3 Things

his is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 12th of June and here are today's headlines.

Hours after a Central Reserve Police Force personnel died following an encounter with militants during a search operation in Kathua, the Jammu and Kashmir Police today killed a second militant hiding in the area. The slain militant had managed to flee on Tuesday night after the death of his accomplice. The police and paramilitary forces had then launched a search operation in the Kootah area. The two militants had entered a house in the village last night and asked for water, following which they opened fire and injured a civilian.

Calling the newly-sworn National Democratic Alliance dispensation “crippled”, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to change his attitude. Rahul told voters at Ernanad assembly constituency under Wayanad, which has voted him as MP for the second consecutive time. This is his first visit to the constituency since his election, quote “The Opposition has dealt a fatal blow to the BJP. Even Prime Minister Modi’s attitude will have to change, because the people of India have sent him a clear message." Unquote.

On Tuesday, Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his friend Pavithra Gowda were arrested over the recent murder of a 33-year-old man in Bengaluru. The victim has been identified as Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga district and a fan of the actor. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said their investigations so far suggest that Darshan was upset with Renukaswamy for allegedly sending “abusive comments and messages” to Pavithra on Instagram.

A fire broke out in a building housing workers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday, killing at least 41, including several Indians, and injuring more than 50. The building reportedly had nearly 160 people living in it, who are workers of the same company. The Kuwaiti health ministry said about 43 people were hospitalized due to the fire, and four of those people had died. Posting about the incident on the social media site X, External Affairs of India, Dr S Jaishankar expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. The Indian ambassador visited the Al-Adan hospital in Kuwait, where the injured are undergoing treatment.

A day after Chinese Premier Li Qiang congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his re-election for a third term, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi today said that Beijing was willing to work with India to push forward bilateral relations in the right direction. A post on X stated and I quote, “#China and India are important neighbouring countries. Relevant border issues should be handled properly. A sound and stable #ChinaIndia relationship is in the interest of both countries, and conducive to the peace and development in this region and beyond,” Unquote.

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

First, Indian Express' Vikas Pathak joins us to talk about the new cabinet that has been formed under the Modi government 3.0. With some changes and some similarities, the new cabinet is signaling towards continuity. 

Next, Indian Express’ Rural Affairs Editor Harish Damodaran speaks to us about the appointment of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Union Agriculture minister and what makes this appointment particularly important. (12:34)

And in the end, we talk about US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's possible visit to India to discuss projects and initiatives that India and the US are taking up together. (22:14)

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

The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre and National Testing Agency (NTA) on a plea seeking cancelling of NEET-UG 2024 exams over allegations of leak of question papers. The bench said the “sanctity has been affected” and that they need answers. However, the court refused to stay the counselling process for admission of those who have cleared the exam. Two days after the NEET-UG 2024 results were declared, The Indian Express reported that out of the 67 top scorers, 44 got a basic Physics question wrong but were awarded “grace marks” because of an error in an older version of the NCERT Class 12 textbook. More than 13,000 NEET-UG 2004 candidates challenged it, citing information in the textbook indicating a different answer, even though the provisional answer key released by the NTA selected the correct answer from the choices given.

Two days after the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, S Jaishankar assumed charge as the Minister of External Affairs once again. Expressing confidence in Modi 3.0’s foreign policy, Jaishankar highlighted key priorities such as addressing challenges posed by China’s tactics along the frontier and safeguarding India’s interests amidst developments in West Asia and the conflict in Ukraine.

The national capital today witnessed massive power cuts, following a fire at UP’s power grid, Delhi minister Atishi said. She wrote on X, quote, “This is due to a fire at a sub-station of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) in Mandola, UP,” Unquote. However, she said that the process of restoration had begun and power had returned in some areas. While highlighting that Delhi has a very limited production of power, the AAP minister said that she would speak to the Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Chairman of PGCIL to ensure that such a major failure is not repeated.

In his first public remarks on the outcome of the elections in which the BJP fell short of a majority in Lok Sabha, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that a true sevak (one who serves the people) does not have “ahankar” (arrogance) and works without causing any hurt to others. Referring to the bitter poll campaign, he said “decorum was not maintained”.

Malawi’s vice president and nine others were killed in a plane crash, the country’s president said today. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima was located in a mountainous area in the north of the country in a search that lasted more than a day. There were no survivors of the crash, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said in a live address on state television. Hundreds of soldiers, police officers and forest rangers searched a missing military plane carrying Malawi's vice president, a former first lady and eight others.

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

First, Indian Express’ Deeksha Teri discusses the controversy surrounding the NEET UG results, where an unprecedented 67 candidates scored a perfect 720 out of 720 marks.

Next, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah talks about the fresh tensions arising in Manipur and the recent attack on a police convoy escorting Chief Minister Biren Singh (10:22).

And in the end, we provide an update on a large mob that rampaged through the Baloda Bazar district collector’s office in Chhattisgarh, torching part of the government building and several vehicles within its perimeter (19:18).

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Produced by Shashank Bhargava and 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 10th of June and here are today's headlines.


A day after Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister along with his new Cabinet and Council of Ministers, he signed his first file authorising the release of around Rs 20,000 crore to about 9.3 crore farmers. Approving the 17th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, he said, quote, “Ours is a government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come.” Unquote. Meanwhile, all eyes are now on who gets what in NDA 3.0. The new portfolios are likely to be announced today prior to the new Cabinet’s first meeting this evening.

Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna Monday has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody in first of the three sexual assault cases lodged against him. He has been remanded to the Bengaluru Central Prison till June 24. The special investigation team (SIT) probing these cases may seek custody in a second case of sexual assault for custodial investigations at a later stage. Prajwal has sought anticipatory bail in the two other cases and the matter is being heard by a special court.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha convenor Prem Singh Tamang took oath as the chief minister of the Himalayan state for the second consecutive term today. Tamang and his Council of Ministers were administered the oath of office at the Paljor stadium in Gangtok. The ruling SKM secured a resounding victory in the state, by capturing 31 out of 32 seats in the assembly elections. In contrast, the Sikkim Democratic Front only managed to secure a victory in the Shyari constituency.

Indicating that the battle for the control of the Nationalist Congress Party would continue, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said today her party will continue to pursue the case in the Supreme Court strongly. On the occasion of the 25th foundation day of NCP, she said the voters have stood strongly behind the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the party was very grateful to them.

Pakistan's coalition government is expected to lay out ambitious fiscal targets in the 2024/2025 (July-June) budget on Wednesday that will help strengthen its case for a new bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund, officials and analysts said. Pakistan is in talks with the IMF for a loan estimated to be anything between $6 billion to $8 billion to avert a default for an economy that is growing at the slowest pace in the region.

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

First, Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary joins us to talk about the demands that have been extended by BJP's alliance partners TDP and JD(U). With the NDA forming a coalition government, these longstanding demands have been highlighted, Deeptiman shares what these demands are and whether or not can they be materialized. 

Next, Indian Express’ Varinder Bhatia speaks to us about the electoral setback faced by the BJP in Haryana, what caused this setback and how it is going to impact Haryana's upcoming assembly elections. (11:54)

And in the end, we talk about 9 people being killed and 33 getting injured in a suspected terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where fire was opened at a bus full of pilgrims on their way to Katra. (19:27)

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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 7th of June and here are the top stories of the week.

The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Party is set to return for a third term by winning 293 seats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a major setback as it fell short of a majority – with 240 seats – on its own as it was heavily dependent on alliance partners such as the TDP and JD(U) to secure 272 seats required to form the government.

The Opposition INDIA bloc combined by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won a total of 232 seats. The Congress got back on its feet with 99 seats and the SP gave a stunning show by winning 37 seats from a mere 5 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. The TMC won 29 seats in West Bengal while the DMK had leads in 22 seats. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP won 7 seats and the Shiv Sena of Uddhav Thackeray secured 9 seats. In Bihar, the RJD was ahead in 4 constituencies and the AAP and JMM in 3.

In Odisha, the BJP is all set to form a majority government of its own for the first time, winning 78 out of 147 seats in the assembly elections of the coastal state. The outcome brings to an end the five-term reign of Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, which managed to retain only 51 seats this time. Patnaik was eyeing to become the longest serving Chief Minister in India, but fell short by 76 days.

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who recently won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket, was allegedly slapped by a woman constable of the CISF at the security area of Chandigarh airport. Afterwards, the CISF constable, Kulwinder Kaur, suggested her actions were linked to a statement Ranaut had made about women joining the farmers’ protest. The CISF suspended the constable, initiated departmental inquiry, and lodged a police complaint against her. Ranaut, who was taking a Vistara flight to New Delhi and was accompanied by members of her family, said she will file a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, which congratulated Narendra Modi, the BJP and NDA on their election victory, has protested the exchange of messages between Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and Modi on the poll outcome. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, responding to a question on the interaction between Modi and Lai, said there is no such thing as ‘president’ of the Taiwan region and that China opposes all forms of official interactions between the Taiwan authorities and countries having diplomatic relations with China. She further stated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China.

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

First, Indian Express’ Dheeraj Mishra tells us why the BJP lost the Faizabad seat (of which Ayodhya is a part) to the Samajwadi Party, and the lessons it holds for the party.

Next, Indian Express’ Udit Misra reviews the biggest economic reforms under the previous two BJP-led governments and discusses the challenges and advantages of passing reforms under a coalition government (12:45).

And finally, Indian Express’ Avaneesh Mishra informs us about the nine people from Karnataka who passed away during a trek to Sahastratal in Uttarkashi (26:48).

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Produced by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 6th of June and here are today's headlines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on the evening of 9th of June, according to sources. Earlier, the ceremony was slated to take place on the 8th of June, but now it may be held at 6 pm on Sunday. The swearing-in of Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is likely to be postponed to 12th of June from 9th of June, as he has to attend PM Modi’s swearing-in first.

Meanwhile, there were more than 150 politicians who shifted from one political party to another in the fray in the elections. Of these, 13 candidates or their family members are facing probes either by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Income Tax Department, or the Enforcement Directorate. Of the 13, eight had switched sides to the BJP — seven from Congress and one from Trinamool Congress; two had switched sides to the Shiv Sena Shinde faction from the Shiv Sena, one switched to TDP from YSRCP; and two to Congress from the Jharkhand Vikas Party and Punjab Ekta Party, respectively.

The India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning in Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad districts starting today. Similarly, the Pune Fire Brigade had received 50 calls related to water logging and tree falls as rainwater logged major portions of roads due flash floods that hit several parts of the city. The rainfall, which meteorologists said, was very close to a cloud burst that was localized in nature.

Nine trekkers from Bengaluru died in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi after their 22-member team which was on a trekking expedition to Sahastra Tal was hit by bad weather on Tuesday afternoon. Officials confirmed today after four more bodies were recovered. The deceased were part of a 19-member group of trekkers from The Karnataka Mountaineering Association.

In global news today, Israel targeted a Gaza school that it alleged contained an Hamas compound, killing fighters involved in the Oct. 7 attack. On theother hand, the Gaza media said the strike killed at least 27 people seeking shelter. The Hamas-run government media office, rejected Israel's claims that the UN school in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, had hidden a Hamas command post. Israel's military said that before the strike by Israeli fighter jets, the military took steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. Israel has said there will be no halt to fighting during ceasefire talks.

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

First, Flora Swain is joined by Indian Express' Sujit Bisoyi and veteran journalist Sandeep Sahu to discuss BJP's very first victory in Odisha which broke the 24 year long streak of Naveen Patnaik and the BJD. They discuss at length why it happened and where VK Pandian stands in this whole situation. 

Next, Indian Express’ Premankur Biswas speaks to political analyst Jayanta Ghoshal about Trinamool Congress' win in West Bengal despite the talks about it facing anti- incumbency. And the BJP losing ground in the state with its tally decreasing from 18 to 12 seats. Jayanta has been writing about the state for the last 40 years. (15:12)

And in the end, we talk about China congratulating PM Modi on NDA's win in the Lok Sabha elections. China has said it wants to work on the bilateral relations between the two countries. (30:05)

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