Morning digest: Almost 30% of takedown notices to ‘X’ target posts on Union Ministers, govt agencies; India, U.S. officials conclude round of trade talks, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on March 30, 2025

Nearly a third of the 66 takedown notices sent to X, formerly Twitter, by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) over the past year warn the platform to remove content about Union Ministers and Central government agencies.

India and the visiting U.S. officials have concluded a round of talks for the proposed bilateral trade agreement, government sources said. They said the negotiations are progressing well. A team of U.S. officials, headed by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, was here for negotiations on the proposed agreement

Three more FIRs have been filed in Maharashtra against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over his alleged derogatory remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A police official said the FIRs from different locations have been transferred to the Khar police station

Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military, has announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts. An announcement issued on Saturday (March 29, 2025) night said its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) will implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations starting on Sunday (March 30, 2025) in earthquake-affected areas.

The Supreme Court has admitted a petition questioning whether employment to public services can be “auctioned off” through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal in violation of the Constitution. A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Union government on the special leave petition filed by the Dakshin Railway Employees’ Union, concerning the termination of 152 housekeeping assistants or sanitary workers who were replaced by outsourced labour hired through the GeM portal.

Around 30 human rights groups, students, teachers and journalists demand immediate reinstatement of Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, a PhD student at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and the withdrawal of all politically motivated charges against him. 

For residents of Kalyana Karnataka, particularly in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, and Raichur districts, scorching summer and heatwave conditions are an annual challenge. With temperatures frequently soaring beyond 44° C, life becomes arduous, and outdoor work turns perilous, especially for those working in open fields.