Left, Right & Centre

A day after a children's hospital in Kyiv was destroyed amid a wave of strikes by Russia, PM Narendra Modi has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that it is "heart-wrenching" when innocent children are killed. What are the implications of this? Experts discuss.

Five soldiers were killed yesterday in Kathua - the latest in a string of terror attacks - and it seems that the government has had enough. An extremely strong statement from the Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane - "Their selfless service to the nation will always be remembered & their sacrifice will not go unavenged and India will defeat the evil forces behind the attack".  A huge statement, but what really are India's options?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Russia - his first visit since the Ukraine war began. What is this visit all about? What is the significance of this visit? How will this impact India-Russia ties? Watch experts discuss.

The Supreme Court has advised caution as it heard a clutch of petitions for a re-test of the May 5 NEET-UG exam, the results of which were released last month and have been marred by leaked questions and the award of 'grace marks', or preferential marking, for 1,563 students. At the same time, the court said, "One thing is clear... questions were leaked. The sanctity of the exam has been compromised." On Left, Right & Centre, with students, educationists and authorities we decode this Great Indian Exam Mess.

Prime Minister Modi is set to depart for Russia for a crucial 2-day diplomatic visit, his first since the Ukraine war began. From defence, energy, oil, Indians stranded in Russia, trade imbalances to increased economic cooperation, the two countries have redefined what has been a historical friendship. Will Russia's invasion of Ukraine cast its shadow on the bilateral summit? what are the larger geopolitical undertones of this meet, can the two nations carve out a roadmap for the new world order? Watch a power-packed debate.

There is no clarity on the counselling process for the NEET-UG examination. The aspirants' future hangs in the balance with no clear solution in sight. What do students expect from the Supreme Court? Listen in to the voices that matter.

A new report published in The Lancet Planet makes the point that 33,000 Indians in 10 Indian cities die of air pollution annually at pollution levels below India's current air quality standards. This means that India's clean-air threshold is simply too high and needs to match or get closer to what the World Health Organisation recommends. There is little point in having national clean air standards which don't prevent the death of citizens.

 

A day after Rahul Gandhi played out a video reasserting his claim that the family of the Agniveer soldier killed in the line of duty did not receive any remuneration from the government. A clarification came from the family of the soldier Ajay Kumar. They have received Rs 98 lakh so far but they want the Agnipath scheme to be scrapped. Two separate issues - 1.  Did the family receive compensation? 2. Does the Agnipath scheme work or is it a step back from the earlier system of recruitment? In this episode of Left, Right & Centre, we debate both the points.

Bhole Baba, the 'godman' whose prayer meet in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras ended in a stampede killing 121 people, is missing since the incident. He issued a statement this evening declaring he will take legal action against "anti-social elements" who allegedly engineered the horrific chaos. The 'godman' has not, so far, been named in the one police case that has been filed. His aide and the event organisers have been named and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and wrongful restraint. UP police chief Prashant Kumar was non-committal when asked if Bhole Baba will be arrested, and said, "Action will be taken based on facts."  On Left, Right & Centre, we ask, "Who is accountable for this horrific incident?" Tune in to the full show on NDTV.