From February 9 to February 16, the week saw a series of noteworthy events that captured national and international attention. These included the introduction of the new income tax bill, which brought changes to the tax structure; Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States, strengthening diplomatic ties; a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that left many shaken; the deportation of Indian nationals from foreign countries; and the Ranveer Ahlawadi controversy, which sparked heated debates across the nation.
Key events that took place between February 9 to February 16
New Delhi Railway Station Stampede
At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the stampede that broke out late Saturday night at the crowded New Delhi railway station. The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.
A compensation of ₹10 lakh by the Indian Railways was announced to the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, as per a release.
Additionally, a compensation of ₹2.5 lakh has been announced to the seriously injured and ₹1 lakh to those with minor injuries, as per the release.
The deceased were identified as Aaha Devi, 79, Pinky Devi, 41, Sheela Devi, 50, Vyom, 25, Poonam Devi, 40, Lalita Devi, 35, Suruchi, 11, Krishna Devi, 40, Vijay Sah, 15, Neeraj, 12, Shanti Devi, 40, Pooja Kumar, 8, Sangeeta Malik, Poonam both aged 34, Mamta Jha, 40, Riya Singh, 7, Baby Kumari, 24, and Manoj, 47.
New Income Tax bill
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Income Tax Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, 13 February and urged Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a select committee of the House. The much-anticipated Bill will replace terminologies such as “assessment year” and “previous year” with the easier-to-understand “tax year” as part of a move to simplify language while removing provisos and explanations.
Ranveer Allahbadia controversy
BeerBiceps, whose real name is Ranveer Allahbadia, receives much negative feedback after a contentious episode on the YouTube program ‘India’s Got Latent.; He asked a candidate an insulting and improper question during the February 10, 2025, broadcast, which drew criticism and had legal repercussions. “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once to make it stop forever?” Allahbadia asked her on the show, which comedian Samay Raina hosted. The public was outraged by the comment, which was widely denounced as disrespectful and improper.
Amid the controversy, Allahbadia issued a public apology, acknowledging the inappropriateness of his comments and expressing regret over the incident.
PM Modi US visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States, which took place from February 12 to 13, 2025, was a major step toward improving the two nations’ bilateral ties. PM Modi had extensive talks with President Donald Trump while he was there, concentrating on important topics including technology, trade, and defence.
Both leaders committed to doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. At a joint media briefing with Modi, Trump announced that he and Modi agreed on a deal that would facilitate India to import more US oil and gas to bring down Washington’s trade deficit.
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