3 Things

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

The Supreme Court today held the changes made in the law to introduce the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional, in a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the legal validity of the Centre’s scheme which allowed for anonymous funding to political parties. A five-judge Constitution Bench presided by CJI D Y Chandrachud also directed that “the issuing bank shall herewith stop the issuance of electoral bonds” and asked the State Bank of India to “submit details of the electoral bonds purchased since the interim order of the court dated 12th of April 2019, till date to the Election Commission of India”.

Farmers of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) began ‘rail roko’ at several locations across Punjab at 12 noon today, including railway stations at Mansa, Barnala and Rajpura. Farmer leaders are set to hold talks today with Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityananad Rai, for the third time in a row, in Chandigarh. Speaking to The Indian Express, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary, Sarvan Singh Pandher hoped for a resolution after talks are held between the Centre and farmer leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani today. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome during his Qatar visit. PM Modi arrived in the Qatari capital last night and met his counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The duo discussed ways to bolster ties between India and Qatar and PM Modi said he had a “wonderful” meeting. The external affairs ministry said that PM Modi is scheduled to hold talks on bilateral as well as regional and global issues.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said 17 people have been arrested in restive Sandeshkhali, while asserting that “none involved in any wrongdoing will be spared.” Referring to the area which has been witnessing protests over alleged atrocities on locals by ruling TMC leaders, Banerjee said in the state Assembly that she has never allowed and will never allow any injustice to anyone.

In yet another setback to the INDIA alliance, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah today said that his party will go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. He further said the J&K Assembly polls could potentially take place at the same time as the Lok Sabha election. During a press conference, Abdullah said, quote, “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will contest alone and there’s no doubt about it."

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

In this episode, we discuss three issues related to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

First, Indian Express’ Udit Misra discusses the demand for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and its potential implications for farmers and the agricultural sector in the long run.

Next, Indian Express’ Raakhi Jagga provides a ground report from the Shambhu border, where security forces deployed tear gas shells against protesters on Tuesday and Wednesday (11:30).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Deputy Editor Liz Mathew explains why despite being concerned about optics, the BJP isn't overly worried about the protests this time, even though the Lok Sabha Polls are a few months away (21:38).

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 14th of February and here are the headlines.

Moments after the protesting farmers resumed their march to the National Capital today, chaos ensued at the Shambhu border. Security personnel fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowds. Meanwhile, Delhi’s borders were further fortified, with security personnel deployed in large numbers and barricades laid out across all possible entry points. Among other things, the farmers are seeking MSP guarantee for 23 crops, waiver of their debts and withdrawal of cases registered against them during the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation.

Prime Minister Modi began his speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai by thanking ‘his brother’ the UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a warm welcome to the country. The PM also said, quote, "Over the last few years, people's trust has increased in the Indian government. People have trust in the intent and commitment of the Indian government. This was possible only because we prioritised public sentiments in governance." Unquote.

With a day left for the deadline to submit nomination papers for the February 27 Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP and Congress released their official list of candidates for the polls. The Congress nominated veteran leader Sonia Gandhi as its candidate from Rajasthan, spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh and former minister Chandrakant Handore from Maharashtra. In Bihar, the party re-nominated party leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh. The BJP, meanwhile, announced Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan as its Rajya Sabha candidates from Odisha and Madhya Pradesh respectively.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has cancelled the Jharkhand leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which was scheduled to start today. He will instead join the ongoing farmers’ protest. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on X, quote, "The Yatra will resume at 2 PM on the 15th of February, with a public rally in Aurangabad, Bihar that will be addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi." Unquote.

PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who was widely expected to be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan, has instead nominated his brother, former PM Shehbaz Sharif to lead the next coalition government. Party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Nawaz’s daughter and party’s senior vice president Maryam Nawaz has been nominated for the post of Punjab Chief Minister. In other news, the workers and supporters of Imran Khan’s PTI have launched nationwide protests over the alleged "rigging in the general elections".

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

In this episode, Indian Express’ Anand Mohan joins us to tell the story of Sukesh Chandrashekhar, how he managed to con Bollywood actors like Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi, and allegedly pulled off a Rs 217 crore scam.

Hosted, written and produced by Shashank Bhargava
Research assistance by Anwiti Singh
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

(This episode was originally published on 27th January, 2023).

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 13th of February and here are the headlines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today embarked on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, highlighting the robust ties India shares with these nations. In his departure statement, PM Modi said that his visit will deepen India’s bilateral ties with both the nations. PM Modi will address world leaders at the World Government Summit in Dubai and also inaugurate the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.

Chaos emerged at Punjab-Haryana border today as protesting farmers began to remove the barricades, following which the Haryana police fired rounds of tear gas to disperse the mob. A number of farmers were detained and their vehicles seized by Haryana police soon after farmers’ unions began the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march amid heavy security. Farmer leaders decided to continue their march after a second round of crucial meeting between the farmer union leaders and Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Arjun Munda last evening ended in a stalemate, with no common ground in sight.

Just a day after exiting the Congress, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined the BJP today. Speaking about his decision to join the BJP, he said, quote, "After 38 years of political career in Congress, I took the decision to join BJP. I look forward to new innings with a positive outlook keeping the development agenda in mind." Unquote.

The Supreme Court today quashed the criminal defamation complaint against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav in connection with remarks where he allegedly referred to Gujaratis as "thugs". The court quashed the complaint, taking note that Yadav had tendered an apology and withdrawn his statement. The order came on Yadav’s plea seeking a transfer of the criminal defamation complaint pending against him in an Ahmedabad court to a place outside the state, preferably Delhi.

Goa police today told a Children’s Court that a mental health assessment of Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru-based CEO accused of murdering her four-year-old son at a Goa hotel last month, did not find any case of psychopathology, and that she gave "clear and rational answers" during the medical examination. The police cited a report of the medical examination conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour in Bambolim, stating that "serial mental status examinations did not reveal any case of psychopathology".

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

First, Indian Express’ Avaneesh Mishra joins us to talk about the violence that erupted in Haldwani last week, the reasons behind it and how it unfolded.

Second, we talk to Indian Express' Raakhi Jagga about the Punjab Farmers, who made a Dilli Chalo call and are marching towards the capital. (10:43)

Lastly, we talk about Madhya Pradesh High Court’s recent observation on demolitions. (21:23)

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and Produced by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava
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 12th of February and here are the headlines.

Stating that previous governments used to take a long time to conduct recruitments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the BJP government has provided almost 1.5 times more government jobs in its 10 years than the previous government during its decade-long rule. Addressing a Rozgar Mela via videoconferencing, PM Modi said that more than 1 lakh youths have been given appointment letters for government jobs. He added that the government has allocated Rs 11 lakh crore as capital expenditure in the Interim Budget 2024-25 to increase the pace of development.

The Bihar Assembly session began today with Nitish Kumar’s government in Bihar facing a trust vote. This followed two weeks after he jumped allegiance from the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) — a JD(U), RJD and Congress alliance — to the NDA bloc. Ahead of the vote, a no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary was taken up and passed by the Assembly, with 125 members voting in favour of the ouster.

As more than 200 farmers’ unions gear up for the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march from Punjab, the Delhi Police imposed Section 144 across the national capital for a month, beginning today. An order issued by the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora stated that there is “an absolute prohibition” on the organization, convening, or participation in any processions, demonstrations, rallies, or march on foot, whether for political, social, or any other purpose, within the geographical limits of Delhi/New Delhi.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan resigned from the Indian National Congress today. Chavan will be joining the ruling Shinde-led Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in the state. Sources have alleged that Chavan is likely to get a ticket from the BJP for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Reacting to the developments, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Congress leaders are suffocated within the party and the BJP anticipates more INC leaders to be joining them in the coming days.

The Ministry of External Affairs said today that three months after they were sentenced to death, seven out of the eight former Indian Navy personnel were released from Qatar’s custody and brought back to India. While seven sailors returned to India early today, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, whose death sentence was commuted but still received the harshest punishment of a 25-year life term, hasn’t returned yet. He, too, is expected to be back in India soon.

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

First, The Indian Express’ Harikishan Sharma joins us to talk about the new Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 passed by the Lok Sabha.

Second, we talk to Indian Express' Divya A about the draft guidelines given by the government for making movie theatres more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Lastly, we talk about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Karnataka.

Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Written and Produced 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 9th of February and and here are the top stories of this week.

The Union Government of India tabled a white paper on the Indian economy in Parliament on Thursday. The 59-page ‘White Paper on the Indian Economy’ said when the Modi government assumed office in 2014, the economy was in a “fragile state”. It stated strained public finances, corruption, double-digit inflation, ailing banking sector following excessive lending during the boom phase and policy uncertainty marred India’s business climate and dented its image under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during FY04-FY14.

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Uttarakhand, Bill 2024, which seeks to “govern and regulate the laws related to marriage and divorce, successions, live-in relationships, and matters related thereto” was passed in the Assembly on Wednesday following a two-day discussion. The Bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent after which it will become a law. Uttarakhand is now poised to become the first state to get a common law on marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

A day after it recognised the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Election Commission on Wednesday allotted the group led by NCP founder Sharad Pawar the name of “Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar” for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra. The NCP split in the party came to light on 2nd of July 2023, when Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra along with eight MLAs

In other news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hit out at the Centre Thursday, saying that it “feels like the Union government has declared war on the opposition party-ruled governments.” The CM was speaking at a protest at Jantar Mantar called by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan against the Centre’s alleged discrimination against states. The Kerala government has alleged that the fiscal policies of the BJP -led government are financially stifling the state, a day after the Karnataka government staged a 'Chalo Delhi' protest at the same venue.

Hamas has proposed a ceasefire plan that would quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months leading to an end to the war, in response to a proposal sent last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators and backed by the United States and Israel. According to the Hamas counterproposal, all Israeli women hostages, males under 19, the elderly and sick would be released during the first 45-day phase in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails.

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

First, The Indian Express’ Vikas Pathak joins us to talk about LK Advani being conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.

Second, we talk to Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about Pakistan general elections and how they are being held amid political instability and a near-crippling economic crisis. (16:34)

Lastly, we talk about India's rejection of Canada’s allegations of Indian interference in the country’s elections. (26:50)

Hosted by Rahel Philipose
Written and Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Rahel Philipose
Edited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar