Daily Briefing: Pele dies at 82; EC proposes remote voting for migrant workers; and more

The world lost Pele, or the King, and with him football died a little too. His end, at the age of 82, came Thursday at the Albert Einstein Hospital in his hometown in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, where he had been admitted since November 29 with complications related to colon cancer that was diagnosed in September 2021.

The first modern footballer, Pele was a rare artist who, with his instinct, intelligence and inventiveness, could render redundant all the tactics and patterns that make the simple sport complex  

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In the latest edition of The Indian Express Adda, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari speaks on strategic connectivity projects in border areas, increasing speed on national highways, shrinking dialogue across party lines and the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party. 

From the Front Page

Underlining the problems faced by domestic migrants in travelling back to their home constituencies to vote, the Election Commission of India Thursday said it is ready to pilot remote voting, a move that will also result in better voter turnouts. 

Two big-ticket movies set for release in the country, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Pathaan” and Pakistani blockbuster ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, have run into rough weather. Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Prasoon Joshi said in a statement Thursday that the makers of “Pathaan” have been asked to implement “advised changes…including the songs and submit the revised version”.

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The Karnataka Cabinet Thursday decided to categorise the two dominant communities in the state, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, as “moderately backward” from the “backward” category in a move that could increase their share in reservation for Other Backward Classes. The decision comes ahead of Assembly elections in the state next year.

As the New Year draws in, Rekha Sharma writes: “We are on the cusp of the new year, nursing the hope that it will usher in a new dawn, where, in the words of Rabindranath Tagore, “the mind is without fear and the head is held high”… May the government be less confrontational with the Supreme Court, and may the judiciary stand firm in its commitment to upholding fundamental rights.” 

And Finally…

Can India turn back the clock to the MS Dhoni era, be ODI World Champions and also the top Test side in the world? It’s a tough ask from a less-talented team. Besides, the team management and BCCI haven’t learnt from past mistakes. Will this be the year of Rohit Sharma’s tryst with the World Cup destiny? We Explain

Delhi Confidential: Marking the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, Serbia on Thursday released a special stamp. The theme of the stamp, released by Serbia Post, is on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The stamp was released in the presence of the country’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, according to the Indian Embassy in Belgrade.

Until tomorrow,

Rounak Bagchi

Business as usual by EP Unny