a four-year low of 6.4%, based on early government estimates.

The Economic Survey, tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said that India must navigate global headwinds with “strategic and prudent policy management”. Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran cited geopolitical uncertainties and commodity price shocks as key risks but noted that rural demand, easing food inflation and macroeconomic stability could support growth.

Retail inflation fell from 5.4% in 2023-’24 to 4.9% in 2024-’25 due to lower fuel price inflation. The Reserve Bank of India had projected GDP growth at 6.6% for 2024-’25, citing rural consumption recovery.

The World Bank forecast India’s GDP growth at 6.7% over the next two years, with expansion in services and manufacturing. The International Monetary Fund said on January 10 that India’s economy may be “a little weaker” in 2025 despite steady global growth. Read on.

United States President Donald Trump has reiterated his threat to impose 100% import tariffs on BRICS countries if they moved to reduce reliance on the US dollar in global trade. He said the US “will not stand idly by” while BRICS nations develop an alternative currency.

Trump’s warning came a day after he announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He demanded that BRICS nations stop supporting competing currencies, warning of severe consequences, including restricted access to the US market.

The BRICS group, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia. The bloc has discussed creating alternatives to the dollar, with Russia and China leading the push. A BRICS currency proposal was considered at recent summits in South Africa and Russia’s Kazan. Trump had issued a similar warning on December 1.

India has also taken steps to reduce dollar reliance. The Reserve Bank of India allowed international trade in rupees in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported financial integration among BRICS nations while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called trade in national currencies “of great importance”. Read on.

The Supreme Court has rejected an application seeking permission to conduct an Urs at the site of the Pir Haji Shah Mangroli dargah in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath between February 1 and February 3. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih dismissed the request, stating it could not be granted without hearing the “main matter”.

The dargah was among several Muslim religious sites and residences allegedly illegally demolished by district authorities in September as part of an anti-encroachment drive. A contempt petition was filed against the demolitions but the Supreme Court refused to stay them in October.

Advocate IH Syed, for the petitioner, argued that the dargah was a protected monument where the Urs had been conducted for years. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Gujarat government, said the demolitions followed due process and were not religiously motivated.

The application, filed by the shrine’s mujawar, stated that devotees had always been allowed to visit the site during the Urs. However, the district collector had issued a notification prohibiting persons from gathering at the dargah this year, it added. Read on.

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