Daily Briefing: SC order on MP, MLA immunity privileges, Indian youths trapped fighting Russia-Ukraine war, and more

Big Story

Members of Parliament and state legislatures who take bribes to vote or speak in a certain manner in the House are not immune from prosecution, the Supreme Court said in a landmark order, overruling its 1998 judgment (JMM bribery case) which granted immunity to such lawmakers.

In the JMM bribes for votes ruling, the Supreme Court has extended the scope for judicial review of the House and the actions of its members. The apex court held that claims to parliamentary privilege by lawmakers can be subject to judicial review, and only Parliament cannot have the last word on the issue.

Only in the Express

From Kashmir to Karnataka, from Gujarat to Telangana, a thread connects the Indian youths trapped fighting Russia’s war with Ukraine – desperation for a job and false promises. The families of men The Indian Express spoke to detailed how they were tricked into believing they were applying for a job as helpers in Russian government offices, only to find themselves sent to the frontlines, risking their lives.

The Samajwadi Party was in for a surprise during the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, as the party’s chief whip, Manoj Kumar Pandey, resigned from his post before allegedly helping the BJP nominee, Sanjay Seth, win. The MLA from Unchahar Assembly constituency in Raebareli speaks to the Indian Express about the reasons and timing behind his decision.

From the Front Page

SBI requested the Supreme Court to extend the deadline for disclosing electoral bond purchases to ECI until June 30 due to time constraints. But, the Lok Sabha election process would be over by then. Last month, the Supreme Court nullified the electoral bonds scheme, directing SBI to submit purchase details since April 12, 2019, to ECI by March 6, to be published on its website by March 13.

The AAP government in Delhi announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana in the Budget for 2024-25 under which every woman over 18 years will receive an honorarium of Rs 1,000 a month. According to CM Arvind Kejriwal around 45-50 lakh women voters are expected to benefit from it. Take a look at who is eligible to receive financial assistance under the scheme and how they can avail this benefit.

Must Read

In Opinion section, C Raja Mohan argues that Shehbaz Sharif’s new tenure as the Pakistan Prime Minister does not signal a new beginning in New Delhi-Islamabad ties and India should temper expectations for a new beginning.

From a rocky field where cattles grazed to a venue of breath-taking beauty… Ahead of the India vs England 5th Test, Sandeep Dwivedi traces the making of the cricket stadium in Dharamsala

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting a target of 370 seats for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the party is working out a strategy to put special focus on the women voters in major battleground states, writes Liz Mathew, adding that some “big announcements” are expected on International Women’s Day next week.

And Finally…

The NCERT has introduced a new “holistic” report card that incorporates feedback from parents, classmates, and even self-evaluation by students to track their overall progress regularly. R Radhika walks us through the details.

Delhi Confidential: At a fair organised at the recently concluded naval multinational exercise in Visakhapatnam, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh picked up a gift for his wife from one of the stalls put up by Naval Wives Welfare Association.

🎧 In today’s 3 Things Podcast, we talk about Gaganyaan, India’s inaugural crewed space mission. We also discuss the archaeological attempts that have been made to locate Dwarka Nagari, and an update on TMC MLA Tapas Roy’s resignation.

Until next time, 

Aradhana Kalia and Navmi Krishna

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