Podcasts about Bharatiya Janata Party

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.Today is the 21st of February and here are the headlines.In a major news from the capital, first-time MLA Rekha Gupta was sworn in as Delhi's new Chief Minister on Thursday, along with her Council of Ministers, at a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan. This marks the Bharatiya Janata Party's return to power in the capital after a gap of 27 years. Besides Gupta, six newly elected MLAs were also administered the oath as ministers. The event witnessed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leaders, and allies from the NDA. The newly formed Council of Ministers, under Gupta's leadership, is held its first meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. Among the key proposals that were discussed is the implementation of the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna, which will provide eligible women with a monthly allowance of ₹2,500.In another major development this week, the Supreme Court granted podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia interim protection from arrest over alleged objectionable comments on his YouTube show, "India's Got Latent." However, the court condemned his language, describing it as perverse and shameful. Justice Surya Kant criticized Allahbadia's choice of words, saying they would embarrass parents, brothers, sisters, and society at large. He expressed disgust, asking what other standard of obscenity would apply in this country. Allahbadia's lawyer was reprimanded for defending the program's language, while the court made strong remarks on the perverted content.Moving on to another major story, with many Nepali students who were asked to leave the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University campus in the aftermath of the suicide of an engineering student yet to return to their hostels. The Indian Express has learnt that senior Nepal embassy officials have raised concerns over their safety and security. Two senior officials from the Nepal embassy in Delhi are in Bhubaneswar to hold discussions with Odisha government representatives over the death of a 20-year-old engineering student at Odisha's KIIT and the safety of protesting Nepali students. Lamsal, who is from Nepal's Kathmandu, died on campus Sunday evening, sparking a standoff between Nepali students and the university administration.In another news that made headlines this week, the National Capital Region woke up to a 4.0 earthquake. The National Centre for Seismology stated that strong tremors were felt in Delhi and its surrounding areas early morning with the epicenter being the Jheel Park area of Dhaula Kuan. According to the NCS, the earthquake originated just 5 km below the Earth's surface, which tends to cause more damage than tremors originating deep below the surface.On the global front, amid US President Donald Trump's onslaught on illegal immigration, several deportees, including Indians, have been sent to a hotel in Panama, where they are being held till they can be repatriated to their origin countries. As many as 299 migrants, belonging to countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Iran, among others, were sent to Panama last week. Some of these have been shifted to a remote facility near the Darien jungle. The Indian Embassy in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica said on Thursday that they have gained “consular access” to the group of Indians sent to Panama.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 20th of February and here are the headlines.First-time MLA Rekha Gupta was sworn in as Delhi's new Chief Minister today, along with her Council of Ministers, at a grand ceremony held at Ramlila Maidan. This marks the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) return to power in the capital after a gap of 27 years. Besides Gupta, six newly elected MLAs were also administered the oath as ministers. The event witnessed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leaders, and allies from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The newly formed Council of Ministers, under Gupta's leadership, is expected to hold its first meeting at the Delhi Secretariat around 7 PM. Among the key proposals to be discussed is the implementation of the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna, which will provide eligible women with a monthly allowance of ₹2,500.In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Thursday sought urgent intervention to release Rs 2,152 crores under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The letter, expressing deep concern over the Union Government's insistence on linking the funds to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reiterated Tamil Nadu's unwavering commitment to its two-language policy, described the move as a “blatant violation of cooperative federalism.” Launched in 2018, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is a Centrally Sponsored integrated scheme for school education that subsumed the schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).The Supreme Court today stayed the 27the of January Lokpal order which said that it has the power to look into complaints against sitting high court judges, terming it as “something very very disturbing”. The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of the January 27 order and listed it for hearing before the bench headed by Justice B R Gavai and also comprising Justices Surya Kant and A S Oka. The Supreme Court directed its registrar judicial “to mask the identity of the complainant and serve him through the Registrar Judicial of the High Court where the complainant resides”.A young teacher with a Catholic-run school in Kerala has ended her life after she was allegedly denied her salary for the last six years. The victim was a teacher at St Joseph's lower primary school at Kodenchery in Kozhikode district. She was found dead at her home on Wednesday afternoon. The Catholic diocese of Thamarassery runs the government-aided school. Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty said the director general of education has been asked to look into the incident. “It is unfortunate. Once I get the report from the DG, we will take action,” he told the media.Amid US President Donald Trump's onslaught on illegal immigration, several deportees, including Indians, have been sent to a hotel in Panama, where they are being held till they can be repatriated to their origin countries. As many as 299 migrants, belonging to countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Iran, among others, were sent to Panama last week. Some of these have been shifted to a remote facility near the Darien jungle. The Indian Embassy in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica said today that they have gained “consular access” to the group of Indians sent to Panama.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express

pWotD Episode 2850: Rekha Gupta Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 498,111 views on Wednesday, 19 February 2025 our article of the day is Rekha Gupta.Rekha Gupta (born 19 July 1974) is an Indian politician from Delhi who will be serving as 9th Chief Minister of Delhi from 20 February 2025. She is fourth woman to hold this office. Gupta is Member of Legislative Assembly from Shalimar Bagh and previously served as General Secretary and President of Delhi University Student Union, belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, She is also Member of National Executive and General Secretary of Delhi state unit of the party.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:27 UTC on Thursday, 20 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Rekha Gupta on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joanna.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.Today is the 19th of February and here are the headlines.In a major development, Bharatiya Janata Party today confirmed after the legislature party meeting that senior leader and Shalimar Bagh MLA Rekha Gupta has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma is set to become the Deputy CM, and Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta was appointed as speaker of the Delhi Assembly. The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, having won a clear majority of 44 out of 70 seats in the Assembly election, the results of which were declared on 8th of February. The swearing-in ceremony for the new chief minister is scheduled for tomorrow 20th of February at Ramlila Maidan.Moving on to another major story, with many Nepali students who were asked to leave the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University campus in the aftermath of the suicide of an engineering student yet to return to their hostels. The Indian Express has learnt that senior Nepal embassy officials have raised concerns over their safety and security. Two senior officials from the Nepal embassy in Delhi are in Bhubaneswar to hold discussions with Odisha government representatives over the death of 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal, an engineering student at Odisha's KIIT, and the safety of protesting Nepali students. Lamsal, who is from Nepal's Kathmandu, died on campus Sunday evening, sparking a standoff between Nepali students and the university administration.In another news making headline, the National Green Tribunal rapped the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the Uttar Pradesh government for not submitting adequate details on faecal coliform and other water quality parameters, such as oxygen levels, in the river Ganga in Prayagraj. It granted the state government a week to place on record the latest water quality analysis reports from different points of the river at the Maha Kumbh Mela site in Prayagraj. A bench of NGT was hearing the matter on the compliance of a December order, wherein it had directed the UP government and the Central Pollution Control Board to ensure that water quality in rivers Ganga and Yamuna was fit to drink and bathe in during the Kumbh.Meanwhile, in the news from the North, The Uttarakhand Cabinet today approved a new draft law banning people from outside the state from buying agricultural and horticultural land in 11 of the state's 13 districts. The new draft law will be tabled in the ongoing Budget Session of the Assembly. In a tweet, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called it a “historic step”. Under the new draft law, people from outside the state, except for Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, will not be allowed to purchase horticultural and agricultural land, and district magistrates will no longer have the authority to approve land purchases.On the global front, US President Donald Trump defended the Department of Government Efficiency's decision to cancel a 21-million-dollar grant intended to support voter turnout in India today. Questioning the necessity of such financial aid, Trump cited India's economic growth and high tariffs as reasons why US taxpayer money should not be allocated for this purpose. Trump during a press conference remarked, quote “Twenty-one million for voter turnout in India — why are we giving them this money?” unquote.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Jayprakash Naidu tells us about Mukesh Chandrakar, a journalist from Chhattisgarh who was allegedly murdered last week by two men, including his cousin and childhood best friend, Suresh Chandrakar.Next, The Indian Express' Vidheesha Kuntamalla explains how IIT campuses across the country have changed six years after implementing the 20% quota for women (10:00).Finally, we discuss the ongoing "Sheesh Mahal" controversy between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (20:40).Hosted, written and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

India, the world's most populous country, is ruled by Narendra Modi who is the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP. He first became prime minister in 2014 and has been reelected twice since though in 2024 with much lower margins. Before coming to power in Delhi he was chief minister of the state of Gujarat where he presided over a major massacre of Muslims. Modi and the BJP promote Hindutva, Hindu majoritarianism. It is laced with Islamophobia. Modi is allied with India's billionaire class who control the country's major media and function as cheerleaders for a regime that gags democracy, free speech, and dissent. Recorded at Surrey Public Library.

On November 23, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance won a landslide victory in Maharashtra Assembly elections. Among several reasons cited for this victory are the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana — a direct benefit transfer programme introduced by the Maharashtra government in July 2024 – four months ahead of the polls. The scheme, much like its Madhya Pradesh counterpart, which was also introduced ahead of the Assembly elections there, aims to provide monthly financial assistance of ₹1,500 to poor women between the ages of 21 and 65 whose incomes are less than ₹2.5 lakh annually. Critics say such schemes amount to bribing voters and giving the incumbent government an unfair advantage. Here we discuss the issue.  Guests: Reetika Khera, a development economist working on social policy in India and a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi; Vikas Rawal, Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University Host: Kunal Shankar Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Maharashtra is all set to go to the polls on November 20, 2024. The battle for control of the 288-member Assembly has seen shifting alliances, ideological clashes, intricate caste equations, and emotional appeals over the past few years. The major alliances in the fray include the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with both emerging as the main contenders. A total of 4,136 candidates are vying for seats across 36 districts, with over 9.7 crore eligible voters. What's at stake this time, and how have the political dynamics in the state evolved over the last few years? In this BL podcast, Siddharth Mathew Cherian speaks to Radheshyam Jadhav, deputy editor at businessline, who has extensively covered the issues across the length and breadth of Maharashtra. He will share his insights on what's at stake in this election. Listen in!

It's Friday, November 15th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Hindus attack Christians in India's Odisha State Christians are facing a surge of attacks in India's Odisha State. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the state just six months ago. Hindu nationalist groups in the state have disrupted multiple prayer and worship gatherings of Christians recently. They even evicted a pastor and his wife from a church.  A local pastor told International Christian Concern, “These incidents cropped up only after the [Bharatiya Janata Party] came to power in Odisha. We know that it will continue in the days ahead. Only God can help us.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Few Finnish young people believe in God The Church Research Institute released a report on the religiosity of young people in Finland. The study found only 11% of women under 30 believe in the God of Christianity. The younger women were, the less likely they were to believe in God. Meanwhile, 18% of men said they believe in God. And younger men were more likely to believe in God than older men.  Hanna Salomäki, Director of The Church Research Institute, noted, “There is a certain degree of strengthening in religiosity – and specifically in interest in Christianity – among young men. But we are not talking about any large scale. … But there is a smaller group who are clearly finding Christianity and committing themselves to it.” Gender gap revealed in presidential election CNN released exit poll data from the 2024 U.S. presidential election.  Vice President Kamala Harris led among women by eight percentage points. President-elect Donald Trump led among men by 13 points. While Kamala led among young voters, Trump has gained ground with that demographic over the last three presidential elections. Even 40% of women under 30 voted for Trump. Trump taps Senator Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump announced Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is his pick for Secretary of State, reports NBC News. Trump said, “He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries. I look forward to working with Marco to make America, and the world, safe and great again.”  Trump nominates RFK Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be his Secretary of Health and Human Services, reports LifeSiteNews.com. He wrote, “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health. The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in this country. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic, and to make America Great and Healthy Again!” Kennedy, the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and the son of the late Attorney General Robert Kennedy, is a longtime environmental and medical activist. He initially attempted to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, switched to an independent bid against both Biden and Trump after months of accusing party leadership of having “rigged” the Democratic primary process against him, and ultimately dropped out and endorsed Trump in August. Oklahoma Superintendent eager to respect religious liberty On Tuesday, Oklahoma's State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the establishment of the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism at the State Department of Education. The office will protect religious freedom for parents, teachers, and students. It will also investigate abuses to individual religious freedom. Walters said, “The radical left never misses a chance to co-opt the teacher unions and their minions to indoctrinate our children against traditional values of faith and family, seeking to attack any display of faith or religion. … In Oklahoma, we are reversing this negative trend and, working with the incoming Trump administration, we are going to aggressively pursue education policies that will improve academic outcomes and give our children a better future.” Psalm 78:1, 4 says, “Give ear, O My people, to My law; incline your ears to the words of My mouth. … We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” U.S. inflation up The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported inflation rose last month. The consumer price index increased 0.2% on a monthly basis and 2.6% on a yearly basis. This was in line with Wall Street expectations. While inflation is slightly up, it's still significantly down from its 9% high in 2022. Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, said, “No surprises from the [Consumer Price Index], so for now the Federal Reserve should be on course to cut rates again in December.” Bible Society: Younger generations more lonely than older ones And finally, the American Bible Society released the latest chapter of its State of the Bible USA report about loneliness. The study found 21% of women experience a high degree of loneliness, while 17% of men experience the same. Younger generations are more lonely than older generations.  Only 11% of people who actively engage with Scripture report high loneliness compared to 22% of those who are disengaged with the Bible.  Similarly, the more people attend church, the less likely they are to report high loneliness.  Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, November 15th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In June, Narendra Modi was sworn in for a third consecutive term as India's prime minister. But—in a surprise outcome—his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, failed to win a parliamentary majority. Now, for the first time, Modi sits atop a coalition government—and India's path forward appears far less certain, and far more interesting, than seemed plausible not long ago. Pratap Bhanu Mehta is one of India's wisest political observers—a great political theorist and writer as well as a fierce critic, and occasional target, of Modi and his policies. Foreign Affairs Senior Editor Kanishk Tharoor spoke with him on September 3 about what the election means for Indian democracy and where the country goes from here. You can find transcripts and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview. 

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 26th of August and here are the headlines.Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced today that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to create five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. These districts include Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang. According to the official website of the Ladakh administration, two districts made up the Union Territory — Leh and Kargil. Where Leh had six sub-divisions, Kargil had four.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 15 candidates for the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls today. Earlier in the day, the BJP had released a list of 82 candidates, which reportedly mentioned those contesting in the second and third phases as well, which they took down shortly after its release. The elections to the 90-member J&K Assembly will be held across three phases on the 18th of September, the 25th of September, and the 1st of October. Results will be announced on the 4th of October.According to records accessed under the Right To Information Act, The Indian Express learnt official scrutiny that lasted nine years till 2019 tracked 1,084 complaints of Government jobs being acquired on fake caste certificates. The RTI records were made available for 59 of the 93 ministries and departments under the Government. From these cases, 92 personnel were dismissed from service, records from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) show. These numbers assume significance given the Puja Khedkar case who is in the dock for allegedly presenting dodgy caste and disability certificates to secure a seat in the civil services.The second #MeToo movement that has hit the Malayalam film industry continued to bring more actors under the shadow of alleged sexual misconduct as actor Minu Muneer alleged today that she faced physical and verbal assault from various actors, including a two-time CPI(M) legislator in Kerala Assembly. She has also accused a prominent actor of having tried to assault her at a hotel during the shooting of ‘Calender' and ‘Nadakame Ulakam'. The actors who have been named have yet to publicly respond to these specific allegations.At least 31 people have been killed in two separate attacks by gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. While twenty-three people were killed in Pakistan's Balochistan, gunmen killed at least nine people, including four police officers and five passersby, in the Qalat district. According to Assistant Commissioner Musakhail Najeeb Kakar, the assailants blocked the inter-provincial highway in Musakhel's Rarasham district, offloading passengers from several buses. He added that while three of those killed were from Balochistan, the rest were from the Punjab province. Dawn newspaper reported that the gunmen further set up 10 vehicles on fire.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

The mandate of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was claimed as a victory by both the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Even though BJP's brute majority in the Lok Sabha was dented, the return of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third consecutive term was portrayed as a stupendous victory by supporters of the BJP. This is notwithstanding the fact that the stability of the NDA government is now dependent on allies who have displayed temperamental behaviour in the past. The INDIA Alliance was also buoyed by the mandate as it increased its numbers substantially. The Indian National Congress, the leading component of the INDIA bloc, almost doubled its numbers, while other key constituents of this disparate coalition robustly challenged the might of the BJP election apparatus. Even though the INDIA bloc could not gain power in Delhi, its combative fight against the BJP/ NDA was lauded because – as many astute observers pointed out – the 2024 elections were not seen as a level playing ground. Starting from this point, Yogendra Yadav and Dr. Vasu HV will discuss some of the implications of this mandate on the future of India. While Yadav, who is a well-known political and social activist, travelled all over the country tracking the election and even accurately called it, Dr. Vasu played a similar role in Karnataka leading the research on pre-poll surveys that broadly captured the sentiments of the people of the State. Thus, the two panelists will provide their crucial insights based on their deep and credible engagement with political behaviour at the national and state level. Critics of the BJP have sharply and consistently stated that the idea of India has been imperilled in the past 10 years when the saffron party, buttressed by its parliamentary heft, meddled with the institutional framework weakening the republican foundations on which our country was founded. Will the gain in the numbers by the political opposition mean that the political discourse in the country, that had discernibly shifted rightwards over the past decade, gradually be tugged back to a central pole position that perhaps, more accurately reflects the civilizational ethos of a diverse and complex country like India? Early signs indicate that the political opposition has been catalysed by the mandate and is rearing to take the BJP/ NDA head on but how will these diverse political actors maintain their cohesion considering that a slew of state elections will take place where they will be pitted against one another? In this episode of BIC Talks, Psephologist and Activist, Yogendra Yadav and Journalist, Dr. Vasu HV will be in conversation with Journalist, Vikhar Ahmed. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in July 2024. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible and Amazon Music.

＊第七季＊【EP. 544 with Leon】#1129 經濟學人導讀 / 國際時事 / 英文學習【CrowdStrike 癱瘓全球的微軟；AI 之於廣告收入；英鎊匯兌；中國央行也來救房市；印度政府大撒幣】 ❗️支持用心的內容、認真的團隊！您的贊助是我們持續的動力：https://pay.soundon.fm/podcasts/6d171128-db4f-4eb6-ad82-56250a3f1cbb

Fresh from an election which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party winning with a slim victory, his administration has tabled a USD23.9 billion budget for job creation, and skills development, a to support an economic growth forecast of 6.5% to 7%. Sanjay Mathur, the chief economist for Southeast Asia and India at ANZ Bank, talks about how effective this budget might be in addressing India's current economic issues.Image Credit: shutterstock.com

In this podcast, Kushal speaks with Shehzad Poonawalla, the Bharatiya Janata Party's national spokesperson, about a new volunteer-driven legal group called "Legal Hindu Defence." This group will assist in filing cases when it identifies Hindu hate and fake news and will also defend what it calls "nationalists" when cases are filed against them. Follow Shehzad: Twitter: @Shehzad_Ind YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShehzadKiBaat Twitter: @legalhindudef #bjp #shehzadpoonawalla #hinduphobia #ajeetbharti ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Fanmo: https://fanmo.in/the_carvaka_podcast Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com

India delivers a shock verdict to the Bharatiya Janata Party during the general elections. Narendra Modi's BJP has done remarkably well and only lost out on the vote by 0.8 per cent as compared to the previous elections. It's just that the votes were less effectively distributed. But by not winning the elections with a thumping majority means that the opposition will have a voice in the parliament, always a good sign for a healthy democracy. In sports Sunil Chhetri, the legendary Indian footballer retires. And in the animal kingdom, dice snakes pretend to play dead to detract predators.

Recent reports suggest that tensions between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party have become apparent, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in to mediate. The conflict appears to center around issues of leadership and direction within the BJP, particularly concerning the role and influence of the BJP President.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.comDerek welcomes back to the program Ashoka Mody, Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, to talk about this week's election in India. They discuss the issues facing voters, Modi's presidential victory, his Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) surprise loss of i…

From pundits to polls, there was a wide expectation this year that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not only win a rare third consecutive term, but also secure an even bigger parliamentary majority than he had before. As results emerged on Tuesday, it was clear that India's voters had other ideas. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party won the most seats—more than the entire opposition alliance combined—but it will need the help of coalition allies to form a government.  How will Modi govern in a third term, and what will it mean for the world? FP's Ravi Agrawal is joined by experts Milan Vaishnav and Yamini Aiyar to discuss.  Suggested reading: Ravi Agrawal: Why Modi Underperformed Devesh Kapur: Modi's Power Has Peaked  Sushant Singh:Modi's Campaign Rhetoric Is Dangerous Ravi Agrawal: The New Idea of India Mukul Kesavan: 4 Books to Understand Modern India Josh Felman and Josh Felman: Is India Really the Next China? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of the American Defense International lobbying firm, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss the House and Senate's defense budget moves and whether House amendments will stymie progress, prospects for SASC Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker's proposal to dramatically increase defense spending, appropriations update, controversial new members for the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron make a powerful case why the democracies must continue to battle autocracies on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings as a week after his felony conviction Donald Trump and the GOP leadership vow retaliation against the legal system and the former president's opponents, Biden issues an executive order that closes the border to asylum seekers, Ukraine uses US weapons to weaken Russia's hold on Crimea, India's Narendra Modi is reelected to a third term, but his Bharatiya Janata Party loses seats, rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and Israel increases the past of its Gaza operation in the face of rising civilian casualties and increasing international pressure as Bibi Netanyahu continues to cling to power.

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 7th of June and here are the top stories of the week.The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Party is set to return for a third term by winning 293 seats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a major setback as it fell short of a majority – with 240 seats – on its own as it was heavily dependent on alliance partners such as the TDP and JD(U) to secure 272 seats required to form the government.The Opposition INDIA bloc combined by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won a total of 232 seats. The Congress got back on its feet with 99 seats and the SP gave a stunning show by winning 37 seats from a mere 5 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. The TMC won 29 seats in West Bengal while the DMK had leads in 22 seats. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP won 7 seats and the Shiv Sena of Uddhav Thackeray secured 9 seats. In Bihar, the RJD was ahead in 4 constituencies and the AAP and JMM in 3.In Odisha, the BJP is all set to form a majority government of its own for the first time, winning 78 out of 147 seats in the assembly elections of the coastal state. The outcome brings to an end the five-term reign of Naveen Patnaik's BJD, which managed to retain only 51 seats this time. Patnaik was eyeing to become the longest serving Chief Minister in India, but fell short by 76 days.Actor Kangana Ranaut, who recently won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket, was allegedly slapped by a woman constable of the CISF at the security area of Chandigarh airport. Afterwards, the CISF constable, Kulwinder Kaur, suggested her actions were linked to a statement Ranaut had made about women joining the farmers' protest. The CISF suspended the constable, initiated departmental inquiry, and lodged a police complaint against her. Ranaut, who was taking a Vistara flight to New Delhi and was accompanied by members of her family, said she will file a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs.The Chinese Foreign Ministry, which congratulated Narendra Modi, the BJP and NDA on their election victory, has protested the exchange of messages between Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and Modi on the poll outcome. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, responding to a question on the interaction between Modi and Lai, said there is no such thing as ‘president' of the Taiwan region and that China opposes all forms of official interactions between the Taiwan authorities and countries having diplomatic relations with China. She further stated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China.  This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

►Think School's flagship Communication course with live doubt sessions : https://thethinkschool.com/sp/communication-masterclass/ ►Follow Think School Social Media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkSchool Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thethinkschool?igsh=NWg2ZXRyZmdsM2ds&utm_source=qr In this episode we talk about, How the Bharatiya Janata Party along with the NDA has finally won the general elections of India for the 3rd time in a row unless there is a twist in the tale, Mr. Modi is all set to begin his 3rd term as the prime minister of India Now while this generation only knows BJP as this dominating force in Indian politics, it is fascinating to know that, 40 years ago, while congress had 404 seats at the parliament, this was BJP which only had 2 seats in the parliament!!! While Congress had lots of money, power, and connections in the world, the BJP was a small group of believers with no money, no power, and no connection!!! But these believers somehow had the guts to challenge the monopoly of Congress!!! Between 1984 and to 2024, the BJP did something so extraordinary that today it has emerged as the most powerful force in Indian politics!!!! The question is, How did this small group of believers turn BJP from a small political start-up to such a dominating power in Indian politics?? How did they break the monopoly of congress despite having no money, power or connections??? What were the failures they faced while building their political start-up? And most importantly as students of business what are the lessons that we need to learn from the incredible rise of bjp?

India's Narendra Modi told everyone who'd listen he'd win the election in a landslide. In a shock result, he's held on to power, but his party has lost its majority in parliament. Today, Avani Dias, who was until recently the ABC's correspondent in India, discusses the result and how Prime Minister Modi has worked to cement his power. She also shares her own ordeal of being hounded and harassed because of her reporting on the ground. Featured: Avani Dias, fmr ABC South Asia correspondent 

Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority in India's parliament. The stunning blow is forcing Modi to rely on allies to form a government for the first time since he stormed to power a decade ago. On today's episode of The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha digs into India's 2024 general election results with Bloomberg reporter Sudhi Ranjan Sen on the ground in New Delhi. And Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, delves into what the results mean for both India and the world. Read more: India Election ResultsTo hear more from Milan Vaishnav listen to his podcast, Grand Tamasha.To hear more about our coverage of Narendra Modi, listen to our series, The Rise of Modi. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US says response from Hamas on truce deal still awaited https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/live-blog-us-says-response-from-hamas-on-truce-deal-still-awaited-18169816 A response from Palestinian resistance group Hamas on US President Joe Biden's ceasefire proposal is still being awaited, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has told reporters. CIA Director Bill Burns will be in Doha to consult with Qatari mediators on the Gaza ceasefire proposal, Sullivan said. Qatar has been mediating on Gaza between Israel and Hamas. *) Urgent call in Morocco to bar suspected ship with Indian weapons for Israel https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/urgent-call-in-morocco-to-bar-suspected-ship-with-indian-weapons-for-israel-18169838 An activist group in Morocco has urged the government to block a cargo ship suspected of transporting Indian weapons to Israel from passing through its territorial waters. Sailing under the flag of Luxembourg, the commercial ship departed from India on April 18 and is set to arrive at the Spanish port of Cartagena on Wednesday, the National News reported. To enter the Mediterranean, ships travelling east from the Atlantic must pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain and Morocco. *) Prosecutors paint Hunter Biden as driven by addiction in gun trial https://www.trtworld.com/us-and-canada/prosecutors-paint-hunter-biden-as-driven-by-addiction-in-gun-trial-18169825 Jurors have heard unsparing accounts of Hunter Biden's drug use in his own words as his trial on gun charges, the first-ever prosecution of a child of a sitting US president, has gotten under way. Hunter Biden, 54, the only surviving son of President Joe Biden, is charged with lying about his illegal drug use when buying a handgun in 2018, a felony. He is also charged with illegal possession of the firearm. *) Two pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in central Türkiye https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/two-pilots-killed-as-training-aircraft-crashes-in-central-turkiye-18169536 Two pilots were killed after a training aircraft crashed in central Türkiye, the country's National Defence Ministry has said. The SF-260D type aircraft belonging to the Air Forces Command, which took off from the 12th Air Transport Main Base Command in Kayseri for training, crashed for an unknown reason, the ministry said on social media platform X. Search and rescue efforts have begun. And finally… *) India's Modi declares historic victory, but fails to win ‘big majority' https://www.trtworld.com/asia/indias-modi-declares-historic-victory-but-fails-to-win-big-majority-18169400 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed victory for the ruling National Democratic Alliance, terming it a “historical feat” in the history of the South Asian country. As per the final tally, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies won 295 seats, while the opposition Indian National Congress and its allies were trailing with 231 seats. 17 seats were won by other candidates in the 543-member lower house of India's parliament.

It's Tuesday, June 4th, A.D. 2024,. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson What did Malaysian government do with Pastor Raymond Koh? The American Center for Law and Justice has issued a petition on the social media site X demanding answers from the Malaysian government on Pastor Raymond Koh's whereabouts. The petition has almost 30,000 signatures.   The petition states that “Pastor Raymond Koh has been missing for [seven] years in Malaysia [and] the Malaysian government refuses to provide answers.”  Koh ran a non-profit group working with HIV/AIDS patients, people with an addiction, and other individuals in need of help.  75-year-old pro-lifer given 2-year prison sentence Paulette Harlow is 75 years old and she is the ninth and final pro-life advocate to be sentenced for violating the Freedom of Access to Abortion Clinics Entrances Act at the Washington Surgi-Clinic in 2020.   A grandmother, and mother of six -- including four adopted children, Harlow received a 24-month sentence on May 31st from Judge Colleen Kotelly.  However, in the final analysis, God will be the Judge. Proverbs 18:5 reminds us that “It is not good to show partiality to the wicked or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.” Mexico's new pro-abortion, pro-homosexual secular president Mexico has elected its first female president. Claudia Sheinbaum won the election with 59% of the vote. Raised as a secular Jew, Sheinbaum is outspoken about her pro-abortion and pro-homosexual positions.  Mexico's Supreme Court legalized abortion last September. Since 1990, over 60 nations have liberalized their abortion laws. Only the United States, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Poland have slowed the legalization of abortion in recent years. Sheinbaum's election makes for the 54th election of a female head of state over the last 10 years. There were nine female heads of state elected during the 1980s, and five in the 1970s.  Abortion rates are up worldwide Abortion rates are up in the U.S. and other nations around the world.    Scotland, for, example reports the number of abortions up 53% over the last decade. This is largely due to the increase access to the Kill Pill program. Abortions by the abortion pill have increased from 9,600 per year to 17,900 per year over the last decade. And home-based abortions in Scotland have doubled from 5,100 to 10,500 per year since 2020. Meanwhile, surgical abortions have decreased from 2,300 to 350 per year over the last decade. Let us all remember that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) India's national elections unlikely to help Christians India is conducting national elections today. As they face rising persecution at the hands of fundamentalist Hindus, India's Christians throughout the country are hoping for some respite or help from the national government.  However, current polls point to another win for the Bharatiya Janata Party. One million African Methodists walk away from denomination The Côte d'Ivoire Conference of the United Methodists, based in West Africa, has voted to leave the United Methodist Church — after the U.S.-based denomination voted to approve the ordination of pastors who live out sinful, homosexual lifestyles. The “Ivory Coast” Methodists make up about one million members, one of the largest regional church bodies in the world. Korean pastors eager to sever ties with U.S. Methodists Also, an assembly of Korean Methodist pastors have met in mid-May to discuss a severance of relationships with the U.S. United Methodist Church.  The Korean General Assembly of Methodist Churches has already announced plans to ”solidify our traditional position and Bible-centered faith for its own ministry and mission direction.” In 3 days, Americans gave $200 million to Trump's campaign Americans responded to former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict with massive fund raising for the Trump for President campaign. Eric Trump, his son, told Fox News Sunday, the campaign has raised $200 million within three days, $70 million of which came from small donors. Listen. ERIC TRUMP: “They're coming out of the woodwork and they want to support a guy that they just believe is getting bamboozled by a system. We saw it with Impeachment One. We saw it with Impeachment Two. “We see it where they weaponized every liberal [District Attorney] and [Attorney General] across the country with one intent: to take him down, to slander him, to ruin his reputation, to try and divide his family, to try and bankrupt him, to throw him in jail. And America sees through it. They know exactly what's going on.” Meanwhile, by comparison, the Biden campaign has reportedly raised $104 million since the beginning of the year. Thailand officials eager to pass homosexual faux-marriage bill Thailand's prime minister attended the Pride Festivities in celebration of sexual perversions over the weekend in Bangkok. Srettha Thavisin  pledged his government's support for the “homosexual faux-marriage” bill which was passed through the legislature by a vote of 400 to 10 back in March.   Sadly, Thailand legalized abortion in 2019, and extended the legalization of abortion to the 20th week of the child's life in 2022.   Plus, Thailand has long been known as the “global capital” of prostitution and the child sex trade. Thailand will join Taiwan as the only two Asian nations embracing homosexual faux-marriage. China landed spacecraft on far side of moon In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth.   Six thousand years later, China has landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon — the only nation to have accomplished the feat so far. The Chinese space program hopes to collect rocks for analysis on the lunar south pole.  Worldview listeners in Ohio and Pennsylvania weigh in In response to my invitation for listeners to write me at Adam@TheWorldview.com about what our newscast means to them, Connie in Blanchester, Ohio wrote, “I depend on your broadcast to supply me with truthful news. Also, the Christian updates are wonderful. I am truly the widow with two mites. So, that is what I am sending.” And Manny and Denise in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania wrote, “We have been listeners to The Worldview for a long time and a fan of Adam for many years.  We are displaced Texans living in Pennsylvania and hearing Adam's broadcast every day brings us a little bit of home to Pennsylvania.  We love the newscast as he condenses a large amount of data into five minutes. Thanks Adam for living in your gifting.” 15 Worldview listeners gave $1,480 Toward out Friday, June 7th goal of raising $28,550 to help keep the newscast on the air, 15 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate. Our thanks to Mark in Newark, Ohio who gave $10, Connie in Blanchester, Ohio who gave $20, as well as Ashlyn in Richmond, Kentucky, Lorena in Selma, Texas, Paul in Brush, Colorado, and Angela in Richmond Hill, Ontaria Canada – each of whom gave $25. We appreciate David in Houston and Myron in Trinity, Alabama – both of whom gave $50 as well as Stuart in Zillah, Washington, Chris in Bloomfield, Kentucky, and Elijah in Goodyear, Arizona – each of whom gave $100. And we thank God for Pete in Troy, Montana who gave $150, Mandy in Walpole, New Hampshire who gave $200, as well as Amy in Seminole, Texas and Manny and Denise in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania – each of whom gave $300. Those 15 Worldview listeners gave a total of, drum roll please, (sound effect of drum roll) $1,480. (audience cheering) That means by this Friday, June 7th, we're looking for 22 Worldview listeners to pledge $50 per month for 12 months and 44 listeners to pledge $25/month for 12 months. Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on “Give,” select the dollar amount you'd like, and click on the recurring button if that's your wish. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, June 4th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 4th of June and here are today's headlines.With the NDA poised to form the government for a third consecutive time, bagging at least 290 seats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “historic feat”. As the INDIA bloc managed to halt the BJP's march towards majority, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came out to hit out at the BJP, saying that the mandate today was a clear indication that the people of the country do not want to PM Modi and Amit Shah to run the country. The Opposition INDIA bloc has reversed all exit poll predictions, leading in at least 228 seats, according to the latest numbers. However, despite a stiff contest, the BJP-led NDA is inching closer towards the 300-mark, standing at 297 at the moment.In what is probably the biggest upset state-wise, the tug-of-war for Odisha between BJP and BJD ended today with the Bharatiya Janata Party set to form the next government. Though the ruling BJD party hels various rallies and election campaigns, the saffron party has crossed the majority mark of 74. Odisha CHief Minister Naveen Patnaik served for five consecutive terms, but now the lotus party will form its first cabinet in the coastal state.In a major setback for the BJP, Union minister Smriti Irani lost to the Congress's K L Sharma in Amethi, as Congress wrest back power. The Amethi win comes as a big boost to the Congress, with Rahul Gandhi losing the seat to Irani in 2019. In neighbouring Rae Bareli, a Congress party bastion for decades, Rahul defeated BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh, who apologised to the people of Rae Bareli.Behind the remarkable turnaround for the Opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh where the INDIA bloc was leading, some fascinating factors may have given them an upper hand over the BJP. One of the factors that may have worked in favour of the SP, is its ticket-distribution strategy. Unlike previous elections, the SP ticket distribution focused on non-Yadav OBCs. Also, the SP changed candidates in several constituencies, depending on feedback from local cadre and local caste equation.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its allies, the JanaSena Party (JSP) of Pawan Kalyan and BJP, are headed for a landslide in Andhra Pradesh, in what is a complete reversal of the 2019 results. This is quite a turnaround for the TDP-led alliance, which was almost written off months before the elections after its chief N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest. Jagan seemed to have lost focus on governance issues in trying to implement his nine welfare schemes, which he had promised during his padyatra ahead of the 2019 polls.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

India's general election ends this weekend, with Prime Minister Nerendra Modi leading the polls. Today on “Post Reports,” we unpack where Modi's support comes from and what a win for his party would mean for the world's largest democracy.Read more:For more than a month, people across India have been voting in this year's general election. It's the largest the world has ever seen, and Prime Minister Nerendra Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party are ahead in polls by a wide margin. A lot of Modi's support is coming from women – largely because they are in favor of his Hindu nationalist platform and because his party has encouraged women to work. He has also been able to reach young voters through his social media campaigning. But many see India's struggling economy and his Hindu nationalism as reasons to vote him out – particularly because attacks against Muslims have increased during his time in office. An alliance of more than two dozen parties is running against him, but they've struggled to stay organized and make gains. Correspondent Karishma Mehrotra reports from New Delhi on what it's been like on the campaign trail and what it could mean to have Modi lead for a third term.Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon and Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Monica Campbell and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Connecting more and more people with solar energy has become an election plank for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Ram Mandir was consecrated in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, 10 million poor and middle-class households in India are supposed to get residential rooftop solar.  In this series, Suno India's Sneha Richhariya investigates what a scheme like this means to the people. In May 2024, she travelled to some energy-poor areas of north India. Where do the poor and the middle people fit into this policy framework? In this episode, Sneha tries to find out whether the scheme is accessible to the people it is intended to benefit. This is the first episode in Suno India's ‘Indian Solar Dream' series. Reporting for this series was supported by Earth Journalism Network. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

After six weeks of voting in the world's largest democracy, on June 4, Indians will learn who is to be their next prime minister. Narendra Modi, standing for a third term, is the frontrunner. Critics of Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party argue that India's democracy has been hollowed out during his premiership. Thousands of Indians have taken to the streets to protest against Modi's policies.For Indrajit Roy, professor of global development at the University of York in the UK, these pushbacks by Indians against threats to their democracy is an example of an audacious type of hope. He talks to us for this episode about what it means to be living in hope, and where he sees moments of that in India. This episode was written by Gemma Ware and produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.Further reading and listening: India Tomorrow: a podcast series from The Anthill – episode guide‘We have thousands of Modis': the secret behind the BJP's enduring success in IndiaIndian protesters pull from poetic tradition to resist Modi's Hindu nationalismWith democracy under threat in Narendra Modi's India, how free and fair will this year's election be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Currently the largest electorate in history is heading to the polls in India, where - of course - politicians and political parties are trying their best to influence voters.  Film and popular culture have always provided a reflection of the country's political culture, but  in this election, they are being used more than ever to *sway* voters - especially by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP.  Vinita sits down with two scholars who look at the intersection of politics and popular culture to uncover how Bollywood is creating storylines that support Modi's BJP - and how big a role it might play in the outcome of the world's largest election. Political scientist Sikata Banerjee is Professor Emeritus of Women's Studies at the University of Victoria She looks at Indian politics through the lens of cinema. And Rakesh Sengupta is Assistant Professor in Department of English and Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto. 

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 22nd of May and here are today's headlines.Almost a month after issuing notices to Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged Model Code of Conduct violations by their star campaigners, the Election Commission of India today directed BJP star campaigners not to make communal speeches and those of the Opposition party to refrain from saying the Constitution may be abolished. While the EC did not name PM Modi or Rahul Gandhi, it asked Nadda and Kharge for their “comments” on the “star campaigners” alleged MCC violations.The Supreme Court today declined to entertain former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren's plea seeking interim bail on money laundering charges in a land scam-related case to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. The court said his bail plea was pending before the trial court when he approached the apex court seeking the relief. The bench was upset that Soren had not disclosed to it that the trial court had taken cognisance of the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).Three days after two young software engineers were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car, allegedly being driven by a 17-and-a-half-year-old boy, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) today issued a notice to him to appear before it. According to sources, the JJB, which had earlier granted him bail, issued the notice to the boy, the son of a city-based realtor, through his lawyers and that he would appear before the Board.Questioning Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's silence in the case filed by Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal against Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today claimed Kejriwal is putting pressure on Maliwal for a “compromise” in the matter. Sawant said, quote, “While campaigning, people have asked me only one question. Why is Kejriwal silent on the Maliwal case for the past nine days? He should give some clarification. His silence on this issue reveals everything. AAP has become an anti-Delhi and an anti-women party now.” Unquote.Bangladesh MP Anwar Ul Azim, who has been missing for the past eight days from Kolkata is feared to have been murdered, police said today. Though police sources said that blood stains were found at Azim's flat, they are still searching for the MP's body. They have collected CCTV footage from the flat. The police said the legislator of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League came to Kolkata on May 12 through the Gende border in West Bengal's Nadia district and first went to the house of one of his friends.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Santanu Chowdhury tells us about the fierce poll battle between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, and how the winning margins are likely to narrow this time.Next, Indian Express' Anonna Dutt shares details about the comprehensive guidelines issued by the National Institute of Nutrition, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on what Indians should be eating (15:02).And in the end, Indian Express' Shashank Nair talks about some of the biggest highlights from the career of Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, who announced his retirement yesterday (24:25).Hosted, produced and written by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this podcast, Kushal speaks with Shehzad Poonawalla, who is the National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, about the state of Muslims in the BJP. They talk about the allegations of Islamophobia against the BJP and why Shehzad joined them. Has Shehzad faced any discrimination because of his religion in the BJP? Why doesn't BJP give Muslims tickets? Does the BJP discriminate at the policy level against Muslims in India? Follow Shehzad: Twitter: @Shehzad_Ind YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShehzadKiBaat Papers: https://eacpm.gov.in/reports/ #bjp #2024elections #islamophobia #owaisi ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Fanmo: https://fanmo.in/the_carvaka_podcast Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com

We are excited to announce the launch of our seventh podcast episode. Here is our seventh episode, we discuss the ongoing elections in India, and while Modi's victory is all but assured, BJP seems to be facing some headwinds in the current election. In this episode, we discuss the rhetoric by the BJP about Muslims, redistribution of wealth, and the decline of the congress, and look at the next 5 years and how it will be under the third Narendra Modi term. It's best to watch the YouTube podcast of this episode to get a full appreciation of all the tools used in the demo. This is the youtube link: Our panel includes Sourin Rao and Arun Singh. We hope you like this episode. Please subscribe to our podcast and share the link with your friends and family. Leave us your comments in the comments/Q&A section. #LokSabhaElections2024 - General discussions and updates about the upcoming elections. #IndiaDecides2024 - A hashtag used to highlight the decision-making power of the electorate. #Modi2024 - Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the BJP, use this hashtag. #BJP4India - Promoting the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign and achievements. #CongressRevival - Used by supporters of the Indian National Congress, focusing on their efforts to make a comeback. #MahaAlliance - Refers to the alliances formed by various parties, particularly in Maharashtra. #Election2024 - General election-related discussions, including from an international perspective. #NayaBharat - Emphasizing the vision of a new India, often used by BJP supporters. #VoterAwareness - Campaigns aimed at increasing voter awareness and participation. #YouthForIndia - Encouraging the youth to participate in the political proc

Hear from our guest expert on Singapore's stakes in seeing a stable government rule the world's fifth biggest economy. Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. The world's most populous nation began voting on April 19 in a seven-phase election in which nearly one billion people are eligible to vote, with ballots set to be counted on June 4. In this episode, Ravi speaks with the political scientist Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, a think-tank under the National University of Singapore. They discuss the ongoing Indian election marked by a dip in voter turnout, the competing narratives, the improving national profile of Mr Rahul Gandhi, chances of a decisive victory for Mr Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. They also look at the need to heal wounds the election has opened in the national fabric. Highlights (click/tap above): 3:10 Continuity vs high unemployment and inflation 8:09 Singapore's stakes in the Indian election 15:01 Why it is not a ‘wave' election this time 16:08 A new Rahul Gandhi? 20:38 Why women voters are key 24:01 Could polls spring a surprise? 27:25 Can India heal its wounds after the polls Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa'izah Sani Edited by: Fa'izah Sani Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u  In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt  COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE  Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7  Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN  Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf  Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m  Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE  #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad  Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX  --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa  --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2  Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn  Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB  Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa  --- Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB  Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX  #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Indian population, the largest of the world today, has been going to the polls for the country's 2024 general election. The voting will span several weeks and results are expected in early June.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term. His team has rolled out an ambitious scheme named "2047 Viksit Bharat," or Developed India, which aims to elevate India into a developed nation by 2047. A group of opposition parties, led by the Indian National Congress, are challenging Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.What are Modi's chances of winning? How will the Indian election influence regional and global geopolitics? Host Liu Kun is joined by Dr. Rong Ying, Senior Research Fellow at China Institute of International Studies; Swaran Singh, Professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University; Dr. Lee Pei May, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

"India's democracy is being systematically disassembled,” says renowned writer and activist Arundhati Roy. She adds, “Any kind of dissent is just smashed with an iron fist." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party openly espouse Hindutva, a racist ideology rooted in a mythical past and fueled by magical thinking. It's a supremacist doctrine that privileges and elevates one group, Hindus, over all others. Its animus toward Muslims is particularly acute but Christians and other minorities also incur its wrath. Hindutva nationalists want to dominate Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state. The Himalayan region has endured decades of occupation by hundreds of thousands of Indian troops. There is resistance. Tens of thousands of Kashmiris are dead and missing. Human rights violations are routine. Yet the Kashmiri quest for azadi, freedom, continues.

In this podcast, Kushal speaks with Tushar Gupta as they look into the Lok Sabha 2024 manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Follow Tushar Gupta: Twitter: @Tushar15_ #NarendraModi #LokSabha2024 #BJPManifesto ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Fanmo: https://fanmo.in/the_carvaka_podcast Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5690506426187776

The Candidates Tournament is among the world's most recognised Chess contests. This time round India has as many as five grandmasters competing for the top prize. That's a big deal given that for around 30 years, it was Vishy Anand, the sole Indian grandmaster who represented India. In politics, “washing machine” trended for a while on Twitter in the context of corruption probes which, the opposition argued, could be washed away if one joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. And in business, Tesla scouts sites in India for a big plant. What does that mean for the giant and for the country?

Over the last many decades, India has taken pride in an election process that, while allowing close to a billion people to exercise their franchise, has always been largely free and fair. However, Narendra Modi's government has taken a series of actions that have called the sanctity of the country's 2024 general elections into question. This includes a dubious scheme of electoral bonds that has allowed parties – Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party more than others – to raise funds from anonymous donors, as well as a reconstitution of the Election Commission that will likely favour the ruling party. The BJP has also dealt a hammer blow to the opposition by arresting two chief ministers on charges of corruption and freezing the largest opposition party's assets. In this episode of State of Southasia, Nayantara Narayanan speaks to Aakar Patel on how hard-won gains in democratic processes including elections have been squandered by the Modi government at great cost to the Indian republic. They also discusswhat the opposition's options are and what an unfree and unfair election in the world's largest democracy meansfor the rest of Southasia. State of Southasia releases a new interview every four weeks. Episode notes: Further reading from Himal's archives: The enduring personality cult of Narendra Modi: https://www.himalmag.com/politics/christophe-jaffrelot-gujarat-narendra-modi-bharatiya-janata-party-hindu-nationalism With an unfree and unfair election, Pakistan prepares to repeat its past: https://www.himalmag.com/politics/pakistan-unfree-unfair-election-military-nawaz-sharif-imran-khan State of Southasia #02: Ayesha Siddiqa on Pakistan's stormy election and its message for the military: https://www.himalmag.com/podcast/ayesha-siddiqa-pakistan-election-2024-imran-khan-shebaz-sharif-pml-nawaz-military In Bangladesh's sham election, the only real contest is geopolitical: https://www.himalmag.com/politics/geopolitics-us-europe-china-india-sheikh-hasina-awami-league-2024-bangladesh-election Prabir Purkayastha's fight against two Emergencies in India – under Modi and Indira Gandhi Every vote counts in Kashmir: https://www.himalmag.com/reviews/prabir-purkayastha-newsclick-arrest-emergency-india-indira-gandhi-narendra-modi

'Ever since independence, Indian policy on its maritime border with Sri Lanka has been driven by the need to protect the interests of ethnic Tamils in that country, and keep foreign powers out of the Indian Ocean. The Bharatiya Janata Party's use of Katchatheevu island as an election-time tool threatens to undermine India's bigger strategic objectives', says Contributing Editor Praveen Swami in #ThePrint #SecurityCode

With India amid a national election campaign, its news media is in sharp focus. Until recently it was believed that the sheer diversity of outlets ensured a range of perspectives, but now, India's mainstream media has largely been co-opted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just how did the media in India get to this point and what does it mean for the upcoming elections?Featuring:Ravish Kumar - Former Host, NDTVShashi Shekhar Vempati - Former CEO, Prasar BharatiPramod Raman - Chief Editor, MediaOneAmy Kazmin - Former South Asia Bureau Chief, Financial TimesMeena Kotwal - Founder, The MooknayakSubscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile@AljazeeraEnglish#Aljazeeraenglish#News

It's Wednesday, March 27th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark 161 acts of persecution against Christians so far in 2024 During the first 75 days of 2024, the United Christian Forum documented 161 incidents of persecution against Christians in India. Christians in the Hindu-majority country often face accusations of forced conversion.  The group noted Christians experienced the most persecution in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It said, “There is clear evidence of state-sponsored harassment of Christians in this state, as the police file false allegations of conversion against pastors, even for praying in birthday parties and other social gatherings.” One billion people in India expected to vote Nearly a billion people will head to the polls in India next month. It's considered the largest democratic election in history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a third term in a row. His Hindu-nationalist party, known as the Bharatiya Janata Party, is also expected to remain in power. India overtook China as the world's most populated country last year. India also overtook the U.K. as the fifth largest economy in 2022 and is on track to be the third largest behind the U.S. and China. Isaiah 40:15 reminds us, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, [the Lord] lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” Air & Space Museum in trouble for mocking pro-lifers In the United States, a national museum agreed to a $50,000 settlement with pro-life tourists. Twelve students visited the National Air and Space Museum last year, wearing pro-life apparel. Museum staff mocked the students and forced them to leave. Patrick Murphy, one of those pro-life students, appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox show and explained what happened. MURPHY: “We got done with the March for Life and we decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. We ended up but the Flight Brothers exhibit. At this time, we were addressed by security guards and they tell, ‘All people wearing a pro-life hat, take it off.' One of the students with us proceeds to say, ‘We use these hats for identification purposes. This is for our group.' “We were approached by a large man as we were walking out, rubbing his hands together, saying ‘Y'all are about to make my day!' He tells us he's got reports saying we said no to taking our hats off and we're in trouble for some odd reason. I then said, ‘This is a violation of our First Amendment right. This is a government-funded building.' He said, ‘It's a neutral zone, and that doesn't apply here.' And we were blown away. We had almost no words.” The Smithsonian oversees the museum and agreed to the settlement, offering the students a private tour. Jordan Sekulow with the American Center for Law and Justice wrote, “This was a clear-cut First Amendment violation, not only of their freedom of speech but of religion as well. The federal government simply cannot ban speech with which it or its employees disagree.” Kansas pro-life bill would end chemical abortion In welcome news,  Students for Life Action applauded the roll call vote on Senate Bill 286 in the Kansas Senate, which, if signed into law, will greatly increase pro-life protections in Kansas, stopping dangerous Chemical Abortion pills and ending intentional abortion.  This vote resulted from the hard work of Students for Life Action intern Cheyenne Vandeventer, who helped introduce the law in 2023, and was championed by Kansas GOP State Senator Dr. Mark Steffen. Ship crashed into Baltimore bridge, causing collapse A massive, Singapore-flagged container ship, named Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge yesterday at 1:30am in Maryland, causing it to collapse. Watch the video. The ship was departing from Baltimore, Maryland when it lost power. The collision sent people and cars into the icy Patapsco River. First responders rescued two people from the river, but six more are unaccounted for and presumed dead.  Maryland's Democratic Governor Wes Moore spoke to the press. MOORE: “This morning our state is in shock. To our first responders, I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of your courage. I'm in awe of your strength.  You saw a crisis and you said, ‘What can I do to help' to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse literally as we speak.” Ship traffic to the Baltimore Harbor is suspended for now. The port is the busiest one in the United States for car shipments. Maternal mortality rate did not skyrocket at all A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found the U.S. maternal mortality rate may have been overestimated. In 2003, death certificates started to include a box if someone was pregnant near the time of death. This led to the appearance of a 143% increase in maternal mortality rates over the last 21 years. However, researchers found the rate only increased by two percent in reality.  LifeSiteNews noted, “Maternal mortality is frequently used as an excuse to expand legal abortion. … Across the globe, statistics have shown that legal abortion does not lower the maternal mortality rate.” Alabama defunded “woke” programs Last Wednesday, Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The state will no longer fund such woke programs at schools, public colleges, and government agencies. The law put restrictions on “divisive concepts” like the idea that “any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.” Weekly U.S. church attendance down 12 points And finally, Gallup released a new poll on church attendance in America. Overall, 30% of Americans say they attend religious services weekly or almost weekly. Eleven percent attend once a month, and 56% seldom or never attend. Since 2000, weekly or almost weekly religious attendance is down 12 points for U.S. adults. It's down 12 points for Catholics and down four points for Protestants. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, March 27th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

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.

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.

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 Bharatiya Janata Party government has been pitching for One Nation One Election for years. The High Level Committee on One Nation, One Election submitted a report to President Droupadi Murmu on March 14, 2024. The 21-volume, 18,626-page report has suggestions from representatives of various political parties, economists, officials from the election commissions, businessmen, and other experts.  The report unanimously supports one election for Centre, state and local bodies such as panchayats and municipalities. We are republishing an older episode hosted by Suno India's Rakesh Kamal where he interviewed Chakshu Roy to understand the complexities and challenges of holding simultaneous elections. Chakshu Roy heads the outreach team and leads the legislator and citizen engagement initiatives at PRS legislative research. He has been involved in setting up the state laws project, training civil society and journalist groups about tracking Parliament. For additional reading: PRS Summary of the Report  ANALYSIS OF SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS : THE “WHAT”, “WHY” AND “HOW” Standing Committee Report on the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections.pdf (Dec 2015) Law commission report (1999) on electoral reforms.pdf https://onoe.gov.in/HLC-Report The Suno India Show | Can ‘one nation, one election' work for IndiaSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

In today's news episode, Claire will discuss the growing unrest in India over the recent enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by President Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party just weeks before elections. With the CAA and the possibility of enacting the National Register of Citizens (NRC), many claim that Muslim immigrants living in India will now be turned into refugees, with more barriers for reentry into the country. Sources: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/12/why-is-indias-citizenship-amendment-act-so-controversial https://theintercept.com/2020/01/30/india-citizenship-act-caa-nrc-assam/ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-government-announces-citizenship-amendment-act-rules-4-years-after-bill-was-passed/article67939010.ece Script: Hello everyone, I'm Claire Mattes and you're listening to Seeking Refuge News. Protests have erupted in India after the Indian Government announced on Monday that the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, which was passed in 2019 but not not enforced, will now be brought into effect. The CAA will come into force on the eve of elections, and is India's first religion-based citizenship test, discriminating against Muslims and other refugees. This act has brought about critique from many student groups throughout the country, as well as human rights groups and state government leaders. So, why is this act so controversial? According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata party, the goal of the CAA is to help the persecuted. An article from the intercept states, “that he has framed the CAA as a noble effort to welcome Hindus who are oppressed in neighboring Muslim-majority countries.” However, the intricacies of the law make it clear that it will prevent many Muslim refugees from entering India. Before the law was passed, all foreign nationals must spend 11 years in India before gaining citizenship eligibility. Now, the CAA will expedite this process to only 5 years for certain groups fleeing persecution who arrived before December 31, 2014. These groups are Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Sikhs seeking asylum from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. According to Aljazeera, Muslim asylum seekers will still need to wait 11 years, and, unlike other religious groups, will be required to have valid documentation to justify their presence. This means that once they reapply for citizenship through the online portal provided by the government, they will become refugees, and in order to reenter, many will need the proper documentation, which is unlikely that they will have.  Additionally, the passage of the National Register of Citizens, which is designed to deport people without the proper papers, is leaving very few options for Muslim asylum seekers. Although the law is only in effect in the northeast state of Assam, many fear it will become a nationwide policy. With these two policies combined, the country would be able to deport all “illegal” immigrants, and only allow reentry to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians, according to Aljazeera.  Modi has denied any wrongdoing, but many critics have noted the previous anti-Muslim actions this year, such as the move to strip Kashmire of autonomy back in August of 2023, and a long history of violence and breaches of international law in the six detention centers located in Assam, where majority Muslim asylum seekers are being held, says the Intercept. The Hindu writes that West Bengal Chief Minister says the CAA would take away rights and lead people to detention camps, later stating, “Those who are being asked to apply, the moment they apply, from becoming citizens they will become illegal refugees. What will happen to your properties, your jobs and the studies of your children? Everything will be declared illegal.”  These actions have drawn criticism from all over the country, with hundreds of thousands of protestors, majority being students. However, the intercept noted that some students were protesting against the snti-Muslim policies, while other were protesting the expedited process for any group of immigrants. According to Aljazeer, Many are regarding the actions of the BJP as unconstitutional, citing article 14 of the constitution. The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Human Rights Watch has also declared this discriminatory against Muslims. We will be sure to keep you updated on the latest news regarding refugees worldwide. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you again on Seeking Refuge News. Liked this episode? Let us know! Subscribe and leave us a review below! If you or someone you know would like to share their personal refugee story, send us an email at seekingrefugepodcast@gmail.com or connect with us on any of these social media platforms. https://twitter.com/refugepodcast https://www.instagram.com/seekingrefugepodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/seekingrefugepodcast Our Team: Claire Mattes (Writer, Producer) Shireen Kaur Anusha Ghosh Thrisha Mote Yatin Nerella Rohit Swain Victoria Halsey Diana Clarke Saanvi Somani Emily Jenson Charlie Winston Carolina Lochner Jazmine Rathi Kat Wyandt Josh Evans Liam Ogden Maggie Austin Molly Mims

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 5th of March and here are the top stories of the week.The Indian Embassy in Israel has issued an advisory for Indian nationals working in Israel, especially in border areas, to relocate to safe areas within the country. The Embassy said they are in touch with the Israel authorities to ensure the safety of all its nationals. The Indian Embassy also shared a helpline number and e-mail address for clarification. It comes hours after one Indian national was killed and two others injured after an anti-tank missile allegedly fired from Lebanon struck Israel's Margaliot. All three victims are from Kerala.Hours after resigning as a judge of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay Tuesday announced that he will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.He sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu with copies to CJI DY Chandrachud and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC TS Sivagnanam. He has announced a couple of days earlier that he would be entering the field of politics.IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said today that Google has agreed to restore delisted Indian apps on its Play Store and will work on a solution to the contentious payment issue. Google and startups had multiple rounds of discussion with the government on Monday, following which the tech giant agreed to restore the delisted apps.In a major relief for Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Supreme Court today quashed proceedings initiated against him in a 2018 money laundering case. The Karnataka Deputy CM and four others were investigated by the ED following a preliminary complaint filed in 2018 on the basis of a 2017 I-T department investigation into the income and assets of Shivakumar.Stepping up his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has affirmed that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be present inside his country after 10th of May. Muizzu's statement comes less than a week after an Indian civilian team reached the Maldives to take charge of one of the three aviation platforms in the island nation, well ahead of the deadline agreed by the two nations for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.