3 Things

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 7th of august and here are the headlines.

In a heartbreaking twist of fate for Vinesh Phogat, the wrestler will be disqualified from the Paris Olympics after she could not make the weight on the morning of her 50 kg gold medal bout. The IOA said in a statement, "It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. I would like to focus on the competitions on hand.”

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha to take necessary action regarding wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from Paris Olympics 2024. Addressing the Lok Sabha, Mandaviya said, “IOA president PT Usha directed by PM Modi to take appropriate action. IOA has registered dissent with United World Wrestling regarding this matter.”

NDIA bloc MPs today walked out of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Vinesh Phogat issue. This comes after Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the Lok Sabha regarding the wrestler’s disqualification. Mandaviya said that the IOA has registered dissent with United World Wrestling regarding this matter, while adding that the IOA PT Usha has also been directed by the prime minister to take necessary action. In other news, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged the Centre to declare the Wayanad landslide, claiming 276 lives, a national disaster. “I appreciate the support from various quarters to alleviate the tragedy in Wayanad,” he said.

Stating that it is “pained by the observations” in the July 17, 2024, order of Justice Rajbir Sehrawat of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Supreme Court today expunged those observations. “We are of the view that the observations which were made in the order…were totally unnecessary for the ultimate order which was passed. Gratuitous observations in regard to previous orders passed by the Supreme Court…are absolutely unwarranted. Compliance with orders passed by the Supreme Court is not a matter of choice, but a matter of bounden constitutional obligation bearing in mind the structure of the Indian legal system and the authority of the Supreme Court, which heads the process of judicial adjudication in the country,” a five-judge Constitution Bench which took suo motu cognisance of the matter said.

Four Chinese tourists were among five people killed in Nepal today when a helicopter crashed in the mountains northwest region of Kathmandu. Police have recovered five dead bodies from the crash site in Ward No 7 of Shivapuri Rural Municipality, Nuwakot, Myrepublica newspaper reported. Nepal-based Air Dynasty helicopter, 9N-AJD, was en route to Rasuwa from Kathmandu when it crashed. The helicopter departed from Kathmandu at 1:54 PM and was en route to Syaphrubensi when it crashed. This crash comes just weeks after the Saurya Airlines plane crash at the Tribhuvan International Airport on July 24.

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

First, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt talks to us about the Ayushman Bharat scheme and how it has been working since the last six years. She also shares that the central government wants to include all the senior citizens above the age of 70 within the ambit of the scheme and how it will impact the expenditure for it. 

Next, Indian Express’ Harish Damodaran speaks to us about a major breakthrough in wheat and rice farming that will bring to an end the issue of weeds. He talks about a new variety of herbicide tolerant wheat and rice crops that will bring down the practice of flooding a paddy field and stubble burning. (10:26)

And in the end, we talk about Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat creating history and becoming the first ever Indian female wrestler to reach the final at the Olympic Games. (21:21)

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

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 6th of August and here are today's headlines.

The Bangladesh parliament dissolved today, the Parliament’s office said as per news agency Reuters. Student protest coordinators had asked for the dissolving by 3 pm local today, pushing for the formation of a new interim government at the earliest. Warning of a “strict programme”, they had asked “revolutionary students to be ready”. 

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on the ongoing Bangladesh crisis, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said that the Indian government is “monitoring the situation with regards to the status of minorities… But will remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored. Our border forces have also been instructed to be exceptionally alert…” “We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions,” he said in the House. Earlier in the day, he briefed an all-party meeting in the Parliament on the matter.

Amid the recent violent unrest in several British cities, the High Commission of India in the United Kingdom issued an advisory today urging Indian citizens visiting the country to remain vigilant. The advisory read, “Indian travellers would be aware of the recent disturbances in some parts of the United Kingdom. The High Commission of India in London is closely monitoring the situation. Visitors from India are advised to stay vigilant and exercise due caution while travelling to the UK." Far-right activists and anti-racism groups clashed in cities across the United Kingdom last week, following a stabbing attack at a dance class in northwest England earlier in the week, which resulted in three girls being killed and several others injured.

Vinesh Phogat achieved a historic victory by defeating Olympic champion Yui Susaki in the ore-quarterfinals. This win is particularly significant as Susaki had not conceded a point during her gold medal run at Tokyo 2020 and remained unbeaten since 2010, only losing three matches to the same opponent until today. Neeraj Chopra qualified for the men's javelin throw final at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a season-best throw of 89.34 meters on his first attempt. This impressive performance, the best across both qualification groups, highlights Chopra's readiness to defend his Tokyo gold medal.

Around a month after being discharged, senior BJP leader L K Advani was admitted to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital again today. The 96-year-old is stable and under observation, according to sources in the know of the matter. Advani has been admitted under the care of neurologist Dr Vinit Suri. Days before his admission at Apollo Hospital last month, Advani was also admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

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

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the significance of the landmark Supreme Court ruling that allows states to create sub-classifications within the SC and ST categories to provide wider protections to the most backward communities within these categories.

Next, Indian Express’ Vidheesha Kuntamalla explains why the South Asian University in Delhi issued a show-cause notice to a PhD scholar, and how this ultimately led to the resignation of their supervisor (10:42).

Finally, we provide a quick update on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh resigning from her post and fleeing the country amid a revival of student protests against the job quota system (17:38).

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

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 5th of August and here are today's headlines.

In the backdrop of fresh violence in Bangladesh that killed at least 300 people, Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister of the country today, according to Bangladesh High Commission officials in Delhi. Around 6 pm, she landed at the Hindon Indian Air Force base, near national capital Delhi. In a televised address to the nation, Army chief Waker-uz-Zaman said the military will form the interim government. The streets of Bangladesh saw fierce clashes on Sunday, with the death toll mounting to at least 300, an AFP report said.  However, no official statement was issued in this regard.

Movement of goods through the Petrapole land port on the India-Bangladesh border has stopped today, and the train service between Kolkata and Dhaka remained suspended, as the latest spurt of violence in Bangladesh claimed at least 300 lives and forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country. There are 250-300 Indian trucks stuck on the Bangladesh side, said Kartik Chakraborty, secretary, Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association of Petrapole – the land port on the Indian side of the border with Bangladesh.

The Supreme Court today took suo motu cognisance of the deaths of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding in the basement of a coaching centre in New Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar to examine if safety norms are being followed. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing an appeal by the Coaching Federation of India challenging directions of the Delhi High Court regarding the proliferation of coaching institutes in Mukherjee Nagar. The bench said it was not sure as to what effective steps regarding safety had been taken by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi or the Central Government.

The Supreme Court today ruled that the Delhi Lieutenant Governor can nominate persons with expert knowledge to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and no aid and advice of the Council of Ministers is needed for this. The judgement came on the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government challenging Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena’s move to nominate 10 aldermen in MCD without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

The death toll in Tuesday’s landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district rose to 221 on Sunday, a day on which eight unidentified bodies were buried at a plantation in Meppadi panchayat after an all-religion prayer. About 1,300 uniformed personnel and 1,700 volunteers conducted extensive searches for bodies in the affected areas with the help of excavators and other equipment. They recovered two bodies on Sunday. Eight unidentified bodies were buried Sunday after DNA samples were taken from them. These would be matched with the DNA samples collected from close relatives of missing persons – a process which began on Sunday after a counselling session.

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

First, Indian Express' Arnabjit Sur talks to us about the three UPSC aspirants who were killed when the basement library of Rau's IAS, a coaching centre which was flooded with overflowing water from the roads. He shares what happened and what led to the three students' death. We also talk about the political reactions that the incident has prompted.

Next, Indian Express’ Abhinaya Harigovind speaks to us about a report that has been put forward by PARAKH, a standard setting body by the NCERT, which makes recommendations on how equivalence can be achieved across different school boards in the country. (16:27)

And in the end, we talk about the protests and violence that are happening in Bangladesh. (23:18)

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

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https://www.jiocinema.com/tv-shows/megacity-mindset-life-among-millions/3970099

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.
It’s the 2nd of August and here are this week’s headlines.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited landslides-hit areas of Wayanad and said he was “deeply pained” to see people who have lost family members and homes in the tragedy, calling it a “national disaster” and demanded an urgent comprehensive action plan. The death toll has risen to 277, with over 200 injured, Kerala Chief Minister Pinaraya  Vijayan has confirmed that 240 people remain missing, while more than 1500 have been rescued from the affected areas.

UPSC on Wednesday cancelled trainee IAS officer Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar’s candidature in the 2022 Civil Services Examination and barred her from appearing for any future examinations of the commission, after finding she had violated rules by appearing for the exam more times than what was allowed. UPSC had examined the data of the over 15,000 recommended candidates from 2009 to 2023, and found that apart from her, no other candidate had availed of more attempts than what is permitted under the CSE Rules.

Building collapsing in Kullu, roads being washed away, pilgrims being airlifted — these were the scenes in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on Thursday as multiple cloudbursts led to rain wreaking havoc claiming 5 lives in Himachal and 2 in Uttarakhand. Chardham Yatra registrations were put on hold and a safety advisory was issued urging the devotees to delay their travel due to the weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in the same Olympic Games after combining with Sarabjot Singh on Wednesday to win a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. On Monday, she won India’s first medal of the Paris Olympics, in the process becoming the first ever female shooter from India to win an Olympic medal.

On the global front, Ismail Haniyeh, the Qatar-based public face of Hamas, was assassinated in Iran on Wednesday in what might mark a defining moment in the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. A day later, on Thursday the Israeli military confirmed that the Hamas’ military wing chief Mohammed Deif was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, where he had gone to attend the inauguration of the newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Neerja Chowdhury discusses the turmoil within the BJP’s leadership in UP and the criticisms leveled against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Next, Indian Express’ Nitin Sharma tells us about Swapnil Kusale who secured a bronze medal yesterday in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final at the Paris Olympics (14:02).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Divya A talks about the National Archives' digitization of over 34 crore documents (18:22).

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

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 1st of August and here are today's headlines.


In the devastating Kerala landslides, the death toll has risen to 277, with over 200 injured as of earlier this morning, following a series of landslides in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have arrived at the disaster site and are set to visit relief camps and the medical college to support and meet with the affected families. Additionally, CM Pinarayi Vijayan chaired an all-party meeting in Wayanad to address the crisis and noted the challenges faced in bringing in machinery to assist with the rescue operations but highlighted that the completion of the Bailey Bridge has significantly facilitated the efforts.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to today, introduce a bill to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in both Houses of Parliament. This comes amid devastating landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad. A day earlier, Shah had said that the Centre had given an early warning to Kerala on July 23 and again on July 24 and July 25, following which nine NDRF teams were dispatched to the state. He said the loss of lives could have been minimised had the Kerala government become alert following the arrival of NDRF teams.

Building collapsing in Kullu, roads being washed away, pilgrims being airlifted — these were the scenes in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh earlier this morning as multiple cloudbursts led to rain wreaking havoc claiming 5 lives in Himachal and 2 in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the areas affected by heavy rains in Baheda Tehri Garhwal to monitor the rescue and relief operations underway. Chardham Yatra registrations have been put on hold for the time being and a safety advisory has been issued urging the devotees to delay their travel due to the weather conditions.

Starting with India at the Olympics, it was another historic moment in the sport of shooting as Swapnil Kusale became the first Indian to win a medal in the 50m Rifle 3-Position event, clinching bronze with a fine fightback. Meanwhile, it’s an all-Indian clash with Lakshya Sen taking on HS Prannoy in the men’s singles round of 16 while PV Sindhu and Satwik-Chirag will also be in action in the women’s singles round of 16 and men’s doubles quarterfinal respectively.

The Israeli military confirmed today that the Hamas’ military wing chief Mohammed Deif was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on the 13th of July. This comes a day after a senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran. On July 13, the Israeli military hit a compound in Mawasi to the west of Khan Younis, which killed over 90 people and injured 300, according to Gaza health officials. At the time, there had been no immediate confirmation that Deif was killed.

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

First, Indian Express’ Udit Misra discusses the government's decision to remove indexation benefits, whether it will lead to higher taxes, and its likely impact on the real estate market.

Next, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath explains the ‘right to be forgotten,’ its growing global demand, and its potential implications in the Indian context.

Finally, we talk about Manu Bhaker, who became the first athlete from the country since independence to win two medals at the same Olympics

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

Further listening: Pod Of The Rings

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Check out DW's inspiring five-part series "Megacity Mindset," streaming exclusively on JioCinema. It showcases trailblazing individuals across India's vibrant cities. In Mumbai, Bollywood star and casting director Abhishek Banerjee shares his journey, while in Delhi, pilot Captain Zoya Agarwal breaks barriers in aviation. 

Each episode of "Megacity Mindset" offers a compelling narrative of resilience, ambition and creativity, showcasing diverse talents and perspectives that drive these megacities. To know what sets these remarkable personalities apart, click on the link to watch DW’s Megacity Mindset, currently streaming exclusively on JioCinema. Don't miss out and remember: Success begins in the mind. 

https://www.jiocinema.com/tv-shows/megacity-mindset-life-among-millions/3970099