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Daily Briefing

- Daily Briefing: Elections in J&K; questions in cosmic history; Stree 2 movie review; and more

- Daily Briefing: PM’s UCC pitch; Mob targets protesters in Kolkata; BNP leader interview; and more

Daily Briefing: Elections in J&K; questions in cosmic history; Stree 2 movie review; and more

In today's edition: Jasprit Bumrah at Express Adda; Bangladesh crisis; and more.

Written by Ayesha Jain

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 08:57 IST

Top news on August 17, 2024

Good morning,

As this week draws to a close, here is a list of stories that might pique your interest before you tune out for the weekend.

In today’s edition: Elections in J&k; questions in cosmic history; Stree 2 movie review; Jasprit Bumrah at Express Adda; and more

🗳️ Big Story

Ten years since the last Assembly elections and the first for the Union Territory that was created in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir is headed for a three-phased election in September and October, as the Election Commission announced on Friday. The EC also announced the schedule for the Haryana Assembly elections.

When are the polls? Elections will be held in J&K on September 18, September 25 and October 1, and votes will be counted on October 4. In Haryana, polling will be held on October 1 and counting on October 4.

Why this is significant: This is the first time J&K will witness elections following the abolition of Article 370 in 2019, its reorganisation as a Union Territory, and bifurcation. We take a look at how J&K’s political landscape has changed over the last decade.

Rumblings in J&K: Hours before the EC announcement, the Union Territory ordered a major reshuffle in police and civil administration, with DGP R R Swain removed as J&K’s intelligence chief and replaced by ADGP Nitish Kumar. The move was heavily criticised by the National Conference, which alleged that it was “intended to undermine the integrity of the electoral process”. We report.

⚡Only in Express

“Back in Dhaka, the path ahead appears tricky.”

Bangladesh is a country in the throes of a transition — student-led protests, a clampdown followed by over 500 deaths, and a prime minister deposed. In our Big Picture today, Diplomatic Editor Shubhajit Roy reports on the new set of stakeholders, the challenges of the regime change and the road ahead, the most fraught since the 1971 Liberation War.

🏏 Express Adda

At a recent Express Adda held in Ahmedabad, cricketer and bowling extraordinaire Jasprit Bumrah spoke on what aggression means to him, why bowlers make better captains, and how he deals with fickleness of fans and fame. Catch the yorker king in conversation with the Indian Express here.

✍🏼 Express Opinion

“The policy prescriptions from almost a century ago are relevant even today. It behoves us to reflect about the slow progress towards equity. The common thread between then and now is the opposition rooted in an archaic mindset.”

In our Opinion section today, Angellica Aribam and Akash Satyawali write on women’s activism and freedom, and why almost eight decades since independence, the needle of progress has not moved much.

🌌 Express Explained

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful telescope in space, have dazzled everyone, but they have left astronomers rather nonplussed. The jigsaw puzzle of the history of the Universe is getting more difficult to solve, as the early phases of the Universe appear to be full of adult-sized galaxies.

And if that is not enough of a puzzle, the rate at which the Universe is expanding, as measured by the telescope, appears to be at odds with other pieces of data.

Could a more comprehensive rethink of cosmic history be in order now? Astrophysicist Biman Nath explains.

🍿 Movie Review

In her latest piece, Shubhra Gupta pens her thoughts on one of the most awaited films of the year, the Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao starrer ‘Stree 2’: “The memo seem to be to not go deep at any point: keep it silly, stupid… And despite all the frantic criss-crossing, I could feel the pace of the movie, never the best thing for a movie of this kind which wants you to suspend all disbelief for its duration.”

That’s all for today.

Until next time,

Ayesha Jain

Ayesha Jain

Ayesha works as a Senior Sub Editor at indianexpress.com news desk. She is interested in current affairs, climate change, politics and artistic expression of all kinds. She did a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts, with a major in English and a minor in Politics, from King's College London. At Express, she writes for the morning newsletter, The Daily Briefing, and a weekly climate newsletter, The Icebreaker. Previously, she worked at The Quint. You can reach out to her at ayesha.jain@indianexpress.com.   ... Read More

Daily Briefing: PM’s UCC pitch; Mob targets protesters in Kolkata; BNP leader interview; and more

In today's edition: Vinesh Phogat's coach on weight-cut before final; the two key ages in your lifespan; and more

Written by Ayesha Jain , Rounak Bagchi

August 16, 2024 08:50 IST

Top news on August 16, 2024

Good morning,

Big Story

“In our country, the Supreme Court has repeatedly discussed the Uniform Civil Code… a large section of the country believes — and there is truth in it — that the Civil Code that we are living with is actually a kind of Communal Civil Code, a discriminatory Civil Code.”

This is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his 11th Independence Day address on Thursday, marking the first time he spoke about the UCC in an I-day speech. During his 98-minute address, the PM invoked the Constitution and religious discrimination while making his pitch.

➡️ What did Modi’s allies think of this? BJP allies TDP, JD(U) and Lok Janshakti Party were less enthused, reacting to PM’s pitch and his rechristening of the UCC with caution. While JD(U) national general secretary K C Tyagi stressed for a ‘consensus’ on the matter, TDP leaders were wary of making any statements, saying the party was “deliberating” over the issue.

➡️ Congress jumps into action: The Opposition party, like clockwork, turned its ire towards the PM, saying: “to say that we have had a ‘communal civil code’ till now is a gross insult to Dr Ambedkar, who was the greatest champion of reforms in Hindu personal laws that became a reality by the mid-1950s.”

➡️ A shift from 2019 to 2024: The UCC has been a part of BJP’s election manifesto since 1989. In fact, it was one of the three planks at the core of its agenda before the party’s thumping victory in 2019. But what stood out yesterday was Modi’s framing of the agenda, which reflected a changed political reality.

🎧 To dive deeper into what more PM Modi said in his speech, check out today’s edition of the ‘3 Things’ podcast.

Only in Express

As the political crisis in Bangladesh continues, our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy reached the residence of top Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Abdul Moyeen Khan in Dhaka to interview him. At his residence in the Gulshan neighbourhood, the 77-year-old spoke of India’s “massive policy blunder” and “political blunder”, urging the Indian government to have a “renewed look” at its Bangladesh policy.

Read the full story here.

From the Front Page

Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, remained a haunting site on Thursday morning, with massive police deployment and damaged infrastructure. After the late-night vandalism on Wednesday, police arrested 12 people and were looking for dozens of others who were part of the mob. We report.

In view of the losses incurred, Vineet Goyal, Commissioner, Kolkata Police, said, “We did everything we could but we can’t shoot the people. My DC is injured”. The Kolkata police force has been under criticism since the brutal killing and rape of a junior doctor at the institute.

“I only remember thinking that she might die,” said Vinesh Phogat’s coach. One of the heartbreaking moments at the Paris Olympics this year was Phogat’s disqualification after she failed the weight-cut. One of the people bearing the brunt of the criticisms has been her coach Woller Akos has finally spoken out. Here’s what he had to say.

Must Read

On August 9, when the police in Bihar seized contraband substance, little did they know that it might be a highly radioactive metal. They had been on the edge since then, only to learn later, when atomic scientists isolated and reviewed it, that it might not be radioactive at all. It had all started with a tip from a source following which the police had intercepted two people and recovered an iridescent lump with an accompanying certificate claiming that it was Californium — silvery-white synthetic radioactive metal. Here’s the story of what followed.

If you’re nearing 44 or 60 or are already of that age and reading this, please pay extra attention. A new study on human ageing has found that it is at this age when the human body undergoes two dramatic bouts of rapid physical transformation on a molecular level. We explain what the changes are and what you should be looking out for.

In today’s Opinion section, TMC MP Derek O’ Brien writes about the renewed ‘josh’ of the Opposition in Parliament this time. “From Bengal to Tamil Nadu, from Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra, the Opposition was backed by the assuredness and guidance of popular or former chief ministers and by a genuine appeal among citizens tired of local BJP/NDA governments.,” he says.

And Finally…

When Morne Morkel was announced as the bowling coach of the Indian Cricket Team, many wondered why, especially as he had just stepped down from the Pakistan team whose performance hadn’t been great in recent times. However, the ex-South Africa speedster was Gautam Gambhir’s first choice as the tall pacer was the most difficult bowler he faced, and they worked together in IPL as well. We delve into what Morkel brings to the table and how a fresh crop of Indian bowlers can flourish under him.

Delhi Confidential: A senior advocate was very glad when Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu shared that a new daily flight service by IndiGo will connect Vijayawada to Delhi. Why? Well, because Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra had been doing this trip multiple times last year when he represented Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu after his arrest last year to meet his client at the Vijayawada Central Jail and attend hearings.

That’s all for today.

Until tomorrorw,

Ayesha Jain and Rounak Bagchi

Ayesha Jain

Ayesha works as a Senior Sub Editor at indianexpress.com news desk. She is interested in current affairs, climate change, politics and artistic expression of all kinds. She did a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts, with a major in English and a minor in Politics, from King's College London. At Express, she writes for the morning newsletter, The Daily Briefing, and a weekly climate newsletter, The Icebreaker. Previously, she worked at The Quint. You can reach out to her at ayesha.jain@indianexpress.com.   ... Read More

Front Page

- Painters and masons by day, how a bunch of theatre actors came up a National Award winner

- In $1-billion exports to Bangladesh, Adani power unit contributed most

- Gujarat govt wants pre-monsoon action against sand flies, key carriers of CHPV

- Wanted podium in Paris to showcase our Flag, our protests: Vinesh Phogat

- In first high-level contact, Yunus dials Modi, assures security for Hindus, other minorities

- Need to create between 60 million and 148 million more jobs in 6 years till 2030: IMF’s Gita Gopinath

- After 10 yrs, J&K to elect an Assembly, CEC says ballot is best answer to bullet

- Reshuffle in J&K before poll dates; DGP Swain loses charge of CID

- After launch success, ISRO says SSLV development is complete

- EC visits over, J&K, Haryana may go to Assembly polls together

- India blundered by putting all eggs in one (Hasina) basket, needs to shift policy: BNP

- UCC: PM brings it up in Independence Day speech, wary allies reiterate ‘consensus’, wait for clarity

Painters and masons by day, how a bunch of theatre actors came up a National Award winner

The film's idea was first floated during the second round of Covid-induced lockdown. In the next few months, script reading was held online, with the actors becoming sounding boards for the still developing film.

Written by Alaka Sahani , Anandu Suresh

Kochi, Mumbai | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:55 IST

Anand Ekarshi, the director of Aattam

The idea of a feature film that gives 11 theatre actors “equal” space struck Anand Ekarshi in the shower. Immediately, the writer-director says, he sent a voice message to actor Vinay Fortt explaining the concept.

Thus began the journey of Aattam (The Play) – a movie which unfolds within a close-knit Kerala theatre group and exposes sexism, hypocrisy and opportunistic behaviour among the characters. The Malayalam-language movie — designed as a chamber drama — is a scathing tale of how members of a theatre group react when the only woman in the group makes a sexual harassment allegation against a popular movie star who is new to the team.

On Friday, August 16, the National Awards jury announced Aattam as the winner in three major categories — Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Editing. While Ekarshi has directed and written the screenplay, Mahesh Bhuvanend is the film’s editor.

Aattam, which won national awards in 3 categories

Both Fortt and Ekarshi have been associated with Kochi-based theatre group Lokadharmi Nadakaveedu for several years.\

“It was Vinay who suggested that we do something that all these wonderful theatre actors can be part of. He kept nudging me to write a script. The basic idea behind the film is this: ‘Is justice a pursuit of an individual or a group’. I also wanted to explore how justice works when personal stakes come in. After that, I thought of the setting and characters,” Ekarshi told The Indian Express in an earlier interview.

Eleven of the 13 key actors in Aattam — excluding Kalabhavan Shajohn and Zarin Shihab — have been associated with Lokadharmi. Fortt, who has studied acting at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, too plays a major character in the film.

Shihab, who did workshops with the actors for 35-40 days before the shoot, plays the role of Anjali. In the movie, Anjali faces harassment at a hotel where the theatre group is partying and when she talks about that, the group, instead of confronting the accused, try to reach a consensus, thus laying bare the underlying suspicions, greed and pettiness among themselves.

“A lot of people are asking me if we expected this,” Shihab told The Indian Express. “We’ve learned to keep our expectations low — you never know, right? But seeing all the recognition we received at film festivals, including the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), did give us a little hope.”

Most of these actors — who have been part of Lokdharmi’s productions, especially its longest-running play, Karnabharam — are from humble backgrounds with a passion for acting. Jolly Antony is a tile layer; Aji Thiruvamkulam is a painter; Selvaraj Raghavan VR used to be a headload worker; Sudheer Babu is a theatre teacher; Santhosh Piravom owns a vegetable shop and also drives an autorickshaw; Sijin Sijeesh runs a motor-winding workshop; Sanosh Murali works is a percussionist; Prasanth Madhavan is a tour operator; and Madhan Babu K is a senior government employee at Agriculture University.

The film’s idea was first floated during the second round of the Covid-induced lockdown. As Ekarshi developed the idea, the actors became sounding boards and the script readings were held online.

“Since I have known the actors for the last 15 years, it was easier for me to make a film with them. All theatre actors play characters bearing their real name. They have been friends for several years. Calling each other by some other name would have killed the truth of their performance,” said Ekarshi, a post-graduate in psychology who had earlier made a short film titled Shades of a Kite (2020) and several music videos.

Ekarshi believes that three months of rigorous rehearsals leading to the final shoot helped the actors, who were making their screen debut, ease into what would have otherwise been an intimidating atmosphere.

Aji Thiruvamkulam, 60, who plays the character Aji, said, “Since we went with our real names, it made communication smoother, making it feel like we were talking to the real person.”

Much before Aattam won the top award at the National Film Awards, it received the Grand Jury award for Best Film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) 2023, and was selected as the opening film of Indian Panorama at the 54th International Film Festival of India, Goa.

It was the audience’s reaction at film festivals like MAMI that tipped 48-year-old drama teacher Sudheer Babu off about the winner they had on their hands. “I saw people enjoying the movie by following the subtitles and even the dark humour landed well,” he said.

Jolly Antony, the 42-year-old tile layer, said he was worried about how the film would be received considering most of the cast was relatively unknown .

“At first, I was worried about how people would receive us, especially since only Vinay, Kalabhavan Shajohn and Nandhan Unni were recognisable faces. But the positive reviews gave us the boost we needed,” he said.

Chandra Dasan, founder of Lokadharmi, called Aattam’s feat a “proud moment” for the group.

“They worked on the film together, rehearsed and developed the script — just like one does in theatre. What’s beautiful about their performance is that they have transformed themselves into fine cinema artistes. They worked on their voice projection, dialogue delivery and emotions keeping the camera set-up in mind,” Dasan said, adding that Ekarshi, who has acted in Lokadharmi plays, has evolved into “a brilliant writer and director”.

He hoped that after this, the actors would get more work. “Instead of typecasting them, directors should think of casting them in different roles because they are capable of essaying a range of characters,” he said.

For Selvaraj Raghavan VR, 63, the biggest challenge was adapting to on-screen work. The most senior member of the troupe, he had previously played a bit part in the 2010-movie Kutty Srank starring Mammootty. That film too went on to win the national award.

“Our biggest challenge was overcoming the notion that a film featuring theatre actors would resemble a stage play. From the beginning, we were committed to shedding theatrical habits and embracing the nuances of cinema,” he said.

Anandu Suresh

Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at anandu.suresh@indianexpress.com. ... Read More

In $1-billion exports to Bangladesh, Adani power unit contributed most

Govt now amends rules to allow the Adani Group plant to also sell in India

Written by Harikishan Sharma

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:45 IST

With electricity exports surging, power accounted for 9.3 per cent or over $1 billion of India’s total exports ($11 billion) to Bangladesh in 2023-24, up from a little over 3 per cent two years ago ($498 million).

THE ONLY power plant in India contracted to export its entire output to Bangladesh, but now allowed to sell in India, accounts for a bulk of $ 1 billion of power exports in 2023-24.

With electricity exports surging, power accounted for 9.3 per cent or over $1 billion of India’s total exports ($11 billion) to Bangladesh in 2023-24, up from a little over 3 per cent two years ago ($498 million).

Following uncertainty in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka to India, a new interim government is in place. But New Delhi recently amended its power export rules to derisk the only plant, belonging to the Adani Group, in India that is currently contracted to export its entire output from its 1,600 MW (mega watt) plant in Jharkhand to Bangladesh.

As per records available with  the Kolkata-based Eastern Regional Power Committee (ERPC), the APJL’s Godda plant exported at least 7,508 million units (MU) of power — or 63 per cent of the total exports 11,933.83 million units— to Bangladesh in April-March of 2023-24.

The move to amend a 2018 Ministry of Power regulation for ‘import/export (cross border) of electricity’, made through an office memorandum dated August 12, came less than a week after Sheikh Hasina flew to New Delhi in the wake of spiralling protests. The amended regulation pertains to generation utilities supplying electricity “exclusively to a neighbouring country” and the tweak is essentially aimed at derisking plants such as Adani’s unit in Jharkhand’s Godda district. It states that the “Government of India may permit connection of such generating station to the Indian grid to facilitate sale of power within India in case of sustained non-scheduling of full or part capacity” and clears the decks for the sale of power domestically if there is a delay in payments.

Adani Power, however, said Thursday it was committed to supplying electricity to Bangladesh, and that the recent amendment to power export rules does not affect its existing contract.

There are four companies currently exporting electricity to Bangladesh: two power traders NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN) and PTC India Ltd, and two generating units of Sembcorp Energy India Ltd and Adani Power. The majority of these electricity exports, at over 90 per cent, comes from a single plant: the coal-fired plant located at village Motia in Jharkahnad’s Godda district that is operated by Adani Power (Jharkhand) Ltd (APJL). Bangladesh had contracted to buy 100 per cent electricity produced by AJPL’s Godda plant, which was declared an SEZ (Special Economic Zone) by the Centre in March 2019 and uses 100 per cent imported coal to produce power.

According to trade data available on the Department of Commerce portal, from April 2023 to March 2024, India exported 11,933.83 million units (MU) of power worth $1.03 billion — 9.3 per cent of total exports of $11.06 billion — to the neighbouring country. In the last financial year, the exports of diesel came in second at $829.59 million (7.5 per cent of total exports) while cotton was third at $595.81 million (5.38 per cent).

In 2022-23, power exports to Bangladesh stood at $1.075 billion or 8.8 per cent of the total export volume of $12.21 billion. The value of cotton exports in 2022-2023 was $495.97 million (4 per cent), and $423.03 million (3.46 per cent) for diesel.

In the fiscal before that, cotton was at the top, the most-exported item by value exported to Bangladesh, at $1.58 billion (10 per cent of total value of $16.15 billion). It was followed by $1.18 billion (7.36 per cent) for wheat, while power, with exports worth $498.25 million (3 per cent), stood at the sixth spot.

Adani’s Godda plant started operating two years ago and became fully operational in June last year. All the power generated by the 1,600-MW plant (comprising two 800 MW supercritical units commissioned in April and July 2023) is wheeled to Bangladesh.

The APJL’s monthly share in power exports to Bangladesh has been surging over recent months. In January and February this year, the ERPC data show, the Godda plant’s share was over 90 per cent of the total electricity exported to Bangladesh. In March, it accounted for 75 per cent of the total electricity exported to Bangladesh.

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Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

Gujarat govt wants pre-monsoon action against sand flies, key carriers of CHPV

In 2024 so far, Gujarat has reported 164 AES cases, of which 61 cases have been confirmed as CHPV. Among the 73 AES deaths so far, 27 patients had CHPV.

Written by Aditi Raja

Vadodara | August 17, 2024 04:00 IST

CHPV is a viral infection transmitted by sand flies that can cause fever, headache, or encephalitis, leading to convulsions, coma, or death. (Representational Image)

With experts expressing concern about the “emerging” Chandipura Acute Viral Encephalitis (CHPV) becoming more widespread in the years to come, the Gujarat government has advised health departments across districts and civic bodies to make preventive action against sand flies — the primary transmitters of the virus — a regular part of pre-monsoon health activities to curb its spread.

Health experts camping in Gujarat to study CHPV, which has so far affected 26 of 33 districts in Gujarat and led to the deaths of 27 children, have maintained that the virus will “continue to exist and spread”, as it is an “emerging virus”.

Experts from a central team that visited Gujarat to study the spread of CHPV, meanwhile, have found anti-CHPV antibodies in several samples of humans, cattles and rodents collected from the affected districts. Health officials told The Indian Express that though the 164 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) reported so far this year in Gujarat included 61 CHPV cases, the cases have not been reported in a cluster.

Data analysed by the government since 2009 – a presentation on which has been distributed among all district and civic health departments – shows that Gujarat had reported 22 CHPV cases as against 51 AES cases in 2009. It also saw a 100 per cent CHPV mortality rate with all 22 patients dying. Thereafter, a high number of CHPV cases was reported in 2014, at 11, and seven deaths. 2019 saw 10 CHPV cases and five deaths.

In 2024 so far, Gujarat has reported 164 AES cases, of which 61 cases have been confirmed as CHPV. Among the 73 AES deaths so far, 27 patients had CHPV. Until August 12, Panchmahal district had recorded the maximum number of CHPV cases — seven — as well as deaths at four. It was followed by Kutch with three deaths of CHPV patients.

Panchmahal also has the highest number of AES cases at 16, along with Sabarkantha. Of the seven deaths recorded in Panchmahal, three are of AES patients. “In human samples collected from neighbourhoods where cases have been reported, anti-CHPV antibodies have been detected but the exact findings are awaited. Samples of Phlebotomus Papatasi (sand flies) have also been examined and it has been found that male sand flies transmit the virus to the female sand flies, who actually bite,” an expert said.

The expert added, “The study of the samples of cattle and rodents in affected districts, too, has shown clear presence of anti-CHPV antibodies, which indicates that the virus is present in the wider number of hosts and sand flies may only be the primary transmitters…”

CHPV is a viral infection transmitted by sand flies that can cause fever, headache, or encephalitis, leading to convulsions, coma, or death. It causes AES in children and mitigating neurological complications within the first 24 hours is the key to avoid high fatality.

Health officials said that the state has witnessed CHPV outbreaks prior to 2009 as well.

In 2004, Vadodara district had recorded a CHPV outbreak with 70 per cent case fatality rate (CFR) – deaths among total cases – while Gujarat had overall recorded 78.3 per cent CFR but not as a cluster outbreak.

In its August 13 advisory seeking “re-accommodation” of preventive pre-monsoon activities, the state health department said, “CHPV is an emerging pathogen… and the primary vectors are sand flies, particularly of the genus phlebotomus, while potential reservoirs include cattle, although research is ongoing to determine the extend of their role in the life cycle of the virus…”

Maintaining that there is no specific antiviral treatment for CHPV infection, it gives a list of activities to be undertaken for “re-accommodation” – following Union government’s advisory for indoor residual spray (IRS) or insecticide sprayed at homes in villages of affected talukas and actively surveilling affected regions to monitor and identify new cases while also conducting regular field visits. The advisory also suggested repair of broken walls and sealing cracks in houses to reduce vector breeding sites.

Health officials said that in the absence of a direct antiviral treatment for CHPV, prevention is the only way forward. An official from a central Gujarat district that has reported CHPV cases and deaths, said, “The government has been clear that CHPV has to be considered as emerging as a significant disease that gives very little time to react. Since it mostly affects children under 15 years of age, the mortality rate is extremely high. From the recommendations made by expert teams that toured Gujarat, it is clear that the outbreaks could become severe in the years to come…”

“Therefore, spraying malathion in rural homes is to become a regular preventive health activity. The government has also advised that urban

residents should be made aware that structures they occupy should not have any crevices, especially dampness and moisture…”

A civic medical officer said, “As CHPV is spread through sand flies, the only way to prevent the disease is to eliminate sand flies. It can be done by spraying malathion, which has to become a part of the preventive health activities… CHPV will soon spread, just like dengue, malaria or chikungunya, it is not a cluster disease. As post Covid-19 pandemic, infrastructure for diagnostics has been ramped up, higher number of CHPV cases will be reported.”

According to government data, malathion has been sprayed in 16,736 villages comprising 7,45,626 homes as well as 8,317 anganwadis and 30,699 schools.

The IRS has been administered 1,53,959 homes and 8,301 schools till August 12.

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Wanted podium in Paris to showcase our Flag, our protests: Vinesh Phogat

After the Olympics weigh-in debacle, the wrestler had announced that she would be retiring but in the letter on Friday, she hinted that she hasn't completely shut the door on competing further.

By: Express News Service

Updated: August 17, 2024 08:02 IST

Vinesh Phogat was found to be 100 grams over her 50 kg category (Source: PTI)

TWO DAYS after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) verdict ended Vinesh Phogat’s hopes of getting a silver medal at the Paris Games, the wrestler, in an emotional social media post Friday, spoke about her attachment to the national flag and her regret of missing out on being on the Olympics podium while carrying it.

Recalling last year’s protest against former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and a photo frame of her lying on the street near Jantar Mantar next to the Tricolour, she said, “During the wrestlers’ protest I was fighting hard to protect the sanctity of women in India, the sanctity and values of our Indian flag. But when I look at the pictures of me with the Indian flag from 28th May 2023, it haunts me,” she wrote.

At Paris, Phogat by virtue of reaching the 50 kg final was assured of at least a silver but was disqualified on the morning of her final after she was found to be 100 grams overweight.

Expressing regret over the close miss, she said: “It was my wish to have the Indian flag fly high this Olympics, to have a picture of the Indian flag with me that truly represents its value and restores its sanctity. I felt that by doing this it will correctly represent what the flag went through and what wrestling went through.”

pic.twitter.com/8iu2vs21Wq

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 16, 2024

Towards the end of the three-page post, Phogat, who had announced her retirement after her disqualification, hinted that she could make a comeback to the sport that has defined her life, and where she has “unfinished business”.

“The goal that we were working towards and what we had planned to achieve is unfinished, that something might always remain missing, and that things might never be the same again,” she wrote.

“Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032, because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there. I can’t predict what the future holds for me, and what awaits me in this journey next. But I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing,” she ended the note.

The post was also about her journey from an interior village in Haryana to the Olympics stage, her father who died when she was nine and her mother who has been a constant source of support. She also thanked her husband Somvir, coaches and support staff.

Phogat, who is set to return to India on Saturday, also tried to recollect the anxious night of August 6 and the painful morning of August 7. “There is so much more to say and so much more to tell but words will never be enough and maybe I will speak again when the time feels right. On the night of 6 August and the morning of 7 August, all I want to say is that we did not give up, our efforts did not stop, and we did not surrender but the clock stopped and the time was not fair. So was my fate,” she wrote.

In first high-level contact, Yunus dials Modi, assures security for Hindus, other minorities

Dhaka says chief advisor will join Delhi-hosted virtual summit tomorrow

Written by Shubhajit Roy

Dhaka | Updated: August 17, 2024 00:58 IST

Following their conversation Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said Prime Minister Modi “reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. (Express Archives)

In the first high-level contact between the two countries since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and concerns in India over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government in Dhaka, called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday. He assured him that the interim government would “prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh”.

This is significant given that ever since August 5 when Hasina fled to India and violence swept Bangladesh, Modi has expressed concern twice in public about the situation of Hindus and the other minorities there — on August 8 while greeting Yunus on taking charge of the interim government; and on Thursday when he addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day.

Following their conversation Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said Prime Minister Modi “reaffirmed India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He emphasised India’s commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives. Prime Minister also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh.”

“Prof. Yunus, in turn, assured that the Interim Government would prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh,” it said.

The MEA said “the two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities”.

In a series of posts on X, the handle of the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh said Modi felicitated Yunus and invited him to join the Third Voice of Global South Summit to be virtually hosted by New Delhi on August 17. It said Yunus had agreed to join the summit virtually from Dhaka.

It said when Modi raised the issue of the protection of minorities, Yunus said his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities.

Yunus said reports of attacks on minorities have been exaggerated and he is inviting Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issues of minority protection.

According to Yunus, the situation in Bangladesh has been brought under control and life is becoming normal across the country.

It said Modi expressed his desire to work closely with the interim government and praised the leadership of Yunus, saying he knew him for a long time.

The conversation between the two leaders took place a day after Modi, in his Independence Day address, said, “Whatever has happened in Bangladesh, as a neighbouring country, I can understand the concerns about it. I hope that the situation there will soon become normal. Especially, the concerns of 140 crore countrymen is that the safety of Hindus and minorities there should be ensured.”

“India always wants the neighbouring countries to walk on the path of happiness and peace. We have a commitment to peace, it is our culture. In the coming days, our good wishes will always be there in the development journey of Bangladesh because we are people who think about the welfare of mankind,” he said.

On August 14, Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain said the interim government wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations. He also underlined the commitment to ensure peaceful coexistence of different communities in Bangladesh including the minorities.

On August 12, Yunus had reached out to the Hindu minority community with a visit to the Dhakeshwari Temple where he met community leaders and assured “justice” and “equal rights” for all.

According to minority organisations, there have been at least five deaths and 205 incidents of attacks on Hindus in over 50 districts since the fall of the Hasina government on August 5.

While Dhaka witnessed some attacks, most happened in villages and in the hinterland, especially in the border areas.

A key reason behind the attacks was the absence of the police over the last week – most have abandoned the police stations fearing retribution by student protesters. The result: police FIRs or complaints could not be filed in many cases, and the community was left defenceless.

The reports of attacks have reinforced a sense of insecurity and foreboding among the Hindu community which, at about 8 per cent, is the largest minority population in the country of 170 million people. About 91.04% of Bangladeshis are Muslims, and the remaining 9 per cent comprise Hindus (7.95%), Buddhists (0.61%), Christians (0.30%) and others (0.12%), as per the 2022 Census.

Leaders said many of the Hindu families were targeted for being politically affiliated with the Awami League; some were attacked because people were looking for an “opportunity” in the absence of law and order; some incidents were traced back to old property disputes as well.

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Need to create between 60 million and 148 million more jobs in 6 years till 2030: IMF’s Gita Gopinath

In her interview with The Indian Express’s Udit Misra, Gita Gopinath, IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, says India needs to create anywhere between 60 to 148 million additional jobs between now and 2030 cumulatively.

Written by Udit Misra

Updated: August 17, 2024 07:49 IST

Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath.

In the recently released Economic Survey, the Chief Economic Advisor estimated that India needed to create close to 8 million new jobs each year for the coming decade. In her interview with The Indian Express’s Udit Misra, Gita Gopinath, IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, says India needs to create anywhere between 60 to 148 million additional jobs between now and 2030 cumulatively. That works out to be an annual rate ranging from 10 million to 24 million.

(Edited Excerpts)

Q1: What are the main worries or challenges that you see before the global economy?

GG: So firstly, if you look at global growth, we see it as quite stable — at 3.2% this year and 3.3% for next year. In terms of the challenges to it, the concerns are, firstly, on the front of inflation. It’s been coming down for most countries in the world, and we expect that to continue, but the job is not completely done at this point. So we just need to make sure that that happens without there being any big effect on terms of economic activity.

The second is what’s coming from geopolitics and conflicts around the world that has implications for commodity prices. And there’s a risk that if there is further increase in tensions in the Middle East that could have that could raise oil prices, for example. So that’s another area that has implications for the world.

We’re also in a year of political uncertainty, because this is a year where we’re having a large number of elections around the world. That brings with it uncertainty on specific policies, and that could have some implications for global growth.

What we are somewhat more concerned about is the medium term, where our projections for growth of the medium term are some of the weakest we’ve had in decades. It’s around close to 3%. It used to be 3.8% on average over the last two decades, if you look at the average over the last two decades. So we’re looking at, you know, not great global growth into the medium term, and for that, we think it’s going to be important all over the world for governments to focus on growth, which will take some very serious structural reforms.

Q2: One of the things that we saw in the last two, three years was the massive spike in inflation across the world, and central banks across the world raised interest rates, but as we saw in many emerging economies, including India, there was a sense that raising interest rates was not tackling this supply-shock inflation There have been many question marks on the inflation-targeting regime that India is following. Do you think that an inflation targeting regime is apt for developing economies such as India?

GG: I think inflation targeting regimes have really delivered for countries around the world. As you know, it’s called flexible inflation targeting, which is that you do take into account the fact that some of the drivers of inflation may be out of the control of monetary policy, and so you do take that into account when you’re setting your policy rates. But inflation targeting helps because it helps anchor inflation expectations. What we’ve seen is the countries that have moved towards inflation targeting regimes, they gain credibility because of the anchoring of that inflation expectation. And so these second round effects that come from shocks like food prices are more contained. And in that sense it’s very helpful.

I think it’s been very beneficial for India too. You know, since it adopted inflation targeting in 2015 using inflation expectations more anchored on average, inflation has been lower than before. So again, the idea is to use it, and to use it, of course, keeping in mind this is that there is flexibility associated with it. You don’t try to hit the target in every single moment, but this is on average that gives you the flexibility you take into account what the impact is going to be of food prices on second round effects that show up in core inflation. So you have to do it smartly, of course, but it’s still, I think, a very good framework.

Q3: India has been one of the brightest spots when it comes to GDP growth rates. Data shows that India is around that level of GDP where China was in 2002. China, of course, went to experience a massive rise in GDP since. Do you think that India could follow a similar trajectory over the next two decades? And are there certain bits of China’s rise which India should avoid?

GG: Firstly, as you said, India is doing extremely well in terms of its growth numbers. At 7% growth for this fiscal year makes India the fastest growing major economy in the world, and that contributes about 17% to global growth. So it is a very important contributor to the global growth that we’re seeing right now, and we expect in the medium term, as of now, (India’s GDP) growth to be around six and a half percent. So that it should hold up as being one of the big contributors to global growth.

It is hard to make direct comparisons with other countries because there’s a lot of the devil in the details. But what is absolutely clear is that if India continues on the path of serious reforms, and it will require large scale reforms and on multiple fronts, then you know, this growth can be maintained. It can be increased, and certainly per capita incomes will then, will then rise. But again, it’s important for growth to come along with a lot of job creation. We ran some numbers, and if you look at what is needed in terms of additional job creation in India between now and 2030 cumulatively is, you know, anywhere between 60 million and 148 million. That will not happen if you just focus on a couple of sectors or particular areas. It’s going to require broad based growth across the different sectors.

Q4: Employment is an issue creating massive unrest in many developing countries such as India. Bangladesh is just another example. Is there a policy prescription for developing economies, which have a large and growing youth population, to allow them to make economic growth work for all and create jobs?

GG: So firstly, if you have, in general, an environment where there is more corporate investment that’s taking place, that induces more corporate investment, that has flexibility in the labor markets, that allows for allocation of resources to move freely in terms of labor, land, capital across different sectors — those are what help with just broad based growth and job creation.

So in the case of India, there are things that can be done in the short term, but also others that would require a longer period of time.

So in the near term, first year, I think it’s important that business climate matters. The ease of doing business matters in terms of dealing with regulations, red tape and so on. All of that really is critical to be able to get business dynamism in the economy going. And there are some states like, you know, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, where you’re seeing more foreign direct investment go, which are also states where the business climate is ranked as high.

The other is areas, in terms of labor market reforms, the government has done a lot. There were these new laws that were approved by parliament in 2019-2020, it’s important now to implement those fully. That’s going to require working with the state governments, incentivizing them to do the full implementation. That’s going to be very helpful. Trade has been very helpful for other countries in the world, who’ve grown and, you know, also done a lot of job creation. India has, on average, higher tariff rates than its peers do. So I think again, working on removing trade restrictions will enable it to play a bigger role in global supply chains. And this is a moment to seize, because a lot of countries are looking to India as a country to work with, given the current geopolitical environment we’re in. Public investment spending, which has been very good in India, obviously, needs to continue, and the budget is putting an appropriate focus on that.

But there’s also these other more slow moving factors that are absolutely critical. Human capital — making sure that the skills of the population are keeping up with the demands of industry is super important. And so, you know, focusing on education and skilling is absolutely critical. Raising productivity of agriculture is very important. To get the workers to move out of agriculture into other other areas. Land reforms, again, play a very important role. So you need these broad based reforms happening at multiple levels to be able to keep up the growth rate and continue on the trajectory towards higher income status.

Q5: How do you view the rise of artificial intelligence and, in the Indian context (surplus labour), will it be a saviour or is it going to be a curse leading to massive job losses?

GG: So in terms of exposure — our estimate is that around 25% of workers in India would be exposed to AI. Now that doesn’t mean they’re all going to be negatively affected by it because depending on the sector you are in, you can be positively impacted or negatively impacted. The fact that a large number of workers are still in the agricultural sector, the substitution coming from the new form of AI, generative AI, is somewhat less.

Again, in terms of a country like India, there are multiple channels through which it can affect India — some of it very beneficially, some of it less so.

On the beneficial front, it can help, for example, in terms of dealing with skill shortages. It just helps to fill that space. But also in terms of raising human capital and education; there are more creative ways of making that education happen. AI can help with that.

It can help in the public finance space in terms of being able to raise revenue, implement your tax scheme much better, raise revenues much better. So all of that is super positive. And since India has also, you know, this services IT area, they can complement it quite well.

But on the other side, there are some areas, like, for example, call centres, where you might see AI basically leading to not as much demand for these kinds of workers. So it’s a mixed bag.

But again, this gets me back to the point that we certainly now are in times where we’ve had a lot of automation in manufacturing, and what generative AI does is bring about customer automation in the services sector. So which is why, if you really want to make sure they have growth and you have job creation for a lot of people, you just need broad based reforms.

Q6: There is a lot of chatter about dollar dominance. Many countries see a strong exchange rate as a matter of national pride, as the case of India. There is a desire to move away from dependence on the US dollar for trade. How do you see these demands? Are these necessarily beneficial for global trade and India?

GG: Firstly, the dominance of the dollar has come about organically, which is a choice of market participants around the world to rely on the dollar. And this is the case of the dollar now it’s a case of the British pound in the past, before the dollar took over that role. So the reason the dollar places the dominant role is because of the strength of the institutions of the US, the fact that you have fully open capital markets, and full convertibility of the exchange rate. It’s the trust in the institutions that have backed the dollar that have led to the adoption of the dollar as a dominant currency. And of course, if it’s taken up by a large number of people, you get these strong network effects, where, because I buy in dollars, I sell in dollars, and that generates a self-fulfilling dominance that comes about. So it is the fundamentals that matter.

So I think for any country in the world that is working on trying to improve those fundamentals in terms of macro stability, financial stability, deepening your financial markets, convertibility for your currency. All of that has plenty of benefits. Set aside the question of whether it becomes a dominant currency in the world or not, there’s plenty of positive benefits that come from it, and so just working on those would be valuable for all countries.

Udit Misra

Udit Misra is Deputy Associate Editor. Follow him on Twitter @ieuditmisra ... Read More

After 10 yrs, J&K to elect an Assembly, CEC says ballot is best answer to bullet

Haryana will also vote for new House on October 1, says EC, no other poll until J&K gets over

Written by Damini Nath

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 01:03 IST

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the schedule for “General Election to Legislative Assemblies” in a press conference. (Express Photo)

Ten years since the last Assembly elections and the first for the Union Territory that was created in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir is headed for a three-phased election in September and October, with the Election Commission announcing the schedule on Friday.

Polling will be held in J&K on September 18, September 25 and October 1, and votes will be counted on October 4.

The EC also announced the schedule for the Haryana Assembly elections — polling on October 1 and counting on October 4. On Friday, The Indian Express reported that J&K and Haryana would go to polls together.

After announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told The Indian Express: “This election schedule is the shortest for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in a few decades. We would assure all the required security to candidates and facilities to electors. The best answer to the bullet is through the ballot, as was shown in the Lok Sabha elections. We are expecting electors and parties to participate with even greater enthusiasm.”

Both Houses have 90 seats each, with 87.09 lakh electors in J&K and 2.01 crore in Haryana as per the draft electoral rolls.

The first phase in J&K will cover 24 Assembly constituencies of the Anantnag, Kishtwar, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Ramban and Doda districts, which are considered more challenging in terms of security.

With 26 seats, the second phase will cover the Rajouri, Reasi, Poonch, Budgam, Srinagar and Ganderbal districts. The last phase of 40 constituencies will cover Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Kathua, Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla.

These would be the shortest Assembly elections in J&K in at least 28 years as the 2014, 2008, 2002 and 1996 elections were held over five, seven, four and four phases, respectively.

When Assembly elections were due in 2019, the EC had decided not to hold the polls due to security concerns. After that, Parliament passed the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, taking away the special status of J&K and creating two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh — which followed a delimitation process that increased the seats in J&K, including four seats of Ladakh, from 87 to 90 (without Ladakh) in 2022. Last year, the Supreme Court ordered the EC to hold the J&K elections by September 30, 2024.

CEC Kumar said when the EC visited J&K last week to review preparations, all political parties had raised the demand for equal security cover for candidates and office-bearers.

He said security would be provided as assessed by the administration. He said adequate forces are available in J&K since the Amarnath Yatra is on until August 19, and a “sufficient” amount of forces will be deployed further as well.

Asked about the challenge of the recent attacks in Jammu, Kumar said: “The people are ready to take on the challenge… We are all ready to face the challenge.”

In the past three election cycles, Haryana and Maharashtra polls were announced together. With the terms of Haryana and Maharashtra Assemblies ending on November 3 and November 26, respectively, the CEC said since the J&K elections had to be held now and the requirement of forces there was higher, it was decided to hold only J&K and Haryana elections together.

He said another election would not be announced while the J&K polls were on. Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections are expected later this year.

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Damini Nath

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More

Reshuffle in J&K before poll dates; DGP Swain loses charge of CID

This came a day after senior IPS officer Nalin Prabhat was appointed as Special DG of Jammu and Kashmir Police. He will assume the role of the force's chief following the retirement of R R Swain on September 30.

Written by Bashaarat Masood , Naveed Iqbal

Srinagar | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:47 IST

The developments in the Union Territory's police force as well as several transfers and posting of officials in the civil administration are seen by many as a precursor to the assembly election in the Union Territory that has to be held before September 30, a deadline set by the Supreme Court.(Representational/ File)

Hours before the Election Commission announced the dates for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory ordered a major reshuffle in police and civil administration.

The move was heavily criticised by the National Conference, which alleged that it was “intended to undermine the integrity of the electoral process”.

The J&K administration said in an order Friday that DGP R R Swain was removed as J&K’s intelligence chief — the head of the CID — and replaced by ADGP Nitish Kumar. This comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday announced that 1992-batch IPS officer Nalin Prabhat would succeed Swain as J&K DGP on October 1.

ADGP Kumar, a 1999-batch IPS officer, was originally from the J&K cadre — now part of the AGMUT cadre. He has served in the Valley for several years as SP and SSP at Handwara, and as DIG of south and north Kashmir.

During a deputation with the NIA, Kumar worked as IG (Investigations) in the central agency. On his return, he was posted as IG CID and later as ADG CID. Kumar also holds the charge of Director, State Investigation Agency.

The government has also posted eight new SPs (Operations) in the Jammu region in view of the rising militant violence there. While two SPs have been posted in Kathua, two have been posted at Rajouri. One each has been posted in Poonch, Reasi, Kishtwar, and Udhampur. These are areas that have seen a spike in militancy in recent months.

The administration also ordered the transfer of several top police officers, bringing back some old anti-militancy hands at sensitive positions, especially in Jammu.

Shiv Kumar Sharma has been posted as DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, replacing Sunil Kumar. Maqsood-ul-Zaman has been posted as DIG North Kashmir, replacing Vivek Gupta, who has been posted as IGP Railways.

SSP Baramulla Amod Ashok has been posted as SSP Udhampur, while Mumtaz Ahmad has been posted as SSP Poonch, replacing Yougal Manhas, who has been sent to SIA Jammu. Mohammad Aslam has been posted as SSP Doda, while SSP Kathua, SSP Udhampur, SSP Reasi and SSP Ramban have also been replaced.

In the civil administration, Deputy Commissioner Poonch Yasin Chowdhary has been replaced by Vikas Kundal while Abishek Sharma has been posted as DC Rajouri.

The National Conference has questioned the transfers, with party vice-president Omar Abdullah calling on the Election Commission to look at these transfers from a prism of “free and fair” elections.

“That the J&K administration had to call officers in the secretariat and police HQ to work on Independence Day to order this massive reshuffle tells me they had absolutely no clue that the ECI would be announcing poll dates today. All the more reason that the ECI should look at this transfer order from the prism of a free and fair poll. NC suspects a biased intent on the part of the L-G (Lieutenant General),” he wrote on X.

The party also accused the administration of trying to “undermine” the legitimacy of the electoral process. Party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said, “Why has a massive reshuffle been ordered in the police and administration since last evening, and today morning, seemingly to pre-empt the Election Commission’s announcement? It appears to have been orchestrated by a BJP-appointed L-G to benefit his party and its allies.”

Sagar said the move seems “clearly intended to undermine the integrity of the electoral process, which restricts such transfers to prevent the ruling party from gaining an undue administrative advantage over the opposition”.

He accused L-G Manoj Sinha of having “strategically shaken up the entire administrative setup compromising the principles of free and fair elections”.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, the Election Commission has announced that J&K will hold Assembly elections in three phases — September 18, 25, and October 1. Results will be announced on October 4.

Referring to the transfer orders, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said: “Before the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) is imposed, the power to transfer is with the government. But if there is any information about anyone disturbing the level playing field, the Commission will inquire and act on it, irrespective of the timing of the transfer,” he said.

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After launch success, ISRO says SSLV development is complete

The technology of the SSLV will be transferred to the private industry for commercial flights

Written by Anonna Dutt

Updated: August 17, 2024 07:40 IST

The vehicle is just 2 metres in diameter and 34 metres long. (Photo: Youtube/ISRO)

The smallest launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) — SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) — in its third and final developmental flight Friday placed the EOS-08 and SR-0 satellites into a precise 475-km circular orbit. With this, the SSLV will be inducted into the space agency’s fleet of operational launch vehicles.

The technology of the vehicle, however, will be transferred to the private industry for commercial flights in bigger numbers.

Congratulating those involved in the successful launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X said: “A remarkable milestone! Congratulations to our scientists and industry for this feat. It is a matter of immense joy that India now has a new launch vehicle. The cost-effective SSLV will play an important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry.”

ISRO Chairperson S Somanath said: “With this third flight of SSLV, we can declare that the development process is completed. We are in the process of transfer of technology to industries for serial production and launches of SSLV on a commercial basis. So, it is a great beginning for SSLV.”

A remarkable milestone! Congratulations to our scientists and industry for this feat. It is a matter of immense joy that India now has a new launch vehicle. The cost-effective SSLV will play an important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry. My best… https://t.co/d3tItAD7Ij

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024

“Further, we are also looking for certain activities in the VTM stage and all that will be completed in due course of time,” he said. The VTM or Velocity Trimming Module is the last liquid-propellent based stage of the rocket which is used to correct the velocity just before injecting the satellites into orbit. It was this stage, which did not switch on during the first development flight of the SSLV due to a previous misreading of sensors, leading to the satellites being injected into an unstable orbit.

However, it was a textbook launch on Friday. “The rocket has placed the satellite in a precise orbit as planned. I find that there are no deviations in the injection conditions. The final orbit will of course be known after tracking,” said Somanath.

ISRO’s EOS-08, which was the primary payload on the mission, is a 175-kg experimental satellite, carrying on board three new technologies.

The Electro-Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) is designed to capture images in mid-wave and long-wave infra-red during the day and night. The data can be used for surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.

The Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) has been designed to demonstrate that reflected signals from satellite-based navigation systems like GPS can be used for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.

Notably, the third payload SiC UV Dosimeter will be used to study the amount of UV radiation that will hit the viewport of the crew module in preparation for the Gaganyaan mission.

“The UV dosimeter is to be flown on the Gaganyaan mission, but we are flying it here to get the on-orbit experience,” said Avinash M, Satellite Director.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

EC visits over, J&K, Haryana may go to Assembly polls together

Elections to the State Assemblies of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due in the next six months. The terms of the Maharashtra and Haryana Assemblies end in November, and Jharkhand’s in January next year.

Written by Ritika Chopra

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 07:24 IST

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his colleagues, Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, were in J&K on a two-day visit (August 8-9) last week to meet stakeholders and assess the poll preparedness. This week, they visited Chandigarh for the same purpose.

WITH THE three election commissioners having visited only Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana so far, and with the Supreme Court’s September 30 deadline for holding elections in the Union Territory fast approaching, J&K and Haryana, by all indications, could go to polls together first.

Elections to the State Assemblies of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due in the next six months. The terms of the Maharashtra and Haryana Assemblies end in November, and Jharkhand’s in January next year.

J&K, which has been without an elected House for five years now, is also due for polls since the Supreme Court, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370 in December last year, set a deadline of September 30, 2024, for holding elections.

In the past, at least for the last three election cycles since 2009, the EC has conducted polls in Maharashtra and Haryana together, given that their terms end within a month of each other. Jharkhand elections were held separately. However, there is precedent of the EC decoupling state polls traditionally held together, and this may be the case this time too.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his colleagues, Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, were in J&K on a two-day visit (August 8-9) last week to meet stakeholders and assess the poll preparedness. This week, they visited Chandigarh for the same purpose.

According to sources in the state governments of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, no visit by the EC has been scheduled to these two states as of now, indicating that polls there may take place a little later.

CEC Kumar, during the press conference held in J&K last week, had made clear the EC’s intention of holding polls at the earliest. “The time has come to take forward the dreams of democracy you people have seen and shown us by turning up in large numbers and standing in long queues at polling stations during the recent Lok Sabha elections, and to give you an elected government through (Assembly) elections,” he had said on August 9.

Following the visits to J&K and Haryana, a meeting was held with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday to discuss the EC’s demand for security personnel for J&K. Given the security situation in the UT, all candidates would require security cover, leading to an increase in the requirement, sources said. The Assembly elections are also expected to see more contestants, said sources.

According to sources, the EC estimates an average of 15 to 20 candidates to contest from each constituency across the UT. There are a total of 90 seats in the J&K Assembly. It is learnt that the EC has estimated that 16,000 security personnel would be required to provide security cover to all candidates.

The Home Secretary is learnt to have agreed to the EC’s demands related to security cover.

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Ritika Chopra

Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More

UCC: PM brings it up in Independence Day speech, wary allies reiterate ‘consensus’, wait for clarity

TDP sources say no discussion over the contentious issue since govt was formed, emphasise “securing Muslim interests”; JD(U) says its stand calling for wider discussions “remains the same”

Written by Deeptiman Tiwary , Nikhila Henry

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:24 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort on 78th Independence Day, in New Delhi. (PTI)

AS PRIME Minister Narendra Modi called for a “secular civil code” for the country, in place of the existing “communal civil code”, during his Independence Day speech Thursday, BJP allies TDP, JD(U) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) reacted with caution.

PM Modi’s reiteration of one of the Sangh Parivar’s core ideological issues – rechristened as “ secular civil code” instead of “Uniform Civil Code (UCC)” – and especially during his Independence Day speech. was significant as it underlined his government’s commitment to the same despite its dependence on allies for power now.

Two of those partners, JD(U) and TDP, with large Muslim vote banks in the states ruled by them respectively, have earlier opposed any legislation in this regard without wider consultation.

Asked about Modi’s speech, JD(U) national general secretary K C Tyagi told The Indian Express: “CM Nitish Kumar made a submission to the Law Commission in 2017 on a UCC (Uniform Civil Code). Our stand remains the same. We are not against a UCC, but we want it to come through consensus.”

TDP leaders, however, chose not to comment on the matter Thursday, some saying that the party was “deliberating” over a UCC and would come up with “a clear understanding” and “plan of action”.

“If the BJP plans to implement it, we will think of a way to secure the interests of Muslims,” a senior TDP leader told The Indian Express, adding that a UCC had not come up in any discussion with the BJP since the new government was formed, and indicating that the PM’s mention of it had come as a surprise.

“Once the issue comes for discussion, we will make sure that the voice of the Muslim community is heard,” the leader repeated.

A top TDP source said they may wait for a draft UCC to be tabled. “Once the draft is on the table, we will make sure justice is done to the Muslim community,” the leader said.

The LJP, another key ally of the BJP, was also non-committal on the issue Thursday, deferring a call till there was a “draft”. LJP general secretary A K Vajpayee told The Indian Express: “We are still waiting for the draft (of a UCC). We will be able to comment only when the draft is ready.”

Last year, before his party entered into an alliance with the BJP, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had said that when it “comes to a UCC, the TDP will stand with the Muslim community”. Echoing his words, the party’s national spokesperson, Jyothsna Tirunagari, had said: “We stand with the Muslim community. That has been our stand always.”

The BJP’s second biggest ally in the NDA after the TDP, the JD(U) has earlier said that “a UCC must be seen as a measure of reform… not a political instrumentality”.

In his 2017 letter to the Law Commission, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar had written: “While the State must endeavour to bring in a UCC, such an effort, in order to be enduring and sustainable, must be based on a broad consensus… rather than be imposed by fiat from above.”

Nitish underlined that India was “a nation based on a delicate balance in respect of laws and governing principles for different religions and ethnic groups”. He also said that any attempt to impose a UCC could lead to “social friction and erosion of faith in the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion”.

Nitish also raised objections to the questionnaire sent by the Law Commission to parties to seek their views on a UCC, saying it was framed “to force respondents to respond in a specific manner”.

Speaking to The Indian Express following the TDP’s victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha, its leader Nara Lokesh had said: “Issues like delimitation, Uniform Civil Code, etc will be discussed at length and resolved amicably. We will sit together with partners across the table and try to achieve a consensus on all these issues.”

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India

- 20 coaches of Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express derail near Kanpur; no injuries reported

- Political firestorm over security failure as more bomb-like objects are found in Assam

- Rishab wins Best Actor; Nithya, Manasi share top award

- Govt approves Metro projects in Bengaluru, Pune, Thane

- Work hard to fulfill PM vision: Shivraj Chouhan to staff

- ACC approves 18 transfers, Rajesh Kumar Singh to be Defence Secretary

- ‘Want truth to come out… some spreading lies to mislead public’: Mamata leads protest rally

- Delhi HC asks Govt to pay Shaurya Chakra awardee allowance denied for two years

- In call with Netanyahu, PM Modi stresses need for de-escalation in Gaza

- Kerala High Court launches state’s first virtual court in Kollam district

- NDA leaders meet JP Nadda

- Maharashtra polls later, J&K security among reasons: CEC Rajiv Kumar

- Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; vehicles set on fire

- In India illegally, three Rohingya refugees en route to Hyderabad arrested at Agartala Railway Station

- V-P: Person holding Constitutional position asking SC to give wings to anti-India narrative

- Two ‘IED-like devices’ found in Guwahati: Police

- Former Meghalaya CM Salseng Marak passes away at 82

- Congress names new chief for Jammu and Kashmir

- Retired judge B K Kilikdar sworn in as Tripura Lokayukta

- Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; mob sets vehicles on fire

- 13 more Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy repatriated to India

- Centre effects major secretary-level reshuffle

- Haryana to go to polls in single phase on Oct 1, counting on Oct 4: EC

- After meeting with Tata chairman, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu announces special task force to fast-track projects

20 coaches of Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express derail near Kanpur; no injuries reported

While no injuries have been reported so far

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 08:11 IST

Buses were arranged to carry passengers from the accident site to the Kanpur Railway Station. (Express File Photo)

As many as 20 coaches of the Sabarmati Express passenger train, which runs from Varanasi to Ahmedabad (19168), derailed between Kanpur and Bhimsen stations in Uttar Pradesh early Saturday morning after its engine struck an object on the tracks.

No injuries have been reported so far, an official informed news agency PTI.

“The loco pilot said that some boulder hit the cattle guard (front portion) of the engine which got badly damaged and bent,” the official said.

Following the derailment, the Railways cancelled seven trains and diverted three others.

Shashi Kant Tripathi, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the North Central Railway Zone, which oversees the area of the accident, stated that buses were arranged to transport passengers from the accident site to Kanpur Railway Station.

Additionally, an eight-coach MEMU train departed from Kanpur to the accident site to bring passengers back to Kanpur, where further arrangements will be made to send them to their respective destinations, Tripathi added.

The Railways has issued the following helpline numbers:- Prayagraj: 0532-2408128, 0532-2407353, Kanpur: 0512-2323018, 0512-2323015, Mirzapur: 054422200097, Etawah: 7525001249, Tundla: 7392959702, Ahmedabad: 07922113977, Banaras City: 8303994411, Gorakhpur: 0551-2208088. Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Jn) -0510-2440787 and 0510-2440790. Orai -05162-252206, Banda-05192-227543, Lalitpur Jn – 07897992404

-With inputs from PTI

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Political firestorm over security failure as more bomb-like objects are found in Assam

Eight of these objects were discovered by police in five districts, including two in Guwahati, on Thursday after the proscribed group ULFA(I) sent emails to several media houses claiming that it had planted 24 bombs across the state that were intended to explode between 6 am and noon.

Written by Sukrita Baruah

Guwahati | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:11 IST

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

With a total of 10 “bomb-like” objects found across Assam on Thursday and Friday after ULFA(I) claimed to have planted 24 bombs that were meant to cause serial blasts in the state on Independence Day, the Opposition has called for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s resignation.

Eight of these objects were discovered by police in five districts, including two in Guwahati, on Thursday after the proscribed group ULFA(I) sent emails to several media houses claiming that it had planted 24 bombs across the state that were intended to explode between 6 am and noon. It claimed that they did not detonate because of a “technical failure” and sought the help of the public to find and defuse them.

On Friday, two more of these objects were found in Guwahati – one in the Satgaon area, which is near the Army cantonment, and the other in Last Gate, near the Secretariat and the Ministers’ Colony.

Assam DGP G P Singh said Friday that four cases were registered in Guwahati in connection with the four bomb-like objects found in the city. These cases will be investigated by the respective officers-in-charge, and an SIT headed by the Joint Commissioner of Guwahati Police and supervised by the Commissioner of Guwahati Police will coordinate and supervise the cases, the DGP said.

He also said that SITs have been set up in the other districts where such objects have been found – Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Nalbari, and Nagaon.

Assam Police also announced a Rs 5-lakh reward for “credible information on persons involved in making, transporting, planning of these devices”.

“We will ensure that they will be taken to task. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that peace continues to prevail in Assam and all those responsible for trying to destabilise Assam are taken to task,” said DGP Singh.

However, Opposition leaders questioned how ULFA(I) was able to plant these objects in different parts of the state, and called it a failure of the state’s Home Department, the police and the security establishment. CM Sarma is also Assam’s Home Minister.

Independent MLA and Raijor Dol leader Akhil Gogoi said: “It is only because of the ULFA’s mercy that these bombs did not explode. But it became clear that any terrorist organisation can place bombs in Assam and take people’s lives… The Assam government says with arrogance that the BJP has ended all insurgency in Assam… But this happened on the day in which there is the highest security.” He also called for Sarma’s resignation.

Union ministers and BJP leaders have said in their visits to Northeastern that the BJP governments there have brought peace to the region and minimised insurgency.

Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Borah said, “I request Himanta Biswa Sarma to not try and distance himself from his actual duty by talking about things like ‘flood jihad’ and ‘love jihad’, and to stand by the BJP government’s commitment to work out a political resolution (with the ULFA(I)) and resign,” he said.

Independent Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan and Asom Jatiya Parishad chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi also demanded Sarma’s resignation.

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Rishab wins Best Actor; Nithya, Manasi share top award

The Best Actress award was shared by Nithya Menen for the Tamil rom-com Thiruchitrambalam (2022) and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati drama the Kutch Express (2023).

Written by Aditya Vaddepalli

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 04:14 IST

Rishab Shetty, Nithya Menen, Manasi Parekh

The 70th National Film Awards winners were announced in Delhi on Friday, with director Anand Ekarshi’s 2023 Malayalam film Aattam (The Play) selected as the Best Feature Film. The film had earlier won the 2023 Grand Jury Award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. It was the opening feature film at the 54th International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Actor Rishab Shetty bagged the Best Actor award for his role in the 2022 Kannada-language action-thriller Kantara, which was also written and directed by him. The film won critical acclaim after its release for its cinematic direction and powerful performances by the cast, which included Shetty’s dual role as Kantara and his son Shiva, both performers of a ritualistic dance performed as part of the worship of the local deities in Karnataka.

The Best Actress award was shared by Nithya Menen for the Tamil rom-com Thiruchitrambalam (2022) and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati drama the Kutch Express (2023). Menen’s effortless portrayal of the warm and innocent Shobana showcased her depth as an actress in Thiruchitrambalam, which was directed by Mithran R Jawahar and saw actor Dhanush in a titular role. In the Kutch Express, Parekh essayed the protagonist, Monghi, a daughter-in-law and mother in a Kutchi household subjugated by her husband.

Sooraj Barjatya won the Best Director for his 2022 Hindi adventure drama Uunchai, which saw a star ensemble of veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Neena Gupta and Sarika. The movie story revolves around three elderly friends who go on a trek to the Everest Base Camp, to fulfil their friend’s last wish. Barjatya shot the movie at various locations in Nepal and Kargil. Neena Gupta won the Best Supporting Actress award for Uunchai.

Music director A R Rahman won the Best Music Direction award (background music) in the feature film category for his work on Mani Ratnam’s 2022 action adventure Ponniyin Selvan: I. Pritam won Best Music Direction (Songs) in the feature film category for Ayan Mukherji’s Brahmastra Part One: Shiva.

Ponniyin Selvan: I won the most awards and Fouja, KGF 2, Brahmastra and Aparajito were among those that won multiple honours. The awards were

announced by chairperson of feature film jury Rahul Rawail, chairperson of non-feature film jury Nila Madhab Panda and chairperson of the best

writing on cinema jury Gangadhar Mudaliar.

The Marathi-language Murmurs Of The Jungle won the Best Documentary Award. Directed by Sohil Vaidya, the documentary explores our prehistoric relationship with forests through stories told by the inhabitants of an indigenous village of Maharashtra’s Western Ghats.

Xunyota (Void) won in the Best Short Film category. Directed by Nabapan Deka, the Assamese language short explores themes of grief and loss through the story of a young girl who loses her mother to a terminal illness.

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Govt approves Metro projects in Bengaluru, Pune, Thane

The 29-km-long corridor will have 22 stations. The project may cost Rs 12,200 crore, and be operational by 2029.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 03:59 IST

The Bangalore Metro project Phase-3, which covers 31 stations over a length of 44.65 km, was approved by the Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Photo)

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved Metro projects for Pune, Thane and Bengaluru proposed by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, with a total cost of over Rs 30,000 crore.

The Bangalore Metro project Phase-3, which covers 31 stations over a length of 44.65 km, was approved by the Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The cost would be Rs 15,611 crore. The project is expected to be completed by 2029 and connect the western part of the city to the Metro network.

The project includes two corridors, one from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura along Outer Ring Road West and another from Hosahalli to Kadabagere along Magadi Road. Once completed, the project will take Bengaluru’s Metro network to 220.20 km.

“Metro rail as an efficient alternate road transport and with Phase-3 as an extension to the Metro Rail network in the Bengaluru city is expected to alleviate traffic congestion and will be particularly impactful on heavily congested routes of the Outer Ring Road West, Magadi road and other major arterial roads of the city,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail project, which will run on the western periphery was approved by the Cabinet. The 29-km-long corridor will have 22 stations. The project may cost Rs 12,200 crore, and be operational by 2029.

“The estimated project cost is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from Centre and Maharashtra governments and part-funding from bilateral agencies. Funds would be raised through… selling station naming and access rights for corporate, monetisation of assets…” the Ministry said.

The extension of Pune Metro phase-1 from Swargate to Katraj was also approved, for Rs 2,954.53 crore; it is also expected to be operational by 2029.

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Work hard to fulfill PM vision: Shivraj Chouhan to staff

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with the employees and officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Ministry of Rural Development here on Friday. Chouhan’s deputies in the both ministries—Ministers of State Bhagirath Choudhary, Kamlesh Paswan and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani – were present. In a statement, the Agriculture Ministry said […]

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 03:51 IST

Shivraj Singh Chouhan (File Photo)

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with the employees and officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Ministry of Rural Development here on Friday. Chouhan’s deputies in the both ministries—Ministers of State Bhagirath Choudhary, Kamlesh Paswan and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani – were present.

In a statement, the Agriculture Ministry said Chouhan has asked the ministers and officers to work hard to fulfil the vision given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for agriculture and rural development in his Independence Day address from Red Fort.

“The minister took a pledge to work with honesty and dedication, and made all others to take the pledge,” it said.

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ACC approves 18 transfers, Rajesh Kumar Singh to be Defence Secretary

In the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena will take charge as Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, on incumbent Vini Mahajan’s superannuation on October 31

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 03:47 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his councils of Minister (File Photo)

Days after a new Cabinet Secretary and Union Home Secretary were appointed, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has, in a major bureaucratic reshuffle across ministries, approved 18 appointments at the Secretary level, including that of Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, who is set to take over as Defence Secretary.

Singh — who was Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry — will initially take charge as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Defence, before he takes over as Defence Secretary when the incumbent Secretary Giridhar Aramane ends his tenure on October 31 this year. Singh’s tenure as Defence Secretary has been extended until October 31, 2026, beyond the age of superannuation.

These appointments, the first big reshuffle in the Modi government’s third term, comes with the superannuation of officers in several ministries. Another senior bureaucrat Punya Salila Srivastava, a 1993-batch AGMUT-cadre IAS officer, will take over as Health Secretary with incumbent Apurva Chandra’s superannuation on September 30 this year. Srivastava, who was Special Secretary, PMO, will take charge as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare till Chandra’s superannuation.

Prior to her stint at the PMO, Srivastava worked as joint secretary and then additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. She became well-recognised during the Covid-19 pandemic, addressing the regular conference on lockdown and travel measures.

Deepti Umashankar, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, will take charge as Secretary to the President on Rajesh Verma’s superannuation on August 31. Earlier the Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, Umashankar has been posted as Officer on Special Duty to the President until she takes charge as the President’s Secretary. Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana-cadre IAS officer, who was Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, has been appointed the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training.

K Srinivas, a 1989-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, has been posted as Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Srinivas was Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, a post that will now be held by Chandra Sekhar Kumar, a 1992-batch officer of the Orissa cadre. Manoj Govil, who was Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has been posted as Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, and Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the MP cadre, will take his place as Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Mukherjee was the CEO of the National Health Authority — the agency that implements the Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme. No one has been named for the top post of the agency.

In the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena will take charge as Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, on incumbent Vini Mahajan’s superannuation on October 31. Meena was Chairman and Managing Director, Food Corporation of India.

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‘Want truth to come out… some spreading lies to mislead public’: Mamata leads protest rally

Alleging that attempts are being made to “cover up the truth” about the crime that happened in Kolkata last week, the CM said that some people are “spreading misinformation to mislead the public”.

By: Express News Service

Kolkata | August 17, 2024 03:30 IST

CM Mamata Banerjee and other TMC leaders during the protest rally in Kolkata, Friday. (Express Photo)

WEST BENGAL Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit out at the opposition parties — the BJP and the CPI(M) — for “politicising” the rape and murder case of a woman trainee doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Banerjee reiterated that she and her party, the ruling Trinamool Congress, want “exemplary punishment” for the culprits and set a deadline for the CBI to complete the probe within next Sunday.

She was addressing a protest rally that she led from Moulali to Dorina Crossing in Kolkata on Friday, with TMC supporters chanting slogans like “Doshider fansi chai (we want capital punishment for the guilty).”

Alleging that attempts are being made to “cover up the truth” about the crime that happened in Kolkata last week, the CM said that some people are “spreading misinformation to mislead the public”. She also alleged that the CPI(M) and BJP were behind the attack on the emergency building (R G Kar hospital) on August 14.

“I know that the CPI(M) and BJP vandalised the hospital. They went there around 12 or 1 am. The video shows that CPI(M) supporters took the DYFI flag and BJP supporters took the Tricolour. They went to get rid of proof at night. Broke machines, CCTV. A hospital is not a place for vandalism… It is a place to treat sick patients. The loss amounts to crores. Will the Left Front or BJP give this money? We want the truth to come out… some are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media platforms. We condemn such activities,” Banerjee told the gathering.

Questioning the BJP and the CPI(M), Banerjee asked how many teams they had sent to probe alleged rape cases in Manipur, Hathras or Unnao (in UP). She also mentioned rape and murder cases that happened under Left rule, and criticised the CPI (M). “We will continue our protest…”

TMC leaders, meanwhile, said that the public outrage is understandable, but the CBI taking over the case should not lead to it “being quietly buried”. They also warned of “fake propaganda” going around on social media on the rape-murder incident.

In a post on X, Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said: “It is hard to conceive of a more heinous, bestial crime than the rape and murder of the young woman in Kolkata. The public outrage is entirely understandable. Thoughts and prayers with her family.”

However, O’Brien said, the CBI — which is probing the case — should give daily updates on the investigation, and complete it before August 17. “CBI… must give daily updates on the probe… The deadline given by the CM to Kolkata Police to finish the probe was August 17. The same must apply to CBI… CBI taking over the case shouldn’t lead to it being quietly buried,” the TMC leader said.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also wrote on X: “…it is necessary to separate facts from false propaganda… Number one, there is a figure of 150 grams of bodily fluids being floated around by the media. The first thing to remember is that the autopsy, post-mortem was carried out in the presence of a judicial magistrate, in the presence of three doctors as witnesses, and in the presence of the family. The entire procedure was videographed. It was not possible to tamper with anything…,” she said.

-with PTI inputs

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Delhi HC asks Govt to pay Shaurya Chakra awardee allowance denied for two years

In March 2020, police security provided to the family was withdrawn, despite complaints by Kaur and her husband about threats received by militants.

Written by Nirbhay Thakur

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:48 IST

Balwinder Singh Bhikhiwind and Jagdish Kaur (Express Photo)

Rs  2.76 lakh. This was the amount a civilian Shaurya Chakra awardee from Punjab was denied by the Government of India for over two years. In a major relief to Jagdish Kaur, the widow of ‘Comrade’ Balwinder Singh Bhikhiwind — also a Shaurya Chakra awardee — the Delhi High Court Friday directed the Government to pay her the dues within 10 days.

Including Kaur and her husband, her family has four Shaurya Chakra awardees. She was entitled to Rs 6,000 a month in allowance for being an awardee and to another Rs 6,000 after her husband was killed in October 2020.

While she was denied her monthly allowance for 18 months, the monetary allowance after her husband’s demise was stopped in May 2022. This led her to move a writ petition before the Delhi High Court. She was represented in Court by advocates Ankit Singh Sinsinwar, Neha Yadav, Dhananjay Kumar and Ravi Kumar.

Kaur’s family faced multiple attacks by Khalistani militants in 1990. “It was the four of us against 200 militants…they had grenades, and rocket launchers,” Kaur told the Indian Express recalling an attack which took place on September 30 of that year. “My husband injured a militant. As soon as that happened, the firing stopped from their side…we had thought that we’ll die that day so we tried our best to survive,” she said, adding that her family was fired at continuously for five hours. She recalled the four of them retaliating with pistols and sten guns to fend off the attack.

Three years later, on January 26, 1993, Kaur, her husband (both former members of the CPI-M), Balwinder’s elder brother Ranjit Singh and latter’s wife Balraj Kaur were awarded Shaurya Chakras by then president Shankar Dyal Sharma.

In March 2020, police security provided to the family was withdrawn, despite complaints by Kaur and her husband about threats received by militants.

One year later, in October 2020, militants barged into their home and shot Balwinder who later succumbed to the injuries. While speaking to The Indian Express, Kaur suggested that militants were planning on killing her husband since 2018.

Her husband used to carry a weapon even to the market, she told The Indian Express. “Neither the government of Punjab helped me, nor the Central government,” she added.

“I had emailed the Chief Minister (AAP’s Bhagwant Mann) 10-15 times, but he didn’t give me any time to meet him,” she said. Kaur and her husband ran a school with over a thousand students enrolled before the lockdown. Now, there are just 80 students left in the school. The Shaurya Chakra is awarded for gallantry, “otherwise than in the face of the enemy.” It is conferred by the President and can be awarded to officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, members of nursing services of the armed forces and civilians among others.

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In call with Netanyahu, PM Modi stresses need for de-escalation in Gaza

Modi called for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:46 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and stressed the need for de-escalation in Gaza.  Modi also reiterated India’s call for a ceasefire, release of hostages and the need for continued humanitarian aid.

In a post on X, Modi said Netanyahu had called him to convey his “warm wishes on India’s 78th Independence Day”, which was celebrated Thursday. “We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasised on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance,” the PM wrote.

Modi also called for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Besides, the two leaders also discussed various aspects of the bilateral cooperation and ways to further strengthen the India-Israel strategic partnership, A PMO statement said.

In December 2023, days after India voted in favour of a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, PM Modi had spoken to Netanyahu and highlighted New Delhi’s stand in favour of early restoration of peace in the region.

Modi and Netanyahu last spoke on June 5, a day after the Lok Sabha election results were announced, with the Israeli PM congratulating Modi on his election victory.

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Kerala High Court launches state’s first virtual court in Kollam district

It is a pilot project that will allow all court processes to be conducted exclusively online — right from the filing stage through case registration, admission, appearances, hearing and passing of orders and judgments.

Written by Ajoy Sinha Karpuram

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 02:43 IST

Besides the virtual court, Justices B R Gavai and Rajesh Bindal also inaugurated an online alternate dispute resolution system.

The Kerala High Court on Friday launched a first-of-its-kind virtual court called ‘24×7 ON Courts — Open and Networked Courts’ in Kollam district.

It will start accepting cases from September 2024 onwards, beginning with cheque dishonor lawsuits that are the largest source of pending criminal cases in the country.

It is a pilot project that will allow all court processes to be conducted exclusively online — right from the filing stage through case registration, admission, appearances, hearing and passing of orders and judgments.

A presentation on a model digital courtroom, along with the launch of the learning management system (LMS) of the Kerala Judicial Academy to facilitate training of judicial officers, prosecutors and police were also held.

This project aims to facilitate seamless transmission of information to all the parties involved in a case, including litigants, lawyers and police. The parties concerned can access case files by logging into the portal. Sharing of summons and warrants through e-post is also available as this portal will have the integrated core policing system (iCoPS), an application software developed and launched by the Kerala Police in 2021.

In case of non-availability of Internet, this portal can be accessed through e-Sewa Kendra centers located at every court complex. The e-Sewa Kendra allows litigants to find information on the status of their cases and obtain copies of judgments and orders. On May 25, the Kerala High Court had launched the first mobile e-Sewa Kendra (inside a bus) in Thodupuzha, Idukki.

Besides the virtual court, Justices B R Gavai and Rajesh Bindal also inaugurated an online alternate dispute resolution system.

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NDA leaders meet JP Nadda

The meeting generated some interest as it came a day after PM Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech that it was time to move towards a “secular civil code”. ENS

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 02:22 IST

JP Nadda

NDA leaders met BJP president JP Nadda and other party leaders at a coordination meeting Friday. The leaders decided to meet once a month for the alliance’s effective functioning, it is learnt.

A leader of an NDA member who attended the meeting said it was an informal meeting. “There was nothing contentious or important apart from the fact that we decided that NDA meetings should be held once a month for effective alliance coordination,” the leader said.

The meeting generated some interest as it came a day after PM Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech that it was time to move towards a “secular civil code”.

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Maharashtra polls later, J&K security among reasons: CEC Rajiv Kumar

The J&K elections are being conducted after 10 years and as per an SC judgment have to be done by September 30.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 05:49 IST

CEC Rajiv Kumar (File Photo)

Citing the workload of a large number of security forces during J&K, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Friday that the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held later.

When asked why the Maharashtra elections had been decoupled from the Haryana polls, the CEC said holding J&K elections had not been a factor in the past election cycles. The J&K elections are being conducted after 10 years and as per an SC judgment have to be done by September 30.

He said the requirement of forces in J&K was “higher” so the EC decided to hold only two polls at a time. He added that the work of updating the voters’ list in Maharashtra had been affected by the rains. The publication of the electoral roll has been postponed in Maharashtra from August 20 to August 30.

“Depending on the requirement of forces, which is on a higher tone in J&K, we have decided to hold two elections together. We cannot announce another electio … when it is ongoing. There are other factors too. There was rain in Maharashtra. The BLOs are yet to complete their work and there are many festivals which we have to consider when making the schedule, like Ganesh festival, Pitru Paksha, Navratri and Diwali,” said the CEC. The CEC also said that all 47 by-elections, including for Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, will be held together when the environment and weather conditions permit.

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Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; vehicles set on fire

After the stabbing incident, which took place at 10.30 am under Surajpole police station limits, right-wing groups called for shops in the market area of the city to shut.

Written by Parul Kulshrestha

Jaipur | August 16, 2024 23:08 IST

The student who stabbed his schoolmate fled the spot after the incident, but has since been detained, police said. (Express Archives)

Communal tensions have flared and prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people were imposed in Udaipur on Friday after a fight between two school students from different communities led to one stabbing the other.

After the stabbing incident, which took place at 10.30 am under Surajpole police station limits, right-wing groups called for shops in the market area of the city to shut. Later, a mob burnt some vehicles and pelted stones. The situation is now under control, officials said.

The two students belonged to a government school in the Bhatiyani Chauhatta area. On Friday morning, one of them attacked the other with a knife. The injured boy is receiving treatment and is in stable condition, police said.

The student who stabbed his schoolmate fled the spot after the incident, but has since been detained, police said.

In a video statement, District Collector Arvind Poswal said, “The condition of the injured child is stable. Doctors are giving him the best possible treatment. The city is peaceful now. The SP and I had roamed the city for an hour with police officers. Two-three vehicles were set on fire in some areas, but apart from this, there has been no incident for which the police have had to resort to lathi charge.”

He made an appeal to the people of the city not to pay attention to rumours. “The situation will be normalised in the next two-three hours,” he said.

Udaipur Rural MLA Phool Singh Meena also told reporters that the situation is under control.

“It is unfortunate that a student was stabbed by another student. This is a serious offence and we are trying to control the situation. I have talked to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, and what is happening in the city has been brought under control to a large extent,” Meena said.

(With PTI inputs)

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In India illegally, three Rohingya refugees en route to Hyderabad arrested at Agartala Railway Station

Amid the Bangladesh political crisis, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya refugees have been arrested from across Tripura over the last few months.

Written by Debraj Deb

Agartala | August 16, 2024 22:53 IST

Tripura shares 856-km long international border with Bangladesh, parts of which are still unfenced due to local disputes. (Express Archives)

Three refugees from the Rohingya community, who had entered India illegally through the Bangladesh international border with the assistance of a tout, were arrested at the Agartala Railway Station before they could board a train to Hyderabad.

The three accused persons – Kamal Hossain, 27; Rashida, 20, and Ajida, 19 – were putting up at refugee camps at Coxbazar in Bangladesh before they illegally crossed the border. The identity of the tout that smuggled them into the country remains unknown. A case was registered against the trio at the Government Railway Police Station. A senior police official, on the condition of anonymity, said the accused had been presented in court.

Amid heavy security deployment at the Bangladesh International Border, 26 persons were arrested – in two separate incidents – for attempting to illegally cross the border, on August 14, a day before India celebrates its Independence Day. Amid the Bangladesh political crisis, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya refugees have been arrested from across Tripura over the last few months.

Amid increased infiltration, Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha held a meeting with top brass of BSF officials in July and asked them to maintain tight vigil across the border and to take strict action against those involved in the infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into Indian territory.

Meanwhile, the BSF has beefed up vigil in the sensitive border outposts and a series of special operations were launched to crack down on the network of touts and smugglers in the bordering areas, apart from intensifying anti trafficking operations to clamp down on the influx of Bangladeshi nationals and smuggling of contraband items in Tripura.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested several Tripura youths in connection with a case registered at Guwahati last year for involvement in human trafficking of Bangladeshi and Rohingya persons into the Indian territory through the state, the last of them arrested on June 16 this year.

Tripura shares 856-km long international border with Bangladesh, parts of which are still unfenced due to local disputes.

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V-P: Person holding Constitutional position asking SC to give wings to anti-India narrative

Kept good company of jealous mistress until appointed Bengal Gov: Dhankhar

Written by Ajoy Sinha Karpuram

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:36 IST

V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar plants a sapling on the premises of NLU Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Calling on the youth to have a “nation first” mindset and “neutralise forces that keep partisan or self-interest above that of our nation”, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday expressed concern about a how “a person holding a Constitutional position” had asked the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance to give wings to a “narrative aimed at destroying our economy”.

Addressing a gathering at the National Law University, Delhi, he also asked law students to “scratch your brains and find out” if the top courts of other countries had ever “created a remedy beyond what is provided in the Constitution”.

Although he did not name anyone, Dhankhar’s comments came amid a political firestorm over US-based Hindenburg Research’s allegations against SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch, with Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi saying SEBI’s integrity had been compromised and asking if the “Supreme Court will look into this matter suo motu once again?”

“I got extremely worried when a person holding a constitutional position, just last week, declared in a well-publicised media… beseeching the Supreme Court to suo motu invoke jurisdiction to give wings to a narrative aimed at destroying our economy,” Dhankhar said at the induction programme for the Joint Masters/LL.M degree in Intellectual Property Law and Management at NLU.

On the extent of the SC’s jurisdiction, he said: “You are law students, I will leave two thoughts with you. One, scratch your brains and find out. Jurisdiction of institution is defined by the Indian Constitution, be it legislature, be it executive, be it judiciary. Jurisdiction of courts is decided.”

“Look around the globe, look at the Supreme Court in the US, the highest court in the UK or other formats. Has there been suo-motu cognizance even once? Has a remedy been created beyond what is provided in the Constitution? The Constitution provides original jurisdiction, appellate jurisdiction. It provides review also. But we have curative! If you do not focus on these nuances, I wonder who shall do it. Think about it,” he said.

In his speech, V-P Dhankhar also spoke about his career as a lawyer and called the profession “a jealous mistress”. “I started my career in 1979, the year I was married. The year I was married is relevant because when you get into the legal profession you have to keep company of the jealous mistress. I pampered and kept a good company of the jealous mistress for four decades and three decades and above being a senior advocate,” he said.

“But it was a good fortune on 20th of July 2019, the day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon 50 years ago, that I was appointed by a warrant. Warrant for a lawyer you can understand is a draconian word. Warrant signed by the then President Shri Ramnath Kovind, appointing me as Governor of the state of West Bengal. Travesty of justice was complete for me and the jealous mistress was gone!”

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Two ‘IED-like devices’ found in Guwahati: Police

One of the devices was found in Satgaon area, near Narengi Army Cantonment, and another at Last Gate in close vicinity of the state secretariat and ministers' colony, where the chief minister's residence is also located.

By: PTI

Guwahati | August 16, 2024 22:36 IST

He maintained that though some 'explosive-type substances' have been found in the devices, whether these were explosives will be known only after forensic examination is completed.

Two ‘IED-like devices’ were found in Guwahati on Friday, taking the total number of ‘bomb-like substances’ seized across Assam in the last 24 hours to 10 after the banned ULFA (I) claimed to have planted 24 explosives to trigger serial blasts in the state, a top police official said.

One of the devices was found in Satgaon area, near Narengi Army Cantonment, and another at Last Gate in close vicinity of the state secretariat and ministers’ colony, where the chief minister’s residence is also located.

The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), in an email to media houses, including PTI, on Thursday gave out a list identifying exact locations of 19 bombs with photographs but could not pinpoint the remaining five spots.

ULFA said the blasts were scheduled to take place between 6 am and noon on Thursday but after failure in execution as the bombs did not explode due to ‘technical failure’, it sought public cooperation for defusing the explosive devices.

“We had been carrying out a thorough search in all the areas mentioned in the ULFA statement. In Satgaon, search was conducted yesterday and resumed today. We recovered an IED-type device in Satgaon and another in Last Gate,” Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah said.

He said the two devices were similar to the ones found in the city on Thursday, one in Panbazar and the other on Gandhi Mandap Road.

“The two explosive-type devices seized today are similar to the ones found yesterday. It has detonator, electric circuit, batteries, but no triggering mechanism,” the CP claimed.

He maintained that though some ‘explosive-type substances’ have been found in the devices, whether these were explosives will be known only after forensic examination is completed.

Barah claimed that although ULFA (I) mentioned eight places in Guwahati where it had purportedly placed the explosives, as per police intelligence the ‘bomb-like substances’ were actually planted in four spots and accordingly, search was conducted in the identified locations.

“We are maintaining utmost vigil,” Barah added.

Eight ‘bomb-like substances’ were seized by police across Assam on Thursday, including two in Guwahati, officials had said.

Two each were recovered in Sivasagar and Lakhimpur, and one each in Nagaon and Nalbari.

The other places where the outfit claimed of planting the bombs are Dibrugarh, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Golaghat districts.

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Former Meghalaya CM Salseng Marak passes away at 82

Marak became the first chief minister of the state to complete a five-year term in 1993.

By: PTI

Shillong | Updated: August 16, 2024 22:09 IST

Former Meghalaya chief minister Salseng C Marak. (Photo: X/ @RahulGandhi)

Former Meghalaya chief minister Salseng C Marak died due to old age-related ailments on Friday, family members said.

The veteran Congress leader, 82, breathed his last at the Tura Civil Hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

Marak became the first chief minister of the state to complete a five-year term in 1993. He also held the office of the CM for the shortest time – 12 days – in 1998 when the Congress-led coalition collapsed.

He also served as the state Congress chief in 2003.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma condoled Marak’s death.

“Deeply saddened to learn of the demise of former CM Salseng C Marak. His contributions to Meghalaya’s development will always be remembered. My condolences to his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace,” he posted on X.

AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge also condoled Marak’s death.

“We are profoundly saddened by the demise of former Chief Minister of Meghalaya & PCC President, Shri Salseng C Marak. His tireless commitment to Meghalaya’s growth and development leaves a lasting legacy, earning our deepest respect and admiration,” he said on X.

The state government has announced a three-day mourning to pay respects to the former chief minister.

Family sources said the veteran Congress leader was undergoing treatment at the Tura Civil Hospital since August 12. He was first admitted to Holy Cross Hospital on August 8, they said.

Born in 1941, Marak attended Kolkata’s Scottish Church College and represented the Resubelpara constituency in North Garo Hills in Meghalaya.

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Congress names new chief for Jammu and Kashmir

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge also approved the appointment of Keshav Mahto Kamlesh as the President of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 02:38 IST

Tariq Hameed Karra has been appointed the new Jammu and Kashmir Congress President. (File photo)

A few hours after the Election Commission announced schedule for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress high command appointed its senior leader Tariq Hameed Karra from Kashmir its new party president replacing Vikar Rasool Wani in the Union Territory.

At the same time, without losing focus of Jammu region, it appointed former Deputy Chief Minister and a Dalit leader, Tara Chand, working president in addition to the already existing Raman Bhalla, a former revenue minister.

According to a statement issued by K C Venugopal, MP and party general secretary, the appointments have been made by the Congress president.

It said that Vikar Rasool has been appointed as special invitee to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect.

Karra in view of his appointment at president of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee stands relieved from his current position as permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

The move assumes significance as it indicates Congress plans to contest with equal vigour in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu region during the coming assembly elections.

Tariq Hameed Karra who had been former finance minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State during PDP-Congress coalition government had in 2014 won the Lok Sabha election from Srinagar by a margin of over 40,000 votes from National Conference’s Dr Farooq Abdullah thus giving the first ever electoral defeat to  the veteran politician in four decades in Kashmir.

A fierce critic of the BJP-PDP alliance from the very beginning, he had resigned from the Lok Sabha and PDP, of which he was a founding member as a mark of protest against civilian killings in September 2016. He joined Congress in February 2017 and became the first person from Kashmir to be nominated as permanent invitee to the all powerful Congress Working Committee.

Tara Chand, who served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2002-09 and thereafter as Deputy Chief Minister of the erstwhile state from 2009-14, had been elected thrice as MLA from Chhamb assembly constituency.

In 1996, he was the only Congress candidate to get elected to the legislative assembly from Jammu district.

Raman Bhalla, another working president too is a popular leader in Jammu. In the recently held Lok Sabha election, he had lost the electoral battle by a margin of nearly 1 lakh votes to BJP’s Jugal Kishore.

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Retired judge B K Kilikdar sworn in as Tripura Lokayukta

Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu administered the oath of secrecy to Bibhas Kanti Kilikdar at Raj Bhavan in Agartala in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, the chief secretary, and the director general of police, among others

Written by Debraj Deb

Agartala | Updated: August 16, 2024 21:44 IST

Kilikdar was appointed as the Lokayukta on July 9. (Screengrab)

Justice (retd) Dr Bibhas Kanti Kilikdar was sworn in as the Tripura Lokayukta on Friday.

Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu administered the oath of secrecy to Kilikdar at Raj Bhavan in Agartala in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, the chief secretary, and the director general of police, among others.

“I shall try to serve the responsibility given to me. It is not possible to fight alone against corruption. For this, the cooperation of the media is required. If I get cooperation, I believe I can do something against corruption. Our CM also wants a zero level of corruption. It can’t be denied that there is corruption everywhere. It’s a disease in our society. I hope to get cooperation from all,” Kilikdar told reporters after his swearing-in ceremony.

Later in the day, CM Saha wrote on his X handle, “Today attended the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-appointed Lokayukta of Tripura Dr. Bivash Kanti Kilikdar at Raj Bhavan, Agartala.”

Kilikdar was appointed as the Lokayukta on July 9. The term of office of the Lokayukta would be three years from the date of assuming charge, stated a notification released by the Tripura Government last month.

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Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; mob sets vehicles on fire

The student who stabbed his schoolmate fled the spot after the incident, but has since been detained, police said.

Written by Parul Kulshrestha

Updated: August 16, 2024 22:05 IST

After the stabbing incident, which took place at 10.30 am under Surajpole police station limits, right-wing groups called for shops in the market area of the city to shut. (Express)

Communal tensions have flared and prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people were imposed in Udaipur on Friday after a fight between two school students from different communities led to one stabbing the other.

After the stabbing incident, which took place at 10.30 am under Surajpole police station limits, right-wing groups called for shops in the market area of the city to shut. Later, a mob burnt some vehicles and pelted stones. The situation is now under control, officials said.

The two students belonged to a government school in the Bhatiyani Chauhatta area. On Friday morning, one of them attacked the other with a knife. The injured boy is receiving treatment and is in stable condition, police said.

The student who stabbed his schoolmate fled the spot after the incident, but has since been detained, police said.

In a video statement, District Collector Arvind Poswal said, “The condition of the injured child is stable. Doctors are giving him the best possible treatment. The city is peaceful now. The SP and I had roamed the city for an hour with police officers. Two-three vehicles were set on fire in some areas, but apart from this, there has been no incident for which the police have had to resort to lathi charge.”

He made an appeal to the people of the city not to pay attention to rumours. “The situation will be normalised in the next two-three hours,” he said.

Udaipur Rural MLA Phool Singh Meena also told reporters that the situation is under control.

“It is unfortunate that a student was stabbed by another student. This is a serious offence and we are trying to control the situation. I have talked to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and what is happening in the city has been brought under control to a large extent,” Meena said.

– with PTI

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13 more Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy repatriated to India

The latest development comes after 17 Indian fishermen, arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy for allegedly poaching in the island nation's waters, were repatriated to their homes in India on Wednesday, the Indian High Commission said in a post on X.

By: PTI

Colombo | August 16, 2024 21:02 IST

"13 Indian fishermen are on their way home after being successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka," the Indian mission in Sri Lanka said in a post on X. (X/ IndiainSL)

Thirteen more Indian fishermen, arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s waters, were on Friday repatriated to their homes, the Indian mission here said, days after 17 were sent back to India.

“13 Indian fishermen are on their way home after being successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka,” the Indian mission in Sri Lanka said in a post on X.

The latest development comes after 17 Indian fishermen, arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy for allegedly poaching in the island nation’s waters, were repatriated to their homes in India on Wednesday, the Indian High Commission said in a post on X.

On Wednesday, the Indian mission repatriated 17 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy to their homes in India.

Twenty-one Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy were also repatriated to Chennai from Colombo earlier this month.

The fishermen issue is a contentious topic in the bilateral ties, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. Sri Lanka claims a similar attitude by Indian authorities.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries, who are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.

On August 1, an Indian fisherman was killed and another went missing following a collision between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat allegedly poaching in the island nation’s territorial waters

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Centre effects major secretary-level reshuffle

Srivastava, who is currently Special Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, will initially take over as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

By: PTI

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 20:25 IST

Srivastava, who is currently Special Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, will initially take over as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, according to a Personnel Ministry order. (Photo Credit: ANI)

Senior bureaucrat Punya Salila Srivastava has been appointed as the new Health Secretary as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Friday.

Srivastava, who is currently Special Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, will initially take over as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, according to a Personnel Ministry order. She will take over as the Health Secretary after incumbent Apurva Chandra superannuates on September 30, it said.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary for the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has been named as new Defence Secretary. He will initially take over as the OSD in the Ministry before assuming the post of the Defence Secretary following the superannuation of incumbent Aramane Giridhar on October 31, 2024.

Minority Affairs Secretary Katikithala Srinivas to be the next Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary. Senior bureaucrat Deepti Umashankar has been named new Secretary to the President of India.

Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi will be Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the order said. Senior IAS officer Nagaraju Maddirala, who is currently Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry, will be new Financial Services Secretary in place of Joshi.

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Haryana to go to polls in single phase on Oct 1, counting on Oct 4: EC

The 90-seat Haryana Assembly’s term is ending on November 3.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:52 IST

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the Haryana and Maharashtra elections were held together in the past but had to be decoupled this time. (PTI Photo)

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced that the Haryana Assembly polls will be held in a single phase on October 1. It added that the counting of votes will take place on October 4.

While announcing the poll schedule at a press conference in Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the Haryana and Maharashtra elections were held together in the past but had to be decoupled this time as they decided to conduct Assembly polls in Haryana along with the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the work of Block Level Officers in preparing for elections in Maharashtra was still pending owing to the monsoon.

The 90-seat Haryana Assembly’s term is ending on November 3. In the past three cycles, the EC had announced Haryana and Maharashtra elections together. Maharashtra Assembly’s term is expiring on November 26.

Haryana has about 2.01 crore electors spread over 20,629 polling stations, as per a draft electoral roll. The final electoral roll will be published on August 28.

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After meeting with Tata chairman, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu announces special task force to fast-track projects

Says aim is to attract investments to the state; take Andhra to "number one position in country" by 2027

Written by Sreenivas Janyala

Hyderabad | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:52 IST

A Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) Development Centre too will be set up in the port city of Visakhapatnam. (Photo: X/ @ncbn)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a special task force to fast-track industrial development in the state on Friday. The decision came after a lengthy meeting with chairman of the Tata Group Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

The meeting chiefly focused on Tata’s expansion in the state.

“We are focussing on attracting investments to the state, and the TDP-led NDA Government has decided to constitute a special task force to provide suggestions to the government on industrial development and building a ‘Swarna’ Andhra Pradesh,” Naidu said.

Officials said that several suggestions were made during the discussion, and to formulate plans to attract investments and implement the suggestions, the task force is being set up with the CM as the chairman, the Tata Group chairman Chandrasekharan as the co-chairman along with other industrialists and experts in the relevant sectors.

“Since the state government is planning to take Andhra Pradesh to number one position in the country by 2027, the Task Force will mainly focus on the steps to be taken to achieve this goal. The State Government also decided to establish the Centre for Global Leadership in Amaravathi with the active partnership of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in which the Tata company will become a partner,” the CM’s office stated.

A Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) Development Centre too will be set up in the port city of Visakhapatnam. The CM also discussed with the Tata Group Chairman on the possibilities of the expansion of the Air India and Vistara Airlines in the State. Naidu also held discussions with him on establishing solar, telecommunication and food processing units in the state.

Naidu, who returned to power after the recent elections, is focussing on bringing in industrial investments, and creating IT and electronic hubs in the state. During his Independence Day Thursday at Vijayawada, Naidu said: “I am confident that the state will get back the past glory and we are taking all possible measures to build the brand AP. Simple government, effective governance is the main motto of this government,’’ he added.

“While the central government is moving forward with its plan of Viksit Bharat-2047 the state is preparing its Vision-2047 to build Vikasitha Andhra Pradesh by 2047,” the CM said, adding that details of the Vision 2047 will be released on October 2.

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Delhi Confidential

- Delhi Confidential: Free And Fair

Delhi Confidential: Free And Fair

This year, one of the jury members seemingly asked Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw if he should be briefed on the recommended winners ahead of the announcement.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 05:00 IST

Ashwani Vaishnaw

Every year, ahead of the announcement of the winners of the National Film Awards, the jury members and chairpersons of respective categories call on the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

This year, one of the jury members seemingly asked Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw if he should be briefed on the recommended winners ahead of the announcement.

The minister insisted that he would like to know the names only after they are formally announced. Sources said Vaishnaw wanted to uphold the integrity and fairness of the selection and announcement of the winners.

Early Rakshabandhan

Rakshabandhan came a bit early for Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan when beneficiaries of two Central government schemes — ‘Lakhpati Didi’ and

‘Namo Drone Didi’ — lined up to tie rakhis to him on Wednesday.

Chouhan was at an event to felicitate 75 beneficiaries of the schemes. During his address, Chouhan sang a popular Hindi song — ‘Phoolon ka taaron ka sabka kehna hai…’ — dedicated to sisters. Soon after he concluded his speech, a group of beneficiaries reached the dais and tied rakhis to him.

Busy Doctor

Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh had a busy Friday. He started the morning at Sadaiv Atal, paying obeisance to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then witnessed the launch of ISRO’s smallest launch vehicle online and then flew to Lucknow for an international conference of physicians and diabetologists.

Being a diabetes specialist himself, the minister takes a keen interest in the topic. At the conference, Singh also received an award for ‘distinguished mentor’.

Opinion

- Ram Madhav writes: The necessity of a secular UCC

- Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar writes: All that freedom has given us

- Seven decades after Independence, the unfulfilled dreams of India’s women leaders

- Express View on announcement of J&K polls: Long overdue

- Hobbies are more fulfilling than jobs — because they give us permission to fail

- Express View on the hottest July: Bad weather report

- August 17, 1984, Forty Years Ago: NTR Government

- How Britain’s anti-immigrant riots backstab UK’s flailing economy

- Authorities have failed them. Arm women doctors with stun-guns

- The limits of censorship: Understanding the withdrawal of draft Broadcasting Bill

- How state governments have undermined right to education

- August 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Arson in Sri Lanka

- Express View on Sreejesh: Jersey No 16

- Express View: Rumbles in Rakhine

- Derek O’Brien writes: In Parliament, Opposition is feeling a new ‘josh’

- Anasuya Sengupta writes on I-Day: Freedom is love

- With worst deposit crunch in 20 years, five banking issues to address

- PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech: Why Uniform Civil Code and One Nation, One Election matter for India’s future

- PM’s I-Day speech: Viksit Bharat, nationalism and contradictions

- Dear ICC, BCCI, and commentators: Don’t trivialise mental health issues of players

Ram Madhav writes: The necessity of a secular UCC

From Red Fort, PM Modi shone a light on unfinished agenda of Constitution

Written by Ram Madhav

August 17, 2024 07:30 IST

In his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the prime minister said, "A large section of the country believes, which is true also, that the civil code is actually, in a way, a communal civil code." (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort this Thursday demonstrated that he is in full control of the government. Dispelling misconceptions, if any, about the stability and strength of his coalition, Modi displayed the same energy, commitment and determination as in every preceding year in the last decade. He reiterated that “Viksit Bharat 2047 are not mere words, but a reflection of the resolve and dreams of 1.4 billion people”. He talked about making India the third largest economy in the world. He talked about the agriculture sector, women’s safety, and the designs of external forces to create instability in the country.

Referring to the unfinished agenda of the Indian Constitution, the PM called for promulgating a uniform civil code in the country. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly held discussions on uniform civil code, given orders, because a large section of the country feels, and rightly so, that the current civil code is a communal civil code, a discriminatory civil code”, he said, adding that “laws that divide the country on religious lines must be done away with. They have no place in a modern society. The times demand a secular civil code. And then we will be free of religious discrimination”. Interesting to note was the use of the phrase “secular civil code”.

Modi’s pitch for a secular civil code for all Indians is perfectly in line with the arguments made by BR Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly. On November 23, 1948, when Article 35 of the draft Constitution, that called for a uniform civil code, came up for discussion before the Assembly, Ambedkar took the firm stand that it shouldn’t get mired in communal discourse.

Rejecting amendments proposed by members like Pocker Sahib, Hussain Imam and Muhammad Ismail Sahib, Ambedkar reiterated that there was no merit in their argument that the “Sharia law was immutable and uniform throughout India”. He reminded them that many other laws like the criminal procedure code, law of transfer of property and negotiable instruments act were applicable to all Indians, covering every aspect of their lives. He argued that until the Sharia Act was passed by the British colonial government in 1937, most Muslims in provinces of British India followed Hindu law.

The NWFP (today’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) was not subject to Sharia until 1935. Until 1937, in the rest of India, including provinces where Muslims lived in large numbers like the United Provinces, Central Provinces and Bombay, they were governed in matters of succession and others by existing Hindu laws. Ambedkar refers to a law in North Malabar region called Marumakkathayam Law that was applicable to both Hindus and Muslims by which matriarchy was followed by the people of Kerala.

Ambedkar’s argument in the Constituent Assembly was that the uniform civil code should be seen in the same light as a secular law applicable to all. “Therefore if it was found necessary that for the purpose of evolving a single civil code applicable to all citizens irrespective of their religion, certain portions of the Hindu law, not because they were contained in Hindu law but because they were found to be the most suitable, were incorporated into the new civil code projected by Article 35, I am quite certain that it would not be open to any Muslim to say that the framers of the civil code had done great violence to the sentiments of the Muslim community”.

The Uniform Civil Code should have been implemented after the formation of the first government in 1952. MC Chagla, who rose to become the education minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s government, insisted that “Article 44 is a mandatory provision binding the Government, and it is incumbent upon it to give effect to this provision”. However, Nehru couldn’t muster the courage when the best opportunity came during the reform in the Hindu law in 1954. He evaded the issue, arguing that “I do not think that time is ripe in India for me to try to push it through”.

The issue lingered on since then. Cases of Hindu men indulging in polygamy by converting to Islam were taken to the courts numerous times. Rejecting the contention that Sharia compliance was a matter pertaining to Islamic faith alone, the courts repeatedly told the government that civil law reform is not just a matter concerning any one religion and hence a uniform code is essential.

In Sarla Mudgal vs Union of India (1995), the Supreme Court had held that “when more than 80 per cent of the citizens have already been brought under the codified personal law, there is no justification whatsoever to keep in abeyance, anymore, the introduction of Uniform Civil Code for all citizens”. In the John Vallamattom vs Union of India case in 2003, the SC had again said that “It is a matter of regret that Article 44 of the Constitution has not been given effect to”. Highlighting the prevailing confusion due to various personal laws, the SC asked the government in October 2015 if they were willing to implement a Uniform Civil Code. “What happened to it? Why don’t you frame and implement it?” it asked.

Based on the SC observations, Noorjehan Safia Niaz and Zakia Soman, co-founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015, stating that “Certain orthodox and patriarchal males have stonewalled any attempt towards reform in Muslim personal law. In the process, Muslim women have been denied their Quranic rights as well as their rights as equal Indian citizens. Almost all Muslim countries the world over, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and even Bangladesh and Pakistan in our neighbourhood, have codified personal laws governing marriage and family matters… Indian Muslims are denied this opportunity”.

As the BMMA leaders argued, codification of personal laws has nothing to do with religion. It is a step towards gender justice, and a secular necessity, as pointed out by Prime Minister Modi.

The writer, president, India Foundation, is with the RSS. Views are personal

Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar writes: All that freedom has given us

The road ahead will not be easy, and we find that new shackles bind us, yet there is hope that things will get better

Written by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

August 17, 2024 07:15 IST

As a beneficiary of the affirmative action outlined in our Constitution, I found education — certainly of a far superior kind than the one many in my community may have received — and, finally, I found myself recruited for a job which, in the eyes of the fairly judgemental middle class of this nation, is relatively respectable. (C R Sasikumar)

What independence could I talk about? I was born in a free country in the 1980s. My country, my motherland, my India, gained her independence in 1947, over three decades before I came into this world. By the time I was born, Independence had translated into freedom — our Constitution had shaped our rights and entitlements; our circumstances of birth had chalked out our obligations.

Even before I could figure out what freedom might feel like, liberalisation taught my generation to dream new dreams.

I reaped the benefits of all of these. I did not have to go through the grind my parents did. No walking for miles for me to get to school or relying on an old bicycle for distances beyond. There was always the school bus, once an aspiration for them. They had no one to turn to for career advice. I had Employment News and Pratiyogita Darpan bought assiduously for me by my parents who read it with the same deep intent that they urged upon me.

As a beneficiary of the affirmative action outlined in our Constitution, I found education — certainly of a far superior kind than the one many in my community may have received — and, finally, I found myself recruited for a job which, in the eyes of the fairly judgemental middle class of this nation, is relatively respectable. Does that sound like luck? Perhaps, it is. When you are among a small fraction of your community — a people with a history of migration and displacement — to have had the privileges that I did, you learn to count your blessings. You learn to cloak hope for the future with humility, and a touch of anxiety. Is this a dream? Have I done enough to achieve this? Will this last?

It is believed that one appreciates the value of something only when that is denied to them. Freedom, the sort our ancestors attained at midnight, has, to the best of my memory, never been denied to me. Perhaps I will never be able to rejoice and cherish Independence the way our forefathers did, even though holding up this Independence as a talisman as we fumble our way into the future is in the hands of my generation and the generations to come. I can only bow in gratitude to our forefathers for freeing us from the shackles of colonialism, for enabling us to live and breathe in a free nation.

Yet, our generation finds itself in the shackles of a different kind of servitude, one that barely manifests signs of overt violence. It comes wrapped in what we are taught to believe is ambition but what, in reality, is a compulsion to excel. In a country of a billion plus, with so few job opportunities, what do you do but lull yourself into believing that striving can get you greater glory? At the least, it can only be for the better. For you and your family. If you dream king-size or believe in a higher purpose, you tell yourself, it can be for the good of the nation, too.

Anxiety is built into these shackles. It announces its presence through our incessant obsession with the phone, the non-stop onslaught of WhatsApp notifications. It is there in the pressure of targets and ELAs (expected levels of achievement), in shifting goalposts and the frenzied desire to upskill or whatever new jargon that has been made fashionable by peddlers of dreams. We tell ourselves that the crushing deadlines and energy-sapping penalties are par for the course. After all, aren’t all these markers of an independent nation whose time has come to lead the world? A leader among high fliers. A decision maker among doers.

The pacifist in me assures me that there is nothing unusual about the grind. It is what progress looks like. That issues arise when ground realities are ignored — lack of infrastructure and manpower, the inevitable presence of corruption and whataboutery. These are the kind of things that people like me skip with practised nonchalance — talks of political interference, lack of support systems, all the things that can and do hold people back. We saw it recently with a woman wrestler whose gritty fight against the system over alleged sexual harassment has all but exhausted her. We see it in the rape and murder of a woman doctor at a government-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata, where the administration first tried to pass off the incident as death by suicide. Power without accountability is a terrible thing, its interference mounts ranks from subtle, innocuous demands to forthright gaslighting to a complete lack of empathy.

Can we live down these shackles in our lifetime? Break free like those who gave us what we take for granted, I wonder. I am not sure what the future holds. I know the road ahead will not be easy but I have also inherited hope. The belief that things will get better. That they have to. And then there’s gratitude, an overwhelming thankfulness for all that we have. For all that freedom has given us.

Shekhar is a writer and translator

Seven decades after Independence, the unfulfilled dreams of India’s women leaders

We must reflect on the slow progress towards equity and work to fulfil their leftover aspirations

Written by Angellica Aribam , Akash Satyawali

August 17, 2024 07:05 IST

The policy prescriptions from almost a century ago are relevant even today. It behoves us to reflect about the slow progress towards equity. The common thread between then and now is the opposition rooted in an archaic mindset.

More than a century ago, Indian women activists started campaigning for female social, political, and economic empowerment. Working across rural and urban areas, they saw that women couldn’t exercise their agency without the approval of male family members. One of the main reasons for this was their financial dependency on men. To address the systemic oppression women faced, they put forth progressive ideas — some of them were far ahead of their times and are yet to be achieved.

The rights of women workers in the informal sector and recognition of unpaid household work were key agenda items. Almost eight decades later, the needle of progress has not moved much. The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Index places India at 142 amongst 146 countries on economic participation and opportunity. Without economic freedom, there is no freedom for women. In our patriarchal society, they have to follow the dictates of the male breadwinners. As we celebrate this 78th Independence Day and reflect on the road ahead, let us also turn to history for answers.

Founded in 1917, the Women’s Indian Association was the first national women’s organisation that aimed to address the various challenges faced by women. Stri Dharma, its mouthpiece, carried regular articles highlighting the plight of women including factory workers. There were around 2,53,000 women factory workers in 1927. Their activism led to banning of night working hours for women, and the Bombay Maternity Benefit Act, 1929 which gave benefits of eight weeks’ wages — four weeks each before and after delivery.

The women activists further asked for time off during the advanced stages of pregnancy, six weeks’ leave after delivery, and for medical supervision of the female employees. But these were rejected citing lack of public support, the migratory nature of workers, and difficulty in supervision across industries. We still hear some of these when advocating for rights of women workers in the informal sector.

“It is in the economic sphere that women will have to fight hard to establish her position,” Hansa Mehta said in her presidential address at the annual convention of the All-India Women’s Conference (AIWC) in 1945. The members decided to study various constitutions, and prepare a rights’ agenda to address the challenges faced by women.

Mehta also broached the subjects of unpaid household work and the right to leisure — issues that remain relevant even now. In 1946, the AIWC ratified the Indian Women’s Charter of Rights and Duties. The charter had some overarching suggestions. It called for doing away with overcrowding in houses and fixing a minimum standard for homes, ensuring separate kitchens and bathrooms in every house. On the work front, it demanded no bar to employment of women and recommended that maternity benefits should be part of a comprehensive social insurance scheme.

To ensure the financial security of women, it was recommended “that the husband shall have no right to dispose of his entire property without the consent of his wife” and that a homemaker be given the right to a part of her husband’s income — to be used as she pleases.

In 1947, the sub-committee on women of the National Planning Committee, formed in 1939 by Subhas Chandra Bose, echoed these sentiments in its report. It called for equality of opportunity in employment, advocated a common civil code, and also proposed that inheritance laws be made gender-neutral.

Since then, inheritance laws have been amended to grant women some autonomy. However, social conditioning often renders laws ineffective. Women who receive equal benefits, mandated by law, end up facing slanderous attacks. The issue of unpaid domestic work is still unresolved.

Recognition of unpaid domestic work must not be limited to paeans about women’s resilience. There should be economic compensation in the form of income support for homemakers. Several state governments provide a monthly financial allowance to women — Gruha Lakshmi (Karnataka), Ladli Behna Yojana (Madhya Pradesh), Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (Tamil Nadu), and Lakshmi Bhandar (West Bengal). These need to be replicated across the country and indexed to inflation.

The policy prescriptions from almost a century ago are relevant even today. It behoves us to reflect about the slow progress towards equity. The common thread between then and now is the opposition rooted in an archaic mindset. It is high time we work to fulfil the leftover aspirations of the visionary women leaders from our history. Let us not wait for another century to mould a better future.

Aribam and Satyawali are authors of the book The Fifteen: The Lives and Times of the Women in India’s Constituent Assembly

Express View on announcement of J&K polls: Long overdue

Assembly elections after a decade in J&K, long overdue, are an important step forward, will break a political standstill

By: Editorial

August 17, 2024 07:00 IST

In the aftermath of the abrogation, the restrictions on civil liberties had raised disquieting questions on the democratic deficit that seems to be the perennial inheritance of J&K.

In announcing the dates for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), to be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar referred to “awaam ki umeedein” (the people’s hopes) to change their destiny and script their futures. Five years after the reading down of Article 370 and the end of “special status” — a period in which the political process had come to a standstill — this deference to the people’s aspiration is enormously welcome. It is an important step forward. It offers an opportunity to recalibrate and reset the terms of asymmetry that had resulted from J&K’s changed status as a Union territory by Delhi in a way that was seen to by-pass the people.

In the aftermath of the abrogation, the restrictions on civil liberties had raised disquieting questions on the democratic deficit that seems to be the perennial inheritance of J&K. There has been no assembly election in the state-turned-Union Territory since 2014 and the last assembly was dissolved in 2018. Elections for District Development Councils were held towards the end of 2020, in which Delhi’s experiment to set the field for the emergence of new political actors, having disempowered and relegated the state’s old leadership, had gotten off to a stuttering start. At the same time, a stricter clampdown on terror and greater investments in economy and governance have yielded cautious optimism. For instance, the ‘New Central Scheme for Industrial Development in Jammu and Kashmir’, announced in January 2021, has seen private investments worth nearly Rs 7,000 crore; tourism has increased more than two-and-a-half times to 2.11 crore last year, according to government data. These transformations have shown up, as the CEC put it, in the people turning their back on “boycott” and the “bullet” in favour of the “ballot”. The Lok Sabha elections earlier this year saw a heartening turnout in J&K — at 58.46 per cent, it was the highest in the last 35 years. In an interview to this paper on the eve of the abrogation’s fifth anniversary earlier this month, the J&K LG, Manoj Sinha, had spoken of the impact of the high turnout — “People’s faith in democracy has strengthened, and they believe jamhooriyat is the way forward” — while assuring that panchayat and local body elections would follow the elections to the Assembly. Given that key powers now rest with the L-G, the onus is on him, too, to ensure that the Assembly gets the space that is its due.

Of course, tough challenges lie ahead. Cross-border terror remains a threat — in recent days, the theatre has moved south of Pir Panjal, to the Jammu region. A series of reports in this paper earlier this month had pointed out J&K’s excessive reliance on funds from the Centre, low agricultural productivity, power deficiency as well as insecurity over jobs and land. For change to take seed, it is imperative that these concerns are addressed by a government that is responsive and accountable, and that people are made a part of the processes of governance that allow their voices to be heard and heeded. The CEC mentioned that there are 3.71 lakh voters who will vote for the first time this year. The Centre must pay heed to their aspirations and anxieties to ensure that the alienation that has haunted past generations does not become their burden as well.

Hobbies are more fulfilling than jobs — because they give us permission to fail

Unlike in a job, there are no performance appraisals for hobbies and no pressure to be perfect

By: Editorial

August 17, 2024 06:56 IST

The difference lies in what therapists like to describe as “permission to fail”. To allow oneself to perform below a certain standard may not be a great idea at the workplace, but there are no performance appraisals for hobbies.

Nobody really enjoys having to get out of bed at daybreak and schlep to the gym, even if it’s in pursuit of a trimmer waistline and better cardiovascular health. And almost certainly no one enjoys counting calories and weighing out the right amount of “macros” for every single meal. But nearly everybody enjoys painting or knitting or pottery or any of the dozens of activities that fall under the broad category of “arts and crafts”. As recent research from Anglia Ruskin University says, engaging in these creative endeavours can deliver greater well-being than a job.

While the benefits of having a hobby, especially one that engages the creative faculties, have long been known, at a time of global economic slowdown, with many countries yet to recover from the unemployment and cost-of-living crisis of the pandemic years, how much mental well-being can come from a homemade ash-tray or scarf? It may be true that over-identifying with one’s job is a recipe for anxiety and depression. But not having one, even when knitting tea cosies, contributes as much, if not more, to these maladies.

The difference lies in what therapists like to describe as “permission to fail”. To allow oneself to perform below a certain standard may not be a great idea at the workplace, but there are no performance appraisals for hobbies. No one needs to be a Pablo Picasso or Dayanita Singh in their weekend pursuits, because even the sloppiest hand-painted ceramic mug or blurry photograph of a sunset can bring one a moment of joy and make for a #humblebrag post on Instagram — that is the luxury of being a hobbyist.

Express View on the hottest July: Bad weather report

Dealing with a warming planet will require addressing knowledge gaps and co-relating global, national and local data

By: Editorial

August 17, 2024 06:49 IST

One solution is to increase the number of meteorological stations to monitor weather in different urban and rural zones. In India, the Centre plans to set up a weather station in each panchayat to provide granular data on rainfall, frost and humidity.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest data, released on Thursday, shows that the world has experienced its hottest July ever recorded. The American institute’s measurement differs slightly from the EU’s Copernicus Observatory which clocked last month as the second hottest July on record. Some of the warming is due to El Nino and there is a distinct possibility that September will be cooler if La Nina keeps its date. However, given the staggering difference between the temperatures of the last 12 months and earlier records, there is now near unanimity on one thing: The world is entering uncharted territory on climate change. This will not only require hastening mitigation measures but also plugging knowledge gaps in diverse realms — weather reporting, making agriculture climate resilient, healthcare and urban planning.

Climate modelling has traditionally been a slow and reactive process. While such studies are, by and large, accurate in simulating global and national trends, they tend to underestimate regional variations. This makes it difficult to plan adaptation to local weather vagaries — for example, switching to crops that can withstand higher temperatures. In recent years, scientists have faced another challenge — hyper-local weather conditions. In India, for instance, the IMD predicts weather at the state, district or city levels. Increasingly, however, it’s becoming apparent that blocks and localities within cities and districts require information on the magnitude of heat or rainfall. Delhi, for instance, witnessed its hottest July in 10 years. At the same time, parts of the city went under water after being lashed by torrential rain. Microclimate forecasting is a nascent field of study, and at most places it is heavily reliant on historical data that doesn’t account for vagaries like those experienced by Delhi.

One solution is to increase the number of meteorological stations to monitor weather in different urban and rural zones. In India, the Centre plans to set up a weather station in each panchayat to provide granular data on rainfall, frost and humidity. Another imperative is to develop information-sharing mechanisms within countries and across national borders. Several extreme weather events — including the recent Wayanad tragedy and the Pakistan floods of 2022 — have underlined the urgency to co-relate the warming of seas with local climatic conditions. Scaling up projects under the UNFCCC’s aegis — the decade-old Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative for instance — could go a long way in weathering uncertainties. The world needs a better response to the growing number of floods, droughts, forest fires and glacier loss.

August 17, 1984, Forty Years Ago: NTR Government

The Andhra Pradesh Governor, Ramlal, dismissed the Telugu Desam ministry headed by N T Rama Rao and immediately administered the oath of office of Chief Minister to the former finance minister, N Bhaskara Rao.

By: Editorial

August 17, 2024 06:35 IST

Rama Rao maintained that he continued to enjoy majority support in the Assembly. The governor took the extreme step of dismissing the ministry as Rama Rao refused to resign.

The Andhra Pradesh Governor, Ramlal, dismissed the Telugu Desam ministry headed by N T Rama Rao and immediately administered the oath of office of Chief Minister to the former finance minister, N Bhaskara Rao. Rama Rao maintained that he continued to enjoy majority support in the Assembly. The governor took the extreme step of dismissing the ministry as Rama Rao refused to resign.

Oppn On TDP

The Opposition leaders and members of Parliament strongly reacted to the dismissal of the N T Rama Rao Ministry in Andhra Pradesh and called the action of the Governor “politically immoral and constitutionally invalid.” The strongest criticism of the dismissal came from the general secretary of the Communist Party of India, C Rajeswara Rao, who said it was yet another instance of “murder of democracy” and attributed it directly to the Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi.

New DPCC President

The All-India Congress Committee-I’s general secretary, Kajendra Kumari Bajpai, announced that Tajdar Babar, Deputy Chairman of the Delhi Metropolitan Council, has been made president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee-I in place of Dalip Singh with immediate effect. Singh’s removal has brought to the fore the infighting in the ruling party.

100 Dead in Accident

Over a 100 persons were killed when five bogies of the Jabalpur-Gondia passenger train fell down from a bridge, which was reportedly washed away in floods, into the swollen nahar nullah on the Jabalpur-Gondia narrow gauge line. Around 25 bodies had been fished out from the water, the director general of the Madhya Pradesh police, B K Mukherjee, told ENS.

How Britain’s anti-immigrant riots backstab UK’s flailing economy

Pointing at the immigration and refugee numbers to divert attention from flailing domestic conditions helped the Conservative party’s short-term post-Brexit survival, but it clearly failed the interests of the working class, irrespective of their racial identity

Written by Akhil PJ

Updated: August 16, 2024 22:01 IST

In 2018, LinkedIn reported that 96 per cent of UK businesses’ hiring strategies were being affected by the Brexit referendum. Since 2020, the UK has been struggling with a slow economy, increasing inflation and a drop in international investment. (Agencies)

Recently, public outrage sparked by the killing of three children in the United Kingdom’s Southport by a UK-born teenager of African origin was diverted towards immigrants and non-white people by far-right groups across the country. The reasons for the flare up and riots fit perfectly — “popular” anger at a falling economy — but the causes behind the economic downfall as espoused by the far right are far from accurate. Immigration from Asia and Africa was not a wreck that Britain’s economy suffered; it was a quick fix that the British ruling class found to an already wrecked economy.

In 2018, LinkedIn reported that 96 per cent of UK businesses’ hiring strategies were being affected by the Brexit referendum. Since 2020, the UK has been struggling with a slow economy, increasing inflation and a drop in international investment.

The outflow of workers from the European Union — estimated at 4,60,000 in 2022 — created a vacuum that was tackled by implementing fresh, skill-oriented immigration policies which attracted more non-EU immigrants than others.

Instead of addressing the deepening inequalities in society, the rise in working-age poverty and the stagnant real wages that frustrate the UK’s working class, the far right chose to mobilise against both British and immigrant Muslims, Asian and African-origin populations. Essentially, they targeted a sizable section of the UK’s new workforce that held the country steady after the disruption caused by Brexit in 2020.

The Office for National Statistics and Annual Population Survey data shows that less-skilled workers from outside the EU held steady in sectors like manufacturing, construction, transportation and storage, wholesale and retail, accommodation and food. And in more skilled sectors, such as healthcare, education and IT, non-EU workers more than compensated for losses of those from the EU due to the country’s liberal job visa policies.

A Goldman Sachs study conducted earlier this year pointed at higher inflation in a post-Brexit UK than in other advanced economies, with the country’s consumer prices up by 31 per cent since 2016 compared to 27 per cent in the US and 24 per cent in the EU. This adds to the woes of working class Brits whose real wages have risen only by 1.6 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Instead of questioning the mismanagement that marred the 14-year legacy of Conservative rule, many chose to channel their anger against immigrants by spreading misinformation. Instead of confronting a “free-market” system, which tried to bridge a post-Brexit gap in the country’s job market by hiring immigrants rather than upskilling a pre-existing labour force and ensuring better benefits to domestic labourers, they chose to be racist — to attack non-white people and Asian-owned businesses across the country.

Pointing at the immigration and refugee numbers to divert attention from flailing domestic conditions helped the Conservative Party’s short-term post-Brexit survival, but it clearly failed the interests of the working class, irrespective of racial identity.

Lack of access to basic amenities like social housing and immediate medical attention has added to the general discontent among lower-income populations. But immigration is one of the few solutions that the country has to improve systems in shambles, like the National Health Services. Immigrants have become crucial to the medical sector as British doctors, who are underpaid and deeply undervalued, keep on migrating to countries like the US and Australia for better opportunities. Experts also opined that immigrant labour would be necessary if the government takes up a major public housing initiative.

In short, the othering of non-white racial groups and immigrants in general by the Conservative regime, fuelled by Tory-friendly tabloids and online agitators, created a polarised environment. But whether a possible attack on immigrants — a clear ventilation to a self-choking economy — was something the country could afford at its worst period, was far from their thoughts.

Authorities have failed them. Arm women doctors with stun-guns

If there is to be an effective change in the country’s fight against the violence that doctors, including women doctors, encounter, then it is time to arm them with techniques, methods and means to defend themselves

Written by D Sivanandhan

Kolkata | Updated: August 16, 2024 19:52 IST

Violence against doctors is a raging issue and protestors have demanded the enactment of the Central Protection Act which is intended to protect medical professionals from violence. (Express Photo)

The heart-wrenching incident of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in the wee hours of August 9 has, once again, awakened the collective conscience of our country. The crime is brutal and the fact that it happened to a woman doctor inside a government hospital has caused anger and frustration across the country.

So far, the police have arrested one person, a 33-year-old civic worker who reportedly had unfettered access to the entire hospital. As per media reports, the postmortem report of the victim indicates the possibility of gang-rape. Pulling up the police for its mishandling of the case, the Kolkata High Court has now transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over on August 14.

The incident brought back painful memories of the horrific rape of Aruna Shanbaug, who was working as a nurse in the KEM Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, and was brutally raped by a ward-boy in 1973. She was raped so violently that it left her in a vegetative state with severe brain damage and paralysis. She remained in a vegetative condition for 42 years and breathed her last in a small room in KEM Hospital in 2015. When she died, her assailant was already out of jail having served his prison sentence and living a peaceful life in his village.

The Kolkata incident also brings back memories of the horrendous gangrape in Delhi in December 2012. Such was the brutality of that incident that it sparked protests and outrage across the nation for several days. The recent incident has also sparked a nationwide outrage and strikes by doctors demanding justice for the victim as well as better working facilities and security for doctors working in hospitals.

According to reports, the 138-year-old R G Kar Medical College and Hospital does not even have dedicated, safe and hygienic restrooms and toilets for female doctors. If true, it is alarming and shameful. It was because of this very reason that the victim had to go to the seminar hall, which she thought would be safe for her to rest after a 36-hour shift.

Violence against doctors is a raging issue and protestors have demanded the enactment of the Central Protection Act which is intended to protect medical professionals from violence. The act was proposed in the Lok Sabha in 2022 but it has yet not been cleared.

However, it is time to look at the larger picture and take hard decisions keeping in mind the safety of women doctors. Crimes against women, especially sexual crimes are rampant in India. As per statistics available with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), close to 90 rape cases were reported every day in India in 2022. The numbers rise each year.

In 2015, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) conducted a survey which revealed that more than 75 per cent of doctors in India have experienced some form violence at their workplace. It also revealed that women, who make up more than 30 per cent of doctors, are more vulnerable to violence as compared to their male counterparts.

Authorities should now seriously look at the safety of women doctors — and women in general. While it is working on the Central Protection Act, the central government should consider arming women doctors with taser guns and/or stun guns, especially those working on night shifts in government and civic hospitals. A separate budget should be allocated by the central government as well as state governments to procure these devices for working women doctors. They should be trained in close-body combat and in self-defence techniques and like some hospitals in Haryana, bouncers should be deployed in hospitals, especially during night shifts. Girls should be trained in self-defence techniques in school and college, so that they are empowered with techniques to defend themselves and their lives.

The establishment has failed to provide adequate security to women doctors — in fact, all women. Whenever a Kolkata-like incident occurs, the authorities make false promises and nothing ever happens. Women are then again forced to work in an inhuman and insecure environment. There is a lull, until the next incident. It is quite clear that women will now have to take matters into their own hands.

Even the Indian Constitution and the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), known as the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in its earlier form, give rights and powers to an individual to defend herself if she is being subjected to violence or is being made a victim of a violent crime. The law is clear that the victim in this situation is within her rights to defend herself.

If there is to be an effective change in the country’s fight against the violence that doctors, including women doctors, encounter, then it is time to arm them with techniques, methods and means to defend themselves.

Writer is the Director General of Police (DGP) (Retired), Maharashtra, former Police Commissioner of Mumbai & Ex-chief of the elite Mumbai Crime Branch

The limits of censorship: Understanding the withdrawal of draft Broadcasting Bill

It’s telling that the government is yet to grasp that like content, and technology, humans also travel across borders. Taken together, the various censorship-based bills would have little impact on the flow of content on global platforms by creators living abroad.

Written by Smith Mehta

August 16, 2024 16:33 IST

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s second draft version of the Broadcasting Bill, shared secretly with select stakeholders, was withdrawn on August 12. The government has now invited feedback from the public on the first draft, instead, until October 15. Two signs shadow these capricious decisions. First, this government favours a top-down policy-making process in which consulting all stakeholders to achieve consensus is not a priority. Second, the flip-flop of draft revisions and stakeholder expansions, pre- and post-elections, between now and November last year, when the draft bill was introduced, lays bare the government’s recognition of the diminishment of its power in Parliament. The failure to power through a contentious Bill by circumnavigating parliamentary debate was duly preempted to avoid further loss of face.

Without delving into the government’s choice of stakeholders for the second draft, let’s focus on the Bill’s key sections that are mostly public by now. According to various reports, the draft proposed to include online non-news video creators and news video creators in the Bill’s ambit. These would be expected to observe a programme code, an advertisement code and set up a diverse content evaluation committee responsible for certifying their programmes. Such a Bill, if enacted, would have posed serious trouble for critics who have used the instantaneous and rapidly disseminating distribution of digital platforms like YouTube to question the government. Alongside online news creators, the Bill would arm the government with a flatiron with which to press criminal charges and financial penalties against online non-news creators for political satire and socio-cultural critiques against itself. Evidently, the prospect of navigating a complex bureaucratic landscape, coupled with the potential for hefty fees and compliance costs for independent and small-scale producers who cross the line, forms an indirect form of censorship. For a government that brags about pole-vaulting over bureaucratic hindrances to boost start-up culture in India, this Bill seems ironic, as it imposes new layers of red tape that could stifle innovation and creativity. Even without the Broadcasting Bill, self-censorship among creators and the removal of political satire by streaming services have increased since the introduction of the legally contested IT Rules 2021. The government’s intent, so far, indicates that whatever jubilation the creators may feel at the withdrawal of the Bill is short-lived. It has already shown there are too many ways to nail the coffin.

The use of the word “intent” is by no means speculative. In November 2023, the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur announced on X that the Bill would realise the Prime Minister’s vision of “ease in doing business and ease in living”. If that was the case, the second draft of the Bill should have been open to consultation for all stakeholders. This includes individual creators, media companies, platforms and most importantly, the average citizen. In fact, the “digital welfare” purpose would have yielded more support if the consultations were initiated before the draft Bill was put in place. The withdrawn Bill effectively arms the government with the power to selectively target and suppress creative voices that gain traction through virality, enabling them to hold platforms and creators accountable at their discretion.

Perhaps, the question then is not so much about the intent but the beneficiaries. “Ease of doing business and living” for whom? Is it for a select section of creators and media businesses who align with the government’s ideological pursuits and can disseminate its rhetoric through digital means? Or is it for a section of Indian citizens who are easily threatened by India’s plurality and bold cultural works that are aimed at drawing the government’s attention to social and cultural issues?

This leads us to the question of whether such a strategy is powerful enough to silence Indians’ growing frustration towards rising unemployment, caste- and gender-based atrocities and growing income divides. Common sense would suggest that those afraid of the government’s regulatory intent would have already buckled under it by now. And those who haven’t won’t cow down even before more look-alikes of the broadcasting Bill. This is the line where our colonial past meets postcolonial realities. Just as cultural workers collectivised society through their work during the British rule, and the Emergency, they will reach Indian citizens through the very digital infrastructures the government wishes to police. After all, we are not only living in the era of creative production, but also creative distribution.

It’s telling that the current government is yet to grasp that like content, and technology, humans also travel across borders. Taken together, the various censorship-based bills would have little impact on the flow of content on global platforms by creators living abroad. The potential of NRI and non-Indian creators accessing foreign resources and a global viewership to bring to light systemic injustices in India exposes both the challenges to and the limits of the Indian regulatory system in holding them accountable. As India takes centrestage for its geopolitical ambitions, so will its social, political and regulatory mechanisms. Any executive action against global citizens is certain to challenge India’s perception as a tolerant country.

The writer is assistant professor, Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen

How state governments have undermined right to education

An Act that was designed to protect the rights of children is now being used to enable private schools to exclude the poor with the state’s help and connivance.

Written by Krishna Kumar

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 12:18 IST

When the RTE was promulgated, it was expected to serve as a conscience raiser. The idea of giving every child the right to be at a school has waited for a long time. Gopal Krishna Gokhale tried to seek approval for it in the Imperial Legislative Assembly in 1911. (Express Photo/Representational Image)

It’s like the proverbial, unwilling horse: You can somehow take him to the pond, but cannot make him drink. Our system of elementary education had resisted compulsory universal enrolment for a century. And now, more than a decade has passed since the Right to Education (RTE) was promulgated, but the system continues to dither over its full implementation. Historically, it was the first law in school education to be passed by Parliament. Its promulgation conveyed great promise for millions of children. A new chapter in India’s social history appeared to have opened. Early portents were bright — despite grim inter-state disparities in provision and performance, the overall picture suggested that elementary education and other child rights had at last gained social and systemic acceptance. That pleasant picture no longer looks either clear or bright.

The recent verdict given by the Bombay High Court indicates the kind of spanners that state governments have thrown in the RTE’s track. That court set aside a government order issued earlier this year. Through this order, the Maharashtra government attempted to circumvent a major provision that RTE offers to children of the poorer sections of society. This provision calls upon unaided private schools to reserve one-fourth of their seats for the poor. The Maharashtra government’s order said that private schools need not implement this provision if there is a government school within a distance of 1 kilometre.

Maharashtra is not the only state where the bureaucracy came up with this clever idea. The government gave two arguments in support of its order. One was about resources. If they are being spent for providing easy access to a government school, why should they be duplicated? This argument is rooted in the rule that the government will reimburse a private school for the cost of enrolling a poor child. Not the entire cost was to be reimbursed under this new rule; it was supposed to be equal to what the government spends per child in its own schools. The Maharashtra government’s argument about avoiding duplication of expenditure refers to this rule.

The other argument put forward was about the Right to Education itself. It was not “absolute” in the sense that other fundamental rights are. This logic is quite popular; what is surprising is that a state government is using it, thereby revealing its lack of commitment to a law enacted by Parliament as a follow-up to a constitutional amendment. That the government of Maharashtra is not alone in its view of the RTE as a merely quasi-fundamental right indicates how difficult a journey awaits India’s children in their search for justice. After the Bombay High Court’s verdict upholding the RTE’s sanctity, other state governments may well expect similar challenges to practices that are not compatible with RTE and its guidelines.

When the RTE was promulgated, it was expected to serve as a conscience raiser. The idea of giving every child the right to be at a school has waited for a long time. Gopal Krishna Gokhale tried to seek approval for it in the Imperial Legislative Assembly in 1911. He failed. RTE’s approval by Parliament in 2010 was historic, but there was something even more historic in the RTE’s provisions. They offered a rich pedagogic picture of what our elementary schools should be like. RTE turned the tenets of progressive pedagogy into law. Its greatest social gift was the mandate it gave for mixing children from different socio-economic backgrounds. It did this by compelling private unaided schools to allot one-fourth of their seats to children from economically weaker sections (EWS). Never before had such a bold measure been legislated to build long-term bridges in a stratified social order.

This provision was neither appreciated nor understood. It jarred with the entrenched belief in social hierarchy. Private schools saw RTE as an intrusion and they sought legal and political help to avoid implementing the EWS reservation. Some evinced willingness to do so, provided they could create a separate section for the EWS children rather than let them study with the others. Quite a few wanted to run afternoon classes. RTE did not allow any of these bypasses.

According to modern pedagogic theory, mixing of children from different backgrounds enriches learning. Few private schools saw it that way. They invoked all kinds of dark portents, such as adjustment problems that EWS children would face. They missed noticing the potential RTE offered for an enriched classroom environment. To their credit, there were some teachers who worked hard to translate RTE’s vision into classroom reality and their effort created a new kind of ethos.

The RTE’s progress is far from reassuring. Amendments to the original Act have dented several key aspects that were intended to make elementary education experientially deep for children across the socio-economic divide. The biggest failure of the system to live up to RTE’s vision is in teacher training. It has remained the weakest link in the policy chain. About 15 years ago, the J S Verma Commission, which was appointed by the Supreme Court, gave clear-cut guidelines to revamp teacher training. Our system has ensured that interest in these guidelines wouldn’t last long. Interest in RTE itself has been waning for some time now. What seemed like a new chapter in India’s social history now looks like an aberration.

The Bombay High Court’s verdict has cleared the air. Will other states like Karnataka and Punjab also act on the verdict? In these states, a parent can apply for the EWS category only if there is no government school within a one-km distance. Punjab’s injunction is bizarre. Only if parents can’t get admission to a government school can they take their child to a private school and claim the EWS quota. An Act that was designed to protect the rights of children is now being used to enable private schools to exclude the poor with the state’s help and connivance.

The writer is a former NCERT director and the author of Thank You, Gandhi

August 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Arson in Sri Lanka

August 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Sri Lankan soldiers were responsible for the burning of 123 shops in Mannar town, the Transport Minister M H Mohammed told the Cabinet.

By: Editorial

August 16, 2024 09:30 IST

August 15, 1984, Forty Years Ago: This is the front page of The Indian Express published on August 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago.

Sri Lankan soldiers were responsible for the burning of 123 shops in Mannar town, the Transport Minister M H Mohammed told the Cabinet. Cabinet spokesman Anandatissa de Alwis said that residents who lost their property during the rampage would receive up to Rs 50,000 in compensation.

PM On I-Day

The Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, expressed grave concern over the attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka, and extended her “full and heartfelt sympathy” to them. She declared that India was keeping close watch on the developments in the island. In her rather off-colour Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the PM pointed out that continued violence in the island had caused further deterioration in the situation in India’s neighbourhood.

Akali Dal Protest

Terrorists set fire to seven school buildings in Jalandhar district coinciding with the protest call given by the Akali Dal against Army operation. There were reports of the appearance of Khalistan posters in some places and Khalistan flags being hoisted in several towns. The Akalis observed a black day. Some Sikh teachers of Panjab University went to the Independence day celebrations in black turbans and dupattas.

Governor Resigns

A P Sharma has resigned from the office of Governor of West Bengal. The resignation was accepted. Sharma told PTI that the acceptance of the resignation was not communicated to him from New Delhi. He said he would file the nomination papers for election to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in the seat vacated by Bhisma Narayan Singh, who was appointed Governor of Assam.

Express View on Sreejesh: Jersey No 16

Never will India have a hockey player like Sreejesh. He opened a country's eyes to the unsung virtues of g

By: Editorial

August 16, 2024 08:05 IST

Two and a half decades and 329 international games later, he has retired as one of the country’s greatest hockey players.

Sporting legends are not always made in academies, sometimes they are a conjunction of talent and fate. P R Sreejesh, one of the architects of Indian hockey’s revival and the team’s second straight Olympic bronze medal, traversed an unusual path to greatness. Before him, hockey barely struck a chord in football-mad Kerala. Sreejesh, from a family of farmers, himself had not played hockey until he joined a sports school. Even after a coach diverted him to hockey, he took up goalkeeping because he was too lazy to run laps around the ground in the morning.

Two and a half decades and 329 international games later, he has retired as one of the country’s greatest hockey players. And in an ultimate hat-tip to the champion, the Indian hockey body also retired his jersey number. Never will India have a Sreejesh or No 16. Before him, India, like Brazilian football in their heyday, seldom bothered, let alone revered, its goalkeepers. The goal guards were eternally overshadowed by twinkling forwards and virtuoso midfielders, and recently powerful drag flickers. With his lightning reflexes and commanding composure, he opened the eyes of a country to the unsung virtues of goalkeeping. Often, as in the Paris 2024 quarterfinal against Great Britain, when India were down to 10 men, he was India’s one-man rock of hope. He vindicated a nation’s hopes in him.

Sreejesh in shootouts was a magnetic sight. Spreading his immense wingspan like an eagle, reducing the visible target area, reading his opponent’s mindset — he was The Wall. He was a rare blend — physical yet cerebral, aggressive but not arrogant. He will be missed on the field, but he will also remain an important figure in Indian hockey, as he assumes charge of junior hockey, to share his vast experience and expertise with the younger generation.

Express View: Rumbles in Rakhine

Increasing sway of Arakan Army in Myanmar, intensifying violence, are taking a high toll, are cause for concern

By: Editorial

August 16, 2024 08:00 IST

In the past seven decades, ethnic armed groups have fought variously for independence, autonomy and federalism in Myanmar.

Close to 200 civilians, most of them from Myanmar’s marginalised Rohingya community, were killed earlier this week in an artillery and drone attack on the country’s Rakhine province. The survivors have blamed the Arakan Army, the armed wing of the Rakhine Group, one of the main ethnic outfits resisting Myanmar’s Tatmadaw regime, for the atrocity. The militant group has denied responsibility, offered condolences, and blamed the junta. However, by all accounts, the needle of suspicion of most observers points to the predominantly Buddhist Arakan Army. In the last six months, as the hold of the junta has weakened in large parts of Myanmar, the Arakan Army has replaced it in targeting the Rohingya. The Rakhine outfit has, reportedly, torched entire villages, at least three in the past six months. The last attack happened while a Rohingya group was trying to cross over into Bangladesh.

In the past seven decades, ethnic armed groups have fought variously for independence, autonomy and federalism in Myanmar. In the country’s latest spell under military rule, these groups have emerged as among the most serious challengers to the junta. The Arakan Army has been steadily carving out areas independent of the Tatmadaw. It claims to speak for the entire Rakhine region. However, unlike some other opponents of the military regime, it views federalism as a subterfuge for imposing the rule of the gun. In more than one way, it copies the practices of the Tatmadaw. For instance, like the military regime, the Arakan army and its close ally, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance (MDAA), use a combination of force and incentives — the promise of citizenship, for instance — to recruit the Rohingya. In April, some Rohingya conscripts to the Myanmar Army reportedly burnt down the homes of Buddhist families. The incident provoked another attack on the predominantly Muslim villages, and again, the Arakan Army denied responsibility.

The latest spell of violence against the Rohingya has triggered another wave of immigration of this beleaguered community to Bangladesh. Given the latest churn in India’s eastern neighbourhood, New Delhi should keep a close watch on the developments in the Rakhine region. Both the Arakan Army and the MDAA have close links with China. Especially worrying is the fact that large parts of the Kaladan Road Project, which aims to link Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine Province and develop road and river links between Myanmar and Mizoram, are now under the Arakan Army’s control. Delhi must keep all diplomatic options open to secure India’s interests in this troubled region.

Derek O’Brien writes: In Parliament, Opposition is feeling a new ‘josh’

Opposition is on the front foot, representing the pulse, energy and diversity of India, backed by citizens who are tired of BJP/NDA rule

Written by Derek O’Brien

Updated: August 16, 2024 11:33 IST

Since the results of Elections 2024, Parliament has held two sessions. The first one was for seven days, the second for 15 days. As an observer and participant, let your columnist share five reasons which kept the Josh Quotient (JQ) of the Opposition parties high.

“How’s the josh?” was the line made famous in a not-my-kind-of-film which still did well at the box office five years ago. Now, ask any member of the Opposition in Parliament the same question. How’s the josh? There is a distinct spring in the steps of Members of Parliament from Opposition parties, both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Since the results of Elections 2024, Parliament has held two sessions. The first one was for seven days, the second for 15 days. As an observer and participant, let your columnist share five reasons which kept the Josh Quotient (JQ) of the Opposition parties high.

Skittish Floor Management: Compare the Budget Session of 2009, when Dr Manmohan Singh was elected for his second term, to the just concluded Budget Session where Narendra Modi (albeit with support from his NDA allies) began his third term.

In 2009, the House ran for 33 days, introducing 17, and passing eight Bills. Budget Session 2024 ran for 22 days and then adjourned ahead of schedule. Both Houses were abruptly cut short on Friday afternoon, instead of Monday (That the Hindenburg story broke on Saturday night was purely a coincidence!). There were some obvious signs of skittishness. Fourteen Bills were introduced, only three were passed. The Union government did not agree to discussions on the working of the Home Affairs Ministry and the Defence Ministry, even though 15 parties demanded that these two sensitive ministries get discussed.

Leader of the Opposition: For the first time in a decade, there was a Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. The “Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act” of 1977 describes the Leader of Opposition as a member in either House who belongs to a party in Opposition with the “greatest numerical strength”.

While the Act does not prescribe it, the convention followed (as prescribed by Lok Sabha Speaker GV Mavalankar in 1956) is that a party must secure at least 55 seats to nominate a member for the post. While the Congress had 52 MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha, this time with almost 100 MPs, the party officially laid claim to the position.

Constitutionally and psychologically, this really pumped up the INDIA alliance in the House of the People. Rahul Gandhi would have been happy with the runs he scored in his debut innings.

Opposition Firepower: Another leader, also in his 50s, sitting in the front row was Akhilesh Yadav. The former chief minister and now MP from Kannauj was leading his team of 37 MPs — up 32 seats from what the Samajwadi Party had in the 17th Lok Sabha. Also, turning on the heat was 36-year-old National General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee. Trinamool, too, had upped their numbers. From 22 to 29, including 11 women MPs.

Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech as Leader of Opposition, with the theme of Shiva and non-violence, most certainly got under the skin of the BJP. Yadav was in his element, slamming the government on examination paper leaks. Speaking on the Budget, Banerjee’s 45-minute speech and interaction with the Lok Sabha Speaker went viral for all the right reasons. Here was a three-time MP showing the Chair utmost respect and yet firmly making his point — why the objection to him speaking about demonetisation that happened eight years ago, when BJP MPs were allowed to talk about Pandit Nehru and the Emergency from decades ago?

Gandhi, Yadav and Banerjee, charged with 164 MPs between the trio, were a potent force on the floor of Lok Sabha. The three have contrasting styles of delivery, but were high on content and political nuance. A strong contingent of MPs from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and members of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi also weighed in on issues of national importance.

From Bengal to Tamil Nadu, from Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra, the Opposition was backed by the assuredness and guidance of popular or former chief ministers and by a genuine appeal among citizens tired of local BJP/NDA governments. The Opposition represented the pulse, energy and diversity of India. The government stood for jaded Delhi power brokers and neo-Lutyens fat cats.

BJP’s New Parliamentary Team: Even though Narendra Modi decided to brazen it out and not change portfolios of ministers handling key ministries, the ruling dispensation did opt for a comparatively new team to run Parliament. J P Nadda was appointed Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, replacing Piyush Goyal who won his Lok Sabha seat. The seemingly more affable Kiren Rijuju replaced Pralhad Joshi as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. First-time MP L Murugan from Tamil Nadu was made the new Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs.

The Sonia Gandhi Effect: The five-term Lok Sabha MP was making her debut in the Council of States. She chose not to make her maiden speech in Rajya Sabha or to intervene in the 22 days when Parliament was in session. Even without switching the microphone on, her actions, demeanour and gestures invigorated the 26 Congress MPs. Her presence also had a great unifying effect on the INDIA parties. Josh!

The writer is MP and leader, All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party (Rajya Sabha). Additional research by Ayashman Dey

Anasuya Sengupta writes on I-Day: Freedom is love

My Independence Day is about feeling part of a greater whole, a day to choose compassion over indifference, understanding over judgement, and unity over division

Written by Anasuya Sengupta

Updated: August 16, 2024 11:32 IST

My Independence Day is the day I stop and look at the sheer range that is India. (Illustration by C R Sasikumar)

I can scarcely think of Independence Day without having the words of the Preamble roll off my tongue unbidden. Embodied in these very words perhaps, is my first grasp of Indian freedom, and the significance of August 15. Even before that, the images of the Independence Day cultural programmes in school — dressed in the vibrant costumes of our nation’s states, unknowingly enacting a diversity I was yet to comprehend.

These memories, these words are the seeds from which my understanding of independence began. It slowly became quite clear that those who fought mountains of atrocities for the freedom of our nation, wanted to gift their people a country representing love and kindness, inclusivity and acceptance. Yet, on the 78th anniversary of India’s Independence, I must ask: Do these rituals and recitations alone capture the essence of freedom?

Or, are they merely comforting illusions, shielding us from the raw reality of what independence demands of us?

What is true freedom if not a constant challenge to our perceptions?

Does it not require us to question our beliefs, our traditions, our prejudices, our very identities?

What is Independence Day if not a day to ask myself some questions: How much do I care about others? We, the people of India.

How selfish am I?

How much do I care about our children, the future and the country and world that I will leave behind?

Tenderness and generosity can only come from love. Mercy, too. And till there is enough love, there is no change, no reforms, no freedom and no independence.

Is freedom then, in essence, love?

Seeking answers, on a recent trip back home to meet my family, I turned to my 94-year-old grandmother. Perhaps, having been witness to the first Independence Day, then only 17 years old, she would be able to offer me insights into the last 76 years that I lacked myself. On a balmy monsoon afternoon in Kolkata, lying beside Didan, her frail palm in mine, we explored it together.

What differs most from then, I asked, anticipating some hesitation to my vague question. Her response was immediate, piercing. “People weren’t consumed by desire and desperation. They were not trying to fill themselves up with all kinds of pleasures, religion and comparison; they cared about each other.”

In that moment, I felt deeply sad. An aching sense of loss, for something I had never even owned. Or had I? In her tired but kind eyes, I found those decades that I hadn’t witnessed myself. She touched my cheek then and explained that the only road to any progress is to understand oneself completely.

“Because I understand myself, I can understand you.”

If this is the foundation of true relationships, can the foundation of a society be any different? Can there be genuine freedom, genuine independence, without this understanding? Or are we merely chasing shadows, caught in the illusion that we are separate? Amidst the somewhat sombre introspections, some light emerges. Her grandfather, she tells me, was a British supporter, her father a Congress Party supporter, and his brother a Communist. When she shares a little about the frequent quarrels at home between the three, her cheeky glint clearly betrays that she thoroughly enjoyed it. While she jumps from one story to another, my mind marvels at the astonishing diversity within just one home.

My Independence Day is the day I stop and look at the sheer range that is India. The number of different languages, the number of different ways of speaking the same language, the kinds and kinds of food, an expected lack of relatability between two regions, but the undeniable relatability that comes through nonetheless. My Independence Day is the day I want to stop and look. Pause.

In the clarity that accompanies this pause, it becomes simple to transcend the divisions, and to recognise our shared humanity. It feels shameful then, that we who have in abundance, grab at more while others continue to lack.

She tells me when I ask her to describe the first day of Independence, that it was an indescribable collective celebration of joy. “Like when India wins a cricket match?”

“Exactly!” she beams.

I am about to point out Vinesh Phogat’s recent triumph, but she does it herself. How bewildering that we still falter in unity despite countless moments of collective pride, that we repeatedly retreat into separateness once the euphoria fades. These fleeting experiences of oneness are glimpses into our true nature — our interconnectedness. What would our country look like if we lived each day with the same sense of shared purpose? I wonder.

My Independence Day is feeling part of a greater whole, like one team. It’s achieving personal success, yet knowing that it belongs to all. It’s recognising that my accomplishment is merely receiving on behalf of countless talented others, acknowledging their unseen contributions.

As evening approaches, it is time for tea. I am reluctant to interrupt this conversation, but my grandmother looks a bit tired. I seek one last piece of wisdom to carry forward.

Her response again is immediate: “Know yourself so deeply that you can care as profoundly for others as for yourself.”

Is this the essence of true freedom? To know oneself so completely that love naturally extends beyond the self? Is Independence Day a renewal of our commitment to the Constitution? To choose compassion over indifference, understanding over judgement, and unity over division. A willingness to see ourselves in others and them in us. A day of true freedom.

And what is freedom, if not love?

The writer is an actor and winner of the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard segment of the Cannes Film Festival, 2024

With worst deposit crunch in 20 years, five banking issues to address

Banks need to provide more competitive alternatives to savers and also manage costs. This is one more reason for policymakers to double down on deepening the bond markets.

Written by Sachchidanand Shukla

Updated: August 16, 2024 11:27 IST

The erstwhile ‘captive’ household (HH) savers who for decades put up with negative real returns have now tasted blood.

A rising and persistent gap between bank deposits and credit growth has led to the worst deposit crunch in two decades. The current and savings accounts (CASA) are banks’ bread-and-butter sources of funding. These are typically very low cost and currently account for 41 per cent of total deposits as against 43 per cent last year. Many would say that this is not that alarming. So why is everyone worried?

Core deposits provide a stable source of funding to banks, shielding them from fluctuations in market rates. As the core deposit share funds a smaller portion of their assets, banks face increasing pressure on profits. And if at the same time, the maturities of bank assets increase, it raises banks’ exposure to interest rate risks. In an environment of “higher for longer’’ policy rates and a potential rise in credit costs, there can be additional pressure on the profits and liquidity of the banking industry.

The negative effects of declining deposit growth can extend beyond the banking sector and spill over into the broader economy. As banks’ liquidity risk increases, their ability or willingness to fund loan growth can decrease. As a result, at a time when banks are becoming more sensitive to credit risk and tightening underwriting standards and loan terms, deposit erosion can further impair the ability of some borrowers to obtain funds or can increase their cost of funding. As some borrowers have few alternatives to bank financing, constraints on banks’ ability to fund profitable investments can adversely affect economic activity.

Multiple disruptive forces are reshaping the foundational construct of the banking sector. Rising competition, technological advances and deregulation over the years have significantly upped the competitive pressures facing banks. The erstwhile “captive’’ household (HH) savers who for decades put up with negative real returns have now tasted blood. In the last 30 years, inflation averaged about 6.6 per cent in India even as savings bank deposits fetched 3-5 per cent, yielding negative returns when adjusted for inflation. Yet, savers faithfully parked almost half of their financial savings into bank deposits enabling high-interest margins (as high as 4-4.5 per cent for certain banks). But savers are now getting far superior returns from almost every other asset class. The trend could become structural and throw up several issues that need to be examined.

First, what will be the impact of declining deposits on loan growth? This is a chicken-and-egg question: Do banks seek new deposits because of strong underlying loan growth? Or, do they seek opportunities to lend profitably because their deposit base goes up? Empirical evidence suggests that both are true.

Second, how widespread is the decline in deposit growth? All banks are facing funding pressures including the biggest public and private sector banks as evidenced by their management commentaries and financial results.

Third, is the erosion in deposits greater for smaller intermediaries? Since smaller entities have fewer alternatives to deposits, they typically fund a greater fraction of their assets through core and other deposits and rely less on external funds and other liabilities. The greater a bank’s reliance on deposits, the more it will have to hold liquid assets to meet unexpected surges in demand for funds by depositors. Hence, it will not be surprising if smaller players also tend to allocate a smaller fraction of their assets to loans than large banks.

Fourth, will last-mile lending be constrained as a result of the decline in deposit growth? The deposit crunch could impact eventual credit flow via NBFCs, microfinance institutions and other smaller players as they primarily depend on the banks for funds. Such constraints could hurt consumption and investment activities.

Lastly, are all loan portfolios affected to the same degree by slower deposit growth? So far, the demand for funds is not yet broad-based. Retail demand has remained robust, and industry hasn’t yet felt the need to join the fray in a big way due to comfortable profitability and healthy debt-to-equity ratios. However, if and when demand from industry moves beyond working capital or short-term needs, the deposit crunch could hurt potential economic activity.

Things could change — equity markets could cool off and relative returns may turn benign for banks or the government could chip in with tax breaks on interest from banks. However, what will not change is that banks’ ability to generate income and manage costs will be tested in newer ways. Banks need to provide more competitive alternatives to savers and also manage costs. This is one more reason for policymakers to double down on deepening the bond markets.

The writer is group chief economist, L&T. Views are personal

PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech: Why Uniform Civil Code and One Nation, One Election matter for India’s future

For too long, discriminatory laws have persisted under the guise of 'religious freedom', and it is time they were brought under democratic scrutiny

Written by Abhinav Prakash

Updated: August 16, 2024 11:30 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Red Fort during Independence day celebration in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

On the occasion of Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a historic address from the Red Fort, outlining a clear vision for India’s future rooted in the ideological core of the nationalist movement that inspired the country’s freedom struggle. His speech emphasised the vision of a self-reliant India, reflecting the aspirations of a vibrant and modern Bharat.

Over the past decade, the BJP-led government under PM Modi has been a transformative force, challenging the political and economic structures inherited post-independence. The Prime Minister underscored how his government has shifted the governance mindset from one of people’s reliance on the state to proactive government outreach, guaranteeing basic necessities for all citizens.

In India, access to state resources and benefits has historically been mediated through complex caste and political equations, with marginalised groups like Dalits often reliant on local dominant caste leaders or parties to receive government benefits. This dynamic created a politics of unfreedom and perpetuated a new form of feudalism within a democratic system. The inadequate provision of public goods such as healthcare and education further entrenched this system, as political leaders used their discretionary power to benefit specific communities and voters. This led to resentment and rivalry among different caste groups, fuelling social unrest and hostility.

By providing direct access to welfare schemes and public services, and through the public provision of private goods based on objective criteria enabled by technological innovations like Direct Benefit Transfer, PM Modi has disrupted this politics of unfreedom at the grassroots. This approach has empowered the poor, marginalised, and Dalit communities, lifting crores out of multidimensional poverty. More importantly, it has also strengthened democracy by restoring trust in the democratic process, enabling them to exercise their political choices without fear of losing access to welfare schemes. The government’s focus on universalising entitlements has significantly undermined the old politics of caste and community, instilling a sense of confidence in the democratic system.

PM Modi also highlighted the impetus for economic and governance-related reforms. It is often overlooked that his tenure has seen the most far-reaching and extensive economic reforms ever undertaken in India, particularly the comprehensive measures announced after the Covid-19 lockdown, which were even more transformative than the 1991 reforms. Unlike the compulsions of 1991, these reforms were driven by conviction. Today, India’s youth enjoy greater economic freedom. Indian enterprises operate with fewer restrictions from archaic laws, resulting in the Indian economy being a bright spot on the global map despite multiple global economic shocks.

The PM rightly pointed out that today’s youth are more confident and ambitious, and no longer satisfied with incremental changes. This new-found confidence, rooted in belief in their abilities, civilisational ethos and future, is one of the most outstanding achievements of the Modi government since 2014. There is a visible attitudinal shift, with India now dreaming big, building big, and setting ambitious targets. The country has moved away from socialist delusions and towards respecting wealth creators, honouring job creators, and embracing a new vocabulary of IPOs, venture capital, and angel investors.

He also emphasised the infrastructural revolution underway in India, from metropolitan cities to remote border villages. The new generation of physical and digital infrastructure promises to transform the Indian economy and enhance the ease of living and opportunities, even in historically neglected regions like the Northeast. Today, India leads the world in public digital infrastructure, enabling financial inclusion, access to government services, education, and opportunities on a scale unmatched in history.

The speech was futuristic, focusing on emerging technologies and economic opportunities, including semiconductors, green jobs, the Green Hydrogen Mission, climate change, and environmental issues — critical areas that may not yield immediate political dividends but are essential for the country’s future. His emphasis on Indian standards becoming international benchmarks and leveraging indigenous design capabilities to produce for global markets sets the tone for the next decade, positioning India as a global industrial and manufacturing hub.

PM Modi highlighted the critical issues of the Uniform Civil Code and One Nation, One Election. For too long, discriminatory laws have persisted under the guise of “religious freedom”, and it is time they were brought under democratic scrutiny. The vibrant democracy of India has also evolved into one revolving around frequent elections, which hampers governance regardless of the political party in power at the state or Centre. By advocating for ONOE, the PM has pushed for much-needed structural reform of the political process.

The speech invoked India’s civilisational prowess, calling for a revival of the Nalanda spirit while also imagining India’s future as a space-faring nation. His speech is deeply rooted in the nationalist ideology, which envisions an economically developed, socially just, and sovereign India. This ideology, combined with a deep commitment to building a modern India that preserves the best of its history, culture, and tradition while embracing progress, offers a vision for the future that is both inclusive and sustainable. Today, the Modi-led BJP stands as the torchbearer of this vision for India, whose call for the youth to enter politics will be transformative.

The writer is assistant professor at Ramjas College, Delhi University and national vice-president of the BJP’s youth-wing

PM’s I-Day speech: Viksit Bharat, nationalism and contradictions

The PM seemed to imply that “reform” is stymied by “debate clubs” and their participants. And that there is a contradiction between the national interest and the questioning of how we might define it

Written by Sanjay Srivastava

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 17:09 IST

The explicit aspect of the Prime Minister’s speech on the 78th Independence Day may have been the idea of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047 and the key imagined audience, the youth of the country, but the underlying tone reflected a particular understanding of how one deals with a complex past and present. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

The most crucial task of a public speech that addresses the enormous and diffuse community we call “the nation”, is a political one. It is not political in the way we think of the term as associated with party politics. It is political in as much as it is an act of the imagination. How we imagine the world — our relationships with those with whom we must coexist — is a deeply political act since it has consequences for the futures that become available to us. However, there are, to invoke an idea made famous by the historian Benedict Anderson, different ways of imagining the national community. One kind of politics of national speeches consists of the effort to present the nation’s diversity as a set of contradictions that are harmful to the public good. Another is to speak of diversity as a context of learning to get along with others. The latter view reflects the idea that it is neither necessary nor possible to obliterate diversity through treating it as a harmful contradiction.

The explicit aspect of the Prime Minister’s speech on the 78th Independence Day may have been the idea of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047 and the key imagined audience, the youth of the country, but the underlying tone reflected a particular understanding of how one deals with a complex past and present. Imagining national life as a series of contradictions that must be flattened in order to strive for a better economic future is not really a new political strategy. It is, however, one that itself contradicts the imagination of the possibilities of nationhood as a community of maximised public welfare. The Prime Minister began his speech with a reminder of the nationalist movement that overthrew colonial rule. It would be a tragic mistake — a contradiction — to forget that the moral underpinnings of anti-colonialism lay in challenging the view that the colonised deserved to be ruled because the contradictions within them do not allow for self-rule. Anti-colonial nationalism, the Prime Minister’s opening gambit on August 15, gathered coherence through rejecting the language of “contradictions” as a justification for governance. It invoked diversity as the basis of post-colonial nationalism.

The idea of reform — of governance, health systems, the financial system, the licence-permit system and much else — has formed an important aspect of the larger narrative through which the current regime seeks to differentiate itself from the earlier one. “Reform” as an economic as well as cultural agenda has been crucial to present earlier decades of governance as a cesspit of lethargy and stasis. Or, as the Prime Minister pointed out this Independence Day, we earlier lived in a time of “hota hai” (“that is just how things are”) and “hamein mauka mila hai, mauj kar lo, jo hai usi se guzara kar lo” (“be happy and make do with what you have”). Under his watch, he went on to say, this way of thinking had changed.

Almost in the same breath, however, he also emphatically noted that “reforms are blueprints for growth, not just for debate clubs and intellectuals”. Debate and discussion as obstacles in the path of achieving national welfare was, in the speech, the most striking way of imagining diversity of opinion as contradictions. In his speech, the Prime Minister seemed to imply that “reform” is stymied by “debate clubs” and their participants. And that there is a contradiction between the national interest and the questioning of how we might define it. The Prime Minister chose to open his speech by invoking the anti-colonial movement in order to dwell upon the “revolutionary” capacities of the Indian people. These, to extend the logic of the anti-colonial nationalism, lay in extending the possibilities of debate — how we should be governed as a nation — rather than imagining “debate” and “nationhood” as contradictions.

Imagining economic and social progress through the language of contradictions that must be resolved carries a further risk: How should we think of nationalism in an age of globalisation? The speech pointed to the fact that many Indian-origin persons now head global corporations and the prestige that this secures for the nation. And yet, there was the continuing refrain: We don’t need to depend on the world and are capable of being “world leaders” across multiple domains. The logic of contradictions would lead us to ask whether we can simultaneously bask in the reflected glory of “global” CEOs — who must be skilful at operating in environments of great diversity — and also demand a homogeneity of perspectives at home.

Popular nationalism in the first few decades after Independence had a good grip on how a nation of such complexities is better viewed through the idea of diversity rather than contradiction. In the 1959 film Didi, a classroom full of students question their teacher (Sunil Dutt) about his lessons. You had taught us, they sing, that India is a country characterised by a unique and unparalleled form of unity. But, they plaintively point out, everything seems so disjointed: People follow different religions, are divided into castes and have different ways of thinking. We can see nothing of what you have told us, the students sing. There is no falsity in what I have told you, the teacher responds in verse: If people living in the same nation don’t speak the same language, this doesn’t imply disunity or hostility. Difference, he then points out, is not the enemy of nationhood. It is unfortunate that we don’t hear songs like these among the music that is played nowadays during the celebration of national days. If we did, perhaps those identified in the speech as nirashavadi tatvas (naysayers) and agents of anarchy might come to be seen, as in the Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi song from Didi, as necessary elements of fruitful diversity — rather than harmful contradictions — in national life. That is a political imagination too.

The writer is British Academy Global Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS University of London

Dear ICC, BCCI, and commentators: Don’t trivialise mental health issues of players

From David Bairstow to Graham Thorpe, depression has tragically claimed lives of cricketers. Greats, including Virat Kohli, have struggled with it. It jars when elite broadcasters with vast reach, popularity, and influence describe run-outs and dropped catches as “suicidal”. At the worst, these are annoying blunders

Written by Tanmoy Goswami

Updated: August 16, 2024 11:01 IST

Abolishing harmful language from cricket’s vocabulary represents one more opportunity for the sport to set an example that other sports, and indeed society at large, can emulate. (Representational Photo)

To the custodians of our beloved game,

I am writing this open letter as a cricket devotee and a person with lived experience of mental illness and suicidality. Allow me to bring to your attention a disturbingly common broadcasting practice that has the potential to do harm to the sport’s audience and trivialise a public health emergency. It pertains to broadcasters describing on-field human errors by players, such as run-outs and dropped catches, as “suicidal” or “commiting hara-kiri”.

This letter will demonstrate why you must end this problematic practice, and the far-reaching positive impact that you can create by establishing a protocol that prevents future use of this language in the commentary box.

Here’s why your attention to this issue is important:

Suicide is one of the world’s gravest public health crises. Across the world, suicide is among the biggest killers of young people. According to the World Health Organisation, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. In India, young adults aged 18-30 years accounted for the highest share – 35 per cent – of all suicides in 2022.

Cricket has a troubling legacy of mental health challenges and suicidality among players. This was painfully driven home by the recent tragic death of England great Graham Thorpe. Other players who died by suicide include India’s VB Chandrasekhar, England’s Harold Gimblett and David Bairstow (father of current England international Jonny Bairstow), and Australia’s Jack Iverson. Former India player David Johnson, who recently passed away, is also known to have struggled with mental health challenges.

From Glenn Maxwell to Virat Kohli, modern greats have increasingly opened up about the mental turmoil they live through in the boiling cauldron of international cricket — a toxic mix of sudden mass adulation and wealth, competitive pressures, fan expectations, media glare, and insecurity over short-lived careers. Former India stars Robin Uthappa and Praveen Kumar have talked about suicidal ideation at the lowest ebb of their lives. Maninder Singh, spin prodigy of his era, is a survivor of depression and alcohol addiction, which prematurely ended his playing career. England’s Marcus Trescothick and Sarah Taylor also had to call it quits owing to debilitating mental health challenges. Current Afghanistan men’s team coach Jonathan Trott – Wisden’s 2011 Cricketer of the Year – has spoken up about his severe mental health ordeals in his book Unguarded. Trott describes how he felt his opponents on the field circled him “like hyenas round a dying zebra”. He briefly “considered driving my car into the Thames or into a tree”.

Wisden Cricket Monthly founding editor David Frith’s book Silence of the Heart: Cricket Suicides presents data collected over 30 years to tell the stories of over 100 cricketers who took their own lives.

Former Kiwi pacer Iain O’Brien, who lived with depression, once asked: Is it cricket that acts as a catalyst for mental illnesses, or is there something unique about the people it draws? We have no clear answer to that question. What we do know is that our sport has an underbelly of great suffering and loss, and some of its greatest heroes have bravely stepped up to remove the stigma around it.

Hence, it is jarring when elite broadcasters with vast reach, popularity, and influence describe run-outs and dropped catches as “suicidal”. These are, at worst, annoying blunders. To use suicide as a metaphor for them is an offence against reason and basic human dignity.

This practice has been prevalent across domestic and international competitions for decades, carried forward by seasoned and new broadcasters alike, doubtless out of lack of awareness. It can be easily remedied with a standard, globally enforced language policy and training covering all current and future broadcasters. This training should be made a mandatory part of every new broadcaster’s initiation into the comm box.

We take heart from the sport’s embrace of the gender-neutral term “batter” replacing “batsman”, a seemingly small change that has had the powerful effect of correcting centuries of prejudice. Once the MCC issued an advice to make this switch, broadcasters seamlessly adopted it. Nothing prevents a similar shift once again.

Research shows that media representations of suicide play a vital role in shaping public attitudes towards it. Language that perpetuates stigma or trivialises suicide can be particularly harmful for vulnerable members of the audience and has no place in our sport. As a fan of the iconic faces and voices that bring alive the sport on our screens, I am certain that broadcasters will readily cooperate in this mission. I know that the mental health and suicide prevention community will.

Cricket teaches us a lot about life itself — fairness, courage, and respect for humans on and off the field. Abolishing harmful language from cricket’s vocabulary represents one more opportunity for the sport to set an example that other sports, and indeed society at large, can emulate.

In solidarity with and remembrance of those the game loved and lost.

The writer is the creator of Sanity, an independent mental health storytelling platform. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Centre for Global Mental Health run by King’s College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

UPSC-CSE Key

- Evolution of the ‘woman’s question’ in India

- UPSC Key | Independence Day, UCC, Mpox and more

- UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on St Martin’s Island, Panama Canal and more (Week 71)

- UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Major divisions of the oceanic relief and Pyrocumulonimbus clouds (Week 64)

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- Independence Day Special: How has UPSC asked questions on India’s Freedom Struggle

- UPSC Key | Mining tax, Draft Broadcast Bill, Section 377 and more

- UPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

- UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on A23 iceberg, T Coronae Borealis, Nankai Trough and more (Week 71)

- UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on Waqf property and Interstate River Water Dispute (Week 64)

- UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | August 5 to August 11, 2024

Evolution of the ‘woman’s question’ in India

Of the 542 MPs, only 78 are women, while the proportion of women not in employment or education is almost five times that of their male counterparts - 48.4 percent compared to 9.8 per cent. What do these figures say about the status of women in India?

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 18:43 IST

Women at the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest in Kolkata on Wednesday. (Image: Partha Paul)

—  Dr. Shubhda Chaudhary

(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and erudite scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Dr. Shubhda Chaudhary delves into the issue of women’s rights in India.)

A number of recent incidents, including the rape and murder of a young woman at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, brought renewed attention to women’s rights issues in India. The question of women’s rights, including their right to equality, liberty and security, has been a longstanding issue.

In that context, a brief overview of the evolution of the ‘woman’s question’ in India would help contextualise the women’s rights issues.

The British and the ‘woman’s question’ in India

British interest in the ‘woman’s question’ in India represented an interaction of Western morality, political strategy, and reformist zeal. Under the then Viceroy Lord Ripon, the Indian census in 1881 revealed a skewed sex ratio due to frequent female foetuses and infanticide. There was no accurate estimate for the female population with regard to age, occupation, caste, and class, especially of rural women.

At the exact time, the exploitation and sexualisation of Indian women by the ruling classes of the British through a series of Cantonment Acts, including the significant one in 1899, for regulating prostitution in the British military bases, exploitation of domestic servants through long hours of work with no/low wages and with no kind of legal protection needs to be taken into account.

These have perpetrated invasive medical examinations and forced imprisonment and stigmatisation of women in prostitution initiated by the Contagious Diseases Acts, passed between 1864 and 1869 by the British, to fight venereal disease in soldiers stationed in territories under British occupation.

These laws developed a legacy that had a psychosocial impact on women’s rights, social justice, and the objectification of women’s bodies even today.

Social reforms in India

At the same time, with the dissolution of Mughal rule and the advent of the East India Company, the Bengal Renaissance between the late 18th and early 20th century, in which space the cultural revival could occur. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, also known as the father of ‘Indian Renaissance’, played a vital role in the abolition of Sati, which compelled widows to be immolated on their husband’s funeral pyre. The practice was abolished on December 4, 1829, when the Bengal Sati Regulation was passed under the first Governor-General of British-ruled India.

On the other hand, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, adopted a traditionalist stand on social reform and believed in the revival of Vedic values. Moreover, many women activists, like Begum Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain of Bengal and Rukhmabai Raut,  joined the campaign against sati and child marriage.

Women reformers depended upon their male allies; a fact that has to be closely examined. Were there possibilities, or space, for women to articulate their struggles openly? Did literacy have a defining role in such discourses? If so, to what extent? One need only consider in this context the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856, which was carried through by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, with the help of many women reformers who had no chance of influencing the formative process of legislation.

Some of the reforms took time to accrue—like legislation to abolish child marriage, the Child Marriage Restraint Act, commonly known as the Sarda Act, named after the founder Harbilas Sarda, was passed in 1929 and came into force in 1930. The legislation fixed the age of marriage at 18 years for boys and 14 years for girls against the earlier prevailing one of 5 years or below for girls.

Political representation

While several global suffragette movements were raising their demand for universal adult franchise in the Western countries, Jawaharlal Nehru proposed to engage women in the political process, including in franchisee, at the Indian National Congress (INC) meeting in Lucknow in 1937.

However, the continuous absence of women from Indian politics is traceable to the very roots of the Constituent Assembly of India. Of the 299 members of the Constituent Assembly, there were only 15 women, including Sarojini Naidu, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Hansa Jivraj Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Renuka Ray, Leela Roy. Dakshayani Velayudhan was the first and only Dalit woman and Begum Aizaz Rasul was the only Muslim representative. Later, in the first Lok Sabha, during 1952-1957, only 4.4 percent of the members were women.

At present, only about 14 per cent of the 542 seats in the Lok Sabha are held by women – of the 542 Members of Parliament (MPs), only about 78 are women. In the Rajya Sabha, there are just 24 among the total 224 members. Women MPs continue to grapple with entrenched patriarchalism, party structure and ticket distribution reservations, as well as voter perception.

Female candidates have been judged by strict norms of “winnability” unlike their male counterparts. Very few female candidates are fielded only to meet the quotas.

Interestingly, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provided for 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in 1993, thereby increasing women’s representation at the grassroots level. The Women’s Reservation Bill, officially known as the Constitution 108th Amendment Bill, is a proposed legislation that seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in state legislatures and the Indian Parliament for women, with a rotation of seats in every election cycle.

Many reformers have attacked this bill, terming it as mere ‘tokenism’ toward achieving quotas, rather than actual emancipation of women—more so the Dalit and Muslim women.

Economic challenges

According to the International Labour Report 2024, prepared in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, “the proportion of women not in employment or education is almost five times that of their male counterparts – 48.4 percent compared to 9.8 per cent – and accounts for around 95 per cent of the total young population not in employment or education in 2022.”

The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for women is about 25 per cent of the total female working-age population in 2022. In this scenario, too, there are supply and demand dynamics. The effects range from underrepresentation of women in official statistics to education and income gaps, gender pay gaps, and issues of female migrant workers. Mechanisation of agriculture, decrease in animal husbandry at the household level, occupational segregation, and decline in demand for labour-intensive activities on the demand side continue. In effect, the supply and demand sides tend to reinforce each other.

According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the average earnings of women in India are about 25-30 per cent lower than those of men. Underrepresentation of women in highly paid employment and over-representation in low-paid work—particularly in the informal sector—exacerbate this gap.

However, the definition of a farmer and the techniques which data collection agencies such as the NCRB use have been largely criticised for under-representing women as farmers, besides male land ownership. At the same time, in its 2022 report, the NCRB said, “about 30 per cent of the total suicide cases in India are of women.” While this gap is what the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and the Mental Health Care Act of the government of 2017 intend to bridge, data gaps have to be addressed within this sample survey on rural women and the ones who access these services.

Trends in the education and skill gaps

Though the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) mentions that the proportion of women in higher educational institutions is about 50 per cent, which, of course, is a positive trend, it is still variable across regions. In case of women belonging to Scheduled Tribes, the literacy rate, as per the 2011 census, was 59.6 per cent compared with 75.6 per cent among the general female population. This again points to a wide gap in literacy rates.

Though the literacy rate of tribal women has improved, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) in 2019-21, it is still below the national average. The dropout rate at the primary and secondary levels among girls is still a challenge. The major challenges in front of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, introduced in 1995, and the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, introduced in 2015, are: it has remained piecewise in different states, lack of proper monitoring, and lack of some of the important scholarship programs.

Socio-cultural issues

Even with the Untouchability Offences Act, 1955, and the constitutional provisions of Articles 15 and 17, besides the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, the subtle power of caste and class discrimination that works against Indian women has by no means ended. The many nuances of this intermeshing of caste and class in gender representation have been captured for long, through different writings by several scholars like Dr. Savita Ambedkar, Dr. Uma Chakravarti, Dr. Sharmila Rege, and Dr. G. R. G. Krishnamurthy.

An essential case example is that of the Devadasi system, where women were institutionalised as a religious and social entity to worship deities in temples. In this regard, the marginalisation and sexual exploitation of devadasis by temple priests, patrons, and others led to the passing of legislation known as the Devadasi Abolition Act in 1988. Nevertheless, according to data from the National Commission for Women, there were 48,358 devadasis in India in the year 2011.

In relation to the impact of disability on the socio-cultural identity of women, it can be noted that while the 2011 census estimated that there are around 11.8 million women with a disability living in India who face significant hardship, discrimination, isolation, and marginalisation in everyday life.

The NCRB further says that a rape is reported in India every 16 minutes, much after the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, popularly known as the Nirbhaya Act. However, the enactment of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, also tried to provide an integrated and comprehensive legal framework to deal with increasing incidents of sexual abuse of children, including penetration, sexual harassment, and exploitation—yet the stigma of rape remains.

How many rapes are reported? In fact, how often do even the media report it if it happens in rural and Dalit areas? The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace [Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal] Act, 2013 makes it mandatory to set up Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) at all workplaces with over 10 employees to redress complaints connected with it, but how are these employees appointed and by whom is a question of ethics. What are the mechanisms applied in instances the report by the ICC is not filed in the prescribed timeline?

Post Read Question

The ‘woman’s question’ in India emerged as part of the 19th-century social reform movement. Discuss major issues and debates concerning women in that period.

Write a short note on women’s political representation in India.

Discuss major economic and socio-cultural issues that impede women’s empowerment in India.

Discuss ways to empower women in India.

(Dr. Shubhda Chaudhary is the founder of Middle East Insights – a volunteer-driven youth coalition that aims to create leaders of tomorrow.)

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Written by Khushboo Kumari

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:22 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Red Fort during Independence day celebration in New Delhi on Thursday. Know more in our UPSC Key. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

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PM’s UCC pitch: Time for secular civil code, lived 75 yrs with communal one

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- Invoking the Constitution and the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch Thursday for the Uniform Civil Code, saying it’s time the country moves towards a civil code that is “secular” and not “communal” and “discriminatory” as the existing one.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)?

— What are the constitutional provisions related to UCC?

Key takeaways:

— “I say it is the need of the hour that there should be a Secular Civil Code in the country. We have spent 75 years under the Communal Civil Code. Now we will have to move towards a Secular Civil Code. Only then we will get relief from the discrimination happening on the basis of religion in the country, from which common citizens feel distanced,” he said.

— The UCC promise has long figured in BJP election manifestos and its 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto said “Article 44 of the Constitution lists Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy.

For Your Information:

— It was after the Supreme Court’s Shah Bano judgment in 1985 that the BJP took up the demand for a UCC in a big way.

— The UCC is the last unfulfilled ideological agenda of the BJP for now, and PM Modi threw a clear hint in this Independence Day speech that he would look to implement it.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the arguments for and against the implementation of UCC?

— What was the Constituent Assembly debate regarding the adoption of UCC?

— What are the important cases related to UCC?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(1) Consider the following provisions under the Directive Principles of State Policy as enshrined in the Constitution of India: (UPSC CSE 2012)

1. Securing for citizens of India a uniform civil code

2. Organising village Panchayats

3. Promoting cottage industries in rural areas

4. Securing for all the workers reasonable leisure and cultural opportunities

Which of the above are the Gandhian Principles that are reflected in the Directive Principles of State Policy?

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Mains

Discuss the possible factors that inhibit India from enacting for its citizens a uniform civil code as provided for in the Directive Principles of State Policy. (UPSC CSE 2015)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Amid UCC saga, PM Modi pitch for ‘secular civil code’ a bid to put Oppn on the back foot

Explained

Why latest mpox outbreak is ‘emergency of international concern’

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Science and Technology

What’s the ongoing story-  The World Health Organisation, sounding its highest level of alarm, declared mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Wednesday. This is the second time the infection has received the designation in as many years — the outbreak between July 2022 and May 2023 was also declared as PHEIC.

Prerequisites:

— What is Mpox?

— What are the criteria of WHO to declare any disease as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern?

Key takeaways:

— Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a self-limiting viral infection caused by mpox virus (MPXV). The most common symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, along with pox-like rashes that last for two to three weeks.

— It is a self-limiting disease but can lead to death, especially among children and those with weak immune systems.

— While the infection has been reported in humans since 1970, it mostly affected people in the endemic regions in Africa till 2022.

— The current concern stems from the spread of clade Ib of the MPXV, which is predominantly transmitted through sexual contact.

— Sexual transmission of clade I infections has not been reported previously, according to a paper published this January in the journal Emerging Infectious Disease. Historically, clade I infections have spread through zoonotic spillover events — transmitted from animals to humans in close proximity.

— The first case of the more contagious clade Ib mpox infection outside Africa was reported from Sweden on Thursday. With interlinked global travel, the cases may reach other countries as well.

— During the 2022 global outbreak, India too reported cases of mpox, albeit of the less deadly clade II type.

— There are at least two vaccines currently in use for mpox, which have been recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.

For Your Information:

— The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that it would start using the term “mpox” for monkeypox, which has infected about 80,000 people in the first major outbreak of the viral disease outside Africa that began early this summer.

— Monkeypox, which was named in 1970 because the virus that causes the disease was first discovered in captive monkeys in 1958, does not have much to do with monkeys.

— The most likely reservoir for the virus, which has circulated for several years in a few central African countries after jumping to humans through zoonosis in the bush, are rodents.

— According to WHO best practices, “new disease names should be given with the aim to minimize unnecessary negative impact of names on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare, and avoid causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups”.

Points to Ponder:

— What does a declaration on ‘emergency of international concern’ mean?

— What is the difference between endemic, pandemic and epidemic?

— What is India’s preparedness against the pandemic?

Post Read Question:

(2) Consider the following statements:

1. Smallpox and Chickenpox are caused by the Variola virus and Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) respectively.

2. Mpox is endemic in Central and West Africa.

3. According to the World Health Assembly, chickenpox was eradicated in 1980.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Racist, stigmatizing: Why WHO will now call monkeypox ‘mpox’

Food inflation outlook

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- Retail food inflation ruled above 8% for eight straight months from November 2023 to June 2024. That year-on-year increase, in the official consumer food price index (CFPI), fell to 5.4% in July, from 9.4% the month before.

Prerequisites:

— What is the consumer food price index (CFPI)?

— What is food inflation?

Key takeaways:

— Simply put, food inflation remains the economy’s bugbear, eating into household incomes and suppressing spending on other things, besides preventing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from cutting its policy interest rates.

— Amidst all this, there are at least two reasons for cautious optimism: Monsoon optimism and low global food prices.

— The overall good monsoon with well-distributed rainfall has led to higher acreages under most kharif crops this year. Area sown is up for rice, pulses such as arhar (pigeon pea) and moong (green gram), maize, oilseeds (soyabean and groundnut) and sugarcane – relative to both the corresponding period of 2023 and the normal coverage for this time.

— Farmers plant more when there is adequate water. They also go for crops whose prices are better or assured.

— Global food inflation has been in negative territory since December 2022. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index averaged 120.8 points in July 2024, 3.1% down from its year-ago level…

— While global and domestic food inflation have been moving in opposite directions in recent times (see chart), low international prices, however, make imports more feasible.

— The prospects of a monsoon-aided bumper kharif crop should enable relaxation of the export ban/restrictions on non-basmati rice as well as sugar, along with the lifting of stockholding limits on pulses applicable to traders, retailers and dal millers.

— But all this optimism has to be tempered by the fact that the kharif crop’s harvesting is at least a month away, while not before March-end for wheat and other rabi crops. The uncertainty over food inflation will continue for some time till then.

For Your Information:

— In the Economic Survey for 2023-24, its author Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran made a case for excluding food prices from headline inflation, since food prices were keeping the CPI-based (Consumer Price Index) inflation high and delaying a cut in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India.

— But RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das differed and said food inflation pressures cannot be ignored given the high share of food in the consumption basket.

— Rajani Sinha writes: “Food inflation is influenced by climatic factors and is beyond the control of the central bank. However, it cannot ignore food inflation as it has a strong bearing on household inflationary expectations, which in turn can feed into actual inflation. This is what makes RBI’s future policy uncertain and complex.”

Points to Ponder:

— How is food inflation impacting the overall health of the economy?

— What are the reasons for food inflation?

— How does a cut in the repo rate impact inflation in the economy?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(3) Consider the following statements:

1. The weightage of food in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

2. The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.

3. The Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How uncertainty of food inflation affects RBI’s policy going forward

‘Can’t ignore food inflation pressures’: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das differs from Survey idea

The Editorial Page

A Financing Challenge

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- A rising and persistent gap between bank deposits and credit growth has led to the worst deposit crunch in two decades. The current and savings accounts (CASA) are banks’ bread-and-butter sources of funding. These are typically very low cost and currently account for 41 per cent of total deposits as against 43 per cent last year.

Prerequisites:

— What is core deposits?

— What is the significance of bank deposits for the economy?

Key takeaways:

— Core deposits provide a stable source of funding to banks, shielding them from fluctuations in market rates. As the core deposit share funds a smaller portion of their assets, banks face increasing pressure on profits.

— And if at the same time, the maturities of bank assets increase, it raises banks’ exposure to interest rate risks. In an environment of “higher for longer’’ policy rates and a potential rise in credit costs, there can be additional pressure on the profits and liquidity of the banking industry.

— The negative effects of declining deposit growth can extend beyond the banking sector and spill over into the broader economy. As banks’ liquidity risk increases, their ability or willingness to fund loan growth can decrease.

— As a result, at a time when banks are becoming more sensitive to credit risk and tightening underwriting standards and loan terms, deposit erosion can further impair the ability of some borrowers to obtain funds or can increase their cost of funding.

— Multiple disruptive forces are reshaping the foundational construct of the banking sector. Rising competition, technological advances and deregulation over the years have significantly upped the competitive pressures facing banks.

— First, what will be the impact of declining deposits on loan growth? This is a chicken-and-egg question: Do banks seek new deposits because of strong underlying loan growth? Or, do they seek opportunities to lend profitably because their deposit base goes up? Empirical evidence suggests that both are true.

— Second, how widespread is the decline in deposit growth? All banks are facing funding pressures including the biggest public and private sector banks as evidenced by their management commentaries and financial results.

— Third, is the erosion in deposits greater for smaller intermediaries? Since smaller entities have fewer alternatives to deposits, they typically fund a greater fraction of their assets through core and other deposits and rely less on external funds and other liabilities.

— Fourth, will last-mile lending be constrained as a result of the decline in deposit growth? The deposit crunch could impact eventual credit flow via NBFCs, microfinance institutions and other smaller players as they primarily depend on the banks for funds. Such constraints could hurt consumption and investment activities.

— Lastly, are all loan portfolios affected to the same degree by slower deposit growth? So far, the demand for funds is not yet broad-based. Retail demand has remained robust, and industry hasn’t yet felt the need to join the fray in a big way…

— Things could change — equity markets could cool off and relative returns may turn benign for banks or the government could chip in with tax breaks on interest from banks.

For Your Information:

— Banks need to take the old-fashioned route to bring back focus on mobilising “small deposits” and not just big deposits in order to reverse the flagging deposit growth rate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

— Banks are facing challenges on the funding front with bank deposits trailing loan growth. As of July 12, while deposits grew by 11.7 per cent, loan growth increased by 15.5 per cent.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the reasons for the decline in the deposit ratio?

— What is the process of credit creation by the Commercial bank?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(4) The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) Increase in the Cash Reserve Ratio in the banks

(b) Increase in the Statutory Liquidity Ratio in the banks

(c) Increase in the banking habit of the people

(d) Increase in the population of the country

Mains

Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (UPSC CSE 2019)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Finance Minister to banks: Innovate, focus on small deposits to plug gap with credit growth

The re-imagined nation

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- One kind of politics of national speeches consists of the effort to present the nation’s diversity as a set of contradictions that are harmful to the public good. Another is to speak of diversity as a context of learning to get along with others. The latter view reflects the idea that it is neither necessary nor possible to obliterate diversity through treating it as a harmful contradiction.

Prerequisites:

— Why 15th of August is celebrated as Independence Day?

— What is the idea of Viksit Bharat?

— Why is the national flag hosted on Independence Day?

Key takeaways:

— The explicit aspect of the Prime Minister’s speech on the 78th Independence Day may have been the idea of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047 and the key imagined audience, the youth of the country, but the underlying tone reflected a particular understanding of how one deals with a complex past and present.

— The idea of reform — of governance, health systems, the financial system, the licence-permit system and much else — has formed an important aspect of the larger narrative through which the current regime seeks to differentiate itself from the earlier one.

For Your Information:

— In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s I-day speech, the first of his third term, “Viksit Bharat at 2047” was the stated goal as well as recurring motif. The world was India’s stage, and it was upto Indians, especially its young, impatient for the “chhallang” or big leap into the future, to seize the golden hour and its “sambhavnayen (possibilities)”, he said.

— 5 takeaways from PM’s I-Day Speech: Secular civil code; One Nation, One Election; Women’s safety; War on corruption and Message to Bangladesh.

Points to Ponder:

— How can India achieve the idea of Viksit Bharat?

— What are the challenges in the path of Viksit Bharat?

Post Read Question:

Highlight the importance of the new objectives that got added to the vision of Indian Independence since the twenties of the last century. (UPSC CSE 2017)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

5 takeaways from PM Modi’s I-Day speech

Express View on PM Modi’s Independence Day address

Economy

Modi urges States to compete for investments, establish clear policies

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Polity,  Economy

What’s the ongoing story- Underlining that a number of global companies want to invest in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on state governments to create policies to attract such funding and reiterated his stance on state-level competition for investments, during his 78th Independence Day speech.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Production Linked Incentives (PLI)?

— What is the significance of the manufacturing sector?

Key takeaways:

— The Prime Minister called for state governments to establish clear policies to attract investments, offer assurances of good governance, and ensure confidence in the law and order situation. He also said that India will become a global manufacturing hub, leveraging its vast resources and skilled workforce.

— PM Modi’s comments come as India has outlined manufacturing in various sectors as a key driver of economic growth and an avenue for large-scale employment generation. The government has launched 14 production linked incentive (PLI) schemes in sectors like electronics and smartphones, telecom, pharmaceuticals etc. in its manufacturing push.

— The PM directed NITI Aayog to prepare an ‘investment-friendly charter’ of parameters which would include policies, programmes and processes to be put in place for attracting investments. States may be monitored on the basis of their achievement in these parameters to promote healthy competition among them for attracting investments, he said.

For Your Information:

From Economy Section: Centre’s guidelines for special assistance to states finalised, Rs 10,000 crore for land reforms

— The Centre has decided to provide states with Rs 10,000 crore in incentives for implementing land-related reforms in rural and urban areas, and Rs 5,000 crore for creating a Farmers’ Registry during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).

— According to sources, states will need to undertake land-related reforms in rural areas, which include the assignment of a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar for all lands; digitisation of cadastral maps; survey of map sub-divisions according to current ownership; and the establishment of a land registry.

— In urban areas, fiscal incentives will be provided for the digitization of land records using GIS mapping and the establishment of an information technology-based system for property record administration, updating, and tax administration.

— The Centre has also decided to provide Rs 5,000 crore for the construction of working women’s hostels.

— According to the guidelines, the land for the hostels will be made available by the state government free of cost, or the cost of acquiring the land will be borne by the state government.

— The state should adopt a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the operation and maintenance of the hostels, according to the guidelines. Ownership of the hostel would rest with the state government, while operation and maintenance would be managed by a private party.

Points to Ponder:

— What is cooperative federalism?

— How are finances allocated by the Center to the states?

— What is the significance of the PPP model?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(5) The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the (UPSC CSE 2015)

(a) Human Rights Commission

(b) Finance Commission

(c) Law Commission

(d) Planning Commission

Mains

How far do you think cooperation, competition and confrontation have shaped the nature of federation in India? Cite some recent examples to validate your answer. (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Coalition opens space for dialogue, makes tough reforms feasible: CEA

India will offer end-to-end chip solutions to the world, says PM Modi

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- India will offer end-to-end semiconductor solutions to the world and will become a manufacturing hub for cutting edge technologies by leveraging its large skilled youth base, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his 78th Independence Day speech. He also urged young people to design products and services in India, and take a lead in creating games for the world.

Prerequisites:

— What is the importance of semiconductors?

Key takeaways:

— In December 2021, the government had rolled out a Rs 76,000 crore chip incentive scheme, under which it offered half the amount of a plant’s capital expenditure costs as subsidy.

— Under the scheme, the country has cleared four proposals – a fab being set up by the Tatas in partnership with a Taiwanese company, and three packaging plants including one by Micron. — Three of these projects are being set up in Gujarat, while a packaging plant by the Tatas is coming up in Assam.

— Modi called on India’s youth and IT professionals to work on developing games made in the country.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the issues concerning domestic manufacturing of semiconductors?

— What is the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)?

— India’s agreement with other countries (USA, Taiwan, EU) on cooperation in the semiconductor ecosystem.

(Thought process: Highlight the significance of indiginisation of the semiconductor ecosystem–connect it with economy-import bills-India’s mission to atmanirbhar Bharat–look at the semiconductor materials imported from other countries–look at government schemes and various agreements signed by the government).

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(6) Which one of the following laser types is used in a laser printer? (UPSC CSE 2008)

(a) Dye laser

(b) Gas laser

(c) Semiconductor laser

(d) Excimer laser

Mains

Why India is aiming to become self-sufficient in chip manufacturing? Highlight the government initiatives to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How India’s first semiconductor fabrication plant can help plug in to global value chain

UPSC Ethics and Essay Snippet

‘Wordly Wise’ from The Editorial Page

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr

(Thought Process: What does it mean to be a genuine leader? Is leadership merely about coming to an agreement? Why building a consensus an important aspect of leadership? What does it take to mold consensus rather than just seek it?  How does this idea apply to administration? How can a civil servant embody this quality?)

Prelims Answer Key

1. (b)  2. (a)  3. (a)  4. (c)  5. (d)  6. (c)

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UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on St Martin’s Island, Panama Canal and more (Week 71)

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims 2025? Check your progress and revise your topics through this quiz on International Relations.

Written by Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 15:20 IST

Some speculate that Stonehenge was used as an astronomical calendar, given its precise orientation which aligns stones to the summer and winter solstices. Others posit that it had ritual significance. Find a question on Stonehenge in today's quiz. (Wikimedia Commons)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on the International Relations Quiz to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Weekly Current Affairs.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

St Martin’s Island was recently in the news. Consider the following statements about St Martin’s Island:

1. It is located in the region of the Bay of Bengal.

2. The Island is close to the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

3. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, said that a recent “resignation” statement, allegedly published by a newspaper, attributed to her mother was “completely false and fabricated”. According to the alleged statement, Hasina said she could have continued to remain in power if she had given Bangladesh’s “St Martin’s Island and Bay of Bengal” to America.

— The island is located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, near the boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— It is nine kilometres from the southernmost point of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. It is Bangladesh’s only coral island, with reefs stretching 10-15 km to the west-northwest. It also serves as a breeding site for sea turtles. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The island was previously part of the Teknaf peninsula (around 5,000 years ago), but it progressively sank into the sea. The southern suburbs of present-day St Martin’s Island resurfaced some 450 years ago, with the northern and rest of the island rising above sea level during the next 100 years, according to The Daily Sun.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following statements are correct about the Panama Canal?

1. It saves approximately 12,600 km in a trip between New York and San Francisco.

2. Lake Superior acts as the artificial reservoir of the Panama Canal system.

3. The Panama Canal system uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other.

4. The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

Explanation

— The 82-km canal, which remains one of the greatest feats of engineering in history, is a shortcut for ships travelling between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans by cutting through the Isthmus of Panama in Central America. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— It saves approximately 12,600 km in a trip between New York and San Francisco, and is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— In December of last year, the average number of ships passing through the canal each day decreased to as low as 22, with over 160 ships anchored on both sides of the waterway. Previously, an average of 36 to 38 ships passed through the canal daily. This is because of the drought-related decline in Lake Gatun’s water levels, an artificial reservoir essential to the functioning of the Panama Canal system. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The Panama Canal is not a simple channel of water connecting two larger water bodies — it is a sophisticated, highly-engineered system which uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Stonehenge, a prehistoric megalithic site was in the news. The site is located in:

(a) France

(b) United States

(c) Germany

(d) United Kingdom

Explanation

— Stonehenge has long stood as an enigma in southern England’s undulating countryside. No one knows why it was built, and there is little consensus on how it was built, by whom and exactly when.

— The findings of the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday (August 14) show that the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists previously realised, and suggests that neolithic Britain might have been far more integrated than previously thought.

— The site’s iconic stone slabs are divided into two groups:

(i) The first group includes 30 tall, upright sarsens (sandstone blocks impregnated with silica) which make up the outer circle. Most of these are capped by shaped lintel stones (horizontal beam-like stones).

(ii) The second group is made of about 80 bluestones, which research suggests came from the Mynydd Preseli mountains in western Wales.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following countries:

1. Barbados

2. Cuba

3. Jamaica

4. Guatemala

5. Guinea-Bissau

Which of the countries given above are Caribbean countries?

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 4 and 5 only

Explanation

— Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness proclaimed a state of emergency in the Caribbean nation’s southern Clarendon parish on Wednesday, following the deaths of eight people in separate gun attacks on Sunday night, including a seven-year-old boy.

— According to Insight Crime research, Jamaica had the second-highest homicide rate in the Latin American and Caribbean area last year, with 60.9 per 100,000 people, trailing only the small island state of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

— The Caribbean is home to 13 independent nations: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

— Guinea-Bissau is situated in the western Africa while Guatemala is a central American nation.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Kursk region was in the news. The region lies in:

(a) Romania

(b) Syria

(c) Iraq

(d) Russia

Explanation

— According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian troops had moved up to 35 kilometres (21 miles) into Russian territory in the Kursk region as of August 9.

— There have been reports of intense fighting, deaths, and injuries in the area. However, no impartial regional reports are available.

— This would boost Ukraine’s position in potential peace talks with Russia. Russian-occupied Ukrainian land might be traded for Ukrainian-conquered Russian territory.

— It could also push Russia to send more troops to the troubled border region, weakening the Russian army on the main front line in Ukraine.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 71)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 70)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Major divisions of the oceanic relief and Pyrocumulonimbus clouds (Week 64)

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE 2024 or CSE 2025? Here are questions from GS paper 1 for this week with essential points as the fodder for your answers. Do not miss points to ponder and answer in the comment box below. Try them out!

Written by Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 12:18 IST

Attempt question on major reliefs of the ocean floors in today's answer writing practice. (Unsplash/ Representational)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

What are Pyrocumulonimbus clouds and how are they formed? Discuss why these cloud events occur more often.

QUESTION 2

Explain the major divisions of the oceanic relief, highlighting the features and processes involved in the formation of each division.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: What are Pyrocumulonimbus clouds and how are they formed? Discuss why these cloud events occur more often.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are thunderstorms caused by extreme heat from the Earth’s surface.

— They are created in the same way as cumulonimbus clouds, but the high heat that causes the strong updraft is caused by fire, either massive wildfires or volcanic eruptions.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Formation of the pyrocumulonimbus clouds

— Not all wildfires produce pyrocumulonimbus clouds. They only appear when there is an exceptionally hot wildfire; volcanic eruptions can also result in the development of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. For example, these clouds arose during the Australian bushfires in 2019-2020, when temperatures reached 800 degrees Celsius.

— The strong heat from the fire warms the surrounding air, which rises into the atmosphere. As this heated, buoyant air—carrying water vapour, smoke, and ash—rises, it expands and cools. Once cool enough, water vapour condenses on the ash, forming a grey or brown cloud. At this point, the cloud is known as a pyrocumulus cloud, or ‘fire cloud’.

— However, if there is enough water vapour available and the upward movement of hot air intensifies, pyrocumulus clouds can develop into pyrocumulonimbus clouds. These clouds can reach heights of 50,000 feet and produce their own thunderstorms.

— Although pyrocumulonimbus clouds can cause lightning, they do not produce much rain. As a result, they can start new flames many kilometres away from the primary fire. These clouds can also cause high gusts, making the wildfire spread faster and more unpredictable.

Why are these cloud events occurring more often?

— The specific reason is unknown since, unlike other catastrophic weather phenomena, the study of these clouds is still in its early stages. However, scientists believe that climate change may have contributed to their increased frequency.

— According to studies, as global temperatures rise, wildfires become more frequent and intense. This could be increasing the frequency of pyrocumulonimbus clouds.

— Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are hypothesised to be the source of various aerosol pollutants (including smoke and ash) trapped in the stratosphere and high atmosphere.

Conclusion:

— The current wildfires in the United States and Canada are so strong that they are causing “pyrocumulonimbus” clouds, which have the ability to produce thunder and ignite other fires.

— In recent years, there has been an increase in the frequency of these clouds developing. Prior to 2023, an average of 102 pyrocumulonimbus were observed worldwide in a single year; of those, 50 were observed in Canada, per a paper published in the journal Nature. But according to the paper, 140 pyrocumulonimbus clouds were observed in Canada alone during the severe wildfire season of the previous year.

(Source: How Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are formed when wildfires spit storms, lightning by Alind Chauhan , http://www.rmets.org)

Points to Ponder

What are other types of clouds like, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus, Altocumulus, Altostratus and Nimbostratus

Relation between climate change and formation of clouds

Related Previous Year Questions

Explain the mechanism and occurrence of cloudburst in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Discuss two recent examples. (2022)

The process of desertification does not have climate boundaries. Justify with examples. (2020)

QUESTION 2: Explain the major divisions of the oceanic relief, highlighting the features and processes involved in the formation of each division.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The oceans are limited to the vast depressions in the earth’s outer layer. The waters naturally blend, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Geographers have classified the oceanic portion of the world into five oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Southern, and the Arctic.

— These huge oceans include several seas, bays, gulfs, and inlets. A significant percentage of the ocean floor is located between 3-6 kilometres below sea level. The ocean floors are rough, featuring the world’s greatest mountain ranges, deepest trenches, and vast plains.

— As with continents, these features are generated by tectonic, volcanic, and depositional processes.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

Major divisions of the oceanic relief

The ocean floors can be divided into four major divisions:

(i) the Continental Shelf

— It is the extended margin of each continent occupied by relatively shallow seas and gulfs.

— It is the shallowest part of the ocean showing an average gradient of 1° or even less.

— The average breadth of continental shelves is around 80 kilometres. Some margins, such as the Chilean coasts and Sumatra’s west coast, have essentially no shelves or are extremely thin. On the contrary, the Siberian shelf in the Arctic Ocean, the world’s widest, is 1,500 kilometres wide.

— The continental shelves are covered with variable thicknesses of sediments brought down by rivers, glaciers, wind, from the land and distributed by waves and currents.

(ii) the Continental Slope

— The continental slope connects the continental shelf with the ocean basins. It starts at the bottom of the continental shelf and abruptly drops off onto a steep slope.

— The grade of the slope region varies from 2 to 5 degrees.

— The depth of the slope region ranges from 200 to 3,000 metres. The slope border marks the end of the continents. This region contains canyons and pits.

(iii) the Deep Sea Plain

— Deep sea plains are gently sloping sections inside ocean basins. These are the flattest and smoothest parts of the planet.

— The plains are covered in fine-grained sediments such as clay and silt.

(iv) the Oceanic Deeps

— These are the deepest parts of the ocean. The trenches are steep-sided, narrow basins. They are about 3-5 km deeper than the surrounding ocean floor.

— They occur near the base of continental slopes and along island arcs, and are linked to active volcanoes and powerful earthquakes.

Conclusion:

— The ocean floor holds vast quantities of metals and rare earths. Many countries and corporations are interested in the commercial potential of deep-sea mining.

— The UN’s sea convention stipulates that any activities in the high seas must be equitably shared among states, and that would include profits from deep-sea mining.

(Source: Are deep-sea metals a vital resource or an environmental disaster in the making?, ncert.nic.in)

Points to Ponder

What are the minor ocean reliefs?

What is deep sea mining?

Related Previous Year Questions

What are the forces that influence ocean currents? Describe their role in the fishing industry of the world. (2022)

Explain the factors responsible for the origin of ocean currents? How do they influence regional climates, fishing and navigation? (2015)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 62)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 64)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 64)

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UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Economy MCQs on Sovereign Gold Bonds, NBFC and more (Week 71)

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims 2025? Check your progress and revise your topics through this quiz on Economy.

Written by Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:23 IST

Unlike physical gold, SGB’s do not carry any risk of theft or robbery for they are a digital form of gold, traded via demat accounts. Find a question on Sovereign Gold Bonds in today’s quiz. (Photo: Reuters/File)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Economy to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the International Relations Quiz.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

With reference to the UDGAM portal, consider the following statements:

1. It facilitates the registered users to search unclaimed deposits/accounts across multiple banks.

2. All the banks are part of the UDGAM portal.

3. The portal has been developed by the RBI.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

— UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access Information) is an internet site developed by the RBI. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— It allows registered users to seek unclaimed deposits/accounts from numerous banks in a consolidated manner. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— As of March 4, 2024, there are 30 banks that are part of the UDGAM platform, and they account for around 90% of unclaimed deposits (in value terms) in the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEA). The remaining banks are currently being onboarded. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The UDGAM portal allows you to look for all unclaimed deposits/accounts held by the RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the NBFC-Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC), consider the following statements:

1. It is a non-deposit taking NBFC.

2. It has a minimum of 25% of its total assets deployed towards infrastructure lending.

3. NBFC-IFCs cannot lend to/ invest in infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) and other trust funds.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— An NBFC-IFC is a non-deposit-taking NBFC that has at least 75% of its total assets dedicated to infrastructure finance. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— NBFC-IFCs can lend to and invest in InvITs as long as they follow all applicable regulatory standards, including exposure norms. NBFC-IFCs can also lend to/invest in other trust funds as long as they meet the requirement of allocating at least 75% of their total assets to infrastructure loans and follow all other applicable laws. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Source: rbi.org.in)

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), consider the following statements:

1. It is dominated by the prices of manufactured goods.

2. The WPI-based inflation data is compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

3. The WPI takes into account the change in prices of services.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 only

(d) 2 only

Explanation

— The wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rate was 3.36% in June, 2.61% in May, and -4.18% in July 2023.

— The two most-often used inflation rates in the country are the year-on-year:

(i) the wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rate and

(ii) the consumer price index (CPI) based inflation rate

— The CPI-based inflation data is compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (or MoSPI) and the WPI-based inflation data is put together by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (or DPIIT). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The WPI is dominated by the prices of manufactured goods while the CPI is dominated by the prices of food articles. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— A key difference that must not be missed is that the WPI does not take into account the change in prices of services but CPI does. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following pairs:

Type of agroforestry

Description

Horti-pasture

It integrates livestock, forage production, and trees on the same land management unit.

Silvi-pasture

It combines fruit trees with pasture or animals

Horti-apiculture

It combines Fruit trees with honeybees.

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pairs

(b) Only two pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None of the above pairs

Explanation

— Agroforestry is defined as the cultivation and use of trees and shrubs with crops and livestock in agricultural systems. It aims at achieving a more ecologically diverse and socially productive output from the land than is possible through conventional agriculture.

— Agroforestry seeks positive interactions between its components and is also known as ‘social forestry’.

Type of agroforestry

Description

Horti-pasture

It combines fruit trees with pasture or animals

Silvi-pasture

It integrates livestock, forage production, and trees on the same land management unit.

Horti-apiculture

It combines Fruit trees with honeybees.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements about Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs):

1. These are debt securities issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the government.

2. These bonds offer the flexibility of trading in the primary market.

3. It provides investors with the opportunity to accrue capital gains.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— There are many ways to invest in gold. You can buy physical gold in the form of jewellery, gold coins, or biscuits. Alternatively, you can also invest in intangible forms of gold, such as Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) and Gold ETFs.

— Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are debt securities issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the government, with each unit denoting a gram of gold. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— These bonds offer the flexibility of trading in the secondary market, providing investors with the opportunity to accrue capital gains. The interest on SGBs is fixed, ensuring a predictable income stream. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

— The minimum investment in SGBs is one gram. Individual and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) investors can invest up to a maximum of 4 kilograms in SGBs, while the maximum government-notified limit for trusts and entities is capped at 20 kilograms.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 71)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 70)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

Independence Day Special: How has UPSC asked questions on India’s Freedom Struggle

The Freedom Struggle topic requires the ability to connect historical events with broader themes. Here are 9 key takeaways from the trend analysis of mains exam that every UPSC aspirant must know.

Written by Khushboo Kumari

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 21:09 IST

Lord Mountbatten swears in Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of India on 15 August 1947. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Indian National Movement has remained a pivotal topic in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, reflecting the significance of India’s struggle for independence in the country’s historical narrative. The nature and nuances of questions on this topic have evolved with varying focus on key events, figures, and ideologies.

Here’s a detailed trend analysis of UPSC questions related to the Indian National Movement, exploring the evolving patterns and highlighting areas that have gained prominence in recent years. By examining these trends, aspirants can reflect on their preparation strategies and ensure a thorough understanding of this crucial period in Indian history.

Where do we find the Indian National Movement in the UPSC Syllabus?

Prelims: The History of India and the Indian National Movement.

Mains: General Studies I: The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

Micro topics: Revolt of 1857, Growth of nationalism in India (1858-1905), Socio-religious movement, Formation of Indian National Congress, Moderates & Extremists, Militant nationalism, Beginning of mass nationalism (1919-1939), Role of Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders, Non-cooperation movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, Government of India Acts, Role of Governors, Movements- Peasant, tribal, princely states, sepoy; factors leading to partition and independence, integration of princely states, and nature of Indian Independence struggle.

Let’s see the trend…

What has been the weightage of the ‘Freedom Struggle’ topic in the History section of UPSC Mains exam over the years (2013-2023)?

Topic-wise analysis of the previous year’s questions asked by UPSC

What the above tables tell us – 9 key takeaways

1. A comprehensive analysis shows that the frequency of questions from Indian Independence Movements has been between 3 and 5. Consequently, a strong preparation in this area will ensure the ability to tackle any question thrown in this direction.

2. Examining the trend of the questions, the UPSC has consistently focused on certain key areas – the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the National Movement, the political, social, and economic ideas of important personalities of our national movement – both foreign and Indian, British economic policies and its impact, and the socio-religious reform movements in pre-independence India.

3. UPSC has been significantly emphasising on topics related to the National movement since a long time. Especially over the past decade, there has been a repetition of questions from this particular part of the syllabus. For instance, in 2012, UPSC posed a question on the ideological evolution of the national movement and a somewhat similar question has been asked in 2020 as well

4. Questions on the economic impact of colonialism have also appeared several times. In recent years, the examination has also begun to address newer aspects of this theme. For example, in 2018, a question on indentured labour and its impact during the colonial period was asked, marking the first time this topic was covered. Before that, the UPSC had asked questions about the decline of artisans, the decline of the textile and small cottage industries, and the drain of wealth.

5. ‘Governor Generals’ is another frequently asked topic. The UPSC has asked questions about Lord Lytton, Lord Ripon, Lord Curzon, and Lord Dalhousie. Notably, in 2010, the UPSC featured a question on Lord Dalhousie’s annexation policy, and on a similar line, another question on Dalhousie had been asked in 2013.

6. In terms of contributions by important personalities, UPSC has asked about the evaluation of the contribution of Subhash Chandra Bose to India’s freedom. In 2016, it asked a comparative question between the approaches to the freedom struggle by Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi.

7. The socio-religious reform movements and their contribution to Indian nationalism have also been a focal point in the mains examination. Questions have been asked about the Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical society, Arya Samaj as well as the overall character of these movements. This makes the section particularly important for aspirants. One should be well-versed with the contributions of Swami Vivekanand, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayanand Saraswati, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. In 1984, UPSC asked a question about the 19th century as a period of the ‘Indian Renaissance’. There have been recurrent questions on this topic in 2006 and 2019.

8. Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to the National movement have been consistently asked by UPSC over the years. The pattern of questions has been simple. In recent times, UPSC has started asking questions that require an overall understanding of the topic. In terms of comparison with other personalities like Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, the most common areas are – Education, Nationalism, Economy, Social.

9. Questions regarding proposals leading to Indian independence have been notably absent in recent examinations. Historically, the UPSC has addressed topics such as the Cripps Mission, the Mountbatten Plan, the Cabinet Mission, and the C. R. Formula.

So what…

The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country is a comprehensive topic requiring the ability to connect historical events with broader themes. The questions themselves present a dynamic challenge to aspirants to focus on critical analysis and conceptual clarity. It is also important from the perspective of prelims as well.

The purpose of this trend analysis is to help you realign your preparation on this, for better navigation and enhancing chances of success in the exam. You now know which are the important areas that should be the focus. But, it does not mean other sections are irrelevant. UPSC loves to surprise students. It is better to be prepared for a section where you can be sure. Gear up for your preparation, solve as many previous years questions as you can. Remember, in this section you can easily score good marks and must not overlook it.

Happy Independence Day!

UPSC Key | Mining tax, Draft Broadcast Bill, Section 377 and more

Exclusive for Subscribers Daily: How are the draft broadcast bill and mining tax relevant to the UPSC exam? What significance do topics like Section 377 and Exchange Rate have for the preliminary and main exams? You can learn more by reading the Indian Express UPSC Key for August 15, 2024.

Written by Manas Srivastava , Roshni Yadav

+2 More

- Khushboo Kumari

- Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 11:35 IST

Royalties refer to the fees paid to the owner of a product in exchange for the right to use that product. Know more in our UPSC Key. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

🚨 Attention: UPSC Key is now all 7 Days a Week!🚨

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 15, 2024. If you missed the August 14th, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the July edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

Explained

Why govt has shelved draft Broadcast Bill

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story-  After facing intense criticism from a wide range of stakeholders, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting withdrew a fresh draft of the Broadcast Bill which it had privately circulated among a handful of industry stakeholders. The draft had triggered controversy and criticism over fears that the government was trying to exert greater control over online content, by trying to regulate independent creators on platforms like YouTube, Instagram and X.

Prerequisites:

— What is the draft Broadcast Bill?

— What is over the top (OTT)?

— Why government introduce the draft Broadcasting Bill?

— What is the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000?

Key takeaways:

—  A major difference of opinion emerged within the bureaucracy of the ministry on whether the Bill should apply to non-news online content creators. As per the draft Bill, such creators would have fallen under the category of OTT broadcasters.

— Reasons for government trying to regulate independent news creator: A senior government official said one key reason behind the significant expansion of scope in the current draft Bill compared … has been the “role a number of independent content creators played in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls”.

— “There were a number of instances where creators made videos on current affairs which made some sensational claims about the government and its senior leaders in the run up to the elections…” the official said.

— The Bill, which sought to replace the 1995 Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, deals with television broadcasting.

— The new draft Bill came under intense criticism after it expanded its remit from OTT content and digital news to include social media accounts and online video creators, sought to define a “digital news broadcaster” in sweeping terms to include independent content creators, and proposed prior registration with the government.

— The latest draft sought to define “digital news broadcasters” to include “publisher of news and current affairs content”, which means any person who broadcasts news and current affairs programmes through an online paper, news portal, website, social media intermediary, or other similar medium as part of a systematic business, professional or commercial activity but excluding replica e-papers.

— This definition could include users on YouTube, Instagram, and even X, who generate advertising revenue through paid subscriptions or monetise their social media accounts through affiliate activities.

— It allowed the government to specify a threshold for the number of subscribers or viewers for OTT broadcasters, who would then have to intimate it of their existence and operations and also adhere to a programme code and an advertisement code.

— These online content creators would have to set up a content evaluation committee (CEC), and “strive to make” the committee diverse by including individuals with knowledge of different social groups

For Your Information:

— After a pushback from several quarters, the government has done well to withdraw the draft Bill. The ministry has said that it ‘is holding a series of consultations with the stakeholders,’ and has allowed them till October 15 to place their comments… This is the right step. Such far reaching regulations, besides being undesirable, will also be difficult to implement. The government must listen to all stakeholders before it goes forward with this bill.

— Regulating content on the internet presents inherent challenges due to the global, decentralised nature of the web. Unlike traditional media, the internet hosts a far greater number of creators and influencers, there is a lot more content being generated, and the dissemination of this content transcends national boundaries, making jurisdictional enforcement complex and often impractical.

— Attempts to impose stringent regulations — what the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) seems to be doing through the current Bill — can lead to serious consequences. If the government is concerned about fake news or harmful/misleading content, other mechanisms need to be leveraged, like the IT Act 2000, which already provides for a flagging and takedown regime.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the criticisms of the draft Broadcasting Bill, 2024?

— How to draw a balance between individuals content creator and to ensure equality in broadcasting?

— How has the freedom of speech and expression been protected by the Constitution?

Post Read Question:

(1) In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. Service providers

2. Data centres

3. Body corporate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

On broadcast bill, government’s welcome step back

Big Brother is binge-watching: How proposed law may censor online content

Why is the Delhi HC hearing a plea against the exclusion of Section 377 from the new criminal laws?

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity, Constitution

What’s the ongoing story-  The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (August 13) directed the Centre to clarify its stance on non-consensual sexual offences against LGBTQIA+ persons and men under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). The new criminal law came into force on July 1, 2024, and replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC).

Prerequisites:

— What is Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and new crimes under it?

— What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?

Key takeaways:

— The development has come nearly six years after the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India decriminalised homosexuality by ruling that Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC does not punish people in same-sex relationships. This provision punished anyone who “voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”. Though the SC reinterpreted the provision, Section 377 remained in the text of the IPC until the BNS came into force — where it was deleted entirely.

— On the other hand, Section 377 (while it was still on the books) severely punished non-consensual intercourse “with any man, woman or animal”. Offenders could be punished with imprisonment for life and a fine.

— In 2018, the SC delivered its verdict on the challenge to Section 377. It referred to those areas of the section that criminalised consensual unnatural sex as “irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary”. The court also noted that Section 377 was used as a weapon to harass members of the LGBTQIA+ community, resulting in discrimination against them.

— “Section 377 is arbitrary. The LGBT community possesses rights like others. Majoritarian views and popular morality cannot dictate constitutional rights,” the court said. However, the court clarified that its judgement was limited to decriminalising consensual sex between adults.

— In its 2023 report on the BNS, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs recommended retaining Section 377 in the BNS. It said, “Following this decision (in Navtej Singh Johar), section 377, IPC is now applied to prosecute only non-consensual sexual acts…[I]n the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, no provision for non-consensual sexual offence against male, female, transgender and for bestiality has been made.”

For Your Information:

— Alternative protections under the BNS

1. Section 36 of the BNS provides every person with the “right of private defence” to protect their own body or the body of another person “against any offence affecting the human body”. This right also extends to protecting property from the offences of “theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass”.

2. Section 38 details the situations where this right allows the “voluntary causing of death or of any other harm to the assailant”. This includes situations where a person is faced with “an assault with the intention of committing rape” or “an assault with the intention of gratifying unnatural lust”. Unlike the offence of rape, these provisions are not limited to women or any specific gender.

3. Section 140 also punishes kidnapping or abduction where the victim is “subjected to grievous hurt, or slavery, or to the unnatural lust of any person”. However, in both cases (private defence and kidnapping) the phrase “unnatural lust” has not been defined.

— In line with an undertaking given six months ago when the Supreme Court declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, the Centre notified a committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary “to examine the various issues relating to queer community.”

Points to Ponder:

— From sedition to fake news to mob lynching, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 brings in several changes to the IPC, which it aims to replace. Discuss.

— The new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has 358 sections, compared to the 511 in the Indian Penal Code. Therefore, the longstanding numbering of many criminal charges listed in the IPC has changed. Discuss a few from the list.

Post Read Question:

(2) Which of the following cases is related to Section 377 of IPC?

(a) Lily Thomas v. Union of India

(b) Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India

(c) Puttuswammy Case

(d) M.C Mehta v. Union of India

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Indian Penal Code to Nyaya Sanhita: What’s new, what is out, what changes

New sections in criminal laws: Cheating is not Section 420 but 318, punishment for murder is Section 103

Economy

‘India-Russia in talks to work out exchange rate’

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora; Economy

What’s the ongoing story- Aimed at increasing exports to Russia amid widening trade deficit with the country, the Reserve Bank of India is in talks with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to work out a currency exchange rate, a government official said on Wednesday.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Exchange Rate?

— What is the status of India-Russia bilateral trade?

— Which country is the biggest supplier of crude oil to India?

Key takeaways:

— This comes as Russia has rapidly ascended to become India’s top oil supplier, but Indian exports to Russia have struggled, resulting in a $57 billion trade deficit in the bilateral trade worth $66 billion in FY24. The gap has resulted in Moscow seeking yuan due to its rising demand for Chinese goods.

— An exchange rate is essential for the two countries to settle trade without using the dollar. Currency challenges come due to the trade imbalance between the two countries. In contrast, Russia-China bilateral trade has crossed a record $240 billion in 2023.

— “Currently there is no exchange mechanism between rouble and rupee. Now there is only cross currency reference which is happening right now. That adds a layer of additional premium so the idea is to avoid that. That will happen only when the two currencies are traded freely at the same exchange rate without referencing,” the official said.

— “Dynamic exchange rate could help push the trade from $4.5 billion to $45 billion. If you want your rupee vostro accounts to be actually functional a direct exchange rate is required. Normally, barring euro and dollar any other exchange mechanism is via a referencing mechanism which is either a dollar or euro,” the official said.

For Your Information:

— Russia has rapidly ascended to become India’s top oil supplier, but Indian exports to Russia have struggled, resulting in a $57 billion trade deficit in the bilateral trade worth $66 billion in FY24.

— The biggest challenge in boosting Indian exports to Russia has been the reluctance of private banks to facilitate trade with Russia due to fears of Western sanctions. Most private banks have significant business interests in Western countries and multiple branches that could face sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the US.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the initiatives taken by India to reduce its dependency on oil imports?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia?

— What are the challenges faced by India in seizing the export opportunities emerging in Russia?

Post Read Question:

(3) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. An increase in the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) indicates the appreciation of rupee.

2. An increase in the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) indicates an improvement in trade competitiveness.

3. An increasing trend in domestic inflation relative to inflation in other countries is likely to cause an increasing divergence between NEER and REER.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How India-Russia trade gap may threaten rupee internationalisation efforts

Supreme Court allows states to collect mining tax dues from April 1, 2005

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS- III: Indian Economy

What’s the ongoing story- In a decision replete with financial consequences for mining companies, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday gave limited retrospective effect to its recent judgment upholding the power of states to levy tax on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land, allowing them to collect tax arrears from April 1, 2005 onwards, but without any interest or penalty.

Prerequisites:

— What are the taxes levied and collected by states?

Key takeaways:

— While Entry 49 of List II concerns “taxes on lands and buildings”, Entry 50 of List II concerns “taxes on mineral rights subject to any limitations imposed by Parliament by law relating to mineral development”.

— The July 25 judgment overruled the 1989 decision of a 7-judge Bench in India Cement Ltd vs State of Tamil Nadu which said royalty is tax and state legislatures lack competence to levy taxes on mineral rights because the subject matter is covered by the Minerals and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, enacted by Parliament in exercise of powers under Entry 54 of List I (Union List) of the Constitution.

For Your Information:

— The April 1, 2005, cut off was fixed keeping in mind the ruling of an SC Constitution Bench in January 2004 which said that royalty is not a tax and that the power to levy tax on mineral rights vests with the state legislatures and is subject to any limitations laid down by Parliament by law.

Post Read Question:

(4) Which of the following tax has not been replaced by GST?

(a) Excise Duty

(b) Entertainment Tax

(c) Octroi Tax

(d) Mining Tax

Express Network

ISRO to launch SSLV’s last development flight on Aug 16

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: Space technology, Important contributions of Indians in Science and Technology

What’s the ongoing story-  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the third development flight — the last one it is authorised to undertake — of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), earth observation satellite EOS-08, on August 16.

Prerequisites:

— What is a small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV)?

— What are the advantages of using SSLV?

Key takeaways:

—The small vehicle — capable of carrying only up to 500 kg to space — was developed by ISRO with the aim of commercialising it.

— Globally, there is a growing demand for small launch vehicles that can be quickly assembled on demand to launch scores of small and micro-satellites to be placed in low earth orbit.

— ISRO is presently in the process of transferring the technology to private parties for commercial flights. At least six companies have expressed interest in acquiring the technology.

— ISRO authorities say the chosen private business will carry out all future SSLV flights. ISRO’s commercial branch, New Space India Limited (NSIL), has signed an agreement to launch an Australian satellite on board a commercially operated SSLV in the future. The Australian startup Space Machines startup plans to launch a satellite into space that can repair other satellites in orbit.

For Your Information:

— The primary goals of the EOS-08 mission are to design and develop a microsatellite, create payload sensors compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporate new technologies needed for future operational spacecraft.

— EOS-08 is based on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus and contains three payloads: EOIR, GNSS-R, and SiC UV Dosimeter. The Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) is intended to take images in mid- and long-wave infrared during the day and night.

— The information can be utilised for surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.

— The vehicle is only 2 metres in diameter and 34 metres long. It uses three solid fuel-based stages and a final liquid-fuel based stage to correct the velocity for placing small and micro satellites in orbit.

— The spacecraft’s mission configuration is scheduled to fly in a Circular Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 475 km height and 37.4° inclination, with a one-year mission life.

(Other Source: http://www.isro.gov.in)

Points to Ponder:

— Know more about New Space India Limited (NSIL)

— Other SSLV missions of ISRO

Post Read Question:

(5) With reference to the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), consider the following statements:

1. It can carry a payload of up to 500 kg.

2. It uses only a liquid-fuel-based stage to place small and micro satellites in orbit.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

ISRO’s SSLV-D2 launch: The mini vehicle’s second flight, with promise on board

Dengue vaccine: Phase-3 of trial begins in Rohtak

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: Applications of scientific developments in everyday life

What’s the ongoing story-  The first phase III clinical trial for dengue vaccine in India was kickstarted on Wednesday, with the first person receiving a shot at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak. The trial will be conducted at 19 sites across 18 states and Union Territories. It will follow 10,335 healthy adults for a period of two years. The trial is primarily funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, with the company partially bearing the expenses.

Prerequisites:

— What is dengue and it spreads through which mosquito?

— Symptoms of dengue

Key takeaways:

— The vaccine called DengiAll, which works against all four serotypes of dengue, has been developed by Panacea Biotech.

— The Union Health Minister JP Nadda said, “The initiation of this Phase 3 clinical trial for India’s first indigenous dengue vaccine marks a critical advancement in our fight against dengue. It reflects our commitment to protecting our citizens from this pervasive disease and underscores India’s capabilities in vaccine research and development.”

— Panacea’s vaccine uses live, weakened versions of all four dengue serotypes. These weakened versions of the virus were developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US— they deleted parts of the genetic code of DENV1, DENV3, and DENV4 and then genetically engineered a DENV2 backbone using parts from the weakened DENV 4, on which the others were tacked.

— One of the biggest challenges with developing a dengue vaccine is that the four serotypes of the infection offer very little protection against each other, meaning one individual can be infected repeatedly with different serotypes. More importantly, it can lead to antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) — a person with low levels of antibodies against one serotype of dengue, getting a more severe infection with another serotype.

— ADE was the reason for controversy surrounding the first dengue vaccine in the world.

For Your Information:

Which tests are used to detect dengue?

— IgM and IgG antibodies test and NS1 antigen test. Both are done through ELISA kits and hence are popularly known as Elisa test.

— IgM and IgG test for dengue antibodies detected in an initial blood sample, meaning that it is likely that the person became infected with dengue virus within recent weeks. This test is normally done after 3-7 days of fever while NS1 antigen test is a test for dengue, which allows rapid detection on the first day of fever, before antibodies appear.

Symptoms: The onset of dengue fever is usually a sudden rise in temperature lasting 2-7 days and commonly associated with headache, flushing, retro-orbital pain and/or rash, myalgia, weakness, rash and itching. Hemorrhagic manifestation (petechiae and positive tourniquet test).

— The disease has a seasonal pattern, i.e., the peak comes after monsoon and it is not uniformly distributed throughout the year. Dengue virus is transmitted through the bite of a female Aedes (Ae.) mosquito. Aedes is a day time feeder and can fly up to a limited distance of 400 metres. Dengue mosquitoes can’t breed once the temperature falls below 16 degrees.

Points to Ponder:

— Which symptoms indicate that the patient is improving or deteriorating?

— Government initiatives

— What are the warning signs that a patient needs hospitalisation?

— Treatment for dengue

Post Read Question:

(6) With reference to the dengue, consider the following statements:

1. It spreads through anopheles mosquitoes.

2. IgM and IgG tests are done to detect dengue.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: Dengue fever, how it spreads and how it can be controlled

Vaccine trials: 10,000 to take dengue jab across country

Army to procure advanced system to detect enemy drones

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Security

What’s the ongoing story- The Indian Army is set to procure an advanced version of the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction system (MK IIA) to counter the growing threats from unmanned aerial systems, particularly along the western and northern borders.

Prerequisites:

— Read about the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction system (MK IIA).

— Why modernisation of armed forces is the need of the hour?

— What are the emerging technologies having scope of greater use in the military?

Key takeaways:

— As per the Army, the proposed system should have a surveillance, detection and tracking capability, microprocessor for computing a targeting solution and a LASER weapon system for hard kill or destruction and jamming capability for soft kill or denial. A Request for Information (RFI) was published last month by the Army to seek details about the system from prospective vendors.

— The fresh RFI comes within months after the Army inducted indigenous integrated drone detection and interdiction systems in the northern border along the China border in the northern sector and is reflective of the efforts to develop and procure counter drone systems in the wake of an increase in threats from enemy unmanned aerial systems.

— Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics, the Army Air Defence had got seven of these systems, five of which were inducted for deployment close to the northern borders. These systems too had both soft and hard kill options.

— Apart from these indigenous systems, other improvised systems with different counter-UAS capabilities have been deployed by the Armed Forces. This includes prototypes of laser-based systems developed indigenously with Army Air Defence, improvised versions of ZU-23 and L/70 guns for drone detection and killing, ad-hoc handled jammers, low-level lightweight radars, among others. The Armed Forces have inducted anti-drone systems from Indian private firms and the Israeli SMASH 2000 plus systems to tackle enemy drone threats.

Points to Ponder:

— What are the reforms introduced in the defence sector in India?

— What are the challenges to India’s security?

— What steps have been taken by the government for the modernisation of armed forces?

— What are the challenges associated with the modernisation of armed forces?

Post Read Question:

Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent the use of soft power like sports and cultural exchange could help generate goodwill between the two countries. Discuss with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2015)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

To navigate through ‘turbulent times’, India must invest in modernisation of armed forces: IAF chief

Prelims Answer Key

1. (d)   2. (b)   3. (c)   4. (d)   5. (a)   6. (b)

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UPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

Bangladesh crisis has been in news for the past few weeks. Here's what you must know about India-Bangladesh ties and the recent developments.

Written by Roshni Yadav

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 21:10 IST

People gather around the residence of Bangladeshi prime minister in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 05 August 2024. (EPA-EFE/STR via PTI)

UPSC Issue at a Glance is a new initiative of UPSC Essentials to focus your prelims and mains exam preparation on an issue that has been in the news. Every Thursday, cover a new topic in Q&A format and don’t miss MCQs, Points to Ponder and key takeaways. Also, don’t forget to check the answers of MCQs towards the end of the article. This week’s topic is Bangladesh Crisis and India. Let’s get started!

If you missed the UPSC Issue at a Glance | Landslides: 5 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains from the Indian Express, read it here.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the July edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

What is the issue?

The recent turmoil in Bangladesh resulted in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the establishment of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. This event is considered a significant turning point in Bangladesh’s history and has introduced new dynamics in regional politics. As a neighboring country of India, Bangladesh has always played a crucial role in India’s “neighborhood first” policy. Therefore, it is important to understand the recent political change in Bangladesh from a broader perspective.

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations,  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Other areas of relevance: UPSC Aspirants will find it useful in Essays, and Current affairs for their Personality tests.

What will you learn from this article?

1. What is the history of the Liberation of Bangladesh and what role did India play in it?

2. What are the areas of cooperation between India and Bangladesh?

3. What are the challenges in India and Bangladesh ties?

4. How does the current Bangladesh turmoil present a challenge for India?

Question 1: What is the history of the Liberation of Bangladesh and what role did India play in it?

Answer: Bangladesh was part of Pakistan from 1947 to 1971, but the people of this region felt oppressed by the domination of western Pakistan and the imposition of the Urdu language. They began protesting against the unfair treatment of Bengali culture and language, and demanded fair representation in administration and political power.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib-ur Rahman, a popular struggle for autonomy ensued and in the 1970 elections, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujib, secured a majority in the proposed constituent assembly for the entire Pakistan. However, the West Pakistani leadership refused to acknowledge this and arrested Sheikh Mujib, leading to violent suppression by the Pakistani army and a significant refugee crisis in India.

1971 Bangladesh Liberation War (Express Archive)

In response to the people’s demand for independence, the government of India provided financial and military support. This led to a war between India and Pakistan in December 1971, resulting in the surrender of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

Do you Know?

India was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh and establish diplomatic relations immediately with it in December 1971.

Points to Ponder:

— What was the Operation Jackpot?

— What was the Operation Searchlight?

— Map work: Location of Bangladesh and Indian states sharing boundaries with Bangladesh.

Question 2: What are the areas of cooperation between India and Bangladesh?

Answer: India and Bangladesh have deep-rooted bonds of history, language, culture, and many other commonalities. The exceptional nature of their bilateral ties is reflected in a comprehensive partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding. The cooperation between both the nations can be seen in various areas.

1. Economic Cooperation: Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia. In the fiscal year 2023-24, Bangladesh exported goods worth USD 1.97 billion to India, and the total bilateral trade for that year amounted to USD 14.01 billion.

Anjishnu Das Writes— “Bangladesh is the biggest export destination for India’s cotton, accounting for 34.9% of India’s total cotton exports (some $2.4 billion in FY24). Other major Indian exports to Bangladesh are petroleum products and cereals. India’s top import from Bangladesh are readymade garments, amounting to $391 million in FY24. In recent years, Bangladesh has emerged as a major global hub for textiles.”

2. Security and Border Management: The two countries’ agencies actively cooperate on police matters, anti-corruption activities, and combatting issues such as illicit drug trafficking, fake currency, and human trafficking.

Do you Know?

Assam, West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura share borders with Bangladesh.

— India and Bangladesh have resolved long-pending issues, such as the Land Boundary Agreement in 2015.

— Peaceful and cooperative security mechanisms for the 4,096 km long international border include border fencing, joint inspection of boundary pillars, and joint boundary demarcation, including riverine boundaries.

3. Defence Cooperation: The cooperation between India and Bangladesh is also evident in the defense sector. Both the countries conduct joint exercises called Exercise Sampriti (for the army) and Exercise Bongo Sagar (for the navy).

4. Infrastructure and Connectivity: India and Bangladesh have consistently increased their cooperation to improve connectivity between the two nations through various modes of transportation. Efforts for greater connectivity to establish a long-lasting, people-centric partnership have led to the rehabilitation of 6 railway links between India and Bangladesh that were present before 1965.

Anjishnu Das Writes— “India has extended three lines of credit to Bangladesh since 2016 amounting to $8 billion for the development of road, rail, shipping and port infrastructure. In November 2023, two joint projects – the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link and Khulna-Mongla Port rail line – were inaugurated. The latest Akhaura-Agartala link, which provided an alternate route from mainland India to the Northeast, was the sixth cross-border rail line between the countries.”

— India and Bangladesh also have a Protocol on Inland Waterways Trade and Transit (PIWTT) that has been operational since 1972, for facilitating trade and transit between the two countries through the inland waterways. Both countries have also operationalized the Agreement for the usage of Chittagong and Mongla Ports in 2023.

5. Cultural Cooperation: It plays a crucial role in building people-to-people contacts between both nations. The cultural programs featuring renowned artists from India and Bangladesh contribute to the promotion of people-to-people contacts.

Points to Ponder:

— How is India assisting Bangladesh in capacity building and human resource development?

— What is a Land Boundary Agreement?

Question 3: What are the challenges in India and Bangladesh ties?

Answer: India and Bangladesh share a unique relationship rooted in a common cultural heritage, shared principles, and values. This relationship has been forged by common aspirations and the sacrifices of their peoples. However, there are some challenges to India-Bangladesh bilateral ties.

1. Challenge of Illegal Migration: The illegal migration from Bangladesh to India continues to be a major concern in bilateral relations. This influx of migrants puts a strain on Indian border states, not only impacting their resources but also presenting a challenge to security. The problem of illegal migration has intensified with the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.

2. Challenge of River Water Management: The management of transboundary river water has been a point of tension between India and Bangladesh. The two countries share 54 common rivers which directly impact the livelihoods of people in both countries. While both countries have signed major treaties related to river water sharing, such as the Ganga Waters Treaty and the Kushiyara River Treaty, negotiations are ongoing for other major rivers such as the Teesta.

3. Increasing Influence of China: The growing influence of China in Bangladesh is a point of concern for India. Bangladesh is a member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. There is concern that China’s increasing involvement with Bangladesh can challenge India’s regional standing and impede its strategic aspirations.

Points to Ponder:

— What is the significance of Bangladesh for India?

Question 4: How does the current Bangladesh turmoil present a challenge for India?

Answer: How the turmoil in Bangladesh will impact India-Bangladesh bilateral relations is something that we will see in the coming times, but there are inevitable challenges that have emerged for India on various fronts with the recent turmoil in Bangladesh.

Anjishnu Das Writes— “Bangladesh has been a key ally to India since Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009. From eradicating anti-India terrorist groups which operated out of safe havens in Bangladesh to facilitating greater economic, social, and cultural ties, Hasina’s tenure has fostered a healthy relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka.

Her exit could jeopardise this — affecting growing trade ties, restricting the movement of people and goods, and stalling a potential free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

A disruption in Indo-Bangladesh ties could thus restrict India’s access to the Northeast, which will be connected to mainland India only through the narrow “Chicken’s Neck” — only 22 km at its narrowest — between West Bengal and Assam.”

Considering the crisis in Bangladesh, it is important for India to address potential trade and security risks. This can be achieved through proactive measures and regional cooperation to minimize negative impacts and sustain economic stability and growth. It is crucial for India to take active steps to minimize damage and safeguard the important aspects of the relationship.

C. Raja Mohan writes—

India will need enormous strategic patience, faith in the logic of geography, belief in the centrality of commerce, and a strong political commitment to transcend the Partition pathologies in building relations with a changing Bangladesh.

Post Read Questions

Prelims

(1) Consider the following infrastructure projects:

1. Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link

2. Khulna-Mongla port rail line

3. Maitree super thermal power plant

4. MoU on Blue Economy and Maritime Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal

5. Jaynagar–Janakpur–Bardibas railway line

How many of the aforementioned infrastructure projects have India and Bangladesh agreed to collaborate on?

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

(2) With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.

2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.

3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(3) How many of the following states share the borders with the Bangladesh?

1. Assam

2. West Bengal

3. Tripura

4. Mizoram

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) One only

(b) Two only

(c) Three only

(d) All four

(4) Exercise SAMPRITI is a military exercise between India and which of the following nations?

(a) Bangladesh

(b) Sri Lanka

(c) Nepal

(d) Thailand

Mains

(1) Discuss the significance of India’s relationship with Bangladesh in the context of regional cooperation and development. Highlight the recent developments between the two countries.

(2) Critically examine the compulsions which prompted India to play a decisive role in the emergence of Bangladesh. (UPSC CSE 2013)

(3) The protests in Shahbag Square in Dhaka in Bangladesh reveal a fundamental split in society between the nationalists and Islamic forces. What is its significance for India? ( UPSC CSE 2013)

(4) Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (UPSC CSE 2018)

Prelims Answer Key

1. (c)

2. (b)

3. (d)

4. (a)

(Sources: Class 12 NCERT, Brief on India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relations 2024, How Sheikh Hasina’s ouster may impact India-Bangladesh trade ties, How India needs to deal with the new Bangladesh: 5 challenges beyond 1971)

PREVIOUS UPSC ISSUE AT A GLANCE

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UPSC Issue at a Glance | Understanding Emergency: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

UPSC Issue at a Glance | PM Modi’s recent visit to Russia: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

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UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on A23 iceberg, T Coronae Borealis, Nankai Trough and more (Week 71)

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims 2025? Check your progress and revise your topics through this quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology.

Written by Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:25 IST

A photo provided by Chris Walton, British Antarctic Survey, shows the world’s largest iceberg, named A23a, near Antarctica in April 2024. It’s unclear how long A23a will spin in place. Find a question on the A23 iceberg in today’s quiz. (Chris Walton, British Antarctic Survey via The New York Times)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

Consider the following statements:

Statement 1: The A23 iceberg is located near the South Orkney Islands, northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Statement 2: Large Antarctic icebergs are designated by A, B, C and D depending on where in Antarctica they originate

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is incorrect.

(d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is correct.

Explanation

— A23 iceberg is spinning near the South Orkney Islands, approximately 375 miles northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula, “maintaining a chill 15 degree rotation per day,” according to the British Antarctic Survey, the UK’s polar research institute, on social media. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— A23, which was significantly larger than A23a, was one of three icebergs that calved off the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986.

— Large Antarctic icebergs are identified as A, B, C, or D depending on where they originate, and they are assigned a number only when they reach a certain size. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The iceberg sits in Iceberg Alley, a prominent iceberg-spotting area in the Southern Ocean. Large icebergs typically move swiftly and are pulled by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the world’s greatest ocean current. The ice blocks are finally fired eastward into warmer waters, where they melt and dissolve. Brearley characterised the changeover as “a warm bath of water” with temperatures barely a few degrees above freezing.

Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Polaris Dawn Mission, consider the following statements:

1. The mission will feature the first-ever private spacewalk.

2. Polaris Dawn will dock with the International Space Station (ISS).

3. The mission aims to conduct scientific experiments and test Starlink’s laser-based communications.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— SpaceX plans to launch the breakthrough Polaris Dawn mission on August 26, marking a key milestone in private spaceflight.

— The mission is slated to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket.

— The mission will include the first private spacewalk and attempts to achieve the highest Earth orbit since the Apollo era. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Polaris Dawn will not dock with the International Space Station (ISS) but will operate as a free-flying mission in Earth orbit. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The Polaris Dawn team is made up of four members: millionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who will lead the project; pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel; and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both SpaceX engineers.

Mission Objectives

(i) The first-ever private spacewalk.

(ii) Reaching an altitude of approximately 700 kilometers, the highest for a crewed mission since the Apollo era.

(iii) Testing SpaceX’s newly designed extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits in space.

(iv) Conducting scientific experiments and testing Starlink’s laser-based communications. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The crew will ascend to an altitude of almost 700 kilometres, making this the farthest crewed mission from Earth since the Apollo program.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the landslides in India, consider the following statements:

1. In the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand has the largest landslide-prone land area.

2. Outside the Himalayan states, Karnataka is the most vulnerable state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Landslides have occurred all over the world this year, from Yunnan in China in January to Papua New Guinea in May, which killed over 2,000 people, to Sulawesi Island in Indonesia and Wayanad in Kerala in July.

— Landslides are natural occurrences that typically occur in hilly areas with steep slopes. During a landslip, vast volumes of rock, boulders, loose mud, dirt, and debris tumble down slopes and hillsides, gaining pace and frequently carrying vegetation or buildings with them.

— According to a team from IIT-Madras that has studied the phenomena, India contributes to around 8% of global landslide fatalities, with 847 dead and thousands displaced between 2001 and 21.

— According to a report published in IIT-M’s Shaastra magazine, the ILSM indicates that 13.17% of the country is prone to landslides, which is higher than previously thought. Furthermore, 4.75% of the area is deemed “very highly susceptible”.

— “Sikkim has the largest land area (57.6%) prone to landslides, whereas Kerala is the most vulnerable state outside of the Himalayas, with more than 14% of its land mass classified as “extremely high vulnerability.” Hence, statements 1 and 2 are not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

T Coronae Borealis was recently in the news. It is a:

(a) Binary Star System

(b) Brown Dwarf

(c) Centaurs

(d) Elliptical Galaxy

Explanation

— The world is about to see a rare nova explosion, a tremendous increase in the brightness of a star triggered by a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a dwarf star.

— T Coronae Borealis, often known as the Blaze Star or T CrB, is a binary system in the Northern Crown. This system contains the remains of a dead star the size of Earth, with a mass comparable to the Sun. The T CrB is simply a white dwarf and a red giant planet orbiting each other.

— According to NASA, the T Coronae Borealis lives in the constellation Coronae Borealis. Because of its periodic explosive nature, scientists on Earth have been attentively monitoring this star system for many years. It has been classed as a recurrent nova due to its repeated outbursts.

— It is a binary system, which means the T CrB is made up of two stars: a red giant and a white dwarf. Both of these stars orbit each other, creating ideal conditions for periodic nova outbursts. The T CrB has a thermonuclear detonation on its surface roughly every 80 years. It was last observed from Earth in 1946.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Nankai Trough is an underwater subduction zone where:

(a) African Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate

(b) South American Plate collides with the African Plate

(c) Eurasian Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate

(d) Eurasian Plate collides with the Scotia Plate

Explanation

— After a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook southern Japan, the country’s meteorological agency issued its first-ever “megaquake advisory”.

— The Nankai Trough, a subduction zone (where tectonic plates meet and the heavier one slips under another) along Japan’s southwest Pacific coast, is expected to experience worse shaking and larger tsunamis than usual, according to the warning.

— The Nankai Trough is a nearly 900-kilometer-long undersea subduction zone formed when the Eurasian Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate, driving the latter under the former and into the Earth’s mantle.

— This accumulates tectonic stress, which can result in a megaquake — an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 8.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 71)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 71)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 70)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

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UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on Waqf property and Interstate River Water Dispute (Week 64)

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE 2024 or CSE 2025? Here are questions from GS paper 2 for this week with essential points as the fodder for your answers. Do not miss points to ponder and answer in the comment box below. Try them out.

Written by Nitendra Pal Singh

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:24 IST

Supreme Court had also directed Tamil Nadu to approach the supervisory committee within three days for the release of Cauvery water. Attempt a question on the constitutional provision for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys in today’s answer writing practice. (File Photo)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-2 to check your progress.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

What is a Waqf property and how is it governed? Discuss the recent changes proposed to the Waqf Act.

QUESTION 2

Discuss the constitutional provision for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys. Why plans for a new irrigation canal have raised concerns in Punjab?

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: What is a Waqf property and how is it governed? Discuss the recent changes proposed to the Waqf Act.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— A Waqf is a personal property donated by Muslims for a specific purpose, whether religious, philanthropic, or private. While the beneficiaries of the property may differ, ownership of the property is assumed to be with God.

— A Waqf can be established through a deed, instrument, or orally, and a property can be considered Waqf if it has been used for religious or charity reasons for an extended period of time.

— Once a property is declared Waqf, its character changes permanently and cannot be altered.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

How is a Waqf governed?

— Waqf properties in India are controlled by the Waqf Act of 1995. However, India has had a legal framework for managing Waqfs since 1913, when the Muslim Waqf Validating Act went into effect.

— Following independence, the Central Waqf Act of 1954 was passed, which was eventually replaced by the Waqf Act of 1995.

— The law was changed in 2013 to make encroaching on Waqf property punishable by up to two years in prison, as well as explicitly prohibiting the sale, gift, exchange, mortgage, or transfer of Waqf property.

— The Waqf law calls for the appointment of a survey commissioner to keep track of all Waqf properties by conducting local investigations, summoning witnesses, and requisitioning public records.

— A mutawalli (caretaker) manages and supervises Waqf properties. Waqf properties are managed in the same way that trust properties are managed under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882.

Recent changes proposed

— The Bill seeks to change the name of the parent Act from the Waqf Act, 1995, to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

— It seeks to introduce three new provisions in the Act:

(i) Section 3A, which states that no person shall create a Waqf unless he is the lawful owner of the property and competent to transfer or dedicate such property. This provision appears to address the assumption that land that does not belong to an individual is not given as Waqf.

(ii) Section 3C(1), which states that “government property identified or declared as Waqf property, before or after the commencement of this Act, shall not be deemed to be a Waqf property”.

(iii) Section 3C(2), which empowers the government to decide if a property given as Waqf is government land. “If any question arises as to whether any such property is a Government property, the same shall be referred to the Collector having jurisdiction who shall make such inquiry as he deems fit, and determine whether such property is a Government property or not and submit his report to the State Government.”

— The proposed Bill would also give the central government the power to “direct the audit of any Waqf at any time by an auditor appointed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, or by any officer designated by the Central Government for that purpose”.

— The Bill also redefines how a property is deemed to be in the possession of Waqf. as it seeks to remove the concept of “Waqf by use”.

Conclusion:

— The Bill proposes to change the composition of Waqf Boards in states. It proposes to allow even a non-Muslim CEO, and gives the power to the state government to have at least two non-Muslim members to the state Waqf Boards.

— A Waqf Board is headed by a chairperson, and has one or two nominees from the state government. The board has powers under the law to administer the property and take measures for the recovery of lost properties of any Waqf, and to sanction any transfer of immovable property of a Waqf by way of sale, gift, mortgage, exchange, or lease.

(Source: Explained: The proposed changes to Waqf law by Asad Rehman)

Points to Ponder

What is a waqf board?

What are the functions of a waqf board?

Related Previous Year Questions

Discuss the contribution of civil society groups for women’s effective and meaningful participation and representation in state legislatures in India. (2023)

“Though women in post-Independent India have excelled in various fields, the social attitude towards women and feminist movement has been patriarchal.” Apart from women education and women empowerment schemes, what interventions can help change this milieu? (2021)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the constitutional provision for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys. Why plans for a new irrigation canal have raised concerns in Punjab?

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Article 262 of the Constitution of India provides for the adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers or river valleys.

— Parliament may, by law, provide for the resolution of any dispute or complaint relating to the usage, distribution, or control of the waters of or in any interstate river or valley.

— Parliament may by law declare that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall have jurisdiction over any such dispute or complaint.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The Punjab government is facing a significant financial crisis, and several experts have questioned the technical feasibility of the proposed 149.53-kilometre Malwa canal.

— The projected 50-foot-wide, 12-foot-deep canal will begin at the Harike Headworks on the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district and convey 2,000 cusecs of water.

— The Malwa Canal aims to give additional water to the left side of the Rajasthan Feeder canal, which the Sirhind Feeder cannot adequately supply, particularly during the peak kharif paddy sowing season.

— The biggest challenge for the state, which is already saddled with a debt burden of Rs 3.5 lakh crore, is raising funds for the Rs 2,300 crore project. The state is considering obtaining funds from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Proposed Malwa canal.

— The standard procedure for conducting a socioeconomic survey to determine the need for land acquisition and estimate the extent of human displacement, rehabilitation, and compensation will have to be followed.

— Environmental clearance, authority to remove trees, and approval from the Central Water Commission will be required.

Conclusion:

— Under the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Act, 2019, the central government will set up an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal which will consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, three judicial members, and three expert members.

(Source: In water-starved Punjab, why plans for a new irrigation canal have raised concerns by Kanchan Vasdev, Constitution of India)

Points to Ponder

Vansadhara River Water Dispute Tribunal

Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal

Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal

Related Previous Year Question

Constitutional mechanisms to resolve the inter-state water disputes have failed to address and solve the problems. Is the failure due to structural or process inadequacy or both? Discuss. (2013)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 62)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 62)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 63)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 64)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

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UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | August 5 to August 11, 2024

World Lion Day, Imazethapyr, Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, India at the Paris Olympics and more — Here are some must read current affairs tidbits for your prelims and mains preparation that you shouldn't miss for UPSC, state PSCs, and other competitive examinations. You can also test your knowledge by solving the MCQs.

Written by Khushboo Kumari

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 11:57 IST

Men's javelin silver medalist, Neeraj Chopra, of India, stands on the podium at the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics. (AP | PTI)

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers is an initiative of UPSC Essentials to consolidate your prelims exam prep. Every Monday, take a quick look at last week’s current affairs tidbits curated specially for those preparing for UPSC, State PSC, and various other competitive examinations.

If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | July 29 to August 4, 2024 from the Indian Express, read it here.

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the July edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

Polity

It further read that the CPP will have three components — Clean Plant Centres (CPCs), certification and legal framework, and enhanced Infrastructure. “The programme will be implemented by the National Horticulture Board in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.” (Representational)

- Clean Plant Programme

— The Cabinet has approved the Clean Plant Programme (CPP), with an outlay of Rs 1,765.67 crore, under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

— Nine world-class state-of-the-art  Clean Plant Centers (CPCs) will be established across India.

— These include Grapes (NRC, Pune), Temperate Fruits – Apple, Almond, Walnuts etc. (CITH, Srinagar &Mukteshwar), Citrus Fruits (CCRI, Nagpur & CIAH, Bikaner), Mango/Guava/Avacado (IIHR, Bangaluru), Mango/Guava/Litchi (CISH, Lucknow),  Pomegranate (NRC, Sholapur) and Tropical/Sub-Tropical Fruits in Eastern India.

(Source: PIB)

Environment

Chhattisgarh’s tiger population fell from 46 in 2014 to 17 in 2022, according to a National Tiger Conservation Authority report released in July 2023. (File)

- Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve

— The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which integrates an existing national park with a wildlife sanctuary, is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats.

— It spans 2,829 square kilometres across districts Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Koriya, Surajpur and Balrampur of the state.

— Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve is the country’s largest tiger reserve, covering 3,296.31 sq km. Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam is the second largest with an area of 2,837.1 sq km. Both have 58 tigers.

- Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

— Nearly two years after a tusker was found dead, a range officer and 2 forest guards have been suspended for allegedly burning its carcass in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

— It is set in the middle of the Kaimur hill ranges of Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.

— Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve lies between two other major protected Areas of Madhya Pradesh: Kanha Tiger Reserve on the southern side and Sanjay National Park on the northeastern side.

— Major species include Tiger, Leopard, Dhole (Indian Wild Dog), Bengal or Indian Fox, Sloth Bear, Smooth-coated Otter, Indian Rock Pyhton, and Rusty Spotted Cat.

- Pyrocumulonimbus clouds

— The wildfires in the United States and Canada have become so intense that they are creating rare pyrocumulonimbus clouds. These clouds, capable of generating thunderstorms and sparking new fires, have become increasingly common.

— Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form from extreme heat in wildfires or volcanic eruptions, causing hot air, smoke, and ash to rise and cool, leading to cloud formation. These clouds can produce lightning and strong winds, spreading fires further. The rise in their occurrence may be linked to climate change, as more frequent and intense wildfires become the norm globally.

- Imazethapyr

— It is a class of herbicides that control weeds and grasses that affect the growth of crop plants by competing with them for nutrients, water, and sunlight.

— The current kharif season has seen the commercial planting of two basmati varieties and two non-basmati rice hybrids. These contain a mutated acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene that enables farmers to spray Imazethapyr for controlling weeds in rice, such as Echinochloa colona (commonly called jangli chawal), Cyperus rotundus (motha) and Trianthema portulacastrum (patthar-chatta).

Important Days

Asiatic Lion

- World Lion Day

— World Lion Day is celebrated on August 10 to bring people together from across the globe to pay tribute to the mighty lion.

— It was initiated by Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest accredited sanctuary dedicated to big cats.

—  India is home to the Asiatic lion, found only in the Gir Forest.

(Source: PIB)

- World Biofuel Day

— August 10 is annually celebrated as the World Biofuel Day to highlight the significance of biofuel.

— The day also commemorates the successful operation of an engine on peanut oil by German engineer Sir Rudolf Diesel on August 9, 1893.

International

President of Fiji Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere (right) confers the Companion of the Order of Fiji upon President Droupadi Murmu (left), in Suva, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (PTI Photo)

- First leg of President  Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Fiji, New Zealand, and Timor-Leste

— The President arrived in Suva, Fiji on August 6, 2024. This marked the first-ever visit of an Indian Head of State to Fiji. She was honoured with Fiji’s highest civilian award, the ‘Companion of the Order of Fiji,’ by President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere. She praised the determination and resilience of the ‘Girmitiya’ indentured laborers who arrived in Fiji 145 years ago.

— The President landed in Wellington, New Zealand on August 8, 2024.  She was received by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro with a traditional ‘Maori Powhiri’ ceremony and accorded Royal Guard of Honour.

— The President reached Dili, Timor-Leste on August 10, 2024 on the final leg of her state visit. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Head of State to this country. She was conferred the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country’s highest civilian award.

- Exercise Udara Shakti 2024

— It is a joint air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) which was conducted from 5 to 9 August 2024 at Kuantan, Malaysia.

— The IAF participated with Su-30MKI fighter jets.

Diseases

- Silicosis

— Researchers in the UK have recommended that new limits to a person’s daily exposure to silica dust in the construction, mining, dentistry and other industries could save about 13,000 lives worldwide.

— Silicosis is a respiratory disease which causes a hardening of the lungs. It is caused by silica dust or silica crystals, which are found in soil, sand, concrete, mortar, granite and artificial stone.

— It can take a long time for silicosis to develop — typically 10 to 20 years of occupational exposure to silica dust.

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

Persons in News

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was recommended by Bangladeshi student leaders as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh, smiles as he arrives at the Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 8, 2024. (REUTERS Photo)

- Muhammad Yunus

— Muhammad Yunus, the winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has become the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh.

— He was the Founder of Grameen Bank which was established in 1983  to grant poor people small loans on easy terms – so-called micro-credit.

- Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

— Former chief minister of West Bengal and veteran CPIM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away on August, 8 at the age of 80.

— In 2022, he was conferred with Padma Bhushan, but he refused to accept it.

- Yamini Krishnamurthy

— Bharatanatyam veteran Yamini Krishnamurthy died on 3rd August 2024 at the age of 84.

— Ms. Krishnamurthy was awarded the Padma Shri at just 28 in 1968, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016. She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1977.

- Challa Sreenivasulu Setty

— The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as the new Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender.

— He will take over from the current Chairman, Dinesh Kumar Khara, who is set to retire on August 28.

Places in News

Locations of the newly named underwater structures in the South Indian Ocean. (Photo: NCPOR)

- Geographical structure in the Indian Ocean

— Three underwater geographical structures located in the Indian Ocean have been awarded names proposed by India. These are the Ashoka seamount, the Chandragupta ridge, and the Kalpataru ridge.

— All the three recently named structures were discovered by oceanographers from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

— These are located along the Southwest Indian Ridge area of the Indian Ocean and were discovered during an international survey exploration programme.

— In all, there are now seven structures in the Indian Ocean named mainly after Indian scientists or bear names proposed by India in this region of the Indian Ocean.

- Mullaperiyar dam

— Mullaperiyar dam, an age-old issue, was raised in the Parliament during the Monsoon session. Kerala maintains that the 130-year-old dam is unsafe but Tamil Nadu opposes its demand to build a new one.

— The Mullaperiyar Dam is situated on the Periyar River in Kerala but its ownership and operation rights belong to Tamil Nadu.

— The dam, constructed in 1895 during British rule, was designed to divert water from the west-flowing Periyar to the arid regions of Tamil Nadu for irrigation.

Mullaperiyar dam

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

Sports

The Indian hockey team, led by 28-year-old captain Harmanpreet Singh, secured a 2-1 victory over Spain to win the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. (AP/PTI)

- India at the Paris Olympics

— Neeraj Chopra won the Silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a remarkable javelin throw of 89.45 m. This made him the first Indian to win Gold and Silver medals at the Olympics. Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan won the gold medal with an Olympic record throw of 92.97 m. He won Pakistan’s first medal at the Olympics – of any colour, in any sport – since 1992.

— The Indian Hockey team won the Bronze medal at the Paris Olympics defeating Spain with 2-1. The victory marks India’s 13th Olympic medal in hockey, their fourth bronze and a second consecutive bronze after winning one at Tokyo 2020. It is also the first time since 1972 that the nation has won back-to-back medals in hockey.

— Aman Sehrawat won the bronze in the men’s freestyle 57kg event at the Paris 2024 Olympics wrestling tournament. He became India’s youngest medal winner at the Summer Games. This was India’s first medal in wrestling at Paris 2024. In wrestling, this was India’s eighth medal at the Olympics.

Medal Tally

Rank

Country

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

1.

United States of America

40

44

42

126

2.

People’s Republic of China

40

27

24

91

3.

Japan

20

12

13

45

71.

India

0

1

5

6

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

Awards

(From left to right) Rohit Srivastava, Purabi Saikia, Bappi Paul and Vivek Polshettiwar are Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awardees. (Express Photo)

- Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awardees

— The RVP comprises four awards — Vigyan Ratna for lifetime achievement, Vigyan Shri for scientists of all ages, Vigyan Yuva for scientists under 45 years, and Vigyan Team for collaborative research work.

— The award ceremony will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre on August 23, the first National Space Day.

— These new awards were instituted last year after disbanding all existing science awards, including the coveted Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. Vigyan Yuva is a replacement for the Bhatnagar Prize, which too used to be given to outstanding scientists below 45 years old.

Category

Winners

Vigyan Ratna

Govindraj Padmanabhan(86), a celebrated biochemist known for his work on the malaria parasite

Vigyan Shri

Annapurni Subramaniam, Jayant Bhalchandra Udgaonkar, Naba Kumar Mondal, and more

Vigyan Yuva

Vivek Polshettiwar of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, a chemist who works on carbon capture technologies; Urbasi Sinha of Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, a leading expert in quantum research; and Roxy Mathew Koll of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, a climate scientist.

Vigyan Team

The Chandrayaan-3 team

Terms making buzz

— Project PARI (Public Art of India): It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture to celebrate and enhance the public art scene in India. This project is executed by the Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi from July 21-31, 2024. PARI aims to stimulate dialogue and reflection through public art that blends India’s rich cultural heritage with contemporary themes.

— Bailey bridge: A Bailey bridge is a type of modular bridge whose parts are pre-built, so they can be put together quickly as needed. An English civil engineer named Donald Coleman Bailey is credited with inventing it during World War II. The Indian Army has assembled a Bailey bridge at Chooralmala to reach Mundakkai village, one of the sites worst hit by the landslides in Wayanad.

— Yen carry trade: The yen carry trade involves borrowing in Japan, where interest rates are extremely low, and investing in countries with higher interest rates. Investors profit from the difference, but unwinding this trade can impact global markets.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

A. Consider the following statements:

1. Silicosis is a heart disease that causes the blockage of arteries.

2. It is caused due to exposure to silica dust or silica crystals.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

B. Who became the first recipient of the Vigyan Ratna Award?

(a) G. Padmanabhan

(b) Vivek Polshettiwar

(c) Annapurni Subramaniam

(d) Roxy Mathew Koll

C. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is located in which of the following states?

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) Chhattisgarh

(c) Karnataka

(d) Gujarat

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

For your answers, queries and suggestions write at khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com

Explained

- Expert Explains: How James Webb Space Telescope has raised questions in cosmology

- Why national consumer commission directed Goibibo, not Jet Airways, to issued refund after flight cancellation

- All-night streetlights can make leaves inedible to insects: What a new study says

- How an asteroid from beyond Jupiter ended the age of dinosaurs

- The Americans or the Ukrainians? Who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines?

- You’ve lost weight taking new obesity drugs. What happens if you stop?

- Egg, sperm donors have no parental right on child: What Bombay HC held

- ISRO launches SSLV: What is the aim behind developing Small Satellite Launch Vehicles?

- Remembering the ‘Great Calcutta Killings’: When Jinnah’s ‘direct action’ caused a bloodbath

- Why the worst of food inflation may be over

- Why WHO has called the latest mpox outbreak an ‘emergency of international concern’

- The improbable 800 km journey of Stonehenge’s centre stone, and why that matters

- Why 44 and 60 could be two key ages in human aging, according to a new study

- Right to abortion in US: which states will vote, what are the proposed measures?

- Why is Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigning?

- Why climate change poses an existential threat to Panama Canal

- What is the process for designating senior advocates, how has it changed

- A look back at one of Independent India’s first Govt-led art exhibitions, which left MF Husain ‘exhilarated’

- Telling Numbers: How many US Vice Presidents have gone on to become President

- What is the role of campaign cash in the US presidential election?

Expert Explains: How James Webb Space Telescope has raised questions in cosmology

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope are puzzling — instead of newborn galaxies, the early phases of the Universe appear to be full of adult-sized galaxies. The standard model of the Universe has had to be patched up earlier — could a more comprehensive rethink of cosmic history be in order now?

Written by Biman Nath

August 17, 2024 07:32 IST

James Webb Space Telescope’s mesmerising picture of Carina Nebula, which is located approximately 8,500 light-years from Earth. (NASA)

Images from the largest and most powerful telescope in space have dazzled everyone, but they have left astronomers rather nonplussed. The jigsaw puzzle of the history of the Universe is getting more difficult than ever to solve with the pieces that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is gathering.

With its huge mirror — five times bigger than that of its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope — the JWST, which was launched on Christmas Day in 2021 and arrived at its destination, the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2 in January 2022, has been peering at the early epochs in the history of the Universe, when the first galaxies had barely formed.

It’s images were, however, very different from what astronomers had thought they would see.

They had expected to find newborn galaxies — instead, the early phases of the Universe appear to be full of adult-sized galaxies. And if that is not enough of a puzzle, the rate at which the Universe is expanding, as measured by the space telescope, appears to be at odds with other pieces of data.

Ways to measure expansion

The rate of expansion of the Universe has been a subject of scientific debate for quite some time. Two different methods of determining the rate have yielded results that differ by as much as 10%.

One method is based on phenomena in the early Universe — which implies events at a great distance, because the light we see from distant objects started its journey a long time ago. The other method relies on local celestial objects — although ‘local’ means a region spanning billions of light years.

Some stars vary their brightness in a periodic manner, and the duration of this change tells us something about how bright they really are. From this, one can figure out their distance and, in turn, how the Universe has been expanding.

The new space telescope was expected to nail the reason for the mismatch between the results obtained by the two methods. But its measurements seem to have only increased the discrepancy. Its deeper inspection of the local method of measurement gives a rate of expansion that is somewhat faster than that based on early Universe measurements.

The question is, which method is more reliable?

The early Universe method relies on a relic radiation from the primeval epochs, when the Universe was hot. The radiation has now cooled down as the Universe has expanded, and has become a microwave ‘hum’ that pervades everything. If you make a fist, hundreds of photons from this relic radiation will pass through it every second!

A detailed analysis of this radiation can tell us how fast the Universe has been expanding. In other words, one method depends on how well we know our stars, and the other on how well we understand the history of the Universe.

‘Adults in a kindergarten’

There have been problems with the early history of the Universe as well.

The space telescope was designed to peer at toddler galaxies. Galaxies such as our Milky Way contain roughly a hundred billion stars. But around 13 billion years ago, when the Universe was less than a tenth of its current age, small clumps of matter began to gather together and create suitable conditions for lighting up the first stars.

Those baby galaxies were supposed to be relatively small. But the data coming out of JWST seem to show full-bodied galaxies at the dawn of the Universe! Most of them seem to contain billions of stars. It has been as mind-boggling as, say, finding a bunch of adults playing in a kindergarten.

Some galaxies that JWST has imaged and analysed date back to when the Universe was barely a few hundred million years old. Yet, they seem to contain billions of majestically bright stars. They could have been exceptions, but then such objects should be rare — which they are not. Even if they are to be treated as exceptions, one would have to come up with an explanation for such exuberant formation of stars at the dawn of the Universe. Although astronomers still hope to find some explanation, even if one has to push the limits of astrophysical processes, some have begun to wonder if there was something wrong after all with our basic ideas of the Universe.

Crossroads of knowledge

There is only one Universe. And we are a part of it. We can’t change it, tweak it, or experiment with it. Which makes it unlike any other topic of research in science. Yet, beginning with the last century, equipped with Einstein’s theory of gravitation and large telescopes, physicists made ambitious attempts to study and explain the Universe.

Over the decades, a ‘standard model’ of the Universe has emerged, which is appealing in its simplicity, and also flexible enough to accommodate complexity. Based on it, a history of the Universe has been sketched out — barring the very first moment, which remains elusive.

However, the so-called ‘standard model’ has needed quick fixes in more than one aspect. Faced with a mismatch between the inventory of matter and the observed pull of gravity, scientists have invented “dark matter”, although no one has any idea what it is made of. The Universe also appears to be in a hurry while expanding. In order to explain this, we have brought in “dark energy” — but we remain clueless about its nature.

Some astronomers have begun to think that the gaps in our understanding may not be just a matter of details — and may warrant a comprehensive revision of what we think of the Universe. There have been occasions in the history of science when scientists have held on to existing ideas by introducing patchwork to accommodate contradictions between theory and observations. The Greeks for example, kept introducing complexities to the orbits of planets around the Earth, disregarding suggestions that their basic geocentric model of the Universe was wrong.

Scientists sometimes behave as though their conventional model is the only possibility, and ignore the conflicting measurements, until a tectonic shift changes everything. It is not possible to predict how, if at all, a paradigm shift will take place. Only time will tell if the puzzling results from the space telescope will be explained away by another patchwork, by inventing another ‘dark’ something, or if they will lead to a rethink of cosmic history.

The author is an astrophysicist at the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore.

Why national consumer commission directed Goibibo, not Jet Airways, to issued refund after flight cancellation

A family had their flights cancelled after Jet Airways went bankrupt. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has now directed Goibibo, the travel agent through whom the ticket was booked, to issue a refund. Here is why

Written by Ajoy Sinha Karpuram

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 07:07 IST

The Jaiswal family booked a flight to the soon-to-be defunct Jet Airways through the web travel agent Goibibo. (File)

A family of three had to abandon their travel plans to Edmonton, Canada when Jet Airways went bankrupt and ceased operations in April 2019. Five years later, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (henceforth, the National Commission) ordered Goibibo, the online travel agency through which the tickets were booked, to issue a refund.

Why was the travel agency held responsible, and not the airline? Here is a chronology of events which answers this question.

A flight cancellation and a fight for a refund

In February-March 2019, the Jaiswal family booked tickets to travel from New Delhi to Edmonton, Canada in October. The booking was for Jet Airways flights, and made through Goibibo. Unfortunately, Jet went bankrupt and ceased all flight operations in April 2019. The Jaiswals’ flight was cancelled.

The family then approached Goibibo to issue a refund of the ticket amount (Rs 1,83,140) multiple times, and even served a legal notice to the company to this end. But to no avail. Thus, the Jaiswals filed a complaint at District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Moga (henceforth, the District Commission) claiming Goibibo’s actions amounted to deficiency of service and unfair trade practices which are punishable offences under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The District Commission on June 7, 2022, directed the agency to refund the ticket amount with interest at the rate of 8% per annum from the date the tickets were booked. Goibibo appealed this order before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (henceforth, the State Commission). But the State Commission rejected the appeal on August 17, 2023, which finally led to an appeal before the National Commission.

Competing claims before National Commission

Before the National Commission, Goibibo argued that they were “merely a facilitator between consumer and service provider” and had “nothing to do with the entire dispute” as it discharged its obligation after booking the tickets. They argued that the original complaint should have been filed against Jet Airways instead.

It relied on the case of Ajay Travels v Pulak Jain and Ors (2019) to substantiate these arguments. In this case, the National Commission dealt with a situation where two doctors missed an exam after their Jet Airways flight was rescheduled. The court held that the travel agency — Ajay Travels — was “only an agent of Jet Airways for the purpose of booking the tickets” and that there was “no obligation cast on them to intimate the change in the time of the flights to the complainants”.

On the other hand, the family argued that Goibibo’s guidelines state that they will manage the refund of the tickets in case of a flight cancellation. They said that Goibibo “has failed to produce any cogent and convincing documents regarding the fact that they passed the payment to Jet Airways and Jet Airways was to refund the same” and that “there is no communication between the respondents/complainants and Jet Airways regarding the tickets which were purchased”.

Goibibo pays the price

Like the State Commission before it, the National Commission referred to the fine print in the ‘Goibibo International flight booking policy’ to arrive at its decision. On the subject of ‘Refunds’, the policy states that “It is mandatory to contact Goibibo for all refunds, as the airline will not be able to refund your tickets booked at http://www.goibibo.com.”

The National Commission also referred to a circular issued by Jet Airways. In cases where tickets are booked through ‘a travel agent or an online aggregator’ the circular directs customers to “claim your refund from your travel agent or travel aggregator as applicable”.

The National Commission then reproduced and confirmed the State Commission’s findings, stating that it agreed with its “well reasoned order”. The State Commission had held that Goibibo “has failed to produce any cogent and convincing documents regarding the fact that they passed that payment of Jet Airways and Jet Airways was to refund the same. Without the relevant evidence they cannot escape from their liability for the payment which is received by them.”

The State Commission had also observed that “The appellant-Goibibo may be an intermediary but they are also a commission agent and they are not giving their services as charity… the appellant Goibibo cannot escape from their responsibility in case bookings are cancelled, and they are bound to refund the amount received by them from the consumers.”

Thus, the National Commission rejected Goibibo’s appeal.

All-night streetlights can make leaves inedible to insects: What a new study says

Although researchers said they did not exactly know why trees are reacting to streetlights in this way, they suggested that trees exposed to artificial light at night might be extending their photosynthesis cycle.

Written by Alind Chauhan

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 21:32 IST

Researchers suggest that the light at night makes the plants put energy into defence, which increases the chemicals that toughen up leaves. (Wikimedia Commons)

Artificial lights that run all night, such as streetlights, can make leaves grow so tough that insects cannot eat them, which could threaten urban food chains, according to a new study.

The study, ‘Artificial light at night decreases leaf herbivory in typical urban areas’, was published earlier this month in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science. The analysis was carried out by Yu Cao, Shuang Zhang, and Ke-Ming Ma of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing).

How was the study carried out?

The researchers wanted to examine how artificial lights impact the relationship between plants and insects. To do so, they focused on two common species of street tree in Beijing: Japanese pagoda and green ash trees. Although these trees are similar in many ways, Japanese pagoda trees have smaller, softer leaves which insects prefer to munch on.

The researchers picked 30 sampling sites on main roads that are usually lit by streetlights all night. They then measured illuminance — the amount of light — at each site and collected around 5,500 leaves to evaluate the impact of light on their traits such as size, toughness, water content, and levels of nutrients and chemical defence compounds.

If the leaves were larger, it would mean that plants directed their resources (such as nutrients, water, and energy) to growth. If the leaves were tougher and contained high levels of chemical defence compounds like tannins, it would indicate that the resources were allocated for defence.

What were the findings?

The researchers observed that for both species of trees, the higher the levels of illuminance, the tougher the leaves. The tougher the leaves, the less evidence of insects eating them. The researchers found no sign of insects munching on leaves in areas which were lit the brightest at night.

They also noted that artificial lights altered the levels of nutrients and chemical defence compounds in the leaves that were analysed. For instance, Japanese pagoda trees which were exposed to more artificial light had lower levels of nutrients such as phosphorus in their leaves. Such leaves had less evidence of insects consuming them.

According to the study, this could be a bad sign for the ecosystem. Shuang Zhang, co-author of the study, told The Guardian in an interview: “Decreased herbivory can lead to trophic cascading effects in ecology. Lower levels of herbivory imply lower abundances of herbivorous insects, which could in turn result in lower abundances of predatory insects, insect-eating birds, and so on. The decline of insects is a global pattern observed over recent decades. We should pay more attention to this trend.”

Although researchers said they did not exactly know why trees are reacting to streetlights in this way, they suggested that trees exposed to artificial light at night might be extending their photosynthesis cycle. This can be really stressful for them as when a plant photosynthesises, it takes in energy, and if it does that all the time, the situation can be overwhelming and eventually kill the plant.

How an asteroid from beyond Jupiter ended the age of dinosaurs

Scientists have analysed the geochemical makeup of samples from the asteroid’s impact site to locate where it came from

By: Explained Desk

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 18:45 IST

An artist's impression of the Chicxulub impact. Only species of avian dinosaurs survived the impact, eventually evolving into modern-day birds. (Wikimedia Commons)

For nearly 180 million years, dinosaurs ruled planet Earth until their sudden demise some 66 million years ago during what scientists call the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This mass extinction event wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs, and, in all, led to the demise of three-quarters of Earth’s plant and animal species.

In 1980, the father-son scientist duo of Luis and Walter Alvarez posited that the mass extinction event was triggered by a giant asteroid, roughly 10-15 km wide. This hypothesis gained weight after the discovery in the early 1990s of the 180 km wide Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula.

A new study, published on Thursday (August 15) in the journal Science, looked at geochemical evidence from the impact site to find that the destructive asteroid was formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter. This discovery suggests that the mass extinction was the result of a chain of events that began during the very birth of the Solar System.

Looking at ruthenium

A team of geochemists, led by Mario Fischer-Gödde from the University of Cologne in Germany, obtained samples from three sites at the Chicxulub crater, and compared them with rocks from eight other asteroid impact sites from the past 3.5 billion years.

Specifically, the scientists looked for signatures of the metal ruthenium. Ruthenium is extremely rare in Earth rocks, Fischer-Gödde told nature.com, so samples from an impact site offer “pure signature” of the celestial body that has collided with Earth. Moreover, the specific ruthenium isotope can help scientists pinpoint exactly where in the Solar System an asteroid came from.

The Solar System began forming some 4.6 billion years ago, starting as a dense cloud of gas and dust which eventually collapsed to give shape to the celestial bodies that today are Earth’s neighbors. During the formation, the temperature in the inner regions of the molecular cloud were too high for volatile chemicals (which can be in the vapour form) to condense.

Consequently, asteroids produced there had low levels of volatiles, and became rich in silicate minerals (which make 90 per cent of Earth’s crust). On the other hand, asteroids formed further out became ‘carbonaceous’, containing lots of carbon and volatile chemicals. Fischer-Gödde’s team found that the ruthenium isotopes in the Chicxulub impactor were a good match for a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer Solar System, rather than a siliceous asteroid from the inner Solar System.

The findings also debunked the theory that a comet, rather than an asteroid, had triggered the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

A deadly chain of events

Exactly what sent the asteroid Earth’s way is not clear. The dino-killing asteroid was a rather exceptional event — most other asteroids studied by Fischer-Gödde and his team were formed in the inner solar system.

Computer simulations have shown a number of situations in which an object from the outer Solar System can be pulled out of its orbit to head towards Earth. A number of possible reasons, such as bumping into other asteroids or gravitational pulls of planets and the Sun, can be behind this.

However, even if an asteroid’s normal orbit is disrupted, a collision with Earth is highly unlikely. A 2021 study by researchers from the Texas-based Southwest Research Institute found that Earth is likely to collide with large asteroids (of the size that wiped out dinosaurs) only once in 250 million years. While such a collision is unlikely to take place in humanity’s lifetime, if it does occur, it will be deadly.

And the impact will be the least of its dangers. Very few dinos died because of the impact itself. What led to the mass extinction of species were the after effects of the impact. The massive volumes of sulfur, dust and soot that the asteroid-impact threw in the air, partially blocked the Sun, and caused temperatures on Earth to plummet and impaired photosynthesis in plants and phytoplankton. This caused massive disruptions in the ecosystem that, in the end, very few creatures could survive.

The Americans or the Ukrainians? Who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines?

The Wall Street Journal has reported that a team of Ukrainian patriots sabotaged the undersea pipes supplying gas to Europe from Russia. Earlier, American journalist Seymour Hersh had said the attack was a CIA operation. The truth remains unknown

Written by Alind Chauhan

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 18:32 IST

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. (Reuters)

Almost two years after the September 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea, it remains unclear who sabotaged the pipes. The destruction of the pipelines that supplied natural gas from Russia to Germany exacerbated the energy crisis in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On August 14, The Wall Street Journal published what it claimed was the “real story” of the sabotage: that a “handful” of Ukrainian patriots with “the guts to risk their lives for their country”, defied a restraining order from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to carry out the action.

This WSJ’s account differs from the one published by the veteran American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh last year. Hersh reported that the explosions that destroyed the undersea pipelines were carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a covert operation at the direction of the White House.

What does the WSJ report say?

The report, by The WSJ’s Chief European Political Correspondent Bojan Pancevski, said the operation involved “a small rented yacht with a six-member crew”, and “cost around $300,000, according to people who participated in it”.

These included Ukrainian soldiers and trained civilian divers, and comprised a woman “whose presence helped create the illusion they were a group of friends on a pleasure cruise”, the report said.

The operation was funded by a handful of businessmen, and was overseen by a serving army general, who reported to Ukraine’s then commander in chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The plan was initially approved by President Zelenskyy, but he withdrew his consent after the CIA got wind of it and asked Kyiv to abandon the operation, the repot said, quoting sources.

However, the saboteurs went ahead anyway — Zaluzhnyi told Zelenskyy that the team had already been dispatched, and was incommunicado.

“Armed only with diving equipment, satellite navigation, a portable sonar and open-source maps of the seabed charting the position of the pipelines, the crew set out. The four divers worked in pairs… Operating in pitch-dark, icy waters, they handled a powerful explosive known as HMX that was wired to timer-controlled detonators. A small amount of the light explosive would be sufficient to rip open the high-pressure pipes,” The WSJ report said.

The attack, which the report said could amount to an act of war in international law, resulted in a surge in energy prices across Europe.

And what did Hersh report?

Hersh cited an anonymous source who had “direct knowledge of the operational planning”. This source claimed that as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine became imminent in December 2021, the US began to fear that as long as Germany and much of Western Europe were dependent on the Nord Stream pipelines for cheap supply of gas, they would be hesitant to provide aid and arms to Kyiv.

President Joe Biden authorised the action after “more than nine months of highly secret back and forth debate inside Washington’s national security community”, Hersh reported.

To execute the mission successfully, the US sought help from Norway, and in March 2022, a hand-picked team of the CIA and National Security Agency (NSA) flew to Europe to discuss the operation with the Norwegian Secret Service and Navy, according to Hersh’s report.

Around three months later, a team of deep-sea divers from the US Navy’s Diving and Salvage Centre in Panama City, Florida, the largest diving facility in the world, planted C4 explosives alongside the pipeline, which were later triggered by a sonar buoy dropped by a Norwegian Navy P8 surveillance plane on September 26, 2022.

Are there any other theories about the attack?

The bombing has been investigated by three countries — Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.

The investigations by Denmark and Sweden are believed to have focused on the suspicious movement of Russian vessels near the blast site of the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage days before the explosions took place. However, the investigators later dropped the case, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to hold anyone accountable for the sabotage.

The evidence gathered by Germany during its investigation suggested that Ukraine was behind the attack. The German authorities found the yacht that was allegedly used by the sabotage team to blow up the pipelines, and discovered traces of the explosive octogen, which can be used underwater, on board. Witnesses told the German authorities that they had seen five men and a woman aboard the yacht, accounts that appear to corroborate the claims of the sources cited by The WSJ report.

On August 14, Western media reported that German authorities had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diver instructor identified as “Volodymyr Z”. A resident of Poland, the suspect is alleged to have dived to the seabed to attach the explosive devices to the pipeline. However, “Volodymyr Z” could not be detained as he had left Poland in July this year, according to the Polish authorities.

You’ve lost weight taking new obesity drugs. What happens if you stop?

Many people struggle to pay for weight-loss drugs, have difficulty finding it to purchase or just don’t want to stay on a drug longer than they believe they need to.

By: New York Times

August 16, 2024 17:44 IST

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024. (REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo)

Written by Gina Kolata

Susana Parks was delighted when she lost 40 pounds on Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, Zepbound. But now that she is at her goal weight, she has questions: Can she stop taking the drug? And if she does, how can she maintain her weight loss? “I can’t stop cold turkey, or I will gain it back — that is clear,” said Parks, 60, of Bend, Oregon. “Do I go to a lower dosage? Do I take it every two weeks instead of weekly? How do I maintain?”

These questions are becoming common, obesity medicine specialists say, as more and more people lose weight with obesity drugs. Some struggle to pay for the medicine, have difficulty finding it to purchase or just don’t want to stay on a drug longer than they believe they need to.

When doctors are confronted with these queries, here is what they advise — and what they can’t say.

What will happen if I stop taking the new weight-loss drugs after losing weight?

Dr. David Cummings, a weight-loss specialist at the University of Washington, has been asked this question by many patients. He explains that the makers of the drugs conducted large studies in which people took the drugs and then stopped.

“On average, everyone’s weight rapidly returned,” Cummings said. And, he said, other medical conditions, like elevated blood sugar and lipid levels, return to their previous levels after improving.

Will lowering my dose help me keep the weight off?

Doctors say they have no data to guide an answer to that question.

It “has not been studied in a systematic fashion,” said Allison Schneider, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy. The drug is based on the medication semaglutide, which the company also sells for diabetes treatment as Ozempic.

The same is true for tirzepatide, which Eli Lilly sells as Zepbound for weight loss and Mounjaro for diabetes.

When doctors do offer advice, it tends to be tentative. “There is no magic bullet,” said Dr. Mitchell A. Lazar of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

What might happen if I experiment with my dose?

Parks said she was not interested in continuing to lose weight. For her, a 40-pound weight loss was perfect.

She’s grateful she got Zepbound. Her doctor, she said, resisted prescribing it, her insurance would not pay for it, and the drug was in such short supply that she called pharmacy after pharmacy each month to refill her prescription, paying out of pocket each time.

While Lazar does not treat Parks, when he heard about her case, he said she could try reducing her dose. Or, he said, “she can monitor what she is eating now and do her best to eat the same amounts after she lowers or stops her dose.” But, he added, that may be difficult without the help of the drug.

For the moment, Parks is adjusting her dose. When her weight fell to 150 pounds — she’s 5 feet, 8 inches tall — she decided to try taking Zepbound every other week, instead of every week. She told her doctor what she was doing. Her doctor, Parks said, “had no opinion one way or another.”

Her new dosing schedule, Parks added, also saves her money. After a week without the drug, she said, she gets hungry. It happens every time, predictably. Then she takes her next dose. So far it is working — her weight has been steady.

Dr. Caroline Apovian, a weight-loss specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said there’s a lesson here for people struggling with their weight. “It teaches patients that it’s really not under your control,” said Apovian, who used to consult for Novo Nordisk.

Does that mean I have to take Wegovy or Zepbound forever?

“Most patients want to lose as much as they can but don’t want to be stuck on the medicine for the rest of their lives,” Cummings said. “The most common question is, ‘How long do I have to take it?’

“The proper answer is probably forever,” he said. Some patients tell Cummings that it sounds like he is giving them a life sentence, and others simply do not believe him.

In a study of electronic health records by Truveta, a health care data company, more than half of patients without diabetes stopped taking the drugs within a year. But about a third who stopped restarted.

Faced with these concerns, doctors stress that obesity is a chronic disease and, like high blood pressure and other chronic diseases, must be treated for life. But beliefs persist that obesity is different from a disease like high blood pressure — the perception is that weight can be controlled by lifestyle and willpower.

Is there any risk of losing too much weight on the drugs?

Patients also want to know if they risk losing weight indefinitely, becoming dangerously thin. Unlikely, obesity medicine experts said. Eventually, with the new weight-loss drugs, patients reach a plateau where they stop losing weight.

Schneider of Novo Nordisk said that in the Wegovy trials, weight loss stopped after about 60 weeks.

When that happens, said Dr. Ania Jastreboff of Yale, who is on advisory boards for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, hunger returns. So do food cravings, even though patients are still taking the drugs. But the person will naturally eat only enough to maintain the lower weight.

Do side effects return if people stop and then restart the drugs?

Many describe experiencing side effects like nausea and vomiting when they first start taking Wegovy or Zepbound. For most, but not all, patients, the side effects diminish as they adjust to the drugs.

But, Apovian warned, those side effects may return if patients stop and then restart the drugs. The longer they are off the drug, she added, the more likely it is that the side effects will return.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Egg, sperm donors have no parental right on child: What Bombay HC held

The HC reiterated that ‘the sperm/oocyte donor shall not have any parental right or duties in relation to the child’, based on the existing provisions under India’s surrogacy law

Written by Omkar Gokhale

New Delhi | August 16, 2024 16:54 IST

The Bombay High Court reiterated the established legal stance on the issue. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday reiterated that a sperm or egg donor cannot claim to be a biological parent of a child born through their gamete, and will have no legal right.

This came in a ruling in the case of a 42-year-old woman who was seeking custody of her twin-girls delivered through ‘altruistic’ surrogacy. The children were in the joint custody of their father and the egg-donor. The ruling discussed the rights and entitlement of a surrogate mother vis-à-vis a biological mother, and that of an egg donor to seek access and custody of the children.

A complicated case

The case for the custody of two-children is set in the context of some rather complicated family dynamics. The parents of the twins are currently living apart. The egg donor is the younger sister of the mother who is currently living with the father of twins. Just a few weeks after donating her eggs, she had lost her own daughter and husband in a tragic accident.

The custody case, however, is for the trial court to deal with. The Bombay High Court was hearing a writ petition which essentially sought clarity on the law. Can the egg donor have rights as a parent under the law, and can the trial court, as it decides the custody issue between the parents, exclude the mother in the meantime? The case moved up to the HC since the girls are young, and cannot be deprived of their mother.

Rival contentions

The mother argued the daughters were deemed to be legitimate children of the couple within wedlock, and all rights of biological parents vest in them. Citing the “growing age” of the twins, she sought immediate intervention of the court. She argued the twins are presently in custody of her sister and estranged husband, whom they consider to be their mother and father. This, she said, made it imperative for the issue of interim visitation rights to be decided, while the custody battle goes on.

The estranged husband, however, claimed that since his sister-in-law was an egg donor, she had a legitimate right to be called as a biological parent of the twins, and the petitioner, who is his wife, had no right over them whatsoever. As per the court records, both parties admitted that the younger sister of petitioner was the egg donor whereas the surrogate mother was a “separate anonymous woman who gave birth to the twin daughters in Bengaluru.”

What the law says

The law on surrogacy in India is governed by the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) (Regulation) Act, 2021. These laws define surrogacy to mean “an arrangement in which a woman agrees to carry a pregnancy that is genetically unrelated to her and her husband, with the intention to carry it to term and hand over the child to the genetic parents for whom she is acting as a surrogate.”

However, since the surrogacy agreement in this case was signed in 2018, the 2021 Act cannot apply. Instead, the 2005 National Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Clinics would apply. Both Surrogacy Act, 2021 and Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, retained the intention behind the 2005 guidelines that the intending parents are to be considered biological parents of the surrogate child.

The 2005 guidelines state that the “donor has to relinquish all parental rights”. On this basis, the amicus curiae appointed by the Court submitted the petitioner’s younger sister (egg donor) lay a claim on the twin-children as they are considered to be legitimate children of the petitioner and her estranged husband.

The case highlights the risks with ‘altruistic surrogacy.’ The Surrogacy Act, 2021 and subsequent regulations provide for prohibition of commercial surrogacy and promote ‘altruistic’ surrogacy, especially through close relatives, in which the woman acting as a surrogate cannot receive any monetary remuneration or compensation beyond medical expenses. The laws stipulate punishments — up to Rs 5 lakh for first offence and jail-term of ten years, and fine of Rs 10 lakh for subsequent offences — for exploitation of surrogate mothers, and children born through surrogacy.

Bombay HC’s ruling

The Bombay HC, interpreting the ICMR guidelines, held that the twin girls were daughters of the petitioner and her estranged husband, as they were born from their wedlock and with their consent.

It said “there was no ambiguity whatsoever that it is the petitioner along with the respondent husband signed the surrogacy agreement” and they were “intending parents.”

“Under the guidelines, it is clearly stated that the sperm/oocyte donor shall not have any parental right or duties in relation to the child and in that view of the matter, the younger sister of petitioner can have no right whatsoever to intervene and claim to be the biological mother of the twin daughters,” the HC held.

Since the couple is estranged, the HC allowed visiting rights to the mother over the weekends till the trial court settles the custody issue.

ISRO launches SSLV: What is the aim behind developing Small Satellite Launch Vehicles?

We explain why SSLVs were developed and how they differ from the other major launch vehicles used thus far — the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

By: Explained Desk

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 17:48 IST

ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a three-stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages. (Via X.com)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the third developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday (August 16). The SSLV-D3 placed the Earth observation satellite EOS-08 precisely into orbit.

It also marks the completion of ISRO/Department of Space’s SSLV Development Project. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and India’s private space industry can now produce SSLVs for commercial missions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated ISRO in a post on X, saying “The cost-effective SSLV will play an important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry.”

A remarkable milestone! Congratulations to our scientists and industry for this feat. It is a matter of immense joy that India now has a new launch vehicle. The cost-effective SSLV will play an important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry. My best… https://t.co/d3tItAD7Ij

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024

We explain why SSLVs were developed and how they differ from the other major launch vehicles used thus far — the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

What is an SSLV?

ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a three-stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages. It also has a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage, which can help adjust the velocity as it prepares to place the satellite.

Essentially, the aim behind SSLVs is to produce low-cost launch vehicles with short turnaround times and minimal infrastructural requirements. The SSLV can launch satellites weighing up to 500kg and accommodate multiple satellites.

Before SSLVs, smaller payloads had to be sent into Space using other launch vehicles carrying multiple, bigger satellites. They depended upon the launch schedules of those satellites.

As The Indian Express has earlier reported, with the entry of more and more businesses, government agencies, universities and laboratories in the realm of launching satellites in recent years, “the constraints of a piggyback ride have started to hurt.” These organisations usually need to launch smaller payloads.

Former ISRO chairman K Sivan had stated in 2019 at the ISRO headquarters during an annual press conference that “The SSLV is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO. It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle. Only six people will be required to do the job, instead of 60 people. The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore. It will be an on-demand vehicle.”

And what are PSLVs and GSLVs?

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation of Indian satellite launch vehicles. first used in 1994. More than 50 successful PSLV launches have taken place to date. It has also been called “the workhorse of ISRO” for consistently delivering various satellites into low earth orbits (less than 2,000 km in altitude) with a high success rate. The PSLV-XL can carry around 1,860 kg of payload.

On the other hand, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLVs) have been instrumental in launching communication satellites in the geosynchronous transfer orbit. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), telecommunications satellites are usually placed in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). It is a circular orbit 35,786 kilometres above Earth’s equator.

ISRO launch vehicles PSLV and GSLV.

GSLVs have a higher capacity because sending satellites deeper into space requires greater power. Therefore, cryogenic engines consisting of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are used in GSLVs as they provide greater thrust than the engines used in the older launch vehicles. The GSLV Mk-II can carry satellites weighing up to 2,200 kg, while the Mk-III can carry up to 4,000 kg.

Remembering the ‘Great Calcutta Killings’: When Jinnah’s ‘direct action’ caused a bloodbath

Between August 16 to August 19, 1946, Calcutta witnessed one of the worst episodes of Hindu-Muslim communal violence, which left between 5,000 to 10,000 dead, and some 15,000 wounded.

Written by Arjun Sengupta

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:20 IST

Vultures sitting next to corpses in the aftermath of the Great Calcutta Killings. (Wikimedia COmmons)

A year before colonial rule in the subcontinent ended, Calcutta (now Kolkata) witnessed a bloodbath which claimed thousands of lives. The ‘Great Calcutta Killings’, which went on from August 16 to 19, were the single most violent massacre in the lead-up to Independence and Partition. Here is a brief history.

Call for ‘direct action’

By August 1946, relations between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress had frayed beyond repair. After the failure of the Cabinet Mission Plan of May 1946, which had proposed a loose federal structure for post-colonial India, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called for ‘direct action’ on August 16.

“On that day, meetings would be held all over the country to explain the League’s resolution [for a separate Muslim state],” H V Hodson, at the time an adviser to Viceroy Wavell, wrote in his book The Great Divide: Britain, India, Pakistan (1969). “These meetings and processions passed off… without more than commonplace and limited disturbances, with one vast and tragic exception,” he wrote.

The political context of Bengal, and more specifically Calcutta, facilitated the violence in the city.

Muslims represented a majority in Bengal (54 per cent of the population compared to 44 per cent Hindus, according to the census of 1941) but were largely concentrated in the countryside in eastern Bengal (what is today Bangladesh). Calcutta itself was predominantly Hindu (73 per cent vs 23 per cent), with Muslims occupying a peripheral position — socially, economically, and even geographically — in the city. The relations between the two communities had been tense since the turn of the 20th century, with periodic instances of communal violence breaking out in Bengal, including in Calcutta.

Suhrawardy’s mischief

Huseyn Suhrawardy, the foremost leader of Bengali Muslims and somewhat of a rival to Jinnah in the League, was the Chief Minister of Bengal in 1946. He was a revered figure among Muslims, but much much reviled by Hindus who held him partially responsible for the Bengal famine of 1943 which killed an estimated three million people (he was the Minister for Civil Supply at the time). Suhrawardy was also notorious for his off-the-cuff inflammatory statements.

Many historians believe that Suhrawardy’s actions and attitudes were primarily responsible for things taking a violent turn in Calcutta on August 16. Two main points are emphasised to support this claim.

First, in the leadup to the violence, Suhrawardy gave a number of speeches which seemingly indicate his tacit, if not active, support to any violence. On August 16, in a massive public gathering in Maidan in the week leading up to the massacre, Suhrawardy reportedly said that he had taken measures to “restrain” the police on Direct Action Day. This, his critics say, was effectively an open invitation to the masses to go on a rampage.

Second, once the violence erupted, Suhrawardy indeed “restrained” the forces. Suhrawardy himself stayed inside the Police Control Room, and according to eyewitnesses, prevented the Police Commissioner from acting independently. A British officer based at Fort William at the time of the riots wrote: “… my own private opinion is that he fully anticipated what was going to happen, and allowed it to work itself up, and probably organised the disturbance with his goonda gangs…” (based on a document accessed from the UK Archives).

Historian Joya Chatterji wrote: “In part [the violence] was the outcome of the growing arrogance of the leadership and rank and file of the Muslim League, heady with their success in the recent elections and confident of their ability to get for Bengal some form or other of Pakistan; and in part it flowed from the determination of Hindus to resist what they regarded as ‘Muslim tyranny’. Suhrawardy himself bears much of the responsibility for this blood-letting since he issued an open challenge to the Hindus and was grossly negligent (deliberately or otherwise) in his failure to quell the rioting once it had broken out” (Bengal Divided: Hindu communalism and partition, 1932-1947, 1994).

Harbinger of horrors to come

While exact numbers are not available, scholarly estimates put the number of dead in the Calcutta riots at 5,000-10,000. Some 15,000 people were wounded.

Historian Markovits Claude, in ‘The Calcutta Riots of 1946, Mass Violence & Resistance’ (2007), pointed out that the savagery of the violence was remarkable. “Not only were victims brutally killed, they were also grotesquely mutilated. This kind of grisly ‘ritual’ was very much part of the repertoire of communal killings in India; what was new in Calcutta was the sheer scale of the phenomenon”.

He also points out that the event also saw the deployment of rape as a political tool, which till then, had not been too common in communal riots in India. “Most accounts mentioned cases of rape, which were not part of the usual gamut of communal riots in India, but were to figure prominently in accounts of communal violence around the time of Partition”.

In retrospect, the Great Calcutta Killings became a sad harbinger of horrors still to come.

Why the worst of food inflation may be over

Higher kharif plantings on the back of good monsoon so far, plus benign international prices, offers hope of an easing of inflationary pressures in the months ahead

Written by Harish Damodaran

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:31 IST

The sharp decline, though, is a statistical illusion, stemming from a high “base” inflation of 11.5% in July 2023. The monthly CFPI rise (July 2024 over June 2024), at 2.8%, translates into an annualised inflation of 33.8%. (File photo)

Retail food inflation ruled above 8% for eight straight months from November 2023 to June 2024. That year-on-year increase, in the official consumer food price index (CFPI), fell to 5.4% in July, from 9.4% the month before.

The sharp decline, though, is a statistical illusion, stemming from a high “base” inflation of 11.5% in July 2023. The monthly CFPI rise (July 2024 over June 2024), at 2.8%, translates into an annualised inflation of 33.8%!

Simply put, food inflation remains the economy’s bugbear, eating into household incomes and suppressing spending on other things, besides preventing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from cutting its policy interest rates. Given the high share of food in the average Indian’s consumption basket, “the public at large understands inflation more in terms of food inflation…[which also] adversely affects household inflation expectations,” the RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said recently.

Amidst all this, there are at least two reasons for cautious optimism.

Monsoon optimism

The first has to do with the monsoon.

The southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 30, two days before schedule. Yet, June as a whole registered 10.9% below the historical long period average (“normal”) rainfall for the month. Rain was subpar everywhere, save the South, Maharashtra (excluding Vidarbha), west Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan. It was, perhaps, the residual effect of El Niño that lasted from April-June 2023 to March-May 2024.

But as El Niño – an abnormal warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters off Ecuador and Peru, generally known to suppress rainfall in India – transitioned into a “neutral” phase, the monsoon revived. July recorded 9% above normal rain.

The current month, too, has seen 15.4% above-normal rainfall so far, taking the cumulative surplus for the season (June-September) to 4.8% as on August 15. The deficiency is now largely confined to the East, and parts of northwest India where farmers have access to irrigation.

The overall good monsoon with well-distributed rainfall has led to higher acreages under most kharif crops this year. Area sown is up for rice, pulses such as arhar (pigeon pea) and moong (green gram), maize, oilseeds (soyabean and groundnut) and sugarcane – relative to both the corresponding period of 2023 and the normal coverage for this time (see table).

Data on food inflation.

Farmers plant more when there is adequate water. They also go for crops whose prices are better or assured. Arhar and maize are now wholesaling at Rs 10,500-11,000 and Rs 2,600-2,700 per quintal respectively, way above their corresponding official minimum support prices (MSP) of Rs 7,550 and Rs 2,225. Not surprising, then, that farmers have aggressively sown both crops – which should also help ease inflation in pulses (arhar dal is retailing at an average of Rs 165/kg, against Rs 140 a year ago and Rs 110 two years ago) and animal proteins (maize is a key poultry and cattle feed ingredient) down the line.

On the other hand, farmers have sown less area under cotton, trading at Rs 7,500-7,600 per quintal in Gujarat’s Rajkot market. That’s just around the MSP of Rs 7,521 for long-staple varieties, when the new crop’s first picking is due only after mid-September. Flat prices, long cropping duration (6-7 months) and risks of insect pest attacks (especially the deadly pink bollworm) have dampened farmers’ enthusiasm in planting cotton. They have switched area this time to groundnut, soyabean and maize (which mature in 3-4 months) or even paddy (where MSP is assured through government procurement).

Low global food prices

Farmer supply response to a good monsoon and high prices apart, there’s a second factor that may reduce inflationary pressures in food.

Global food inflation has been in negative territory since December 2022. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index averaged 120.8 points in July 2024, 3.1% down from its year-ago level. The index – a weighted average of the world prices of a basket of food commodities over a base period value (taken at 100 for 2014-16) – is also 24.7% below its 160.3 points peak scaled in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Even sharper is the cereal price index’s fall, from 173.5 points in May 2022 to 110.8 points now.

While global and domestic food inflation have been moving in opposite directions in recent times (see chart), low international prices, however, make imports more feasible. Russian wheat, for instance, is currently being exported at about $220 per tonne free-on-board (i.e. from the port of origin), compared to $250-plus a year back and $395-405 in March-May 2022. Adding ocean freight and other charges of $45-50 would take the landed cost of imported wheat in India to $265-270 per tonne or Rs 2,225-2,270/quintal. That’s below the ruling market price of Rs 2,600 in Delhi and even the MSP of Rs 2,275.

The point to note is that benign international prices – a contrast to the situation post the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war – not only lessen the risk of “imported inflation”, as it happened particularly in vegetable oils from late-2020 to 2022. They can put a lid on domestic prices, like with wheat if imports are allowed through lowering of duty (from the present 40%).

Going forward

Wheat stocks in government warehouses, at 268.12 lakh tonnes (lt) on August 1, were the third lowest for this date after 2022 (266.45 lt) and 2008 (243.80 lt). However, the rice stocks (including the grain equivalent from un-milled paddy) of 454.83 lt were the highest ever for the same date.

The prospects of a monsoon-aided bumper kharif crop should enable relaxation of the export ban/restrictions on non-basmati rice as well as sugar, along with the lifting of stockholding limits on pulses applicable to traders, retailers and dal millers.

Above-average rains so far have filled up the country’s major reservoirs to nearly 65% of their total storage capacity (as against last year’s 61% and the 10-year normal of 54% for this time) and also recharged groundwater tables. That – plus the high probability of the emergence of La Niña (El Niño’s “cool cousin”, associated with robust rainfall activity in India) during September-November and persisting through the winter-spring months – is encouraging for the ensuing rabi cropping season too.

But all this optimism has to be tempered by the fact that the kharif crop’s harvesting is at least a month away, while not before March-end for wheat and other rabi crops. The uncertainty over food inflation will continue for some time till then.

Why WHO has called the latest mpox outbreak an ‘emergency of international concern’

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a self-limiting viral infection caused by mpox virus (MPXV). At least 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to mpox have been reported from 116 countries since 2022, according to data from the WHO.

Written by Anonna Dutt

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:32 IST

A nurse tends to a child suspected of having contracted mpox in DRC. (Reuters)

The World Health Organisation, sounding its highest level of alarm, declared mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Wednesday. This is the second time the infection has received the designation in as many years — the outbreak between July 2022 and May 2023 was also declared as PHEIC.

The decision to sound the alarm was taken after an upsurge of cases reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries. At least 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to mpox have been reported from 116 countries since 2022, according to data from the WHO.

What is mpox?

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a self-limiting viral infection caused by mpox virus (MPXV). The most common symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, along with pox-like rashes that last for two to three weeks. It is a self-limiting disease but can lead to death, especially among children and those with weak immune systems.

While the infection has been reported in humans since 1970, it mostly affected people in the endemic regions in Africa till 2022.

What is driving the current concern around Mpox?

The current concern stems from the spread of clade Ib of the MPXV, which is predominantly transmitted through sexual contact.

Organisms belonging to a clade share common ancestors. When it comes to mpox, there are two different clades: clade I and clade II, with the former deadlier than the latter.

Sexual transmission of clade I infections has not been reported previously, according to a paper published this January in the journal Emerging Infectious Disease. Historically, clade I infections have spread through zoonotic spillover events — transmitted from animals to humans in close proximity. Clade Ia infections that spread this way continue to affect parts of DRC where the disease was endemic.

Now, over 100 cases of clade 1b infections have been reported in four countries neighbouring DRC — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda — that have not reported mpox before. The numbers are likely to be higher as many with symptoms might not have been tested. This is coupled with an increase in the total number of mpox cases. More than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported so far this year alone.

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

Research published in the journal Nature late last year indicates that recent cases are being driven by human-to-human transmission, and that the virus has diversified into several distinct lineages in the human population, where it is fast acquiring many new mutations.

Is India at risk?

The first case of the more contagious clade Ib mpox infection outside Africa was reported from Sweden on Thursday. With interlinked global travel, the cases may reach other countries as well.

During the 2022 global outbreak, India too reported cases of mpox, albeit of the less deadly clade II type. Initially, infections were reported among some people from Kerala who had a history of international travel. But later even those without a history of international travel got infected in Delhi. At least 27 laboratory confirmed cases and one death was reported in India, according to the WHO data.

IHR Emergency Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina said, “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”

Are there vaccines for mpox?

There are at least two vaccines currently in use for mpox, which have been recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.

Last week, an Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines was triggered by the WHO, which will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. This listing also enables bodies such as GAVI and UNICEF to procure vaccines for distribution in these countries.

WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations, and coordinating with partners through the interim Medical Countermeasures Network to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools, the organisation said.

During the previous outbreak in 2022, India too had called on companies to manufacture vaccines and diagnostics.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

The improbable 800 km journey of Stonehenge’s centre stone, and why that matters

New analysis has found that the over six-tonne Altar Stone partially buried at the heart of Stonehenge came from northern Scotland, not south-west Wales as previously thought. Here is why this is a big deal.

Written by Arjun Sengupta

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:32 IST

Stonehenge has is arguably the greatest engineering achievement of the pre-historic world. (Wikimedia Commons)

Stonehenge has long stood as an enigma in southern England’s undulating countryside. No one knows why it was built, and there is little consensus on how it was built, by whom and exactly when. What can be said with certainty, however, is that it is one of the greatest marvels of neolithic engineering, and a testament to the oft-underestimated ingenuity of prehistoric humans and the complexity of their social lives.

Case in point is the origin of the Altar Stone, the partially buried slab of sandstone lying at the centre of the stone circle. Latest geochemical analysis suggests that the six-tonne monolith was brought to its present location from some 800 km away in the far north of Scotland. This puts its place of origin much farther away than all other Stonehenge stones.

The findings of the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday (August 14) show that the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists previously realised, and suggests that neolithic Britain might have been far more integrated than previously thought.

Stones of the henge

Construction at Stonehenge began roughly 5,000 years ago, with changes and additions made over the next two millennia.

The site’s iconic stone slabs are divided into two groups. The first group includes 30 tall, upright sarsens (sandstone blocks impregnated with silica) which make up the outer circle. Most of these are capped by shaped lintel stones (horizontal beam-like stones). Researchers trace the origins of these stones to Marlborough Downs, some 25 km away from Stonehenge.

The second group is made of about 80 bluestones, which research suggests came from the Mynydd Preseli mountains in western Wales. Their origin was discovered in 1923. The central Altar Stone, although made of a different kind of rock, was long thought to have come from the same area. That was until last year, when researchers from Wales concluded that that the stone could not have been from Wales, although they were not sure where it came from.

The latest study used dating and chemical analysis of tiny zircon, rutile and apatite crystals from fragments of the centre stone to trace its source to the Old Red Sandstone formations in the Orcadian Basin in the northeast of Scotland and the Orkney Islands.

“It’s like finding a fingerprint,” Anthony Clarke, a geochronologist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, who led the study, told nature.com. “It was a perfect match for the Orcadian Basin and no match at all for anything in England or Wales,” he said.

An improbable journey

Dr Robert Ixer, from University College London, who was also involved in the study, told the BBC that the discovery was “shocking”. He said: “The work prompts two important questions: how was the Altar Stone transported from the very north of Scotland, a distance of more than 700 kilometres, to Stonehenge, and, more intriguing, why?”

While some on social media initially speculated that ancient glaciers might have brought the stone to southern England, geologists have dismissed this theory. “There is simply no evidence for it. This was brought here by human agency,” Clarke said.

The question then is how was this done — by land or by sea. There is no consensus on this issue. Clarke prefers the sea route option, citing the Altar Stone’s weight and the rugged terrain between Scotland and Stonehenge. “Given major overland barriers en route from north-east Scotland to Salisbury Plain, marine transport is one feasible option,” he said.

Some speculate that Stonehenge was used as an astronomical calendar, given its precise orientation which aligns stones to the summer and winter solstices. Others posit that it had ritual significance. (Wikimedia Commons)

Mike Pitts, an independent archaeologist who wrote How to Build Stonehenge (2022), disagrees. “If you put a stone on a boat out to sea, not only do you risk losing the stone — but also nobody can see it,” he told The Guardian. Instead, an arduous land journey, perhaps taking years and engaging people en route to make the stone “increasingly precious” is more likely, he said.

As to why this journey was made at all, is anyone’s guess. “It is phenomenal that the people of the time brought such a large stone all this way. They must have had a compelling reason to do it,” Heather Sebire, one of the monument’s senior curators told the BBC.

Whatever the means of and the reason behind it, the Altar Stone’s journey suggests that neolithic Britain was far more integrated than previously known. “The study suggests that the site was known not just to people in the south, but over a much wider area — and that opens suggestions for the whole way we think about Neolithic Britain,” Pitts said.

Why 44 and 60 could be two key ages in human aging, according to a new study

The study from Stanford University found changes linked to cardiovascular diseases and the body’s metabolism during these two periods, with the findings potentially helpful for developing targeted therapies against disease risks.

Written by Rishika Singh

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:22 IST

At a cellular level, aging reflects the damage which the body has sustained over a long period due to multiple reasons — from the Sun’s ultraviolet rays to the lack of adequate nutrition. (Via Pixabay)

Those who complain of beginning to “feel old” in their mid-40s may not necessarily be victims of a gloomy imagination. A significant new study on human aging has found that molecular changes show “substantial dysregulation” at two points in an individual’s lifetime — when they are 44, and again, at age 60 years.

Researchers from Stanford University said the findings provided “valuable insight into periods of dramatic alterations during human aging.” Notably, the research findings also indicated that disease risks are non-linear in nature — that is, they do not increase proportionately as age increases.

What the study found on aging

The study, ‘Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging’, published in the journal Nature Aging, analysed cellular-level data of 108 participants of ages between 25 and 75 years — all residents of California in the United States.

The subjects of the study were tracked for a median period of 1.7 years. Every three to six months, the researchers collected blood, stool, skin swab, oral swab and nasal swab samples, which were used to analyse proteins, lipids, stool microbiomes, skin microbiomes, etc. More than 5,000 samples were analysed in all.

The researchers detected distinct molecules and biological processes around the ages of 44 and 60.

The body’s immune regulation, as well as the breakdown and conversion of carbohydrates, shifted during the 60-year mark. And there were changes related to cardiovascular diseases and metabolism of alcohol and lipids (fatty compounds) at the 40-year transition.

These findings are in line with some existing data in the US on major non-communicable diseases. For example, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease also have “distinct turning points occurring around the ages of 40 and 65 respectively”, the study said.

The study also found that the capacity to metabolise caffeine undergoes a “notable alteration”, both around age 40 and at age 60 years.

Takeaways from study

Aging is generally understood as the irreversible and gradual degradation of cells, tissues, and organs with time, leading to weakened functioning. Scientific research on aging often aims to understand how aging works, and what can be done to slow it down in humans.

At a cellular level, aging reflects the damage which the body has sustained over a long period due to multiple reasons — from the Sun’s ultraviolet rays to the lack of adequate nutrition.

Aging impairs the ability of cells — the building blocks of human biology — to divide and multiply, thus impacting growth and development. There is also an increase in pigments and fatty substances (lipids) inside the cells, affecting their functioning.

However, the pace of aging varies greatly among living organisms. A 2019 study by researchers from the University of Oxford and the National University of Ireland Galway on animal life cycles noted that while “the turquoise killifish (a small fish that can complete its life cycle in 14 days) grow fast and die young,…the Greenland shark (a fish that glides around for up to 500 years), grow slowly and have extraordinarily long lifespans”.

Also, the study noted, humans and Asian elephants have “long lifespans and face a relatively low risk of mortality until later ages”.

While the ages between 45 and 55 are known to result in crucial biological changes in women due to the onset of menopause, the new study found there are other underlying factors as well, which imply a “common phenomenon in the aging process of both sexes”.

The researchers said their findings are also important for understanding the molecular changes related to aging, and for timely diagnosis of diseases. This could help in ultimately identifying “therapeutic targets” for aging-related diseases to increase human healthspan, as opposed to lifespan. ‘Healthspan’ is the period of time for which humans are healthy.

Michael Snyder, a co-author of the study, told The Washington Post that the findings could help induce people to make healthier and targeted lifestyle choices. “For example, if you know that your carbohydrate metabolism is going off — there’s something you can do about that: changing your diet,” he said.

Limitations, questions

The study sample is small, and restricted to a specific geography. Certain findings, say on caffeine metabolisation, could be either due to the body’s actual slowing capabilities at that age or to consumption-related habits, which are more behavioural in nature.

The researchers also concede the short duration of sample collection, of less than two years.

Xiaotao Shen, another co-author, told The Washington Post that the factors driving the changes at these particular ages are unknown. “If we can find the drivers of these changes, we may even be able to find ways to slow or even reverse the drivers of the aging at these two time points,” he said.

Right to abortion in US: which states will vote, what are the proposed measures?

Seven states will vote this year on abortion, with three more likely -- New York, Montana and Nebraska. The right to abortion was revoked by the US Supreme Court in 2022.

By: AP

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:33 IST

Demonstrators in Washington gather to protest after the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade on Friday, June 24, 2022. (File Photo/New York Times)

Written by Geoff Mulvihill and Kimberlee Kruesi

Election officials in Arizona and Missouri this week announced that abortion-rights supporters in their states had gathered enough petition signatures to put proposed amendments enshrining abortion rights into their states’ constitutions, bringing to seven the number of states with abortion votes set for November.

The U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion with a 2022 ruling, which sparked a national push to have voters decide.

Since the decision, most Republican-controlled states have passed abortion restrictions, including 14 that ban it at every stage of pregnancy. Most Democratic-led states have laws or executive orders to protect access.

Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions before voters since 2022 — California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont — have sided with abortion rights supporters.

What is on 2024 ballots?

MISSOURI

Missouri voters will decide whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban.

An initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.

The Missouri ballot measure would create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures, generally considered around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. The ballot measure would allow abortions after fetal viability if a health care professional determines it necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

ARIZONA

Voters in Arizona will decide in November whether to amend the state constitution to add the right to an abortion up to about 24 weeks into pregnancy. The Arizona secretary of state’s office said Monday that it had certified enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

Under the proposed amendment, the state would not be able to ban abortion until the fetus is viable, with later abortions allowed to protect a woman’s physical or mental health.

Abortion is currently legal for the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona.

COLORADO

Colorado’s top election official confirmed in May that a measure to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution, along with requirements that Medicaid and private health insurers cover abortion, made the ballot for the fall election.

Supporters said they gathered nearly double the required number of signatures needed.

Amending the state constitution requires the support of 55% of voters.

Abortion is already legal at all stages of pregnancy in Colorado.

FLORIDA

The state Supreme Court ruled in April that a measure to legalize abortion until viability could go on the ballot despite a legal challenge from the state.

To pass, the measure needs support from at least 60% of voters, a high threshold that supporters say they are hopeful of reaching after collecting nearly a million signatures on the petition to get it on the ballot.

Abortion is currently illegal in Florida after the first six weeks of pregnancy under a law that took effect May 1.

MARYLAND

Maryland voters also will be asked this year to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. Abortion is already allowed in Maryland until viability.

NEVADA

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office announced in June that a ballot question to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution has met all of the requirements to appear in front of voters in November.

Under the amendment, abortion access for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy — or later to protect the health of the pregnant person — would be protected. To change the constitution, voters would need to approve it in both 2024 and 2026.

Abortion up until viability is already allowed in the state under a law passed in 1990.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota voters will decide this fall on a constitutional amendment that would ban any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. The measure would allow the state in the second trimester to “regulate the pregnant woman’s abortion decision and its effectuation only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.” An abortion ban would be allowed in the third trimester, as long as it included exceptions for the life and health of the woman. Opponents have sued to try to take the initiative off the ballot.

What’s on the ballot in New York?

While not explicitly preserving a right to abortion, a reproductive rights question is on the ballot in New York. The measure would bar discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare,” along with sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and disability. Abortion is currently allowed in New York until fetal viability.

Where else could abortion be on the ballot in 2024?

MONTANA

Abortion rights proponents in Montana have proposed a constitutional amendment that would bar the government from denying the right to abortion before viability or when it is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

After a legal battle over the ballot language, the Montana Supreme Court in April wrote its version of the language that would appear on the ballot if enough valid signatures are certified. Sponsors were required to submit about 60,000 signatures by June 21. They turned in nearly twice that many — about 117,000 — and backers have said counties have validated more than enough signatures. The secretary of state has until Aug. 22 to finalize the November ballot.

Abortion is already legal until viability in the state under a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion.

NEBRASKA

Supporters of competing abortion measures each said they turned in far more signatures than the 123,000 required for ballot access, with the winning measure becoming part of the state constitution.

Why is Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigning?

Kishida's approval ratings have touched rock bottom, and he has said that 'politics cannot function without public trust'. How did things come to this, and what happens now?

Written by Anagha Jayakumar

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:34 IST

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on August 14, 2024. (Photo - Reuters)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday (August 14) that he will be stepping down from the post next month, and will not contest in the upcoming vote to elect a new chief for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Kishida has been having a torrid time in office, his government has been battered by scandals, and his 20% approval rating indicates a disastrous erosion of public trust.

What else is there to know about Fumio Kishida?

Fumio Kishida comes from Hiroshima, and the prime minister, who was born 12 years after the city was destroyed by the first nuclear weapon, lost several members of his family in the bombing. He has always supported nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.

He belongs to a political family, and his father and grandfather served in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Japan’s parliament (Diet).

Kishida himself worked with the erstwhile Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan (now known as Shinsei Bank) for about five years before making his foray into politics. He was elected to the lower house in 1993, and served in several capacities before being appointed minister for foreign affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2012. He remained in the post until 2017, becoming Japan’s longest serving foreign minister.

In September 2021, Kishida became president of the LDP after defeating Taro Kono in a runoff vote to replace the outgoing leader and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. He became prime minister and formed his first cabinet the following month.

Kishida heads the liberal Kōchikai faction of the LDP, currently the fourth-largest faction in the party with 47 members. He is the first leader from this group to serve as prime minister in 30 years.

So why is Prime Minister Kishida resigning?

The prime minister told a press conference on Wednesday that “Politics cannot function without public trust,” a reference to a slush funds scandal that has unfolded over the past year, and severely tarnished the government’s image.

A Nikkei poll has projected the government’s approval rating at just 20% for eight consecutive months until July, down sharply from the 60% rating that Kishida enjoyed when he took office in late 2021.

“It is necessary to show the public the new, changed LDP,” Kishida said. “The most obvious first step toward showing that the party will change is for me to step aside.”

CORRUPTION SCANDAL: In December 2023, allegations surfaced about lawmakers from the LDP’s Seiwa Seisaku Kenyūkai, Shisuikai, and Kōchikai factions having failed to report more than 600 million yen in campaign cash that had been stowed away in illegal slush funds.

Voters who were already struggling with rising living costs, did not take the revelations kindly, and handed Kishida’s party a sobering defeat in all three parliamentary by-elections held in April.

CHURCH SCANDAL: Kishida’s problems were compounded by revelations about his party’s relationship with the controversial Unification Church, regarded locally as a cult, and alleged to have links with the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.

Kishida’s approval ratings were battered by speculation that the Church had influenced public policy, following reports of party members benefiting from the Church’s funding or attending its events.

ECONOMIC POLICY: As PM, Kishida batted for a “new capitalism” to combat decades of slow growth rates and deflation. “During my three years as prime minister and party president, I put an end to the deflationary economy and revived the ‘animal spirits’ of raising wages and promoting investment,” he said.

Kishida attempted to replace the country’s neoliberal policies with a more inclusive stakeholder policy, promising a “virtuous cycle of growth and distribution” of wealth. He batted for wage increases to boost consumption spending and revitalise the middle class.

However, the weak yen effectively negated any policy effect, with anticipation of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve in September only serving to weaken the yen further. The yen is currently at an almost four-decade low against the dollar, which has led to a dramatic increase in the prices of food and vital imports such as fuel. As a consequence, real wages (adjusted for inflation) have in fact worsened in many cases.

Compounding the situation are Japan’s declining birth rate, the rapidly ageing population and rampant income inequality across genders, all long-standing demographic challenges. In June, Kishida passed a law aimed at arresting the decline in the birth rate, expanding child allowances and parental leave.

What will happen after Kishida’s announcement?

The LDP has maintained control over political power in Japan since 1955, barring four years in the 1990s. There is no fear of an ‘opposition’ government coming to power, but the LDP will have a new leader, and Japan a new prime minister.

Campaigning for the party’s presidential race next month kicked off on Thursday (August 15). The Japan Times reported that Kono, who is now the digital minister, LDP secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi, and former LDP secretary-general Shigeru Ishiba could be among the possible replacements for Kishida.

Candidates who secure signatures from 20 LDP lawmakers are eligible to contest for the post. Once the new chief is selected, a parliamentary session will be held to elect the next prime minister, with the candidate winning the majority of votes cast by both houses of parliament taking charge.

Why climate change poses an existential threat to Panama Canal

The Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama, was opened to ships 110 years ago. Today, it faces an existential threat

Written by Arjun Sengupta

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:34 IST

The Gatun Locks at the Panama Canal. (Wikimedia Commons)

The first ship passed through the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914, exactly 110 years ago.

The 82-km canal, which remains one of the greatest feats of engineering in history, is a shortcut for ships travelling between the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans by cutting through the Isthmus of Panama in Central America. It saves approximately 12,600 km in a trip between New York and San Francisco, and is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

While more 36 to 38 ships pass through the canal each day on average, last December, traffic had dropped to as low as 22 ships a day, with more than 160 ships stuck in anchor on both sides of the canal. This is because of the drop in the water levels of Lake Gatun, the artificial reservoir key to the Panama Canal system’s operation, due to a drought.

Traffic now has been restored to upwards of 35 ships a day, experts know that this is a temporary respite, with climate change posing an existential threat to the canal. Here is how.

System of water elevators

The Panama Canal is not a simple channel of water connecting two larger water bodies — it is a sophisticated, highly-engineered system which uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other.

This is needed because the two oceans that the Panama Canal connects do not lie at the same elevation, with the Pacific slightly higher than the Atlantic. This difference means that for a ship entering the canal through the Atlantic, it needs to gain elevation during its journey to the Pacific. This is achieved using a lock system which lifts and drops vessels to the required sea level at either end of the canal.

Basically, locks are either flooded (to gain elevation) or drained (to lose elevation), and act as water elevators. In total, the system comprises three sets of locks — 12 locks in total — which are serviced using artificial lakes and channels. Here is how a set of locks works.

- A ship approaches the first, lowest chamber of a lock, which lies at sea level;

- The locked gate opens to allow the ship into the chamber, and closes behind it;

- The valve between the first and second chamber (at a higher elevation) is opened to increase the water level of the first chamber;

- The gate between the two chambers is opened once the water level is equalised, and the ship enters the next chamber.

Route of the Panama Canal. Source: X/@thepanamaCanal

This process is repeated to gain elevation. The opposite principle works when losing elevation. Ships entering from the Atlantic side first gain 26 m in elevation at Lake Gaitan, before losing some elevation closer to the Pacific side (See Graphic).

Threat of climate change

The Panama Canal needs massive amounts of fresh water to facilitate the passage of ships using this system of locks. Most of this water is supplied from Lake Gatun using the force of gravity (no pumps are needed).

According to a report by The New York Times, the passage of a single ship needs more than 50 million gallons (almost 200 million litres) of water. Thus, every day, the canal uses two-and-a-half times the amount of water consumed by the 8 million residents of New York City.

Last year, lower water levels in Lake Gatun meant that far fewer ships could pass through the canal every day, and those which did pass, often had to reduce their cargo to make the passage. While water from the oceans can be used to work the system of locks, this increases the salinity of Lake Gatun, which is also the source of drinking water for more than half of Panama’s 4.4 million people.

While better rainfall has meant that things are better this year, experts say that this is but a momentary respite. “Rain not only washes the streets, it washes our minds and we think the problem is gone,” Carlos Urriola, president of SSA International, which operates shipping terminals around the world, including at the Panama Canal, told The NYT. “The problem of water is a permanent one.”

This permanent problem stems out of a much greater one which threatens humanity — climate change. Years of extreme rainfall deficits are not unheard of in Panama. But they have become increasingly common, and experts say as Earth heats up further, they might become even more common in the future.

“Historically there has been a [rainfall] shortage on average once every 20 years due to major El Niño events. In the last 26 years this is the third major rainfall deficit. So it seems that something is changing our rainfall patterns,” Steven Paton, a veteran climate change expert at the Panama-based Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, told The Guardian in 2023. What happened in 2023, statistically “has no analogue in the previous 100 years of data,” he said.

A contentious solution

The fix proposed by the Panama Canal authorities is to create a second source of water for the canal by damming the Rio Indio. This is not the first time such a proposal has been made, but previously, an old law made the river untouchable. Last month, Panama’s Supreme Court struck down that limitation, opening doors for the building of a $1.6 billion dam which authorities say will fix the problem for at least the next 50 years.

But not everyone is happy with this proposal. The reservoir which would service the canal during droughts will also flood the homes of 2,000 people, predominantly from the lower socio-economic strata. They will have to be relocated, and will lose lands and livelihoods that they have had for decades.

“They want to relocate us, but we don’t think that way,” Olegario Hernandez, one of the many people who will be displaced by the Rio Indio dam, told The NYT. “There’s no place better.”

With inputs from The New York Times

What is the process for designating senior advocates, how has it changed

The Supreme Court designated 39 lawyers as senior advocates on Monday. Who are senior advocates? And what is the process for their selection?

Written by Ajoy Sinha Karpuram

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:36 IST

Advocates outside the Chief Justice's Court in the Supreme Court. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 14) designated 39 lawyers, including 10 women, as senior advocates.

Among those who received the designation are Indra Sawhney, who filed the case which led to the landmark 1992 SC ruling which placed a 50% ceiling for reservations, the Additional Advocate General of Punjab Shadan Farasat, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, and the Vice-President of the Bar Association of India Anindita Pujari.

These designations were given based on new guidelines which were delivered on May 12, 2023, by a three-judge Bench led by Justice S K Kaul in a case seeking modifications to the 2018 guidelines on how the ‘senior advocate’ designation is granted.

What is a senior advocate?

Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961 prescribes two different classes of advocates, “senior advocates and other advocates”. As Justice Kaul said in his May 2023 decision, the designation of senior advocate is “a mark of excellence to advocates who have distinguished themselves and have made a significant contribution to the development of the legal profession. It identifies advocates whose standing and achievements would justify an expectation…that they can provide outstanding services as advocates in the best interest of the administration of justice.”

Section 16 also states that senior advocates may be subject to certain additional restrictions. For those designated by the SC, these restrictions can be found in the Supreme Court Rules, 2013. They are barred from filing a vakalatnama, appearing before a court without a junior or an advocate-on-record, doing drafting work, or directly accepting briefs for cases from clients.

What do the latest guidelines for the designation of senior advocates say?

The Chief Justice of India, along with any other Supreme Court judge, can recommend in writing the name of an advocate for the designation.

The new guidelines prescribe the minimum age as 45 years to apply for the ‘senior advocate’ designation. This age limit may, however, be relaxed by the Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates (more on that later), the CJI, or a Supreme Court judge, if they have recommended an advocate’s name. No minimum age was prescribed under the 2018 guidelines.

Applicants for the designation are graded out of 100 marks, with new guidelines reserving only 5 marks in total for the “publication of academic articles, experience of teaching assignments in the field of law,” and “guest lectures delivered in law schools and professional institutions connected with law”. Previously, 15 marks were set aside for publications.

On the other hand, the weightage given to reported and unreported judgements (excluding orders that do not lay down any principle of law) has increased from 40 to 50 points in the new guidelines.

What did the 2018 guidelines say? Why did they come into effect?

In October 2018, the SC released a list of ‘Guidelines to Regulate the Conferment of Designation of Senior Advocates’. The guidelines discouraged the system of ‘voting by secret ballot’, except in cases where it was “unavoidable”. They also created a ‘Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates’ (henceforth, the Committee) which is chaired by the CJI and comprises the two senior-most SC judges, the Attorney General of India, and a “member of the Bar” nominated by the chair and other members.

The CJI or any other judge could recommend the name of an advocate for designation. Alternatively, advocates could submit their applications to the ‘permanent secretariat’ (henceforth, the Secretariat), which would evaluate them on various criteria including years of legal practice as an advocate, district judge, or a judicial member of an Indian tribunal.

These guidelines came into effect following an October 12, 2017 SC verdict by a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi on a plea filed by Senior Advocate Indira Jaising for greater transparency in the designation process. Jaisingh, India’s first woman senior advocate, had challenged the existing process as “opaque”, “arbitrary,” and “fraught with nepotism.”

Prior to 2018, Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961, governed the appointment of senior advocates. It stated that “There shall be two classes of advocates, namely, senior advocates and other advocates”, and allowed for a senior advocate designation “if the Supreme Court or a High Court” was of the opinion that by “virtue of his ability, standing at the Bar, or special knowledge or experience in law, he is deserving of such distinction.” The Chief Justice and other judges made this designation.

The 2017 judgment made provisions for the establishment of the Secretariat, which would handle applications, publish proposals on the official website of the concerned court and invite suggestions, and subsequently forward applications to the Committee. The Commitee would then interview a candidate, and make an overall evaluation based on a point system. After approval, a candidate’s name would be forwarded to the Full Court to decide on the basis of the majority. The Full Court could also recall the designation of a senior advocate.

Why were new guidelines issued in 2023?

On February 16, 2023, the Centre filed an application for the modification of the guidelines before the SC. In its application, the Centre challenged the “point-based system”, which awarded 40 per cent weightage to publications, personality, and suitability gauged through the interview. It argued that this system is subjective, ineffective, and dilutes the “esteem and dignity of the honour being conferred traditionally”, citing the rampant circulation of “bogus” and “sham” journals where people could publish their articles without any academic evaluation of the contents and quality of the articles, by “paying a nominal amount”.

Further, the Centre argued that the current requirements for designation are “extraneous” and have resulted in “ousting otherwise eligible candidates” based on factors that are “not germane to the issue of being designated as a Senior Advocate.

Lastly, the application sought to reinstate the rule of a simple majority by a secret ballot, where the judges can express their views about the suitability of any candidate “without any embarrassment,” reasoning that the secret ballot will minimise campaigning for votes by lawyers.

However, the May 2023 ruling upheld the 2018 guidelines but reduced the number of marks awarded for publications from 15 to 5. The court also clarified that voting by secret ballot was meant to be used in exceptional circumstances, adding that if it has to be resorted to, the reasons for the same should be recorded.

A look back at one of Independent India’s first Govt-led art exhibitions, which left MF Husain ‘exhilarated’

From the Indus Valley ‘Dancing Girl’ to Pahari paintings, the 1948 exhibition showcased major textiles, paintings and sculptures of India.

Written by Vandana Kalra

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:36 IST

Gujarat's Patola sari, Mughal paintings and the Rampurva Bull from Bihar were some of the cultural objects on display at the exhibition. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

In 1947, when Indian artists were still developing a distinct modernist idiom for the newly independent nation, the Indian government decided to celebrate Indian art and its heritage through an exhibition.

Titled “Exhibition of Indian Art”, the show spanned centuries — from the Indus Valley Civilisation more than 4,500 years ago to bronzes of the late medieval period and Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures. It was held in the grand halls of the Government House, now called the Rashtrapati Bhavan, between November 6 and December 31, 1948.

The exhibition attracted stalwarts of Indian art, including FN Souza and MF Husain. In K Bikram Singh’s 2008 book on Husain, the artist was quoted: “The exhibition left me both humbled and exhilarated. It was like scaling a mountain and then discovering a whole new range of mountains. Looking at the forms of the Gupta sculptures, experiencing the innocence of Indian folk art and seeing the rawness of colours in Basholi and Pahadi paintings, I knew I had stumbled upon something priceless”.

The conceptualisation

Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts in London with help from the Government of India, the exhibition was first held at Burlington House in London between November 29, 1947, and February 29, 1948. Marking the transfer of power in India, it featured works from museums and private collections.

“For over 2,000 years India has witnessed intense creative activity in the field of sculpture, painting, textile, metal-casting and other minor arts. This rich heritage is being gradually rediscovered both in the West and in India itself. As a means to that end the Royal Academy of Arts took up the idea of holding an Indian Exhibition for the purpose of displaying to the public in the West typical masterpieces of the art of India,” noted the preface of the catalogue published for the exhibition in India.

It added how there was substantial nationwide interest when the material arrived back from England in June-August 1948, and the Ministry of Education decided to hold an exhibition in India before the collection was dispersed. An attempt “towards stock-taking of the art heritage of India”, it was also to vitalise the country’s future cultural programme.

The different sections and highlights

The exhibition broadly had three main interests: sculptures, paintings and textiles.

SCULPTURES: The earliest exhibits belonged to the third century BC, like artefacts from the Mohenjo-daro and Harappan civilisation. This included the famous bronze “Dancing Girl” statue from Mohenjo-daro and Indus Valley seals.

The ‘Dancing girl’ statue from the Indus Valley Civilisation. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

A mammoth stone bull, which once surmounted a tall Asokan pillar at Rampurva in Bihar, represented the Mauryan period. It remains at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. From the Gupta age (fourth-fifth century AD), Buddha figures from Sarnath and Bodhgaya were placed. Sculptures in varied mediums, from terracotta to bronze, were presented.

PAINTINGS: The Ajanta paintings were represented in the exhibition with a copy in original size and colour of the Avalokiteshvara Padmapani, the compassionate Buddha of blue lotus.

Avalokiteshvara Padmapani, the compassionate Buddha of blue lotus, at Ajanta. (Via Wikimedia Commons)

The 16th-17th century Rajputana paintings on display included the famous Ragamala miniature paintings. Pahari school and Deccan paintings were also showcased. From the Mughal era, there were paintings from Hamzanama, a book of romantic tales that Akbar had a fondness for.

TEXTILES: With their 2,000 year-old history, Indian textiles occupied a place of pride in the exhibition. A specimen of Dacca muslin, measuring 10 yards and weighing eight tolas, was received from Calcutta for it.

Patola designs from Gujarat, gold kimkhab brocades from across India, tie-and-dye fabrics from Sanganer and Gujarat, chain-stitch embroideries from Kathiawar, Chikan work from Lucknow, phulkari chaddars from Punjab, and embroidered shawls from Kashmir were also included.

Floor plan for the exhibition

According to the exhibition catalogue, it was C Rajagopalachari, the then Governor-General of India, who offered the State Rooms in the Government House for the exhibition.

Floor plan of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. (Via Archaeological Survey of India)

While the Open Court displayed heavy sculptures of the early and late periods, the vestibule had objects from the Indus Valley, Maurya and Sunga sculptures, and Mughal carpets. The iconic Durbar Hall had, among others, Kushana and Gupta sculptures of Mathura School, sculptures from Amaravati Stupa, and finds from Taxila.

While the ‘long drawing room’ showcased Pala and Western Indian paintings and textiles, the ‘north drawing room’ had arms and armour, Deccan paintings, manuscripts and textiles. Other spaces in the Rashtrapati Bhavan also held the exhibits.

Telling Numbers: How many US Vice Presidents have gone on to become President

It is fairly common for vice presidents to run for the top job after their term. But very few of them actually succeed.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:36 IST

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her Presidential Campaign headquarters in Wilmington. (Reuters/File)

Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. This makes her the latest US Vice President to try for the top job. According from the Pew Research Center:

49 people have served as the Vice President of the US.

29 Vice Presidents have gone on to formally seek a party’s presidential nomination, either immediately after their vice presidency or later on.

10 of these vice presidents have successfully secured the top job.

The trend of Vice Presidents seeking the presidency has become more common in modern times.

15 of 18 Vice Presidents have launched presidential campaigns, since the first term of President Franklin D Roosevelt began in 1933.

5 of these 15 have emerged victorious. They are Democrats Harry Truman, Lyndon B Johnson and Joe Biden, and Republicans Richard Nixon and George H W Bush.

This list does not include Gerald R Ford, who took over as President following Richard Nixon’s resignation, but lost the subsequent election to Jimmy Carter. This is unlike Truman (FDR’s successor) and Johnson (Kennedy’s successor) who won subsequent presidential elections.

3 modern Vice Presidents — Henry Wallace (1948), Walter Mondale (1984), and Al Gore (2000) — have won their party’s nomination but lost the general election.

5 modern Vice Presidents — John Nance Garner (1940), Alben Barkley (1952), Hubert Humphrey (1972), Dan Quayle (2000), and Mike Pence (2024) — have failed to secure their party’s nomination.

What is the role of campaign cash in the US presidential election?

In the US, election campaigns cost billions of dollars. The money comes mainly from billionaires and business leaders hoping to gain influence. Will the candidate who raises the most money win?

By: Deutsche Welle

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 12:36 IST

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees (left); Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees (right) (Photos - New York Times)

Written by Insa Wrede

There is most probably no other political office in the world that requires so deep a pocket to win than that of the president of the United States. During their 2020 campaigns, then incumbent President Donald Trump and his challenger, Joe Biden, spent a combined $5.7 billion (€5.2 billion) to win over the hearts and minds of voters — a new record for a US presidential election, according to OpenSecrets, a US nonprofit which tracks and monitors campaign finance and lobbying.

This year’s presidential campaigns are seemingly running just as smoothly when it comes to funds, with the war chest of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s candidate, bulging from the $310 million she reportedly received in donations in July alone.

In the same month, Republican Party candidate and former US President Donald Trump claimed to have received about $138 million in contributions, news agency Reuters reported.

The huge sums are raised not only through donations from countless small donors, but mainly from the superrich and corporate America.

Money makes US politics

It’s no secret that those donating to fundraising campaigns often hope to foster their own goals with their contributions.

LinkedIn co-founder and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman, for example, made a $7 million contribution to the Democratic campaign, telling television news channel CNN later that he isn’t happy with the head of the US Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, who was “waging war on American business.” He openly expressed his hope that Harris would “replace” her.

Trump, meanwhile, has also received political and financial backing from big donors, including Timothy Mellon, scion of the Pittsburgh banking family, who has put $50 million behind Trump. Tech investor David Sacks and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are also backing Trump.

Close allies of Musk have formed a so-called super PAC to support Trump, which is expected to pump millions of dollars into Trump’s reelection campaign. No Musk donations to the group have yet been disclosed to the Federal Election Commission, but those close to the billionaire have said he is expected to financially support the effort.

The so-called super Political Action Committees (super PACs) are independent political organizations to which donors can give unlimited amounts of money, while donations to individuals or non-super PACs are capped.

During a live chat with Elon Musk on his social media platform X on Monday, August 12, Trump signaled his willingness to offer the Tesla CEO a role in his administration in a proposed so-called government efficiency commission. “I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that takes a look at these things and just ensures that taxpayer money… is spent in a good way,” said Musk. “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.”

Supreme Court ruling opened donation spigots

In 2010, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that’s become a landmark in campaign-funding jurisdiction. Jörg Hebenstreit, an expert on US domestic politics and campaign finance at the University of Jena in Germany, described it as a turning point in US politics.

The court ruled that “corporations may enjoy the same rights as natural persons,” meaning that any restriction on political campaign financing is ultimately censorship, which is illegal. “Since 2010, you can basically raise as much money as you want, whether you’re a corporation, a bank, a union, an interest group, or a wealthy individual,” Hebenstreit told DW.

However, there are restrictions on direct donations. Currently, an individual can donate a maximum of $6,600 directly to candidates and their teams in the primary and general elections. In addition, there is the option to support a preferred candidate through PACs. Most PACs represent businesses, unions or interest groups and collect donations from members or employees. Individuals can donate up to $5,000 per year to such PACs. They can also give up to $41,300 per year to national party organizations.

The super PAC workaround

However, those seeking to donate more than the mandated limits can establish super PACs which are essentially independent lobbying groups. The condition is that their advertising must not be directly coordinated with the candidates’ campaigns. This condition is officially monitored by the Federal Election Commission. But Hebestreit said that the “coordination ban” can be “circumvented through dozens of loopholes.”

According to OpenSecrets, during the current campaigns for US president, some 2,257 super PACs have already been formed. They’ve collected a combined $2 billion in donations, of which some $700 million have already been spent.

James Davis, a US political scientist from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, told DW that the sums are “staggering” and that analysts have “never seen anything like this before.”

Does campaign money wield influence?

But Hebestreit pointed out that research had shown that donations “actually have little effect” in US presidential campaigns. “Both candidates are usually well-known, and whether they invest another $100 million ultimately has no impact on the actual election outcome,” he said.

Davis believes a minimum level of donations is certainly necessary to build a party organization for the campaign, and that it’s “crucial” to motivate people to actually go to the polls. “At the end of the day, though, it’s important to have a message that resonates with voters,” he added, pointing to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, which raised much more money than her rival Trump, but still didn’t help her win.

What often happens, though, is that big donors are able to secure influence on politics even after the election. “When someone donates millions it won’t be a coincidence if that person eventually receives an invitation to an event where the newly elected president just happens to be present,” said Davis.

Hebestreit added that some donors are even offered Cabinet posts, ambassadorial jobs or other diplomatic positions, which open up doors to the corridors of power in the administration.

Much despised, but essential in US politics

According to an opinion poll conducted by the Washington-based Pew Research Center, seven out of 10 US adults want limits on the amount individuals or organizations can donate to political campaigns. Eight out of 10 respondents believe people who donate money to political campaigns have too much influence on the decisions of Congress members, the independent nonpartisan think tank found.

However, Hebenstreit believes there is little chance of curbing these financial flows because a change in the laws would require a political majority in Congress, which is currently lacking. After all, one reason why US campaigns are so expensive is that unlike those in other countries, they cannot rely on public campaign financing, he added.

Additionally, the entire party apparatus has to be rebuilt for each presidential election, Davis explained. “You could almost say that a party only comes together on a federal level every four years, which means that this organization has to be rebuilt every four years, in 50 states and in the respective districts,” he said.

And finally, in a media-driven country like the US where most of the big networks are in private hands, running nationwide campaigns costs a lot of money.

Business

- Centre finalises tender to procure 1,000 GPUs under IndiaAI Mission

- India’s fuel exports to Europe shift entirely to larger route around Africa amid attacks on ships in Red Sea

- Sensex jumps 1,330 pts to 2-week high on easing US recession fears, rate cut hopes

- Gold plunges Rs 400; silver rallies Rs 800

- Sensex climbs 1.68%, Nifty ends above 24,500 on positive global cues

- Harnessing demographic dividend amid geopolitical tensions key challenge for policymakers: PM’s top aide

- Centre’s guidelines for special assistance to states finalised, Rs 10,000 crore for land reforms

Centre finalises tender to procure 1,000 GPUs under IndiaAI Mission

Government may require compute providers to localise data within India

Written by Soumyarendra Barik

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:59 IST

Successful bidders will have to ensure availability of AI compute capacity for consumption – a demand of up to 100 AI compute hours shall be met immediately and up to 500 AI compute hours shall be met within two days and demand of more than 500 hours of AI compute shall be met within a week.

The government has finalised a tender document to procure 1,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of its ambitious IndiaAI Mission and offer computing capacity to Indian start-ups, researchers, public sector agencies and other entities approved by the government, The Indian Express has learnt. A requirement of data localisation has also been considered in the tender.

The move is part of the Rs 10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission to establish a computing capacity of more than 10,000 GPUs and also help develop foundational models with a capacity of more than 100 billion parameters trained on datasets covering major Indian languages for priority sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance. The idea is that if such an infrastructure exists in the country, start-ups could plug into it for developing AI systems.

Computing capacity, or compute, is among the most important elements of building a large AI system, apart from algorithmic innovation and data sets. It is also one of the most difficult elements to procure for smaller businesses looking to train and build such AI systems, given the high costs.

The tender, which is for a tenth of the GPUs originally envisioned, is the first phase of the implementation of the IndiaAI Mission. It comes after the Ministry of Electronics and IT was allocated Rs 551.75 crore for the programme in the Union Budget 2024. Last month, The Indian Express had reported that the work on the tender was complete and it could be released soon.

“IndiaAI is looking to empanel AI services on cloud and offer the services to academia, MSMEs, startups, research community, governments, public sector agencies and other entities approved by IndiaAI,” the tender said.

As per the document, a consortium of partner companies can bid, with one of them designated as primary partner and the others as secondary. The maximum number of partners in a consortium will be three. Bidders can only be Indian entities incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, LLP Act, 2008, or Partnership Act, 1932.

Members of the consortium could be data centre providers, cloud services providers, or a system integrator with experience in cloud implementation. The primary partner of a consortium must have an average annual turnover of more than Rs 100 crore for the last three financial years. One key condition of the tender is that all AI services are to be delivered from data centres in India. “Data uploaded to their cloud platform by end users should not be sent outside the sovereign territory of India in any form (anonymous/pseudonymous/encrypted, etc.),” the tender said.

Successful bidders will have to ensure availability of AI compute capacity for consumption – a demand of up to 100 AI compute hours shall be met immediately and up to 500 AI compute hours shall be met within two days and demand of more than 500 hours of AI compute shall be met within a week.

Of India’s Rs 10,370 crore plan, the implementation of computing infrastructure will be done through a public-private partnership model with 50 per cent viability gap funding. If the compute prices come down, the private entity will have to add more compute capacity within the same budgeted amount to meet increased demand. Of the total outlay, Rs 4,564 crore has been earmarked for building computing infrastructure.

Soumyarendra Barik

Soumyarendra Barik is Special Correspondent with The Indian Express and reports on the intersection of technology, policy and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he has reported on issues of gig workers’ rights, privacy, India’s prevalent digital divide and a range of other policy interventions that impact big tech companies. He once also tailed a food delivery worker for over 12 hours to quantify the amount of money they make, and the pain they go through while doing so. In his free time, he likes to nerd about watches, Formula 1 and football. ... Read More

India’s fuel exports to Europe shift entirely to larger route around Africa amid attacks on ships in Red Sea

As per ship tracking data, not even one Europe-bound fuel taker that set sail from India in June and July took the Red Sea route, which used to be the mainstay of India’s exports to Europe and other Western markets.

Written by Sukalp Sharma

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2024 07:50 IST

Prior to the Red Sea security crisis, tankers hauling fuels from India to Europe rarely opted for the longer route around the African continent and depended almost entirely on the Red Sea-Suez Canal route.

With no signs of a let up in threat to ships transiting the Red Sea, India’s petroleum product exports to Europe have shifted entirely to the significantly longer and costlier, albeit safer, route around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

As per ship tracking data, not even one Europe-bound fuel taker that set sail from India in June and July took the Red Sea route, which used to be the mainstay of India’s exports to Europe and other Western markets. In fact, this has been the story largely over the past five months, with the exception of a few isolated cargoes that took the seemingly perilous route in March and May.

Since late last year, numerous cargo ships have come under attack from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which leads to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, forming the shortest, although narrow, route to the Mediterranean Sea and beyond from the Arab Peninsula, North-East Africa, and the Arabian Sea. The route is seen as an important artery of global goods and energy supplies. The Houthis have been claiming that they are targeting vessels with links to Israel and its allies in response to its military offensive in Gaza.

As per trade sources, taking the Cape of Good Hope route instead of the Suez Canal adds 15-20 days to the voyage to Europe from India, apart from significantly inflating the freight costs. Higher risk premiums and longer voyages have hit movement of goods between Asia and Europe, and Asia and North America in terms of significantly higher freight rates.

Prior to the Red Sea security crisis, tankers hauling fuels from India to Europe rarely opted for the longer route around the African continent and depended almost entirely on the Red Sea-Suez Canal route.

“Stemming from shippers’ preference for safe voyages, even if it comes at the expense of cost and time, the Suez Canal has effectively stopped being a regular waterway for India’s exporters. As a consequence, India’s (petroleum) product exports to Europe dropped by 25 per cent between H2 (July-December) 2023 and H1 (January-June) 2024,” said Viktor Katona, head of crude analysis at commodity market analytics firm Kpler.

India’s fuel exports to Europe in July were nearly flat sequentially at a little over 276,000 barrels per day (bpd), with all shipments choosing to take the longer route around Africa, just like in June, per Kpler’s vessel tracking data.

The data shows that India’s petroleum fuel exports to Europe in recent months have edged lower—at around 250,000-300,000 bpd—from the all-time high of around 425,000 bpd in December 2023. India’s overall fuel exports, however, are stable at around 1.2 million bpd with increased dispatches to Asian markets and Australia offsetting the decline in supplies to Europe.

“Asia is the market India is focusing on right now, and the Middle East has stepped in for Europe’s petroleum product needs, mostly on the diesel and jet fuel side,” Katona said.

With attacks on merchant vessels in and around the Red Sea intensifying in recent weeks amid growing concerns over the possibility of the Israel-Hamas conflict developing into a wider Middle Eastern crisis with increasing involvement of Iran, other regional players, and even Western powers, it is highly unlikely that the Red Sea-Suez Canal route would find favour with shippers anytime soon.

India was traditionally not the biggest of fuel sources for Europe, with the continent depending heavily on Russia for energy imports. However, in the aftermath of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as Europe started shunning Russian crude oil and fuels, India emerged as the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude and also a major fuel supplier to Europe with all such shipments passing through the Red Sea.

Notably, the movement of Russian oil through the Suez Canal-Red Sea route has largely been immune to the prevailing crisis as Russia is perceived as Iran’s ally and Yemen’s Houthi rebels are evidently backed by Tehran.

“Indian refiners import their Russian barrels on a delivered basis, which means they don’t really have a say in what routes would be taken for those cargoes…Generally speaking, most of Russian (crude oil) exports to India still go through the Suez Canal, so in terms of exposure still some 40 per cent of Indian (oil) imports rely on the Egyptian waterway,” Katona said.

Prior to December 2023, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea accounted for around 10 per cent of global crude oil flows and 14 per cent of petroleum product flows. But as a number of major shipping companies are now avoiding the route, choosing instead to go around Africa, the share of global oil and petroleum product flows passing through the Suez Canal has dropped significantly. Russian crude, however, stands out as an exception.

Sukalp Sharma

Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. Before joining The Indian Express, Sukalp had long and enriching stints at financial newswire Informist and the Express Group’s pink paper The Financial Express. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More

Sensex jumps 1,330 pts to 2-week high on easing US recession fears, rate cut hopes

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,330.96 points or 1.68 per cent to settle at 80,436.84, marking its best single-day gains in more than two months. During the day, it zoomed 1,412.33 points or 1.78 per cent to 80,518.21.

By: PTI

Mumbai | August 16, 2024 20:37 IST

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,330.96 points or 1.68 per cent to settle at 80,436.84, marking its best single-day gains in more than two months. (Express Archives)

Benchmark Sensex spurted by 1,330 points to close at a two-week high while Nifty jumped 397 points to settle above the 24,500 level on Friday as easing fears of a recession in the US triggered buying in IT shares amid a sharp global stocks rally.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,330.96 points or 1.68 per cent to settle at 80,436.84, marking its best single-day gains in more than two months. During the day, it zoomed 1,412.33 points or 1.78 per cent to 80,518.21.

The NSE Nifty surged 397.40 points or 1.65 per cent to close at a two-week high of 24,541.15. As many as 47 Nifty shares closed in green while three closed in red. From Sensex firms, Tech Mahindra, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, UltraTech Cement, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, ICICI Bank and Tata Steel were the biggest gainers. Sun Pharma emerged as the only laggard.

“The stability of the Japanese Yen has been instrumental in driving a global market recovery. Besides that, the strong US retail sales and a decline in weekly jobless claims have helped alleviate fears of a US recession.

“Further, the market sentiment has improved due to a decrease in US CPI inflation. On the backdrop of these, the Indian IT firms exhibited strong buying interest,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled significantly higher. European markets were trading mostly in the green. The US markets ended with sharp gains on Thursday.

“The Indian frontline indices traded significantly higher today, mirroring the positive global market sentiment. The gains in the market were broad-based as the midcap and smallcap indices also moved higher. This upbeat market mood was primarily driven by reduced volatility, which stemmed from increased expectations of a US rate cut in September,” Avdhut Bagkar, Technical and Derivatives Analyst, StoxBox, said.

In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge jumped 1.80 per cent and smallcap index climbed 1.70 per cent. All indices ended higher. IT index soared 2.72 per cent and realty jumped 2.45 per cent. Teck (2.23 per cent), auto (1.90 per cent), commodities (1.89 per cent), power (1.80 per cent), financial services (1.77 per cent) and consumer discretionary (1.74 per cent) also closed higher.

A total of 2,462 stocks advanced while 1,467 declined and 107 remained unchanged on the BSE. On the weekly front, the BSE benchmark jumped 730.93 points or 0.91 per cent, the Nifty climbed 173.65 points or 0.71 per cent. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 2,595.27 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were buyers as they bought equities worth Rs 2,236.21 crore, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 1.22 per cent to USD 80.05 a barrel. Indian stock markets were closed on Thursday on account of Independence Day.

Gold plunges Rs 400; silver rallies Rs 800

Gold of 99.5 per cent purity declined by Rs 400 to Rs 72,400 per 10 grams.

By: PTI

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 18:34 IST

On the global front, Comex gold is trading at USD 2,500.90 per ounce, up by USD 8.50 per ounce. (File Photo)

Gold prices plunged Rs 400 to Rs 72,750 per 10 grams in the national capital on Friday, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

The precious metal had closed at Rs 73,150 per 10 grams in the previous session.

The commodity markets were closed on Thursday on the occasion of Independence Day. Silver prices rallied Rs 800 to Rs 84,000 per kilogram from Rs 83,200 per kg in the previous close.

Meanwhile, gold of 99.5 per cent purity declined by Rs 400 to Rs 72,400 per 10 grams. In the previous session, it ended at Rs 72,800 per 10 grams.

On the global front, Comex gold is trading at USD 2,500.90 per ounce, up by USD 8.50 per ounce. “Gold rose slightly on Friday as geopolitical uncertainty continued to provide support for precious metals. However, stronger US retail sales and jobless claim data released on Thursday suggest robust consumer spending, reducing concerns about recession risk in the US and dampening aggressive interest rate-cut expectations, potentially limiting further gains in precious metals,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst of Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.

However, silver was quoting lower at USD 28.66 per ounce in the international markets.

“Comex gold closed 0.5 per cent higher at USD 2,492.4 per ounce on Thursday, as mixed US data with easing Consumer Price Index inflation and stronger retail sales did not provide any fresh insights on the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy path,” Kaynat Chainwala, AVP-Commodity Research at Kotak Securities, said.

Sensex climbs 1.68%, Nifty ends above 24,500 on positive global cues

The BSE's Sensex rose 1.68 per cent, or 1,330.96 points to close 80,436.84 while Nifty 50 surged 1.65 per cent, or 397.4, to finish at 24,541.15.

Written by Hitesh Vyas

Mumbai | Updated: August 16, 2024 18:38 IST

Domestically, the Indian CPI inflation rate has fallen below the estimate, signalling optimism. (File)

Written by Hitesh Vyas and Agneya Dhingra

Indian stock market indices Sensex and Nifty surged over 1.6 per cent on Friday as softer US inflation data raised hopes of rate cut in September by the US Federal Reserve.

The BSE’s Sensex rose 1.68 per cent, or 1,330.96 points to close 80,436.84 while Nifty 50 surged 1.65 per cent, or 397.4, to finish at 24,541.15.

The US CPI inflation rose 2.9 per cent for the 12 months ending July, the smallest 12-month increase since March 2021.

“Positive US economic data like cooling inflation and robust retail sales numbers shrugged off recession fears while talks of a rate cut by the US Fed as early as next month fuelled a mega rally across global equities, including India,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd.

While local markets remained in positive territory throughout the session, buying opportunities emerged for local investors after the recent slump with banking, IT, auto, metal and realty stocks leading the upsurge, he said.

“The stability of the JPY (Japanese Yen) has been instrumental in driving a global market recovery. Besides that, the strong US retail sales and a decline in weekly jobless claims have helped alleviate fears of a US recession. Further, the market sentiment has improved due to a decrease in the US CPI inflation,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

On Thursday, Wall Street’s main indexes closed higher, with the Nasdaq rising more than 2 per cent after July US retail sales data hinted at resilient consumer spending, calming fears of an imminent recession in the world’s largest economy.

“Retail sales increased 1 per cent after a downwardly revised 0.2 per cent drop in June, easing fears of a sharp economic slowdown blown by a jump in the unemployment rate last week. A separate reading also showed the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell unexpectedly last week,” said Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities.

Domestically, the Indian CPI inflation rate has fallen below the estimate, signalling optimism.

After remaining above the 4 per cent mark for nearly five years, retail inflation slipped below this level to a 59-month low of 3.54 per cent in July mainly due to a high base effect, recent data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed. Food inflation rate also slipped to a 13-month low of 5.42 per cent in July from 9.36 per cent in June.

“However, challenges such as a drop in WPI inflation, weak IIP, and lukewarm Q1 corporate earnings suggest that market gains may be limited, which is reflected by FIIs maintaining a net seller position,” Nair said.

During the week, broader domestic indices ended with gains. BSE Sensex, Nifty-50, BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices posted weekly gains of upto 1 per cent.

On the sectoral front, BSE IT and BSE Realty index saw healthy weekly gains.

“BSE Metal index declined on a weekly basis as the Supreme Court allowed states to levy tax and royalty on minerals, apart from central duties, and collect past dues,” said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.

The NSE firms that gained the most included Wipro Ltd (4.23 per cent), Tech Mahindra Ltd (3.98 per cent), Grasim Industries (3.65 per cent), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (3.45 per cent) and Tata Motors (3.36 per cent).

On Friday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought Rs 766.52 crore worth of Indian equities, while domestic institutional investors purchased Rs 2,606.18 crore of shares.

Harnessing demographic dividend amid geopolitical tensions key challenge for policymakers: PM’s top aide

To become a developed country by 2047, India needs to go beyond achieving the desired level of per capita income to achieve “more inclusive and innovative” economy, with women leading the development story, he said

Written by Aanchal Magazine

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:53 IST

Mishra also outlined the risks from use of technology and energy transition on growth. (Express Archives)

Harnessing demographic dividend, geopolitical tensions, declining globalisation and rising economic nationalism, impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and climate change are some of the challenges that need to be addressed both through policy and action, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra said on Friday.

To become a developed country by 2047, India needs to go beyond achieving the desired level of per capita income to achieve “more inclusive and innovative” economy, with women leading the development story, he said at the Diamond Jubilee conference organised by Delhi School of Economics.

“We can do many things in the Budget and also as a policy. But there are challenges, which we must be aware of and try to address. Some of those I would like to mention, like, for example, harnessing demographic dividend. Though we talk about demographic dividend and we’ll be having this for the next many years. Geopolitical tensions, declining globalisation and rising economic nationalism, impact of emerging technologies and of course climate change. These are some of the challenges we should try to address both in our policy and our action,” Mishra said.

Mishra said there is a need for India to be Atmanirbhar (self reliant) critical areas. “We should achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability, in order to withstand disruptions of the supply chain. India needs to become Atmanirbhar in critical areas,” he said.

The Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned how export-led growth won’t be easy amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the world. He enlisted the recent trends in challenges by citing instances of how amid geopolitical tensions, governments are pursuing onshoring and friend-shoring of production, which have consequent impact on transportation, logistic costs, resulting in increased price of production.

“Recent events in the Red Sea have caused concern for reliance on the global supply chain. In other words, export-led development will not be easy because many East Asian countries had the benefit of export-led growth, which in today’s context will have some challenges,” he said.

Mishra also outlined the risks from use of technology and energy transition on growth. “Artificial Intelligence poses challenges for growth in service trade and employment because technology might affect the cost competitiveness of countries exporting digital services. Third, the challenge of energy transition in the context of focusing on reducing carbon emission, achieving trade off between economic growth and energy transition is not going to be easy because when we talk about reducing emission, reducing coal, there will be challenges for our growth,” he said.

With development of technologies that are to a large extent, labour saving, there is a need to look at employment potential of economic growth, Mishra said, adding that it is important in order to maximise India’s demographic dividend. “It is essential to ensure employment of the largest possible section of the population, especially the youth,” he said.

Making a reference to the Washington consensus concept by John Williamson that was widely followed as a set of economic policy recommendations for developing countries for two decades, Mishra pointed out the need to revisit some policy approaches in the current concept of globalisation.

“Many people argue that globalisation, as we know it, will have to be replaced by a new understanding that rebalances national needs and needs of a healthy global economy that facilitate global trade and long-term foreign investment. Possibly the new globalisation model will be less intrusive, acknowledging the needs of all countries, not just major powers. So some of the recommendations and policy approaches based on globalisation, probably have to be revisited,” he said.

Citing the experience from COVID-19 pandemic, Mishra said that many referred to it as a Black Swan event and there is a need to bridge the gap between traditional disaster and risk management, and risk management in an uncertain environment. “The traditional disaster risk management paradigm is attuned to using analysis of past events, their frequency, intensity and impact, to quantify a risk and devise risk management strategies for the future,” he said.

Giving reference to Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s 2012 book ‘Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder’, he said the concept of antifragility is important as it is beyond robustness and resilience, especially in times of Black Swan problems. “…proliferating global networks, both physical and virtual, lead to more interdependent and fragile systems. Not only risks such as pathogens, but computer virus, hacking of information networks, reckless actions of financial institutions, or particular acts of terror can also make a system fragile. Any adverse event can cause a rolling and widening collapse, a Black Swan event. The failure of a single transformer can collapse the electricity grid,” Mishra said.

He further said that with increasing digitisation and global interdependence, there is a risk of a small incident developing into a Black Swan event. “As we are developing the technology, developing the interdependence globally, everything depends on digitisation. So that can also cause Black Swan events and any small incident can do that,” he said, adding that there are suggestions to decentralise systems and to have separate subsystems and these conceptual factors have to be addressed if India wants to have sustainable development and become a developed country.

Mishra said the role of analytical models is important noting the uncertainty in today’s times. “The whole concept of globalisation is probably changing. It is in this context that the role of economists, role of analytical models are also important because very often the word academic, when we talk in the bureaucratic context or political context, in a meeting, suppose, you talk about some concept, somebody will comment — it is all academic. That term academic is used in some sense, as something not practical, but I feel that unless you are able to conceptualise right from the beginning, because many of our policy measures do not get the intended results because we have not analysed all the aspects, all the scenarios, all the uncertainties which are there,” he said.

Aanchal Magazine

Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 12 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there.   ... Read More

Centre’s guidelines for special assistance to states finalised, Rs 10,000 crore for land reforms

The financial outlays for these activities are significant, as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget Speech on July 23, announced that the Centre will incentivise land-related reforms by state governments.

Written by Harikishan Sharma

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 09:05 IST

In urban areas, fiscal incentives will be provided for the digitization of land records using GIS mapping and the establishment of an information technology-based system for property record administration, updating, and tax administration.

The Centre has decided to provide states with Rs 10,000 crore in incentives for implementing land-related reforms in rural and urban areas, and Rs 5,000 crore for creating a Farmers’ Registry during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).

The funds will be provided under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25. The Ministry of Finance has finalised the guidelines for the scheme and circulated them to the states on August 9, according to a source.

The financial outlays for these activities are significant, as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget Speech on July 23, announced that the Centre will incentivise land-related reforms by state governments. She also announced that details of six crore farmers and their lands will be included in the farmer and land registries.

According to sources, states will need to undertake land-related reforms in rural areas, which include the assignment of a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar for all lands; digitisation of cadastral maps; survey of map sub-divisions according to current ownership; and the establishment of a land registry.

In urban areas, fiscal incentives will be provided for the digitization of land records using GIS mapping and the establishment of an information technology-based system for property record administration, updating, and tax administration.

Apart from these activities, the Centre has also decided to provide Rs 5,000 crore for the construction of working women’s hostels. In her Budget Speech, Sitharaman announced plans to “facilitate higher participation of women in the workforce through the establishment of working women’s hostels in collaboration with industry, and setting up crèches.”

According to the guidelines, the land for the hostels will be made available by the state government free of cost, or the cost of acquiring the land will be borne by the state government.

The state should adopt a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for the operation and maintenance of the hostels, according to the guidelines. Ownership of the hostel would rest with the state government, while operation and maintenance would be managed by a private party.

Of the Rs 5,000 crore earmarked for the construction of working women’s hostels, Uttar Pradesh will receive the highest amount of Rs 382 crore, followed by Madhya Pradesh (Rs 284 crore) and Assam (Rs 226 crore).

Additionally, the Centre will provide fiscal support of Rs 2,000 crore for the development of iconic tourist centers on a global scale; Rs 3,000 crore for incentives for scrapping old vehicles; Rs 15,000 crore for stimulating industrial growth; Rs 1,000 crore for the development of the National Capital Region (NCR); Rs 15,000 crore for states’ shares of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including Urban and Rural Infrastructure Projects; Rs 4,000 crore in incentives for implementing the SNA Sparsh model for just-in-time release of funds under Centrally Sponsored Schemes; and Rs 25,000 crore as incentives for achieving targets fixed for capital expenditure for 2024-25.

The Rs 1,000 crore allocated for the development of the NCR will be divided equally among the three states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

Sunday Eye

- Younger Indians are choosing lab-grown diamonds over mined ones

- Singing is what I used to do to get away from studies: Darwin Prakash

Younger Indians are choosing lab-grown diamonds over mined ones

As consumers the world over are going for lab-grown diamonds, their popularity looks set to rise in India, despite a recent price slump

Written by Heena Khandelwal

Updated: August 16, 2024 20:22 IST

An exhibit of LGD jewellery at the International Jewellery Show (IIJS) in Mumbai (Courtesy: Pradip Das)

Earlier this year, Mumbai-based Aashi Sottany was introduced to lab-grown diamonds (LGD) by a friend who sells jewellery made from them. “It’s exactly like a diamond—it has the same shine, look, and feel, and it’s much cheaper than a natural diamond,” says the 26-year-old PR professional. She recently bought a pendant set with a pair of earrings, each featuring half-a-carat of LGD, and a one-carat diamond ring. “It’s my engagement ring. I suggested this idea to my now fiancé, and he loved it. I also bought him an LGD ring, so we saved a lot of money,” she adds. Her ring cost about Rs 30,000, and the pendant set, which her parents bought as part of her wedding trousseau, cost Rs 36,000.

Sottany is one of an increasing tribe of consumers drawn to LGDs. According to Future Market Insights, the lab-grown diamond jewellery market was valued at $264.5 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a 14.8 per cent CAGR over the next decade, potentially reaching $1.19 billion by 2033.

Known by various names over the years—from synthetic to man-made and lab-grown—these diamonds are not mined but grown in a reactor using a thin slice of high-quality diamond that serves as a seed for growing LGD. “Diamonds need specific temperatures, environments, and gases to grow. We replicate these conditions inside the reactor, exposing the seeds to carbon-rich gases and carbon deposits. The process mimics natural conditions but occurs in a much shorter time frame,” explains Smit Patel of Greenlab Diamonds, a leading player in the industry since 2017. Patel uses the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) method, producing CVD diamonds.

LGDs have the same physical appearance and chemical composition as natural diamonds and cannot be distinguished by the naked eye. “We ourselves have been diamond tiers for 60 years. My grandfather came to Surat with nothing and started cutting and polishing with one wheel. When we showed him our first lab-grown diamond in 2017, he asked me, ‘Which mine has it come from?’ He couldn’t tell the difference because there is none. We saw a future in LGDs and fully shifted our focus,” adds Patel.

LGD jewellery designs (Courtesy: Kira Diam)

While some say there’s no definitive figure on the number of carats a machine can produce, Kira Diam, founded a year-and-a-half ago, prides itself on being one of the largest manufacturers and producers, accounting for 25 per cent of India’s production. “We have a 700,000-sq ft facility in Surat with 2,500 machines and produce approximately 150,000 carats of polished diamonds per month,” says Shanay Parekh, partner at Kira Diam. The transformation cycle from seeds to diamonds takes about 25-30 days, followed by 45 days of cutting and polishing, done by the same experts in Surat.

Similarly, Surat’s Vaghasiya family, who has traded natural diamonds for over twenty years, began exploring LGDs four years ago. “My father and his brothers started with buying loose natural diamonds, and my cousins and I followed. We noticed the growth of LGDs and saw it as a lucrative business opportunity, so we transitioned fully to LGDs. The margins were substantial at that time,” says 38-year-old Satish Vaghasiya, who showcased his diamonds at the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) in Mumbai.

The spike and the fall

The demand for lab-grown diamonds surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020-21, according to Anshul Doshi of Bijoux Fine Jewellery, a Zaveri Bazaar-based jewellery designer and manufacturer. “This spike was driven by millennials, who have seen their mothers and mothers-in-law’s jewellery mostly sitting in bank lockers, and by Gen Z, who prefer spending on experiences like travel or investment options rather than on expensive jewellery. However, the trend wasn’t limited to younger generations,” he explains. The increased demand led to higher prices and substantial margins, which attracted more players into the market. This influx resulted in an oversupply, causing a subsequent price drop.

A recent report from the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) revealed that prices have plummeted by 65 per cent over the past year, from Rs 60,000 to Rs 20,000 per carat, due to local overproduction and oversupply from abroad. The report estimates that the number of LGD production units has risen to 10,000.

Most designers, manufacturers, and growers agree that prices have dropped significantly but say while they experienced losses on inventory, these were offset by profits made in earlier years.

“It’s a price correction,” Patel notes. “We anticipated this because the industry is still new. On average, growth has been 400 per cent, and although prices have corrected, the volume of exports has continued to increase.”

A polished LGD (Courtesy: Kira Diam)

“There is no control over production, leading to a supply that exceeds demand. Additionally, as a technology-based product, prices tend to fall over time, as seen with similar products in the past. This creates hesitation among sellers to keep inventory,” says Vipul Shah, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

Despite India being one of the leading producers of lab-grown diamonds, the largest consumer market remains the United States. Domestically, LGDs are yet to solidify their position. “Until last year, we had no presence at IIJS,” reveals Patel.

Parekh admits that they are encountering resistance from Indian retailers. “Many retailers have a stake in the natural diamond business or hold significant inventory… However, this resistance is gradually decreasing, and within the next 12 months, LGDs are expected to be available at leading retail jewellery stores,” he says.

The decline in prices has also been a deterrent for some customers. “People want to look good in jewellery but also view it as an investment. Since LGDs lack resale value, many from the older generation—who have traditionally upgraded their diamonds—find this a drawback,” notes Anshul Doshi.

“Diamonds, whether lab-grown or natural, are not ideal investments. The allure of diamonds has been heavily marketed by companies like De Beers, but unlike gold, diamonds do not guarantee a price increase,” says Disha Shah of DiAi Design, adding that the conversation around LGDs often focuses on price rather than the design possibilities they offer. “With LGDs, we can create custom shapes like butterflies or clouds, which would be prohibitively expensive with natural diamonds due to high losses. The younger generation is also drawn to LGDs for their sustainability and the fact that they are ‘blood-free’—they are not mined, thus avoiding the human rights abuses and child labour associated with traditional diamond mining,” Shah concludes.

Parekh is optimistic about the future of lab-grown diamonds. “Natural diamonds are affordable only to a small percentage of the population, roughly the top one per cent. Lab-grown diamonds, however, cater to the next 15-20 per cent of consumers. The current challenge is a lack of awareness. But once we overcome this, we can expect to see a similar trend to what’s happened in the US, where LGDs now account for 60 per cent of the market,” he says.

Singing is what I used to do to get away from studies: Darwin Prakash

Darwin Prakash will be the only Indian to compete at the 31st edition of Operalia, the world opera competition that will be held in Mumbai in September

Written by Nikita Nanavaty

Updated: August 16, 2024 17:10 IST

Darwin was the winner of the 2019 National Mozart Competition in the UK and the Premio Extraordinario (Extraordinary Prize) at the 2021 Tenor Viñas International Competition in Spain

When Darwin Prakash, a graduate in geology from Delhi University, went for a workshop at the Neemrana Music Foundation in Delhi in 2014, he had no idea that he would end up competing at Operalia – one of the world’s most famous and largest opera competitions. “Anyone who was interested could join and it was free of cost, so I was like, ‘Why not explore this?’ I didn’t know I would actually pursue it then,” says Prakash, 31.

In September, he will be the only Indian to compete in at the 31st edition of Operalia, which is being be held in India for the first time, at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. Apart from the cash prizes, the winners will get an opportunity to fast-track their opera careers by having the world’s finest opera houses call on them.

While the US has the largest representation in the competition followed by Russia, a participant from the UK — Liam James Karai — is of Indian descent. Part Scottish and Irish, the 26-year-old Hong Kong-born musician is a bass-baritone and currently a member of the Hamburg State Opera.

“I am extremely excited about Operalia happening in India. When I came to know that Mumbai is the venue, I felt my heart beating fast because it’s home for me,” says Prakash, who was born in Mumbai in a Tamil-speaking family and grew up in the Capital.

After his graduation, he met acclaimed British vocal coach Robert Alderson in 2014, when he was invited to give vocal masterclasses at The Neemrana Music Foundation. Alderson immediately spotted his innate talent. After a few lessons with Prakash, where he explored his voice “in a deeper fashion”, he told young Prakash that he has the potential to make opera a career. “He (Alderson) told me to think about dedicating just one year of my life and come to the UK to give opera singing a chance. He shared his personal story, where he left his secure job to chase his passion of becoming a vocal professor. I liked singing and his reasons really convinced me, so I decided to take a chance,” he explained.

Before leaving India, Alderson left young Prakash under the tutelage of Delhi-based vocal coach Situ Singh Buehler. She was asked to look after him and prepare him for his journey, including teaching him art songs in Italian through an Aria Antique Singing book. She also taught him his first German Lied (song).

“I didn’t have the means to go to the UK. Robert sir said he will help me out, and within two months he organised the funding for me to be there.” He adds, “So, it was really a leap of faith from both ends and thank god we trusted each other,” he says.

Prakash arrived in the UK on a six-month visa in 2014, while Alderson’s initial plan was twelve months. He lived with Alderson and his mother, who became like family to him. Within the first few days of his arrival, he was already studying the basics of singing, theory, keyboard skills, and other aspects of music, and had regular homework. “Whenever he would leave the house, he gave me homework to do. He was very meticulous, and he followed through; I’d just have to do it,” says Prakash.

Within the six months, he prepared for an audition to a master’s programme in opera at the Royal Academy of Music, London, on a scholarship. He graduated in 2019 with the Queen’s Commendation of Excellence.

Since then, he has made a living as a performer at Staatsoper Hannover (Germany) under their Young Artist Programme, which provides training for those at the beginning of their professional opera careers. In 2022, he was promoted to an ensemble member, performing much bigger roles in showcases, which he has been doing to date. Currently, he is back in the UK for the summer at the Longborough Festival Opera, where he will be performing Marcello in La Boheme. “Whenever Germany offers a position, we usually take it because traditionally singers live a freelancer’s life, and sometimes you will be out of a job for a while. A position in Germany is valued as you become an employed member of the theatre and get a contract. So, my job was secure, and I received a salary even during Covid,” says Prakash.

Winner of the 2019 National Mozart Competition in the UK and the Premio Extraordinario (Extraordinary Prize) at the 2021 Tenor Viñas International Competition in Spain, he also received the Gus Christie award at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, one of the most celebrated opera houses.

He has been working for five years and has not had many opportunities to come to India. “As an Indian singer, I would like to perform in India which, of course, happens with opportunity along with the fact that it’s now work for me. I have to earn something. I can’t just do it for exposure anymore because I am past that age. That comes with good infrastructure, which I wish there was more of in India,” he says. “Classical music creates a different kind of sound compared to pop, so the space needs to reflect that and the people who organise the event need to know how to handle that. That’s why I’m happy that I get to come to Mumbai for Operalia and interact with the audience there who are familiar with the Western classical music community,” he elaborates.

While he feels that, at the moment, it is unavoidable to move abroad to make a career in western classical music, he believes that India has the potential to become a major market in the field. “India has a population of 1.7 billion people; even the smallest fraction of the number who like classical music would still be a big number, and that is enough. It’s more than the population of many western countries,” he says.

Tech Review

- Motorola Edge 50 made me realise flagship smartphone experience need not cost a lot

Motorola Edge 50 made me realise flagship smartphone experience need not cost a lot

Motorola Edge 50 is one of the most unique smartphones in this price range, with an emphasis on practicality rather than sheer performance.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Rs. 27,999

Written by Vivek Umashankar

Bengaluru | Updated: August 16, 2024 09:32 IST

With its IP68 rating, and metal frame, it feels like a premium smartphones. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

On most days, once I am done testing a smartphone, I put my SIM card back into my Galaxy S23 Ultra (review). Most entry-level and mid-tier smartphones I tested recently miss out on several features that hamper the overall user experience. These features aren’t necessarily deal-breakers, but they are good to have and elevates the smartphone experience.

However, after testing the Motorola Edge 50, I found myself hesitant to swap my SIM card back. Despite being a budget smartphone, it offers nearly everything I expect from a premium flagship. The Edge 50 has remained my primary device.

That said, the Motorola Edge 50 isn’t without its flaws. Certain issues could be deal-breakers for some users. Here’s my review of the Motorola Edge 50 after a month of usage.

An unboxing experience that’s hard to forget

The scented box leaves further elevate the unboxing experience. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Smartphone unboxing experiences have gotten worse over the years. Most boxes barely include anything except the smartphone. In this regard, Motorola gets full marks from me. When opening for the first time, the scented box awakens your senses.

Unlike most brands which have diluted the unboxing experience in the name of saving the environment, Motorola has chosen a different approach. Instead of cutting down on the necessary accessories such as a case and charger, Motorola is including a case made of bio-degradable material that looks and feels premium. Even the entire box the phone comes in is made using recycled paper.

It’s slim, IP68-rated, and looks premium

The free bundled case also feels premium. (Image credit: Vivek Umashnakar/The Indian Express)

The Motorola Edge 50 looks almost identical to the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, introduced a few months ago. The phone is MIL-STD-810H certified by SGS and is the thinnest smartphone to get US-military-approved certification.

This certification makes it shock and drop-resistant, which should ensure the longevity of the device even during accidents.

I enjoy listening to music while taking showers, and the Motorola Edge 50 has been my music companion for the last month. As it is IP68 rated, it is water and dust-resistant, and I was not bothered about the shower water falling on the device.

Unlike a Samsung Galaxy or an Apple iPhone, where the touch doesn’t work when the screen is wet, the Motorola Edge 50, with its Smart Water Touch technology, continues to function without any issue.

The phone has a curved back panel and a curved display, which makes the device feel slimmer than it already is. On top of that, the leather back panel also offers plenty of grip, and even if it gets soiled, a simple rinse under the tap should restore the device to its full glory.

A display that’s a treat to movie buffs

The display is fast, sharp, and colourful. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The 6.67-inch curved display on the Motorola Edge 50 offers 1.5K resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is a pOLED panel with HDR+ certification. Unlike most phones of this class, where the display loses its shine under direct light, the Edge 50 offers up to 1200 nits in the high brightness mode, and up to 1,600 nits in HDR mode, ensuring the visibility of the screen in almost any lighting condition.

The downside of the curved display is that installing a screen protector is a hassle. Unlike most mid-tier phones, the phone also doesn’t come with a screen protector. However, the warning sticker Motorola has included talks about how installing a UV screen protector can damage the phone, along with a set of sealing tape to cover the ports, a precautionary measure that goes a long way.

Coming back to the display, I love how saturated it gets in the vivid mode, and also glad that it is set to “vivid” by default. Anyone who likes true-to-life colours can switch to the natural mode. I enjoyed hours of YouTube streaming on the Motorola Edge 50, followed by occasional movie streaming on platforms like Prime Video and JioCinema.

The curved display is not that great for gaming. One can opt for devices like the iQOO Neo 9 Pro or the OnePlus Nord 4 in this regard, and these have more capable processors too.

A flagship-like camera setup, mid-range-like performance

The phone has a proper triple-camera setup. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Triple cameras on phones costing around Rs 30,000 are fairly common these days. However, most phones either include a macro lens or a depth sensor. With the Edge 50, Motorola has outdone itself by including a 50 MP wide-angle lens, a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10 MP telephoto lens. There is also a 32 MP selfie camera at the front.

The phone takes stunning pictures, vibrant and detailed. However, it takes slightly over a second for the camera app to open, and there is a lag in the shutter button too due to which I end up clicking blurred pictures very often. Hope Motorola will be able to fix these issues with a software update.

All four cameras, including the selfie shooter, can capture videos at 4K resolution, a welcome move.

Here are some camera samples from the Motorola Edge 50:

Motorola Edge 50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Motorola Edge 50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Motorola Edge 50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Motorola Edge 50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Motorola Edge 50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

An underpowered smartphone

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 AE is a bit of a letdown. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Motorola Edge 50 has almost everything and is quite comparable to premium flagship smartphones, except for the performance. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 AE paired with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage holds back this device when it comes to performance with an AnTuTu score of 6.9 lakh. While a regular user might not notice this, heavy users who multitask and enjoy gaming will feel the phone is underwhelming, especially when compared to similarly-priced smartphones like the iQOO Neo 9 Pro (review), Poco F6 (review), and even the recent OnePlus Nord 4 (review). The phone was struggling even when I tried to edit a reel on Instagram.

As I don’t play games often, this really didn’t bother me, and the Edge 50 worked fine for me. If you are not a gamer, the Motorola Edge 50 will be more than enough for you.

It runs on Android 14 and is eligible for two major OS updates and three years of security updates. However, unlike the Edge 50 Ultra (review), it is not running on the latest Hello UI and is still based on MyUX. Motorola has confirmed that the device will be updated to Hello UI and will also introduce new AI features in the coming days.

Almost all-day battery, with the power of fast and wireless charging

The phone supports wireless charging. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Motorola Edge 50 packs a big 5,000 mAh battery, and the phone can easily last for an entire day for most users. There is 68W fast wired and 15W wireless charging, which again makes it feel like a flagship device. The company is also including a USB-PD fast charging adapter in the box, which is a bonus.

An excellent mid-tier smartphone let down by lacklustre performance

A premium feeling smartphone with mid-tier performance. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Motorola Edge 50 is a near-perfect smartphone priced under Rs 30,000, except for its performance. Some of the popular phones in this class are almost twice as fast. However, they don’t offer as many features as the Edge 50.

If you are a non-gamer and don’t really care about performance, but want a premium-looking smartphone with a solid set of features, the Edge 50 is a great pick.

Motorola Edge 50

Pros

Cons

Premium design with vegan leather back and metal frame

Underwhelming performance for heavy users and gamers

IP68 water and dust resistance

Camera app and shutter lag

MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability

Vibrant 1.5K pOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate

Excellent display visibility in all lighting conditions

Versatile triple camera setup with 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto lenses

4K video recording on all cameras

5,000 mAh battery with 68W fast wired and 15W wireless charging

Includes 68W fast charger in the box

Runs on Android 14 with promised updates to Hello UI and AI features

Thoughtful unboxing experience with recycled materials

Smart Water Touch technology for wet screen usage

Science

- Supermoon blue moon rising on August 19: Where to spot it and how to get the best view

- Living walls: Indian student develops carbon capturing building material

- ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman

- Space holds the key to empowering people with disabilities on Earth, says this Canadian scientist

Supermoon blue moon rising on August 19: Where to spot it and how to get the best view

The first of the four successive supermoons this year is set to take place on August 19. Here’s all that you need to know to make the most of the celestial event.

By: Science Desk

New Delhi | August 17, 2024 08:32 IST

Supermoons have gained attention over the years due to their size and brightness. (File Image: NASA/Michael Democker)

For all those who have been eagerly waiting for the next big celestial event, there is good news. As reported earlier, this year we are expected to see four supermoons in a row. The first of the four will take place on August 19, Monday at 2:26 PM EDT (about 12:00 AM IST). Interestingly, this will be a Supermoon Blue Moon.

For the uninitiated, according to NASA, a supermoon occurs when the moon is within 90 percent of its nearest approach to Earth. The term supermoon was coined by astronomer Richard Nolle in 1979. Full supermoons are known to be the brightest and biggest full moons of the year. It appears around 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than a regular moon. While the size and brightness could seem significantly high, it is rather difficult to tell the difference during the phenomenon.

On the other hand, there are two types of Blue Moon, and they have nothing to do with the color blue. A third full moon in a season that has four full moons is known as a seasonal blue moon. This is the type of Blue Moon that will be visible on August 19. The second type refers to the second full moon in a single calendar month. The first Blue Moon was recorded in English dates from 1528 onwards. It is believed that the name Blue Moon originated from an old phrase meaning ‘betrayer moon’. Around the 1940s, the second full moon of a month with two full moons came to be known as a ‘Blue Moon.’

Supermoons have gained attention over the years due to their size and brightness. The next full moon will be in September and October.

Where to spot the supermoon Blue Moon?

Researchers claim that although the full moon rises at 2:26 PM EDT on August 19, it will continue to appear nearly full on nights closer to the date. This supermoon Blue Moon can be witnessed globally; however, the specific time when it will be visible may vary depending on the location and time zone.

In North America, the Super Blue Moon will reach its peak at 2:26 PM EDT on August 19. Here, however, it will appear full for about three days—from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning, according to NASA. It will be visible on August 18, 19, and 20. Meanwhile, in Asia and Australia, the full moon will take place on the morning of August 20 from Nepal Standard Time eastward across the rest of Asia and Australia to the International Date Line. In India, we will be able to see it during the night of August 19 and into the early morning of August 20.

For those in Europe and Africa, the Super Blue Moon will be visible on the night of August 19. It will appear full from the evening of August 18 through the night of August 19 and into the early morning of August 20.

Some tips to get the best view of the supermoon blue moon:

To get the best view of the supermoon, consider a location with a clear view of the horizon and minimal air pollution. Experts say that the supermoon will be visible shortly after it rises in the east-southeastern sky. This makes it important that you settle for an open area away from city lights.

Although a supermoon is visible to the naked eye, using binoculars or a telescope can enhance the experience by revealing more details of the moon’s surface. Remember, clear skies are vital for the best viewing experience. You should check the weather forecast for your area to make sure that no clouds obstruct your view.

Experts suggest that one should give time for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Vision will improve over time, with color vision adapting within 10 minutes and black-and-white vision improving for an hour or more. It is recommended that you avoid exposure to bright lights to maintain your night vision.

Also, there is something called the ‘moon illusion,’ which happens when the moon is near the horizon. The moon can appear larger due to this, which makes it the ideal time for photography or even enjoying the view. The effect is strongest when the moon is either rising or setting.

If you have plans to take pictures, we recommend using a camera with a zoom lens to capture the details of the Super Blue Moon. Get a tripod to help the camera stabilize and produce higher-quality shots.

Living walls: Indian student develops carbon capturing building material

Tamuli developed the C-ELM under the guidance of research supervisors during his MSc in Bio-Integrated Design, even innovating new methods to culture cyanobacteria at home during the Covid-19 lockdown in London.

By: Express Web Desk

August 17, 2024 00:37 IST

The first panels were publicly displayed inside the "Bioscope" pavilion at St Andrews Botanic Garden, showcasing low-carbon, nature-inspired construction methods designed by the collective Studio Biocene. (Representational/File Photo)

An Indian student at University College London (UCL) has developed an innovative construction biomaterial that utilises living microorganisms to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, potentially revolutionising the building industry’s carbon footprint.

Prantar Tamuli, a Master’s student in UCL’s Biochemical Engineering Department, recently introduced this material as part of an art installation at St Andrews Botanic Garden in Scotland.

The biomaterial, known as a cyanobacterial engineered living material (C-ELM), incorporates living cyanobacteria within translucent panels that can be mounted on the interior walls of buildings. As the microorganisms grow through photosynthesis, they capture carbon dioxide from the air.

“My goal with developing C-ELM is to shift the construction of our future human habitats from being a significant carbon-emitting activity to one that actively sequesters carbon,” Tamuli was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Through a process called biomineralisation, the captured CO2 is converted into calcium carbonate, effectively trapping the carbon.

A kilogram of C-ELM can capture up to 350g of carbon dioxide, while the same amount of traditional concrete would emit approximately 500g of CO2. A wall covered with 150 square metres of these panels could sequester about one tonne of carbon dioxide.

“The potential of this biomaterial is immense. If scaled up and widely implemented, it could significantly reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint,” said Professor Marcos Cruz of UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture and co-director of the Bio-Integrated Design Programme, according to the report by PTI.

Tamuli developed the C-ELM under the guidance of research supervisors during his MSc in Bio-Integrated Design, even innovating new methods to culture cyanobacteria at home during the Covid-19 lockdown in London.

Dr Brenda Parker, co-director of the Bio-Integrated Design Programme, added, “By breaking down traditional disciplinary barriers, we can enable breakthroughs like these. Biotechnology is now in a position to transform sustainable design and construction,” PTI reported.

Inspired by studying stromatolites—ancient structures formed by algal mats—Tamuli focused on the cyanobacteria species *Kamptonema animale*, which grows in long strands that easily bind to surrounding materials within the panels. The calcium carbonate produced by the cyanobacteria strengthens and reinforces the panels.

These panels offer multiple benefits for buildings, including being lightweight, sound-absorbing, translucent enough to allow light to pass through, and thermally insulating to improve energy efficiency.

The first panels were publicly displayed inside the “Bioscope” pavilion at St Andrews Botanic Garden, showcasing low-carbon, nature-inspired construction methods designed by the collective Studio Biocene. A patent for C-ELM technology has been filed by UCL’s commercialisation company, UCL Business.

ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman

Currently, some of the rocket hardware for the human space programme has reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here and the integration of the crew module was going on at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said.

By: PTI

Sriharikota | August 16, 2024 18:53 IST

ISRO Chairman S Somanath with other scientists during a press conference after the successful launch of EOS-08 Earth Observation Satellite, in Sriharikota (PTI Photo)

ISRO has targeted to launch the first mission of the ambitious Gaganyaan project by December, a top official said here on Friday.

Currently, some of the rocket hardware for the human space programme has reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here and the integration of the crew module was going on at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said.

“Today, we are working on the first mission of the Gaganyaan called G1. The first unmanned mission. The status today is the rocket, the S200 stage, the L1, C32 stage are all at Satish Dhawan Space Centre,” he said.

He said the Crew Module integration was going on at VSSC Trivandrum while Crew Escape hardware was also ready.

“So, we have to complete with full wiring and testing should be done. Our target is by November the whole system will reach here, possibly by December launch will happen,” he said, responding to a query.

Somanath was talking to reporters after successfully launching the third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle that placed the Earth Observation Satellite into orbit earlier in the day.

The success of the third and final developmental flight would pave the way for launch of commercial missions using the smallest vehicle by ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).

Today’s successful mission ofLV allows industry to forge a partnership with ISRO for placing satellites into Low Earth Orbit. Besides, it would also allow a company to gain knowledge on rockets, launch vehicles, and satellites in the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle missions.

To a query about the requirement for industries to partner with the ISRO for taking up commercial launch ofLV missions, Somanath said a day-long meeting was recently held with the industry.

“I am hoping that the first technology transfer will happen in India between ISRO and industry. The Request for Interest (RFI) was released and as a single (entity) or as consortia, a company can show interest on the technology transfer (from ISRO) and what were the expectations from ISRO and how to qualify for such missions,” he said.

From the interactions held with the industry it emerged there was a huge amount of interest for them to learn about space, he added.

“We told them it will be a huge challenge for anyone to learn rocketry from scratch. It is not just transferring technology, we are transferring the knowledge on how things are done (at ISRO). It is not the drawings alone, it is the knowledge behind those drawings we transfer to industry,” according to Somanath, also the Secretary, Department of Space.

Through the industry partnerships, ISRO would teach them on how to build a rocket, he said and added that the industry should qualify as per the criteria put forth by ISRO.

The company should possess manufacturing capabilities, manufacturing facilities and financial strengths of a company would be assessed, he said.

“We will add weightage and marks based on the performance of the company and based on that the companies will be shortlisted and a contract would be given to them after the companies which have to pay a technology transfer fee,” he said.

Some of the unique features ofLVs are — it provides low-cost access to Space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, ‘launch on demand’ feasibility andLV missions demand minimal launch infrastructure.

Space holds the key to empowering people with disabilities on Earth, says this Canadian scientist

From shift in perception to lighter accessibility equipment, research and innovation in space can yield monumental benefits for people with disabilities on Earth.

Written by Bijin Jose

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 20:22 IST

Space exploration has been known for the genesis of new technologies. Dr Asrar believes that innovations for parastronauts can have positive outcomes for people with disability on Earth. (Image: FreePik)

“Space is a disabling environment,” says Dr Farhan M Asrar, a Canadian physician and researcher of South Asian origin. When we think of space exploration, we normally perceive regular humans or able-bodied people in space suits pirouetting in the void that is our universe. Dr Asrar has been working towards changing this perception. His research throws light on how space exploration can empower persons with disabilities on Earth. This in itself is challenging the long-held belief that space exploration is only meant for able-bodied people, and is opening new doors of inclusivity.

“Unfortunately, there’s this preconception we call ableism, where people subconsciously assume that space exploration is tough, the environment is intense, and that only able-bodied individuals can handle it,” Dr Asrar told indianexpress.com. This mindset, he notes, goes beyond space exploration and affects various aspects of our society, including healthcare and employment.

Dr Asrar, who holds faculty appointments at the prestigious University of Toronto, McMaster University and the International Space University, is pioneering this research, essentially an intersection of space medicine and public health. His work gives a unique perspective on how the challenges of space exploration can be a boon and lead to innovations that can benefit people with disabilities on Earth.

His interest in this field comes from his passion for equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA). During our conversation, he emphasised the importance of fostering diversity not only in terms of disability, but also among individuals from visible minorities and equity-deserving groups. “We’re trying to encourage more people to enter STEM fields, education, academia, and areas like space,” said Dr Asrar, who has collaborated with a Nasa expert and an expert from the European Space Agency (ESA).

Shifting paradigms

Dr Asrar cited the ESA’s Parastronaut programme as a significant milestone in this direction. “This was unheard of, and it was a big step forward. Dr John McFall, a highly accomplished British paralympic sprinter and surgeon, was selected as the first parastronaut,” said Dr Asrar, highlighting this ground-breaking mission.

The ESA’s Parastronaut programme created waves when it was announced as it is the first big movement towards making space exploration inclusive. It not only opens up possibilities for differently-abled astronauts, but also holds significant potential for the healthcare system on our home planet. McFall was selected by ESA to become the first ‘astronaut’. McFall, who suffered an amputation of his right leg following a motorcycle accident at the age of 19, has been a staunch advocate of inclusivity.

According to Dr Asrar, the ESA’s programme inviting individuals with disabilities to apply to become astronauts, marks a significant shift in the space sector’s approach to inclusion. “It just shows that individuals, even with disability, there’s nothing that you cannot achieve,” he said. This initiative is not just about sending people with disabilities to space; it’s about changing perceptions and inspiring a new generation. “It’s really kind of removing, really, the barriers where people who kind of had that ableism, that pre-notion that, ‘Oh, someone with a disability is not able to do this,'” Dr Asrar noted.

Space as a catalyst for change

During the conversation, Dr Asrar asserted that this new shift is extending far beyond space, and holds significant potential to transform healthcare and other industries back on Earth. He pointed out that space technology has already contributed significantly to healthcare innovations on Earth. Some of the common medical devices such as infrared thermometers and portable ultrasound machines, have their origins in space technology.

Dr Asrar with Canadian astronaut Col Jeremy Hansen (left), who will board the Artemis 2 flight that will circle the Moon in 2025. (Express Image)

Dr Asrar firmly believes that the development of specialised equipment for parastronauts will lead to new lightweight and durable prosthetics, and accessibility aids for people with disabilities on Earth. The research done in space on parastronauts would likely yield valuable insights for healthcare professionals treating patients with disabilities on Earth. “By all means, there is a wealth of information that we will be gaining, which, as a physician, I can share with my patients to help them better enhance their nutritional requirements and improve their daily physical activities,” Dr Asrar explained.

Dr Asrar’s work reveals the following ways space exploration can benefit people with disabilities on Earth.

Challenging perceptions

In recent years, space exploration has been pushing the envelope when it comes to challenging some of the preconceived notions about disabilities. “To go from that extreme to now having a specific program inviting individuals with disabilities to become astronauts is a huge leap,” Dr Asrar notes. This shift in perspective can help combat discrimination and ableism in various fields.

Technological innovations

Over the years, space exploration has been seen as a provenance of new technologies. “Space has always been known for developing portable, accessible, lightweight, innovative devices,” he said. According to the researcher, these innovations often find applications on Earth, benefiting people with disabilities. He said that, for instance, materials and designs developed for space could be used to create lighter, more durable, and accessible aids for people with disabilities.

Adaptive equipment

Dr Asrar noted that ESA’s parastronaut program has been exploring how to modify space equipment to suit individuals with disabilities. “They are looking into how space suits, the ISS, sleeping bags, and training manuals need to be adapted for someone with a disability,” he said, adding that these adaptations could lead to improvements in accessibility equipment on Earth.

More insights on health and fitness

Dr Asrar explained that space research provides some valuable insights on how to maintain one’s health in the most challenging environments. The Canadian physician suggested that the health and fitness routines developed for astronauts could be adapted for individuals with disabilities on Earth, potentially improving the health and performance of para-athletes and others.

Space: A disabling environment

On being asked why his paper termed space as a ‘disabling environment’, Dr Asrar explained, “when we talk about space as a disabling environment, we mean that even the healthiest astronauts are affected by space conditions.” According to him, the microgravity, radiation, intense isolation, and limited nutrition options in space can be incredibly challenging for anyone. He added that this perspective offers a unique way to understand disabilities.

“In space, where you’re floating and not walking, the lack of legs might not be a disadvantage—it might even level the playing field,” he said, adding that this concept challenges the notion that people with disabilities are less capable in all environments and emphasises on a context-dependent nature of disabilities.

When asked what advice he would give to policymakers and academic institutions in India to advocate space inclusivity, Dr Asrar enumerated the achievements of individuals with disabilities. He went on to cite popular figures like Terry Fox, Helen Keller, or Stephen Hawking, emphasising that individuals with disabilities can achieve far more than people might expect.

He said that it was important to give them equal opportunities and encourage their interests. Dr Asrar said that fostering inclusivity isn’t about making life harder for everyone else. “It’s about making simple adjustments that can significantly improve accessibility and inclusivity.”

Dr Asrar’s three advices for Indian youth with disabilities:

Pursue your dreams and follow your passion.

Don’t be afraid to challenge stereotypes and break barriers.

Seek resources, technologies and community/networks.

Bijin Jose

Bijin Jose, an Assistant Editor at Indian Express Online in New Delhi, is a technology journalist with a portfolio spanning various prestigious publications. Starting as a citizen journalist with The Times of India in 2013, he transitioned through roles at India Today Digital and The Economic Times, before finding his niche at The Indian Express. With a BA in English from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and an MA in English Literature, Bijin's expertise extends from crime reporting to cultural features. With a keen interest in closely covering developments in artificial intelligence, Bijin provides nuanced perspectives on its implications for society and beyond. ... Read More

Movie Review

- The Union movie review: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry’s action-comedy has no heat whatsoever

The Union movie review: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry’s action-comedy has no heat whatsoever

The Union movie review: Instantly forgettable, Netflix's new action comedy film struggles to mine the proven charm of its stars, Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Written by Rohan Naahar

New Delhi | Updated: August 16, 2024 08:24 IST

Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry in The Union. (Photo: Netflix)

Some films are long, but others feel long. The Union falls squarely in the second category. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, the Netflix action-comedy — this is an extremely loose description, because the movie is neither action-packed nor particularly funny — doesn’t have a self-indulgent run-time, thank god, but is interminable to behold. It’s entirely possible for you to binge all 10 episodes of the recent Prime Video series Mr and Mrs Smith in fewer sittings than it took for me to get through The Union, which plays like the kind of thing that wouldn’t command attention even in the hostage-like environment of a long-haul flight. The crying baby across the aisle would be more interesting.

Wahlberg plays an unremarkable construction worker named Mike, who spends his days pursuing older women and his evenings at the local bar, drinking with his childhood buddies. Mike has never left his home town, and even though nobody would say it to his face, he’s a bit of a loser. Perhaps the only reason why he isn’t openly mocked by the town goons is because he has the gait and game of a very popular movie star from Boston. Mike’s uneventful life is flipped on its head one evening when his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne, walks into his favourite watering hole.

Also read – The Family Plan movie review: Mark Wahlberg’s assassin comedy is the stupider version of Manoj Bajpayee’s The Family Man

Halle Berry as Roxanne Hall and Mark Wahlberg as Mike McKenna in The Union. (Photo: Netflix)

It’s been 25 years since they broke up, but while Mike was wasting his life, Roxanne was saving the world as an undercover operative for a clandestine agency known as, you guessed it, The Union. Think of it as a version of the Kingsmen, or Citadel, or even The Charter from Heart of Stone. All these movies — or show, in Citadel’s case — are completely interchangeable. They follow the same script, rely on the same tired tropes, and have the same anonymous quality that makes you wonder if they were created by humans at all.

Roxanne tells Mike that the identity of every member of The Union, and every other secret agency in the world, has been compromised because of a recent theft of classified information, and that they need him to step up and retrieve the data on their behalf. It takes months to complete spy training, Roxanne tells Mike, but he’ll have to manage in two weeks. None of this is explained to a satisfactory degree. Why can’t a real agent do this? We don’t know. Why has Mike been recruited at all? No idea. How can the fate of the world rest on a regular person’s shoulders? It must!

He isn’t especially skilled, nor does he seem interested in this new responsibility. The only reason for his involvement in this high-stakes game, you are forced to conclude, is because the shoddy script couldn’t think of a better way to contrive a scenario in which he’s made to work with his ex.

It’s pretty clear that Mike never quite moved on from Roxanne; perhaps that’s why he never left Jersey. But far be it of the movie to investigate interesting aspects of a failed romantic relationship. All attempts to revisit the past — Roxanne was hurt by the way Mike’s racist dad treated her — fall flat. And that’s because the movie doesn’t spend enough nearly time with these characters outside of the breakneck plot. How could it, when there’s a world to save?

Read more – Bruised movie review: Halle Berry is both the best thing and the worst thing about her directorial debut

Halle Berry as Roxanne Hall and Mark Wahlberg as Mike McKenna in The Union. (Photo: Netflix)

Deep in the second act, Mike and Roxanne are forced to share a room in a hideout, and a scene that could’ve been mined for sexual chemistry ends up having less juice than a pile of sand. Wahlberg and Berry appear to have collectively, and without the knowledge of director Julian Farino, decided to phone it in for the romantic scenes, and focus their energies on playing action heroes. In the end, neither works because you have no reason to care for either of these people.

By the time the third-act chase sequence rolls around — remarkably, it’s filmed entirely on location in Italy, and not inside a soundstage — The Union becomes indistinguishable from the PA system at an airport. If you have no reason to pay attention to it, you’re not going to. It’s the sort of movie that actively invites you to look at your phone, without realising that once you do, you’re never going to look up again.

The Union

Director – Julian Farino

Cast – Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, JK Simmons, Jackie Earle Haley, Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje

Rating – 1.5/5

Rohan Naahar

Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at rohan.naahar@indianexpress.com. He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More

Table of Contents

Indian Express

Daily Briefing

Daily Briefing: Elections in J&K; questions in cosmic history; Stree 2 movie review; and more

Daily Briefing: PM’s UCC pitch; Mob targets protesters in Kolkata; BNP leader interview; and more

Front Page

Painters and masons by day, how a bunch of theatre actors came up a National Award winner

In $1-billion exports to Bangladesh, Adani power unit contributed most

Gujarat govt wants pre-monsoon action against sand flies, key carriers of CHPV

Wanted podium in Paris to showcase our Flag, our protests: Vinesh Phogat

In first high-level contact, Yunus dials Modi, assures security for Hindus, other minorities

Need to create between 60 million and 148 million more jobs in 6 years till 2030: IMF’s Gita Gopinath

After 10 yrs, J&K to elect an Assembly, CEC says ballot is best answer to bullet

Reshuffle in J&K before poll dates; DGP Swain loses charge of CID

After launch success, ISRO says SSLV development is complete

EC visits over, J&K, Haryana may go to Assembly polls together

India blundered by putting all eggs in one (Hasina) basket, needs to shift policy: BNP

UCC: PM brings it up in Independence Day speech, wary allies reiterate ‘consensus’, wait for clarity

India

20 coaches of Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express derail near Kanpur; no injuries reported

Political firestorm over security failure as more bomb-like objects are found in Assam

Rishab wins Best Actor; Nithya, Manasi share top award

Govt approves Metro projects in Bengaluru, Pune, Thane

Work hard to fulfill PM vision: Shivraj Chouhan to staff

ACC approves 18 transfers, Rajesh Kumar Singh to be Defence Secretary

‘Want truth to come out… some spreading lies to mislead public’: Mamata leads protest rally

Delhi HC asks Govt to pay Shaurya Chakra awardee allowance denied for two years

In call with Netanyahu, PM Modi stresses need for de-escalation in Gaza

Kerala High Court launches state’s first virtual court in Kollam district

NDA leaders meet JP Nadda

Maharashtra polls later, J&K security among reasons: CEC Rajiv Kumar

Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; vehicles set on fire

In India illegally, three Rohingya refugees en route to Hyderabad arrested at Agartala Railway Station

V-P: Person holding Constitutional position asking SC to give wings to anti-India narrative

Two ‘IED-like devices’ found in Guwahati: Police

Former Meghalaya CM Salseng Marak passes away at 82

Congress names new chief for Jammu and Kashmir

Retired judge B K Kilikdar sworn in as Tripura Lokayukta

Communal tensions in Udaipur after student stabs schoolmate; mob sets vehicles on fire

13 more Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy repatriated to India

Centre effects major secretary-level reshuffle

Haryana to go to polls in single phase on Oct 1, counting on Oct 4: EC

After meeting with Tata chairman, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu announces special task force to fast-track projects

Delhi Confidential

Delhi Confidential: Free And Fair

Opinion

Ram Madhav writes: The necessity of a secular UCC

Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar writes: All that freedom has given us

Seven decades after Independence, the unfulfilled dreams of India’s women leaders

Express View on announcement of J&K polls: Long overdue

Hobbies are more fulfilling than jobs — because they give us permission to fail

Express View on the hottest July: Bad weather report

August 17, 1984, Forty Years Ago: NTR Government

How Britain’s anti-immigrant riots backstab UK’s flailing economy

Authorities have failed them. Arm women doctors with stun-guns

The limits of censorship: Understanding the withdrawal of draft Broadcasting Bill

How state governments have undermined right to education

August 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Arson in Sri Lanka

Express View on Sreejesh: Jersey No 16

Express View: Rumbles in Rakhine

Derek O’Brien writes: In Parliament, Opposition is feeling a new ‘josh’

Anasuya Sengupta writes on I-Day: Freedom is love

With worst deposit crunch in 20 years, five banking issues to address

PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech: Why Uniform Civil Code and One Nation, One Election matter for India’s future

PM’s I-Day speech: Viksit Bharat, nationalism and contradictions

Dear ICC, BCCI, and commentators: Don’t trivialise mental health issues of players

UPSC-CSE Key

Evolution of the ‘woman’s question’ in India

UPSC Key | Independence Day, UCC, Mpox and more

UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on St Martin’s Island, Panama Canal and more (Week 71)

UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Major divisions of the oceanic relief and Pyrocumulonimbus clouds (Week 64)

UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Economy MCQs on Sovereign Gold Bonds, NBFC and more (Week 71)

Independence Day Special: How has UPSC asked questions on India’s Freedom Struggle

UPSC Key | Mining tax, Draft Broadcast Bill, Section 377 and more

UPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on A23 iceberg, T Coronae Borealis, Nankai Trough and more (Week 71)

UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 : Questions on Waqf property and Interstate River Water Dispute (Week 64)

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | August 5 to August 11, 2024

Explained

Expert Explains: How James Webb Space Telescope has raised questions in cosmology

Why national consumer commission directed Goibibo, not Jet Airways, to issued refund after flight cancellation

All-night streetlights can make leaves inedible to insects: What a new study says

How an asteroid from beyond Jupiter ended the age of dinosaurs

The Americans or the Ukrainians? Who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines?

You’ve lost weight taking new obesity drugs. What happens if you stop?

Egg, sperm donors have no parental right on child: What Bombay HC held

ISRO launches SSLV: What is the aim behind developing Small Satellite Launch Vehicles?

Remembering the ‘Great Calcutta Killings’: When Jinnah’s ‘direct action’ caused a bloodbath

Why the worst of food inflation may be over

Why WHO has called the latest mpox outbreak an ‘emergency of international concern’

The improbable 800 km journey of Stonehenge’s centre stone, and why that matters

Why 44 and 60 could be two key ages in human aging, according to a new study

Right to abortion in US: which states will vote, what are the proposed measures?

Why is Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigning?

Why climate change poses an existential threat to Panama Canal

What is the process for designating senior advocates, how has it changed

A look back at one of Independent India’s first Govt-led art exhibitions, which left MF Husain ‘exhilarated’

Telling Numbers: How many US Vice Presidents have gone on to become President

What is the role of campaign cash in the US presidential election?

Business

Centre finalises tender to procure 1,000 GPUs under IndiaAI Mission

India’s fuel exports to Europe shift entirely to larger route around Africa amid attacks on ships in Red Sea

Sensex jumps 1,330 pts to 2-week high on easing US recession fears, rate cut hopes

Gold plunges Rs 400; silver rallies Rs 800

Sensex climbs 1.68%, Nifty ends above 24,500 on positive global cues

Harnessing demographic dividend amid geopolitical tensions key challenge for policymakers: PM’s top aide

Centre’s guidelines for special assistance to states finalised, Rs 10,000 crore for land reforms

Sunday Eye

Younger Indians are choosing lab-grown diamonds over mined ones

Singing is what I used to do to get away from studies: Darwin Prakash

Tech Review

Motorola Edge 50 made me realise flagship smartphone experience need not cost a lot

Science

Supermoon blue moon rising on August 19: Where to spot it and how to get the best view

Living walls: Indian student develops carbon capturing building material

ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman

Space holds the key to empowering people with disabilities on Earth, says this Canadian scientist

Movie Review

The Union movie review: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry’s action-comedy has no heat whatsoever