"Time We Re-Wrote What Black Means": Kerala Bureaucrat To NDTV

Kerala Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, who triggered a long overdue conversation online about colorism after facing the brunt of it, told NDTV today that she had deleted her post and then restored it after being asked to by a number of people. "It is high time we re-wrote what black means," she said, "because unless we claim its beauty it will just be absence of colour," she added. 

The Chief Secretary had posted her response after being at the receiving end of comments that juxtaposed her skin colour against her work to imply there was something wanting.

It was "interesting", Ms Muraleedharan told NDTV. While she has been used to comments about her dark skin since a young age, and comparison of her tenure with that of her husband -- former Kerala Chief Secretary V Venu. 

"It was interesting to see both of them brought together under one colour paradigm," she told NDTV in an exclusive interview. 

The third dimension there, she added, was that of gender. In her post on Facebook, the 1990-batch IAS officer had said she heard a comment on her performance as Chief Secretary: "that it is as black as my husband's was white".

She said she had initially deleted her post because of the "overwhelming response".

"But people called up to say as a Chief secretary what she said was important and brings out an issue that needs to be discussed," she added. 

Ms Muraleedharan said the common perception about black was what she had absorbed -- so much so that as a four-year-old, she had asked her mother to put her back in the womb and "bring me out again, all white and pretty".

That perception changed only when she saw herself with the eyes of her grown up children. Today, she said, "I dig black".

"Black is the all-pervasive truth of the universe. Black is that which can absorb anything, the most powerful pulse of energy known to humankind. It is the colour that works on everyone, the dress code for office, the lustre of evening wear, the essence of kajol, the promise of rain," she wrote.

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Get Caught, Defecate: Smelly Criminal Finally Lands In Delhi Police's Net

He was wanted for several knife attacks and chain snatchings in North Delhi and had also been caught in the past but managed to give police the slip every time using a smelly method - he would defecate in his pants. But when a patrolling team spotted him on Monday and he tried the same trick again, the cops happened to be prepared and used masks and gloves to catch him and ensure he didn't escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Banthia said Deepak, 27, had more than half a dozen cases against him. "This criminal has escaped in this manner many times. As soon as a policeman would catch him, he would immediately activate his filthy plan," Mr Banthia said. 

Deepak, officials said, was involved in several cases of knife attacks and mobile theft in North Delhi's Sadar Bazar area. They said Deepak would defecate in his pants every time he was caught, forcing cops to cover his nose and step away from him. The 27-year-old would use this opportunity to escape. 

On Monday, a patrolling team spotted a man behaving suspiciously in the area and realised it was Deepak. When they caught him, he used his smelly trick again, but the cops had masks and gloves with them. They arrested him and took him to the Sadar Bazar police station. 

"A knife, which Deepak said he calls his 'lucky knife' and keeps on his person at all times, was also recovered. A case has been registered under the Arms Act," said an official.
 

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India, China To Have Issues "For The Foreseeable Future": S Jaishankar

As China and India push to mend ties, strained for nearly half a decade, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said that "what happened in 2020 was not the way to address issues". The minister's remarks recalled the way China had unilaterally tried to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control or LAC.

Mr Jaishankar also acknowledged that India and China will continue to have issues in the "foreseeable future", but said that "there are ways of addressing them" without getting into a conflict.

"We know that, between India and China, at least in the foreseeable future, there will be issues, but there are ways of addressing those issues, and what happened in 2020 was not the way," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a conversation with non-profit Asia Society.

The minister was speaking about the way ties between India and China have evolved over the years. After China's unilateral decision to alter the status quo is eastern Ladakh, which led to a military clash followed by a standoff in 2020, ties between the two Asian giants went into a deep freeze for nearly five years.

"We feel that from October, 2024, the relationship has seen some improvement. What we are trying, step by step, is to see if we can rebuild, undo some of the damage which happened as a result of the actions in 2020," Mr Jaishankar said.

China's actions and the subsequent military standoff led to a feeling of betrayal and severe distrust in New Delhi. Anti-China sentiment surged across the nation, impacting everything from people-to-people ties, business and bilateral ties, trade, technology, visas, and even air travel.

It was only in October 2024, after dozens of rounds of talks, both at the diplomatic and military levels, that the two countries reached an agreement - to return to the status quo in place before 2020. It was only on the basis of this understanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia.

India and Tibet (China) share an over 4,400 km border in two parts known as the Line of Actual Control and the MacMohan Line respectively. The LAC stretches across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim, while the MacMohan Line stretches across Arunachal Pradesh.
 

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Explained: Controversy Over "Yeshu Yeshu Prophet" Thrashing Woman Employee

Punjab's self-styled Christian pastor Bajinder Singh -- who was caught on camera beating a man and a woman -- kept his staff in check using force and dirty tricks, the woman has claimed in an interview to NDTV.  The woman, who agreed to speak to NDTV on condition of anonymity, used to work for Singh. She has quit her job after the thrashing episode. She has also filed a complaint against him with the police on the thrashing. 

"He has accused many of the staff of theft and got police cases filed against them. He gets young women to accuse men of misbehaviour and file police cases against them," she said.

In her case, Singh has alleged that she committed irregularities with the church funds and bought a car, her fourth.

WHO IS BAJINDER SINGH

Singh, who is based in Jalandhar, leads 'The Church of Glory and Wisdom' and calls himself "Prophet Bajinder". He became a Christian preacher in 2012, with his supporters claiming that his church has many branches in India and abroad.

The church holds congregations where a large number of people come in anticipation of curing their ailments. These congregations are broadcast live on the YouTube channel '"Prophet Bajinder Singh', which has 3.74 million subscribers.

WHAT THE WOMAN SAID

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, the woman denied this. She admitted her family has four cars, one of which, she said, was purchased by her son and one was an old car. Another, she said, was "gifted" by the pastor. Her newest vehicle, she said, `was bought on loan and she has been paying EMIs on it.

The pastor, she said, had targeted her over the man's sister failing to attend church, the woman told NDTV.

"It was her family that had the objection, but he blamed me and started beating me," she said.

A video footage of Singh's office last month shows him throwing objects and slapping the man and the woman. He is seen slapping the man, arguing with the woman and throwing a book at hr. When she confronts him, Singh slaps her.

Asked whether the pastor's allegation, that it was a doctored video, is correct, the woman denied it. 

Asked why the man, who was also seen being beaten up in the video, had not backed up her version of events, she said, "He is young. Can you imagine the kind of pressure he is under?"

BAJINDER SINGH's DEFENCE

The self-styled pastor has claimed that the woman ws responsible for massive financial irregularities, which could be to the tune of Rs 15 crore.

He also said the video was an instance of her maliciously targetting him on the eve of a verdict against him in a sexual harassment case.

CASES AGAINST BAJINDER SINGH

Singh has cases of sexual assault, cheating and manipulation against him. In 2017, he was accused of sexual harassment. He has also been raided by the Income Tax Department.

In 2018, he was arrested for allegedly raping a woman from Zirakpur, Punjab, after luring her with false promises of assistance to travel abroad.

He also faces an allegation of sexual harassment but was not arrested in the case lodged in March this year

His aides -- Jatinder, Akbar Ali, Sitar Ali, Sucha Singh, Rajesh Chaudhary and Sandeep Pehlwan -- have also been named in the FIR registered under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 354 (outraging modesty of woman), 294 (obscenity), 323 (causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 67 (transmitting sexually explicit content) of the Information Technology (IT) Act at Zirakpur police station.

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Goli Soda Rebranded, Bubbling To Success In US, UK Gulf Countries: Centre

India's traditional beverage Goli Soda, rebranded as Goli Pop Soda, is registering strong consumer response in the global market, including the US, UK, Europe and the Gulf, according to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 

In a statement, the ministry said the demand is driven by strategic expansion and innovative reinvention. 

"Bharat's very own GOLI POP SODA returns to wow tastebuds worldwide! Kudos to @APEDADOC for promoting the revival of the traditional Indian Goli Soda," Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on X. 

Bharat's very own GOLI POP SODA returns to wow tastebuds worldwide! 🇮🇳

Kudos to @APEDADOC for promoting the revival of the traditional Indian Goli Soda.

📖 https://t.co/Ask6n6YCCl pic.twitter.com/T7XZmc1xmc

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) March 25, 2025

Once a household staple, the iconic beverage is making a remarkable comeback on the global stage, "driven by its innovative reinvention and strategic international expansion", the ministry said. It added that the product has already made strong inroads in global markets, with successful trial shipments to the US, UK, Europe and Gulf countries.

India has partnered with Fair Exports to ensure steady deliveries of Goli Soda to Lulu Hypermarket, one of the largest retail chains in the Gulf region, the commerce ministry's arm Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said. 

"What sets Goli Pop Soda apart is its innovative packaging, featuring a unique pop opener that recreates the nostalgic fizzy burst Indian consumers fondly remember. This rebranding has captivated international markets, positioning the drink as an exciting and trendy product," it said.

It added that the demand for the product in the global market proves that homegrown Indian flavours can compete with international giants, opening new avenues for domestic exports. 

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Belgium Confirms Mehul Choksi In Country, Says Aware Of Extradition Request

Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi - one of India's most wanted in connection with the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case - is currently in Belgium, the European nation has confirmed to NDTV. In a communication, the Belgian foreign ministry confirmed that they are aware of his presence and "attaches great importance and attention to it".

Belgium, however, said they do not comment on individual cases. Even so, "the FPS Foreign Affairs continues to closely follow the developments in this important case".

Indian authorities have contacted their Belgian counterparts to start the process of Mr Choksi's extradition, news website Associate Times had reported. 

His nephew Nirav Modi, co-accused in the same case, is awaiting extradition from London.

Choksi, 65, wanted for his alleged involvement in Rs 13,500-crore loan fraud in Punjab National Bank along with Nirav Modi, has been living in Antwerp with his wife Preeti Choksi, a Belgian citizen.

Unconfirmed reports had said they acquired an 'F Residency Card'.
Choksi had left Antigua and Barbuda for medical treatment though he remains a citizen of the island nation. 

His absence made headlines after the Caribbean nation's Foreign Minister EP Chet Greene revealed it when he was in India to participate in the Raisina Dialogue, India's annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics,.

Without revealing where Mehul Choksi had gone, Mr Greene said he had left for medical treatment.

Mehul Choksi and his nephew, celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi, had skipped India in January 2018, weeks before the scam in PNB - the country's second largest bank, surfaced. 

Later, it became known that he had taken citizenship of Antigua two months before the scam surfaced.

In 2021, he was captured from Dominica while trying to flee to Cuba.
Mehul Choksi has claimed that the cases against him are a result of political conspiracy, and his properties in India were illegally attached by the Enforcement Directorate. 

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At $4 Trillion, India's GDP Doubles In Decade, Outpaces World With 105% Rise

India has been the fastest growing major economy in the world for the last ten years, with the latest data from the International Monetary Fund or IMF showing a staggering 105 per cent growth in the last decade.

According to the IMF, India's GDP currently stands at $4.3 trillion. The GDP was $2.1 trillion in 2015, when Narendra Modi's first term as prime minister less than a year in office. Since then, India has more than doubled its economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product or GDP.

India is on the cusp of overtaking Japan as the fourth-largest economy in the world. Japan's GDP currently stand at $4.4 trillion and India is poised to go past that mark by the third quarter of 2025. Should the average rate of growth continue the way it is, India will surpass Germany - the 3rd-largest economy globally - by the 2nd quarter of in 2027. Germany's GDP currently stands at $4.9 trillion.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has called India's 10-year economic performance "outstanding", hailing the country for doubling its GDP in a decade. Mr Goyal highlighted that India, which has topped the world with a growth rate of 105 per cent in 10 years, has outperformed other major economies like China (76 per cent), USA (66 per cent), Germany (44 per cent), France (38 per cent) and UK (28 per cent).

India has outperformed all the nations in the G7, the G20, and the BRICS.

"The global shift is real! PM Narendra Modi-ji has led India to double its GDP in the last decade, positioning it to become the third-largest economy globally soon," Mr Goyal said.

'THE BIG TWO'

While India topped the list in terms of pace of growth, the top two spots in terms of size of economy remained the United States ($30.3 trillion) and China ($19.5 trillion). Germany is in third place at $4.9 trillion, Japan in fourth at $4.4 trillion, and India at fifth at $4.3 trillion.

Breaking into the top two places will take India little over two decades at its current rate of growth. Though, it is interesting to note that as of March, 2025, US's national debt stands at $36.22 trillion, while China's national debt as of September, 2024 stands at $2.52 trillion. In comparison, India's overall debt as of September, 2024 stands at $712 billion.

INDIA'S GROWTH TRAJECTORY

India took 60 years for its GDP to reach the first trillion-dollar mark (in 2007). From $1 trillion to $2 trillion took 7 years (in 2014), Despite COVID-19, India reached the $3 trillion mark in 2021. The journey from $3 trillion to $4 trillion took just 4 years.

At this pace, should the progression continue the way it is, India is poised to add a trillion dollars to its GDP every 1.5 years, and could likely become a $10 trillion economy by end of 2032.

(Disclaimer: Data for this article is as per the data available on the IMF website)
 

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