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The Catch Up: 28 March
Today
The Catch Up: 28 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 28th of March and here are today's headlines.Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has reserved its order in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Enforcement Directorate custodial remand case. Earlier today, the court heard the ED plea seeking a 7-day extension on the AAP national convener’s custody in the now-scrapped liquor policy case. Kejriwal went over statements of witnesses in the case and said, quote, "ED has two motives - to create a smokescreen to crush AAP and two, to create an extortion racket. Raghav Reddy contributed 55 crores to BJP. He bought his bail. Money trail is clearly established." Unquote.A group of lawyers have written to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud “expressing…deepest concern” about the actions of a “vested interest group”. They alleged that it “is trying to pressure the judiciary, influence judicial process and defame…courts on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas”. The signatories, numbering around 600, claimed that “this heated interest group operates in various ways. They create false narratives of a supposed ‘better past’ and ‘golden period’ of the courts. The letter said, quote "These are nothing but intentional statements, made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the courts for certain political gains”. Unquote.Hours after India summoned a senior US diplomat on Wednesday and objected to the State Department’s remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, the US reiterated that it “follows these actions closely” and “encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes”. US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller also said that they are aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.India and China today agreed to continue talks through diplomatic and military channels to resolve border issues along the Line of Actual Control. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that talks were undertaken under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs in Beijing. This was the 29th meeting of the WMCC.  At a time when India has reiterated its two-state solution for the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that although the Oct 7 attack was definitely an act of terrorism, there remains the “underlying issue of the rights of the Palestinians and the fact that they have been denied their homeland.” He was responding to a question at an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 27 March
Yesterday
The Catch Up: 27 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 27th of March and here are today's headlines.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today contested his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy. Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal in the Delhi High Court said that a sitting CM was arrested on the cusp of elections when the Model Code of Conduct is in place and the arrest is impinging on the level playing field.Meanwhile, India took strong objection to the remarks by a US spokesperson on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, quote,  "In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents."The Enforcement Directorate today issued fresh summons to Trinamool Congress leader and ousted Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra in connection to a FEMA contravention case. The TMC leader and Businessman Darshan Hiranandani have been asked to appear before the probe agency on the 28th of March. The agency is scrutinising transactions associated with a non-resident external account in this case, along with examining various other foreign remittances and fund transfers.Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be held before September and that the Centre will consider revoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act there. In an interview with the local media, Shah said the government plans to withdraw troops from the Union Territory (UT) and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.The Indian Embassy in the US has condoled the “unfortunate accident” in Baltimore where a cargo ship manned by a 22-member Indian crew, struck and demolished a key bridge. The Indian Embassy in the US said in a post on X, quote, “Our heartfelt condolences to all affected by the unfortunate accident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore." Unquote. It said that the Embassy has created a dedicated hotline for any Indian citizens who may be affected or require assistance due to the tragedy. The Embassy is ascertaining details regarding the vessel’s crew.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 26 March
2d ago
The Catch Up: 26 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 26th of March and here are today's headlines.While the Aam Aadmi Party is protesting against the arrest of Kejriwal, in a counter-protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party sought to march towards the Delhi Secretariat to demand the CM’s resignation. The police have said that permission has not been granted for protests and Section 144 has been imposed outside the Prime Minister’s residence in view of  AAP’s protest. The police have detained AAP workers, including Punjab minister Harjot Bains, Chandigarh mayor Kuldeep Kumar Tita and party leader Somnath Bharti.The National Commission for Women (NCW) Monday wrote to the Election Commission to take strict action against Congress and its leader Supriya Shrinate over her objectionable remarks against Kangana Ranaut, named BJP Lok Sabha candidate for Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Speaking to reporters, NCW chief Rekha Sharma said that it is very unfortunate that a woman is using such derogatory language against another woman. Shrinate, however, has denied any involvement, claiming it was posted by somebody who had access to her accounts.A Delhi court today sent BRS legislator K Kavitha to 14 days of judicial custody until April 9. Earlier, she was in the Enforcement Directorate’s custody for 10 days in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. A member of the Telangana Legislative Council and daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Kavitha is accused of allegedly paying Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders in return for liquor licences in Delhi. The ED took her into custody from Hyderabad on March 15.Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar today gave the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra one more day to decide on his demands for seats to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024. Ambedkar had severed ties with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and issued a March 26 ultimatum to the MVA to finish seat-sharing talks. Ambedkar has been miffed with Shiv Sena (UBT) for not pushing VBA’s case during MVA meetings.A portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a large boat collided with it early this morning, and multiple vehicles fell into the water. According to a video posted on X, A large vessel crashed into the bridge, catching on fire before sinking and causing multiple vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River. As per reports, emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 22 March
6d ago
The Catch Up: 22 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 22nd of March and here are the top stories of the week.A 12-member team of the Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at his residence in North Delhi’s Civil Lines on Thursday. The ED team reached his residence and began questioning after Delhi HC refused to grant CM Arvind Kejriwal protection from coercive action in excise policy case earlier today. Meanwhile, the Delhi CM moved the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing challenging the Delhi HC order.The Election Commission of India on Thursday published the complete electoral bond data given to it by the State Bank of India on orders of the Supreme Court. This data includes bond numbers that would enable donors to be matched with the political parties they donated to. The two sets of data – 552 pages of details of redemption by political parties and 386 pages of details of donors – covers electoral bonds purchased and redeemed from April 2019 till January 2024 – in line with the apex court’s orders.The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday released its third list of nine candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Tamilisai Soundararajan, who resigned as the Governor of Telangana on Monday (March 18) will contest from Chennai South, while Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has been fielded from Coimbatore. The Congress also released the third list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, consisting of 56 candidates from eight states and Union Territories. Among the key candidates to be fielded are Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampore, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna from Gulbarga and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde from Solapur.The Supreme Court on Thursday halted the implementation of the Centre's notification concerning the Press Information Bureau's Fact Checking Unit (FCU). This halt will remain in place until the Bombay High Court reaches a final verdict on petitions contesting the 2023 modifications to the Information Technology Rules. The bench highlighted that the Centre had provided assurance to the HC that the FCU would not be activated until the petitions challenging Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2023 (IT Amendment Rules, 2023) are resolved by the HC.Initially stating that Zomato's proposal for a separate delivery fleet for vegetarian food received an "overwhelmingly positive" response, co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal reversed course in less than 11 hours on Wednesday. The company has now abandoned plans to segregate the fleet based on individuals' dietary preferences. Worries regarding the potential for harassment stemming from the division of workers into green and red uniforms have prompted Zomato to retract the green attire.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 21 March
1w ago
The Catch Up: 21 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 21st of March and here are today's headlines.The Supreme Court today stayed the operation of the Centre’s March 20 notification regarding the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Checking Unit (FCU). The stay will be in effect until the Bombay High Court takes a final decision on petitions challenging the 2023 amendments to the Information Technology Rules. A three-judge bench noted that the Centre had assured the HC that the FCU will not be notified till the petitions challenging Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2023 (IT Amendment Rules, 2023 are decided by the HC.In other news from the apex court, the SC today dismissed applications challenging the appointment of retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as election commissioners. The bench also declined to stay The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Act, 2023 which put in place a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union cabinet minister in place of a committee comprising the PM, Leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of India as directed by the Supreme Court.The Election Commission today instructed the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately stop sending a letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the account “Viksit Bharat Sampark” to WhatsApp users. In a letter to the MeitY Secretary, the EC asked the Ministry to submit a compliance report immediately. The EC told the Ministry that it had received “complaints from various quarters that such messages are still being delivered on citizens’ phones”.The Congress today hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with veteran leader Sonia Gandhi saying that the PM was making “a systematic effort to cripple the Congress financially”. Addressing a press briefing, senior leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge spoke about the freezing of their bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, saying that the issue was extremely serious with “far-reaching consequences for not just their party but for our country’s democracy.”Two days after the gruesome murder of two minor brothers in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district, the police today arrested the second accused who had been allegedly absconding after the crime. Officers said Javed, the brother of accused Sajid, surrendered before the Bareilly police late on Wednesday after a reward of Rs. 25,000 was declared on him. Budaun SSP added five teams were formed to arrest Javed, who is around 25 years old.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 20 March
20-03-2024
The Catch Up: 20 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 20th of March and here are today's headlines.Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that India has emerged as the world’s third largest startup ecosystem with over 1.25 lakh startups and 110 unicorns, and is charting a roadmap for becoming a developed nation with right decisions taken at the right time. Speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh event, Modi said India’s startup ecosystem is not limited to metro cities, it has now become a social culture. The PM vowed that he will make India the world’s third largest economy in his third term, and asserted that startups will play a big role in India’s progress.Days after the Election Commission of India directed the transfer of the home secretaries in six states, including Uttarakhand, the Uttarakhand Congress has requested that Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar also be removed from his post, saying that his “closeness to the ruling party is well known”. In a letter to the ECI, the Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara said that the “loyalty of the present DGP of the state to the ruling party” raises questions on the fairness of the elections.From claiming that he has received an “overwhelmingly positive” response to Zomato’s plans of launching a separate delivery fleet for vegetarian food, the company’s co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has changed track in less than 11 hours. The food delivery service provider has now decided against the segregation of the fleet on the ground basis of people’s dietary choices. Concerns that the segregation of workers into green and red clothes could result in potential harassment on the ground, has now resulted in Zomato rolling back the green uniforms.The World Happiness Report for 2024 was released earlier this week, noting that while the top 10 countries in the list have remained the same since before the Covid-19 pandemic.  Finland topped the list for the seventh year in a row, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. India ranked 126th in the list. The report observed that in India, older age is associated with higher life satisfaction. However, older Indian women reported lower life satisfaction than older men.New Zealand said on Wednesday it will ban disposable e-cigarettes, or vapes, and raise financial penalties for those who sell such products to minors. The move comes less than a month after the government repealed a unique law enacted by the previous left-leaning government to phase out tobacco smoking by imposing a lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 19 March
19-03-2024
The Catch Up: 19 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 19th of March and here are today's headlines.Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras resigned today, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of doing “injustice”. He made this allegation against the Saffron party as his Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party was not included in the seat-sharing deal with allies for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Bihar. His announcement came at a press conference a day after the BJP-led NDA announced its seat-sharing pact and gave five seats to the Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ram Vilas). He did not elaborate his future plans. Speaking in a public rally in Tamil Nadu’s Salem, PM Modi today said that the public support BJP is getting in Tamil Nadu is being watched and discussed all over India. He further criticised the DMK & Congress and said that they are two sides of the same coin. He said, quote" DMK & Congress means- Big corruption & one family rule. When the country got rid of Congress, the country reached 5G technology. But in Tamil Nadu DMK is running its own 5G- one family's fifth generation to have control over Tamil Nadu.” Unquote.According to a report released by Swiss air quality monitoring body, IQAir, India was declared as the third-most polluted country in 2023, after Bangladesh and Pakistan. Moreover, in the report’s list of the top 50 most polluted cities in the world, 42 cities were in India. Begusarai was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2023, followed by Guwahati and then Delhi.Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s MLA Sita Soren, the daughter-in-law of party president Shibu Soren, resigned from the party today. She said that her family has been the victim of “continuous neglect” and that she has been “isolated by the party and family members”. Hours after, Sita joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the Middle East this week, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and secure the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. During a visit to the Philippines, Blinken said his trip to meet senior leaders in Saudi Arabia and Egypt would aim to “discuss the right architecture for lasting regional peace”.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 18 March
18-03-2024
The Catch Up: 18 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 18th of March and here are today's headlines.The Supreme Court’s Constitution bench hearing the electoral bonds matter today asked the State Bank of India to also disclose the unique alphanumeric code on the bonds to the Election Commission of India. The bench also asked the Chairman and Managing Director of SBI to file an affidavit on or before 5 pm on 21st of March stating that the bank has disclosed all details of the bonds to the ECI.The Election Commission of India today transferred the Home Secretaries of six states — Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to ensure level-playing field for the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha. The poll regulating body also removed West Bengal Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar.The poll panel under CEC Rajiv Kumar also removed secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh and ordered removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners.Tamilisai Soundararajan today resigned as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. While the sudden decision has come as a surprise, Soundararajan, is expected to return to electoral politics and contest Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Tamil Nadu. A press release from the Telangana Raj Bhavan stated that the resignation has been submitted to the Hon’ble President of India. In September 2019, Soundararajan, the then-state president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP for five years, took to the office of Telangana Governor and later took additional charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in February 2021.Alleging that the INDIA bloc’s manifesto talks about finishing ‘Shakti’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the fight is between those who want to destroy ‘Shakti’ and those who worship them. Addressing a rally in Telangana's Jagtial, Modi said, for him, every mother and every daughter is a form of ‘Shakti’ and that he worships them. He said the nation dedicated ‘Chandrayaan’s’ success to ‘Shiv Shakti’ and the opposition parties are talking of destroying ‘Shakti’.President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia’s election on Sunday, cementing his grip on power though thousands of opponents staged a noon protest at polling stations. He will easily secure a new six-year term that would enable him to overtake Josef Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving leader for more than 200 years. However, the results have been met with criticism from Western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, who accused Putin of winning through an unfair electoral process held amidst the imprisonment of opposition leaders.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.
The Catch Up: 15 March
15-03-2024
The Catch Up: 15 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Niharika NandaIt’s the 15th of March and here are the top stories of the week.On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified the rules for the implementation of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and a day later the Centre announced a new portal for people who want to apply for citizenship through the act. According to its rules, a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who entered India before December 31, 2014, can now seek Indian citizenship without producing a valid passport from these countries or a valid visa from India.After PM Modi praised Manohar Lal Khattar at the inauguration of the prestigious Dwarka Expressway project on Tuesday, he was removed as the Chief Minister of Haryana by the BJP and replaced by the party’s Kurukshetra MP and its state unit chief, Nayab Singh Saini. Following this development, Manohar Lal Khattar resigned from the Karnal assembly seat in the House on Wednesday, vacating it for the new CM Nayab Saini.President Droupadi Murmu approved Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code Bill, as announced by the government in the Himalayan state on Wednesday. The Bill, which seeks to govern and regulate the laws related to marriage and divorce, successions, live-in relationships, was passed by the Assembly in February following a two-day discussion. The state government has formed a Rules Making and Implementation Committee headed by retired IAS officer and UCC draft committee member Shatrughan Singh, which will define in detail how the sections will be implemented.On Thursday, the panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on simultaneous elections recommended that the government implement a "one-time transitory measure." This measure would require the Union government to identify an "appointed date" immediately after a Lok Sabha election. Subsequently, all state assemblies that go to poll after this date would have their terms expire with Parliament. Among the 47 political parties that expressed their opinions on simultaneous elections, 32 supported the idea, while 15 opposed it. The high-level committee led by PM Modi on Thursday selected retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners. However, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Opposition member in the panel, registered dissent, questioning the process. He stated that the shortlisted officer names were not provided to him in advance, despite his request for a short list containing details of all candidates under consideration.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express
The Catch Up: 14 March
14-03-2024
The Catch Up: 14 March
This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Niharika NandaIt’s the 14th of March and here are the top stories of the day.The panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on simultaneous elections has recommended that the government implement a "one-time transitory measure." This measure would require the Union government to identify an "appointed date" immediately after a Lok Sabha election. Subsequently, all state assemblies that go to poll after this date would have their terms expire with Parliament. Among the 47 political parties that expressed their opinions on simultaneous elections, 32 supported the idea, while 15 opposed it. The high-level committee led by PM Modi today selected retired IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners. However, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Opposition member in the panel, registered dissent, questioning the process. He stated that the shortlisted officer names were not provided to him in advance, despite his request for a short list containing details of all candidates under consideration.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act rules, which were notified earlier this week, will take away jobs and resources from the poor citizens of India. Urging Home Minister Amit Shah to pay heed to his objections, Kejriwal said that the law was dangerous for the country’s security. He also added that the country should bring back those 11 lakh industrialists and businessmen who left India because of BJP’s adverse policies, enabling them to generate employment opportunities for Indian youth.The Supreme Court today sought an undertaking from the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP, saying that it will not use pictures of Sharad Pawar in its posters, and asked it to explore the option of selecting its own symbol. Justice Surya Kant said to the Ajit Pawar faction, quote “You are a different political party now so why to use his picture etc. Go with your own identity now… you have chosen not to be with him,” Unquote.The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has expressed confidence that the water crisis in Bengaluru may not pose an immediate threat to hosting the Indian Premier League matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. KSCA CEO Shubendu Ghosh told the media, quote “We are not having any crisis at the moment. We are following state government guidelines on water usage. We will hold meetings with the stakeholders to plan how to proceed,” he said. Unquote.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.