SC puts brakes on bulldozer culture

The Supreme Court said the States that metamorphose into judges to punish accused persons awaiting trial by driving bulldozers into their homes, indulge in a naked display of "might is right" without sparing a thought for families rendered shelterless overnight. 

A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanath (under Article 142 of the Constitution) is to issue a slew of "binding directives" to fasten accountability on public officials. 

They include 15 days' prior notice of demolition to the occupants with details of the nature of the unauthorised construction and grounds warranting demolition; the owner or occupants who want to challenge the State action must be given a fair opportunity; the demolition must be videographed, etc.

'Sea ranching' launched off Vizhinjam coast as follow-up to artificial reef project in Kerala

Twenty-thousand pompano (Trachinotus blochii) fingerlings were deposited in the sea off Vizhinjam as a follow-up to the artificial reef project designed to replenish marine fishery resources and promote sustainable fishing practices. 

They formed the first batch of a State Fisheries Department Sea ranching project aimed at releasing 10 lakh pompano and cobia (Motha) fingerlings at 10 locations off Thiruvananthapuram coast one lakh each in the selected locations - where artificial reefs were deployed under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). 

Artificial reefs were created at 42 locations off 33 fishing villages in Thiruvananthapuram district. According to the department, the reefs have already attracted a large variety of fish including tuna, trevally and mackerel.

Defence Space Agency conducts tabletop exercise 

The tri-service Defence Space Agency has conducted its maiden tabletop Exercise 'Antariksha Abhyas 2024' aimed at bolstering the strategic readiness of the Indian armed forces in the domain of space warfare. 

The three-day exercise concluded. "Key components of the exercise included focused discussions on emerging space technologies, space situational awareness and India's space programmes. 

The discussions highlighted the importance of monitoring and protecting critical assets and maintaining situational awareness in the increasingly contested space environment," a Defence Ministry statement said.

Inaugural Indian Ocean Dialogue between U.S. and India will be held

Deepening the ongoing cooperation over the Indian Ocean Region, India and the U.S. are set to hold the inaugural U.S.-India Indian Ocean Dialogue. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer will take part in the event virtually. 

They were originally scheduled to travel to New Delhi on November 13-14 but had to change plans due to "flight issues". 

The two sides will "discuss measures to promote security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region," the U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement. 

The Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) Intersessional to further expand cooperation between the two countries on technological innovation and production is also scheduled to be held, the statement added.

'India, Saudi defence cooperation expanding'

The defence partnership between India and Saudi Arabia has witnessed several "firsts" in the past few years, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, noting that the cooperation had "now expanded in the field of defence industry and exports as well". 

During a meeting, both sides discussed avenues to strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Saudi Arabia in areas including trade, investment, energy, defence, security, culture, and consular matters, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

India's middle class tightens belt, hit by food inflation

India's city dwellers are cutting spending on everything from cookies to fast food as persistently high inflation squeezes middle-class budgets, threatening the country's brisk economic growth. 

Slowing urban spending over the past three to four months has not only hurt the earnings of largest consumer goods firms, it has raised questions about the structural nature of India's long-term economic success. 

Since the end of the pandemic, India's economic growth has been driven in large part by urban consumption, however, that now seems to be changing.