The number of Indian citizens seeking asylum in the United States grew eightfold between 2020 and 2023, according to a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University. While 6,000 Indian nationals had applied for refuge in the US in 2020, the number touched 51,000 in 2023.

The US grants asylum to persons fleeing persecution or other harm in their home countries. The study found that since 2001, Punjabi speakers consistently emerged as the largest group of Indian migrants seeking asylum in the US. They were also more likely to have their asylum requests approved by US immigration courts.

“The vast majority of asylum seekers are economic migrants who face limited economic opportunities at home and thus seek employment opportunities abroad,” stated the study.

This comes against the backdrop of the US deporting at least 335 Indian nationals since February 5. The deportations are part of a wider crackdown by US President Donald Trump’s administration. According to the study, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported the removal of over 1,500 Indian nationals from the US in the financial year 2024. More on Scroll.

The Assam Police on Monday booked Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The action came days after the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s wife, British citizen Elizabeth Coleburn, has ties to Sheikh and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence.

On Sunday, the state Cabinet called for an “extensive inquiry” to determine whether the activities of Sheikh, an advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission, were part of a “larger conspiracy” against India. The Cabinet had decided not to register any case against Gogoi or Coleburn.

On Friday, Gogoi said that the BJP had taken “extreme steps to defame” him and his family and added that he would be taking legal action. “Their allegations are malicious and baseless,” he said. More on Scroll.

The Supreme Court has said “there should be a limit” to the number of intervention applications being filed in connection with cases challenging the constitutional validity of the 1991 Places of Worship Special Provisions Act. The court on Monday posted the matter for hearing in April.

The Act, which does not allow any changes to the religious character of a place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, was challenged by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Upadhyay in 2020.

Several political parties and leaders, including the Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi, have filed intervention applications defending the Act.

In December, the Supreme Court asked the Union government to file an affidavit addressing the challenges to the Act. This is yet to be done despite the Centre being granted several extensions. Read on.

A first information report has been registered against “all members who played roles in all episodes” of the comedy talent show India’s Got Latent, said the Maharashtra Police on Monday. A total of 42 persons, including artists, producers and content creators have been summoned in the matter so far, said the police.

This comes days after remarks made by YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on one of the episodes of the show triggered a row. Allahbadia, known for his podcast BeerBiceps, had asked a contestant an explicit question about their parents in a now-deleted episode of the show. Provocative humour was the show’s mainstay.

Raina deleted all episodes of the show from his YouTube channel after the row. Read on.

‘BeerBiceps’ controversy: Why is the BJP going after its own cheerleader?

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