3 Things

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 29th of February and here are the headlines on leap day.

Weeks before the general elections, the Indian Express today released IE 100, the list of the 100 most powerful Indians this year. For the seventh year running, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah remain No. 1 and 2 in the power list, with the top 10 comprising all RSS/BJP names, barring Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. Business titan Gautam Adani, climbed into the top 10 from No. 33 in his bounce-back from the Hindenburg controversy.

Absconding Trinamool Congress leader and the party’s strongman in Sandeshkhali Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal Police today. He was sent to police custody for 10 days by a local court. Following his court appearance, the TMC leader, who had been on the run since the last 55 days, was brought to the CID headquarters in Kolkata. According to sources, the case is likely to be handed over to the CID.

A special court in Ajmer today acquitted Abdul Karim ‘Tunda’ in the 1993 serial blasts case. Two other accused, Irfan and Hameeduddin have been sentenced to life imprisonment. All three were accused in the serial bomb blasts that took place in trains at Lucknow, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Surat and Mumbai on December 6, 1993. The lawyer for the accused said they would appeal the sentence given to Irfan and Hameeduddin in the Supreme Court.

Aviation regulator DGCA today imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for the incident where an 80-year-old passenger collapsed and later died after walking from plane to terminal at the Mumbai airport after not getting a wheelchair. The incident happened on February 12. A senior official at the DGCA today said, quote “Air India did not inform about any action taken by the airline against the erring employee(s) and the airline also failed to submit any corrective actions taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future,” Unquote.

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and the measures taken there are matters internal to the country, India told Pakistan at the United Nations. India made the statement while exercising its ‘Right of Reply’ to Pakistan’s comments on New Delhi at the High-Level Segment of the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council. First Secretary Anupama Singh, speaking at the session, added that New Delhi cannot pay attention to “a country that speaks while being soaked in red.”

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

First, Indian Express’ Deeptiman Tiwary tells how the rules for implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) are likely to be notified within the next fortnight or so.

Next, Indian Express’ Pallavi Smart discusses the Maharashtra government diluting the obligations required by private schools under the Right To Education (RTE) Act (14:30).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Sadaf Modak explains why the release of the Netflix docuseries ‘The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth’ has been pushed back (19:45).

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Produced and written 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 28th of February and here are the headlines.

In a shock result, the BJP emerged victorious on Tuesday in the election for the single vacant Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress is in power, with 40 MLAs in the 68-member Assembly. While the defeat is embarrassing for the Congress, now there is a possibility of its government collapsing, should it fail to pass the Budget in the ongoing Session. Meanwhile, 15 BJP MLAs, including the Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Assembly, were suspended from the House by the Speaker today for alleged misbehaviour and shouting slogans.

Around 3,300 kg of narcotic drugs were seized from an Iranian boat off Gujarat coast late on Tuesday and five men suspected to be Iranian nationals were apprehended in a joint operation by the Navy, the Narcotics Control Bureau and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad. The Defence Ministry said that this was the largest drug haul seizure in recent times. The seized contraband included 3,089 kg of charas, 158 kg of methamphetamine and 25 kg of morphine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone for a new launch complex of ISRO in Tamil Nadu. The Rs 986 crore facility is set to accommodate 24 launches per year. ISRO Chairman S Somanath said acquisition for the launch complex has been completed and the construction of the launch complex is expected to be completed in two years.

As the BJP staged a protest outside the Karnataka Assembly today, alleging that Congress supporters had raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans on Tuesday after their candidate Syed Nasir Hussain’s victory in the Rajya Sabha polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said “strict action will be taken” if the allegations were proven true.
Though Hussain denied the BJP’s allegations and said some of his followers had raised “Nasir Saab Zindabad” slogans, Bengaluru city police registered a suo motu case over the alleged incident.

Leader of Opposition of Kerala assembly today said that the Congress Party will contest 16 seats in Kerala in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and allocation of seats within the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) for the general elections has been finalised. Like in the previous polls, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest coalition partner in UDF, would contest in two seats.

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

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath joins us to talk about Fali Sam Nariman, one of the most eminent jurists of the country who passed away in his sleep on 21st February.

Second, we talk to Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary about CM Kejriwal refusing the summons by the Enforcement Directorate. (17:29)

Lastly, we talk about the four astronauts who have been chosen for the Gaganyaan mission. (28:07)


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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 Flora Swain.
It’s the 27th of February and here are the headlines.

Across 15 states, 56 Rajya Sabha seats are up for grabs today. Heading into polling day, the ruling NDA had 109 MPs in the Upper House, 10 members short of the halfway mark in the 238 member Rajya Sabha. The Opposition INDIA bloc had 89 MPs. The stage is set for a high-octane RS election battle in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh today. Last week, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief J P Nadda, new party entrant Ashok Chavan and Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan were among the 41 candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the names of the four astronauts that will fly to low-Earth orbit as part of the ISRO’s Gaganyaan. Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan and Shubanshu Shukla have been selected to be the astronauts on India’s first crewed mission to space. They are all officers in the Indian Air Force and have extensive experience working as test pilots.

The Enforcement Directorate today issued summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the eighth time in Delhi excise policy case. The ED has asked him to appear before it for questioning on the 4th of March. Kejriwal has not appeared for questioning for the last seven times but has responded to each summons in written. The Aam Aadmi Party said that “instead of sending summons daily, the ED should wait for the court’s decision.” The matter is up for hearing in court on the 16th of March.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India had to suspend the issuance of visas in Canada because Indian diplomats were “not safe going to work”. He further stated that that New Delhi expects action against the culprits involved in last year’s attacks on its diplomatic premises in London, San Francisco and Ottawa, among other cities.

As per local reports, a Pakistani court today indicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra on charges that they allegedly received land as a bribe during his premiership. Khan is in jail since August in connection with other cases, and has previously denied the allegation.

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

First, Indian Express’ Executive Editor (National Affairs) P. Vaidyanathan Iyer discusses the findings of the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey and the reasons why they are significant.

Next, Indian Express’ Jatin Anand talks about the seat-sharing arrangement agreed upon between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, along with the challenges they encountered in finalizing it (11:58).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Mihir Vasavda tells us the story of a girl who was abandoned at the age of 2 at a railway station in Delhi but now nurtures a dream of playing hockey in Spain (20:08).

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 26th of February and here are the headlines.

The Allahabad High Court today dismissed an appeal filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the Varanasi district court’s order to allow prayers in the Gyanvapi mosque. On 31st of January, the district court allowed prayers in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The district court order was challenged by the mosque committee in the Supreme Court which asked the committee to approach the Allahabad High Court.

The Calcutta High Court on Monday clarified that there is no stay on the arrest of absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shajahan, who has been accused of sexual harassment and landgrab in Sandeshkhali. The court directed that Shajahan, the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, the state home secretary be impleaded as parties in the suo motu matter initiated on the allegations of sexual atrocities and land grab reported from the area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

The Assam assembly witnessed stormy scenes today, with the Speaker rejecting the Opposition’s bid to discuss the Cabinet’s decision to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act 1935. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had asserted that the decision had been taken to curb child marriage, stating that the Act has a provision that enables the marriage of brides and grooms below the ages of 18 and 21, respectively. The decision had been announced while the current Assembly session was ongoing and the Cabinet approved the ‘Assam Repealing Ordinance 2024’ for the repeal of the Act.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today told the Supreme Court that he “made a mistake by retweeting” an allegedly defamatory video posted by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in 2018. Kejriwal had approached the court challenging a Delhi High Court order upholding the summons issued to him in the criminal defamation case. On 5th of February, the High Court had said, quote, “When a public figure tweets a defamatory post, the ramifications extend far beyond a mere whisper in someone’s ears.” Unquote.

The Haryana Police booked 12 people, including former Bahadurgarh BJP MLA Naresh Kaushik, in connection with the murder of Indian National Lok Dal state president and former MLA Nafe Singh Rathee on Sunday. They have been booked under murder and conspiracy charges. Nafe Singh’s family members and supporters have announced they will not cremate the bodies of the INLD leader and his security team member Jai Kishan, who was also killed in the attack, until the accused are arrested.

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

First, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah explains why the Assam Cabinet has decided to repeal the state’s Muslim Marriage law and the state’s plan to implement a Uniform Civil Code.

Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt tells us about Kala Azar disease and the steps that the government has been taking to eliminate it.

And in the end, Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth shares with us the details about the seat-sharing arrangement between the SP and the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh.

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Produced by Shashank Bhargava, Rahel Philipose, and Niharika Nanda

Further listening: Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code: All You Need To Know

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 23rd of February and here are the top stories of the week.

The farmers’ protest that resumed on Wednesday, was suspended for two days after a protester, 21-years-old Subhkaran Singh of Bathinda district, died due to a head injury. In the view of this, farmer leaders demanded registration of a murder case against those responsible for the death. Several farmers were also injured as the Haryana Police dropped tear gas shells at the Shambhu and Khanauri border. The leaders will review the situation and announce the next course of agitation this evening.

Sandeshkhali has been at the centre of a political firestorm ever since protests broke out in the area earlier this month. On Monday, a journalist was arrested for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman and trespassing into the complainant’s house and was later granted bail by the Calcutta High Court. The police also booked a talk show host of a Bengali news channel for promoting enmity and "conducting public mischief". Moreover, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and Brinda Karat of the CPI(M) were stopped by the police from visiting Sandeshkhali on Tuesday. West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar visited the violence-hit area for the first time on Thursday and said the police will listen to the complaints of every individual and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

The Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a Bill granting 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community. The principle of creamy layer will be applicable and reservation under this Act will be available only to those in the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes who are not in the creamy layer category. CM Eknath Shinde described the Bill as historic and bold and said it would survive the test of law.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed and set aside the result of mayoral polls for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The court perused the ballot papers and said that the eight ballots on which the presiding officer had made a marking, and were later counted as invalid, were duly cast in favour of Kuldeep Kumar. A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud thus ruled in favour of the AAP-Congress coalition candidate.

Controversy erupted on Wednesday over Congress workers allegedly roughing up a broadcast journalist at Raebareli on Tuesday and the manner in which Rahul Gandhi quizzed him. The TV channel released a video where Rahul is seen asking the TV journalist, his name, and also that of the owner of the channel. The Editors Guild of India on Thursday voiced concern over this and urged all political parties and leaders to exercise caution, particularly during election season when tempers can run high, and ensure that no individual is put in harm’s way.

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

On Tuesday, Ameen Sayani, the man who revolutionized radio presentation and perhaps became its most recognizable voice, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in his Mumbai home.

In this episode, we take a look at Ameen Sayani’s iconic career and hear from veteran singer Usha Uthup, filmmaker Saeed Mirza, and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, who remember the radio legend very fondly.

But to talk about his career we are first joined by Indian Express’ Suanshu Khurana.


Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda
Edited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar