Current Affairs of 18 April 2025

National and International Current Affairs - April 18, 2025

International Relations

• India Plans to Ease Nuclear Liability Laws: India is preparing to amend its 2010 Civil Nuclear Liability Damage Act to cap accident-related liabilities for nuclear equipment suppliers. This move aims to attract U.S. companies like General Electric and Westinghouse Electric, which have previously avoided the Indian market due to unlimited liability risks. The proposed amendments would limit compensation claims from plant operators against suppliers to the value of their contract and subject them to a time limit. This aligns India's laws with international norms that place responsibility for operational safety on the plant operator rather than the supplier. The changes are central to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plans to expand India’s nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047 and facilitate trade negotiations with the U.S., aiming to boost bilateral trade from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030. Major Indian companies like Reliance, Tata Power, Adani Power, and Vedanta are in talks to invest around $5.14 billion each in the nuclear sector. The government expects parliamentary approval during the July monsoon session.

National News

• Supreme Court Halts Changes to Waqf Properties: The Supreme Court of India has clubbed multiple petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and directed the Union government to file a consolidated reply within one week. The court also ordered that no waqf property—whether registered, unregistered, or waqf by user—be denotified, altered, or interfered with until the next hearing. This decision follows violent protests in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, where demonstrators expressed concerns over provisions in the amended law affecting property rights and religious institutions. The unrest led to three fatalities, over ten injuries, and the arrest of more than 200 individuals. Authorities imposed Section 144, suspended internet services, and deployed central forces to restore order.

Defense

• Inaugural Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) Concludes: The first edition of the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement concluded in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People's Defence Force, the exercise aimed to enhance interoperability among participating nations through various naval drills and operations. The exercise included a Harbour Phase with table-top and command post exercises focused on anti-piracy operations and information sharing, alongside joint training in seamanship and Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) simulations, and a Sea Phase with drills, search and rescue operations, VBSS, small arms training, and helicopter operations.