Daily Briefing: Kolkata rape-murder case heads to SC; J-K police wants Jio whitelisted; Sawadee-kha Shinawatra

A day after a derby match face-off was cancelled, arch-rivals on field became united off it for a common cause. The supporters of two popular Kolkata-based football clubs–East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant–joined hands at the Salt Lake stadium to protest the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Over to the… The Supreme Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the August 9 rape-murder case. A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will hear the matter on Tuesday (August 20). The apex court may also look into the acts of vandalism that ensued at the hospital during protests against the incident on August 14.

Served: Two prominent doctors Dr Kunal Sarkar and Dr Subarna Goswami, and senior BJP leader Locket Chatterjee were summoned by the Kolkata Police on Sunday as part of efforts to address the unlawful disclosure of the rape-murder victim and the spread of “misinformation” on social media. So far, approximately 65 individuals have been issued notices in these two separate cases.

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⚡Only in Express

“We haven’t been able to celebrate the victory and the downfall of the Hasina government. It’s a big responsibility for us now.”

Student leader Nahid Islam, among those who spearheaded the quota reforms movement in Bangladesh, is now the country’s information and communications tech advisor in the new Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. Speaking to The Indian Express’ Shubhajit Roy in Dhaka, the 26-year-old told us how he did not think the student protests would bring down the Awami League government, while elaborating on plans for “holistic reform” of national institutions such as the  judiciary, police, and civilian bureaucracy. 

“I haven’t been able to understand castes even now. Caste is a reality. Indian society should first accept that.” – In the latest session of Idea Exchange, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary shared his views on why capturing caste data is “inherently tricky” in reference to the Supreme Court’s decision on sub-classification in reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) which continues to generate debates and discussions.

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📰 From the Front Page

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has reimposed its mandate requiring solar projects to source modules exclusively from a government-approved list of domestic manufacturers starting April 1. Why? Documents accessed by The Indian Express under the RTI Act show that this comes despite concerns flagged at the highest levels in the government over market concentration in India’s solar PV module industry and its potential to inflate household electricity tariffs.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has asked the Union Home Ministry to whitelist Reliance Jio so that it can be used in police stations across the Union Territory to help ease implementation of the three new criminal laws. Internet connectivity was one of the issues discussed in a review meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla with the Chief Secretaries and DGs of all UTs.

A crisis is brewing in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha — the party leading the ruling alliance in Jharkhand. There has been buzz that the former chief minister and party leader Champai Soren could switch over to the BJP. Why? Well, Champai says he has been “humiliated” by the party. He took charge when Hemant Soren was jailed, and was asked to step down once the latter was released. But what’s next for him? Champai says he’s exploring three options.

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👉 Must Read

“Women are emerging as a political constituency that parties can ill afford to ignore.”

In her latest column, Neerja Chowdhury writes of Vinesh Phogat’s journey and that of the young doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at a hospital in Kolkata. Both events are sure to have political implications as women demand their due place – as citizens, as equals.

A third prime minister in the Shinawatra family and the youngest-ever for Thailand — 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s rise makes for an interesting story. Her father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck were both removed from power by military coups. Paetongtarn’s personality is seen as being indistinct from the legacy of the powerful Shinawatra clan. What are the implications of Shinawatras’ return to power? We explain.

A peek inside the Government Primary School Gopalpur Khera in Gurugram reveals a sad state of affairs: broken furniture, filthy bathroom and seepage stains on the roof and walls. The derelict school refuses to shut shop even though it doesn’t fulfill the minimum enrollment criteria of 20 students. Why? To keep seven kids from dropping out.

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📌And Finally…

You need not look too far to find an otaku (anime nerd) in India today. From Naruto’s fans to those who swear by Death Note, there’s a burgeoning Indian audience, whose fandom for Manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation) is anything but lukewarm. But why are manga and anime sweeping across generations? Read here.

Until tomorrow

Vibha B Madhava and Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny