3 Things

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 18th of September and here are the headlines.

The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal to hold simultaneous elections in India, as recommended by a high-level committee headed by ex President Ram Nath Kovind. Addressing media persons, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said simultaneous polls would be held in two phases. In the first phase, Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections will be conducted simultaneously, while the second phase will cover local body elections, within 100 days of general elections. The Kovind committee had recommended that the government take a “one-time transitory measure”, which would require the Union government to identify an “appointed date” immediately after a Lok Sabha election. All state assemblies that go to poll after the said date would have their terms expire with the Parliament.

India has sent a formal notice to Pakistan seeking a review of the Indus Water Treaty, according to sources. India and Pakistan signed the IWT on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory to the pact. It set out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of the waters of several cross-border rivers. Sources said the notice was issued to Pakistan on August 30 and the notification highlights fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances that require a reassessment of obligations under various articles of the treaty.

Junior doctors in Kolkata today sought another meeting with the state government over their unfulfilled demands, including suspensions, security in hospitals, and the resignation of the state Health Secretary. After their last meeting on Tuesday, they sent a fresh letter to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to request another. In a press conference last night, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front also announced that they will continue their cease work until “all demands are met”.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh announced today that the party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who resigned as the Delhi chief minister, will “live among the common people” after vacating the official residence at Civil Lines in 15 days. Addressing a press conference, Singh said Kejriwal would also give up all other facilities such as security, car, driver, and staff. He, however, did not share where Kejriwal and his family would move after vacating the Civil Lines residence. As the head of a national political party, Kejriwal can avail of an accommodation provided by the government.

A day after multiple pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria, killing at least 12 people, officials stated that Israel had tampered with pagers imported to Lebanon. The company behind the pagers has said that while its brand was on the devices, they were manufactured by a Budapest-based company. According to a report in the New York Times, around 1 to 2 ounces of explosive material was implanted next to the battery in each pager. Officials said that a switch was also embedded that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosives.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy talks to us about the India and China border situation. He shares what foreign minister S. Jaishankar has to say about the disengagement of troops on the border and what happened when Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Next, Indian Express’ Bijin Jose informs us about OpenAI's new AI model called OpenAI o1. He shares what makes the model so special and how it will impact jobs and research. (10:35)

And in the end, we talk about Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal resigning from the post and appointing AAP's minister Atishi for the same. (17:25)

Hosted, written and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 17th of September and here are the headlines.

Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Atishi is set to take over the reins of Delhi from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The announcement was made by the party on Tuesday following deliberations with MLAs and the decision-making body of AAP. Atishi, who currently holds the portfolio of education, finance, law, tourism and several other departments, will be the third woman to hold the post after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.

In the first sign of a breakthrough, more than a month after protests began on August 9 over the rape-and-murder of a junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government on Tuesday named Manoj Kumar Verma as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner. Verma replaces Vineet Kumar Goyal, who has been transferred and posted as ADG and IGP, Special Task Force, West Bengal. The development comes a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced the removal of senior police and health officials, including Kolkata Police Commissioner Goyal.

The Supreme Court today turned down the West Bengal government’s request to stop live streaming of the court proceedings in the case of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. While presiding over a three-judge bench Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud told Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Bengal Government and made the request, “We will not stop this”. Sibal told the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, “I have great concern at what’s happening. Your Lordships took suo motu cognisance of the matter to find out what is happening on the ground. Now what happens is if you livestream matters like this…which have emotive implications, huge emotive implications. We are not for the accused, we don’t stand for the accused, we are only called upon to tell you what the state has done”.

The three Maha Vikas Aghadi allies will hold seat-sharing talks from September 18 to 20 for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, according to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. Talking to reporters he said deliberations will be held on the seats to be contested, and the formula once decided during this meeting will be final. This comes after ruling Mahayti alliance declared yesterday that they shall contest elections on almost 80 percent of the total 288 assembly seats in the state. Meanwhile, the procession of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol, which attracts maximum number of devotees, celebrities and prominent personalities during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is near to immersion or Visarjan on the final day of Ganesh festivities today.

In global news today, Israel announced that halting Hezbollah's attacks in northern Israel has become a formal war objective. This new focus aims to facilitate the safe return of displaced residents and is part of a broader consideration of a more extensive military operation that could escalate into a full-scale regional conflict. The decision follows a series of high-level meetings within Israel’s security Cabinet, which convened late into the night to reassess the nation’s strategic goals.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Mallica Joshi  discusses why Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has chosen to resign at this moment and how this decision impacts the BJP’s narrative against him.

Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt explains the significance of the Union Cabinet’s decision to expand the government’s flagship health insurance scheme to include everyone over the age of 70, regardless of income level (11:36).

Finally, in light of the government renaming Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram, Indian Express’ Vikas Pathak talks about the broader political implications of renaming states and cities (21:08).

Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

his is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.
Today is the 16th of September and here are the headlines.

Highly placed sources told The Indian Express that Congress managed to get chairs for three committees in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha as negotiations for the Parliamentary Standing Committees between the government and the Opposition came to end. In the Lok Sabha, the Congress will get chairs for the External Affairs Standing Committee, Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Standing Committee on Rural Development. While, in the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition party will get the Standing Committee for Education.

Meanwhile, days after walking out of Tihar jail following a nearly six-month stint in custody in connection with the excise policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced he would step down from the post in two days. Calling for early polls, Kejriwal also said someone from the AAP will take his place until polls are held. While AAP sources say ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai and Kailash Gahlot are being named as potential successors, Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia among other AAP leaders of its Political Affairs Committee will meet this evening to finalise the name of the interim CM. 

Rallies and demonstrations demanding justice over the rape-murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital swept through the city on Sunday. The state government once again called junior doctors for a meeting at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence. Chief Secretary Manoj Panth sent an email to junior doctors to join the meeting scheduled at 5 pm today and it was communicated that quote, “this is the fifth and final time we are reaching out”, and “there will be no live streaming or videography of the meeting… Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both parties”, unquote.

Speaking to The Indian Express in an exclusive interview, newly appointed Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar said it’s for India to decide the extent to which it wants to be involved in resolving the Gaza war. This is the first time that Israel has sought New Delhi’s assistance in the construction sector, and the decision comes in the wake of the ban on Palestinian workers following the Hamas attack last October.

On the global front, two months after former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot at in a rally, the FBI foiled what appeared to be a second assassination attempt on Sunday while Trump was golfing on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the Secret Service, agents spotted a person with a firearm near the golf club and immediately opened fire. CNN, Fox News and The New York Times have identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Row-th of Hawaii, citing unnamed law enforcement officials.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

First, Indian Express' Atri Mitra talks to us about the Kolkata R G Kar Medical College rape and murder case. He talks about the communication that happened between CM Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors and also shares why the CM talked about resigning.

Next, Indian Express’ Saurabh Parashar informs us about protests that have been happening in Sanjauli, Shimla. He shares the actual incident that led to the protests and why people want a certain mosque in the area demolished. 

And in the end, we talk about Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his announcement to resign from his post.

Hosted, written and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.
Today is the 13th of September and here are the headlines.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her willingness to resign for the sake of the people, saying she too wanted justice for the young doctor raped and murdered at RG Kar hospital. During a press briefing, she apologised to the people of West Bengal for the ongoing impasse with junior doctors, and said that 27 lives had been lost and seven lakh patients were suffering due to their strike. Banerjee reiterated her commitment to dialogue, asserting that while she desires justice, she will not take punitive action against the agitating doctors.  Mamata further appealed to the doctors to return to work and said, quote, “I will not take action against them…they are young and we will pardon them…I wanted a meeting with an open mind.”.

Sitaram Yechury, the affable, soft-spoken and popular Communist leader passed away on Thursday after brief hospitalisation.The CPIM general secretary emerged as a bright young spark in the party’s firmament in the 1970s, to the last nearly a decade that he headed the frontline Left party. A firebrand student leader who fought against the Emergency in the 1970s, he joined the CPIM when he was a university student, and was just 32 when he was made a Central Committee member – one of the youngest to be accepted at the CPIM high table.

A showpiece bilateral jobs scheme, under which Indians would be taken to Israel to work in the construction sector, after over 1 lakh Palestinian workers were banned in the wake of the Hamas attack of 7th of October last year, is threatening to unravel. An Indian Express investigation has revealed that the key reason is a glaring skill mismatch after an assessment process that over-promised and under-delivered when it came to workers’ abilities. Israel has since taken the unprecedented step of allowing these workers to be re-deployed in unskilled or industrial jobs in non-construction sectors to avoid “damage” to “important relations” between both countries.

Meanwhile, in his first visit abroad as the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi attacked the Narendra Modi led government, accusing it of trying to undermine the Constitution and standing in the way of holding a nationwide caste census, themes that defined the Opposition’s campaign in the parliamentary elections. On the three-day visit to the US, Gandhi, accused the BJP government of stifling free speech; indulging in crony capitalism; attacking federalism; capturing Indian institutions, including the media; depriving the Opposition of a level playing field; and spreading communalism in an attempt to destroy India’s pluralism.

On the global front, what started off with a handshake turned into a fierce battle as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on Tuesday night during the Presidential debate for the first, and possibly, the last time ahead of the November polls. Inflation, abortion, immigration and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza were some of the issues that took centrestage in the debate moderated by ABC News anchors David Me-oh and Linsey Davis.The early pleasantries set the tone for the 90-minute exchange, with Harris baiting Trump with jabs over the economy during his presidency, while the latter retorted with jibes similar to his debate with Joe Biden.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

First, Executive Editor (News and Investigations) at The Indian Express Ritu Sarin talks about her latest investigation that looks into how the showpiece bilateral jobs scheme, under which Indians would be taken to Israel to work in the construction sector, is threatening to unravel.

Next, Indian Express' Sadaf Modak tells us how a goat tied outside a mutton shop sparked a legal dispute over alleged religious offense and animal cruelty, and how a man's statement has now given this case a strange twist (10:58).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha tells us about the first ‘legally binding’ international treaty on artificial intelligence (15:14).

Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.
Today is the 12th of September and here are the headlines.

The Union Cabinet is expanding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to provide health coverage to people aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income level. Currently, the scheme is income-based and provides 5 lakh rupees shared annual coverage to all members of eligible families irrespective of their age. According to a government statement, an additional 6 crore people in this age group, from 4.5 crore families, are expected to benefit. The eligible beneficiaries will be issued a new card under PM-Jan Arogya Yojana.

Two young Army officers were assaulted and one of their two women friends was allegedly gangraped by a group of six men who attacked them in the early hours of Wednesday near Jam Gate along the Mahow-Mand lesh war Road in Madhya Pradesh. Police said two of the six assailants had been arrested and a search is underway for the others. DIG Nimish Agrawal said the two officers from the Mhow cantonment town had gone out on a night trip and were sitting in a car with their friends when six men showed up, surrounded and assaulted them.

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on pleas filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail on Friday. The plea also challenges the Delhi High Court order upholding Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI in a corruption case in relation to the alleged excise policy scam. Opposing the plea, the CBI had told the Supreme Court that witnesses from Goa, including those who contested the Assembly elections on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket, would turn hostile if Kejriwal walked out of jail. Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the case. 

A year after multiple IPS officers were sent to Manipur by different states/Union Territories to head their Special Investigation Teams to investigate the violence cases, three states, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh have called back their officers and sent their replacements. The Indian Express has learnt that a discussion to send them back to their kaa druh started when some of the IPS officers who came on Supreintendent of Police rank got promoted to deputy inspector general (DIG) in January and requested their police chiefs to call them back.

Amid stalemate between West Bengal government and protesting doctors, state chief secretary sent a fresh letter to the agitators calling for a meeting at 5 pm today. On Wednesday, the government rejected the agitators’ demand to live broadcast talks intended to resolve the month-long “ceasework”. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s direction to doctors to resume work remains in place. In addition, sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate today started search operations at the residences and offices of persons “close” to arrested former principal of RG Kar hospital, Sandip Ghosh, in connection with alleged financial irregularities at the medical establishment.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

First, Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy talks to us about the India GCC Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue. He shares what India had to say regarding the Israel and Hamas war and what the Joint Action Plan 2024-2028 is about.

Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt informs us about the current Mpox (formerly Monkeypox) outbreak and the extent to which India should be concerned.(8:30)

And in the end, we talk about Pakistan violating the ceasefire agreement on the Line of control and causing a BSF personnel to get injured. (13:09)

Hosted, written and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar