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Daily Briefing: One year of Russia-Ukraine war; Congress’ plenary session; and more

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The Big Story: Today marks one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The war has claimed thousands of lives on both sides and reshaped the world as we know it. And worryingly, there appears to be no end in sight.

Express View: As the battle zones of Ukraine gear up for significant military escalation on the first anniversary of the Russian aggression, the challenge for New Delhi is to take a fresh and hard look at its assumptions about the war.

India’s changing stance: Delhi has evolved its position as the facts of the conflict became clearer and the world felt the impact of the war. From its statements to its actions, Shubhajit Roy explains how its approach shifted.

Where things stand: Ukraine managed to push back the invading army from Kyiv. It also reversed some other territorial losses, including at Kherson in November, the only regional capital Russia had seized. For India, the Ukraine war has been an opportunity to practice strategic autonomy, Nirupama Subramanian writes.

In today’s episode of the 3 Things podcast, we take stock of what has happened in the last one year of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Must Read

For the first time, the market value of state-owned Life Insurance Corporation shareholding in Adani Group’s five big companies has dipped below its purchase value. LIC is the largest domestic institutional shareholder in Adani Group companies. On Thursday, the market value of LIC holding stood at Rs 26,861.9 crore, almost 11 per cent lower than its purchase value of Rs 30,127 crore.

The Congress’ three-day national conclave is set to begin in Raipur today. This meeting is important as it is expected to set the tone of the party for its upcoming electoral battles, including 2024. But the Congress finds itself facing twin challenges: First, the detention of its media department head Pawar Khera, and second, the exit of CR Kesavan, the great-grandson of late Congress stalwart C Rajagopalchari. We break down what the Congress is up against.

Since the 2020 T20 World Cup final at the MCG, India has played Australia 11 times, winning one and losing nine whereas one was washed out. The head-to-head stats might suggest that Australia have had the wood over India but most of the matches have been closely contested. Just like Thursday’s T20 World Cup semifinal, those matches have been missed opportunities for India.

Express Cartoon by E P Unny

From the Front Page

The Punjab government Thursday gave in to an “ultimatum” issued by radical leader Amritpal Singh, after hundreds of his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar and clashed with the police. Singh had demanded that his associate Lovepreet Singh Tufan, arrested on charges that included kidnapping, be released on Friday. Many of his supporters were carrying weapons and guns.

Thursday seemed like a hectic day for the Congress, which saw itself facing a crisis of sorts after its senior leader Pawan Khera was deplaned in Delhi and arrested on charges of using “objectionable words” against PM Narendra Modi. The party’s quick thinking to approach the Supreme Court provided relief, and Khera was granted interim relief. The party hopes the issue will subside, and not overshadow the Raipur session which begins today.

US President Joe Biden has nominated an Indian-American business leader, Ajay Banga, to lead the World Bank. Biden has said Banga, 64, is uniquely equipped to lead the global institution at “this critical moment in history”. If confirmed, Banga would be the first Indian-Armerican at the top spot.

Premium Reads

Here’s the story of the influence that Gautam Adani’s little-known brother Vinod wields in his sprawling empire — as well as the family’s style of using a maze of small companies when doing big business. In recent weeks, Vinod has come into the spotlight after Hindenburg Research named him prominently in its scathing report on the Adani Group.

Sooraj Barjatya’s Uunchai — one of the most bizarrely inept and outdated Hindi movies — became a surprise box office hit. But the film’s success had nothing to do with its quality; what should be studied is its clever release strategy. So how have we found ourselves in a position where corporate-driven content is praised and genuinely wonderful movies are overlooked? In his weekly column, Post Credits Scene, Rohan Naahar writes that Bollywood will truly witness a creative overhaul only when this self-congratulatory phase ends.

In this special ground report, Tora Agarwala visits Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, the home turf of CM Conrad Sangma and Mukul Sangma, which elects 24 MLAs in the February 27 Assembly polls. This seat will witness a fierce contest between the NPP and the TMC and has larger implications for the parties in the state.

And finally…

You may have read about how Bihar CM Nitish Kumar accosted a farmer for speaking in English rather than Hindi — there’s a viral video. What we need to talk about, however, is how this farmer, Amit Kumar, who has a science graduate with an MBA degree, has managed to sell 80 kg of mushroom daily with an annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh.

Delhi Confidential: A two-word tweet from PM Narendra Modi has made the day of Railway Board brass. Modi commented, “very good!” on a tweet on electrification of the entire network in Uttar Pradesh, which the Ministry has lost no time in showcasing.



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Daily briefing: Grand Alliance govt in Bihar wins trust vote; PMLA verdict review

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In today’s edition: New Bihar govt wins trust vote; behind the Uber Files; the PMLA verdict; and more. 

Big Story

Hours before the new Grand Alliance government in Bihar won the trust vote on Wednesday, the residences of multiple Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders were searched by CBI officials in connection with its probe in the ‘land for jobs’ case. The raids provoked a strong response from the RJD with Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav describing the CBI, ED and I-T department as the “jamai” (sons-in-law) of the BJP-led Centre.

🔴 Here’s what happened: Sources said raids were carried out at more than 25 locations, including in Patna, Katihar and Madhubani in Bihar, at premises allegedly linked to RJD treasurer and MLC Sunil Singh as well as two Rajya Sabha MPs from the party, Faiyaz Ahmed and Ashfaque Karim, among others. Among the locations searched was also an under-construction shopping mall, Urban Cubes, in Sector 71 of Gurgaon which, CBI sources alleged, is linked to Tejashwi.

🔴 How the RJD responded: Speaking in the Bihar Assembly during the trust vote on Wednesday, Tejashwi said, “When they fail to buy over their political opponents, woh log jamai ko aage kar dete hain (they put forward the sons-in-law). They launch them on those who can neither be cowed down or bought over.”

🔴 Bihar government wins trust vote: The new Grand Alliance government in Bihar won the trust vote with ease on Wednesday with JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launching a sharp attack against his former ally BJP. 

Only in the Express

In the latest edition of our Explained.live series, we take you behind the scenes of the ‘Uber Files’ — a global probe that shed light on how the ride-hailing start-up became a global behemoth by harnessing technology, working around laws, and using aggressive lobbying tactics to curry favour with governments during the period of its dramatic expansion.

From the Front Page

🔴 During the worst phase of the Covid pandemic between 2021-22, over 2.30 crore life insurance policies were surrendered by policyholders, much ahead of their maturity. This is more than three times the number of policies (69.78 lakh) surrendered prematurely in 2020-21.

🔴 In a move that could effectively fast-forward some crucial cases, including challenges to demonetisation (2016) and reservations to the economically weaker sections (2020), the Supreme Court picked 25 cases that will be heard by five-judge Constitution benches starting next week.

🔴 In March, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel announced that the state government has transferred over 300 sq km in the Bastar region from the Forest department to the Revenue department to ensure easy availability of land for setting up industries and building infrastructure. But the move has now run into a hurdle — even as paperwork is underway for transferring more land in other parts of the state.

Must Read

With Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot emerging as the choice of the Nehru-Gandhi family to succeed Sonia Gandhi as the Congress president, the possibility of a contest for the top post cannot be ruled out, sources said. If the 71-year-old Gehlot files his nomination with the obvious backing of the Gandhis, sources said the G-23 could field a candidate to challenge him.

The entire rank and file of the Mumbai police, Maharashtra police, central agencies, Indian navy, and the Coast Guard went into a tizzy last week when an unmanned yacht reached the shores of Harihareshwar in Raigad district of Maharashtra. D Sivanandhan writes on how a a 16-foot yacht points to nation’s vulnerability to a terror attack

The Supreme Court will hear in open court a review of its judgment upholding key provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. A three-judge Bench had ruled on a batch of over 240 petitions challenging the special law against money laundering. We explain:

  • What was the ruling?
  • How is a judgment reviewed?
  • Why is the PMLA verdict under review?

And Finally 

Ayodhya ki Ramleela is set to feature three BJP parliamentarians as actors in key roles this time. While Azamgarh MP Dinesh Lal Yadav, the Bhojpuri actor-singer popularly known as “Nirahua”, will take up the role of Laxman, Ravi Kishan, the Gorakhpur MP and Bhojpuri actor, will essay Kewat and Manoj Tiwari, the MP from North East Delhi, will play Parashuram.

Delhi Confidential: The BJP headquarters that has been deserted for some days became active and alive on Wednesday when the newly appointed national general secretary Sunil Bansal reached his office. Bansal, who had tested positive for Covid immediately after his elevation from being the organisation’s general secretary in Uttar Pradesh to national general secretary in-charge of three key states — West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana – came to the second-floor office for the first time.

In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about the Brahmos missile misfiring incident which led to the firing of three IAF officers, a student cyber army, and lumpy skin disease in cattle.

Until next time,

Rahel Philipose and Srishti Kapoor



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Daily Briefing: PM Modi targets corruption, nepotism in I-Day speech; Taliban celebrates one year since Afghanistan takeover

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The Big Story

Devoid of announcements on any social sector schemes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech focused on the big picture, and dwelt on the ideas for the future, urging people to embrace self-reliance in spirit and action. He framed his political argument on two pillars, spelling out a five-point “pran” (commitment/ resolve) for the ensuing 25 years, and the twin challenges of “corruption” and “dynasty politics and nepotism” confronting the nation.

Only in The Express

To celebrate the first anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan, hundreds of Taliban fighters took to the streets of Kabul, riding in open pick-up trucks, holding automatic guns and waving their group’s white-and-black flags. But few civilians, either on the streets or indoors, took part in the celebrations — and no women at all. However, a small group of women reportedly met in secret at a house in Kabul to mark their protest and pledged to continue their resistance against the Taliban.

While the family of the Dalit boy who died after he was allegedly beaten up by his upper-caste teacher for drinking water from a pot meant for the teacher, Rajasthan police have maintained that their investigation so far hasn’t revealed any caste angle. The teacher also found support from his staff, some of them Dalits, who say no drinking water pot was kept in the building. The boy’s family, however, alleged that the Dalit teachers of the school were under pressure and had no option but to back the teacher, who is also their employer.

On August 26, when Justice N V Ramana retires as Chief Justice of India (CJI), he will be leaving at a time when high court judge vacancies are down to their lowest level since 2016. The Supreme Court collegium led by him made more than 250 recommendations for high courts. During CJI Ramana’s tenure, the collegium also made 11 judge recommendations for the Supreme Court. The list included, for the first time, three women — Justices Hima Kohli, B V Nagarathna and Bela Trivedi. Justice Nagarathna is in line to be the first woman CJI in 2027.

From the Front Page

Bilkis Bano, who was pregnant at the time, was gangraped and her three-year-old daughter Saleha was among 14 killed by a mob during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Of the 13 convicts, 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of gangrape and murder. Now, the 11 have been freed from a Godhra sub-jail on Independence Day after a state government panel approved their application for remission of sentence.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his Independence Day speech said that the state government would try to create over 20 lakh jobs within and outside the government. This comes as conversations at village chaupals, and tea and paan shops remain dominated by berozgari (unemployment) – a long-standing grouse against the government – post the recent political churn in the state.

Must Read

PSUs across sectors from banking to energy continued to witness a shrinking of their headcount, an analysis of annual reports shows. Among the top 15 listed PSUs by market capitalisation, barring SBI Life Insurance, IRCTC, and LIC (not yet reported its numbers for the year-ended March 31, 2022), all companies have been reporting a decline in the number of employees for the past several years.

The Centre’s DigiYatra initiative, piloted at the Delhi airport, envisages that travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish their identity. We explain how DigiYatra works, which airports will implement it, and how.

Opining about India’s foreign policy as it moves towards becoming “viksit Bharat” (developed India), C Raja Mohan writes: “Deterring the dangers from across the Western frontier must remain a major priority until Pakistan is ready for a productive relationship with India. Meanwhile, Delhi must continue to build on the recent good work in overcoming the bitter legacies of Partition in the east – including the settlement of the boundary dispute with Bangladesh.”

And Finally…

Cricket was at the heart of an early struggle over the rights of citizenry. As a new Governor from England, Lord Harris – a former cricket captain – arrived in Bombay in 1891, Indians petitioned him to reserve the land used by Britishers to play polo for cricket alone. Harris resolved the conflict by allotting land, ‘reclaimed’ from the sea for the exclusive use of native Indian cricketers. We trace the history of the polo vs cricket fight, the birth of Pentangular cricket tournament and its eventual disbanding.

Delhi confidential: More than 5 crore Tiranga selfies have been uploaded on the Har Ghar Tiranga website from across India and the world. The website saw a huge draw because of its feature that allowed people to digitally ‘pin a flag’ at a location based on their IP.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about the death of a 9-year-old Dalit boy in Rajasthan, India’s concerns over a Chinese vessel docking at a Sri Lankan port and the attack on Salman Rushdie.

Until tomorrow,
Leela Prasad and Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny



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Daily briefing: RBI says inflation over comfort range of 6%, no need for alarm; 33 years after losing polls, ‘Raja of Amethi’ enters ring again

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Retail inflation rose to a seven-month high of 6.01 per cent in January, mainly on account of high food inflation, which jumped to a 14-month high of 5.43 per cent, along with an unfavourable base. Economists said the high inflation was now turning structural, with price rise being seen in non-food segments. “The critical element will be in March when the elections conclude as this is the time there can be a fresh round of increase in fuel prices,”  Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda, said.

Meanwhile, domestic stock markets plummeted three per cent Monday, the biggest fall in 10 months, as mounting fears of a Russian attack on Ukraine triggered a global share sell-off and prompted oil prices to hit a seven-year high.

Only in The Express

For the first time since its inception in 1963, Kendriya Vidyalayas announced a change in dress code for its students across the country. Among the changes were new patterns for scarf and turban. The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and the Union Ministry of Textiles even helped create the new uniform. 

From the front page

The Kendriya Vidyalayas’ uniform came up during the Karnataka High Court hearing on the hijab ban in some government educational institutions. Petitioners sought permission to wear headscarves in colours that match their school uniform like in Kendriya Vidyalayas.

As schools till Standard X reopened across Karnataka, the instructions for Muslim girls were clearly laid out by many institutions — remove the hijab if you want to attend classes. Reports coming in from many places stated that Muslim students were stopped at the gates and refused entry if they did not remove their hijab. Many teachers and staffers were also asked to remove their hijab or burqa before entering the premises.

Must Read

The Punjab Assembly elections, which were to be held on February 14, were postponed to February 20 to avoid a clash with Guru Ravidas Jayanti, an annual three-day fair held in Varanasi. Members of the Ravidassia community, who made the trip to Uttar Pradesh, share their electoral preferences. 

In Uttar Pradesh’s Sarojini Nagar, the BJP has put up a former Enforcement Directorate (ED) joint director who sought voluntary retirement to enter the political arena. Even as party members admit the strong anti-incumbency against the current MLA, they are projecting the former ED officer as ““Singham”. Calling him “encounter specialist”, the party has even been distributing a booklet, which details his “achievements”, particularly the raid on the residence of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

In the last Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, his two wives faced off each other — his estranged first wife contested on a BJP ticket and second wife as a Congress candidate. Now, at 70, the erstwhile ‘Raja of Amethi’, Sanjay Sinh, will be contesting the state polls for the first time in 33 years as the BJP candidate. 

Amid growing tension between the BJP-led Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, a phone call from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to wish Kanimozhi on her 54th birthday last month has now become a topic of fierce discussion within the party, sources said. Sources familiar with the developments said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Kanimozhi’s half-brother, had not taken kindly to the call. 

And Finally

His father repairs footwear, his mother is a bangle seller.  A clip of him in action stirred an IPL cricketer who shared it with his coach — and in a blink, his life changed. Today, Ramesh, aka “Narine Jalalabadiya”, finds himself in Kolkata Knight Riders, picked for Rs 20 lakh at the IPL auction. 

Delhi confidential:  Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw appears on winning some hearts in the south. Before the Budget session got adjourned for the recess, Vaishnaw took help from a fellow Rajya Sabha MP to learn a bit of Tamil. He got DMK MP Tiruchi Siva to write down a few lines with their meanings so that he can learn a bit before the Budget session resumes.

In today’s 3 Things episode, we discuss the mega initial public offering of LIC, caste as a protected category in the US, and why people are not willing to join the Anti-Terrorism Squad.



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