The headlines of the week from the Indian Express.

First, Flora Swain talks to Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about US President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the US Presidential elections 2024. He shares the reasons behind this development and how it will impact the elections along with the Indo-US ties. 

Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt speaks to us about U-Win, a digital vaccination registry initiated by the government of India to maintain records of newborns, their health and their vaccinations. (11:21)

And in the end, we talk about an incident that happened in Madhya Pradesh where a school principal allegedly stopped some students from reciting a Sanskrit verse and forced them to speak in English. (19:21)

Hosted, written and produced by 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 25th of July and here are today's headlines.

Amid heavy rains overnight and persistent downpour, especially in the catchment areas of dams, parts of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad reported flooding this morning. The India Meteorological Department has issued an ‘orange alert’ for the next two days in the city. Four deaths have so far been reported in the rain-related incidents, including three due to electrocution and one due to a rock fall. The city witnessed three landslides and a wall collapse as confirmed by the Police Commission.

Meanwhile, due to torrential rains local train services in Mumbai were disrupted, as heavy waterlogging in many places brought traffic to a standstill. The IMD issued a ‘red alert’ for Mumbai and the neighbouring districts of Thane and Raigad. SpiceJet, Air India, and IndiGo also announced potential flight disruptions, while schools and colleges were shut.

The debate on the Union Budget 2024-25 is underway in both Houses of the Parliament. Congress MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi said there is an undeclared emergency in the country citing the crisis in Manipur, the plight of farmers, rape of Dalit woman in UP. Channi also raised the issue of the depreciation of the Indian rupee’s value and questioned the absence of Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the House.

Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, facial recognition of candidates, and live Artificial Intelligence-based CCTV surveillance are among the measures that the UPSC now plans to introduce to prevent “cheating, fraud, unfair means, and impersonation” during the examinations that it conducts. This comes in the wake of the case of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar who is facing a UPSC probe for allegedly “faking her identity” and a row over the NEET UG paper leak case.

Typhoon Gaemi made landfall in Taiwan, leaving 22 people dead in the Philippines from flooding and landslides, and three in Taiwan, with more than 220 reported injured. The island has seen persistent flooding in low-lying areas, landslides, and damage to homes and shops. Offices and schools in Taiwan were closed for the second consecutive day today and people were urged to stay home and away from the coastline. The island is regularly hit by typhoons and has boosted its warning systems, but its typography, high population density and high-tech economy make it difficult to avoid losses when such storms hit.

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

First, Indian Express' National Education Editor Ritika Chopra talks to us about what the Supreme Court had to say reagrding a re-NEET UG examination. The court gave its verdict about a re-exam while acknowleding the paper leak and grace marks situation. 

Next, Indian Express’ Sohini Ghosh speaks to us about the spread of the Chandipura virus also known as CHPV in Gujarat. She talks about how the virus impacts children, its symptoms and what the medical professionals have to say about it. (12:09)

And in the end, we talk about a devastating aircraft crash in Kathmandu, Nepal that caused the death of 18 people. (23:30)

Hosted, written and produced by 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 24th of July and here are today's headlines.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today met a delegation of farmer leaders in the Parliament complex who apprised him of the issues being faced by the tillers. After the meeting, Rahul said he would work with other INDIA bloc leaders to pressurise the government to make Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal guarantee for farmers across the country. The Opposition in Rajya Sabha walked out today, a few minutes after the session began, in protest against the ‘discriminatory’ Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday.

Observing that there is a trust deficit between farmers and the government, the Supreme Court today proposed the constitution of an independent committee comprising eminent persons to reach out to the protesters to find a solution to their demands. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said there is a need for a “neutral umpire” who can inspire confidence between farmers and the government.

The Bihar Assembly passed a bill today aimed at preventing question paper leaks and other malpractices in government recruitment exams in the state, PTI news agency reported. The Bihar Public Examinations (PE) (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, was presented by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and was passed with a voice vote despite the opposition’s walkout. The new legislation aims at curbing malpractices in competitive examinations, including the leak of question papers, in the state, which has been at the center of the NEET 2024 question paper leak controversy.

Eighteen people have died as a Saurya Airlines flight skid off the runway while taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu today. The plane was carrying two crew members and 17 technicians to Pokhara city for maintenance checks, the Airport Security Chief told news agency Reuters. Pilot Manish Shankya was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital and is undergoing treatment for a head injury. The rescue operations are being led by the Nepal army.
Rush-hour traffic returned to the streets of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka today, as a curfew was eased after four days of nationwide shutdown that followed deadly protests led by university students against quotas in government jobs. Offices reopened and broadband internet was largely restored, although social media continued to be suspended, days after the clashes between protesters and security forces killed almost 150 people.

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

Yesterday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first budget under the third Narendra Modi-led government.

Following the announcement, PM Modi stated that the budget would empower every section of society and ensure inclusive growth. He highlighted that Dalit and backward class communities would benefit from the budget's powerful schemes and that women's contributions would be encouraged.

However, opposition parties were critical. The Congress labeled it the "Save Modi Government Budget," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) called it "politically biased and anti-poor," and the Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed it overlooked the interests of youth and farmers.

But to understand the budget beyond political reactions, and what it actually means for the economy, we are joined today by Indian Express’ Udit Misra.

Hosted 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 23rd of July and here are today's headlines.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament today. Announcements were made for politically significant states such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which are ruled by major NDA member parties. Rs 15,000 cr have been allocated for the development of Amaravati, the new capital of AP. No packages for Maharashtra or Haryana means the government is not too worried about near-term state elections and its focus is more on the full five years of its term.

Meanwhile, Taxpayers falling in the highest tax bracket — those with a taxable income of Rs 15 lakh or more — will save Rs 7,500 on account of enhancement in the standard deduction limit under the NTR. The government has also said mechanisms will be introduced to facilitate the continuation of credit to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) facing stress, in an acknowledgment of the multiple headwinds faced by the sector. Further, to enhance revenue generation, a hike in Long Term Capital Gains tax has been announced, from 10% to 12.5%. The jump in equity investments and profit booking by investors is likely behind the move.

Presenting the Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a reduction in Customs duty on a range of input materials such as critical minerals, electronics, chemicals, and precious metals, among others. The government has focused on streamlining Customs duties to enhance revenue and support domestic manufacturing, she added.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra resumed nearly 40 pleas related to the alleged irregularities on NEET UG. The Supreme Court said the initial statements of some of the accused arrested in the NEET-UG case indicated that a “leak” may have occurred on the night of May 4, on the eve of the exam, but no evidence had been placed before it so far to establish that the breach was widespread, so as to warrant cancellation of the exam. Senior advocate Hooda told the top court that the paper leak took place through WhatsApp so it was impossible that it was confined only to Patna in Bihar.

At least 157 people were killed in mudslides in a remote part of Ethiopia that has been hit with heavy rainfall, many of them as they tried to rescue survivors of an earlier mudslide, local authorities said today. Young children and pregnant women were among the victims of the mudslides in the Kencho Shacha Gozdi district of southern Ethiopia, said a local administrator. The death toll rose from 55 late Monday to 157 on Tuesday as search operations continued in the area.

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

First, Indian Express’ Sukrita Baruah talks about a landmark Supreme Court judgment in a citizenship case and shares her findings about the individual involved.

Next, Indian Express’ Dheeraj Mishra explains the controversial order issued by the UP and Uttarakhand governments regarding the Kanwar Yatra and explores why it has posed a setback for the BJP (15:16).

And in the end, Indian Express’ Ritu Sarin tells us why two books by former Army Chiefs have been held by the Ministry of Defence (23:26).

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 22nd of July and here are today's headlines.

Ahead of the Modi 3.0 Budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2023-24 in the Monsoon Session of Lok Sabha parliament highlighting an 8.2 per cent economic growth estimation in real terms in the financial year consolidating to post-Covid recovery, fiscal and monetary with policymakers. While inflation for specific food items has elevated, the headline inflation is under control with a surplus registered in the last quarter.

Speaking of the parliament, a day ahead of the much-awaited Union Budget, the Lok Sabha session kicked off with partisan attacks on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the ‘Question Hour’ rowing over the NEET - UG paper leak case. Congress MP Manickam Tagore and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised Pradhan over the purported paper leak incident, whereas Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that Pradhan will “blame everybody but himself”.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has resumed the NEET matter hearing today. Senior advocate Hooda told the top court that the paper leak took place through WhatsApp so it was impossible that it was confined only to Patna in Bihar. He said, “Solvers were taken from Rajasthan. Dissemination was through WhatsApp. It is not possible that the leak is confined to Patna.``. He added that if the apex court is “not considering re-NEET, at least qualified people should be asked to retake the exam, which will be about 13 lakh people.”

A day after a 14-year-old boy in Malappuram succumbed to the Nipah virus, the Kerala health department confirmed today that he had consumed hog plum fruit from his neighbourhood, where the presence of fruit bats, known as a reservoir of the zoonotic virus, was confirmed. Health minister Veena George, after a review in Malappuram, said the boy’s friends have said that he consumed the fruit, known locally as ambazhanga, from the vicinity of his house days before he developed the fever.

With President Joe Biden opting out of the US presidential race and endorsing his Vice President as the Democrat’s nominee, Kamala Harris praised his extraordinary leadership and has raised $49.6 million for her presidential campaign in less than a day of Biden withdrawing, Reuters reported. Harris said, quote “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” unquote. 

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

First, Indian Express' Bijin Jose talks to us about the global IT crisis caused by the Microsoft outage. He speaks about the cause behind the outage and clarifies if it was a cyber security issue or not. He also shares the impact the massive crisis had and how Microsoft is working to solve it.

Next, Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth speaks to us about rumblings in the Uttar Pradesh BJP. She shares how the Lok Sabha election results have caused a rift in the party and what consequences the UP government and CM Adityanath are facing as a result. (8:32)

And in the end, we talk about the return of Nipah virus in Kerala. A teen who tested positive for Nipah virus in Malappuram died. We also share an excerpt from one of our previous episodes where we discussed Nipah virus in depth. (19:46)

Hosted, written and produced by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava 
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of this week from the Indian Express.