Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s “growth momentum remains strong”, even as the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee downgraded the real gross domestic growth for the financial year 2026-’27 to 6.6%. This is 0.3% lower than the 6.9% projection made in April.

According to the central bank, prolonged disruptions of global supply chains, heightened volatility in financial markets and problems created by the weather pose risks to domestic growth.

However, in a social media post, the prime minister stated: “GDP growth rate of 7.7% in FY 2025-26 and 7.8% in Q4 of FY 2025-26 reflect the inherent strength of our economy, the success of reforms and the hard work of 140 crore Indians.” Read on.

Modi is asking Indians to make sacrifices for an economic crisis he oversaw, writes Anand Teltumbde

The new BJP government in West Bengal has begun verifying the eligibility of beneficiaries under the public distribution system based on the outcome of the special intensive revision of the state’s electoral rolls. The food and supplies department said that it would mark as inactive the ration cards of persons deleted from the voter list.

This means that beneficiaries who were marked as absent, shifted, duplicate or dead in the draft list published in December would become ineligible for their food entitlements under the public distribution system. Those who were removed from electoral rolls in the subsequent supplementary lists would also become ineligible. Read on.

Former chief of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party K Annamalai quit the organisation. The party has formally accepted his resignation from its primary membership.

Annamalai said that he had quit the party after coming “to the conclusion that our views don’t align regarding Tamil Nadu”.

In a video message after his resignation, he said that he would launch a new political party that would contest the next Assembly elections expected to be held in 2031. “Today, we are going to start a movement,” he said. Read on.

Two days after Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s new Cabinet took office, Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy submitted his resignation as a minister. Reddy said he had taken the decision due to displeasure about the portfolio allocated to him.

Reddy was made the irrigation minister on Thursday. In a press conference, the MLA claimed that he had twice been promised the Bengaluru development department by the party, adding that he had “never asked anyone for any portfolio”. Read on.

The Delhi High Court declines to urgently hear a petition seeking preventive directions to the authorities in connection with a protest by satirical political campaign Cockroach Janta Party. The demonstration is scheduled to be held on Saturday.

The petition was filed by Delhi-based activist group Save India Foundation, which contended before the court that such a protest, if left unregulated, could hamper public safety, traffic and security in the national capital. Read on.

Interview: ‘Good chance that BJP will co-opt Cockroach Janta Party’s demands’

Three Kuki civilians were killed in an attack in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. Additionally, at least seven houses in the Loibol Khullen village were burnt in the suspected militant attack at about 4 am, said Kuki Inpi Manipur, an apex body representing Kuki tribes in the state.

The residents were forced to flee after the houses were set on fire. The deaths reportedly took place during an exchange of fire between rival groups that lasted several minutes.

The developments came amid tensions between Kukis and Nagas in Ukhrul that had erupted in February. Read on.

‘We thought peace was coming’: Manipur’s buffer zones are back in grip of violence, reports Rokibuz Zaman

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