3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 24th of July and here are today's headlines.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today met a delegation of farmer leaders in the Parliament complex who apprised him of the issues being faced by the tillers. After the meeting, Rahul said he would work with other INDIA bloc leaders to pressurise the government to make Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal guarantee for farmers across the country. The Opposition in Rajya Sabha walked out today, a few minutes after the session began, in protest against the ‘discriminatory’ Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday.

Observing that there is a trust deficit between farmers and the government, the Supreme Court today proposed the constitution of an independent committee comprising eminent persons to reach out to the protesters to find a solution to their demands. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said there is a need for a “neutral umpire” who can inspire confidence between farmers and the government.

The Bihar Assembly passed a bill today aimed at preventing question paper leaks and other malpractices in government recruitment exams in the state, PTI news agency reported. The Bihar Public Examinations (PE) (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, was presented by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and was passed with a voice vote despite the opposition’s walkout. The new legislation aims at curbing malpractices in competitive examinations, including the leak of question papers, in the state, which has been at the center of the NEET 2024 question paper leak controversy.

Eighteen people have died as a Saurya Airlines flight skid off the runway while taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu today. The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, the Airport Security Chief told news agency Reuters. Pilot Manish Shankya was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital and is undergoing treatment for a head injury. The rescue operations are being led by the Nepal army.
Rush-hour traffic returned to the streets of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka today, as a curfew was eased after four days of nationwide shutdown that followed deadly protests led by university students against quotas in government jobs. Offices reopened and broadband internet was largely restored, although social media continued to be suspended, days after the clashes between protesters and security forces killed almost 150 people.

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

Yesterday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first budget under the third Narendra Modi-led government.

Following the announcement, PM Modi stated that the budget would empower every section of society and ensure inclusive growth. He highlighted that Dalit and backward class communities would benefit from the budget's powerful schemes and that women's contributions would be encouraged.

However, opposition parties were critical. The Congress labeled it the "Save Modi Government Budget," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) called it "politically biased and anti-poor," and the Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed it overlooked the interests of youth and farmers.

But to understand the budget beyond political reactions, and what it actually means for the economy, we are joined today by Indian Express’ Udit Misra.

Hosted 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 23rd of July and here are today's headlines.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament today. Announcements were made for politically significant states such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which are ruled by major NDA member parties. Rs 15,000 cr have been allocated for the development of Amaravati, the new capital of AP. No packages for Maharashtra or Haryana means the government is not too worried about near-term state elections and its focus is more on the full five years of its term.

Meanwhile, Taxpayers falling in the highest tax bracket — those with a taxable income of Rs 15 lakh or more — will save Rs 7,500 on account of enhancement in the standard deduction limit under the NTR. The government has also said mechanisms will be introduced to facilitate the continuation of credit to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) facing stress, in an acknowledgment of the multiple headwinds faced by the sector. Further, to enhance revenue generation, a hike in Long Term Capital Gains tax has been announced, from 10% to 12.5%. The jump in equity investments and profit booking by investors is likely behind the move.

Presenting the Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a reduction in Customs duty on a range of input materials such as critical minerals, electronics, chemicals, and precious metals, among others. The government has focused on streamlining Customs duties to enhance revenue and support domestic manufacturing, she added.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra resumed nearly 40 pleas related to the alleged irregularities on NEET UG. The Supreme Court said the initial statements of some of the accused arrested in the NEET-UG case indicated that a “leak” may have occurred on the night of May 4, on the eve of the exam, but no evidence had been placed before it so far to establish that the breach was widespread, so as to warrant cancellation of the exam. Senior advocate Hooda told the top court that the paper leak took place through WhatsApp so it was impossible that it was confined only to Patna in Bihar.

At least 157 people were killed in mudslides in a remote part of Ethiopia that has been hit with heavy rainfall, many of them as they tried to rescue survivors of an earlier mudslide, local authorities said today. Young children and pregnant women were among the victims of the mudslides in the Kencho Shacha Gozdi district of southern Ethiopia, said a local administrator. The death toll rose from 55 late Monday to 157 on Tuesday as search operations continued in the area.

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

First, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah talks about a landmark Supreme Court judgment in a citizenship case and shares her findings about the individual involved.

Next, Indian Express’ Dheeraj Mishra explains the controversial order issued by the UP and Uttarakhand governments regarding the Kanwar Yatra and explores why it has posed a setback for the BJP (15:16).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Ritu Sarin tells us why two books by former Army Chiefs have been held by the Ministry of Defence (23:26).

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 22nd of July and here are today's headlines.

Ahead of the Modi 3.0 Budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2023-24 in the Monsoon Session of Lok Sabha parliament highlighting an 8.2 per cent economic growth estimation in real terms in the financial year consolidating to post-Covid recovery, fiscal and monetary with policymakers. While inflation for specific food items has elevated, the headline inflation is under control with a surplus registered in the last quarter.

Speaking of the parliament, a day ahead of the much-awaited Union Budget, the Lok Sabha session kicked off with partisan attacks on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the ‘Question Hour’ rowing over the NEET - UG paper leak case. Congress MP Manickam Tagore and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised Pradhan over the purported paper leak incident, whereas Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that Pradhan will “blame everybody but himself”.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has resumed the NEET matter hearing today. Senior advocate Hooda told the top court that the paper leak took place through WhatsApp so it was impossible that it was confined only to Patna in Bihar. He said, “Solvers were taken from Rajasthan. Dissemination was through WhatsApp. It is not possible that the leak is confined to Patna.``. He added that if the apex court is “not considering re-NEET, at least qualified people should be asked to retake the exam, which will be about 13 lakh people.”

A day after a 14-year-old boy in Malappuram succumbed to the Nipah virus, the Kerala health department confirmed today that he had consumed hog plum fruit from his neighbourhood, where the presence of fruit bats, known as a reservoir of the zoonotic virus, was confirmed. Health minister Veena George, after a review in Malappuram, said the boy’s friends have said that he consumed the fruit, known locally as ambazhanga, from the vicinity of his house days before he developed the fever.

With President Joe Biden opting out of the US presidential race and endorsing his Vice President as the Democrat’s nominee, Kamala Harris praised his extraordinary leadership and has raised $49.6 million for her presidential campaign in less than a day of Biden withdrawing, Reuters reported. Harris said, quote “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” unquote. 

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

First, Indian Express' Bijin Jose talks to us about the global IT crisis caused by the Microsoft outage. He speaks about the cause behind the outage and clarifies if it was a cyber security issue or not. He also shares the impact the massive crisis had and how Microsoft is working to solve it.

Next, Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth speaks to us about rumblings in the Uttar Pradesh BJP. She shares how the Lok Sabha election results have caused a rift in the party and what consequences the UP government and CM Adityanath are facing as a result. (8:32)

And in the end, we talk about the return of Nipah virus in Kerala. A teen who tested positive for Nipah virus in Malappuram died. We also share an excerpt from one of our previous episodes where we discussed Nipah virus in depth. (19:46)

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

The headlines of this week from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Parthasarthi Biswas discusses the allegations against IAS probationary officer Dr Puja Khedkar and the concerns they raise about the Indian civil services.

Next, Indian Express' Amrita Nayak Dutta explains the possible reasons behind the rise in terror attacks in Jammu and shares insights from defense officials (16:42).

Finally, we provide the latest updates on the NEET UG 2024 cases, including the Supreme Court's statements and the arrests made by the CBI (24:48).

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 18th of July and here are today's headlines.

he Supreme Court today said that any order for conducting the NEET-UG 2024 afresh has to be on the concrete footing that the sanctity of the entire medical entrance exam was affected. The counsel, as per LiveLaw, told the top court that the NTA has said that the inflation of the mark is attributed to the decrease in the syllabus, however, there is an increase and decrease in the syllabus. The judges further asked about the spread of NEET question papers.

Several coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express overturned Thursday afternoon in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh after the train derailed from the tracks. Two persons are dead and the number of people injured in the accident was yet to be known, according to UP Relief Commissioner GS Naveen Kumar. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed immediate deployment of rescue and relief personnel at the spot, the Chief Minister’s Office said. Emergency helpline numbers have also been issued for assistance.

Stock indices soared today with the BSE Sensex hitting a fresh all-time high at 81,523 and was up over 800 points. The NSE Nifty 50 index registered a new peak at 24,838, and was up over 200 points. Earlier in the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a weak note, but bounced back later and climbed 193.9 points to hit a new record peak of 80,910.45.

Karnataka BJP leaders staged protests against the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government today in Bengaluru, demanding the chief minister’s resignation over the alleged Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. (KMVSTDC) scam. The opposition BJP leaders, including the party’s state unit President B Y Vijayendra, were detained as they tried to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha. In today’s Karnataka Legislative Assembly session, the BJP labeled the Congress government a “Tughlaq government” for delaying the Bill on reservations for locals in private sector management.

The Bangladesh government will hold talks with protesting students, Law Minister Anisul Haq said as unrest over job quotas continued today. Protesters called for a nationwide shutdown, with protest coordinator Nahid Islam saying that all establishments will remain closed, and only hospitals and emergency services will remain operational. Meanwhile, the Federal Minister said that mobile internet has been temporarily suspended in the country in the wake of the protests. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has advised its nationals to avoid travel.

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

First, Indian Express' Avaneesh Mishra talks to us about the controversy that is surrounding the new Kedarnath temple which is being built by the Kedarnath Dham Trust Delhi in the capital. He shares why the temple is facing opposition and the reactions that the row has garnered. 

Next, Indian Express’ Abhinaya Harigovind speaks to us about the PM-SHRI, a Rs 27000 crore scheme for government schools initiated by the centre. She talks about the states that are refusing to implement it and the consequences they are facing as a result. (9:18)

And in the end, we talk about 12 Maoists being killed in an encounter in a village on Maharashtra - Chhattisgarh border. (17:29)

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