This Week in Explainers: How Ranveer Allahbadia and 'India’s Got Latent' trended for wrong reasons

It was a jam-packed week for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his important visit to the United States. He discussed a host of topics as he met US President Donald Trump at the White House, speaking about resolving trade issues, easing tariffs and boosting defence ties.

In Manipur, Biren Singh quit as chief minister 21 months after ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state. The state is now under President’s Rule.

The new income tax bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha this week, aiming to simplify taxation laws for the citizens. Once passed by the Parliament, the new law is set to take effect on April 1, 2026.

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Here’s all this and more in our weekly wrap from India.

1. India and the US have decided to bolster defence ties. After PM Modi’s bilateral talks with Trump, the duo addressed a press conference during which the American president announced that the US would provide its F-35 stealth fighter jets to India.

“We’ll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump told reporters. With this, India will join an elite club of countries with state-of-the-art stealth planes. The Lockheed Martin-developed jet could be a game-changer for India. We explain in this story.

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2. Biren Singh stepped down as Manipur chief minister, nearly two years after the state descended into violence on May 3, 2023. In his resignation letter, he urged the Centre to continue the “crackdown on border infiltration and to formulate policy for the deportation of the illegal immigrants and the fight against drugs and narco terrorism.”

The opposition has long been demanding Singh’s resignation. After staying at the post for 21 months after the ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state, why did the BJP leader step down now? Read our story to find out.

3. The new income tax bill will simplify direct taxation, which is currently governed by the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Income Tax Bill, 2025, has 536 sections, 23 chapters and 16 schedules. According to the Income Tax Department, the Bill is straightforward, clear, and easier to understand.

While presenting the Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the new tax bill will be introduced during the ongoing session of Parliament. She first announced a comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act, 1961 in the July 2024 Budget. But how will the new income tax bill help you? We explain here.

4. India witnessed a raging debate this week about the regulation of online content and free speech. It all started after a clip of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia cracking crass jokes on comic Samay Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent, went viral. The video has created a huge uproar on social media, with even politicians condemning his remarks.

Allahbadia, who runs the popular YouTube channel BeerBiceps, has apologised for the comments, urging people to forgive him “as a human being”. The 31-year-old podcaster, Raina and other panellists on the show are now facing legal trouble over Allahbadia’s “inappropriate” remarks. But what did he say that triggered such backlash? Read our story to find out.

I shouldn’t have said what I said on India’s got latent. I’m sorry. pic.twitter.com/BaLEx5J0kd

— Ranveer Allahbadia (@BeerBicepsGuy) February 10, 2025

5. Several cases have been filed against Allahbadia and Raina, as well as other content creators like Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Mukhija who were present as guest judges on the India’s Got Latent episode featuring the podcaster. They have been accused of creating and airing obscene content on the show.

The Maharashtra cyber police have registered an FIR against them. An FIR has also been lodged in Assam. But can they be punished for ‘obscenity’? What does the Indian law say? We explore in this story.

6. A chartered flight towards Bangkok was asked to return to Pune mid-air. It all started when Rushiraj Sawant, the son of former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena MLC Tanaji Sawant, left for Bangkok with two friends — without informing his family. Hours later, as he was unreachable, his parents grew concerned.

The situation grew serious after an anonymous caller told the police control room that the 32-year-old had been taken away by unidentified individuals. An investigation was launched soon and Sawant was traced on a ‘secret’ chartered flight to Bangkok. What happened next? Read our explainer to find out.

7. A horrific case of ragging has come to light in Kerala. Several first-year students of a government nursing college in Kerala’s Kottayam were brutally harassed and tortured by their seniors. Five third-year nursing students have been arrested for subjecting their juniors to months of relentless physical and mental abuse.

This case surfaced just days after a 15-year-old student in the southern state jumped to his death after allegedly being ‘forced to lick’ toilet seats by his school seniors. These cases have put the spotlight on ragging in educational institutes. We take a look at the distressing story here.

This is all we have for you this week. If you like the way we explain news, you can bookmark this page.