3 Things

After being in the works for nearly four years and going through multiple iterations, the government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill. The decision came as a surprise to many, including civil society groups and privacy rights activists who had been criticising it. In this episode, Indian Express’ Soumyarendra Barik joins host Shashank Bhargava to discuss why the bill was being criticised, why the government withdrew it, and why its reasons for doing so are also a bit concerning.

(Episode image shows Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology in Government of India)

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, Dr K Srinath Reddy, the President of the Public Health Foundation of India, joins host Shashank Bhargava to talk about what we know about the Monkeypox outbreak so far, and what you should keep in mind.

Next, Indian Express’ Deeptiman Tiwary tells us why the Enforcement Directorate is probing the Gandhi family, and what the National Herald case is about.

And in the end, Indian Express’ Man Aman Singh Chhina talks about Axel, an Army dog who was killed in the line of duty last week.

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Soumyarendra Barik joins host Utsa Sarmin to talk about the recent 5G spectrum auction and how different companies bid for different bands and when it will be available for consumers.

Second, Indian Express' Associate Editor Shubhajit Roy talks about Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda leader killed in Afghanistan by a US drone strike and what that reveals for India.

Third, Indian Express' Senior Assistant Editor Santosh Singh explains to us the reasons for BJP's meeting in Bihar and how that may chart the course for 2024 Lok Sabha polls and 2025 Bihar assembly elections.

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express’ Udit Misra joins host Shashank Bhargava to discuss IMF downgrading India’s GDP projection, and why it has prompted mixed reactions.

Next, Indian Express’ Jayprakash Naidu tells us about the Mumbai police busting an international loan app scam.

And in the end, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath talks about why the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to include the pictures of the Prime Minister and the President in the advertisements for the ongoing Chess Olympiad.

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Mihir Vasavda joins host Utsa Sarmin to talk about India's performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and who to watch for in the upcoming games.

Second, Indian Express' Abhishek Angad talks about the incidents leading up to the suspension of three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand and how it may affect the JMM-Congress coalition in the state.

Third, Indian Express' Raakhi Jagga gives details about the Punjab mattress row which led to a collective outrage by the medical fraternity against the state's health minister.

The headlines this evening from the Indian Express.