3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I am Shashank Bhargava
Today is the 3rd of July and here are today’s headlines.

The Supreme Court said that every accused has the right to a speedy trial, despite the seriousness of the charges, and chided the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for opposing the bail plea of a man who has been in jail for four years after being charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Justice J.B. Pardiwala, while granting bail to accused Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh, told the agency that it should not make a mockery of justice, adding, “He [the accused] might have committed a serious offense, but you are under the obligation to start the trial. He has been in jail for the past four years. To date, the charge has not been framed.”

A day after 121 people died in a stampede during a religious congregation in Hathras, the local preacher, Bhole Baba, who had convened the gathering on Wednesday, blamed anti-social elements for the tragic incident. Releasing a statement, he said, “The stampede was created by some anti-social elements. I have authorized Dr. A.P. Singh, Senior Advocate, to take further legal action on this.” Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said a judicial inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge will be initiated and promised to punish those responsible for the lapse.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren today tendered his resignation to the Governor, paving the way for former Chief Minister Hemant Soren to head the government. A request was also submitted to the Governor by Hemant Soren to form the government.

In a troubling trend for Bihar, a portion of a bridge in the Siwan district collapsed this morning, marking the seventh such incident in the state within the past 15 days. The small bridge over the Gandaki River connects several villages with Maharajganj. While no casualties have been reported so far, this is the second incident of bridge collapse in Siwan in the last 11 days. Villagers suggested that heavy rainfall over the preceding days may have contributed to the collapse, with a surge in the Gandaki River potentially weakening the bridge’s structure.

Over a month after the monsoons hit the Northeast on the 10th of June, Assam continues to reel under severe inundation after days of relentless rainfall. The floodwaters have submerged thousands of villages, forced the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, and threatened the fragile ecosystems of the region, including the iconic Kaziranga National Park. A staggering 6.4 lakh people from over 1,200 villages across 19 districts have been affected, forcing over 8,000 individuals to seek refuge in relief camps spread across the state.

This was the catch up on 3 things by the Indian Express.

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First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the major changes introduced by the new criminal laws and the concerns that they raise.

Next, Indian Express’ Sohini Ghosh explains why the Gujarat police and the state BJP are in a predicament over a cake-cutting incident (17:00).

And in the end, we provide an update on the stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 116 people (24:44).

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I am Niharika Nanda
Today is the 2nd of July and here are today’s headlines.

At least 27 people, including 23 women, 3 children, and 1 man, were killed in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras today. According to the police, a religious event was underway in the village of Mughalgarhi in Hathras district when the stampede occurred. The process of identifying the bodies is ongoing. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has constituted a team, including the Additional Director General of the Agra Zone and the Police Commissioner of Aligarh, to inquire into the causes of the tragedy.

A day after delivering his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament today that truth can be expunged in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's world, but not in reality. His remarks came shortly after significant parts of his speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address were reportedly expunged by the Chair.

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and scheduled the hearing for the 17th of July in connection with the alleged corruption case related to the now-scrapped excise policy. On the 29th of June, a trial court ordered the Aam Aadmi Party leader to remain in judicial custody until the 12th of July as part of the CBI’s investigation into the matter. Kejriwal was officially arrested by the CBI on the 25th of June.

The Madhya Pradesh State Government is preparing to introduce a new law to curb paper leaks, which may impose a 10-year prison sentence and hefty fines. This comes after the Congress attempted to corner the ruling BJP government in the state over paper leaks in the Assembly. In 2023, the then-school education minister Rao Uday Singh spoke about bringing in stricter laws to prevent exam leaks as the government was hit by protests after it was forced to cancel the recruitment of revenue officers after alleged irregularities in the patwari recruitment exam.

The India Meteorological Department said today that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of the normal date.  The monsoon arrived in Kerala and the northeastern region on the 30th of May, six days earlier than usual. The country recorded 16 days of below-normal rainfall activity — from June 11 to June 27 — which led to an overall below-normal precipitation last month. 

This was the catch up on 3 things by the Indian Express.


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First, Indian Express' Dheeraj Mishra talks to us about a case where an interfaith relationship led to some harsh consequences. Dheeraj shares how six houses that belonged to a Muslim family have been demolished because the members of the family tried to allegedly abduct a 20-year-old Hindu woman. 

Next, Indian Express’ Divya A speaks to us about the private papers of public personalities that have been preserved in the Prime Minister's Museum and Library. She shares who all have access to these papers and how former PM Nehru's papers' access was restricted. (7:37)

And in the end, we talk about how Congress has been pushing for increasing the 50% cap on reservations and now Congress' general secretary Jairam Ramesh is asking PM Modi for an answer on whether or not it will be done. (21:40)

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Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar


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

A ruckus ensued in the Lok Sabha during the first speech of Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the 18th Lok Sabha. The commotion began when Gandhi gestured toward the Treasury Bench and remarked, “those who call themselves Hindus talk about violence.” This statement triggered an uproar in the Lower House, prompting intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP has since demanded an apology from him.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has consented to jailed Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, taking his oath as an MP on the 5th of July. Tomorrow, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh will rule on the interim bail plea of Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi, in connection with a 2017 terror funding case. Rashid won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate from the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, defeating his nearest rival, Omar Abdullah, by over 200,000 votes.

A Delhi court today sentenced activist Medha Patkar to five months' imprisonment in the defamation case filed against her in 2001 by Vinai Kumar Saxena, now the Delhi Lieutenant Governor. In 2000, Saxena had published an advertisement against Patkar’s Narmada Bachao Andolan, which opposed the construction of dams on the river. Following this, Patkar allegedly issued a “press notice” against Saxena. In 2001, a defamation suit was filed against Patkar in an Ahmedabad court, which was later transferred to Delhi on the Supreme Court’s directions.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged the Opposition to refrain from politicizing the new criminal laws that came into effect today and appealed to them for holding dialogue before resorting to protests. The three new criminal laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) – were approved by Parliament last December to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.

The Russian Defence ministry has reported that the country’s forces have taken over two villages in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. The ministry, in a brief statement on the Telegram messaging app, said its forces have also improved their positions along the frontline around the villages. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said that "heavy fighting" was taking place in the area around the villages.

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

Preparing for Civil Services? The Indian Express content that keeps you ahead of the curve is now available also on IAS Saathi. This new AI-driven app provides you credible information and aims to keep a balance of study & health. Download today on Google PlayStore and Apple Appstore.
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Are you someone who does not have health insurance? Or you do, but are wondering if you should switch plans, or worried that you missed out on something? In this special episode, we speak to Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt to discuss the A to Z of getting health insurance. We will break down jargon, consider all important factors, and bust myths to help you make an informed decision.
Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar


Timestamps:

How health insurance works (04:42)

At what age should you get health insurance? (05:15)

Is there an age limit? (06:45)

Should one choose a public company or a private one? (07:28)

What is a claim settlement ratio? (08:07)

The importance of a good network of hospitals (08:58)

How much coverage should you get? (09:50)

What is a waiting period? (10:47)

How much would you typically end up spending on health insurance? (12:06)

Is the insurance provided by your workplace sufficient? (12:54)

Benefits of sticking to an insurance plan (13:56)

What factors determine your premium? (14:27)

Why you should not lie when getting health insurance (15:45)

Why almost no one covers OPD expenses (17:32)

What do policies usually exclude? (19:34)

How insurance companies avoid paying for mental health treatment (21:37)

Are maternity-related expenses covered? (23:02)

Are daycare procedures covered? (23:54)

Discussing hospital room rents (25:32)

Beware of Co-pay (26:08)

How are pre- and post-hospitalization costs covered? (28:20)

What is a no-claim bonus? (30:20)

What are sub-limits? (31:02)

Benefits and disadvantages of a family floater plan (31:57)

Common reasons why claims get rejected (33:55)

The types of individuals that insurance companies try to avoid (34:44)

Key takeaways (36:39)



Preparing for Civil Services? The Indian Express content that keeps you ahead of the curve is now available also  on IAS Saathi. This new AI-driven app provides you credible information and aims to keep a balance of study & health. Download today on Google PlayStore and Apple Appstore.
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The headlines of this week from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Maulshree Seth talks to us about the Ram Temple and the water leak and water logging that it is facing. She shares the reasons behind the leak and the details of what the chief priest and the temple authorities had to say about it. 

Next, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha speaks to us about the need to develop disaster resilient infrastructure. He shares how with the rising temperatures and instances of landslides, heavy rain, cyclones and other natural disasters are making the critical infrastructure vulnerable and how that needs to change. (9:12)

And in the end, we give you an update on the arrests that have been made by the CBI in the NEET UG paper leak case. (19:57)

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Produced and written by Niharika Nanda and 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 27th of June and here are today's headlines.

Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses today, President Droupadi Murmu said, quote “Opposing policies and disrupting proceedings of Parliament are two different things. When Parliament is run smoothly, there’s healthy debate, then people have faith in the administration.” unquote. She also spoke about the ‘paper leak’ cases, saying that a high-level probe has been initiated into the allegations.

Meanwhile, Congress MP K C Venugopal, General Secretary in charge of the Organisation, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today, saying that his reference to the Emergency in his acceptance speech yesterday was “deeply shocking” and “unprecedented”. Released by the Congress, the letter said, quote “Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament.” unquote.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two persons in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam today, days after registering a criminal case. On Sunday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) sent show-cause notices threatening debarment to 17 candidates in Patna, based on the report sent to the Centre by the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit. Those arrested have been identified as Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment yesterday sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu labour department on the issue of married women not being allowed to work at the Foxconn India Apple iPhone Plant. Foxconn has informed the government that 25 per cent of its new hires are married women and its safety protocol, which requires all employees to avoid wearing metal irrespective of gender or religion, is not discriminatory, sources said.

As many as 24 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in three separate airstrikes on Gaza city on Tuesday, and one among those killed included a sister of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of militant Islamist group Hamas, Gaza health officials and medics told Reuters. Israeli tanks ventured further deep into western areas of Rafah, firing up homes and two schools, killing 14 and another strike on a house in Shati camp left 10 others dead.

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

First, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt discusses the Centre's rebranding of its flagship Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centers as "Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs," and how two North-Eastern states have opposed this idea.

Next, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath explains the significance of the role of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and how the Speaker's impartiality has been questioned over the years (09:50).

And in the end, we provide a quick update on Sam Pitroda's reappointment as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (19:42).

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