3 Things

ndia has one of the largest & most complex education systems in the world, with 26.5 crore children going to 15 lakh schools taught by 95 lakh teachers. In order to ensure learning outcomes for all children are met Central Square Foundation or CSF has been working with State governments dedicatedly towards system-led reforms to ensure quality access to school education in schools across India.

Tomorrow, on the occasion of Teacher's Day, The Indian Express in association with CSF is curating a series of conversations with educators and experts of the field on the importance of achieving Foundational Learning in a child’s future learning journey.

Make sure to tune in tomorrow morning. The conversation will follow our regular 3 Things episode and will be available on our website indianexpress.com and everywhere you get you  r podcasts.

Now, on with the show

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 4th of September and here are the headlines.


In an unprecedented move, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today passed an amended Bill to stop pensions of members disqualified under the anti-defection law. Tightening the noose on defectors, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu introduced the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2024, that aims to deter and discourage MLAs from defecting parties by discontinuing their pension.

Kicking off the Congress’s campaign ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Ramban Wednesday promised to restore statehood for the people of J&K. Calling the Lieutenant-Governor a ‘raja’ (king), Rahul accused the central government of giving the benefits meant for the people of J&K to outsiders. “Aaj Jammu-Kashmir mein raja baitha hua hai. Uska naam L-G hai par hai voh raja. (Today, a king sits in Jammu and Kashmir. His name is L-G, but he is a king,” Rahul said. He added, “Your wealth is being snatched and given to people from outside. All benefits are being given to outsiders.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Singapore today, marking the beginning of his official two-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation. This visit aims to “deepen the strategic partnership” between India and Singapore. Modi is visiting Singapore at the invitation of his newly elected counterpart, Lawrence Wong. This trip follows a historic visit to Brunei, aligning with India’s Act East Policy. Modi was accompanied by Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other government officials.

After a 19-month delay, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) ward committee elections are taking place today. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won four zones while the BJP have secured wins in three so far. AAP won two of the three zones — City SP, Karol Bagh and West Zone — unopposed with BJP not filing nominations as they fell short of minimum number of elected councillors required. It also won the Rohini Zone with 14 votes. Meanwhile, the BJP won the Keshavpuram MCD Zone unopposed and all three seats in Shahdara north and secured a majority in Najafgarh and Shahdara South Zones.

India’s record-extending 21st medal of Paris Paralympics came courtesy Sachin Khilari today as he won silver in the Men’s Shot Put F46 final. After a record-breaking Monday where they won 8 medals, Tuesday was another day to remember as India bagged five medals and surpassed their previous best for most medals in a single campaign. And there are more at stake on Wednesday. India has bettered its tally from Tokyo 2020 Games.

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

First, Indian Express' Vinayakk Mohanarangan talks to us about one of the biggest days for India at the Paralympics. For the first ever time India won 8 medals within one day at the games. Indian para athletes created history by bagging two gold medals, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals within a day at the Paris Paralympics 2024. 

Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt speaks to us about the central government banning 156 fixed-dose combination drugs. She shares how in a notification, the government termed the now banned drugs as irrational, and said they do not have any therapeutic benefit. (13:54)

And in the end, we talk about the West Bengal Assembly unanimously passing an anti-rape bill called the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill that has provisions for stringent punishment and faster trial in rape cases. (20:31)

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

India has one of the largest & most complex education systems in the world, with 26.5 crore children going to 15 lakh schools taught by 95 lakh teachers. In order to ensure learning outcomes for all children are met Central Square Foundation or CSF has been working with State governments dedicatedly towards system-led reforms to ensure quality access to school education in schools across India.On the occasion of Teacher's Day that is 5th September, The Indian Express in association with CSF is curating a series of conversations with educators and experts in the field on the importance of achieving Foundational Learning in a child’s future learning journey.Make sure to tune in this Thursday morning. The conversation will follow our regular 3 Things episode and will be available on our website indianexpress.com and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Now, on with the show

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

The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the newly drafted anti-rape Bill today. After it was tabled this morning, CM Mamata Banerjee spoke in favour of the Bill and hailed it as “a model and historic”. She also said that a special unit of the state police — ‘Aparajita Task Force’– will be set up once the Bill becomes a law. The ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’  proposes capital punishment to rape convicts if their actions result in victims’ death or send them into a vegetative state.However, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari proposed amendments to the Bill which were not accepted by the House. The two-day special session of the Assembly has been called by the TMC government in the wake of the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.

Three crew members of an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) have been missing since Monday night after their helicopter made a hard landing and ditched into the sea off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat while they were on a mission to address a medical emergency on board a tanker. In a statement posted on its official X account, the Indian Coast Guard said the helicopter took off at 11 pm on Monday in response to a distress call from Hari Leela, an Indian-flagged oil tanker while it was sailing at sea off Porbandar coast. ICG said there were four crew members on board the helicopter, and one of them was rescued, a massive search and rescue operation has been launched to find the others.

A day after a mob vandalised around a dozen shops owned by Muslims in Chamoli’s Nandanagar following an allegation that a 25-year-old man from the community made an obscene gesture toward a minor girl, the Chamoli police Monday lodged an FIR against 300 unidentified people. According to the FIR, the mob specifically targeted a particular community, instilling fear and insecurity among women, children, and men residing in the affected houses.

Nine alleged Naxals were killed today in an encounter with security forces on the inter-district border between Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada and Bijapur districts, police said. A joint team of District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had begun an operation in the area on Monday, after receiving information on the presence of around 40 Naxals from the West Bastar division. An SLR, a .303 rifle, and a 315 bore rifle were among the items recovered from the site of the encounter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday, despite massive protests in Israel and increasing pressure from US President Joe Biden. He also emphasized his commitment to the hostages, stating, “No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me…No one will preach to me on this issue.” He also implored the international community to maximise pressure on Hamas for the hostage exchange ceasefire.

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

First, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah explains Assam’s new Muslim marriage law and the reasons behind its introduction by the government.

Next, Indian Express’ Aditi Raja discusses how BJP leaders in Vadodara are facing backlash from residents after last week’s severe flooding (11:08).

And finally, as the Supreme Court strongly criticizes ‘Bulldozer Justice,' Indian Express’ Asad Rehman talks about how the UP government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has employed this practice (21:00).

Hosted, produced and written by Shashank Bhargava
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 2nd of September and here are the headlines.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate hours after the probe agency raided his residence today. Reacting to the raids this morning, Khan claimed that the agency has been bothering him for the past two years. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court granted bail to AAP former communications in-charge Vijay Nair in money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’ case.  News agency PTI reported, Nair has been in jail for 22 months, where the maximum punishment is seven years.

In a flare-up of violence in Manipur’s inter-district boundary areas after several months, two people were killed and ten, including two police personnel and a television reporter, injured in gunfire and bombings in Imphal West. An official statement by the Manipur police stated that in an unprecedented attack in Koutruk area, alleged Kuki militants have deployed numerous rocket-propelled grenades using high-tech drones. A senior police officer estimated that seven such “explosives” had been used to target the village. 

The Army and the Jammu Kashmir Police have launched searches near the Sunjuwan Military Station in Jammu after a soldier was allegedly wounded in gunfire that came from outside the camp. Meanwhile, security sources said three pistols and some ammunition had been seized in Ramgarh sector along the international border in Samba district, prompting searches in the area. Sources further added, the arms and ammunition appeared to be dropped by a drone. 

Netflix’s latest series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack directed by Anubhav Sinha, based on the 1999 hijack of the Indian aircraft IC 814 by five terrorists, is in the eye of the storm. According to the news agency ANI, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the Netflix content head Monika Shergill after social media users accused the makers of the web series of deliberately changing the names of the hijackers to “Bhola” and “Shankar”.

Data accessed by The Indian Express shows, that the number of undocumented Indians crossing over from Canada to the US on foot has reached an all-time high. This spike has placed Canada’s visa screening process under the lens — more so, due to parallel concerns over Canada-bound Indian passengers seeking asylum in the UK while in transit. According to the latest US Customs and Border Protection data, an all-time high of 5,152 undocumented Indians entered the US from Canada on foot this June alone.

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

First, Indian Express' Sweety Kumari talks to us about the gruesome rape and murder case of a junior doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. She shares updates of the investigation which is now being carried out by the CBI, the state government's response, the protests and more. 

Next, Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth speaks to us about a tragic case from Uttar Pradesh's  Farrukhabad where two teenage girls were found dead. She shares details of the case, the police investigation and more. (13:29)

And in the end, we talk about India's performance at the Paralympics, which started in Paris, France on 28th August and will go on till 8th September 2024. (22:25)

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 Ichha Sharma.
Today is the 30th of August and here are this week’s headlines.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to create five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. These districts include Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang. According to the official website of the Ladakh administration, two districts made up the Union Territory — Leh and Kargil. Where Leh had six sub-divisions, Kargil had four.

According to records accessed under the Right To Information Act, The Indian Express learnt official scrutiny that lasted nine years till 2019 tracked 1,084 complaints of Government jobs being acquired on fake caste certificates. The RTI records were made available for 59 of the 93 ministries and departments under the Government. Records from the Department of Personnel and Training show, from these cases, 92 personnel were dismissed from service,. These numbers assume significance given the Puja Khedkar case who is in the dock for allegedly presenting dodgy caste and disability certificates to secure a seat in the civil services.

The findings of the Justice Hema Committee and the numerous sexual misconduct allegations that emerged against several male insiders since the panel report’s release have finally led to the collapse of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists as its office bearers submitted mass resignation on Tuesday. While Malayalam superstar Mohanlal stepped down as president of the association, Manorama Online reported, all members of the executive committee have also submitted their joint resignations. Meanwhile, A day after police booked veteran filmmaker Ranjith on charges of sexual misconduct, two more women professionals moved similar complaints against multiple actors, including CPI(M) MLA Mukesh.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee stated that a ‘malicious disinformation campaign’ has been unleashed against her over her speech made on Wednesday at the students rally.” She added, quote “Not uttered a single word against students or their movement, I have spoken against BJP because they are trying to create anarchy.” unquote. Meanwhile, the BJP sat on a dharna near Kolkata’s Esplanade on Thursday. This comes a day after the party called a 12-hour bandh in the state to protest against the alleged police action on protesters during the Nabanna Abhijan.

Amid torrential rains in Gujarat, a runway side wall of the Rajkot International Airport collapsed on Thursday. Rescue operations are underway across the state, where the rain fury has claimed about 35 lives since Monday. The Army and Indian Coast Guard have been evacuating people from flood-affected districts. Meanwhile, after remaining closed for almost two days, the NH 27 which is one of the two lifelines of Kandla and Mundra ports in Kutch has been reopened for vehicular traffic on Thursday morning as floodwaters receded in the area.

This was the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath talks about the Supreme Court granting bail to Telangana MLC K Kavitha in the excise policy case and the observations made during the hearing.

Next, Indian Express’ Abhishek Angad discusses the reasons behind former Jharkhand Chief Minister and senior JMM leader Champai Soren’s decision to join the BJP and how this move is expected to benefit the party in the upcoming assembly elections (10:40).

Finally, Indian Express’ Vikas Pathak reports on the controversy surrounding actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s statements on the farmers' protests and explores how the party typically handles members who speak out of line (18:45).

Hosted and written by Shashank Bhargava
Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha Sharma

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 29th of August and here are the headlines.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee today said that a ‘malicious disinformation campaign’ has been unleashed against her over her speech made on Wednesday at the students rally.” She added, quote “Not uttered a single word against students or their movement, I have spoken against BJP because they are trying to create anarchy.” Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to sit on a dharna near Kolkata’s Esplanade today. This comes a day after the party called a 12-hour bandh in the state to protest against the alleged police action on protesters during the Nabanna Abhijan.

Amid incessant rain in Gujarat, a runway side wall of the Rajkot International Airport collapsed today. Rescue operations are underway across the state, where the rain fury has claimed about 35 lives since Monday. The Army and Indian Coast Guard have been evacuating people from flood-affected districts. Meanwhile, after remaining closed for almost two days, the NH 27 which is one of the two lifelines of Kandla and Mundra ports in Kutch has been reopened for vehicular traffic on Thursday morning as floodwaters receded in the area.

The IMD said today that a cyclone is likely to develop over the north Arabian Sea, off Gujarat coast tomorrow. The cyclone is most unlikely to affect Indian coasts, as the prevailing deep depression over Saurashtra-Kutch would have moved away to the north Arabian Sea by tomorrow. If realised, this will be only the second cyclone to develop in the Arabian Sea since August 1964. Upon intensifying into a cyclone, it will acquire the name Asna, christened by Pakistan.

Former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India ex-president Brij Bhushan Singh sought the quashing of all criminal proceedings against him over allegations of sexual assault of wrestlers before the Delhi High Court today. He argued that there was “a hidden agenda” behind the complaints against him as he was the president of WFI at the time. The 1,500-page chargesheet against Singh for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers had included statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states, including wrestlers, a referee, a coach and a physiotherapist.

Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare on Tuesday announced plans to introduce a National Planning Level to cap the number of new international students at 2.7 lakh for the calendar year 2025 which is pending parliamentary approval. This cap marks the lowest intake in the past five years, and a significant decrease from the 5.61 lakh international students who started their studies in 2023. The announcement comes merely a month after a hike in Australia’s visa processing fee came into effect on 1st of July.

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

First, Indian Express' Ritu Sharma talks to us about the situation in Gujarat. The state has been facing unusually heavy rainfall and that has caused flooding in many districts and cities. She talks about the rescue operations, fatalities and more.

Next, Indian Express’ Venkata Krishna B speaks to us about Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, being appointed as the new chair of the International Cricket Council, ICC. He shares what makes his appointment at this point crucial and what challenges lie ahead of him.(9:14)

And in the end, we talk about President Droupadi Murmu talking about the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case. (20:05)

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