3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma
Today is the 14th of August and here are the headlines.

In her first statement after fleeing Bangladesh, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for an investigation into the "killings and vandalism" in the country. The statement, issued on X by her son, came hours after a court ordered a probe into her alleged role in the death of a grocery shop owner during recent agitation. Meanwhile, as the Hindu minority in Bangladesh faces increasing attacks, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government, reached out to community leaders, promising “justice” and “equal rights” for all.
An Army captain was killed today in an exchange of fire with militants in the Doda district near the famous tourist hill resort of Patnitop in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army's 16 Corps confirmed on X that Captain Deepak Singh succumbed to his injuries after the encounter.  According to sources, Captain Singh was leading the Army party from the front when he suffered gunshot injuries. The security forces have seized an M4 rifle and four bags from the encounter site.

The Supreme Court today declined to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today in the case registered against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the CBI on Kejriwal’s petition seeking bail in the case and another challenging his arrest by the central agency. The Supreme Court will hear the matter next on the 23rd of August.

Today, the Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam withdrew an advisory that instructed women to “be composed emotionally” while on duty and to avoid “unnecessary attention of unscrupulous people” following widespread criticism. The institute’s Junior Doctors Association had termed the advisory “outrageous”. The notice was issued in the wake of the rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at a Kolkata hospital.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today for appointing to his cabinet a former lawyer who served jail time, raising the spectre for more political upheaval and a reset of the governing alliance. Srettha, a real estate tycoon, becomes the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed by verdicts by the same court after it ruled he violated the constitution by appointing a minister who did not meet ethical standards.

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

First, Indian Express Executive Editor P. Vaidyanathan Iyer discusses the latest allegations made by the US based investment firm Hindenburg Research against SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband, Dhaval Buch, claiming they had stakes in offshore funds involved in the alleged Adani money siphoning scandal.

Next, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah tells us about Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma once again targeting the minority Muslim community in the state by using the term ‘flood jihad’ (11:22).

And finally, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha explains why US astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are currently stuck in space (23:12). 

Hosted, scripted 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 Flora Swain.
Today is the 13th of August and here are the headlines.

Calcutta HC has ordered CBI probe in the case of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor who was found dead in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Friday. Earlier in the day Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam asked why a murder case was not registered at the outset and why an unnatural death case was initiated to the West Bengal government lawyer when he claimed that an unnatural death case was registered, as there is no immediate complaint of murder. The division bench presided by the Chief Justice said the body of the postgraduate trainee was not found on the roadside, and the superintendent or the principal of the hospital could have filed the complaint.

The Hindus in Bangladesh continue to protest against recent attacks on them. Chief advisor of the new interim government Muhammad Yunus who is expected to meet two minority groups today urged Bangladeshi Hindus to treat themselves as human beings and children of the soil. “You simply say that you are human, a citizen of Bangladesh, and this is your constitutional right that must be ensured. Just demand this, nothing more,” he was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

A lawyer has approached the Supreme Court with a fresh application seeking compliance with its January 3, 2024, order asking the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to “complete the pending investigations” into some of the allegations raised by the US-based short seller Hindenburg Research against Adani Group “preferably within three months”. In his plea, Advocate Vishal Tiwari said the Supreme Court in its order “clearly fixed the timeline of three months for the completion of investigations by Sebi”.

While rejecting the bail application of a man booked on various charges, including those under the anti-conversion law, the Allahabad High Court recently observed that the primary objective of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, is to guarantee religious freedom to all, thereby reflecting the social harmony and spirit of India. The court noted that the Act’s objective is to uphold the spirit of secularism in the country.

Assassination attempt, nuclear dominance, cutting down on government regulations — these were some of the topics up for discussion in a conversation between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, marking the former’s comeback on the social media platform ‘X’. Trump stuck to his speech from the four-day Republican National Convention highlighting President Biden’s shortcomings and calling his withdrawal from the presidential race ‘a coup’. Speaking of nuclear warming and the tug of powers, he spoke of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and claimed that it wouldn’t have happened if he had been in charge.

This was the Catchup 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 details of the investigation, what the victim's family said, what red flags were identified in the hospital and more.

Next, Indian Express' Parul Kulshrestha speaks to us about the sanitation workers who are protesting in Rajasthan. She shares the changes that have been made in their recruitment system and what their demands are regarding the same. (17:13)

And in the end, we talk about India’s former foreign minister K Natwar Singh's death. The former Union minister breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, where he had been admitted for the past few weeks. He passed away on 10th August at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness. (24:26)

Hosted, written and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
 
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This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 12th of August and here are the headlines.

After the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research on Saturday made a series of allegations against SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, Sebi on Sunday came out in Buch’s defence and said the regulator has adequate internal mechanisms to address issues related to conflict of interest, which include disclosure framework and provision for recusal. In the first official reaction from the Ministry of Finance on the Hindenburg revelations against Sebi Madhabi Puri Buch, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said there is “nothing further to add” by the government on the issue as both the regulator and the concerned person have given the statements.

In a powerful display of outrage and solidarity, major government hospitals across Delhi are set to indefinitely halt all elective services from Monday in response to the brutal rape and murder of a young junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Resident doctors protesting in West Bengal on Sunday night demanded a fast-track judicial inquiry into the case, the resignation of the principal, dean, and other authorities, proper compensation to the victim’s family, and an apology from the Kolkata police. The case has sparked nationwide protests.

After meeting the family of the doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today called for the case to be cracked quickly and said she would demand the death penalty for the perpetrators. “We are trying our best to solve the case. I don’t know how this type of incident can happen in a hospital. If there are more accused and all are not arrested by Sunday, we will hand over the case to the CBI — even though their success rate is low." Banerjee also said she would demand the death penalty for the perpetrators.

The Ministry of Education today announced the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024. IIT-Madras tops in engineering and overall categories in India and IISc Bengaluru is the top university in the country. In its ninth edition, three new categories have been introduced — open universities, skill universities and state funded government universities. The AICTE chairperson, Anil Sahasrabudhe, also announced that the Ministry aims to begin ‘sustainability rankings’ from next year. IITs have grabbed the top positions in the top institutes (overall) and the engineering categories. Meanwhile, IISc Bengaluru, JNU and Jamia are the top varsities in India.


Bittihotra Mohanty, who was convicted of raping a German woman in Rajashtan’s Alwar in 2006, died late Sunday night while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubanwswar. Hospital sources said Mohanty, son of former Odisha Director General (Home Guards and Fire Services) Bidya Bhusan Mohanty, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October last year and was admitted to AIIMS a month back. Known as Bitti, Bittihotra Mohanty was 25 years old and doing a management course in Delhi when he was charged in 2006 with raping a German woman on March 21 that year.

This was the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Asad Rehman discusses the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which proposes significant changes to how Waqfs are governed, and the reasons it is facing criticism from opposition parties and Muslim organizations.

Next, Indian Express’ Mallica Joshi talks about senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, being granted bail in the Delhi excise policy case after 17 months (13:26).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt explains why several international drugs will soon be available in the Indian market much faster (23:20).

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

This is the Catch Up on 3 things and I am Ichha Sharma
It’s the 9th of august and here are this week’s headlines. 

After months of mass upheaval and the consequent exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh got its new leader in Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday as he took oath as the chief adviser of the country’s interim government. President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus and 13 additional advisers. The protests, primarily led by student groups, were triggered by a violent crackdown on demonstrations advocating for reforms in the public service quota system, resulting in over 400 deaths in recent weeks. 

With the Opposition vehemently opposing The Waqf (Amendment) Bill and its allies wary about the widespread changes proposed by it, the government on Thursday sent the legislation to a Joint Committee of Parliament. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s introduction of the Bill was met with noisy protests, with Opposition MPs calling it “an attack on the Indian Constitution, the religious freedom it guarantees, and a violation of the federal structure”. The joint committee will be constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and include members from both the Houses of Parliament and across parties.

After a gut-wrenching day of defeats and heartbreaks with Vinesh Phogat announcing her retirement, a day after her disqualification in the wrestling final, due to being overweight by 100 gms and wrestler Antim Panghal’s deportation due to the accusation of ‘smuggling’ her sister inside the Athelete’s village, the Indian contingent was given a reason to cheer after the Indian hockey team won a bronze medal by beating Spain. This is the Indian contingent’s fourth medal, all of which have been bronze. It was captain Harmanpreet Singh who scored two goals after India was down one zero at one stage. 

For the past few days, the United Kingdom has witnessed widespread unrest and violence triggered by a stabbing incident in Southport on the 29th of July. So far, over 400 people have been arrested, 140 people charged, and three given jail sentences as anti-immigrant riots broke out in several regions, including north London, Bristol, and Newcastle, reportedly fuelled by misinformation and far-right activism.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee has kept the Repo rate steady at 6.5 per cent for the ninth time in a row as sticky food inflation continues to remain a threat to retail inflation. The rate-setting panel also left the monetary policy stance unchanged at ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ in the meeting on Thursday. As a consequence of the MPC’s decision, banks are expected to keep interest rates unchanged. The RBI also kept the gross domestic product growth projection for the financial year 2025 unchanged at 7.2 per cent and the retail inflation forecast at 4.5 per cent despite the sticky food inflation.

This was the Catch up on 3 things

First, Indian Express’ Shashank Nair talks to us about Vinesh Phogat and why she got disqualified from the Paris Olympics. He also shares what weight cutting is, why do athletes do it and why it poses a risk to their health. We also talk about her efforts to bring her weight down and what led to her retirement. 

Next, Flora Swain speaks to Indian Express’ Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy who shares the recent developments in the Israel Hamas conflict. They talk about two of Hamas' major leaders being killed by Israel and how this impacts the conflict, India and the whole world. (11:44)

And in the end, we talk about Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus swearing in as the chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government following weeks of intense student protests that led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and flight from the country. (23:07)
 
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 8th of August and here are the headlines.

The government introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha today amid opposition from several INDIA bloc MPs, who labelled the Bill ‘divisive’,‘anti-Muslim’, and ‘unconstitutional’. The Bill proposes significant changes to the 1995 law, such as the inclusion of Muslim women on Waqf boards and ensuring verification of land before a board announces it as a Waqf property.While the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)  had termed the move as ‘unacceptable’, INDIA parties had said it will oppose any changes to the Waqf Act.

Following the heartbreaking disqualification ahead of the Paris Olympics wrestling final, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling today.The 29-year-old failed to make weight, missing the cut by 100 grams during the weigh-in on Wednesday morning, leading to her disqualification from the 50kg categoryevent. Vinesh took to X and said. quote, “Mother, wrestling beat me, I lost. Your dream and my courage are all broken. I don’t have any more strength now.Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt,” unquote.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee has kept the Repo rate steady at 6.5 per cent for the ninth time in a row as sticky food inflation continuesto remain a threat to retail inflation. The rate-setting panel also left the monetary policy stance unchanged at ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ in the meeting today.As a consequence of the MPC’s decision, banks are expected to keep interest rates unchanged. The RBI also kept the gross domestic product growth projectionfor the financial year 2025 unchanged at 7.2 per cent and the retail inflation forecast at 4.5 per cent despite the sticky food inflation.

Speaking with The Indian Express, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Rashmi Ranjan Swain, in regard to the efforts to neutralise the “terror ecosystem,”said, quote, “There are 3.6 lakh regular employees and about 1.25 lakh semi-regular employees. Just over 70 people have been removed from service underthe national security clause. That’s 0.014%.  And who are the people being removed? Sons of (United Jihad Council chief) Syed Salahuddin. The total numberof people behind bars in various anti-terror laws is around 1600-1700.”

While Bangladesh is set to get a new, interim government today, headed by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. President Mohammed Shahabuddinwill administer the oath of office to the new government. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 8 pm today, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zamansaid during a press conference. Meanwhile, the Indian visa application center announced that its offices in the country will remain closed till further notice.

This was the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Over the past few weeks, Bangladesh has witnessed an unprecedented crisis that culminated on Monday when the death toll of those protesting the controversial job quota system exceeded 300. As the protests surged that day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India due to concerns for her safety.

In this episode, Indian Express’ Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy joins us to discuss what led to these protests, how the Hasina government reacted, and the challenges that Hasina’s resignation and her taking refuge in India pose for New Delhi.

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