(1) Supreme Court delivers split verdict on Karnataka hijab ban
The Supreme Court on October 13 delivered a split verdict on whether Muslim students should shed their hijabs at their school gates. Justice Gupta held that adherence to uniform was a reasonable restriction to free expression. The discipline reinforced equality. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, on the other hand, said secularity meant tolerance to “diversity”. Wearing or not wearing a hijab to school was “ultimately a matter of choice”. For girls from conservative families, “her hijab is her ticket to education”.
The timeline graphic below showcases how the hijab row unfolded since July 2021.
(2) Jharkhand records country’s highest percentage of child marriage among girls
The percentage of married females who are under 18 is as high as 5.8 in Jharkhand, according to the survey brought out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs. The map showcased below portrays the percentages, state-wise.
(3) Would a freeze in arms deal be one of the ‘consequences’ for Saudi Arabia after OPEC snub?
U.S. President Joe Biden promised “consequences” for Saudi Arabia after a Riyadh-led coalition of oil-producing nations sided with Russia to slash output. The 13-nation OPEC cartel and its 10 allies headed by Moscow angered the White House last week with its decision to cut production by two million barrels a day from November, raising fears that oil prices could soar. The Democratic chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, mentioned that, “the United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests.”
The graphic below shows the values of U.S.A’s exports to Saudi Arabia over the years, including Riyadh’s share of overall U.S. defence exports between FY17-FY20 during the Trump administration years which revived the relationship between the two countries.
(4) Max Verstappen retains Formula One world title after Japan GP win
Verstappen was declared Formula One world champion on October 9, 2022 after winning a dramatic rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix. The result gave him an unassailable 113-point lead in the championship, making him only the third driver after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to clinch the title with four races to spare. The graphic below shows the cumulative points of the F1 drivers after each race.
(5) Indians set to become Australia’s largest group of foreign students
New student arrivals in Australia this year will see Indians become its largest group of foreign students as the intake from China sees a decline due to deteriorating ties between the two countries. The charts below show the number and share of Indian students in Australia, both of which have increased in the past two decades.
