April 21, 2025
India
- Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025: India introduced the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, in Parliament, aiming to modernize and consolidate outdated immigration laws. The bill focuses on digitizing visa processes, enhancing border security, and simplifying procedures for tourists, students, and skilled workers. This is expected to boost FDI, support startups, and facilitate cross-border workforce movement. Read more
- Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025: The Act, reforming the management of waqf (Islamic charitable) properties, has sparked extensive legal and social debate with over 70 petitions filed. The Supreme Court’s involvement highlights ongoing tensions over religious property management and minority rights. Read more
- Reservation Policy and Social Justice: Telangana is the first Indian state to sub-categorize Scheduled Castes for fairer reservation. Jammu & Kashmir’s reservation policy changes and Tamil Nadu’s committee on Centre-State relations highlight ongoing discussions on federalism and social justice. Read more
- FTA Negotiations: India is actively negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the US, UK, EU, ASEAN, and Oman, aiming to double trade volumes and open new avenues for business and investment. Read more
Asia-Pacific
- No major legislative or regulatory developments reported last week outside India.
Europe
- Product Safety and Liability Overhaul: EU’s stricter Product Safety Regulation (2023/988) is in force, increasing obligations for manufacturers. The new Product Liability Directive (2024/2853) expands liability to software, digital services, and AI, impacting consumer goods and tech across the EU. Read more
United States
- SEC Climate Disclosure Rules: SEC ends defense of its climate disclosure rules (adopted March 2024) but they remain in place. 20 Democratic state AGs will now defend them in court. This creates uncertainty for ESG reporting. Read more
- Major Antitrust Trials: Meta faces antitrust trial that could lead to the separation of Instagram and WhatsApp. Separately, Google was found to have illegally monopolized parts of online ad tech, setting a major antitrust precedent. Read more
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