3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 10th of April and here are today's headlines.


The Calcutta High Court today ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the sexual assault and land grabbing allegations made by villagers of West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. The CBI was already probing the January 5 attack by supporters of TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who had gone to Sandeshkhali-I to raid his house in connection with the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the state’s public distribution system.

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud today said he will look “immediately” into the request to take up Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case. on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court rejected Kejriwal’s petition challenging the arrest. Appearing for Kejriwal, Senior Advocate A M Singhvi informed the bench presided by CJI Chandrachud that the High Court ruling was based on an “unrelied document which was suppressed” from him.

The Supreme Court today said it will not accept the “unconditional and unqualified” apology tendered by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna. The apology was tendered in response to the contempt of court notices issued by the court in a case in which they had been sued by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for allegedly publishing misleading advertisements, claiming cure for some diseases and criticising the allopathy branch of medicines.

With revamped airfields and jetties to additional logistics and storage facilities, habitat for troops to a robust surveillance infrastructure, the strategic Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in the middle of a major military infrastructure upgrade, revealed senior officials familiar with the developments. The enhanced infrastructure is aimed to facilitate deployment of additional military forces, and facilities for larger and more warships, aircraft, missile batteries and troops.The ongoing large-scale construction activities come amid growing Chinese attempts to expand its influence in the region.

A prominent Indian diaspora body has urged various agencies of the US government, universities and student associations to work towards addressing the spike in the deaths of Indian-origin students in the US in recent months. An analysis of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) found the causes of these incidents range from suspicious shootings/kidnapping, environmental deaths due to lack of safety knowledge (monoxide poisoning, hypothermia), mental issues triggering suicides, and even suspicious accidents to violent crimes.

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

First, with the Congress manifesto promising "to enact a law on bail that will incorporate the principle that 'bail is the rule, jail is the exception' in all criminal laws," Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath talks about how some of the most stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were actually introduced during the previous UPA government.

Next, Indian Express’ Anjali Marar tells us what makes a total solar eclipse so special and how this phenomenon aids scientists in their study of the Sun (13:40.

Lastly, we provide an update on how the film ‘The Kerala Story’ is once again sparking controversy in Kerala (21:38).

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

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, we talk to Indian Express’ Sujit Bisoyi about the 5000 Indians who are stuck in Cambodia and are being trapped against their will, while being forced to scam people back home.

Second, Indian Express' Sweety Kumari joins us to talk about the investigation of the 2022 blast that happened at TMC booth president Rajkumar Manna's residence causing his death along with two more TMC leaders. The NIA was attacked while they were arresting the alleged key conspirators of the case. (12:37)

Lastly, we talk about the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company Pegatron being in advanced talks to hand over control of its only iPhone manufacturing facility in India to the Tata Group. (22:51)

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Written and 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 Niharika Nanda.
It’s the 8th of April and here are the top stories of the day.

Senior Congress leaders raised several complaints today before the Election Commission, including one against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that the party’s manifesto reflects the ideology of the Muslim League and that every page reeks of an agenda to break India into pieces. A delegation consisting of former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Khera, and Gurdeep Sappal met with officials of the poll body in the capital.

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed today by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh challenging an order of the Gujarat High Court, which refused to quash summons issued against him in a defamation case for alleged comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualification. Kejriwal and Singh had challenged the summons issued by a trial court in the case filed by the Gujarat University.

The AAP launched its campaign for the Lok Sabha elections today, which the party describes as a movement, and issued "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se" as its tagline, seeking support for its founder and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Aam Aadmi Party national general secretary Dr. Sandeep Pathak said the party workers would visit each house, meet every family in Delhi, sit with them, and explain how their Chief Minister had been arrested in a false case and how they would lose the benefits of the policies and revolutionary steps brought by him if the BJP comes to power.

Former Maldives minister Mariyam Shiuna apologized today via a post on X after a controversy erupted over a social media post in which she had used an Ashoka Chakra-like symbol to replace the compass on a Maldivian Democratic Party poster, along with a plea to vote for her party in the upcoming Maldivian elections. This is not the first time she has been in the news over similar issues. Shiuna is among the three ministers who were suspended for making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India.

Today, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This type of solar eclipse is a rare event for any particular spot. According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, once a place on Earth witnesses a total solar eclipse, it will be about 400 years before that part sees it again. A total eclipse occurs only about once every 18 months or so, and this time North America will get to experience it.

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

First, we talk to Indian Express’ National Education Editor Ritika Chopra about the revisions made in the NCERT textbooks. And as part of its fourth round of revisions, NCERT has made changes to the textbooks of three subjects - history, sociology and political science.

Second, Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah joins us to talk about the call for boycott of Lok Sabha elections that has been made by The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation or ENPO, which represents the tribal population of six eastern districts of Nagaland. (12:11)

Lastly, we talk about the flight disruptions faced by the Vistara airlines due to the non-availability of crew and what did Vistara chief Vinod Kannan had to say about the same. (20:48)

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and 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 5th of April and here are the top stories of the week.

A Delhi court on Monday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till 15th of April in the excise policy case. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, sought the Aam Aadmi Party chief’s judicial custody for 15 days stating that Kejriwal had not been cooperative and had not shared his passwords with the agency. The court has reserved its verdict on it.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh, was granted bail on Tuesday and walked out of Tihar Jail on Wednesday. He said that his jailed party colleagues in the excise policy case — Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and former minister Satyendar Jain — will also be released soon. He also commented on Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena remark that “government won’t be run from jail” in the aftermath of Kejriwal’s arrest.

Katchatheevu has been a newsmaker all through this week, as the BJP attempted to reignite the decades-old issue ahead of the general elections. Former Sri Lankan envoy to India Austin Fernando told The Indian Express that if the Indian government crosses the Sri Lankan maritime international boundary line, it would be seen as a “violation of Sri Lankan sovereignty”. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan foreign minister said that his country does not see any need to re-open talks on a contentious island.

World Central Kitchen demanded an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed seven of its staff in Gaza, as Israel faced growing isolation Wednesday over the deaths of six foreign aid workers and a Palestinian driver helping deliver desperately needed food to isolated and starving residents. Wednesday night, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart that the strikes, which Israel says targeted the aid workers in error, strengthened U.S. concerns about Israel’s plans to expand its ground offensive and said that Israel must do more to protect the lives of civilians and aid workers in Gaza.

The number of people injured in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Taiwan climbed past 1,000 on Thursday though the death toll remained steady at nine, with 42 workers on their way to a hotel in a national park still missing. The temblor, the strongest in 25 years, hit on Wednesday morning just as people were readying to go to work and school, focused on the largely rural and sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien.

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

First, we talk to Indian Express’ Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about the Katchatheevu island, which has gained spotlight lately with BJP's claim that the Congress gave away an important part of the country to Sri Lanka back in the 1970s.

Second, Indian Express' Apurva Vishwanath joins us to talk about the petition that was filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali, claiming that their advertisements violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. (12:25)

Lastly, we talk about BJP's response to remarks made by Congress leaders against PM Modi and Hema Malini. (20:50)

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and 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 4th of April and here are today's headlines.

Some of the significant changes introduced by the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) in the history chapter meant for Class 12 students on the origins and fall of the Harappan civilisation. Example: Assertion that recent studies of ancient DNA were obtained from archaeological sources at Rakhigarhi, an Indus Valley site in Haryana, ruling out Aryan immigration to a call for more research into whether the Harappans and the Vedic people were the same. These changes are part of the revision and updating of history textbooks undertaken by NCERT for the academic year 2024-25, which were recently communicated to the Central Board of Secondary Education.

A day after he was expelled from the party for six years for indiscipline and anti-party statements, former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam today launched a scathing attack against the party. He said its “outdated” leaders have lost touch with ground reality and it was a party with “no future left”.vWhile Nirupam chose to attack “Nehruvian secularism” and the “Leftist circle” around the Congress leadership, he also expressed displeasure over the party denying him a ticket from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency.

Former Congress national spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, who quit the party earlier in the day, joined the BJP in New Delhi. Former Bihar Congress president Anil Sharma also joined the BJP in the presence of its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. Quitting the Congress, Vallabh, who represented the party on several TV debates, said of late, he had found himself uncomfortable with several stands taken by the party. He further alleged that the Congress party is moving in the wrong direction, against the “basic principles of the party.” Gourav Vallabh had contested the Rajasthan assembly election from Udaipur constituency in 2023.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) made major suggestions to all educational institutions under its jurisdiction to help address “emerging challenges due to the current socio-cultural, religious, and political situation” in the country. These are: Respect all faiths and traditions, don’t force Christian traditions on students of other religions, have students recite the Preamble to the Constitution during the daily morning Assembly, and set up an “inter-religious prayer room” on school premises. The CBCI is the apex decision-making body representing the Catholic community in India.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry reportedly told a local news channel that Sri Lanka does not see any need to re-open talks on a contentious island, called Katchatheevu, ceded to it by New Delhi 50 years ago. Meanwhile, former Sri Lankan envoy to India Austin Fernando, while speaking with The Indian Express said if the Indian government crosses the Sri Lankan maritime international boundary line, it would be seen as a “violation of Sri Lankan sovereignty”.

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

First, in light of the recently concluded Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Indian Express’ Amitabh Sinha discusses the arguments for and against utilizing this technology.

Next, Indian Express’ Pavneet Singh Chadha and Kanchan Vasdev tell us about the Enforcement Directorate's raids on the Aam Aadmi Party leaders in Goa and Punjab (12:08).

And finally, we provide an update on the warning issued by India’s cybersecurity agency, CERT-In (19:24).

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