3 Things

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the bill proposed by the Maharashtra government to tackle the menace of 'Naxalism in urban centers.' She explains the powers it proposes to give to the government and why it raises concerns.

Next, Indian Express’ Aditi Raja talks about the reason why around 5,000 families in Gujarat are facing eviction and why this is a recurring problem for the state every monsoon (13:42).

Finally, we provide a quick update about five soldiers succumbing to their injuries after an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district (27:14).

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 16th of July and here are today's headlines.

Four army personnel including a Major-rank officer succumbed to their injuries after an encounter on Monday night in Doda district’s Desa forests in Jammu and Kashmir. As per sources, firing shots were heard in between Uddan Bagi and Dheri Goth at Dessa district of Doda at around 7.45 pm. The encounter started after militants hiding inside the forests suddenly opened fire on a security forces party, which was carrying out searches in the area. The security forces retaliated and the exchange of fire between two sides continued for nearly half an hour. Since then, there has been no firing from the militants' side.

The Ahmednagar District Hospital in Maharashtra has certified that controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar was suffering from depression with myopic degeneration in both eyes.
Dr Sanjay Ghogare, Ahmednagar District Civil Surgeon, told The Indian Express that a copy of the report certifying 51 per cent disability was submitted to the District Collector. Questions had been raised about Khedkar’s ‘disabilities’ following a controversy over her conduct, which led to her being transferred from Pune to Washim. Khedkar shot into the limelight over her alleged demands for a separate office, official car and the unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car – all facilities she was not entitled to have.


Mihir Shah, son of a Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah arrested for running over a 45-year-old woman in Worli, was produced before court again today and remanded in judicial custody till July 30. Mihir was traced in Virar and arrested on July 9 after the police received information on his location. Meanwhile, the IMD had sounded an orange alert in Mumbai and Thane districts for today after heavy rainfall lashed the city on Monday.

Justices N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan were elevated as judges of the Supreme Court today, announced Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on X. Justice Singh’s elevation marks the first representation from Manipur in the Supreme Court. He was initially appointed a judge of the Gauhati High Court in 2011. Meanwhile, Justice Mahadevan is at present the acting chief justice of the Madras High Court. Once they take oath, the Supreme Court will regain its sanction strength of 34.

Police fired tear gas and charged with batons during violent clashes between a pro-government student body and student protesters overnight, leaving dozens injured at a public university outside Bangladesh’s capital, authorities and students said today. The violence spread early Tuesday at JahangirNagar University outside Dhaka, where protesters demanded an end to a quota reserved for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971, allowing them to take up 30% of governmental jobs. While job opportunities have expanded in Bangladesh’s private sector, many find government jobs stable and lucrative.

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

First, Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy talks to us about the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Austria followed by his visit to Russia. He shares the message delivered by his speeches in both the countries and about the bilateral relations between India and Austria.

Next, Indian Express’ Arnabjit Sur speaks to us about an incident where three men were gunned down by the police, two of whom were allegedly behind the Burger King shooting in the capital last month. The suspects opened fire when the police asked them to surrender and when the police shot back in defense, the two accused and a third man were killed. (12:25)

And in the end, we talk about the Pakistani government deciding to impose a ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. (22:08)

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

s is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 15th of July and here are today's headlines.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its January 3 verdict by which it refused to transfer the probe into allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani Group to a special investigation team or the CBI. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra dismissed the review plea filed by one of the PIL petitioners, Anamika Jaiswal, against the January 3 verdict. In a significant win for the Adani Group, the top court had declined to order a CBI or SIT probe.

Wholesale inflation in the country rose for the fourth consecutive month in June at 3.36 per cent on account of the rise in prices of food articles, especially vegetables and manufactured items. The wholesale price index based inflation was 2.61 per cent in May. It was (-) 4.18 per cent in June 2023. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement that the positive rate of inflation in June 2024 is primarily due to increase in prices of food articles, manufacture of food products, crude petroleum & natural gas, mineral oils, other manufacturing etc.

The Pune police have not been able to get in touch with Manorama Khedkar, mother of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in connection with a case registered against her over a land dispute, a senior official said on Monday. The police have registered an FIR against Manorama and her husband Dilip Khedkar besides five others, after a video showing her allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute emerged. A team with a senior officer of the Pune Rural police have been visiting Manorama’s bungalow at Baner Road in the city but have not been able to track her down, the official said.

In a major development, the Pakistan government has announced its decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, citing alleged involvement in anti-state activities. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar made the announcement on Monday, stating that the federal government believes there is substantial evidence to justify the ban. Responding to the ban, the PTI took to social media platform X and urged the government to ‘not shake the foundations of Pakistan’. It also castigated Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and his ‘puppet government’.

Former US President Donald Trump, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, recounted the moment when he was shot at, attributing his survival to his decision to glance at a screen displaying a chart during his public rally in Pennsylvania. Trump told the New York Post on his way to the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, quote, "I'm not supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be dead,” He told the Washington Examiner on Sunday, quote, "That reality is just setting in. I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that at that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?"

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

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the Supreme Court ruling that a Muslim woman's right to claim maintenance under criminal law cannot be extinguished even if she has claimed her rights under personal law.

Next, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha explains ISRO Chairman S. Somanath’s remarks, which reveal the space agency’s intent to develop capabilities in planetary defense (08:02).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Asad Rehman shares the highlights of the recently concluded assembly bypolls, in which the INDIA bloc won 10 out of the 13 seats (19:36).

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

The headlines of this week from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah talks to us about a strategically important dam project coming up in Arunachal Pradesh that will help in the production of hydropower but is a bone of contention between the government and the local people. 

Next, Indian Express’ Avaneesh Mishra speaks to us about a decline in the yield and area under cultivation of fruits in Uttarakhand. He talks about the reasons behind this decline and how it is impacting the fruit farmers of the state. (10:13)

And in the end, we give you an update on the NEET UG controversy. The CBI has arrested a man who is considered to be a kingpin in the entire paper leak case of the NEET UG 2024. (19:40)

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

his is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 11th of July and here are today's headlines.


The bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud announced that the NEET UG matters will now be taken up on the 18th of July. The apex court also asked the Centre and NTA about the actions taken to identify the beneficiary students of the wrongdoing. It resumed the hearing of alleged irregularities in NEET UG 2024 today and demanded a re-test. Centre added that the data analytics done by IIT Madras shows that there is neither any indication of mass malpractice nor a localized set of candidates being benefitted leading to abnormal scores.

Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar recused from hearing pleas of AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia today by which his bail petitions have been sought to be revived in the excise policy case. Another bench which Kumar is not part of will hear Sisodia’s two separate pleas for reviving his bail petitions in cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation in the excise policy scam case.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed foreign ministers of seven member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation aka BIMSTEC for a two-day retreat in Delhi. The BIMSTEC includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. There will be discussion on ways to deepen cooperation across various sectors, including security, connectivity and trade.

Delhi University’s Faculty of Law is planning to introduce the Manusmriti, the ancient Sanskrit text, in its undergraduate programme under the paper called Jurisprudence (Legal Method). This prompted a certain section of faculty members in the varsity to raise concern over the move. The revised syllabus document will be placed before DU’s Academic Council for Academic Matters on Friday to pass its implementation in the upcoming academic session in August.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has voiced profound concern over China's deepening relationship with Russia and accused Beijing of becoming a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war against Ukraine through its so-called “no limits” partnership with the country. The Washington Summit Declaration stated, quote "The People's Republic of China's (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values. The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the PRC and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order are a cause for profound concern," Unquote.

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

First, Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy shares the highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest visit to Russia and what its conclusion signals for the ties between the two nations.

Next, Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha explains what the High Seas Treaty is and how it proposes to protect the open oceans (15:02).

Finally, we provide a quick update on the latest remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi regarding the ongoing India-China border standoff (27:50).

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