News and Views

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Game of Thrones is over, and loyal fans of the show are already experiencing withdrawal symptoms. But good thing for fans of big ticket fantasy, science fiction and drama genres is that there are many fan-favourite shows returning to the screen after a hiatus in the coming months. And they are all set to cash in on the void left behind by the gigantic finale of GoT.

From Stranger Things to The Crown - here are our top picks for the upcoming season of online streaming that could make you feel like there is still a lot of good stuff to look forward to. 

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Exit polls may have shown the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance returning to power, but the Opposition hasn’t given up the fight. This is clear in how they are holding the Election Commission to account on Electronic Voting Machines. As many as 22 Opposition parties have given a memorandum to the Election Commission, putting forward two key demands:

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Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are likely preparing to host a dinner for the NDA allies as we inch closer to counting day, but the Opposition have been kept busy with EVMs. Various leaders of Opposition parties are meeting the Election Commission to discuss the tallying of the VVPATs with the EVM alleging that the EVMs have been “compromised”.

Meanwhile, the stock market fell again right after the big rise that came after exit polls. And it’s not just the stock market, it seems Karnataka government is also on the verge of falling since the exit poll surveys gave a resounding victory to the NDA in the state.

Congress leader Roshan Baig has indicated that he would leave the party if the need arises and have also asked Muslims to side with the BJP. He also slammed the Congress-JD(U) alliance and said that the portfolios were “sold” and minorities were ignored.

But good news for Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh, as they have been given a clean chit in a disproportionate assets case against them for lack of evidence.

All this and more on this episode of Chunav Tracker with Sanjay Pugalia. Tune in!

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On May 14, the Government announced the raising of the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) with Major General AK Dhingra as its first head. The AFSOD, with elements drawn from the Indian Army's Parachute Regiments (Special Forces), Indian Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOS), and the Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force, will function under the HQ of the tri-services Integrated Defence Staff. Starting with 3000 soldiers, the AFSOD will reportedly have its own dedicated helicopters, transport planes and specialised weaponry besides surveillance equipment.

To be based at Agra (where the Parachute Brigade is located), the AFSOD is one of the three new strategic-level raisings that were approved by the Defence Ministry in Sept 2018, and by the Government in December 2018. This was in consonance with the recommendations of the 2012 Naresh Chandra Task Force. The other two organizations are the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA), being set up at Delhi under Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta, and the Defence Space Agency (DSA), being raised at Bangalore with Air Marshal SP Dharkar as its chief. Together, all three agencies represent India’s resolve to address the evolved, new age threats.

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